Vape Squad: 2013

Sorry about the blank posts... something went weird recently and they're not coming across like they should be. Full articles are available, as always, at http://www.vapesquad.com

Vaping Makes You Look Like a Model

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Proposed EU Ban Threatens Business

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Altria Takeover Rumors as FIN Hires Advisors

Video: NC Employers Ban E-Cigarettes

Video: California"s SV 648 Goes to State Senate

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Logic CEO on Altria"s E-Cigarette Bid

In our third video installment for the day, Fox Business News’s Stuart Varney interviews Logic Technology CEO Eli Alelov. The subject: Marlboro maker Altria’s announcement of an upcoming entry into the e-cigarette market.

Frankly, the interview is overflowing with fluff and misinformation about Logic’s position in the market, with Varney stating that that Logic is “bigger than Blu,” when they are, in fact, trailing market leaders NJOY and Blu by a very wide gap.

Alelov, who claims to run Logic with only a single partner, warns tobacco companies that the e-cigarette market is a different game, and their talents may not work well in the e-cigarette arena.

“We all fly on planes, but that does not mean that if you give us the keys, we can fly the plane.”

Alelov has previously drawn fire from the e-cigarette community for parroting the anti-tobacco zealots’ unfounded claim that flavored e-cigarettes are designed to appeal to young people who don’t smoke. Logic’s e-cigarettes are only available in tobacco and menthol flavors.

Logic CEO on Altria"s E-Cigarette Bid

Video: Another Ohio Casino OK"s E-Cigarettes

The Anyvape CVI

One of the things people need to be aware of when joining co-ops is that they are not good for people who want instant gratification. With retailers you place an order, and usually within a few days, you’ll receive a shipping notice. With co-ops, things are a bit more unpredictable.

Take the co-op we joined for the Anyvape CVI v1, for example. We signed up for the co-op on ECF around the beginning of January, and paid for the mod January 16th. That’s the point in a co-op where the waiting begins. An order needs to be placed with the supplier, goods need to be shipped from overseas, and generally it’ll be weeks before you see anything. Or, in the case of the Anyvape CVI, it may turn out to be months… several of them.

Anyvape CVI

A series of quality control problems, material shortages, payment problems, and other delays kept pushing the delivery date back farther and farther. How many of these delays were just stalling tactics from the vendor, we have no idea. However, just when we’d all but forgotten we’d even ordered it, our Anyvape CVI finally showed up on our doorstep a couple days back, well over three months since we’d signed up for it.

The Anyvape CVI v1 is a variable voltage/variable wattage mod, a bit like the Joyetech eVic in appearance. Available in a variety of colors, the CVI allows the user to adjust voltage from 3 to 6 volts in .1 volt increments, or 3 to 15 watts in .5 watt increments, and has a maximum current output of 4 amps. A version 2 of the CVI is also available, with a different, more eVic-style look and an increased maximum current of 5 amps.

Anyvape CVI v1 with Kanger ProTank

The Anyvape’s variable wattage system uses RMS (root mean square) to calculate output, as most variable wattage devices do these days, as it produces a much more consistent vape then the “mean” method used by some devices. There’s some boring math involved in explaining the differences between the two, but if that’s your thing, you’d be better off Googling it than taking our word for it. Frankly, anything that looks like algebra tends to make us dizzy, and could potentially put us into comas if we continue past that point, and we’ve got a review to finish here.

The Anyvape CVI features a single-button interface, much like that of the Provari or ZMax, where pressing the button a certain number of times will bring you to a menu option. After pausing a second, you can then change the value of that option. Using this interface, you can increase or decrease power output, lock the power button, check battery voltage, enable or disable the LCD display, and switch between variable wattage and variable power modes. The display is somewhat similar to that used by the Green Sound GS Sub 2.0 we previously reviewed, in that it uses two lines of seven characters each to display menu options and settings. This can lead to some confusing displays, such as the “3. LOCK ATOMIZE” option which disables the power button (and which, oddly, one of a few all-uppercase option on the menu, while others are mixed-case). On the plus side, the display is quite bright and easier to read in daylight than some other mods, like the Joyetech eVic, we’ve used previously.

Anyvape CVI v2

While the CVI is designed so that pressing the button five times brings you to the first menu option, we’ve found it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes it takes five, and more often it takes eight, since the first few presses bring up the operating mode and “Anyvape” name on this display. This can be a little annoying. While we’re used to this sort of interface on things like a Provari, predictability makes the interface easier to use over time, to the point that the display is no longer needed and it can be done by feel. Not knowing how many presses it’ll take to get to a particular option on the CVI means you won’t be changing settings without looking, since you’ll never know what you might be changing.

The Anyvape CVI comes with a tube to fit an 18650 battery, and an 18350 tube is available as a separate option.

The Scores

Build Quality: 7/10

The aluminum build of the Anyvape CVI seems sturdy enough, if not particularly noteworthy. Threading is smooth and the finish is consistent throughout, though the whole thing maybe feels a bit too lightweight. The button works and fits well, with no play or rattle, but the display does have a bit of a low-tech look to it. Inconsistencies in the way menu options are presented also give the mod a bit of a not-completely-polished feel.

Looks: 8/10

Those who like some color in their mods have several to choose from in the Anyvape CVI, including silver, black, .blue, orange, green, red, and pink, all with silver-toned accents. The color is carried all the way up to the top cap, giving the mod a very consistent look overall. The slant top of the mod is a good fit for 19mm atomizers.

Flexibility: 6/10

While there are some welcome features with the CVI, such as the use of eGo and 510 threading to allow a wide range of delivery devices, and variable wattage is always a plus as far as flexibility goes, an atomizer resistance display is something we would have liked to see. You are also limited to 18650 batteries exclusively unless you also get the optional 18350 tube.

Performance: 7/10

The Anyvape CVI did a respectable job of keeping voltage and wattage levels where they had been set, only varying by .1 to .2 volts across the range of the mod. It should probably be noted that we were unable to push the mod past about 10 watts without using two 18350s, and even then we could only really approach 15 watts with the newer CVI v2. While stacked batteries are a supported configuration of the CVI, it’s not one we generally recommend for safety reasons.

Price: 7/10

We’ve found the Anyvape CVI selling for $50-$60. While it’s possible to find variable wattage PVs like the Vamo selling for slightly less, the CVI is still priced lower than most such mods. However, ongoing shipping delays may make it difficult to find in stock at retailers.

Overall Score: 7.0

The Anyvape CVI

SaoTD: E-Cigs May Have More Risks than Benefits

In what is basically just a repackaging of the video we posted yesterday from KSDK-5 in St. Louis. USA Today has managed to take the stupidity and crank it up a notch, with their wide distribution and sensationalist headline: “electronic cigarettes may have more risks than benefits.” In doing so, they’ve earned the award for Stupid Article of the Day.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Video: Electronic Cigarette Health Risks and Benefits

The Rainbow Heaven MKB-TS

Welcome to our first review by request. A short time ago we received an email from Vape Squad reader Debbie, asking if we could review the Rainbow Heaven MKB-TS. We mentioned that we’d had our eye on this particular GGTS clone for a while, and were hoping to find a way to get it cheap before we took the $100 plunge and bought one retail. Debby’s request, however, completely destroyed our willpower, and not long after receiving her request we were making a purchase at Stormy’s Vapor Cellar.

MKB-TS with Terminator-C (aka Imeo’s Worst Nightmare)

The MKB-TS is easily the most faithful replica of a GGTS to come out of China yet, and it has all the features of the Golden Greek mechanical mod. There’s the familiar three-piece telescoping feature, the bottom-side-mounted button, and the signature knurled airflow control ring of the GGTS. It even duplicates the popular two-toned look of some models of the GGTS, using a gold-plated top ring and bottom cap, the latter sporting recessed venting holes very similar to the GGTS.

Another features the MKB-TS shares with the GGTS is the way the connector works. Just like the GGTS, the connector on the MKB-TS is set far down inside a collector tank. This leads to the same challenge many GGTS users have faced: it’s not always a simple thing to get an atomizer connected. While the GGTS Adapter can be used on the real GGTS, we were disappointed that this solidly-built adapter does not fit on the MKB-TS. For the MKB-TS, you’re going to have to go old school, and daisy-chain a couple of adapters, if you want to leave the air control and the gold-plated top ring attached under your atomizer. Fortunately, we can help take some of the guesswork out of that for you: we found that a 901/808-to-501 adapter, paired with a 510-to-510 shorty adapter, both of which we’d ordered several months back from Hoosier E-Cigs, were the perfect length to reach right up to the top of the ring with almost no gap at all between the ring and the atomizer. Also, the manufacturer of the MKB-TS has announced they will be producing their own adapter, but until that becomes available the pairing we are using is working very well.

For all the similarities to the GGTS, there are some notable differences. First, as should be expected, the build materials aren’t quite GGTS-grade. Not that they’re bad at all, mind you; it’s just that GGTS-grade is a very high bar to reach. The stainless steel used to build the MKB-TS is certainly thicker and sturdier than most Chinese-made mods, with a brushed finish that should help ward off fingerprints. The gold-colored pieces, however, are not brass, but gold-plated. We’ve been told it’s copper underneath, but haven’t put it to a scratch test yet. We are, however, tempted to take sandpaper to it to expose the copper, if that’s what under there.

We particularly like the switch — unsurprisingly, since it’s an almost exact replica of the one on the GGTS, complete with throw adjustment and a locking ring, and it is just as easy to remove and keep clean as the one on the GGTS. The spring also has a very similar feel to the one on the GGTS, though the throw feels just slightly lighter on our MKB-TS.

All in all, we’d have to say we are very impressed with the build and feel of this mod. While it hasn’t quite got the weight of the GGTS, and the pieces may not mesh quite as seamlessly, but taken on its own merits the MKB-TS is still a very well-built, very good-looking mod.

The Scores

Build Quality: 8/10

The materials used to build the MKB-TS are a cut above the sort normally found in Chinese mods, and clones in particular. It is fairly thick and sturdy stainless steel, though some parts are covered with a gold plating, under which, we’ve been told, is copper.

Looks: 8/10

The MKB-TS looks a bit like a somewhat boxier GGTS: all the same parts are there, but the MKB-TS lacks some of the rounded edges and other small details of GGTS. The gold-plated accents look great, but being plated, we’re not sure how long they’ll keep their shine, especially considering that the plating has been used on two of the parts of the mod that typically receive a lot of wear: the bottom and top caps.

Flexibility: 8/10

We were pleased to find that our GGTS-based atomizers such as the UFS and Z-Atty-G, as well as the GG iAtty, Odysseus and Ithaka with the GGTS base attached, all fit the MKB-TS. The telescoping feature accommodates a wide array of batteries as well. We’d have scored this category even higher than we have if not for the fact that using a non-GGTS atomizer requires the use of third-party adapters, at least until such time as Rainbow Heaven’s adapter becomes available.

Performance: 9/10

Our first impression of the MKB-TS was that it performed quite well. Opting for a setup as GGTS-like as possible without actually using any GG parts, we paired it with a Terminator-C, and the pair worked very well together.

Performance of the mod was unexpectedly good for a Chinese mod. The use of brass contacts internally seems to improve throughput greatly, and the MKB-TS exhibited an average voltage retention of approximately 92% in our tests (a drop of .33 volts of a 4.25 volt charge) both with adapters and without, putting it up there with some of the best we’ve tested.

Price: 7/10

We bought our MKB-TS for about $100 at retail. While this is more expensive than most other Chinese mechanicals, we’ve also found the MKB-TS to be a better-built mod than most Chinese mechanicals as well. While the MKB-TS may not be capable of winning a head-to-head match against a GGTS, is it a good enough copy to justify a price about half that of the GGTS? We think so, and if you get a chance to pick one of these up at co-op prices, we think you’ll be very pleased with it.

Overall Score: 8.0

The Rainbow Heaven MKB-TS

Monday, December 23, 2013

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Monday, December 9, 2013

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Friday, December 6, 2013

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Monday, November 18, 2013

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Monday, November 11, 2013

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Monday, November 4, 2013

Friday, November 1, 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Friday, October 25, 2013

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Monday, October 21, 2013

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Friday, October 18, 2013

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Monday, October 14, 2013

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Friday, October 11, 2013

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Monday, October 7, 2013

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Friday, October 4, 2013

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Friday, September 27, 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Monday, September 23, 2013

Sunday, September 22, 2013