Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

kushcloud · Dec 22, 2012

Tweek said:
If you were hit with customs charges, dispute them. You shouldn't have been hit with anything, considering it is a warranty repair. I had to ship mine back as well...took a month and 20 bucks in shipping. They just sent it out and were very professional about the whole process.

Where would i dispute the charges, at the Post Office? Yes i agree they were professional. My sourness is coming more from the $50 charges. I really want the Pax to work out and if it does i might even get another one. Cant wait to see what INH XP brings to the table tho.

Tweek · Dec 22, 2012

There should be a form that came attached to your package. You take that off and you mail it to customs. If I remember correctly, the instructions are on that form if you still have it. If you don't, not much you can do I am afraid.

TheDudeNextDoor · Dec 22, 2012

VaPeD&CoNfUsEd said:
I think maybe it softens the residue up enough to let the switch or w/e engage?!?!?!

Also I emailed ploom this morning asking what kind of lube they use and whether or not it can be bought locally.

Will you please post here their response? I'm going to wait to add this to our Vaporpedia page until we get some clarification on that.

VaPeD&CoNfUsEd · Dec 22, 2012

TheDudeNextDoor said:
Will you please post here their response? I'm going to wait to add this to our Vaporpedia page until we get some clarification on that.

I will immediately after they reply.

newVaper420 · Dec 22, 2012

Yeah, I'm curious about the temp light issue myself. I think the switch actually goes in when the mouthpiece pushes down, and sometimes it doesn't push all the way in. Not sure why blowing would fix that, maybe your getting saliva in there, like the old NES trick :-). Anyhow, I noticed that if I click the mouthpiece a bunch, then I don't experience the temp light. Maybe I'm loosening up the switch. Not sure.

I could be way off base here.

kushcloud · Dec 22, 2012

Thank god i keep paperwork! Thanks Tweek! Is it me or does this new Pax seem lighter in weight? Finish is "smoother". Temp button also seems different. Any who time to Pax!

VaPeD&CoNfUsEd · Dec 22, 2012

I don't know about the older models but I got mine 3 days ago and ploom assures me that it is the most current model. I have experienced ZERO issues with it, and I've been doing 4 to 5 sessions a day with primo filler! I wipe out my oven and oven door and mouthpiece and tube after each session while the unit is still warm. I also DO NOT charge the unit while it is warm! And so far I haven't had to do any cleaning with iso or pipe cleaners. Just trying to figure out a regimen that works best!

TheDudeNextDoor · Dec 22, 2012

Here you go Paxers. Pax it up and check this out for awhile.

http://www.nps.gov/chis/photosmultimedia/ocean-webcam.htm

Live-N-Learn · Dec 22, 2012

newVaper420 said:
Yeah, I'm curious about the temp light issue myself. I think the switch actually goes in when the mouthpiece pushes down, and sometimes it doesn't push all the way in. Not sure why blowing would fix that, maybe your getting saliva in there, like the old NES trick :-). Anyhow, I noticed that if I click the mouthpiece a bunch, then I don't experience the temp light. Maybe I'm loosening up the switch. Not sure.

I could be way off base here.

I noticed that the metal side is the way to blow from on the MP, I have a fail rate of like 1%. When I blew into the vapor tube directly it was more like 50% hit or miss on if it works. So I would guess that your breath would produce the moisture needed on your MP to recognize the sensor. In addition, there is the dental brush cleaning, to complete the other end of this connection, which I am becoming more accustom to now of using a Q-tip to swipe the tube after as well. It is odd and makes me a bit uneasy feeling that I don't know what it is, but rather like a detective, I must investigate.

JoeKickass · Dec 22, 2012

I guess it takes a bit of electrical knowledge:

Metals conduct electricity because their electrons are free to move and flow over other metal molecules. Electricity is just a bunch of electrons flowing in a direction. Plastics and glass (and cannabis resin) don't conduct because their electrons are trapped to each molecule.

What this means is that there needs to be metal molecules directly touching other metal molecules for the Pax to know the MP is in and you're not just changing the temp. A thin layer of resin even a few molecules thick is all it takes to stop the electron flow. You don't have to see it, if it's sticky there's resin.

Resin is basically tree sap. Syrupy when warm and rock hard when cold. Getting the picture? When it's cold you get poor connection (temp light) issues and blowing through the metal MP (convection + conduction heating) warms it right up. As long as the resin inside the MP is warm-ish the sliding friction will wipe it away and you get bare metal to metal contact and electron flow. Even a very neglected pax should work in warm weather.

The lube works because it keeps the condensed resin floating in the lube rather than coating the metal. Since the lube is so liquid when cold, its easy for the MP to wipe it away and get direct contact.

johnesmokes · Dec 22, 2012

newVaper420 said:
Yeah, I'm curious about the temp light issue myself. I think the switch actually goes in when the mouthpiece pushes down, and sometimes it doesn't push all the way in. Not sure why blowing would fix that, maybe your getting saliva in there, like the old NES trick :-). Anyhow, I noticed that if I click the mouthpiece a bunch, then I don't experience the temp light. Maybe I'm loosening up the switch. Not sure.

I could be way off base here.

No, I don't think you are off base at all. This mostly happens to me when my PAX is cold. Once they heat up I am guessing the residue loosens and allows the switch to move. Blowing or shaking can sometimes do the trick for me but I can easily bypass this issue by pushing the mouthpiece back while it is in my mouth or lifting it a little. Some sort of lubricant would be nice so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I am color blind and run on low so it is especially challenging. I can barely tell the difference between the green and the yellow lights so I do not always know when this is happening until the load has almost completely cooled.

EDIT - What JoeKickass just said.. lol

newVaper420 · Dec 22, 2012

JoeKickass said:
Even a very neglected pax should work in warm weather.

I definitely saw that in Aruba. I barely cleaned it for 11 days and used it solidly, and it worked pretty well the entire way threw. I came back, and I'm having slight issues LOL. Must be more thorough cleaning :-)

Live-N-Learn · Dec 22, 2012

JoeKickass said:
Plastics and glass (and cannabis resin) don't conduct because their electrons are trapped to each molecule.

This made me LOL. All good information though, that's what I thought, the problem can only be solved from both ways of the connection.

Bluntcrush · Dec 22, 2012

I wont get my new Pax before Monday, but as soon as I have the lube I'll come back and report my findings. We need to know what the substance is so that we can also be sure that is is safe if it off :uhoh:

gasses...That might be an entirely different sensation to contend with...

powahaus · Dec 22, 2012

Been a lurker on the forum for a while researching and obsessing about the Pax. Just got mine yesterday in the mail from Ploom ordered Tuesday vaped on friday in nyc. I loveeee my amethyst Pax and thanks for all of you because without reading this for weeks I would've freaked when I was having sticky mp / temp light issues today. Had a hard time feeling high last night as im a heavy smoker and smoked as I was not able to wait for the charge. Today I've only used my new obsession and im pretty ripped. Picked up some pipe tobacco at Barclay rex in the city and it has a nice flavor and visible vapor at low and mediim that knocked me back a little. Im thinking about trying half and half has anyone done this? Love the forum love my PAX! Hopefully it will be all I need

Tweek · Dec 22, 2012

powahaus said:
.... Picked up some pipe tobacco at Barclay rex in the city and it has a mice flavor ...

I'd be concerned if my tobacco tasted like mice. :lmao:

JoeKickass · Dec 22, 2012

Tweek said:
I'd be concerned if my tobacco tasted like mice.

I hear brazillian tobacco tastes fruity :ninja:

You can hit 3 to start at 12s:

pakalolo · Dec 22, 2012

Here are some pictures of the Pax internals:

The silver clip above the battery is part of the switch and retraction mechanism. You can see the side view of it here:

Here's a closer view of that clip:

I'd like someone to explain how the circuit is made and broken by the retraction mechanism. If Ploom says the problem is cured by lubricating the sliding ring and the mouthpiece tube, what does that have to do with resin collecting somewhere and interrupting the circuit? Where exactly is this interruption supposed to be happening?

Rest of the internals pics in my album at Imgur.

SoCalShore · Dec 22, 2012

I was a little careless yesterday.... I put my pax along with my phone in the same pocket and my Pax cracked my phone screen. :cry:

Please don't let this happen to you...

VaPeD&CoNfUsEd · Dec 23, 2012

SoCalShore said:
I was a little careless yesterday.... I put my pax along with my phone in the same pocket and my Pax cracked my phone screen. Please don't let this happen to you...

Bummer! I actually put my pax and my iPhone in my front hoodie pocket today and the sound they made when they touched reminded me to just pull the pax and put it in a different pocket.

JoeKickass · Dec 23, 2012

SoCalShore said:
I was a little careless yesterday.... I put my pax along with my phone in the same pocket and my Pax cracked my phone screen. Please don't let this happen to you...

Aww that does suck... I carry my pax with my keys and it doesn't have a scratch on it, she'll take it (and apparently dish it out to friendly electronics too...)

pakalolo said:
I'd like someone to explain how the circuit is made and broken by the retraction mechanism. If Ploom says the problem is cured by lubricating the sliding ring and the mouthpiece tube, what does that have to do with resin collecting somewhere and interrupting the circuit? Where exactly is this interruption supposed to be happening?.

I think the circuit goes: inner tube > MP > catch/hook
I think the area that breaks contact is if the MP can't contact the inner tube because of resin. The lube would fix the temp problem by enabling proper electrical contact.

The sliding ring is the cause of the older stuck MP problem and the lube would only help prevent resin gluing the ring to the MP.

pakalolo · Dec 23, 2012

JoeKickass said:
I think the circuit goes: inner tube > MP > catch/hook
I think the area that breaks contact is if the MP can't contact the inner tube because of resin. The lube would fix the temp problem by enabling proper electrical contact.

The sliding ring is the cause of the older stuck MP problem and the lube would only help prevent resin gluing the ring to the MP.

My experiments don't support this. Last night I cleaned all those surfaces carefully. When I tried turning it on for the first time, I got the temp display not the purple light. I then nudged the mouthpiece slightly, as described by someone in here many pages back. That gave me purple as long as I held it in place, but went back to temp display if I released it. I don't see how accumulated resin would make it behave like that. I then removed the mouthpiece and tried the blowing trick. It worked immediately. I want to emphasize that there was no resin because this mouthpiece has just been cleaned thoroughly with ISO.

Deadshort480 · Dec 23, 2012

My belief is that blowing into the mouthpiece creates a small amount of condensation. The condensation or the lube fills any voids where electrical contact is being broken. I believe that the cutout at the bottom of the mouthpiece stem is cut too deep. The deep cutout is not making contact with the switch after multiple openings and closings. That is why pushing the mouthpiece down slightly will fix the problem, because the switch is coming into contact with the mouthpiece stem's full outer diameter. When adding condensation or lubrication that liquid is now filling the gap and completing the circuit. The lube should not break down as fast as saliva so it works longer.

pakalolo · Dec 23, 2012

Deadshort480 said:
My belief is that blowing into the mouthpiece creates a small amount of condensation. The condensation or the lube fills any voids where electrical contact is being broken. I believe that the cutout at the bottom of the mouthpiece stem is cut too deep. The deep cutout is not making contact with the switch after multiple openings and closings. That is why pushing the mouthpiece down slightly will fix the problem, because the switch is coming into contact with the mouthpiece stem's full outer diameter. When adding condensation or lubrication that liquid is now filling the gap and completing the circuit. The lube should not break down as fast as saliva so it works longer.

I don't think this explanation is right either. I tried blowing through it using a can of compressed air because compressed air is extremely dry. I also used a snorkel to direct the stream inside the mouthpiece tube only. It fixed the problem.

Bluntcrush · Dec 23, 2012

Thanks Paka! These are amazing pics! I am having a hard time understanding what may or may not cause the temp light problem. In my case it seems like the heater connection may have gotten compromised in some way unknown to me. My display gave no indication that it was just trying to heat up to no avail. Interested also to find out more about the lube. Since I don't have my Pax at the moment I cannot look at the MP, but this "moving ring" was mentioned a few times. I am wondering if this is on the MO stem or another internal part. Just cant picture it, plus I have no recollection of any part that I could notice moving, with the exception of the retracting MP of course...

Thanks for all of your insights! :peace:

Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

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