Arizer Solo

CarolKing said:

Is the Solo fully charged? Even if it wasn't you should be getting massive clouds on heat level 7. Make sure your herb isn't too damp. But you would know all that. You are very familiar with vaping. The cannabis doesn't even need to be ground up. You can use nuggets.try a different stem the other one that came with the unit.

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It's definitely fully charged. This herb is very sticky and hard to smoke in a joint, so maybe that was a problem? I used the bent stem, maybe try the straight stem.

puddleglum said:

Try dialing down to heat 4 or 5 if it's your first time with the Solo. I find I actually seem to use the plant material more efficiently taking slower/less frequent hits at 5 than at 7. I really only use setting 7 for hash hits through the water pipe; for direct-hitting herb my sweet spot is 4-5. I've even read people on this forum using temp settings 2-3 and getting huge hits by simply spacing them farther apart.

If you took 20 draws in 10 minutes then you aren't letting it heat up enough between hits. Don't be afraid to wait a minute or three between draws. The herb won't combust.

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I will try to wait a few minutes between hits. It was definitely getting hot, I almost burned myself with the end of the stem.

Unnotrafitto said:

I can't find it, besides the unit has fallen a lot and i'm from europe and shipping is expensive ( i've just shipped the lsv back because it was broken and it toke me like 70 Eur) if i can replace the battery or fix it myself it's fine if not i think i'll wait to get the money to buy another portable

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Believe PIU sells replacement batteries.....

But, having dropsies can be a deal breaker, if you get my drop. A hint.

@Jethro try letting some of the herb sit and dry out for a while until it breaks up when you squeeze. My guess is there is too much moisture in your herb. (Especially if it has trouble burning in a joint).

Jethro said:

It's definitely fully charged. This herb is very sticky and hard to smoke in a joint, so maybe that was a problem? I used the bent stem, maybe try the straight stem.

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Here's a crazy suggestion (I haven't tried it personally): What if you used the Solo's included potpourri tray to dry out your herb a little, pre-session?

DieHard said:

@Jethro try letting some of the herb sit and dry out for a while until it breaks up when you squeeze. My guess is there is too much moisture in your herb. (Especially if it has trouble burning in a joint).

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That's exactly what we are trying now. Told Dad to grind up some bud and leave it out to dry overnight.

I also think he packed it too tight. I would guess that makes a difference?

puddleglum said:

Here's a crazy suggestion (I haven't tried it personally): What if you used the Solo's included potpourri tray to dry out your herb a little, pre-session?

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I think that's pretty clever and I'm surprised I haven't seen it suggested before. Finally, a practical use for the 1 setting. Once you start smelling it, it's time to get it off the heat though. That means the terpinoids that provide the best flavour are starting to vapourize.

I think I will try this with the aromatherapy dish!

Another question... the device came with about a dozen red rubber O-rings, but no instructions with what to do with them. I read in this thread earlier about opening the top and installing an o ring to make the stem fit tight- is that what those are for? Why would they send me a dozen of them? Do you go through these things?

Some people sandwich the o ring under the cap to help hold the stem stable.I just hold the rubber cap against the stem.

Easy way to load stem is grind up bud then do the straw method and suck the herrb into the stem.
Don't pack it tight just tamp it down lightly SET the Solo to 6 (you could lower later if you want) when the 5th light is lit put stem in and wait one minute then hit it
For me 5-7 I get nice clouds
And make sure stem is fully inserted although if it's getting hot to the Touch,Id say it is.

I just pulled the trigger on my first solo.....piu hooked me up with a great price match.......
Thx to all the great members of the fc community and especially those using this thread......i believe that i read at least 6-700 pages,but then again i have no life LoL
No questions right now,but im sure i will have some when she gets here and i start playing with her......

BigBee

puddleglum said:

Here's a crazy suggestion (I haven't tried it personally): What if you used the Solo's included potpourri tray to dry out your herb a little, pre-session?

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By all means try it if you wish. I did and the results were IMO poor.

I get much better results from putting it in an open vial/jar on top of my router, sometimes over night. That way the entire jar (contents) gets uniformly heated/dried.

IMO the OP's problem is moisture as suggested. There's just not a lot of energy available, if you 'waste' lots of it evaporating water it's well wasted. More to the point parts of the load will be trying to make vapor while others are still drying so the rate of production of THC vapor will be much lower (since a large part, if not the majority, of the energy is used to make water vapor instead). The THC can eventually be fully extracted, but it'll take much longer. You're likely to get bored and wonder off.

ctxgooner said:

I just pulled the trigger on my first solo.....

No questions right now,but im sure i will have some when she gets here and i start playing with her......

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Congratulations and welcome to the 'club'. I'm sure you'll end up liking Solo, IMO it's a very easy to use and effective (therefore 'likable') piece of gear. Dependable performance.

Remember to resist the urge to start using it long enough to give it a solid 'overcharge' before the first discharge. Say at least 4 hours after the charge light stop flashing, over night is probably a good plan for most. After that first charge, then you might consider trying the scheme of stopping the recharge earlier (to prolong the battery life), or simply use it as seems 'natural' to you. The possible gains in extra battery life from that first charge only 'counts' on that first charge.

I hope the awkward wait passes quickly, you do have a 'backup vape' to keep you amused until then, right?

OF

Jethro said:

Hey all, just got my step father a Solo last week and we had a first go at it last night. Little trouble with the first session, hope to get some help here. I couldn't get very much visible vapor with it even at heat level 7. The blue idle light was always lit, is that a problem? What does that light mean, idle? To me that means it's not in the mode to be used, just in the ready mode, like a car is idling at a stop light. Just never seemed to get that hot?

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Quite a mystery. This may sound odd but you never mentioned if the other lights are coming on while you were having problems. Did the other leds light up one by one until all seven were lit up before you attempted to hit it? The leading temperature indicator led will stop blinking when the set temperature is reached. It needs to warm up to the indicated temperature and stabilize for a minute or so at that temperature before hitting it to get the best results. It takes a couple minutes from a cold start and you should be able to watch it progress as the leds sequentially light up and stay on.

If all seven of the leds are on and the 7th one has stopped blinking and you are able to draw air but no clouds means something is seriously wrong (temperature is being indicated but somehow not working). If only the blue led is on and no green/yellow leds light up as the temperature increases make sure you are setting it properly to the desired temperature. If you know it was set and none of the other leds activate, box it up for return.

@OF
Thx for the tips.....unfortunately this is my first vape,so its blunts for me until then......i have to admit that im a bit skeptical that i will ever completely give up the blunts,but im damn sure going to give it a go.....

ctxgooner said:

@OF
Thx for the tips.....unfortunately this is my first vape,so its blunts for me until then......i have to admit that im a bit skeptical that i will ever completely give up the blunts,but im damn sure going to give it a go.....

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Hey, you're welcome. I know that 'I like smoking' (as opposed to vaping) attitude. I think most, if not all, of us had it at one point.

However, let's be honest for a moment, intentionally breathing in all the truly nasty stuff in smoke is just pain dumb if you value your health. Remember how your body rejected the idea so violently at first? It was natural, and you forced yourself to ignore it as we all did. You too got the reward of getting high, and liked that part.

Soon you mind linked the smoke with getting off. Just like Pavlov's dogs, you expect to get off from the smoke, in fact you can get off on THC free smoke if your mind tells you to. You need to learn that you don't have to stick your face in the campfire, and that takes time. A few sessions for some, a very long time for others. I'd say on average maybe 2 weeks??? That's without 'cheating'. No fair taking even a single hit off that blunt. Seriously. You need to break a very bad habit, one that has led to you brainwashing yourself in a strange way. Just like you needed to get off a few times to understand THC back then, you'll probably need a few 'smoke free sessions' in a row to get the idea. But I think you will if you give it a chance (obviously after you get the Solo running.....).

I bet less than 1% of us 'go back'. Frankly, once you break free, you remember how truly disgusting it is and now see no reason for it (since you still get the THC). And you'll notice since you're not destroying all that lovely THC by fire before it gets to you, your weed bill will go WAY down. Like to 1/3 or 1/4 of what it was. Seriously. Most of us moved right up to that top shelf and still spend a fraction of what we used to. Hard to be upset about that part.

All things can fail, even an excellent unit like Solo. It's also nice to have a 'change of pace' vape for occasional use I think. I suggest you consider something different by not too expensive like MFLB, Vapor Genie, or my personal favorite Vapman. For $100 or so (less if you look around) you can get another excellent vape to not only use when the mood strikes but to ward off failures on your main Vape. Nothing keeps old Murphy at bay better than having a plan.

Regards and best wishes getting the Solo up and running. It can literally change your life for the better I think. You do know that grinding, while useful, is not necessary with Solo, right? That is if the bud is well cured (dried) you can vape an intact bud just fine.

OF

@Jethro ,
I'm with @al bundy ,
Are you sure , you have fully inserted the stem into the oven .
New stems may not fit in as easily .
On level 7 , I can see the end of the stem still getting hot .
And maybe that is why your bud was still ' green ' .
When your stem is in , you can't see the bowl/herbs .

Try to make sure it's in and touching the oven .
If it's getting hot on level 7 , you should see vapors .

OF said:

By all means try it if you wish. I did and the results were IMO poor.

I get much better results from putting it in an open vial/jar on top of my router, sometimes over night. That way the entire jar (contents) gets uniformly heated/dried.

IMO the OP's problem is moisture as suggested. There's just not a lot of energy available, if you 'waste' lots of it evaporating water it's well wasted. More to the point parts of the load will be trying to make vapor while others are still drying so the rate of production of THC vapor will be much lower (since a large part, if not the majority, of the energy is used to make water vapor instead). The THC can eventually be fully extracted, but it'll take much longer. You're likely to get bored and wonder off.

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I personally use a small, decorateive wooden box... I move a couple days' supply of herbs from the glass jar to the wooden box. They dry out real nice.

puddleglum said:

I personally use a small, decorateive wooden box... I move a couple days' supply of herbs from the glass jar to the wooden box. They dry out real nice.

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Very interesting idea....... Wood is porous, meaning the herb is in a controlled humidity enclosure that's slowly going more dry (rather than the 'let all the water vapor drift away system I use.....). As I understand it such slow curing (as opposed to drying) is superior and is therefore the scheme used by professional growers wanting the best product to sell to dispensaries. Nobody I know questions their results, they sure seem to know what they're doing.

A guy could spend a lifetime I bet trying to find a good compromise here, sounds like you've lucked onto it (or maybe you really are as clever as your mother has been saying......). Whatever I wouldn't loose that box!

Thanks for the tip. You've got me thinking of putting a lid on my jar with a small hole to slow down the drying......... Too easy to get in a rush and shortchange yourself.

OF

Been using my Solo for over a year now, I have the older model and was wondering if there is much of a difference in draw resistance in the newer model? Also anyone know anyone interested in selling a PVHE stem (bent)?

OF said:

Hey, you're welcome. I know that 'I like smoking' (as opposed to vaping) attitude. I think most, if not all, of us had it at one point.

However, let's be honest for a moment, intentionally breathing in all the truly nasty stuff in smoke is just pain dumb if you value your health. Remember how your body rejected the idea so violently at first? It was natural, and you forced yourself to ignore it as we all did. You too got the reward of getting high, and liked that part.

Soon you mind linked the smoke with getting off. Just like Pavlov's dogs, you expect to get off from the smoke, in fact you can get off on THC free smoke if your mind tells you to. You need to learn that you don't have to stick your face in the campfire, and that takes time. A few sessions for some, a very long time for others. I'd say on average maybe 2 weeks??? That's without 'cheating'. No fair taking even a single hit off that blunt. Seriously. You need to break a very bad habit, one that has led to you brainwashing yourself in a strange way. Just like you needed to get off a few times to understand THC back then, you'll probably need a few 'smoke free sessions' in a row to get the idea. But I think you will if you give it a chance (obviously after you get the Solo running.....).

I bet less than 1% of us 'go back'. Frankly, once you break free, you remember how truly disgusting it is and now see no reason for it (since you still get the THC). And you'll notice since you're not destroying all that lovely THC by fire before it gets to you, your weed bill will go WAY down. Like to 1/3 or 1/4 of what it was. Seriously. Most of us moved right up to that top shelf and still spend a fraction of what we used to. Hard to be upset about that part.

All things can fail, even an excellent unit like Solo. It's also nice to have a 'change of pace' vape for occasional use I think. I suggest you consider something different by not too expensive like MFLB, Vapor Genie, or my personal favorite Vapman. For $100 or so (less if you look around) you can get another excellent vape to not only use when the mood strikes but to ward off failures on your main Vape. Nothing keeps old Murphy at bay better than having a plan.

Regards and best wishes getting the Solo up and running. It can literally change your life for the better I think. You do know that grinding, while useful, is not necessary with Solo, right? That is if the bud is well cured (dried) you can vape an intact bud just fine.

OF

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All great advice as usual from mr. @OF

Another vape for variety is very nice (as mentioned), I will say that if it were me I would try to get a home vape (if possible). @ctxgooner I have seen many used da budda vapes go for ~$80.

Metadeth said:

Been using my Solo for over a year now, I have the older model and was wondering if there is much of a difference in draw resistance in the newer model? Also anyone know anyone interested in selling a PVHE stem (bent)?

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Its been awhile since I used my friends arizer solo but it did feel like lower resistance. It is a pretty decent difference from what I remember. I liked it personally. Maybe someone has both and can respond

Oh hell yeah! I'm gonna get my Arizer Solo the day i get my financial aid money!
Hopefully soon, within the next 3 weeks.

Gonna buy one from planetvape, along with the GONG attachment, and the phevs straight turbo (should i get turbo) with a higher capacity back up battery and some travel caps.

Whoa.. is that "OF charger" something that can be purchased?

Unnotrafitto said:

my solo is acting crazy, the blue led keeps blinking even when is shut off and when it reaches temp it auto turns off, is this a battery problem or can I trow it out of the window?

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That looks like a result of a bad connection on a circuit board, or, a fried chip that controls the Solo's program/algorithm.

Vaper said:

Whoa.. is that "OF charger" something that can be purchased?

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Not yet. I'm still messing around with it (go figure). There are several Beta units (of two basic configurations) out, a couple of 'the usual suspects' have reported on them, other Beta Testers prefer to remain in the closet, two are not Forum Members. Reports are promising.

A couple of guys have expressed interest in making them for distribution. This most likely means repackaging of 'the Gadget'. The current Beta units look like this:


It's about 1 X 3 inches, the usual charger plugs into the black connector upper left (through a hole in the box). The cable plugs into Mister Solo. Pushing the button (lower right), which pokes up through a hole in the cover, starts the charge cycle. The little screw on the blue part above the switch sets the shut off level (currently at about 10% early), and can be adjusted by the user to suit.

I'm in no big rush to sell these, I don't intend to not profit from the sales, I want to see it right......as I hope most do? I'm sure we can all think of a vape product or two that disappointed folks due to cutting corners to get to the bucks?

I expect to get some firm plans by year's end (assuming no problems pop up this late) and hand it off, meaning it'll be up to someone else when they will release their product. If they simply want to make more like the Beta units they could be producing and shipping within a month I'd think (vendors for the PCB, to program and all the parts necessary having been identified). I've tried to avoid 'sole source' or difficult to get items, and think I've succeeded. I still have to design and build test fixtures (no big deal, really) for whoever makes them. Not only to confirm proper operation but to check the 'as shipped' calibration of the trip level. Right now I'm using the serial port on the controller and my computer to do this, not as easy or error free as it should be. I should have plenty of time to do that while production is being set up.

Please be patient, both with me and the guys that will actually try to bring it to market, it's moving along and IMO is getting very 'user friendly', I hope it'll be well received. I'm sure nobody wants it rushed.

BTW, in the fun way the world often works, the Beta Testers seem to be more excited about the faster recharge times (it takes about an hour off the charge time) and the way it beeps when the charge is done.....go figure. I didn't expect that, I was working on longer battery life you see.

OF

My old solo which has a crossthreaded top and held together with PTFE tape on the inside and electrical on the outside smells awful now. Sounds like there's a bunch of ABV trapped inside making it smell bad, but if I tear it open I don't see anything and nothing comes out! A little ABV came out but it still smells kind of bad. How deep could it have gone?

exit said:

My old solo which has a crossthreaded top and held together with PTFE tape on the inside and electrical on the outside smells awful now.

A little ABV came out but it still smells kind of bad. How deep could it have gone?

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You've basically seen it. The SS cup with the four holes is cemented into a bigger cup made of the high temperature plastic the rest of the oven assembly is. The cement holds the heater element and sensor as well in the center between the holes. There's a small (say 1/16 inch?) gap between the plastic and metal cups, maintained by cast in ribs. You can see the gap by peeking through the gap under the seal and over the top of the SS cup. No place for stuff to get trapped. Worst case a shot of 'canned air' down the holes has to blow debris out the holes lower down for the leads.

I advise against removing the screws to 'go inside'. IMO there's not to much to gain and I have confirmed by experiment it's very easy to break one of the tiny wires under the cover. Your call, but in any case extreme caution is advised.

Any chance you're smelling roasted electrical tape?

OF

ctxgooner said:

@OF
Thx for the tips.....unfortunately this is my first vape,so its blunts for me until then......i have to admit that im a bit skeptical that i will ever completely give up the blunts,but im damn sure going to give it a go.....

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I said the same thing... my b's were 1.5g minimum... now I'm rocking the Solo and vaping like .15-.2 instead! And the taste, brotha... you don't know taste yet. It gets sweeter the longer you vape!

@Jethro I am not sure what the problem is. Like mentioned make sure that the stem is fully seated in the oven, when they're new it is a bit harder to get some stems in all the way but it loosens up after a few sessions. Perhaps try letting it warm up to 7 and then place the stem in. If you notice the bowl end of the stems are a bit larger and then they taper down to a bit thinner. When properly inserted the larger bit should only have roughly 1/3 inch exposed. Another thing is that the stems aren't completely flat around the rim, there is a certain way you can rock the stems and it pretty much completely cuts off the airflow, but the other ways it doesn't. Also drier material is better for vaporizing in my experience, with smoking drier bud can be harsher to smoke. With moister bud with the Solo the first few hits will cause the stem to "fog up" with water vapor and while it gives you mostly flavorful hits the vapor isn't really as pronounced. The Solo is quite the little fog machine! We're here to guide you so don't feel bad asking more questions. Here's a video I took with mine sitting on my bubbler:



Re: @OF's charger... I'm still using it as my main charger now instead of the stock charger. Got one that looks like the one above. Most user-unfriendly part of it IMO is how you set the cutoff, it's the tiny golden screw sitting on top of the blue box to the lower right. Since there's no display to tell you what it's set at, you kinda have to wing it, screw it one way and it gets closer to full charge, screw it the other way and it can cut off really early. Only reason I say "user-unfriendly" is because I played around with it a bit and ended up setting it really low, then really high, then too low again... had to sit there for a bit and let it charge, see where it cut off, then adjust the screw and see again. I really shouldn't have messed with it, the way @OF had sent it to me was perfect IMO and I think I got pretty darn close to it after messing with it. Yes it's a fantastic little piece of work, we've gone over how not fully charging it can lead to much longer overall battery longevity and it's literally as simple as connecting the Solo to the box and pressing the button. Come back to it whenever and the Solo is turned off and charged to the screw setting. I was one of those that had my Solo charging on my desk next to me so I could catch it before it fully charged... For me I would rather sacrifice maybe 1/2 of a session per charge and get maybe double the battery longevity. Just means that I'll get around to replacing the battery later. Some people don't care about it since we can source aftermarket battery packs and they'll ride it hard today and worry tomorrow!

OF said:

Very interesting idea....... Wood is porous, meaning the herb is in a controlled humidity enclosure that's slowly going more dry (rather than the 'let all the water vapor drift away system I use.....). As I understand it such slow curing (as opposed to drying) is superior and is therefore the scheme used by professional growers wanting the best product to sell to dispensaries. Nobody I know questions their results, they sure seem to know what they're doing.

A guy could spend a lifetime I bet trying to find a good compromise here, sounds like you've lucked onto it (or maybe you really are as clever as your mother has been saying......). Whatever I wouldn't loose that box!

Thanks for the tip. You've got me thinking of putting a lid on my jar with a small hole to slow down the drying......... Too easy to get in a rush and shortchange yourself.

OF

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You're joking, but the box was indeed a gift from my mom. I wonder if she had any inkling what I would use it for? (of course she probably does... after all she had me in the '70s!)

I got the idea to to cure my bud in it from a friend who smokes cigars and stores them in a wooden humidor.

I also find my MFLB works to quick-dry a damp bud. I lay the whole bud in the trench, take one moist terpene-flavored hit, flip it, and take another hit. Then it's nice and dry to grind and use for other purposes.