Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

Quetzalcoatl

DEADY GUERRERO/DIRT COBAIN/GEORGE KUSH
BATTERY QUESTION:
The Ascent battery draining while not in use may very well be a software energy drain. Slight bummer, but it is the first version, and I still glad I bought it. best, Skulduggery

Would there be any other reason as to why they discharge so much? Perhaps an HSD battery instead of a "normal" one? Would there be any other reason short of software or HSD for the battery to drain so much?
 
Quetzalcoatl,

OF

Well-Known Member
Would there be any other reason as to why they discharge so much? Perhaps an HSD battery instead of a "normal" one? Would there be any other reason short of software or HSD for the battery to drain so much?

Aside from a failure in that unit none I know of. Keeping the processor going and scanning the keyboard looking for the 'wake up' command is the typical reason for this. It is the reason, I think, why the original DV had the power switch. That unit 'boots up' each time.

I recall someone else with a Beta unit (Stones?) reported the same thing? The unit went flat on him in a drawer over a week's sitting?

OF
 

CentiZen

Evil Genius in Training
Accessory Maker
But would a micro that is sitting, waiting for an interrupt like that consume enough power to drain the battery? I was under the impression they consumed downwards of 35 mA

Given of the internal space in the ascent was devoted to batteries, it should have a huge capacity. Perhaps it is trying to do other things in the background, like keep clock time or something? That still wouldn't make sense though.

Maybe they just have a power leak somewhere on their board?
 

OF

Well-Known Member
But would a micro that is sitting, waiting for an interrupt like that consume enough power to drain the battery? I was under the impression they consumed downwards of 35 mA

Maybe they just have a power leak somewhere on their board?

Like most such things "it depends"? For sure the tiny battery in a watch or similar runs a very long time. OTOH, my Sony camera kills the battery in a few months keeping track of time sometimes. Funny things happen, I would have expected Solo to use no battery power when in PA mode, but that's not the case. There could be a flaw on individual boards of course, but I think several guys have commented on the self discharge thing?

Hopefully, since they're shipping, soon we'll have lots of useful feedback on which to base speculations? It would be a very easy thing to measure (that's how I know for sure Solo does it.....) if you can crack the case and get some leads on the battery......

OF
 

JoeKickass

Well-Known Member
This is a common issue with flashlights too. Some people prefer the old fashioned mechanical click switches because they don't drain the batteries when you aren't using them (stand-by current).

The new electronic switches are much nicer on the fingers and can offer several modes too, but as OF pointed out, they rely on a small trickle current to detect a button press. Depending on how the circuit is designed, this current could be enough to drain your light in a week! (Sound familiar?)

While it's a very easy problem to fix in flashlight, you can simply unscrew the tailcap a turn to disconnect the battery, with the Ascent we have no real way to turn it off. But the good news is there are some flashlights with tiny stand-by currents that can milk a battery for months! It might take The Ascent v2 but I know it's possible to design a low standby current switch :2c:
 
JoeKickass,
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marduk

daydreamer
If you go on a trip for a month and leave your Ascent behind, will this slow discharge drain your batteries to the point where they are damaged or lose charge capacity?
 

OF

Well-Known Member
If you go on a trip for a month and leave your Ascent behind, will this slow discharge drain your batteries to the point where they are damaged or lose charge capacity?

Unknown for now, but I'd guess that a protection circuit has been included that will disconnect the battery before damage if that's appropriate.

Ironically, this simple precaution seems to have been omitted in the big bucks electric car, the Tesla. It happens often enough they have a name for it, look up 'Tesla bricking' on google some time. Not pretty.

OF
 
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Davinci_vaporizer

Clean First Technology
Manufacturer
We've been doing some with the battery drainage issue noted above. After extensive testing, it is holding a charge for about 10 days of non usage. No damage is done to the battery, OF is correct about the circuit preventing that. Yes, like the flashlights, there is just drainage at a higher MaH from the software, than we'd like at this time.

However, unlike the Tesla...the Ascent can't call you. If it does...you're using it too much.
 

OF

Well-Known Member
We've been doing some with the battery drainage issue noted above. After extensive testing, it is holding a charge for about 10 days of non usage. No damage is done to the battery, OF is correct about the circuit preventing that. Yes, like the flashlights, there is just drainage at a higher MaH from the software, than we'd like at this time.

However, unlike the Tesla...the Ascent can't call you. If it does...you're using it too much.

Good to know you're on it.

Folks should understand that the above ten day number is based on starting with a fully charged battery.

In the Tesla case, there's an owner who (alerted to the problem) consulted with the dealer about how long his car could sit and still work. He carefully calculated it out before leaving his car at LAX (Los Angeles Airport) for a trip to Europe IIRC. He came home to a 'bricked' Tesla.....seems they forgot to point out that driving the car to the airport would deplete the charge and lessen the 'safe storage window'.

The same applies here. If you plan to put it in a drawer for a while, be sure to charge it fully first.

You and I can just recharge out Ascents (cell phones, digital cameras, whatever) and carry on. In the case of the Tesla not so. Given the motors are in each wheel you can't tow it or even pull it onto the trailer.....you need a crane and flatbed truck, and a new battery pack which I understand is about twice the cost of a new Beamer?

OF
 

JCat

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
We've been doing some with the battery drainage issue noted above. After extensive testing, it is holding a charge for about 10 days of non usage. No damage is done to the battery, OF is correct about the circuit preventing that. Yes, like the flashlights, there is just drainage at a higher MaH from the software, than we'd like at this time.

However, unlike the Tesla...the Ascent can't call you. If it does...you're using it too much.
But I really want my Ascent to call me ... come on man ... can't you integrate Ethernet/Skype or mobile or e-mail notifications into it at least? Come on man ... what have you guys been up to there anyways? (Oh yeah ... that's right ... you're busy dealing with customers bitching and moaning that have unrealistic expectations set by the hearsay of others ...)

(Did I actually say that out loud ... and online?) ... I think I must be vaping too much of something! :LOL:
 

nigel

And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
can't you integrate Ethernet/Skype or mobile or e-mail notifications into it at least?

Feh... just give me SSH in.

Root within a week, and then we can all work on SMS/email notification code. (No on the Skype though... really don't want my unit video calling me and having to stare at how unkempt the bowl currently is.)
:)
 

Ganjaman

New Member
have a Da Vinci. I enjoy it but the battery life sucks. Im lucky to get 30 minutes from it and when I charge it, it doesn't stop blinking (charging) Did I get a defective one or is that how they are made? Recently bought a Pax and am using that a lot more due to the battery life though I like Da Vinci's draw much better.
 

marvil701

Active Member
Just another quick note on the batteries.

Regarding the Ascent:
They run on two 18650 2200mAh Lithium-ion batteries which are capable of powering the device for more than three hours on a single charge. - http://vapeforest.com/reviews/ascent-vaporizer-review/

From the Arizer Solo vaporpedia article:
After initial confusion, Arizer has clarified that users will be able to replace the battery pack. Arizer will offer a service for anyone who is not comfortable doing the replacement. The cost of battery replacement, including labor, is $95 plus taxes and shipping.

I suppose Davinci will come up with a number close to that. Would be interesting to hear it directly from them though.
Anyway, this seems to be roughly the ongoing costs you can expect when purchasing one.
 
marvil701,

HalfQ

New Member
I'm very excited to see how you guys feel the ascent compares to the solo...
I am about to buy one of them, and I'll only wait for the ascent if the vapor quality is as good as the solo
 
HalfQ,

Alpa Cino

Member
Harder and harder to follow posts around here,remindes me of the first days of jan-feb when the specs were announced.BTW please DV when can EU citizens expect arrival of the ascent or the uprising if you wish so.Really sorry for lousy angloamerican-high to the hills lol

So envyous...let them charge, then fire them away and let us know is it all I(we,the people) ever hoped for him(Ascent) to be...?
 
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Alpa Cino,

nigel

And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
The first thing my hand feels is a heft. Not heavy per se, but it has a presence in my palm. It seems to fit as the curve of the bowl nestles into my palm. It warms my hand in a comforting way as it comes to temp.

The build quality seems to be very solid. I think that lends to the "presence" it carries.

This already feels like a personal vape. Not in the "No kitty! Bad Kitty! This is MY pot-pie kitty!"* or the "my preciousssss" kind of way, but in the sense of the opposite of impersonal. Other units I've used don't feel the same way. It doesn't feel utilitarian. Perhaps this is like the way that a fine car can make one "feel the road" and feel some ownership over it.

The heft… the heat in my palm from the bowl… the glass straw…. I sip… I sip… I sip...



A few thoughts:
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The bowl fill (volume), I find, can be variable with good results. (Outside of TOO packed which impedes airflow.) My own tastes are to the lighter end of the spectrum. I have…. as of yet, found need for cotton. (Although I suspect that the cotton might help with diffusing the airflow, I have as of yet to try it.) Smaller loads seem to be fine, just tamp a bit.

=========================

The temp raise does take some time in relation to what I had imagined. (But certainly not from what I expect from my previous old device.) The future spoils me, and I think I perhaps expected it to be instantaneous. :)

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The draw is very clean.

I find heavy draws are counter-productive. The path this device has to heat the air is small enough that I don't want to overload it. There is little resistance, but I think a light pack helps between little resistance and too much. You don't want air rushing past your material. Just take slow draws.

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I've already had to explain to a friend (especially the "skull-ripping B-load" friends of mine) that this is not a Florida spring break –– This is not 10 tequila shots lined up on the bar, but a fine 40-year tawny port that must be savored and sipped….

It is a device of "savoring." And really, if you are doing glass-on-glass, is that not apt?

=========================

I'm not grinding, but the "tear/cut" approach to grinding seems to be (reasonably) acceptable.

I find there is an additional small benefit a quick stirring later.

======================

If you don't tear/cut, you want a medium to course grind here. Too fine and not enough heated air can pass through. (same issue with too dense a pack…the-path-of-least-resistance is AROUND your material. Plus, you'll get a mouthful of particulate. ;) ) I'm becoming more convinced that a slow air draw is the best to vaporize by.

=========================

You can do nugs here, but again, the path-of-least-resistance is around the nug, so it will cook on the outside first.

=========================

I do not yet know *my* Temp (F/C). It is too early on this device. (My last device has a potentiometer and no feedback.) I'm looking forward to a lot of lively discussion on this.

========================

In terms of heat, the bottom does get warm. I've taken it up to max temp and held it for a bit. It was not too hot to hold, but rather comforting.

I now have a hand-warmer for winter days. :)

=====================

My last device was the first (I think) all-glass device. This is the first portable all-glass device, many years apart from that one. The flavor was robust in the first, but I now find in this newer generation far exceeds that . (SIDENOTE: Sticks has the newer vap2 device than I. Perhaps he can comment better.) The flavor is a key part of the experience. (SEE: the Port analogy)

=======================

I'm finding a few things. In the buddy rim, I find the recessed straw a bit hot. (even when pushed all the way down, there is minor contact) But then I am the only person to have noticed this, so maybe I have heat-sensitive lips. But it is at least all-glass that way. I find either removing the straw or pulling it out a few millimeters makes it not as hot for me.

Maybe it is just me. I also note, I do much prefer the straw to the buddy rim. This could just be my expectations. Or, this could just be me enjoying the "personal vape" notion of this, and I'm a selfish prick. :) I invite others (that got handed this by a buddy) to provide more input.

======================

Obviously have no comment on battery life. Yet…..

======================

SIDENOTE: I've seen the models personally. I don't care about croc, so if that is your thang, don't listen to me; Find your own answers.

But I went between "stealth" and "wood". I settled on wood. I think it is sharp and handsome (And attention getting, which is the other side from "stealth"). But my first like was Stealth. If you have chosen that: IT IS FUCKING GORGEOUS in person. The photos do NOT do it justice. The matte black and the semi-ish-gloss are fine. What the photos CAN NOT capture are the "black chrome" accents. In the right light, these things emit a fantastic black-purple glow that are really "other-worldly." Like Sci-Fi "other-worldly." Fucking gorgeous.

======================

I have fat fingers. I know this because I can only get my pinky in so far to the mouth piece to push out the screen-stem. I have to find a pen to do this for me.

=====================

Speaking of fingers, that bowl can be hot. I *know* that, after a quick stir, it might be tempting to think a finger is the perfect thing to tamp it down. It isn't. Get something like a wooden chopstick. I've already burned my finger.

=====================

I'm not a cloud chaser. In fact, I think I'd rather have something that doesn't make big obvious clouds in public. This can be very discreet. I imagine that if clouds are your thing, that your usage of this would be much different from my own (grind, pack, draw, etc) to elicit a different performance from the device.

=====================


My thoughts so far... More later...


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* "Mommmm: KItty's being a dildo!!"


EDIT: I'm at mentioning @Slightly Medicated @stickstones and @TheHerbalReview to solicit their comments on what I've had to say about air flow/pack/etc to see if it jibes (sp?) with their continued longer usage.
 
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