Showing posts with label alluringvapors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alluringvapors. Show all posts

Friday, January 16, 2015

Sigelei 150w

Today, I'll be reviewing the Sigelei 150w box mod. This thing is an absolute monster of a device, that just so happens to be affordable - at 99.99, you'd be hard pressed finding a similarily powerful device at that price point. You can pick yours up at www.alluringvapors.com for 99.99






If you haven't caught on, the wattage/box race is on - it is almost on a weekly basis that we see a new 20w, 30w, 50w, 100w+ device hitting the market. Clearly, the community is moving quickly in this direction - we need power, we need variability, and we need it now. Capitalizing on the success of the revisioned Sigelei (the 100w+), Sigelei brings something not exactly new, but better, to the table - the Sigelei 150w box mod. Notable improvements over the 100w+ are as follows


  • 150w limit
  • Bottom vent is now slotted
  • No waves!
  • Larger button
  • Fires to 0.1 ohm
Let's hit the manafacturers description

  • Variable Wattage Operating Range: 10.0W – 150.0W
  • Lowest Atomizer Resistance:0.1Ω
  • Battery Voltage Operating Range: 6.4V – 8.4V
  • Uses 2 x 18650 Batteries (Not Included)
  • Size: 103mm x 23mm x 57mm
  • Visual Operating System
  • Low Voltage Protection
  • Low Resistance Protection
  • High Voltage Warning
  • Short Circuit Protection
  • Reverse Polarity Protection
  • High Temperaturhole Warning
  • Use Replaceable Battery
Sounds great, doesn't it? Let's get down to the review!


- Build Quality

The Sigelei 150w is built like a tank, and aptly so - it is only fitting that such a powerful device is durably built. To get started, the box itself features a very, very nice shape - the corners are completely rounded, and the box itself is not as large as you'd think - more or less the same size as the 100w+, it's large enough to contain the internals, but compact enough to fit comfortably in the hand. The aluminum model feels very sturdy, and the finish is a nice matte black. If you're one of those people who struggle to use phones with larger screens, you may want to try for a smaller device - however I quickly got used to it. Asthetically, I find it much more appealing than the 100w+  - it is well rounded, precisely well machined, ergonomic, all black, and ditched those damn waves.

The 510 connection is identical to the 100w+ - spring loaded. This is a god-send, and to those of you who own the 100w+, you'll be right at home. If you're coming from the original 100w device, you're in for a treat - you no longer have to fiddle with the adjustable/removable 510 pins. Some have reported that the spring wiggles, however my research shows that this relatively uncommon - the 510 in my device is sturdy and does not wiggle. The great thing in my opinion about spring loaded 510 connectors is that if you know your way around a box mod, if ever you run into positioning trouble, they're fairly easy to remove and reset. Nearly every atomizer I threw at this thing sat flush, with the exception of the Magma. The Magma is notorious for an absurdly long 510 pin, so when mounted flush, the occasional bump or removable of the atomizer can cause a fluctuation in ohms. This can be rectified by removing the atomizer, and screwing down until it is snug - over-tightening leads to the fluctuation, and will wear out your spring loaded 510.

The buttons on the device are similar to the 100w+, however they're slightly easier to press - the firing button is a bit more flush with the device, and has yet to stick, a problem I've encountered with previous models. The buttons used to ajdust the wattage are both very tactile and clicky - they definitely seem like they will hold up. To power the device on and off, you simply click the power button five times. To lock the device, hold the "+" and "-" button, and repeat to unlock. Simple and effective. I like that the buttons are so responsive, they are a slight improvement on previous models.

Internally, it is nearly identical to the 100w + - you have your dual battery sled, your ribbon, your vent holes, and your chip. The back plate is held on by four magnets, and I've got to say - they're incredibly strong. Often I wake up and in a daze accidentally install the door backwards, and this can definitely snap a magnet - fortunately so, I have yet to have this problem, which leads me to believe that they're quality magnets. The battery sled itself is held securely into the device, and the contact pins are springy, making installing and removing batteries quick, and less of a wear on the device. The solder and wiring are completely hidden by the battery sled and plastic housing, which is great - the 510 is also directly over the sled, and not the chip. This gives me a little more comfort knowing a potentially leaky atomizer won't destroy the electronics as easily as it can in other devices - though you definitely want to avoid this at any opportunity.

The chip was originally rumored to be an in-house model, but it was revealed that it is in fact the SX YiHi chip. As you may know, it is a buck down chip - Instead of boosting power, (potentially) lying and improperly regulating, the chip regulates voltage from 6.4-8.4v  to your setting - essentially, it is far more efficient than regulating voltage from 3.2 up to whatever it is set. The device runs incredibly cool, even at the lowest firing range - 0.1 ohms. I personally don't miss the days of warm, metal tubes.

The LCD screen is identical to previous models - not much to write about. You have your battery graph, your ohms, your voltage, and your wattage. Pretty simple. All in all, this is a very, very well built device, fine tuning on the improvements the 100w made, but not completely changing the game. So... how does it vape?

- Performance

The 150w is quite possibly one of the most flexible mods on the market.

Looking to jump into vaping? You the type who likes to go big or go home, purchasing higher end equipment to avoid the hassle?  It'll fire you clearomizers (with 510 threading) starting at 10w - you may want to find a suitable coil, but it's possible.

Just upgraded to one of the better clearomizers, the nautilus mini? The nautilus? It'll fire those comfortably at 12w - 18w, providing surprisingly dense, flavorful vape.

It'll fire your RDA, RBA, RTA with unbelievable flexibility . 

You want a hot vape? Build around 0.1-0.3, crank up the wattage. You want a cool, cloud chasing vape? Utilize surface area, building around 0.6-1.1 ohms, and dial down your wattage. You want to utilize battery life? Build around 0.8 - 1.3 ohms, and dial down the wattage. Want to utilize some ridiculous surface area? Build high wrap quad coils, crank up the voltage. Want cool vapor from a twisted build? Try a high surface area wrap. Let's get down to a few builds I tried...

Mutation x V2 
Dual coil, 24g, 6 wraps, 0.3 ohms at 70w - flavorful, dense, and cool. Comfortable hit 130w.

Mephisto
Dual coil, 24g twisted, 5 wraps - 0.1 ohms, at 80w it's relatively cool and cloudy, but at 150w it's very warm, very tasty, and ridiculously cloudy.

Doge RDA
Single coil, clapton 24g inner 26g outer, 6 wrap, 0.5 ohms - at 60w, this is an all day vape. Warm but not hot, unbelievable flavorful, and clouds as far as the eye can see.

With so much power, it all boils down to utilizing the potential of any particular build. At the approriate wattage, any coil can sing - you can literally get the exact vape you want, and how you want. This is my defacto all day device - it goes with me to work, when I go out, and everywhere in between. Oh, and did I mention the battery life is stupidly amazing? On two freshly charged batteries, I can get about a day and a half of use at 50 watts. Insane. Definitely something I wasn't used to. While I am speaking of batteries, I forgot to mention it is important to marry a pair of 18650s - 25a+ only, preferable new, never used. These two batteries will go with this device, and this device only, to ensure that the amperage and overall life of the battery deplete evenly. I personally purchased two Samsung 25rs, labelled them 1 and 2, and assigned #1 to the left slot, and #2 to the right. This is paramount, as I initially used two pretty old VTC4s and let me tell you, I couldn't get more than 6 hours out of the device.

VERDICT

TLDR: Buy it. Outside of an extra 50 watts, it isn't a drastic change from the 100w. The build quality is better, the shape is sleeker, and the buttons are better, but the overall design is similar. For an additional 10 dollars, you get an extra 50 watts, and an (imo) sleeker looking device. Honestly, it is one of the most affordable variable wattage box mods on the market, built to last, and backed by a six month manafacturer warranty. It is flexible, it is sleek, and it out performs nearly all of it's competition. What are you waiting for? Pop on over to www.alluringvapors.com and pick yours up today for just 99.99






Monday, October 13, 2014

Red Cpoper Stingray by INFINITE

Good morning vape fam! Vapocalyptic Reviews coming at you in the early morning AM hour with another review. Today I'll be going over the Infinite Red Copper Stingray. It's a sexy mod, and I'd like to give a shoutout to Jonathan at www.alluringvapors.com for the opportunity. Make sure to get on over to www.alluringvapors.com, they've got some pretty nice prices on a wide range of mechanical mods, starter kits, and tanks. Lets get to it!


This particular stingray is a beast, no doubt about it. I have owned the Brass HCIGAR Stingray, Tobecco Stingray, and even a few fasttech clones. While this version does not particularly compare to the latest and greatest release, the Stingray X, it doesn't fall too short. Though it does employ a traditional top cap, thankfully it has silver plated contacts, and an all copper construct - highly conductive, and definitely appealing. Let me break down the specifications.

22 MM in diameter
Laser etched engraving
Solid copper
Silver plated contacts
Silver plated floating atomizer pin
Magnetic button
Floating positive pin
Houses 18350, 18490, and 18650 batteries
Reverse threaded locking ring
Low profile, just 3.4 inches in 18650 mode


Pretty appealing, right? The copper construct and silver plated contacts grapple with voltage drop, as well as boasting some serious conductivity. I've got a Mephisto RDA provided to me by www.alluringvapors.com on top of it, and it absolutely rocks. It is definitely one of the hardest hitting combinations I've got in rotation! With that said, let's get on to what I liked about the Infinite Red Copper Stingray.

PROS

Hits like a train!!! CONDUCTIVE!
Buttery smooth threads
Quality, deep engraving
Awesome top cap, almost as good as a hybrid cap
No unnecessary tubes

CONS

Does require maintenance - copper gets grimy, and is soft. Without adequate cleaning, threads can seize, and it WILL patina - this is a pro for some and a con for some.

The switch. The damn switch. Stingray owners, you know what I'm talking about. If this is your first, read on.


Copper is quickly becoming one of the prized metals in the vaping community - it is highly conductive, and cheaper to produce and manufacture than silver. If I'm not mistaken, this particular model came a bit before copper overdose we're going through now, and for it's time, it definitely reigned supremely over it's competitors

. This is not to say that it does not have a place in today's world - it definitely holds up to some of the more beefier competitors, such as the Skeleton Key, Stingray X, and the Manhattan.

If you've ever owned a stingray, the Red Copper mod will feel familiar. It can be configured in 18650, 18490, and 18350, all without having to include additional tubes. It also comes with an additional body piece to allow for a kick. It features a floating atomizer pin, 22mm in diameter, allowing nearly all RDAS and RBAS to sit flush. I'm a big fan of the atomizer pin, as it requires very little maintenence - simply back out the switch and thread your atty of choice, and watch the magic happen - it is self adjusting. No more adjusting for battery rattle, no more fiddling with telescopic pins. Outside of the hybrid cap, it is personally my favorite design.

Speaking of the top cap, it boasts silver plated contacts, which definitely conduct well - I've got a .6 dual macro build atop it...huge coils, and this mech never once hesitates - each click of the button gets a warm glow started, culminating in a fiery display of ultra subohmie goodness.
The threads on the Stingray are buttery smooth, something I have come to expect not only from the stingray clone, but Infinite. I can honestly say outside of fasttech, I have never held a stingray with subpar threads. Each individual section of the tube screws on and off with relative ease, as well as the top cap and button. If you're like me, you don't clean your mods to often, and some are prone to seizing - I have fought my nemesis top cap and switch more than I'd like to count - I feel confident knowing my red copper stingray won't seize on me anytime soon.

So with that out of the way, let's get down to the only downfall of the design - the switch. In my opinion, JDTech went too far out of the box, and because it is a 1:1 clone, manufacturers followed suit. To be blunt, this is just not a great design. The way that the switch works is that a piece of metal sits on the base, housing the magnet. With the contact screwed in, a piece of delrin is screwed atop that, housing a repelling magnet within, and the silver plated contact atop. By design, yeah, it isn't bad - but in application, it's absolutely annoying. The threads do not properly catch, and because the quality is varies vastly from clone to clone, often the button threads itself do not mesh well with the delrin. This leads to a crunchy switch that can (usually) only fire with a dead center push - if you try off to the side, you will get nothing. 

With a bit of research, it seems that some filing, sanding, filing, and more sanding will get you a semi-passable switch. Personally THIS particular model that I received isn't too bad - I have had some that were a NIGHTMARE - but unfortunately, I could compare it to the exact same model and chances are it would be a completely different story. For starters, I would recommend

Completely dismantling the button
Scrubbing it with water and soap
Scrubbing it again with ketchup (to polish the copper and pull impurities)
Scrub the threads
Reassemble, and hope that this makes an impact.

Usually, it will, however your mileage may vary. I must note, however, I do like how you adjust the throw of the button - simply twisting the delrin either way will either lower or raise it, thus adjusting your throw. I personally find that a longer throw affords ease of us, but it is all dependent on the machining quality your particular mod has.


Final Thoughts

Overall, this is an exceptionally well made device. It boasts magnificent threads, and for a copper mod (soft metal) that is a definitive plus. It has a low profile, highly conductive silver contacts, a worry free top cap, and a beautiful engraving. The switch isn't the best, but with a little TLC, it can definitely turn into a daily driver. Even though the Stingray X is out, I would definitely still recommend the Copper V2 by Infinite - it is beautiful, functional, and just an all around kick ass performer.

Pick yours up at www.alluringvapor.com for the low price of 54.99. I'd like to personally thank Jonathan for his genoristy, you are part of the foundation that Vapocalyptic rests under, and people like you are what truly turn the wheels within this community. Keep up the good work!

Be sure to check out my INSTAGRAM for my Mephisto RDA review coming soon! Follow me @_vapocalyptic and give @alluring_vapors a follow as well.

VAPE STRONG, LIVE LONG.