Discontinued Thermovape Cera

Breathemetal said:

good to know i will be conserving!
i go through enough wax as it is...hoping the cera will help fix my problem...heh.
man i really want to wait for the mini but aghhh idk if i can, maybe ill just have to get both, haha.

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It helped me, and I use to smoke like a gram a day, and its soo much smoother on the lungs... No more dabbing for me

ThermoCoreTim said:

Were working on the mini, still finalizing the drawings, Dont really know how far out it will be. Anywhere from a month away to 3 months away.

I keep pushing the 510-Cera adapter to get drawn up, the new LQ cart and Mini are in line first tho...

Cheers,
Tim

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Will the mini be skinnier? Can you give rough dimensions? I love my Cera well the EO...my El core only worked for a day and is in for repairs but the flavor was amazing, but I do miss the feeling of holding a cigarette like devise for my Eliquid but can't go back to that Chinese plastic/fiberglass crap, Is there anywhere I can buy a LR AVA Atomizer? I never got to try one, sadly I heard of it checked out and when I went back to order it like 3 days later the site was down because you switched over to the Cera.

mod note: Please avoid back-to-back posts, use Edit instead. Two posts merged.

Haywood said:

Maybe I'll have to sweet talk Tim after all. I seem to remember someone or other mentioning to me that a custom wound 1.0Ω Cera coil was a do-able thing; there's plenty of power headroom as long as the regulator (evolv DNA20) doesn't treat the load as a short, and being able to fine tune the power to a Cera core to your liking is a treat..

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That would be me, done for this exact reason, to get past the short circuit protection in VV vape batteries. I can't find the data but IIRC it's a bit under 1.0, enough to get locked out of everything I've tried except the stuff I've made specifically for it and Persei (that doesn't care as long as it's under five Amps?). All the rest seem to read stuff around an Ohm as a sort and even though it's under the power limit (like you dial it down to 3.0 Volts) it won't even try. This includes Iris (which is why I asked G to fix this 'step backwards' in making a VV Persei, he said it was on the list. The custom core I have is good for longer battery life with Cera and all but is the maximum amount of wire Tim could physically fit inside and still get the lid down.

The numbers you post are lovely and of course correct for calculations. The logical connection part that I think you may not be considering is the actual voltage in the system at the pins is on the order of 3.0 Volts typically. When you start adding up the losses (IR loss in the battery, contacts (especially at the spring to battery), in the switch and it's wiring, up the strap (it's a copper wire, it too has resistance, typically costing over .1 Volts itself))......the losses add up. The actual voltages I measured in these test I have in front of me run 2.88 to 3.04 Volts. All were done with a fresh charged battery in a T1 supply (17670) and included the added series resistance of the 10 Amp shunt in my DMM. You can do an actual 'under load' reading on your Cera of you're careful, just stick the probe through the hole like it's the safety pin as you put the battery in. Then power it up (after you're sure you haven't shorted it out (inspect through the other hole). With your meter on DC Volts (20 Volt range) probe one of the four screws into the screw plate with the other.

This is what makes the various resistance and power ratings so subjective and hard to make meaningful in other than a relative sense.

Making a PA for Cera has to deal with this as well. The 'regulated at the load' version I first showed doesn't have some of those losses, so the performance is 'too hot' (yes, I know......) unless you dial it down some. OTOH the five feet or so of heavy (16 AWG I think) zip cord I used between the enclose PS I used and the load in my 'Fred Flintstone PA' calls for outputs close to 4.0 to make up for the .3 or so lost on each side of 'the trip up and back down' the cord and other stray losses. What seems like such a simple thing is not in the details, as so often happens in life.

A lot of years ago I worked for a whimsical EE of great skill and understanding. One of his fun expressions was, "never argue with the electrons, they know what they're doing". That is as true today as then.....as pilots say 'trust your instruments'.

It's ironic how you trip yourself up trying to be more efficient and clever.....but that's exactly what I ran into. I'm sure you will too. You'll be using different electrons of course but it seems the little blighters all belong to the same Union and are sticklers for following the Work Rules part of their contract? Probably Longshoremen........

Yours in the eternal struggle with reality,

OF

Quetzalcoatl said:

I can't see your text with the FC Default Style theme... but yes, there should be a little bit of play with the ceramic wafer. I was cleaning my AVA the other day and the top ceramic moves around a bit as well. Same with my DART. It'll "cement" itself in with the oil once you get to using it. What do you mean "crooked" though? There should be little "chips" on two sides of it so that oil can seep through and the vapors can come out.

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coffinoff said:

As has been stated, that's normal. I would just recommend being extremely careful poking that piece of ceramic though. I imagine It wouldn't take much to crack or chip a piece off, and it's a pretty integral component.

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Thanks for the reassurance, I copied that from an e-mail I sent to TET's info address and still haven't received a reply.
I noticed that I haven't been getting my EO cart to work consistently for the past week or two. Sometimes shortly after adding wax I'll hold the button down long enough for the outer ceramic to get hot, and the entire time it won't produce vapor. Other times it takes a very long time to even get warm on the outside. I noticed that the battery would rattle, so I stretched out the spring on the bottom to eliminate the potential connection failure. I tested it for a hit immediately after tweaking it, and produced light vapor. Then it didn't work the next time I tried it. I've been sure to keep the battery using an Omicron battery charger. Might that be the problem? The LED on the charger does start as red and turn green after hours of charging, but sometimes it won't light up unless I insert a battery into the second slot.

Gentle Friends,

I'm continuing to enjoy my friend Cera, as I think most owners are. The blush isn't off the relationship by a long shot, I'm continuing to have a lot of fun with the whole idea and it's potential. A neat thing for the thinking boy IMO.

So, the topic is "Ghetto Vape". Starting with my spare hardware store spring from earlier I collapsed one end carefully to give me about 270 degrees of reduced diameter ring, centered to the bore and square to it (took out the twist). Adding a spare brass nut from my adapter adventures and of course a bit of foil (this time rolled into a tight cylinder with one end 'hammered' flat) and our favorite 14500 I present this competitor in the 'world's cheapest home made Cera' competition:


Assembly is simple and obvious:


Notice the ring trapped under the nut. The end is at about ten o'clock as we see it, it's quite secure there. Also note the thickness of the nut is such the center pin on the cart is recessed. The battery has to be dead square or the nipple get's camed out of contact, a safety feature of sorts.

Assembly is simple and obvious:


Running it is also simple but requires some care. Obviously it's going to get hot eventually.....

The best technique I've found thus far is to pull the spring a bit, push the foil plug down, tipping it to the side to catch a coil in the spring at the back before pushing it up against the nut/cart held in the other hand. A well loaded cart is running in a few seconds, you can get a few hits (plenty for Cera if you're not immune IMO) before it gets too warm on the outside. Fun in a Vapman sorta way. Cool.

You can fine tune your technique using the LL Cart, or at least I did. Saves having to take all those troublesome hits you'd generate on an EO cart......and getting distracted and all. Running it from cold several times then quickly looking for heat (or rather feeling for it) pinpointed the losses. At first the not flat aluminum foil face and then the poor contact between spring and plug in my case. The steel spring wire also gets moderately warm, but that's to be expected. And of course, so does Mister Battery. Overall, all reasonable IMO. It makes vapor.

I also have to be careful to keep the battery centered so the nipple doesn't short to the bore of the nut, I think the Mark II will have some tape warped around that end of the battery to make it fit the spring more snugly. I've also ordered some thin pattern nuts which should remove this issue.

But vapor happens just fine, thank you very much. "Five buck Cera", sounds like a low end working girl in a cheap novel......but it's not.

Fun stuff. I wonder what's next? I can hardly wait to see.....and photograph.....and drive Dreamer even closer to the edge she's sure to go over anytime soon, doncha think?

Sun will be up soon, time to think breakfast. Might take just one more test puff first....maybe 2, just to be sure it still works?

OF

Well I guess I am happy OF cause you are getting your creative juices flowing but it did require an avatar change. If you are good I am good. Check out the belt buckle hehe.

OK folks, still playing. Or rather recovering from playing.

Let's be sure we're on the same page with this stuff. It's not without risks. In fact it's thin ice stuff, enter at your own risk. A guy can get hurt. Burns are always likely if you're not careful and as I've just proven getting distracted playing with it can be dangerous......Cera can kick your silly butt big time. Watch out boys and girls, it's dangerous at many levels. If you decide to follow in my footsteps, clear up your personal business, wear clean underwear and leave your car keys where we can find them.

OK, here's the evil tool, the Ghetto Cera, Mk II:


Note the bend at the top of the battery where the nylon washer is? This is due to the fit, the washer it caught on the nipple of the battery but shifted as far as the larger hole will allow such that the lip on the battery edge is inside the hole (worst case for spacing) it's plenty safe in this version at least. The washer isn't about to come out, especially when put inside my favorite way to carry loaded and ready to go vape pens with Omicron carts, cigar tubes:
http://www.amazon.com/Telescoping-A...TF8&qid=1366121762&sr=8-1&keywords=cigar+tube

Not only are they vapor tight, but also keep the washer trapped.

I also added another ten cent part, a dime to close the end of the spring off (now that we can count on the insulating washer above). In use it's a modified version of the proven Pipes Suicide Switch System (PSSS). You have to take responsibility for separating potentially hot stuff to keep it from running away. I pull the washer, hang the unit down and press upward on the bottom to get positive contact. Also important is to pinch the spring against the nut at the top where it passes to ensure solid contact there. When the hit is over, pull the bottom of the battery and spring around it down enough to slip the washer back around the nipple with your third hand. It turns out to be pretty easy to do, actually. I've been wrapping my little finger around the battery and pulling up with thumb and forefinger (and tipping a little for better access). Easy.

I also overdid the testing, but that's hardly Cera's fault (although sadly some might choose to shift blame in such cases.....). I also added a few wraps of 3M medical tape (a personal favorite) to the top of the battery to keep it better centered as I posted about before. Solved that problem fine. Doesn't interfere with charging.

So there, for your viewing pleasure, is the Mark II. I'm enjoying a different sort of pleasure with it. One thing becoming more and more clear to me is how profound a thing the EO cart is. Noah and the guys did themselves proud here for sure. The glory and credit may be theirs, and rightly so, but we benefit big time if we get on board. All that lovely vapor for mere money.

Anyway, I had a nice nap. Time to think about lunch. Then maybe take the GS out to the garden......it's never seen the light of day you know.

OF

Ghetto latching switch present and accounted for:
Above- Rubber furniture leg cap (fits Cera perfectly) Below- Pencil topper eraser submerged into a puddle of epoxy that dries hard

This mod was under $10.00 for all of the parts and will yield 4 Ghetto Latching Switches (GLS) Almost disposable and they work like a charm. Also once on the Cera you can either unscrew it to break the connection or pull it off bottom once you are done using the latching feature. I pretty much only use this for LL but it works for EO as well.

scottfree said:

It helped me, and I use to smoke like a gram a day, and its soo much smoother on the lungs... No more dabbing for me


Will the mini be skinnier? Can you give rough dimensions? I love my Cera well the EO...my El core only worked for a day and is in for repairs but the flavor was amazing, but I do miss the feeling of holding a cigarette like devise for my Eliquid but can't go back to that Chinese plastic/fiberglass crap, Is there anywhere I can buy a LR AVA Atomizer? I never got to try one, sadly I heard of it checked out and when I went back to order it like 3 days later the site was down because you switched over to the Cera.

mod note: Please avoid back-to-back posts, use Edit instead. Two posts merged.

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Theres no final drawings for the mini, but it will be smaller. All the cores will work on both Cera and mini.

Breathemetal said:

So since we now have official word that there will be a mini, can we get some info on if there will be a Ti Mini?
If not...Im just gonna save up and get the full-size Ti

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Titanium will be offered for both models.

toros23 said:

If you decide to pull the trigger before a mini version is released, your investment in the EO cart(s) will be protected. Hang around here long enough and you will quickly learn the carts is where the real magic is happening.

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True that!

ekulaj said:

Thanks for the reassurance, I copied that from an e-mail I sent to TET's info address and still haven't received a reply.
I noticed that I haven't been getting my EO cart to work consistently for the past week or two. Sometimes shortly after adding wax I'll hold the button down long enough for the outer ceramic to get hot, and the entire time it won't produce vapor. Other times it takes a very long time to even get warm on the outside. I noticed that the battery would rattle, so I stretched out the spring on the bottom to eliminate the potential connection failure. I tested it for a hit immediately after tweaking it, and produced light vapor. Then it didn't work the next time I tried it. I've been sure to keep the battery using an Omicron battery charger. Might that be the problem? The LED on the charger does start as red and turn green after hours of charging, but sometimes it won't light up unless I insert a battery into the second slot.

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Ill let them know to double check the info email, Sounds like it could be an intermittent issue, possibly the body. You can also give us a call at 888-428-VAPE



OF, i like the "Ghetto Cera" that thing must get hot though without a body! I have some ideas that could work to help that though.
Cheers,
Tim

OF said:

it's plenty safe in this version

OF

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How can that picture and those words go in the same message?

Good to know the mini will come in a ti model!
About how long of a wait do we have for the mini?

ThermoCoreTim said:

OF, i like the "Ghetto Cera" that thing must get hot though without a body! I have some ideas that could work to help that though.

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Yeah, it's fun in a Rube Goldberg sorta way all right. I was thinking (in the ghetto theme) a cloth strip, or maybe even damp paper towel, but it has enough thermal mass for a few solid hits if it's well loaded and you hit it carefully. I never got as far as insulating it as it's not a party thing in my mind.

But you should try it and see where it takes you. I think you've got most of the bits needed......

Regards to 'the guys'.

Haywood said:

How can that picture and those words go in the same message?

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Cuz the poor electrons get to that little (for us) gap at the nylon and start a traffic jam. As long as the spring keeps enough tension on the nipple of the battery to hold the washer in you're fine. And it doesn't come out easy. I tested it.

A loaded pistol on a table is quite safe as well, right? It's the people that make the problems in both cases I think. Different level of problems, of course.

OF

OF said:

OK, here's the evil tool, the Ghetto Cera, Mk II:

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This is obviously just for ...but why the hell would you want to take 1 $250 vape and ghetto it up to look like a piece of garbage

My Cera came home out of no where! What a surprise. I talked to Zeki yesterday and he thought it was still in repair but it actually was sent out on the 12th. Very quick repair turn around time.

When I plugged my eo cart I heard crackling, so I did a burn off til whatever was in there is gone and confirmed with Zeki that was the correct thing to do. Im not sure what the exact problem and solution for my repair was but I will try to find out.

420 with Cera will be a new memorable experience!

Sonics420 said:

My Cera came home out of no where! What a surprise. I talked to Zeki yesterday and he thought it was still in repair but it actually was sent out on the 12th. Very quick repair turn around time.

When I plugged my eo cart I heard crackling, so I did a burn off til whatever was in there is gone and confirmed with Zeki that was the correct thing to do. Im not sure what the exact problem and solution for my repair was but I will try to find out.

420 with Cera will be a new memorable experience!

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Sonic420 how many hits do you get from a gram of wax with the CERA?

OF your GC is epic! And with all due respect, Harmudge - I don't think he ghettoed up a $250 vape. He only really using the cart, so in a way he is showing how someone could feasibly own a (G)CEO for only $99. Im not against you - i get how ugly that rig is. But it prob only took a little work; stuff that thing in a tube and the $99 + parts GCEO is alive!

Good on ya OF

harmudge said:

This is obviously just for ...but why the hell would you want to take 1 $250 vape and ghetto it up to look like a piece of garbage

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I can't say what's obvious to you, but I see it as fun but also the logical extension of the two similar 'products' that went before. Both of which, I think, have value past entertainment. And same as those two ideas brought me here, I'm hoping this too will lead to someplace else. That's the way it is, sometimes.

IMO it has a serious side, even if you don't appreciate it.

Garbage is, of course in the eye of the beholder. Some see past appearance.

OF

tavosvo said:

OF your GC is epic! And with all due respect, Harmudge - I don't think he ghettoed up a $250 vape. He only really using the cart, so in a way he is showing how someone could feasibly own a (G)CEO for only $99. Im not against you - i get how ugly that rig is. But it prob only took a little work; stuff that thing in a tube and the $99 + parts GCEO is alive!

Good on ya OF

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That's a fair point tavosvo...being able to have a Cera of sorts for $99, but it sure is ugly

OF, I understand your tinkering and tavosvo had made a fair comment above about the economy of your ghetto rig up.
If you got the time and inclination and it keeps you happy, fair enough....if I had a Cera and it performed as you guy's say it does I would leave it as is...because at the end of the day bar a few lucky beta testers who received their piece for free, most guy's are shelling out a lot of bucks for this, for sure I wouldn't be using a ghetto rig up that looks like that and keeping the ceramic body on the shelf after shelling out for it...

tavosvo said:

OF your GC is epic! But it prob only took a little work; stuff that thing in a tube and the $99 + parts GCEO is alive!

Good on ya OF

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Thanks much. It needs work if you want it to be more than a demonstration toy. I think a heavier gauge spring is in order, or maybe nesting two, for better conducting (lower resistance, lower losses, more heat). In that same vein the path can be shorter, it should start back up at the top of the plug, not the dime on the end. The extra steel and all the aluminum don't need to be in there. Next I think comes a brass washer for the end (no more dime) and forming the spring flat at the end (more of what's there, 2 flat turns) so the washer sits square. That last may take a bit of doing, we'll see what happens after the next hardware store run. Gotta find a new one, where they don't know me......

I've no desire to make anything of it personally at this point, I've got a perfectly fine Cera. And I've enough thread adapters, PAs and other self built stuff of that ilk to fill that need and then some. But I can see how it'd be a fun project if a guy had some skills, a few ideas, some free time and not much money...... And the guys in DC are taking care of the last two of those for more and more people every day so who knows?

harmudge said:

If you got the time and inclination and it keeps you happy, fair enough....if I had a Cera and it performed as you guy's say it does I would leave it as is...because at the end of the day bar a few lucky beta testers who received their piece for free, most guy's are shelling out a lot of bucks for this, for sure I wouldn't be using a ghetto rig up that looks like that and keeping the ceramic body on the shelf after shelling out for it...

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Well look, it's really none of your business but it happens I have bought several Cera cores, including the one in the photo. It's the custom low power one, still does OK despite the losses. My Cera is complete and actually has a LL cart in it at present. This is different.

What I do with my gear is my business, as is how I came to have it. Your's can be your's. I get what you're saying and frankly don't like it a bit. Can we please drop this line?

TIA

OF

ataxian said:

Sonic420 how many hits do you get from a gram of wax with the CERA?

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Its hard to say, I never really weighed out a full gram and put it in. I always just dabbed into there, a dab thats like .2 will get me a bunch of hits. Hard to count cause you either take huge rips or sometimes you can sip.

I think .2 - .3 will get me over 20+ hits. I usually load that much, go to work, and my Cera starts to look dry after my shifts over. I can see myself getting 100+ hits out of a gram of wax.

This eo core just keeps sounding better and better

it's pretty fuggin' spectacular. needs a little more airflow, imho, i feel they errored on the side of caution, but it kicks the thickest oil i ever saw. can get urself in trouble if you don't dab already.

harmudge said:

If you got the time and inclination and it keeps you happy, fair enough....if I had a Cera and it performed as you guy's say it does I would leave it as is...because at the end of the day bar a few lucky beta testers who received their piece for free, most guy's are shelling out a lot of bucks for this, for sure I wouldn't be using a ghetto rig up that looks like that and keeping the ceramic body on the shelf after shelling out for it...

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Harmudge - I think the key statement is here:

OF said:

And same as those two ideas brought me here, I'm hoping this too will lead to someplace else. That's the way it is, sometimes.

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I don't want to speak for OF, but I believe it is all about getting the proverbial "creative juices" flowing. I don't see it as a finished product, more like a proof of concept.

harmudge said:

why the hell would you want to take 1 $250 vape and ghetto it up to look like a piece of garbage

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harmudge said:

That's a fair point tavosvo...being able to have a Cera of sorts for $99, but it sure is ugly

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Doesn't have to be ugly, mine cost $20, a few hours of labor, plus the eo cart and I think it has an old-world "spyglass" kind of charm:


I'll let you guys know when my switch comes in



How does the eo cart taste for you guys? I notice taste is very good after loading and diminishes quickly if you do +10 sec rips (I'm guessing that cooks the oil a bit) Also I'm wondering how long your warm up is from cold to get nice thick vapor, mine is more than 5s sometimes more than 10

Hey how did u make that?

JoeKickass said:

Doesn't have to be ugly, mine cost $20, a few hours of labor, plus the eo cart and I think it has an old-world "spyglass" kind of charm:

I'll let you guys know when my switch comes in



How does the eo cart taste for you guys? I notice taste is very good after loading and diminishes quickly if you do +10 sec rips (I'm guessing that cooks the oil a bit) Also I'm wondering how long your warm up is from cold to get nice thick vapor, mine is more than 5s sometimes more than 10

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Joe- you kick ass! I was gonna post a pic of your rig, which I freakin love, but I figured it might pop up! I'm gonna have to find your original post and try to make my own?!

Warm up around 5 sec when full 10 when low that sounds about right

My cart has best flavor full load for sure, or should I say the flavor profile changes as he load diminishes? More hashy as it gets low, which I don't mind as I haven't had any bubble in a while and it brings fond memories of sticky gobs of bc bubble a friend bestowed upon me years ago......