nopartofme
Over the falls, in a barrel
I think the evaporating water would rob heat from the herb. Isn't that how sweating works?
Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci
- Thread starter Davinci_vaporizer
- Start date
-
- Tags
- battery powered
grokit
well-worn member
Yeah man, and sugar's the worst!
Calories (stored energy) = BTU's when heated, or is it more complicated?
I'm pretty sure steam cooking is totally different than evaporative cooling, mainly because of the introduction of an active heat source.
Last edited:
nigel
And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
Uh... gonna go out on a limb here, but pretty sure that *ALL* gasses are comprised of chemicals.
OF
Well-Known Member
Excellent example. Degrees doesn't tell the whole story by a long shot. The melted cheese not only has more 'specific heat' (needs more calories to raise a gram a degree C) but it make much better contact with your skin so it can transfer more of those nasty calories (BTUs or whatever you use) faster. It's the 'scalding' that causes hot water trouble more often than not.
Uh... gonna go out on a limb here, but pretty sure that *ALL* gasses are comprised of chemicals.
So are you and I now that you mention it. And I like you so not all chemicals can be bad.
Some of these other guys are kinda questionable I guess?
Not quite. A calorie is the heat energy it takes to raise a gram of water one degree C. A British Thermal Unit is of course delightfully Brit, the energy needed to raise one pound of water the other degrees (F). Both are measures of the same thing, one BTU is about 250 cal. BTW, the calories we talk about for food are really kCals, but that's another topic.
If you apply that energy to something it gets hotter. How much depends generally on a fudge factor, specific heat (sometimes called 'heat capacity'). How many calories per degree c per gram. How easy is it to heat relative to water. Those two together tell you how many degrees rise (or fall) you get in that material for the energy in question. Calories and BTU are energy measures, degrees C and F are temperatures, much as feet and meters are both measures of length. Just two of the 3 separate systems describing the same thing.
Or it was when I was in school.....but that was before Al Gore invented this here internet.
BTW, those rules fall apart if we have a state change (like making vapor). It takes a lot more energy to change than gram of liquid water at 100C into steam (water vapor) at 100C. Like 500 times more. This is why steam burns are so dangerous, there's a huge amount of energy available as it condenses back to water.....also what makes steaming food so effective in fact.
This is what keeps the temperature in our vapes from rocketing past 400F into combustion, the energy is going into making that lovely vapor, not increasing the temperature more.
OF
Last edited:
alphabj
Well-Known Member
I received my stealth Ascent this past Friday and have used it several times. Here are my observations so far:
For starters, the herbs get cooked beautifully. The only other herb vape I've used is the MFLB and I've never been able to achieve ABV that looked this good. The vapor tastes fantastic, much better than the MFLB or the pen vapes I've used.
It seems very sturdy, and I don't seem to have any glaring cosmetic issues.
I had the "new vape" taste for maybe 1 or 2 bowls (1/4 of a bowl) and it pretty much completely went away. I haven't yet checked for the "mystery vapor." I plan on looking for that tonight.
The mouthpiece gets very unstable if I pull it out more than 2 inches. I'm afraid I'll accidentally pull it out too far and have it fall out. Incidentally, I kinda like keeping the mouthpiece out only an inch and a half or so anyways.
The bowl is slightly misaligned for me, but not to the point of obscuring the bowl in any way, not a big deal. Also, I do find it a bit of a bummer that it's no longer technically GonG
I, as well as what seems like most, have the hazy look from the inside of the display. It is usable when turned on, but I still get the feeling that something is wrong with it when it's off, when, for the money, I expected it to look a little cleaner.
I'm constantly getting the feeling that I need to fill the entire bowl to get the best experience (clouds). If I only fill it half way (packed down tight), I only seem to get wispy vapor, even vaping in the 400s F. Seems like the bowl is just too big for me and I can't get the same experience filling it a quarter or half way. This is unfortunate, since I will probably never fill the bowl full with flowers.
The Ascent makes a whistling noise whenever I draw having made a complete seal with my lips. I have to pull soooooo slow in order to make the whistle go away, that the only real way to do it is to sip the stem without making a seal. Not a big deal, but it would be nice to be able to use the mouthpiece like a normal mouthpiece, unless that is how it is intended to be hit, which unfortunately, there wasn't much material about those details in the instruction booklet (optimal way to pack the bowl, draw, herb density, etc). The included manual was not all that helpful, and was poorly designed and put together. The photo quality seemed poor, and it just didn't seem like something that would come with a luxury vape. On a scale of 1-10 with the MFLB manual being a 10, this is like a 2.
If I only fill the bowl half full or less (packed down tightly), the herb puck always gets sucked to the top of the bowl where it stays until I remember to reopen the bowl and push the puck back down to the bottom so it can come back in contact with the bottom of the bowl. It also seems like the vapor quality is not as good if I don't pack it down tight. It is annoying to have to keep opening the bowl during the session to push it back down. I think drawing from the mouthpiece without making a seal helps with this, but again, the vape seems like it's designed to be filled every time. I think this might be one of the many side effects of adding the vapor seal at the last minute. It seems like that would make the herb more likely to get sucked up.
The battery level seems to jump around a lot. Sometimes it will show half full, and then a minute later 3/4 full, or vice versa. I'm not sure if this reflects actual usage time, but it does seem like there might be a leak somewhere.
Sometimes the temperature guage abruptly skips a section while heating up. For example, If I set it to 420, it will count up normally until it gets to like 390, then it will immediately jump up to 420. Not a big deal, as long as it's internally accurate.
I don't see why the display must always be on during charging, especially when it doesn't even provide any helpful information besides the fact that it's charging, which I can already tell by the fact that it's plugged in.
The bottom part of the device gets uncomfortably hot at temps above 395-400, to where I don't feel like holding it as I normally would.
I tried using some thick BHO, but it didn't seem to produce a lot of vapor at 430 degrees. It tasted good, but it seemed like either it would work better if the temp was able to go a little higher, or some of my actives are going somewhere else. I think there is just too much glass separating the oil from the heating element for it to work very well.
------ Here's the rub ---------
The Ascent does eat up a lot of material, especially compared to the MFLB. I always get done with a session, look in the bowl, and admire the nice brown ABV. But then I realize that a LOT of actives must have gone somewhere besides my bloodstream, because I would have gotten another session or 2 if I had ground that up a TON more and filled a trench in the MFLB. Reading this thread and the ones before it for a long time now, the dots started connecting in my head. Here's my theory. WARNING: The following paragraph is extremely speculative.
I think vapor is escaping down below the bowl. Some of it goes out the grill, and some of it must linger in the lower housing. This is why many have said it gives off more odor. This would also explain how I only need 2 or 3 big rips off the MFLB, but I need a 10 minute session of the Ascent to get to the same place. I believe the vapor seal added by DaVinci at the last minute compounded the problem by making it more likely for vapor to escape without going into the proper pathway. I think this also explains why all of our trusted beta testers posted videos of nice clouds that many of us can't achieve now. Vapelife Will or somebody must have noticed that it doesn't work well with oil or something and it cause DV to panic when they didn't really need to. This might also explain why we get better results by packing it tight. This makes the vapor less likely to escape thru the bottom of the bowl when not drawing. My question is this: is it possible for the vapor to STILL escape thru the bottom of the bowl after tamping the herbs down so tight? If not, then the only other thing I can think of is that some vapor is escaping between the two mated glass pieces into a void.
I think that anyone who has bought an Ascent so far should be able to get a refund/replacement due to the swampy display alone, and since I'm intensely interested in herb conservation, I might look into the solo, as much as I hate to say it. It's a wonderful vape, and I love temperature precision. Oh, and did I say it tastes fantastic? Is the solo even on the same plane as the Ascent in taste, anyone?
For starters, the herbs get cooked beautifully. The only other herb vape I've used is the MFLB and I've never been able to achieve ABV that looked this good. The vapor tastes fantastic, much better than the MFLB or the pen vapes I've used.
It seems very sturdy, and I don't seem to have any glaring cosmetic issues.
I had the "new vape" taste for maybe 1 or 2 bowls (1/4 of a bowl) and it pretty much completely went away. I haven't yet checked for the "mystery vapor." I plan on looking for that tonight.
The mouthpiece gets very unstable if I pull it out more than 2 inches. I'm afraid I'll accidentally pull it out too far and have it fall out. Incidentally, I kinda like keeping the mouthpiece out only an inch and a half or so anyways.
The bowl is slightly misaligned for me, but not to the point of obscuring the bowl in any way, not a big deal. Also, I do find it a bit of a bummer that it's no longer technically GonG
I, as well as what seems like most, have the hazy look from the inside of the display. It is usable when turned on, but I still get the feeling that something is wrong with it when it's off, when, for the money, I expected it to look a little cleaner.
I'm constantly getting the feeling that I need to fill the entire bowl to get the best experience (clouds). If I only fill it half way (packed down tight), I only seem to get wispy vapor, even vaping in the 400s F. Seems like the bowl is just too big for me and I can't get the same experience filling it a quarter or half way. This is unfortunate, since I will probably never fill the bowl full with flowers.
The Ascent makes a whistling noise whenever I draw having made a complete seal with my lips. I have to pull soooooo slow in order to make the whistle go away, that the only real way to do it is to sip the stem without making a seal. Not a big deal, but it would be nice to be able to use the mouthpiece like a normal mouthpiece, unless that is how it is intended to be hit, which unfortunately, there wasn't much material about those details in the instruction booklet (optimal way to pack the bowl, draw, herb density, etc). The included manual was not all that helpful, and was poorly designed and put together. The photo quality seemed poor, and it just didn't seem like something that would come with a luxury vape. On a scale of 1-10 with the MFLB manual being a 10, this is like a 2.
If I only fill the bowl half full or less (packed down tightly), the herb puck always gets sucked to the top of the bowl where it stays until I remember to reopen the bowl and push the puck back down to the bottom so it can come back in contact with the bottom of the bowl. It also seems like the vapor quality is not as good if I don't pack it down tight. It is annoying to have to keep opening the bowl during the session to push it back down. I think drawing from the mouthpiece without making a seal helps with this, but again, the vape seems like it's designed to be filled every time. I think this might be one of the many side effects of adding the vapor seal at the last minute. It seems like that would make the herb more likely to get sucked up.
The battery level seems to jump around a lot. Sometimes it will show half full, and then a minute later 3/4 full, or vice versa. I'm not sure if this reflects actual usage time, but it does seem like there might be a leak somewhere.
Sometimes the temperature guage abruptly skips a section while heating up. For example, If I set it to 420, it will count up normally until it gets to like 390, then it will immediately jump up to 420. Not a big deal, as long as it's internally accurate.
I don't see why the display must always be on during charging, especially when it doesn't even provide any helpful information besides the fact that it's charging, which I can already tell by the fact that it's plugged in.
The bottom part of the device gets uncomfortably hot at temps above 395-400, to where I don't feel like holding it as I normally would.
I tried using some thick BHO, but it didn't seem to produce a lot of vapor at 430 degrees. It tasted good, but it seemed like either it would work better if the temp was able to go a little higher, or some of my actives are going somewhere else. I think there is just too much glass separating the oil from the heating element for it to work very well.
------ Here's the rub ---------
The Ascent does eat up a lot of material, especially compared to the MFLB. I always get done with a session, look in the bowl, and admire the nice brown ABV. But then I realize that a LOT of actives must have gone somewhere besides my bloodstream, because I would have gotten another session or 2 if I had ground that up a TON more and filled a trench in the MFLB. Reading this thread and the ones before it for a long time now, the dots started connecting in my head. Here's my theory. WARNING: The following paragraph is extremely speculative.
I think vapor is escaping down below the bowl. Some of it goes out the grill, and some of it must linger in the lower housing. This is why many have said it gives off more odor. This would also explain how I only need 2 or 3 big rips off the MFLB, but I need a 10 minute session of the Ascent to get to the same place. I believe the vapor seal added by DaVinci at the last minute compounded the problem by making it more likely for vapor to escape without going into the proper pathway. I think this also explains why all of our trusted beta testers posted videos of nice clouds that many of us can't achieve now. Vapelife Will or somebody must have noticed that it doesn't work well with oil or something and it cause DV to panic when they didn't really need to. This might also explain why we get better results by packing it tight. This makes the vapor less likely to escape thru the bottom of the bowl when not drawing. My question is this: is it possible for the vapor to STILL escape thru the bottom of the bowl after tamping the herbs down so tight? If not, then the only other thing I can think of is that some vapor is escaping between the two mated glass pieces into a void.
I think that anyone who has bought an Ascent so far should be able to get a refund/replacement due to the swampy display alone, and since I'm intensely interested in herb conservation, I might look into the solo, as much as I hate to say it. It's a wonderful vape, and I love temperature precision. Oh, and did I say it tastes fantastic? Is the solo even on the same plane as the Ascent in taste, anyone?
sam reynolds
because "Samantha" is a mouthful.
Honestly, I'm getting better and purer flavor from my Solo. But to be fair, it's had a much longer break-in time.
This ascent no longer tastes like the floor of the kitchen in a Long John Silver's, but is still nothing like I get from my Solo.
Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and pack that bowl full. But it hurts my heart to waste that much good medicine...
What number did you call?? We haven't heard a thing. At least they're consistent with their inconsistency...
[Side note: ours has been charging for over 16 hours, and still has the charge animation.]
Last edited:
Uh... gonna go out on a limb here, but pretty sure that *ALL* gasses are comprised of chemicals.
Ha, I think you get my point
Yeah, seriously, I tried 8 times today and never spoke to anyone!
thesoloman
Well-Known Member
I called 1-800-336-7224 you'll want ext 601 which is customer service, Their hours are 9:30 to 5 pst if i remember correctly. I had too call about 5 times before someone answered.
theCerberus
Well-Known Member
anyone else notice these wires in the pathway? also at the top you can see the greenboard from the power switch is exposed a bit......
my rubber looks a bit scratched too...
stickstones
Vapor concierge
is that picture taken with the mouthpiece extended?
theCerberus
Well-Known Member
that picture was taken with no glass inside.
We should definitely not be seeing anything but glass throughout that air path. That's a little scary.
anyone else notice these wires in the pathway? also at the top you can see the greenboard from the power switch is exposed a bit......
my rubber looks a bit scratched too...
theCerberus
Well-Known Member
I have been waiting for this 2 straw system to test it out before I said anything, but, now that I have I know, the air leaks from in between the glass connecting to the next.
There is not a proper GonG connection between the 2 and there is no reason to think it would have been air tight, other than the rubber which I was hoping would seal it off.
Everything including the rubber, these wires I found and greenboard will be in the airpath.
I have yet to try this unit out with any flower or oils and doubt I will.
I was so excited, and now I'm all bummed out. Hopefully DV can offer a replacement unit, but I am not sure if this was part of the design/not a defect.
There is not a proper GonG connection between the 2 and there is no reason to think it would have been air tight, other than the rubber which I was hoping would seal it off.
Everything including the rubber, these wires I found and greenboard will be in the airpath.
I have yet to try this unit out with any flower or oils and doubt I will.
I was so excited, and now I'm all bummed out. Hopefully DV can offer a replacement unit, but I am not sure if this was part of the design/not a defect.
Last edited:
grokit
well-worn member
Wow, my unit does not appear to have that gap in between the rubber seal and the drawtube, looking into both ends with a flashlight and the glass removed. Could this gap that exposes the wires and electronics be the source of the stinky/smoky problems? Because mine does not seem to stink/smoke like some others have reported. And if it's from the electronics it is almost certainly unsafe to inhale!
sam reynolds
because "Samantha" is a mouthful.
I see those wires as well...they seem to come from some sort of gap, and would definitely be exposed with the mouthpiece extended, and likely in the airpath if the glass screen were not properly sealed.
Oy.
Oy.
nigel
And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
@theCerberus Airpath means the path air will flow through.
You point out an ingress point, but no egress point for the air. As such, the path of least resistance is NOT "out between the gap in the the two glass pieces and then all up and down the outside of the exterior stem, DESPITE it being a seal around said stem".
Now, if you are using the device without the stems in place (I did it once and got a mouth full of flower ), then you might have a concern. But nobody (But idiots like me) uses it that way.
You point out an ingress point, but no egress point for the air. As such, the path of least resistance is NOT "out between the gap in the the two glass pieces and then all up and down the outside of the exterior stem, DESPITE it being a seal around said stem".
Now, if you are using the device without the stems in place (I did it once and got a mouth full of flower
), then you might have a concern. But nobody (But idiots like me) uses it that way.
theCerberus
Well-Known Member
@theCerberus Airpath means the path air will flow through.
You point out an ingress point, but no egress point for the air. As such, the path of least resistance is NOT "out between the gap in the the two glass pieces and then all up and down the outside of the exterior stem, DESPITE it being a seal around said stem".
Now, if you are using the device without the stems in place (I did it once and got a mouth full of flower
I disagree, If you extend the mouthpeice the vapor will be flowing and expanding everywhere it can AFTER an inhale (since you cant clear it with something like a carb).
The next draw you take will have touched the insides of the rubber and the rest of the path.
sam reynolds
because "Samantha" is a mouthful.
Here's a fun test...open the chamber, extend the mouthpiece, and cover the holes in the glass screen. Draw as you normally would.
Inhaling anything? I did on my test, and it tasted foul.
Which means air is coming into the tube from somewhere else, likely through the main body filled with batteries and electronics and solder and wiring and who knows what kind of plastic. Hooray!
And since air likes to travel through the path of least resistance, and mashing the herb in the bowl provides more resistance on that end, I'm guessing a good amount of air I inhale on each draw is coming from inside the device itself. So...that's fun.
"All glass airpath."
Inhaling anything? I did on my test, and it tasted foul.
Which means air is coming into the tube from somewhere else, likely through the main body filled with batteries and electronics and solder and wiring and who knows what kind of plastic. Hooray!
And since air likes to travel through the path of least resistance, and mashing the herb in the bowl provides more resistance on that end, I'm guessing a good amount of air I inhale on each draw is coming from inside the device itself. So...that's fun.
"All glass airpath."
Last edited:
How has it worked for you so far? Please share your observations. Thanks!
nigel
And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
I'm on my way out the door. Let me have another look at my unit and the airpath when I get back. I'll post a reply (either confirming you or disagreeing) later.
Cheers.
theCerberus
Well-Known Member
I'll let you do the foul taste tests for me
. However I know damn well it is letting air through in that non proper GonG connection.Even on a first inhale the air will still get sucked through the connection and you would be breathing the "dirty" hot air left inside, the second draw the vapor would now be inside, touching the rubber, wires, etc, and would now be "dirty" too. So even though the "all glass" of the "vapor path" is not ruined till the second draw, the "all glass" of the "air path" is ruined almost immediately.
Last edited:
