Arizer Solo

[ru_frothi]

I got it!
I ordered what... Monday? Amazon Prime is awesome. Got it for $160. It's not the stainless steel, but oh well. I'll take all the flakes in the world haha... I wanted one when they were $300 but didn't have the cash... ah, can't wait to play... but that charging light is still blinking...

Both of my stems are loose-fitting, which seems to be preferred. Can't wait to test this out.

How many 'burn-in' cycles do you usually use to get rid of the weird plastic smell you guys/gals talk about?

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/weed_nerdkc/2011-10-12142813.jpg

and is this the right way to dome the screen? used a sharpie...
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/weed_nerdkc/2011-10-12143310.jpg

What's the benefit of a domed screen?

noob to the solo here too

It is thought to serve several purposes.

1. keep particles out of your mouth
2. keep the two holes unclogged
3. supposedly more even browning of herb. My herb is coming out evenly brown with this technique

 

[ru_frothi]

I have exciting news! I have a logging 2 channel digital thermometer. I used it to measure the bowl surface temp and the temp of the material simultaneously. from what I know the best vaporization temp for THC is 350F / 176.6C. I have real time charts I plotted and all the data which I will post later because I want to annotate it showing the various temps and inhaling I did.

I used 0.2g of ground material in a bent 2 hole pipe.

The result was this. in order to keep the material above 180C when inhaling you have to:

- set it to 5
- wait until the heat light stops blinking
- inhale medium-strong (such as on a normal milkshake) for 15 seconds
- wait 5 seconds
- inhale for how ever long
- exhale for the same time as you inhaled (keep it 5- 15 seconds, inhale or exhale)
- if you stop, let the unit settle back (no heat light) then repeat from the 15 sec inhale

This will keep the material in the 180-200C range while inhaling.

A good product idea: a device that can hook onto a vaporizer and/or mouthpiece that places a thermistor in the material bowl and give a digital display of temp. this way you can monitor in real-time the temp of the material and adjust your inhaling to keep it where you want it.

Thanks for the data. I will play around with that technique

 

[vaplexus]

Back in my post 2100 I added a graph of my initial tests to see how the temp of the material corresponds to the settings as well as how to keep the material at at least 180C/350F.

I find it very hard to keep going with 10s inhale 10s exhale, repeat. i find i do a few and stop. then i have to wait for the heat light to stop and then do it again: initial inhale 15s, exhale 10, inhale 10, exhale 10...

This is producing pretty great results. Its amazing how long the material lasts and produces vapour. I use a flashlight after it gets thin so i can see my exhale and the vapour just keeps coming!

 

[vape4health]

On the subject of the odor - mine started smelling again a little - I think I was just to ripped to notice it last night. But I THINK I found the source of part of it, at least a theory that matches what I've experienced. I tried heating the Solo up to 7, but with the top off (the whole top you can screw off - not the little lid for the bowl/cup). That reduced the odor from the rest of the unit dramatically. Further, the top itself stank when I sat it on my PD to warm up as a test. Also, when I vaped with the top off it tasted better.

IMO, this seems like a problem similar to the ceramic chipping - they both would seem to be the result of unfinished curing/kilning. On the flaking the ceramic is undercured, on the rest it would have to be the paint (or whatever coating they use to make it black or silver) not having fully cured. Which would also explain why it stops eventually for a lot of people - running the Solo finishes the paint/coating cure, but not the ceramic, which normally takes higher temps. That's a theory that fits my data, at least.

I'm with you on this arf, after reading your post I did the same, lid off taste and smells a lot better not gone but close. I Would like to add that on my old lid I can see milling marks on the inside of it, the new lid has no milling marks and I can see lines that was in the original sheet of metal that are now deformed from the stamping/pressing process. I can see or not see the same thing looking down inside on the flat part that the heater and bowl sits on. Not sure what it means but it's a difference.

I'm glad to get any improvement on the taste, I was starting to wounder.

 

[wake n blake]

Trying this lid off thing... see how it goes...

FYI, the Magic Flight Water Pipe Adapter works very well for this device... seems less likely to scratch the glass of a nice piece by sticking the solo's stem down into the glass downstem... seriously, I might do a video later, but trust the post... definitely works.

 

[GEoMaNTiK]

Hey Guys,

I'm a current Arizer V-Tower user and love it.

Now looking at the Portable Solo, read some positive and negative things so far.
The positives far outweigh the small number of problems I've read about, however wanted to know if it's possible to purchase a Solo Stainless Steel from anywhere at the moment? or are they only sent out as a replacement if you have a problem and request one?

I'm in Australia, so might be doing the purchase from the states if needed.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Trying this lid off thing... see how it goes...

FYI, the Magic Flight Water Pipe Adapter works very well for this device... seems less likely to scratch the glass of a nice piece by sticking the solo's stem down into the glass downstem... seriously, I might do a video later, but trust the post... definitely works.

The WPA does work really well for watervaping with the Solo. Good idea.

 

[dcgamer]

As a potential buyer of this portable vape, i've been taking note of other users experience with this model, chiefly when it comes to the issue of the disturbing smell/taste associated with the built/material (some say it goes away after some runs, but few others have stated some models have retained this bad quality), I am impressed by this vape still however, and since no buying of butane bottles will be needed, I think i'm still picking the Arizer solo. Can someone post a brief rundown of what I should do/expect if I buy this and start using it (in a scenario i won't have to return to warranty for another model), as I've been picking up fragmented advice from separate posts, would appreciate it alot.

I use the essential vape for oils, and would like something for herbals, am not going with the Iolite models to avoid constant purchases of butane bottles. Odor reduction and less smoke is my priority, and i only use herbal oils since I can not use herbals in regular combustion settings in my living situation. Thanks

 

[mephisto]

Hey dcgamer
Welcome to FC!
I will give you my impression of the Solo based on everyday use for the past 6 months.
The unit I own did not give off any odors or smells other than the huge amounts of
delicious vapor. I make a point of putting the Solo back on its charger after every use.
The biggest hurdle you may find in using the Solo is the draw itself. Other users have
compared drawing on the Solo to sipping a really thick milkshake. I find that with a fine
grind on my herbals, and the Solo set on 5, the draw issue is no big deal. If you modify
the screen (dome it.), this will greatly increase vapor flow thru the stem. Take a look back
through this thread to see the ways the screen can be domed. All in all, I feel that the Solo
is the only vape that I need. After owning the MFLB, the Magickwand, the Incognito, the
Arizer V-tower, Vapor Genie, the Solo trumps them all! Contact Kevin @ KJ Rockwise for
purchase and support. There are improvements made to the original stems that are worth
looking into. Hope this helps your decision. Best Regards!
M

 

[ru_frothi]

Hey Guys,

I'm a current Arizer V-Tower user and love it.

Now looking at the Portable Solo, read some positive and negative things so far.
The positives far outweigh the small number of problems I've read about, however wanted to know if it's possible to purchase a Solo Stainless Steel from anywhere at the moment? or are they only sent out as a replacement if you have a problem and request one?

I'm in Australia, so might be doing the purchase from the states if needed.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

no it appears SS units are not available anywhere at the moment. wait a month or two.

 

[vape4health]

I think heating my lid really helped with the stink. I removed the lid from the unit and removed the plastic cover from the lid very carefully by pushing from the back and a very soft pull on it, good chance of it ripping if you just yank it out. I then held the metal lid with a pair of metal tweezers and used a hair drier on high for around 10 minutes blowing on the lid getting it very hot, too hot to touch. I have tried one bowl after doing this and I really think it made a huge difference, my wife does also and I didn't say anything before, she just said " Wow that taste better, what did you do" . I'm still getting a tiny sent but its still the same stem that I was using before, could be some left over smell or maybe me just thinking it. I plan to email Arizer and ask if its ok to heat the bottom portion where the lid screws into.

I let the whole thing cool down after that stem and I have it warmed back up now on 7 and I still think the smell is just about gone. Maybe this little thing will be ok after all.

 

[poonman]

Hey Guys,

I'm a current Arizer V-Tower user and love it.

Now looking at the Portable Solo, read some positive and negative things so far.
The positives far outweigh the small number of problems I've read about, however wanted to know if it's possible to purchase a Solo Stainless Steel from anywhere at the moment? or are they only sent out as a replacement if you have a problem and request one?

I'm in Australia, so might be doing the purchase from the states if needed.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

I called their # on their web-site on Friday 970-964-9109 and spoke to a guy name Jack .
I had asked him the same question regarding the SS bowls being in stock and ready to ship .
After a few minutes of round-about questioning .This is what I gather from his answers .

They do have a few SS bowls in stock , BUT they are to replace the units of dis-satisfied owners
first . Not for "new" sales yet . But they are aware of the concerns of " some " owners . He told me if
I were to order one today , it would be the ceramic bowl units UNTIL they are all sold out of them .
I forgot to ask How many were left in their inventory.....He probably wouldn't have told me anyways.
I also mentioned that from reading on a few forum sites , that some owners ended up with 2 units
to keep , the ceramic and the SS bowl unit replacements . But I was not into wasting time or trying
to swindle them for a free solo . I just wanted 1 new SS bowl unit .

His reply was :
If I were to order one today , it would be the ceramic bowl units .
If I were to have ANY problems with it , I would be well taken care of by Arizer .
I told him I would think about it and thanked him for his time .

I also did not ask him if Arizer were planning to end the ceramic units and completely switch over to the SS bowl units ???
Anyone ?
Bueller ?

 

[Vaped Ape]

^^^^^^ "I also mentioned that from reading on a few forum sites , that some owners ended up with 2 units
to keep , the ceramic and the SS bowl unit replacements . But I was not into wasting time or trying
to swindle them for a free solo . I just wanted 1 new SS bowl unit ."


How many times you heard this on playground?

"He got one, I want want,I want mine too cuz they got one"

Da Ape

 

[arf777]

I think heating my lid really helped with the stink. I removed the lid from the unit and removed the plastic cover from the lid very carefully by pushing from the back and a very soft pull on it, good chance of it ripping if you just yank it out. I then held the metal lid with a pair of metal tweezers and used a hair drier on high for around 10 minutes blowing on the lid getting it very hot, too hot to touch. I have tried one bowl after doing this and I really think it made a huge difference, my wife does also and I didn't say anything before, she just said " Wow that taste better, what did you do" . I'm still getting a tiny sent but its still the same stem that I was using before, could be some left over smell or maybe me just thinking it. I plan to email Arizer and ask if its ok to heat the bottom portion where the lid screws into.

I let the whole thing cool down after that stem and I have it warmed back up now on 7 and I still think the smell is just about gone. Maybe this little thing will be ok after all.

I baked the top of mine (with the plastic dingus removed) at 475 for about 15 minutes, and the smell is completely gone from the top now. There's a very tiny bit from the rest of the unit but nowhere near what was coming off the top. I'd recommend a slightly lower temp or a little less time though - my top changed color a bit, it's more coppery than black now. Maybe 450 for 10 minutes wouldn't do that?

 

[arf777]

Forgot to mention - the ease of use is on the Solo is really impressive. Between that and the clouds you can get out of it, the Solo has converted one combustion-only friend of mine - he's ordering one this week - and has another old-school combustion dude seriously considering buying it. They've both used what I personally think of as equal or slightly better vapes ('cept for portability) - Purple Days, glass VG, some others - but the complete lack of a learning curve on the Solo made the difference for them. That's one nice thing about the 2 hole stems - they make you draw the right amount of air, IMO. I think the 4 hole might take manual breath control at lower temps, which is fine for an experienced vaper but less so for a newbie. The 4 hole looks like it'd be better for bonging, though.

Anyone know where to order the 4 hole stems yet? I had to order some back ups, cracked one of my originals in a water pipe stem, and ended up ordering the 2 hole stems because I couldn't find the others anywhere. Even Rockwise didn't seem to have them. Anyone seen them for sale?

No chipping problems with the ceramic as of yet, BTW, and its getting a lot of use.

 

[OhTheAgony]

Dingus? I though only us dutchies used that word

We usually spell it 'dinges' though, but it sounds the same in our language and judging by the way you used it it also means the same thing here.

I think it'll be a little longer before we'll see the new stems at retailers, have you tried Arizer directly?

 

[dorkus_molorkus]

LOL- Dingus is a word thrown about my house a fair bit (thankyou nelson Muntz), although not by anyone else I know.

 

[Vaped Ape]

Hey for you guys with stinky lids.

If you get stoned enough you can actually sit in front of a ballgame and after removing the original finish you can polish the lid so it is free of any coating and have a nice shiny polished alum lid. Not so stealth but-no stink either.

I'm curious if the original Solo coating is powder coated or just a baked enamel paint.

Da Ape

 

[Vaped Ape]

"Dorkus_Molorckus" Isn't this a reference from The Simpsons?

Da Ape

 

[arf777]

Dingus? I though only us dutchies used that word

We usually spell it 'dinges' though, but it sounds the same in our language and judging by the way you used it it also means the same thing here.

I think it'll be a little longer before we'll see the new stems at retailers, have you tried Arizer directly?

I grew up in New York (Manhattan) , where everybody uses the word, though with many spellings - disges, dingus, dingis, and variants like thingis. I always assumed it was from Yiddish, which half my family spoke when I was a kid. Maybe a left over from when it was New Amsterdam instead?

Back on the Solo - I just spoke to VaporNation. I'd ordered 2 replacement stems from them - one of mine broke in a bubbler. They called because they're out of stock and wanted to know if they should ship my other item (the adapter for using the Solo plugged in) now or if they should wait til the stems come in Friday. Since I had someone on the phone, I asked if the ones coming in are the 4 hole stems or the old 2 hole. He hadn't heard of 4 hole stems, so he asked a manager, and they hadn't heard of them either(haven't read the thread, I guess), said as far as they know all the stems they're getting are the same - bent and with 2 holes. They said they'd look into it now that they've heard about a different version. Seems like Arizer and the vendors aren't communicating very well about the Solo, at least on the stems and the ceramic flaking / replacement stainless steel thing.

 

[steiner666]

Hey for you guys with stinky lids.

If you get stoned enough you can actually sit in front of a ballgame and after removing the original finish you can polish the lid so it is free of any coating and have a nice shiny polished alum lid. Not so stealth but-no stink either.

I'm curious if the original Solo coating is powder coated or just a baked enamel paint.

Da Ape

So is the general consensus that its the paint or whatever the solo is coated with that puts off the smell ppl have mentioned? If so, is it present on the silver ones? I can't tell if they're just bare aluminum or coated with something too.

Because if the silver ones stink less i'll totally get one of those instead.

 

[dorkus_molorkus]

@ da ape- yep, sure is.

simpson speak & references are very common in my house. (read into that what you will)




Homer no function beer well without.

 

[Sinclue]

So is the general consensus that its the paint or whatever the solo is coated with that puts off the smell ppl have mentioned? If so, is it present on the silver ones? I can't tell if they're just bare aluminum or coated with something too.

Because if the silver ones stink less i'll totally get one of those instead.

Have an original Silver one (5 months now) and a replacement SS one in Black. Neither one has/had any smell issues. I know of two other Solos (one Black one Silver) that have no smell issues. All obtained at different times and with different serial numbers.

 

[charliedontsurf]

I've been running my SS Solo at level 7 for at least 30 cycles, just letting it cook off, and the smell has markedly declined.

 

[OhTheAgony]

Dingus? I though only us dutchies used that word

We usually spell it 'dinges' though, but it sounds the same in our language and judging by the way you used it it also means the same thing here.

I think it'll be a little longer before we'll see the new stems at retailers, have you tried Arizer directly?

I grew up in New York (Manhattan) , where everybody uses the word, though with many spellings - disges, dingus, dingis, and variants like thingis. I always assumed it was from Yiddish, which half my family spoke when I was a kid. Maybe a left over from when it was New Amsterdam instead?

[offtopic]
That could be possible. 'dinges' is dutch slang for 'een ding' which simply means 'a thing'. I guess that would make 'dinges' something like 'thingy'.

I'll stop now, lol.