Discontinued The Grasshopper
- Thread starter midgetsanchez
- Start date
![:\](/i/s/hmm.gif "Hmm :\")
Hjalmark
Oldest boy alive
Hey don't be talking shit about the magical "inner circuitry" of the 18650!!
Also if that was pointed at me
I always wanted larger components not the 18650!
Even though its obviously magic voodoo shit the 18650 cell
GreenHopper
20 going on 60
I'd love a GH atomizer. Would be awesome with a side by side mod.
Maybe an easier endeavour and therefore more likely would be an AC power cord that delivers a constant 4.2 voltage so you can always get the best out of their heater when at home. Like running on a brand new full battery all the time.
Also an oils front end would be good.
I'm gonna have to send off one of my hoppers. I lent it to a friend while his was out on RMA but apparently it's failing, it lasted over a year.
YES! And they said they were working on that too... maybe that will be part of GRASSHOPPER 2.0!!
GreenHopper
20 going on 60
YES! And they said they were working on that too... maybe that will be part of GRASSHOPPER 2.0!!
I so hope this latest shake up works for them.
There is so much they could do if they can manage to lower the RMA's and focus on R&D.
slcbdco
Brewer, Lobbyist, Vaporist
I don't want to say too much because I don't actually know specifics, but I can say I was at Hopper Labs yesterday, I stopped in getting lunch at the food truck park and they are very close to being done with the upgrades they are doing and its going to have been worth the wait, the wait will be over soon, how soon? That I don't know but soon for sure.
GreenHopper
20 going on 60
Thanks dude
Hjalmark
Oldest boy alive
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Guys....you should know by now that I do own a GH, it has not failed in a bit over 18 months, I believe, and I love the performance.
But @Mr. Gweilo 420 does make a very valid point....if it doesn't function then it matters not what feature and performance it may have under optimum conditions. If it doesn't work, it may as well be a brick.
FAR too many failures and and embarrassing history of failed RMA repairs (either didn't work when returned to customer or failed very quickly thereafter).
IMO, there is no excuse for this (and please don't cite the form factor....if they couldn't make a vape that functioned consistently in that form factor, then that form factor was a design error).
So, they say that they have retooled production and test processes and procedures, updated sub-assembly design, etc in order to improve their abysmal reliability and testability.
At this point I don't think there is anything productive to do except observe over time and see if these improvements were in fact realized.
Cheers
But @Mr. Gweilo 420 does make a very valid point....if it doesn't function then it matters not what feature and performance it may have under optimum conditions. If it doesn't work, it may as well be a brick.
FAR too many failures and and embarrassing history of failed RMA repairs (either didn't work when returned to customer or failed very quickly thereafter).
IMO, there is no excuse for this (and please don't cite the form factor....if they couldn't make a vape that functioned consistently in that form factor, then that form factor was a design error).
So, they say that they have retooled production and test processes and procedures, updated sub-assembly design, etc in order to improve their abysmal reliability and testability.
At this point I don't think there is anything productive to do except observe over time and see if these improvements were in fact realized.
Cheers
MonkeyTime
Well-Known Member
GreenHopper
20 going on 60
Since when do calculators have cameras? Much less old calculators!
But I still like it
The camera is there to catch you out when you stare at its boobs.
I've been advocating an 18650 powered GH (specifically a 510 threaded atomizer) for ages. The fact is the 18650 is a proven system, reliable enough to power a car (Tesla)
I haven't had a GH in a while but as far as portable vapes go mine was basically a one hitter. I just couldn't get on with a portable vape where I always needed to bring spare batteries. An 18650 can be had with 5x the capacity of a GHB but is not nearly 5x the size. It's just a no brainer IMO! Their 3D printed spiral heater is a winner, but they are crippling it with underperforming proprietary battery formats.
Hjalmark
Oldest boy alive
Its not the battery that is the problem
I personally thing that it's the fact that there are literally less then millimeters between components
I feel like the problem is that we are basically vaping through am expensive mechanical wrist clock that ends up seizing up the gears with residue
Feel like the tolerance are so small that it makes the design hard to perfect
Though they have shown they can improve battery life and even how hot the device outside can get
Though I can't see them improve smoothness without redesigning the pen like front end completely
That's why it's the perfect vape for me AFTER compensating for its weaknesses
1. Own other vapes
2. Vape through something (drip tip enough for me)
3. Multiple batteries
Edit: in the end the hopper can vape like a +300 dollar "click a button" plug-in vaporizers and that is why everyone is hanging on to it even though you had negative experiences with failure and hopper labs return time
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
I'm all for their heater tech in different forms.
But even if the GH was 510 threaded, it'd still stop working until they properly suss out their system issues.
When a hopper stops, it's battery is still properly functional, it is just the electrical components and potentially the heater itself causing the vast majority of RMAs.
I've experienced the hopper getting 4-5 bowls comfortably with one 750mAh cell. So the cell can sustain the 45W draw comfortably for ~0.6g of Herb, which is leagues ahead of alternatives considering efficiency.
Sure that's rare, but they should be able to solidify those figures if they can attain some proper QA.
Their chemistry is specifically tuned to high drain service, not so with the Panasonic's NCR18650Bs you're referencing; they have a nominal voltage of 3.6 V and a discharge end voltage at 2.5 V.
It's just no good.
If the hopper had 18650s, they'd have to be a specific type, like with S&Bs Mighty/Crafty or the Ghost, who just opted for sealed properitary options at a high cost.
The only reason 18650s are so affordable is because of intense quantity being produced. However there are many, many variations of an 18650 cylinder cell - the 18650 is literally just a size, and if the hopper is actually working properly, it's not really needed as a personal device.
If I recall correctly, a member of this forum modified their GH to incorporate 4 18650s in series and managed to get ~100 chambers, 15g, from 1 charge.
He ran into issues as his electrics added too much noise to the PWM circuitry and it was no good long term.
This is pretty much the issue they're having, they're having fluctuations at either end of their boards due to wear and tear, and that mucks up the algorithms until the device will not function.
When the algorithms are functioning properly, the device is efficient with battery power.
But ultimately, a couple of batteries take up the space of an arguably needed cooling device. It's still ultra portable, but not perfect.
It'll be interesting to see what they offer in terms of power accessories. Their '3-batteries in 15 mins BC' is a good example that they can potentially offer amazing things with the latest USB type C interface.
Vapetrees
Vaped Out
Lmao
That's the whole idea of the 510 atomizer, so the majority of electrical systems can instead be implemented by other manufacturers with more reliable quality control systems and established electrical engineering.
IMO this goes way deeper than batteries. The 18650 is just a good idea. But what do I know, honestly I'm surprised people are still so hung up on this one, I guess mine never worked well enough for it to be hard to get over.
Mine never got 5 bowls with one charge. More like one. I recognize the 18650 is just a size, I'm no expert, though I used to be sponsored by A123, so I understand battery technology at least decently. I've never used an NCR18650B but it's a low drain cell. There's nothing I own that I would run that battery in.
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
True. Though it's only been since the GH launched that box mods have had temperature/auxillary feedback loops, since the nicotine ejuice heads have prompted such large scale production to arrive at the feature being standardised.
It's given rise to the Splinter and Tubo Evic, but sure, the GHs heater and insulation would be upgrades for either design.
Yeah, most hoppers haven't been their true potential. If they can manage to deliver it, it might be worth revisiting.
Otherwise I'm with you and will move on to the Splinter.
GreenHopper
20 going on 60
For me the potential of a HL atomizer lies in the possibility of providing a high wattage heater in an atomizer that's under 22mm diameter.
I'm inline for a splinter and I'm excited about it but I'd love a convection dry herb atomizer that could fit on a side-by-side mod like the Smoant Knight.
I know I'm in dreamland here and this is purely a hypothetical wish that probably doesn't in anyway align with HL's roadmap.
They seem to take the apple school of proprietary development so I doubt they intend to go into a more open design pattern like the mod/atomizer market.
But hey you can't stop me dreaming
