Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

OF said:

Or a spoon in a cup of coffee cooling it.

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Just removed my spoon as I read that - d'oh!, always a fountain of valuable info is @OF!

I was initially worried about using the glass flowers, especially as I eat ABV!

However, since using them, I wouldn't consider using my Ascent without them, as long as you are sensible and empty your bowl onto a tray and carefully inspect the ABV for glass, you'll be fine.

Fiddly, yes, worth it...TOTALLY!

Spacer in the bottom, pinch of herb, 3 flowers on top, pinch of herb on top of them, then screen over the top or sometime I'll place more flowers as the top screen, depending on how much herb I want to use, sometimes guides how many flowers I use.

With a spacer and glass flowers, it's the best out and about sessions I've ever had with my Ascent.

It will never produce clouds like the Solo - we all accept that, but tasty, discrete, portable, stealthy, great looking, smack you in the face performance is guaranteed to put a smile on your face... I love my Ascent for when I'm on the go, and with Ed's TnT stems, you can really mix it up.

Especially the 14m WTA stem, which means after you've had a good few sessions while out and about, when I get home, I up the temp to @ 396F, swap the mouthpiece for Ed's 14m WonG and can get the last drops out of my herb in my bubbler, before emptying the bowl for ABV!

I love the fact that even yesterday I took it to the in-laws as it was my nieces birthday, I took out the Ascent to have a couple of hits and my mother-in-law comment, wow that's a nice looking mobile phone - Awesome - stealth done to perfection! Great job Da Vinci.

Now make the stem holes bigger, the oven smaller and remove 90% of the holes in the bottom

Though I'm a Dyspraxic idiot, so what do I know!

Seems like I've been using my ascent different to most of you guy's. I just cut two screens around the oil jar, put one under the herb and one on top and take out in inner glass stem. Works for me...

My Ascent has been broke for over 6 months, I think it's about time I sent it to get fixed. I've been distracted by other vapes lately, but I do miss the Ascent.

vaporvaper said:

Seems like I've been using my ascent different to most of you guy's. I just cut two screens around the oil jar, put one under the herb and one on top and take out in inner glass stem. Works for me...

My Ascent has been broke for over 6 months, I think it's about time I sent it to get fixed. I've been distracted by other vapes lately, but I do miss the Ascent.

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Send it in, you don't want to miss that warranty window.

WakeAndVape said:

Send it in, you don't want to miss that warranty window.

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Not even sure if I'm still in the window tbh, I got it when it first came out in the UK. How long is the warranty? I'll have to check when I get home to know how long I've had it, I'm sure I still have the receipt in the box.

vaporvaper said:

Seems like I've been using my ascent different to most of you guy's. I just cut two screens around the oil jar, put one under the herb and one on top and take out in inner glass stem. Works for me...

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Don't you plough through product that way?

1DMF said:

Don't you plough through product that way?

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I imagine it would slow it down, it would take longer to heat two glass walls vs one. And the capacity in the spacer is smaller as well, so less material used overall. Might not produce as many clouds as having the herb directly on the heat source (the walls)

1DMF said:

Just removed my spoon as I read that - d'oh!, always a fountain of valuable info is @OF!

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I think that depends on your perspective. Many years ago, a group of us from work were out to lunch celebrating 'cheap beer day' ($2 pitchers at the local Chinese Food/Pizza place......how's that for a strange ethnic mix?) a co worker quipped 'yeah, useless trivia is one of the many things he's full of'.

A reputation like that kinda sticks to a guy you know?

OF

1DMF said:

Don't you plough through product that way?

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From what I can remember yes! But you get huge clouds. I remember in this configuration the tightness of the pack controls the airflow, it's wide open once you remove the inner stem. Another bonus is it stays a lot cleaner this way.

I also use my ascent with screens. I have a trimmed up Haze screen wedged into the bottom and I either throw a screen or a spacer on top of the herb. I still use the internal straw.

I get nervous with my Ascent spacers though. Several times one has gotten stuck.

Just got my ascent. Had the silicone smell and I did see offgassing even after 3 burn offs 10 min each. After reading @OF 's posts about the issue I was reassured and continued using it. I hit 3 loads so far and the best ones were with the oil jar on top and material on bottom, no screen. The lack of screen really makes a difference in taste and IMO it's much better without, even if a particle or two may fall out. (My temp is 195C)

I'm a Vapolution guy and my inverted water setup is my daily driving method. BUT after getting passed some silicone scares (thanks @OF, and all other FC Ascent users) and getting the tasty hit I always read about, I must say it's a solid vape. The Vapolution 2.0 definitely wins for taste and clouds, but for portability (and group sessions for that matter) the Ascent is a great device. I guess my only wish is that the spacers came with the package.

I have spacers and a 14mm Hydrotube on the way -- can't do w/o that water, although it hits pretty nice straight up!

Can't wait to pass this while biking along trails (my main reason for wanting an ascent )

bigbossgrayfox03 said:

Just got my ascent. Had the silicone smell and I did see offgassing even after 3 burn offs 10 min each. After reading @OF 's posts about the issue I was reassured and continued using it. I hit 3 loads so far and the best ones were with the oil jar on top and material on bottom, no screen. The lack of screen really makes a difference in taste and IMO it's much better without, even if a particle or two may fall out. (My temp is 195C)

I'm a Vapolution guy and my inverted water setup is my daily driving method. BUT after getting passed some silicone scares (thanks @OF, and all other FC Ascent users) and getting the tasty hit I always read about, I must say it's a solid vape. The Vapolution 2.0 definitely wins for taste and clouds, but for portability (and group sessions for that matter) the Ascent is a great device. I guess my only wish is that the spacers came with the package.

I have spacers and a 14mm Hydrotube on the way -- can't do w/o that water, although it hits pretty nice straight up!

Can't wait to pass this while biking along trails (my main reason for wanting an ascent )

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Awesome! Wonderful to hear that you're enjoying your Ascent. The spacer with the water adapter is one hell of a combination and personally my favorite! Excited to hear your thoughts, welcome to the club!!

@Davinci_vaporizer you said a few posts back that we should limit session length to preserve our Ascent vapes.

Could you please elaborate on that statement so I can preserve my Ascent.

vapethirty said:

I had read about this and was planning on starting out doing the same thing. Just ordered mine, it shipped out today. Will know more about this soon : )

Really curious about usage at this point. I ordered the glass spacers but they appear to be not quite that popular now that I am reading through some of the more recent posts in this thread. has anyone had luck with the glass spacers? I was planning on using screens right away at the bottom and if possible, somewhere in the primary vapor path. I will see how it works but I saw a lot of the photos of used units with a lot of particulate matter in the first glass section of the vapor pathway. Are there any popular ways to prevent this? It seems in part that the sipping technique is a good start, light draws. Still, I like to figure out a way to screen the incoming particulate as best as possible. Can't wait to try this one out!

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Congratulations on purchasing an Ascent- welcome to the DaVinci clan! It's a fun piece to vape with; I would encourage you to explore and experiment with your unit as much as possible early on. As you can see from this thread, the Ascent tends to attract tinkerers, connoisseurs and perfectionists.. Although it can be a straightforward vape if you choose.

To answer your question, I definitely use the glass spacers. Unless I am having a session with someone else I always top my bowl with a spacer. Many users sing the praises of glass flowers here, and many use the spacer/flower combo to get the desired effect (clouds, conservation, debris-reduction, etc). The most common complaints re: spacers seems to be 1) that they aren't included with the stock kit, and 2) that they are too expensive.

I find the spacers useful in reducing load size, retaining heat as well as reducing the material that accumulates in the glass pathway. I haven't found particulate to be an issue when I top my bowl with as spacer, nor have I had a problem with material falling out the bottom of the unit. I use a medium-fine grind, and ensure that some of the larger bits are on the very bottom (you might also want to try a flower at the bottom and a spacer on top).

Best of luck, let us know how you find your Ascent when it gets to you!

Hi there. I am searching for the following dimensions for the ascent charger.

The values in the picture are for example purpose only.

Thank you.

3.5mmx1.35mm male plug, positive on the inside.

sickmanfraud said:

Could you please elaborate on that statement so I can preserve my Ascent.

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High temperatures for long periods of time in close relation to the electronics (PCB, batteries etc..) will cause wear and tear on the parts. Our repair technician advised us to change the auto shutoff timer to 10 minutes due to faulty units showing up that he suspected was due to prolonged high temperature exposure. To be on the safe side, keep your timer at 10 minutes.

Using the unit longer than that will not effect your warranty, it's just a suggestion.

Davinci_vaporizer said:

High temperatures for long periods of time in close relation to the electronics (PCB, batteries etc..) will cause wear and tear on the parts. Our repair technician advised us to change the auto shutoff timer to 10 minutes due to faulty units showing up that he suspected was due to prolonged high temperature exposure. To be on the safe side, keep your timer at 10 minutes.

Using the unit longer than that will not effect your warranty, it's just a suggestion.

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If we wanted to be on the safe side, how long do you recommend between 10 minute sessions?

sickmanfraud said:

If we wanted to be on the safe side, how long do you recommend between 10 minute sessions?

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Long enough to where the outside of the vape is cool enough to touch comfortably.

That makes sense but it's kind of a bummer. One thing I really like about the ascent over my Air is the longer shut off time.

Boreus said:

That makes sense but it's kind of a bummer. One thing I really like about the ascent over my Air is the longer shut off time.

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Feel free to use it. If anything happens it is covered under the warranty. Just try to avoid max temp for the entire time. We suspect that the units we had heat issues with were mostly being used at above 400 degrees consistently for long periods of time.

Davinci_vaporizer said:

Feel free to use it. If anything happens it is covered under the warranty. Just try to avoid max temp for the entire time. We suspect that the units we had heat issues with were mostly being used at above 400 degrees consistently for long periods of time.

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So, if I had 185C, 195C and 205C for 5 minutes each would that be okay?

What kind of heat issues are we talking about? Does it eventually melt the solder joints and create bad contacts?

I've always found that above 400°F my Ascent started to get a bad taste anyways.

sickmanfraud said:

So, if I had 185C, 195C and 205C for 5 minutes each would that be okay?

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If there are concerns relating to heat stress that will be triggered by reasonable step-up sessions like this.. then Houston, we have a problem!

I may be taking this whole "temperature restraint" conversation too lightly, but the impression I'm under is that it is best practice to be kind to your unit, and not just jam it up to max and hold it there for the duration of your session.. similar to the discussion earlier in the thread pertaining to battery charging technique and voltage monitoring. I'm sure there is a temp 'sweet spot' that will maximize the longevity of the unit, and nearly as sure that deviating from this heating curve won't decimate your Ascent.

In short: do not leave Ascent plugged in for all perpetuity, as this will eventually impact your unit's battery life. Similarly, exercise a bit of restraint (and precision, for goodness sake) when it comes to utilizing the Ascent's temperature functions.

...but don't stress too much, we've got a warranty watching over us in both cases.

In any event, I appreciate this topic being discussed. When hardware is concerned, heat degradation is something to pay attention to.

sickmanfraud said:

So, if I had 185C, 195C and 205C for 5 minutes each would that be okay?

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That should be fine! How long have you had your Ascent and been using it like this? The people that had issues because of heat are at the extreme end of things. It was obvious that they only used high temperatures and also never cleaned their unit. A combination of negligence and constantly maxing the unit out is what caused it. I think it's safe to say that anyone on FC wouldn't treat any of their vaporizers like this.

KeroZen said:

What kind of heat issues are we talking about? Does it eventually melt the solder joints and create bad contacts?

I've always found that above 400°F my Ascent started to get a bad taste anyways.

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The issues varied but mostly had to do with PCB and battery degradation. Expansion and warping from heat, funky solder contacts and things like that. We've found in some cases that if the customer was using concentrates, the reclaim would actually get stuck in the expanded pores (due to heat) and forced the plastics to expand. I remember one unit that came in that actually cracked because of constant concentrate use (and probably spilling due to tilting the unit with the oil jar). That was the unit we first noticed the PCB had problems because of heat, but it was also obvious that the unit was totally neglected.

Amargi said:

If there are concerns relating to heat stress that will be triggered by reasonable step-up sessions like this.. then Houston, we have a problem!

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Step up sessions are fine. The problems come with constant use at max temp for long periods of time.

Amargi said:

it is best practice to be kind to your unit, and not just jam it up to max and hold it there for the duration of your session.. similar

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I couldn't have said it better myself!

Amargi said:

Congratulations on purchasing an Ascent- welcome to the DaVinci clan! It's a fun piece to vape with; I would encourage you to explore and experiment with your unit as much as possible early on. As you can see from this thread, the Ascent tends to attract tinkerers, connoisseurs and perfectionists.. Although it can be a straightforward vape if you choose.

To answer your question, I definitely use the glass spacers. Unless I am having a session with someone else I always top my bowl with a spacer. Many users sing the praises of glass flowers here, and many use the spacer/flower combo to get the desired effect (clouds, conservation, debris-reduction, etc). The most common complaints re: spacers seems to be 1) that they aren't included with the stock kit, and 2) that they are too expensive.

I find the spacers useful in reducing load size, retaining heat as well as reducing the material that accumulates in the glass pathway. I haven't found particulate to be an issue when I top my bowl with as spacer, nor have I had a problem with material falling out the bottom of the unit. I use a medium-fine grind, and ensure that some of the larger bits are on the very bottom (you might also want to try a flower at the bottom and a spacer on top).

Best of luck, let us know how you find your Ascent when it gets to you!

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Just got it in the mail. Unfortunately, I can't say I am off to a good start with this thing. Skipping several other details that came up, I will focus on one primary item - I don't like how the vapor tastes. Lets say on a scale of 1 low to 5 good, maybe starts at a 2-3 then goes down to a 1-2 once the bowl starts to burn the herb. Even after doing two 10 minutes burn-ins at full heat & took the glass out and cleaned it with steaming hot water... IMO the resulting flavor is not good. There is a strong silicon or plastic smell that really puts me off.

As well, even at lower temps after a few light draws at 340F I started to feel it was burning the herb a little on the sides of the bowl where it touches the heater directly. The flavor starts to change just slightly but there is a noticeable burnt taste that I have not experienced with other vapes I have used.

Is there any way to reduce the odor the unit creates? Im pretty sure its coming from the silicon area around the bowl. I put one of the oil cans in there just to see how it would smell with their silicon tops and it let off more of a similar aroma, just stronger. Maybe it will burn off over time?

What about reducing how much it burns the herb.. like basket style screens made for other vapes? There is one for the vapir no2 that is close but not the same shape. I may just get some fine screen and make one..