Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[Nunavut Tripper]

Ok sounds like everyone is having good luck with the new batch so my question is should i pull the trigger or should i still wait?

I think DaVinci has a handle on their problems now so I'm going to pick one up as soon as they are in stock at Toronto Vape. This forum has been valuable for info allowing many of us to sit on the fence until the bugs have been worked out.

 

[Globbs]

My replacement ascent is really starting to impress me. After a weekend if trying different configurations with the glass flowers, i think i found my sweetspot. I place one flower flat over the intake holes. Drop some herb on top and use the glass bottom of the oil jar to compress on the glass flower. Then continue to repeat this process until full and 2 small flowers on top to keep compressed. Average bowl size around .2-.3. I heat it to 430 and wait til a minute or so after reaching temp to draw. After first draw i immediately drop my temp back to 405. This has produced amazing vapor quality and density. It's a great vape for long car rides and when i want longer lasting session. Lotus at home and ascent out and about!

 

[Kenjamin_Franklin]

First time poster, just received my Ascent yesterday.
With my first bowl set at 380 I ground up some herb for maybe a 1.5 sized bowl and the vapor was very clean but not thick
I own the OG Da Vinci so I am accustomed to taking very slow drags BUT was tremendously surprized when little bits ot herb were sucked all the way through the mouth piece
Subsequent bowl I have broken up with the herb just with my hands and that problem ceased.
I was surprized that a fair amount of vapor flies out of the grill.
I am very interested in the glass spacers and I would like to ask my fellow members which glass spacers work most effectively and a link if possible.
I also tried out the U tool water adapter on my friends honeycomb bong with mixed results

 

[VaPeD&CoNfUsEd]

Pack your chamber tight! Some have good luck with the glass flowers (glass pipe screens). I use a glass bead and sit it right on top of my load after I've packed it. This holds the load to the bottom of the heating chamber. The ascent is more than capable of desktop vape-like clouds. Just keep experimenting until you nail it.

 

[RD]

Sorry, grabbed part of this from a previous post hoping DV acknowledges it before being buried.

The Ascent is well engineered and seems to have the bugs worked out of it, and although it works fine without anything in the bowl except packed herb, most feel the bowl needs some form of spacer to get optimum performance and conserve the quantity of herb used. Previous post show that I have tested various methods tried by others.

After looking at the size of the oil jar and how it fits in the ceramic bowl, I noted 2 things.
1 There is a small protrusion on the bottom of the ceramic bowl that keeps the jar off the bottom (room for herb)
2 When the jar sets on this protrusion, it is slightly recessed, room for a bit more herb underneath without heavy packing.
IF ONLY the oil jar had holes in it!
I took a Dremel tool to one of the oil jars. A perfect hole (hair bigger than stem holes) in the first corner, blew out 1/8" 45* hole in the other. Cleaned up smooth and gives good air flow.
Completely destroyed the second jar.
Put in load (.15-.2), compressed with jar till flush, and got the BEST and the lowest temp 370 hits yet.
(I also tried loading the can, but it floated and gave lousy tasting hit. Sat off bottom.)

DV IF YOU ARE LISTENING:
I can understand shying away from anything like the sombrero that may have a new development cost associated with it. Although a good idea, it is unproven and may be overkill. Just use your same process that puts the 4 holes in the stem and do it to the bottom of the jar. Different height jars for different loads. Sell as set. An easy one for you to test.
May need larger holes to keep from further restricting air flow.
IMO
Out of the box as is = 4 stars
Add a modified jar, spacer = 5 stars = mine w/ mod jar

 

[kyman73]

Hey fellas,

I appreciate the wealth of knowledge contained within this thread as I have been tracking it since my initial pre-order registration back in April. My question is for anyone with a bit more information about how the units are being distributed.

I saw Easybake's post http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/ascent-vaporizer-by-davinci.9885/page-123#post-475113 about how he decided a few days ago to place his order and received it within two(2) days, graciously taking the time to provide a nice review and some photos.

Are these available for instant purchase now? The last e-mail update on the status that I received was 2 months ago on the 22nd of August.

 

[salivape]

@kyman73 I would imagine that pre registered people are slowly getting their time slot for ordering and anyone managing to buy instantly are just lucky to be on the website at the right time. That is all speculation but I hope that is the case otherwise there wasn't much point in a pre register list.

 

[armin]

Just received my new version and will let you guys know how it goes with it tonight. Out of the box impressions are good. Cosmetically it is good, the seals are tighter, the safety latch is not too big to bother me and the recessed buttons are nice. I've got that new vape excitement because I remember how much I liked the first version...

Well... We're all waiting to hear your impressions

Ok sounds like everyone is having good luck with the new batch so my question is should i pull the trigger or should i still wait?

I think that's what we're all after. Some of us have been watching this thread for close to a year now. What a disappointment if it was a long wait and it ended up being no better than the MFLB or pax

 

[stickstones]

Well... We're all waiting to hear your impressions

I used it last night and it did the job. Tastes great and nice to hold. I was outside in the dark, so I have no idea about cloud production, but the effect was there. It's been a while, so I gotta re-perfect my packing technique. I used two glass jacks and some hemp on top...I forgot how big that bowl is compared to others!

I'll give it a go in the light tonight...

 

[armin]

I used it last night and it did the job. Tastes great and nice to hold. I was outside in the dark, so I have no idea about cloud production, but the effect was there. It's been a while, so I gotta re-perfect my packing technique. I used two glass jacks and some hemp on top...I forgot how big that bowl is compared to others!

I'll give it a go in the light tonight...

Thanks!

How low pro is it say walking around a museum or say Disneyland. I had mastered the Disneyland MFLB technique a while back. Or are the big clouds of smoke a dead giveaway. That's the only good thing about the MFLB... No vapor or smell but conversely always wondering if you got a hit.

 

[iarejohn]

Hello everyone!

I've been lurking for awhile now awaiting the release of the Ascent. I pulled the trigger Friday night and placed my order after hearing several good reviews. Package come in today as I will be out of town for some time, my excuse to overnight. I have a few concerns upon inspecting the Ascent, but seeing as I did not have a v1.1 to compare, I'm not sure if my fears are from reading everyone's experience with the first Ascent or paranoia that my serial# is 1AA1.

Now I know DaVinci stated in #3088 that even new versions have 1AA1. I guess it would just be visual comfort when all reviews on here saying their new version has 1AA2.

Upon opening, there was a slight "new" smell. Not strong, but noticeable when the unit is close to your face. I sensed this when I was looking at the cosmetic appearance and found there was a small scuff on the led screen. It's one of those scuffs that you have to see from an angle. This I can live with as it'd probably end up with a scuff at some point. Aside from the scuff, the only other cosmetic issue I could find is at the bottom near the grill. The corners where the outer case meets the chrome strips are fairly sharp. I can see myself jamming the unit in my pocket and either tearing up my pocket or chipping the outer plastic. (Just a users thoughts. I've done this with sharp/chipped phone cases.) Turned on the unit and battery as at full charge. Heated the unit to 430, and waited.. and waited. No visual off-gassing after about 15 minutes but there is that vape smell and is stronger now that its heated. Will check again after the burn in is more sufficient. Another 15 minutes passed and I noticed my battery was at 1/2... that's strange. Turned the unit off and on, and the battery was now at 3/4... grabbed the charger and plugged it in. This is where I'm at now... waiting to be positive that it has a full battery (and no battery issues) to continue on with the inspection.

Also, as I was playing with the +/- buttons, my big thumbs pressed both the button and part of the display. "Click!", tried the other button and side of the display, "Click!". Then I just tried slightly pressing the display only, "Click!". It seems like the screen is not properly secured. I'm a little worried that after continuous use.. I will break the screen somehow....

Will continue with the review when I can... but in the meantime, I'd appreciate if anyone can reassure me that they have a v1.2 with serial 1AA1.

 

[VaPeD&CoNfUsEd]

Mine is a version 2 with 1aa1.

 

[Reflections]

Regarding the serial numbers...even the new ones have 1AA1. Production somehow did a run with duplicate serial number so they switched those to 1AA2. Seems like they could have just changed it...I dunno.

My first Ascent had 1AA1 so did the one I returned for the new version I just received....and I'm Loving it!!!

 

[YesIt'sLoaded]

Mine is a version 2 with 1aa1.

Mine too. It's a stealth. I'm going to sac a jar or pic up another jar just to drill some holes in it.

Honestly, if I'm stealth vaping I just load it with a pinch (thats a technical term) or so and do 375 and I get very little visible vapor but it still hits. If I'm at home, I just pack the shit out of that bowl and it lasts a good 4 sessions. I can see how having a spacer may help, though.

 

[Shrike]

I had a little smudge on my replacement Ascent and thought it got scratched before it was sent to me...but, with a little cleaning of the screen, it came off. I'd see if you can clean the scruff off of the screen.

The smell is a normal new vape smell and should go away after a number of uses.

Enjoy your new Ascent!!

 

[jivebuggered]

After using different vap`s for a while now and having now received my new ascent replacement i would say there is a high improvement on the mark1 (mine originally sucking too much air). The new one gives me much better clouds however i have not and rarely do crank it up to the 420 degrees due to the hotter vapor produced I prefer lower temp`s if possible.
This time for a smaller bowl i put a flower on the bottom and two on top, the load was probably close to two Solo`s worth. I tried 380-400 Deg and although the clouds were a LOT better they still did not match a Solo`s at a lower temp or amount.
In my household i would use the Extreme Q occasionally for visitors (out in the shed) but the amount of herb used is fairly large. I use my Solo most of the time which is still supreme for me for ECONOMY, taste, clouds and of course for using with hash "crumbs" or oil drops on top or "sandwiched" with mull only major negative for me is the draw however i have gotten used to it now.
The Ascent has very little draw resistance which usually means (but not always) too much air to vapor ratio. I will be using the much improved Ascent mainly for outside trips now, to me it will be number one for traveling I mean just look at it, so portable, fairly efficient (now) etc. If i was to say any minor negatives it would be the size of bowl (which is being experimented my myself and other members) and still not as thick clouds as the Solo however still very good.
With the bowl size i have also retried my already drilled glass oil pot by packing it to the top of the jar hence no need for any flowers. Two of the holes were mated in the same position as two of the bottom holes so draw was ok . It is also a good material saver but still at least two solo bowls worth and at 400 deg after a bit of a sit it produced decent clouds but what a bastard to empty with a red hot glass bowl that you have to shake to get spent material out of!.
I still feel that the Ascent tends to "bake" the herb a bit more then other vap`s. Still feel that the basic design is a bit weird with no air being really heated as it is sucked through the material rather it being herb "roasted" on the sides and a bit of surface on the bottom with cold air going through the pile, having said that it seems to work?.
As for hiding any smoke or vapor the "Smoke Buddy" was top notch. MY wife who is always paranoid about smell in motel rooms well this time i got all smiles SB work great and because it is vapor with me i am sure the charcoal filter in it will last a lot longer.
If i was thinking about buying a Ascent i would order one now not only because they have ironed most of the bugs but also because they have "righted the wrongs" and im sure at great cost to them, they have taken on board any problems and treated there customers (us) with more respect and service now then any other company i can think of.

 

[RD]

.
With the bowl size i have also retried my already drilled glass oil pot by packing it to the top of the jar hence no need for any flowers. Two of the holes were mated in the same position as two of the bottom holes so draw was ok . It is also a good material saver but still at least two solo bowls worth and at 400 deg after a bit of a sit it produced decent clouds but what a bastard to empty with a red hot glass bowl that you have to shake to get spent material out of!.

You are the only other one reporting in with holes in jar. Have you tried using your oil jar, as a spacer instead of a container? Put herb in, press jar in until flush. I get .15-.2 under the jar. Best hits to date. Let me know what you think.

 

[jivebuggered]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it under the jar this time and used a solo bowl worth. I set it to 380 deg and got a average cloud then set to 390 deg, (bearing in mind it was already warm from using previously) and got a better cloud. I get about six good clouds which is very similar to the Solo`s only difference being Solo`s clouds are thicker in my opinion.
Wether to pack into or under well i feel under, as RD suggested is better, especially when it comes to emptying it. The holes in my jar are about 1mm similar to the holes in the Ascent and also aligned to the end holes, meaning the holes should be positioned towards the corners of the jar. I got them drilled by a car windscreen repairer where they use the small drill to open up the crack to inject the epoxy into the crack. If you do nice and slowly and use the marker pen dot as a guide and don`t go too many or too bigger hole or you will/could be in trouble. The draw is quite good with the size holes and Im sure some vapor creeps up the sides.

 

[RD]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it under the jar this time and used a solo bowl worth. I set it to 380 deg and got a average cloud then set to 390 deg, (bearing in mind it was already warm from using previously) and got a better cloud. I get about six good clouds which is very similar to the Solo`s only difference being Solo`s clouds are thicker in my opinion.
Wether to pack into or under well i feel under, as RD suggested is better, especially when it comes to emptying it. The holes in my jar are about 1mm similar to the holes in the Ascent and also aligned to the end holes, meaning the holes should be positioned towards the corners of the jar. I got them drilled by a car windscreen repairer where they use the small drill to open up the crack to inject the epoxy into the crack. If you do nice and slowly and use the marker pen dot as a guide and don`t go too many or too bigger hole or you will/could be in trouble. The draw is quite good with the size holes and Im sure some vapor creeps up the sides.

Glad under the jar worked as well for you as it did for me.
I destroyed one and got lucky with the second one, but not perfect by any means. If DV doesn't come up with a solution, I will have to get a new set of oil jars and look into getting the holes drilled the way you suggested, although I don't know anyone in the windshield repair business. Wonder if they would do a walk in? DV gets $9.95 + shipping for a set of jars.

 

[sickmanfraud]

Hello everyone!

I've been lurking for awhile now awaiting the release of the Ascent. I pulled the trigger Friday night and placed my order after hearing several good reviews. Package come in today as I will be out of town for some time, my excuse to overnight. I have a few concerns upon inspecting the Ascent, but seeing as I did not have a v1.1 to compare, I'm not sure if my fears are from reading everyone's experience with the first Ascent or paranoia that my serial# is 1AA1.

Now I know DaVinci stated in #3088 that even new versions have 1AA1. I guess it would just be visual comfort when all reviews on here saying their new version has 1AA2.

Upon opening, there was a slight "new" smell. Not strong, but noticeable when the unit is close to your face. I sensed this when I was looking at the cosmetic appearance and found there was a small scuff on the led screen. It's one of those scuffs that you have to see from an angle. This I can live with as it'd probably end up with a scuff at some point. Aside from the scuff, the only other cosmetic issue I could find is at the bottom near the grill. The corners where the outer case meets the chrome strips are fairly sharp. I can see myself jamming the unit in my pocket and either tearing up my pocket or chipping the outer plastic. (Just a users thoughts. I've done this with sharp/chipped phone cases.) Turned on the unit and battery as at full charge. Heated the unit to 430, and waited.. and waited. No visual off-gassing after about 15 minutes but there is that vape smell and is stronger now that its heated. Will check again after the burn in is more sufficient. Another 15 minutes passed and I noticed my battery was at 1/2... that's strange. Turned the unit off and on, and the battery was now at 3/4... grabbed the charger and plugged it in. This is where I'm at now... waiting to be positive that it has a full battery (and no battery issues) to continue on with the inspection.

Also, as I was playing with the +/- buttons, my big thumbs pressed both the button and part of the display. "Click!", tried the other button and side of the display, "Click!". Then I just tried slightly pressing the display only, "Click!". It seems like the screen is not properly secured. I'm a little worried that after continuous use.. I will break the screen somehow....

Will continue with the review when I can... but in the meantime, I'd appreciate if anyone can reassure me that they have a v1.2 with serial 1AA1.

Where did you order from??

 

[jivebuggered]

Forgot to mention i sourced special diamond tipped glass drill bits from a jewellery place but i think the windscreen repairer ended up using the tip she was used to which looks like a pointy sort of countersink bit. Either way she got the job done but everything has to be done REALLY SLOWLY and in water if possible (mine wasn`t)!! The glass is VERY BRITTLE. The special diamond tips ones look more like a straight shaft with smooth sandpaper all around the sides as opposed to the regular "twist" drill tip everyone usually associates with.
I am still at a loss to understand why under the jar could be better and i will experiment more. To me the herb would be sitting on the bottom of the heater with a glass jar sitting on top. When one was to suck from above then air would come up from the bottom grill pass straight through the two aligned holes and up while the two unaligned ones the air would hit the bottom of the jar where the herb is already "baking" and somehow it would then creep up either around the sides or a bit up through the aligned holes?
This as opposed to herb put IN THE JAR and then "baking" once again however this time air would have to mainly come through the stack in the jar which technically should produce better vapor? Need to go right now and experiment more!!. Goodnight

 

[Nesta]

Thanks!

How low pro is it say walking around a museum or say Disneyland. I had mastered the Disneyland MFLB technique a while back. Or are the big clouds of smoke a dead giveaway. That's the only good thing about the MFLB... No vapor or smell but conversely always wondering if you got a hit.

I can't imagine that the Ascent is low profile enough to use in a museum. Maybe outside in Disneyland, but that also seems risky to me. [I'd like to hear about your technique. I just received an Ascent- my first portable & could use a few tips about using it in public].

I used mine for the 1st time last night. I was waiting to meet a friend in the plaza at Lincoln Center in NYC. The temp was set fairly low, 175C/347F- so no big clouds, but when my friend arrived he could smell it immediately. Otherwise, as far as I could tell, the Ascent didn't draw any attention.

 

[Dreamerr]

@Nesta, I have the original and have used the ascent. The original is the most smelly vape I have even when clean. I felt that ascent was the same and my guess is because the smell comes out of the vents. Other vapes you can smell when warming but not nearly as much because most don't have that much surface area if venting. This is all a guess of course but there is no way that I would use those vapes in certain states. In the city they are more concerned about bombs so you should be ok but I don't think I would stand still. Some vapes are no different then when you are walking down the street and say yum someone is smoking.

 

[RD]

I use a beer bottle cozy with a zipper as my carrier. Slip the straw out the top and take a sip. Also has room for stash and a few cleaning/packing tools.

 

[Shrike]

I use a beer bottle cozy with a zipper as my carrier. Slip the straw out the top and take a sip. Also has room for stash and a few cleaning/packing tools.

I like the beer cozy idea, RD...

My only concern is...would it heat up the unit a little more than it should? Could that potentially cause problems with the electronics if it gets a little too hot internally from being inside a zippered bag with just the straw sticking out?