Multi-brand Vivant Alternate

(The reason I bring up the batch thing is because you could argue a lot of people are silently happy with their Alternate and are having no issues - the number of new members/low post members is high so they're actively seeking help for their issues where people with non-defective units you could argue are less likely to post)

weird although I've had a few foul puffs (not recent) , and Not a lot --- there's no plastic smell nor has there been Ill keep updating this as well

I bought an Alternate a month ago from PIU and it arrived two weeks later (Europe). I haven't had cracking problems (or melting, for what I can see: haven't cleaned it yet) but tbh I haven't used it a lot, less than 15 sessions I'd say. I did notice that the mouthpiece gets really hot above the chamber, so hot that it actually hurts to keep your hand on it for more than a couple of seconds. I don't vape at high temps either, normally I go up to 205 max.
Also, another thing maybe someone can attest to: my little straw doesn't seem perfectly airtight. I mean, if I "open" it all the way and let it rest on the mouthpiece, when I inhale there's a distinct hiss coming from it - definitely air coming in; so I need to bring it back a notch, and then it draws fine. Probably the hole at the bottom of the straw or in the mouthpiece is misplaced/too big: nothing major, just a bit annoying.

Now, about the guys over at @Vivant. I don't wanna burst the wholesome bubble of this thread, and personally I don't appreciate the rude tone I read in some posts a few pages back. It's great to have a place where you can discuss with the actual company that made a product, this doesn't happen like ever. But working in a field somewhat related to CS I just wanted to give you my .

I don't think just being present here and apologise while never give a definite answer is enough. Where is the list of materials you said you were gonna publish like 10 days ago?
But let's just focus on health, and precisely the melting mouthpieces.
I see three scenarios, imo in increasing order of probability: you know the plastic melting is harmful, and you pretend nothing happened. This is just criminal.
You know it's not harmful, and you're not giving us proof of that. ...why?
3: you are not sure. That's fine. Still, at the very first sign of something that's off, I'd bring my chief engineer (or whatever their title is) and put them in front of a computer for an hour, reading this thread, replying to questions, asking for advice. I'm not one of them, but for what I read there are a lot of users here that might very well have more knowledge and especially more experience with vapes than your team. Just pick their brains and use this place at your own advantage.

Taz4101 said:

Could you try the measuring the temperature of the underneath of cu around screen? The bottom section of cu will probably get hotter.

If it's a batch issue it must be a large batch. There is also people who's replacement cu melted or cracked also.

Does anyone have a green mouthpiece tip? Myne is black but on some of the photos on vivants Facebook it's green.

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I can measure the temp anywhere.. however i'd have to do this later this evening, after work..

and yes, i have been seeing pictures of green straws on top caps. as well as ones with orange parts instead of green (black was still the same). not sure if they're just getting some different colors made, or these are test units. i know the early ones they sent for beta testing had purple (instead of black) and orange (instead of green) colors. maybe those pics are old versions or something..

xlr8shun said:

I can measure the temp anywhere.. however i'd have to do this later this evening, after work..

and yes, i have been seeing pictures of green straws on top caps. as well as ones with orange parts instead of green (black was still the same). not sure if they're just getting some different colors made, or these are test units. i know the early ones they sent for beta testing had purple (instead of black) and orange (instead of green) colors. maybe those pics are old versions or something..

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I believe that it was mentioned that the different color units were Beta test units.

Just throwing something out there:

Since I got the Mighty/Crafty Filling tool to fit, I think it would be possible to make the Crafty CU Fit as well, it would be a nice temporary solution to all the cracking CU's!

What do you guys think, any problems I could run into?

sickmanfraud said:

I believe that it was mentioned that the different color units were Beta test units.

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Beta Blue's they called it.

I tried the Vivant Alternate today, and loved it.
The Alternate is a donation for a Low Income Patient in my local area.
The recipient (undecided yet) will have an enjoyable time with this unit.
I was about to go buy an 18650 battery for it, when I realized I could borrow one from another unit I have in the house.
My experience with the Vivant was a very positive one all the way around.
It takes a couple of minutes to get up to heat, but it does heat up faster than most convection based portables.
It has wonderful convection flavor, and The settings felt precise to me.
I set the unit at 380º (F) and enjoyed many hits, all having the unique convection flavor.
It took two sessions to finish the load.
Here is one of the sessions:

How does the cooling unit attach to the vape? I'm not knowledgeable in heat resistance plastics but maybe someone can 3d print a high heat resistant thing that attaches to the vape. Someone like delta3dstudios could sell them. The thing would be able to attach either a WPA or a mouthpiece to it. It seems like one of the reasons the mouth piece is melting besides its materials is that It has a long vapor path inside it taking a ton of heat away from the air and vapor. I don't have it yet but I've bought the wpa they have at delta3dstudios however, I'm scared to use it above 400 which Is why I would need a water piece. Inhaling plastic can absolutely be fatal but you would probably need to combust to go way over the amount to kill you on the spot. Honestly, I might of while using a waterfall bong once. It was one of the worst feelings I have ever had, I felt like my head was collapsing in on myself and just felt like i as going to faint(might have been left over iso). If vivant don't get out a new mouthpiece and WPA soon people will be hurt. All those people who have already inhaled the plastic should sometime in the future get checked out. Its carcinogenic and can wreck your sperm count(which I think weed affects as well) and can cause birth defects. At very low levels it can damage your immune system. Any vapes that can have their plastic melt is unacceptable in my opinion. I've seen maybe 2 at least 1 boundless cf melt but I had a cf and it never melted. However, the cf i saw was way more melted than any of the alternates I've seen so far(the guy's future kids will be messed up). So there is a chance this talk of a bad batch is true. But I ordered mine from heaven gifts so there is still a chance mine came from a bad batch.

As for the outside of the vape cracking, that's just straight up a mechanical failure caused by repeatedly being exposed to a temperature higher than the plastic is rated. Really shows how they tested it a couple times with only 1 type of 18650 and it didn't crack so they assumed it just would never crack.

I was pretty excited for this vape since I no longer have one after my CF was confiscated in a fire drill in my dorm but quality assurance is incredibly important if you want supporters. I'm sure people will be much more supportive of Viviant in the future but as of right now they should just swallow their pride and suck up to their fan base with free stuff like a higher heat resistance plastic mouthpiece and a WPA. Maybe to the people who got it from dhgate too?

squigger said:

It seems like one of the reasons the mouth piece is melting

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6 back to back sessions at top heat, last night... and 4 back to back sessions this morning and no melting or cracking has occurred.
I surely hope that does not happen!

Taz4101 said:

Could you try the measuring the temperature of the underneath of cu around screen? The bottom section of cu will probably get hotter.

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http://imgur.com/UNwjON5 around 220*F

there you go.. that was 1, 4 min session @ 400*F

hitting the edge/rim that sits directly above the heater, and what holds the screen in place

I've had the Alternate for 5 days now. Can't yet comment on efficiency but here are some thoughts...

Pros:

• Decent vapor production
• Replaceable/swappable 18650
• Brush it comes with (good compliment to my Magic Flight brush)
• Top stays on securely
• Good-looking device
• Size of bowl and device are perfect
• Great airflow, and closing the airflow switch makes a huge difference in draw resistence
• OLED screen is a great touch, adds a more premium feeling to the vape
• Device is responsive (to button presses)
• Extremely cool vapor
• Taste is good, not particularly tasty but doesnt have the BAD taste of my Pax
• Nearly odorless, probably one of the stealthiest vapes available
• Micro-usb charging
• Lots of settings (buzzer volume, timer, screen orientation, stealth mode)
• Very nice packaging
• Comes with a grinder that attaches to the bowl (I haven't used it though and probably never will)

Cons:

• Cheaply made
  
• Pick falls out which makes it useless. Honestly not sure how this was screwed up. I may glue it in.
• Can't set it upside down because of the mouthpiece sticks out when folded in
• Top isn't COMPLETELY aligned with body when locked on and feels slightly loose even though it's secure
• Buttons are loose and make noise when flipping the Alternate around.. huge pet peeve of mine but oh well
• Burnoff was plastic fumes galore
• Maximum airflow requires seating the mouthpiece at slightly less than the maximum extended position
• Battery door seating isn't perfect, creaks when you push on it
• Unnecessary seam all the way down each side of the device???
• No adjustable screen brightness??
• Don't like the use of plastic around the mouthpiece screen
• Mouthpiece gets WAY too hot on bowl side (could definitely burn skin)
• Buzzer could be less obnoxious (don't want to turn off the auditory feedback though)
• Herb gets stuck to the mouthpiece screen, so you've gotta fix that after the first temp step. Super annoying, maybe it's normal for this to happen though? Might start using one of the extra screens on top of the bud to prevent this

Etc.

• I haven't noticed any melting or cracks, Vivant suggested it's a batch problem but they really shouldn't be taking this long to give a definitive answer (although I know the PR department isn't at fault!)
• Battery lasts at least 2 bowls I think, but I haven't hit two bowls back to back without charging in between so take that with a grain of salt
• Airflow switch is a little too stiff
• Doesn't come with a Magic Flight-tier instruction booklet
• Gotta RIP this thing in order to get big clouds
• Would've been nice if it came with a few more extra screens (comes with a couple)

Hm maybe it is a batch issue then. The material is supposed to be rated to 265. I thought you would see closer to 250.

The Alternate is my first vape so i'm not really able to say what's good or not about it, but i will say that I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far! The melting plastic smell is gone and i got pretty high from my first sessions, a [6] from the fresh bowl and a [3] sharing the leftover with my SO.

mourningbell said:

Herb gets stuck to the mouthpiece screen, so you've gotta fix that after the first temp step. Super annoying, maybe it's normal for this to happen though?

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True enough.
upper mouthpiece screens gather ABV, and like to hold onto it.
I use a small brush with a back and forth motion.
A kids toothbrush works very well.

Vitolo said:

True enough.
upper mouthpiece screens gather ABV, and like to hold onto it.
I use a small brush with a back and forth motion.
A kids toothbrush works very well.

Click to expand...

Dosing capsules like the ones the Mighty has would eliminate this. The Mighty capsules are too big though.

Used one of the spare screens to sandwich the pack in there. Works perfectly. 2 mins at 400 degrees and the mouthpiece screen is spotless even after hard rips!!! Got some big hits too. Underestimated this thing a bit.

mourningbell said:

Used one of the spare screens to sandwich the pack in there. Works perfectly. 2 mins at 400 degrees and the mouthpiece screen is spotless even after hard rips!!! Got some big hits too. Underestimated this thing a bit.

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Is your top cooling unit melted around the screen? Kinda looks like it from the pic.

I thought the same thing, even though it is blurred. Musta been a big batch.......

For those who are annoyed by the pick falling out; put a very small amount of double sided tape in there. This way it will stay in place(I even tried shaking it) and you will be able to get it out easily!

dtaxx said:

For those who are annoyed by the pick falling out; put a very small amount of double sided tape in there. This way it will stay in place(I even tried shaking it) and you will be able to get it out easily!

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hmmm... I have to wrestle my pick out, as though there was a small gasket in there or something.

I put a small drop of super glue on mine and let it dry, creating a raised edge. Keeps it from falling out.

justvapin said:

I thought the same thing, even though it is blurred. Musta been a big batch.......

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failure rates are about 1% around the same as the hopper i believe, both awesomely reliable obviously

Stinky said:

Thanks for the response, I really appreciate the help. Is there a particular retailer you will be selling the cooling units through?




How do we tell if we have one of the units from the bad batch?

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Hello @Stinky, yes, it will be sold on our website www.vivant.com and also through our retailers whom decide they want to sell it too. Unfortunately I do not have a list to give at this time. Also, there is no way for you to tell right now by looking at your device, I'm sorry. We are tracking them by seeing where the alternates are being bought through and cross referencing with the pieces from our warehouse and shipments from factory. Thank you!!

RasChant said:

Really? Sad to hear sth like this. Then why they not regulated the temps of the unit.
I think there should be a verification for (portable) vapes, so costumers can be sure that they vape no toxic gases and the unit is safe to use.
Back2topic:
@Vivant So do you work on a completly new vaporizer or do you improve/upgrade the Alternate with e.g. other materials or s.th. like this?

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Hello @RasChant , I am sorry, we will never advise you to not use it at high temps as our Alternate is designed to function properly up to 428 Fahrenheit. We will be doing both, we must make sure we keep moving and work on new vapes to be released while we fix the Alternate issues at the same time.
Although, fixing the Alternate is our priority right now. Even after the problems are fixed and we release new products, we will continue to make necessary improvements for the Alternate by releasing more firmwares and etc... Thank you!!

Just Justin said:

Sorry if this has been addressed but I was wondering if there was any news on Capsules and Spare Mouthpieces?

I for one, love my Alternate! I'm not a fan of plastic either but the Crafty/Mighty completely changed my mind on the issue. I have had a few vapes in the past that had plastic issues, melting and taste/smell but I haven't noticed anything off with the Alternate. I don't use mine for very long at a time or typically on high temps but I'm fairly confident that this is a solid vape. There has to be so much testing on temperatures and materials to make sure they can stand up to the heat, that's what vapes do, they heat up, so hopefully we can count on these companies to put out a safe product. After all, that's why most of us vape.

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Hello @Just Justin , as of this time, the capsule idea is on hold while we fix the problems the Alternate has presented to some. As far as spare mouthpieces, we are working on that still along with a WPA and parts. Thank you

Chocu1a said:

This is dissapointing. So I used the Alternate this morning, first time with new replacement top. Two 3 minute sessions at 375f, back to back. Noticed the battery door was fitting loose. Low and behold there is a crack on the housing right below the usb plug. I have never dropped the device or used the USB to charge. It must have cracked from heat?
This is really starting to freak me out and worry.

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Hello @Chocu1a , I am sorry to see the defect on your device. Please DM us or email us at info@vivant.com so we can help you take care of this issue if you haven't done so already. Thank you!!

PotatoSalad said:

my battery cover does fit kinda funny when I put it on it doesn't really want to easily slide down I usually have to slide it down and push the sides so it stays in place I guess I should mention that. If this things fails me I going to be bummed as it works to good but if it does ....

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Hello @PotatoSalad I am sorry to hear you are experiencing these difficulties. Please could you DM us or email us at info@vivant.com so we can help you take care of this issue, we only want and strive for your experiences with the Alternate to be positive. Thank you.

BuddingMagic said:

After two mouthpieces going bad, I'm now seeing cracking around the USB port in addition to a couple of fine cracks beside the bowl heading toward the battery. The unit has never been dropped.

@Vivant thoughts? Should I be concerned charging my battery via this USB port? I loved this vape, but I'm struggling to stay faithful to a device that's breaking more and more every day.

Here are some pics:

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Hello @BuddingMagic , I know by now you're most probably so fed up by hearing me apologize but I am truly sorry you are experiencing all these issues. Please can you reach out to me via DM or email at info@vivant.com again so we can take care of this issue for you. I ask for your patience as we are already working on the fix and when the new parts come, we will be more than happy to switch out your device along with anyone else that is experiencing defective issues. Thank you

luke00978 said:

failure rates are about 1% around the same as the hopper i believe, both awesomely reliable obviously

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This gave me a nice chuckle. "awesomely reliable" might actually be the antithesis of Hopperlabs. Can you give any proof for that 1% claim, for either company?