Discontinued Thermovape Cera

OF

Well-Known Member
I m not convinced it is a problem with me not loading it enough, as I have had 2 sessions and ran though a .6 and both sessions I have been left kinda disappointed with maybe 5 hits of strong vapor between the 2 sessions.

If you suggest I try to load it up even more I will do so. Just letting you get the full picture before I do.

Again thanks for your help...If your ever in Canada I owe you a beer or a bottle of maple syrup.

I'm not convinced that's the whole problem, either. I'm just pointing to stuff that's known to be problems and I think we're getting some positive results from it? There's definitely a difference in our level of oil use, it takes me closer to two weeks than two sessions to use .6 grams, but others use it at your level without issues.

I'm of the impression the idea is to exhaust technique problems before mailing it in?

Yes, I think loading a little more, say half a gram over dry or a bit more is a useful test? Any chance it's concentrate related? Do you have more than one kind available? Any chance it's fouling the ceramic quickly?

OF
 
OF,

hektik8625

Well-Known Member
Let me correct my self, If I put my ear up to the cart during warm up I hear small crackling.

I understand I get out what i put in, It just feels like I was getting a lot more per load 2 weeks ago when it was bran new.

I just inspected the cart when it cooled down, I now see a bit of oil coming out of the bottom where it screws in to the body, also I see oil on the threads that the cart screws into VERY MINOR but I do see it.

I m not convinced it is a problem with me not loading it enough, as I have had 2 sessions and ran though a .6 and both sessions I have been left kinda disappointed with maybe 5 hits of strong vapor between the 2 sessions.

If you suggest I try to load it up even more I will do so. Just letting you get the full picture before I do.

Again thanks for your help...If your ever in Canada I owe you a beer or a bottle of maple syrup.
This sounds like a good review to me :) I load up .2 on a nail it vanishes in 1 hit :)
 

Savilion

Well-Known Member
I'm not convinced that's the whole problem, either. I'm just pointing to stuff that's known to be problems and I think we're getting some positive results from it? There's definitely a difference in our level of oil use, it takes me closer to two weeks than two sessions to use .6 grams, but others use it at your level without issues.

I'm of the impression the idea is to exhaust technique problems before mailing it in?

Yes, I think loading a little more, say half a gram over dry or a bit more is a useful test? Any chance it's concentrate related? Do you have more than one kind available? Any chance it's fouling the ceramic quickly?

OF

I dont usually use this much oil thats my concern,I mean I am a heavy user but to go though a .6 in a night is insane. Last session before I cleaned it out I was using different concentrates and the same thing happened. This was the reason I ISO bathed it and Boiled i clean , dried it and used new concentrates. I have did the Noah session test and hit it for like 15 mins till I couldn't take no more and tapped out. Now it seems I can't get to that stage no longer with out it getting way to hot or just really wispy vapor with the exception of me loading it , the oil melting and me getting a few really good hits with no effort.

I will load it up again and keep my fingers crossed. If things don't turn out I may have to send it in. I live in Canada and Iv never had to return anything like this. Any advice if thats the case?
 

JCat

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
I dont usually use this much oil thats my concern,I mean I am a heavy user but to go though a .6 in a night is insane. Last session before I cleaned it out I was using different concentrates and the same thing happened. This was the reason I ISO bathed it and Boiled i clean , dried it and used new concentrates. I have did the Noah session test and hit it for like 15 mins till I couldn't take no more and tapped out. Now it seems I can't get to that stage no longer with out it getting way to hot or just really wispy vapor with the exception of me loading it , the oil melting and me getting a few really good hits with no effort.

I will load it up again and keep my fingers crossed. If things don't turn out I may have to send it in. I live in Canada and Iv never had to return anything like this. Any advice if thats the case?
If you have to return it boil it clean and make sure there's sufficient insurance on it and label it for customs as "aromatherapy device" and all should be good ... I've mailed stuff back and forth to the US without issues to-date.
 

Savilion

Well-Known Member
Ok just finished mailing back and forth with Thermovape, Zeki walked me through using my DMM to check the resistance in my body, core and switch.

1)The core should read .8Ω my core had a reading or 1.3Ω

2) not sure what the reading of the body should be but I had a reading of 0.8Ω

3) switch should read .2Ω when pressed down. My switch had a reading of .3Ω which is fine.


When i told Zeki all my findings he told me to send it is the will have to repair the core and body but the switch seemed fine but to send the whole unit in.

I was dumping a lot into the Cera and it worked pretty good for the first week, but by the second week it had slowed down, Thats when I d dump more into it to get more vapor out. It basically doubled my use ...which was a big concern for me.

My guess is my oil was sitting on the bottom and the cart isn't getting hot enough inside to vaporize the oil.

Im on a break from school ...and have Mega ADD ....time to look into The Cloud to keep me occupied.

I still think the Cera is worth it and want to give it a fair shot it deserves.
 

Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
Thought I'd drop a note for those of you who are Panasonic CGR18650CH battery fans. Another shipment seems to have reached the US, so if you've been patiently waiting to see if any show up, they're here now. This battery has been discontinued, so if you want them, now's probably the time.

RTDVapor has them in stock (just came in today) in all three forms. The flat top version, the button top version, and the protected button top version. (There is really no need for the protected CGR18650CH; the CGR18650CH is IMR type chemistry, and really doesn't need protection for our use). $9 each.

If you happen to want four of the flat top version CGR18650CHs, you can get them for a steal at $26 (about $6.50 each) from the Amazon link posted here earlier. I just received a four pack of these, and they're testing out perfectly, delivering 2250 mAh when discharged down to 3.2v, and 2300mAh when discharged down to 3.0v. (1 amp load). The CGR chemistry is such that the drop from 3.2v to 3.0v only takes about five minutes out of the 130 minutes it takes to discharge the cell at a 1A drain. The NCR chemistry used in the current TET cell causes the voltage to drop earlier in the discharge curve, with a more gradual decay, which is why your Cera works as well with this 2250mAh cell as it does with the new 2900mAh cell, and why it doesn't work nearly as well with the 3100mAh and 3400mAh cells. (mAh ratings alone don't tell the whole story).

And speaking of the 2900mAh NCR cell, if you're a fan of the current 2900mAh Panasonic that TET ships, but would prefer one that's protected (since the NCR cell isn't IMR type chemistry), RTDVapor has the 2900mAh Panasonic button top protected NCR18650 in stock too, for $12. They don't sell unprotected versions of this cell.

Tests have indicated that the protected version of the NCR 2900mAh cell provides the same amount of power as the unprotected CGR 2250mAh cell, and the unprotected NCR 2900mAh cell provides ~10% more (mostly due to it being able to be discharged to a lower voltage since it doesn't have a protection circuit). In real world useage with a Cera, I suspect it will be impossible to tell the difference between the CGR, NCR, and protected NCR. The four pack CGR price from Amazon is pretty hard to beat (and it's Prime eligible and was delivered the next day, not a month from when I ordered it via slow boat from China).
 

BLAZING OG

Vaping is a way of life!
IMAG0256_zps3575afd1.jpg

Got my meds all preserved in my biophotonic jars, herbs & waxes!!!!
Ready for my CERA!!!!!
 

Darb

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd drop a note for those of you who are Panasonic CGR18650CH battery fans. Another shipment seems to have reached the US, so if you've been patiently waiting to see if any show up, they're here now. This battery has been discontinued, so if you want them, now's probably the time.

RTDVapor has them in stock (just came in today) in all three forms. The flat top version, the button top version, and the protected button top version. (There is really no need for the protected CGR18650CH; the CGR18650CH is IMR type chemistry, and really doesn't need protection for our use). $9 each.

If you happen to want four of the flat top version CGR18650CHs, you can get them for a steal at $26 (about $6.50 each) from the Amazon link posted here earlier. I just received a four pack of these, and they're testing out perfectly, delivering 2250 mAh when discharged down to 3.2v, and 2300mAh when discharged down to 3.0v. (1 amp load). The CGR chemistry is such that the drop from 3.2v to 3.0v only takes about five minutes out of the 130 minutes it takes to discharge the cell at a 1A drain. The NCR chemistry used in the current TET cell causes the voltage to drop earlier in the discharge curve, with a more gradual decay, which is why your Cera works as well with this 2250mAh cell as it does with the new 2900mAh cell, and why it doesn't work nearly as well with the 3100mAh and 3400mAh cells. (mAh ratings alone don't tell the whole story).

And speaking of the 2900mAh NCR cell, if you're a fan of the current 2900mAh Panasonic that TET ships, but would prefer one that's protected (since the NCR cell isn't IMR type chemistry), RTDVapor has the 2900mAh Panasonic button top protected NCR18650 in stock too, for $12. They don't sell unprotected versions of this cell.

Tests have indicated that the protected version of the NCR 2900mAh cell provides the same amount of power as the unprotected CGR 2250mAh cell, and the unprotected NCR 2900mAh cell provides ~10% more (mostly due to it being able to be discharged to a lower voltage since it doesn't have a protection circuit). In real world useage with a Cera, I suspect it will be impossible to tell the difference between the CGR, NCR, and protected NCR. The four pack CGR price from Amazon is pretty hard to beat (and it's Prime eligible and was delivered the next day, not a month from when I ordered it via slow boat from China).
What charger do you use?
 
Darb,

Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
I use a Thunder AC6. It's designed for RC (Remote Control) geeks. Intelligent balance charging, fully configurable, charges (essentially) all different battery chemistries, supports computer control and monitoring. Runs on AC or 12Vdc. Puts out 50W. Really useful when you're using more than one battery in series, like you do with a standard T1, as the charger makes sure the two cells (or however many) have exactly the same charge on them. You can also use it to test your batteries, so you know when they're getting weak. When you have 16 batteries, and you use them in pairs, keeping track of the battery state is important, because pairing a weaker cell and a stronger cell in a 6V T1 winds up killing the weaker cell. The down side is that RC chargers don't come with convenient battery holders, so you have to build your own, which I did for RCR123A cells (T1 handle, 6V), 10440/AAA (Alpha UltraLite), 14500/AA (Alpha Ultra), 18350 and 18650 cells (for the mod "handles/powersources" I currently use, a Mini wood mod which takes a single 18350 into an evolv DNA12 variable wattage regulator, and a larger wood mod which takes two 18650s into an evolv DNA20 variable voltage/wattage regulator). I use all my DARTS on the Mini (and because it's set to supply a fixed wattage, I can put a LV DART core or a SV DART core on it without having to readjust anything). The DARTs work great for me at 10W. The dual 18650 mod is for the new Cera cores. Has a built in OLED meter that shows you volts/watts/ohms, :)

In my pre-concentrate days, when I was only vaping herb, using the T1, I was going through the Tenergy LiFePO4 RCR123A batteries like there was no tomorrow. So I built myself a holder for six of them. I'd get home from a long day vaping, and I could just charge them all at once in 45 minutes.
 

Cinnamonster

Well-Known Member
In my pre-concentrate days, when I was only vaping herb, using the T1, I was going through the Tenergy LiFePO4 RCR123A batteries like there was no tomorrow. So I built myself a holder for six of them. I'd get home from a long day vaping, and I could just charge them all at once in 45 minutes.

We'd also be able to use the charger that TV sells with Amazon's flat-top CGR18650CHs, correct?

http://thermovape.force.com/IdaProductDetail?id=01t50000001qeG0AAI
 
Cinnamonster,

Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
We'd also be able to use the charger that TV sells with Amazon's flat-top CGR18650CHs, correct? http://thermovape.force.com/IdaProductDetail?id=01t50000001qeG0AAI
Looks like it, and makes more sense than what I do (remember, someone asked...). No one in their right mind would use my charging setup unless they were really into batteries and charging. It requires you actually know what you're doing and can be dangerous if you don't.

The only thing I'm not 100% sure about is if the Tenergy charger is OK with flat top batteries. I'm 99.99% sure, but I think OF might have seen or used one, and if he has, he'll chime in. Or if some of those here who have received the TET charger and batteries can tell us if the batteries are flat top, and if they are, then that's your answer. (And I'm still 99.99% sure the Tenergy charger will work with flat tops, even if the TET cells are button top).
 

OF

Well-Known Member
The only thing I'm not 100% sure about is if the Tenergy charger is OK with flat top batteries. I'm 99.99% sure, but I think OF might have seen or used one, and if he has, he'll chime in.

I have, it does and I now have.

Flat tops, that same one in fact, seem to charge just fine.

OF
 

YeeeBuddy

Well-Known Member
If you happen to want four of the flat top version CGR18650CHs, you can get them for a steal at $26 (about $6.50 each) from the Amazon link posted here earlier. I just received a four pack of these, and they're testing out perfectly, delivering 2250 mAh when discharged down to 3.2v, and 2300mAh when discharged down to 3.0v. (1 amp load). The CGR chemistry is such that the drop from 3.2v to 3.0v only takes about five minutes out of the 130 minutes it takes to discharge the cell at a 1A drain. The NCR chemistry used in the current TET cell causes the voltage to drop earlier in the discharge curve, with a more gradual decay, which is why your Cera works as well with this 2250mAh cell as it does with the new 2900mAh cell, and why it doesn't work nearly as well with the 3100mAh and 3400mAh cells. (mAh ratings alone don't tell the whole story).
.

I just ordered four of these from Amazon with free shipping :rockon:, says it might take 5-8 days but I got 2 2900's from TET so these will be backup. So these will work in the Cera/ charger from TET right? Lol im still trying to figure out all this battery talk. If i dont plan on using them right away how should i store them? Ive heard people say a 50% charge how can i make sure its close to 50% without a special charger/meter.
 

OF

Well-Known Member
I just ordered four of these from Amazon with free shipping :rockon:, says it might take 5-8 days but I got 2 2900's from TET so these will be backup. So these will work in the Cera/ charger from TET right? Lol im still trying to figure out all this battery talk. If i dont plan on using them right away how should i store them? Ive heard people say a 50% charge how can i make sure its close to 50% without a special charger/meter.

Don't sell Amazon short. I too ordered four after the good word went out, I just now got the notice I'll have them tomorrow (no $4 premium).

Yes, they should do just fine (it's why I bought them too).

The half charge part is not so easy. You'll need to test your charger with one to see how long it takes to fully charge. Put it in your Cera and run a few loads until it goes flat. Then charge it back up, carefully noting the time.

Now, this is the hard part, you'll have to fire Cera up a LOT and drain those other batteries down (put in a little extra stash as needed here). Then (here's the clever part) charge them half the time the test battery took to fully charge. Sometimes you can get friends to help you with the 'run the batteries down' part, it never hurts to ask.

Oh, yeah, don't forget the test battery. You need to fully discharge it again, sorry about that.

Or you could do like most of us, wing it? This is a safe chemistry battery, it's not so sensitive to this stuff (50% is Li-ion advice)....but the wife doesn't have to know that......

Good luck.

OF
 

Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
What OF said. Plus they will come to you half charged (storage charge). You can always leave them as-is until you start using them.
 
Haywood,
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VapeAttic

New Member
Hey OF...I just canceled my order for the TET provided batteries. I just got the comfirmation email stating that it was the 2250 batteries. I hope that I didn't make the wrong move because I just ordered the 4 pack of batteries from amazon and it states that its the 2900 batteries. The numbers don't match from the stock TET batteries. I was just trying to save money. I'm trying to understand battery lingo. Please advise if I should or shouldn't have canceled my order from TET. I don't want to use batteries that will fry up my Cera baby. I cannot have that happen...this baby put a hole on my pocket and would hate to ruin it if I put the wrong batteries in it.
 

Savilion

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd drop a note for those of you who are Panasonic CGR18650CH battery fans. Another shipment seems to have reached the US, so if you've been patiently waiting to see if any show up, they're here now. This battery has been discontinued, so if you want them, now's probably the time.

RTDVapor has them in stock (just came in today) in all three forms. The flat top version, the button top version, and the protected button top version. (There is really no need for the protected CGR18650CH; the CGR18650CH is IMR type chemistry, and really doesn't need protection for our use). $9 each.

If you happen to want four of the flat top version CGR18650CHs, you can get them for a steal at $26 (about $6.50 each) from the Amazon link posted here earlier. I just received a four pack of these, and they're testing out perfectly, delivering 2250 mAh when discharged down to 3.2v, and 2300mAh when discharged down to 3.0v. (1 amp load). The CGR chemistry is such that the drop from 3.2v to 3.0v only takes about five minutes out of the 130 minutes it takes to discharge the cell at a 1A drain. The NCR chemistry used in the current TET cell causes the voltage to drop earlier in the discharge curve, with a more gradual decay, which is why your Cera works as well with this 2250mAh cell as it does with the new 2900mAh cell, and why it doesn't work nearly as well with the 3100mAh and 3400mAh cells. (mAh ratings alone don't tell the whole story).

And speaking of the 2900mAh NCR cell, if you're a fan of the current 2900mAh Panasonic that TET ships, but would prefer one that's protected (since the NCR cell isn't IMR type chemistry), RTDVapor has the 2900mAh Panasonic button top protected NCR18650 in stock too, for $12. They don't sell unprotected versions of this cell.

Tests have indicated that the protected version of the NCR 2900mAh cell provides the same amount of power as the unprotected CGR 2250mAh cell, and the unprotected NCR 2900mAh cell provides ~10% more (mostly due to it being able to be discharged to a lower voltage since it doesn't have a protection circuit). In real world useage with a Cera, I suspect it will be impossible to tell the difference between the CGR, NCR, and protected NCR. The four pack CGR price from Amazon is pretty hard to beat (and it's Prime eligible and was delivered the next day, not a month from when I ordered it via slow boat from China).


You get such good deals south of the boarder on Amazon ... Any suggested places I can order batteries where they will ship internationally
 
Savilion,

OF

Well-Known Member
Hey OF...I just canceled my order for the TET provided batteries. I just got the comfirmation email stating that it was the 2250 batteries. I hope that I didn't make the wrong move because I just ordered the 4 pack of batteries from amazon and it states that its the 2900 batteries. The numbers don't match from the stock TET batteries.

It's confusing for sure. And you just confused me a bit more. The four batteries I expect from Amazon are CGR18650CH, same as the original TV units, 2250 mAh.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKQQ990/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

What are the ones you're ordering (link?)?

Not to worry, none will harm the Cera, but most others will not work as well as the two types TV has offered. FWIW I think my favorites are the 2250s, they don't go quite as long but seem stronger?

You get such good deals south of the boarder on Amazon ... Any suggested places I can order batteries where they will ship internationally

Obitroincs does I believe.

Good luck.

OF
 

Skeena

Standing stone faced like a statue.
so I just missed the delivery this morning and will have to pick it up tomorrow, however there is an amount due of 28 dollars which I was not expecting (shipped to Canada)
 
Skeena,
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