Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

I just purchased my ascent for $214 after shipping and tax from vapornation.

For a reduced price, mention thevapelifestore.com along with their 15% discount code (found online).

It doesn't come with any bonus items or freebies but it came out to be around $57 less.

adamm said:

I usually charge mine up 4-6 hours but if you're not using it much a different approach may be better.

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Did yours battery indicator blinks endlessly afther this 6hours or it`s just stop blinking ??? Because i don`t know when my Ascent is full charge :/

I would check to see if Puffitup will do a price match? People have complained about having to send a unit back more than one time. If you go with a company that pays for shipping back, you won't have to worry.

Hopefully yours will be a keeper.

You won't be disappointed with how this unit creates great vapor flavor.

Puffitup does price match for the advertised price not the total price. (Im assuming from this website)

Thevapelifestore has it listed for 229.99.

( 229.99 - 229.99 * .05 ) * 1.0825 is still about 20 bucks more than the $213 from vapornation.

I hope I wont have to ship it back multiple times

Future buyers should try to get a price match from puffitup, the free shipping for warranty claims seems like a great deal.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I should have spent more time researching cheaper/better deals on ascents. However from what I've noticed, most stores do no offer discounts/coupon codes for the ascent vaporizer.

FrogDR said:

Did yours battery indicator blinks endlessly afther this 6hours or it`s just stop blinking ??? Because i don`t know when my Ascent is full charge :/

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Mine was just a full solid battery at the bottom of the screen once charged.

adamm said:

Mine was just a full solid battery at the bottom of the screen once charged.

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Ditto

Folks,

It was a bittersweet experience, but I finally wrangled together some time to finish taking apart my fallen friend. Without further ado, the pictures.

1. just a picture of the Ascent still mostly assembled.



2. Both the front and rear panels of the Ascent are sealed with some double sided adhesive material





3. And how they appeared after the adhesive was scraped off



4. I removed that screw you saw above, and it was the only screw present on the device.



5. The unit was held together mostly by glue on the side panels of the unit. It took a little bit of work to pry off those side panels.



6. Here is the panel pulled off and the Ascent exposed for the first time



7. The panel with the LED display felt as though it would break something if I tried to pry it any further apart, and I figured that was due to the swinging oven door. I chose not to press the matter, so all we have here is an upskirt.





The only area that seemed to be broken is that white wire that connects to the power button. I tried to strip the wire a little and twist the two ends together but I had no luck there, and the unit still does not display anything on the screen when it is plugged into the charger.

I wish I were more knowledgeable about things like circuit boards and soldering, it is possible that there wasn't irreparable damage done for a savvy consumer. Unfortunately, that's not me!

I hope that these pictures have been helpful to someone, if for curiosities sake rather than anything else.

Oh...and whatever happened to the suspect that caused all this damage...



Unfortunately, she's pleading the 5th. But I still hold hopes to obtain a confession.

i don't know about anyone else but the pictures are not showing for me. all broken link placeholders

I can see them, nice to see whats inside the davinci. Would be nice to see in the oven compartment too. I'm think the reason mine has stopped heating is related to a rattle I had in the bottom part when I first got it which went away after a week or 2.

@adamm I hear you, I'd like to be able to show the oven compartment, but I don't see where that area comes apart so I'm not even sure where to start attacking there. It doesn't appear to split the same way as the main body of the unit.

@mmenzie I'm not sure why my pictures aren't loading up for you. You may go directly to my imageshack if you like.

https://imageshack.com/i/knFk4T6Hj

virtualpurple said:

Unfortunately, she's pleading the 5th. But I still hold hopes to obtain a confession.

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Have you considered toothprint evidence? A bluff might work.......

Great stuff, thanks for posting. BTW, that small board between the batteries is the protection PCB for the batteries.

virtualpurple said:

@adamm I hear you, I'd like to be able to show the oven compartment, but I don't see where that area comes apart so I'm not even sure where to start attacking there.

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How about using the already proven Black Lab expert pictured last? A good project manager doesn't need the tools or skills for a difficult task if he can manage those that do.......

OF

Once again I've stayed away from FC for too long. Spent hours catching up on this thread.

I'll do a few replies first, and then I have an exciting new variation on the glass flowers to share.

virtualpurple said:

Also, if you don't have a backup vaporizer, I'd invest in one. I think an easy choice for a backup vaporizer is the Flowermate V. It is dirt cheap, discreet, and incredibly simple to use.

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First I've heard of this unit. While I'm not currently in the market, looks nice, especially for a sub-$100 portable.

Norcalsun said:

My bowl stays pretty white without much more cleaning than dumping it blowing it out. The stem upbove the bowl gets gunked up pretty fast though. The only time I've had any trouble at all cleaning the bowl is when I add kief or wax/oil.

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Same here. I wonder if the folks whose bowls are getting stained are adding wax and/or oil to their loads? I only vape flowers in my Ascent and have no staining of the bowl.

CarolKing said:

FC is a where folks can come to exchange ideas about vaporizers. One of the reason I decided to join FC is because the mods do such a great job of keeping things above board. A lot of the other sites people get really mean. I am so glad that it doesn't happen here.

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What she said. I've certainly read other related forums (fora?) and still do sometimes if I get a hit on something I'm researching, but, due to the high quality of the content and memebers, as well as the proficiency and dedication of the moderators, this is the only cannabis or vaping forum I've actively participated in.

And now onto my new discovery...

While attempting to see if I could do something useful with a Vaporite Budy Pen (G-pen knockoff, and their mis-spelling) I picked up some of these round ceramic screens:



(Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LEWLLF6/)

While they weren't quite the right size for the Budy Pen (and I've yet to be sufficiently motivated to either grind them down a tad or find slightly smaller ones) I thought they might be just the answer to a few minor but nonetheless irritating issues that I (and I imagine others) have with the Ascent:

• Rising 'puck' requires pressing down before each use for proper heating, with the associated inconvenience and wear-and-tear of extra open/close actions.
• Particles occasionally get sucked into mouth.
• Lower stem 'screen' holes quickly accumulate resin and biomass, causing clogging
• Lower stem becomes coated with resin and flower particles, eventually to the point of impairing airflow, necessitating tedious cleaning of fragile and easily broken glass part.

Actually, the issue that first came to mind was that of puck retention. While I like filling my Ascent's bowl, for performance and convenience, I see no point in over-filling it; that is filling it above the top edge of the ceramic bowl. The way the Ascent is designed, that leaves a few mm of space between the top of the load and the bottom of the glass stem/screen. Often while drawing on the Ascent, the load (puck) will be lifted up by the suction (well, technically pushed up by the air pressure from below, for you purists). These round disc-style 'screens' looked like they would make the perfect spacers. What do you think?



Two placed side-by-side will cover the load, but more height is needed...



Four of these should do the trick. Stack carefully, aligning the holes of top and bottom layers.



And there you have it! Make sure the ceramic screens don't protrude above the rubber surface before closing. It may take a bit of experimenting to get the right grind, quantity, and pack for best results, but once you do it'll be awesome.

Now after vaping many bowls with this arrangement, I am very pleased with the results. The load remains in place, even through multiple sessions and regular handling, without need to check before each session to reseat the puck and stem.

As a bonus, the ceramic screens work as a filter, collecting all the resin and flower bits that would otherwise collect on and in the glass stem. Sure, the ceramic screens need cleaned once in a while, but they're much easier to clean than the glass (just wipe them with iso-soaked paper towel or q-tip and poke the holes clean with a toothpick), and much less fragile. And at $7 for a ten-pack, cheap enough to throw away if you get too busy (or lazy) to clean them. And really - after probably 15 loads so far with this arrangement, the glass stems are still perfectly clean.

So - easy "mod" that keeps the load in place and eliminates the need for frequent glass cleaning. If anybody else tries it, let me know how it works for you. Oh, and while they are kinda tiny and need careful placement, a pair of cheap plastic tweezers are your friend:

MrNaturalAZ said:

Four of these should do the trick. Stack carefully, aligning the holes of top and bottom layers.

Click to expand...

Fun idea, thanks for posting it. I occurs to me that fishing a fine SS wire through two of the holes would keep the disks aligned nicely. Perhaps something like a single strand of picture hanging wire? Or tie them with cotton thread, like they were buttons? A turn or two would not block much and would ensure alignment even as you close the hatch......

OF

I've used glass beads that I bought at Michael's before. They worked fine. I was worried that maybe at high temps they could break or possibly toxic. Those little ceramic screens look like they'd be awesome.

OF said:

I occurs to me that fishing a fine SS wire through two of the holes would keep the disks aligned nicely. Perhaps something like a single strand of picture hanging wire? Or tie them with cotton thread, like they were buttons?

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Good idea! For that matter, all four could be tied together as a single unit.

OTOH, leaving them loose allows adjustment for varying load size -- just add additional layers (pairs of screens) to the stack as needed.

MrNaturalAZ said:

Good idea! For that matter, all four could be tied together as a single unit.

OTOH, leaving them loose allows adjustment for varying load size -- just add additional layers (pairs of screens) to the stack as needed.

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Good thinking. Lets see, four tied together for convenience. Two stacks of two for routine use. Two loose for side by side with slightly larger loads........ 4+4+2=10.

Sounds like it's time to order another batch of screens. This vape stuff can get complicated, can't it?

Love it!

OF

I dont understand. Do ceramic screens handle heat better than glass?
What makes the ceramic screen better than a glass bead?

From the looks of it in the picture, it seems like the ceramic screen melted/beat up a little. Im not sure but this doesnt seem to be a better alternative to glass beads to me.

Please correct me if im wrong. I've just bought my ascent and was looking to buy some fillers for the bowl.

slayerx390 said:

I dont understand. Do ceramic screens handle heat better than glass?

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Possibly, but at the temperatures we're working with (<500 degrees F) it's not an issue.

What makes the ceramic screen better than a glass bead?

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Not better - just different. It isn't so much the materia as the form factor and usage. The glass beads and flowers used by many Ascent owners primarily serve the purpose of occupying space (for those wanting to use less material per filling) and for heat retention, adding thermal mass to stabilize the temperature within the bowl.

These ceramic screens, while they do occupy some space (and additional layers could be added to accomodate smaller loads) primarily serve to keep the load in place, where it belongs (bottom of bowl) while also acting as a filter to catch most of the resin and plant matter before it gets to the harder-to-clean glass parts.

As for the glass vs. ceramic, I think the ceramic is possibly less fragile, but more important is that the slight surface texture does a better job of filtration than glass. At least I think so.

From the looks of it in the picture, it seems like the ceramic screen melted/beat up a little. Im not sure but this doesnt seem to be a better alternative to glass beads to me.

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Not melted. That's impossible at the low temps we deal with. It does appear that at least one of them has a small chip (or slight manufacturing defect) - it came that way. Oh, and if you'd still be more comfortable with glass, but like my method, this style screen also comes in glass - for example, in the Amazon listing, where it says "people who looked at this also looked at..." you'll see glass "honeycomb screens".

Please correct me if im wrong. I've just bought my ascent and was looking to buy some fillers for the bowl.

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I hope i was able to clarify the differences and help you make a decision. As inexpensive as both these and the glass flowers are, I'd recommend picking up some of each and do some experimenting to learn what works best for you and the way you use your Ascent.

I actually only use glass flowers to filter particles. One on the bottom, keeps the bottom intake holes clean, and two on top, filters particles from entering draw tube. Also the two on top, like thumb tacks, keeps the load from floating. As cheap as the ceramic screens are ill definitely be trying them. My main concern is that they will float up and could jam the bowl. With the glass flowers the two on top are pinned into the loaded bowl so they tend to stay put. I could see using one ceramic screen on the bottom, might be easier to place compared to the glass flowers. Thanks for the info and link.

slayerx390 said:

I just purchased my ascent for $214 after shipping and tax from vapornation.

For a reduced price, mention thevapelifestore.com along with their 15% discount code (found online).

It doesn't come with any bonus items or freebies but it came out to be around $57 less.

Click to expand...

They are not an authorized reseller of ours. We offer a price match on any website that is not a third party retailer such as ebay, amazon, rakuten or craigslist.

Puffitup is an authorized seller. We've talk about that a few times. Free shipping and free shipping returns.

CarolKing said:

Puffitup is an authorized seller. We've talk about that a few times. Free shipping and free shipping returns.

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Again, we offer price matches on any advertised price from an authorized reseller. That would mean 90% of the places with Ascents. No ebay, amazon, rakuten or craigslist, and if you see a discount call us and we will beat the price. As for thevapelifestore.com; they are not authorized dealers of ours at this point in time.

Good idea with those ceramic screens. Gunna buy some in a few days. Just waiting on an arrival of a davinci ascent replacement from namaste vapes. Also they are including a water tool and water attachment. Can't fault that service . Very chuffed and can't wait.

Davinci_vaporizer said:

Again, we offer price matches on any advertised price from an authorized reseller. That would mean 90% of the places with Ascents. No ebay, amazon, rakuten or craigslist, and if you see a discount call us and we will beat the price. As for thevapelifestore.com; they are not authorized dealers of ours at this point in time.

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When will we be seeing the Ascent go on sale do you think? I'd love to replace mine but have not yet been able to. I tried to price match a week or two back as an authorized reseller was having a sale. But I was told by Davinci customer service on live chat that the price match wasn't applicable during sales.

I have had my Da Vinci Ascent for about 3 weeks now and I am very pleased with it. Still trying to work out the optimum packing method; sometimes I have had incredibly efficient sessions, other times the opposite.

I also noticed a very strong silicone taste at first. In fact when I unboxed it I could smell it already. The smell was definitely coming from the rubber part of the bottom section where the bowl is. I decide to run the Ascent at MAX Temperature for an hour or so empty to maybe evaporate away what was causing the smell. I ran it full power until the battery was dead ( I think roughly 50-60 minutes at max temp ). But the silicone smell/taste was still there. I noticed this only went away after about 4-5 bowls. But I am convinced it comes from the rubber section of the Ascent just above the oven - this now smells more like my herbal blend than anything else - so all good.

I have had to clean it once already where I got close to no vapour coming through. It seemed as though the holes at the base of the glass stem inside the oven were blocked. But when the thing is clean and you have a full bowl it is incredibly efficient and tastes awesome.

Only small drawback for me is that there is a bit of vapor leakage out of the glass straw between hits. Not a biggie - just means you gotta be quick between hits or cover the straw with your thumb. I see they included a type of rubber cap or seal in the kit - kinda like a lid for the straw, Doubt I would use this though; seems a little clumsy.

Overall, very clever piece of gear. Great tasting vapor. Good battery life. Accurate heat settings. Super stealthy.

I bought mine in Europe online via NamasteVapes UK