StemPod by MPL

[superdang9000]

Siiick setup @superdang9000. What was the diameter of those coils?

You could also play around with a parallel coil build

Skip to 5:00 this guy's a bit much.

Thanks my man, the diameter is somewhere around 3mm although I don't have digital calipers so not 100% certain. Just using a screwdriver for wrapping.

I've been watching a lot of that guy's videos and yeah, he's obnoxious as hell but pretty knowledgeable. I saw his video with a quad wrap too, but maybe I'll try the parallel first to see how it goes.

Where did you get that stem? Link if possible. Does it get hot in your mouth?

I got it from DHGate, but don't have a direct link, unfortunately. It gets a bit warm, but not bad. In practice, it's not as great as I'd hoped. The bowl chamber is pretty small and I had to cut a custom screen for it, which makes it useful only for micro dosing, really. If I can get the center bored out more, might be more useful but may get hotter as well.

I put the SP on my cuboid 200 mod that already had firmware from @funkyjunky on it.

When I press the button for an on-demand pull I notice the coils flash red and then settle back to a normal color. Is this normal?

I've never used funkyjunky's firmware, so I'm not sure. Does it have a preheat setting enabled where it uses higher wattage to reach temps initially?

How is the fit of the 20 wrap coils?

Yours looks much better than mine, man, nice job! What helped me a bit is to insert your wrapping tool again while the coils are connected to the posts and pull out and up a bit. It'll help tighten up the coils and leads, then you can use your pliers or tweezers to gently push it back into shape (just be sure your mod is off). After doing that and pulsing it to glow, they should start to heat more evenly. The 20 wrap fits just fine but it's pretty much the max tolerance of the deck. I have to be a bit careful putting the collar back on.

And since we're posting up some alternate coils and heaters for the SP that do work, I might as well share my results to show what DOES NOT WORK

Darn, those ceramic donuts were on my list of things to try. Thanks for sharing!

I want to try some SS mesh, but I'm not sure how to connect it to the posts. Was thinking maybe creating a couple small coils on each end, and rolling up the mesh into a tube resting between them?

 

[ray_b]

I think you guys are missing a key element here: we're not trying to heat a cotton wick, we're trying to heat passing air. It's way more involved than you imagine! You can't just transpose e-cig coil designs to convection vaping and expect the best results.

Coil geometry does play a huge role. Surface area too...

With a larger mass heating element you need to preheat for longer. But the advantages are: more surface area (a must for convection), no glowing required (heater works at a lower temperature), more inertia + smoothing of temperature variation (good for unregulated or VW vapes), heat reservoir effect (can continue drawing while power is released)

So for the SP in particular, I think relatively compact sized wraps, perhaps non-contact (the loops between the coils not touching / shorting each other, with space in between each loop) so the air can pass through the coil and make more convection, like our stock notches?

And also, using "complex shapes" like braids, ribbons, alien wire, inception coils, etc, that have higher mass but also are more "porous" to passing air might be more powerful & effective than simple wrapped, round wire?

@KeroZen's post has been bugging the shit out of me but I think I'm starting to understand. We need to increase the surface area of the coil but we also need to maximize the surface area that's exposed to the passing air. I agree with @Vape Donkey 650, we need to look at spaced coil designs (non-contact of the loops) and the use of complex shapes to increase the coil surface area that's exposed to the passing air flow.

I'm going to experiment using twisted wire coils to increase available surface area (because the twisted wire coil elements are easy to make). Looking around the ecig forums, those folks use two, three, and four wires twisted together.

Yours looks much better than mine, man, nice job! What helped me a bit is to insert your wrapping tool again while the coils are connected to the posts and pull out and up a bit. It'll help tighten up the coils and leads, then you can use your pliers or tweezers to gently push it back into shape (just be sure your mod is off). After doing that and pulsing it to glow, they should start to heat more evenly. The 20 wrap fits just fine but it's pretty much the max tolerance of the deck. I have to be a bit careful putting the collar back on.

I went back to the coils after my post and I was able to manipulate the coils into shape and get both of them heating evenly. The coils didn't heat the herb well at all, I only managed a couple of wispy draws before I gave up.

I did purchase a Coil Master V4 coil making kit and it's well worth the $11 I paid, it's very easy to use.

I want to try some SS mesh, but I'm not sure how to connect it to the posts. Was thinking maybe creating a couple small coils on each end, and rolling up the mesh into a tube resting between them?

Yeah, SS mesh. Talk about increasing surface area.

 

[KeroZen]

@ray_b: hey, seems you figured it all on your own!

You read between the lines pretty well, that was everything I implied.

I should add that I don't think you should make touching SS coils anyway, as they short this way. You would really need to torch them super high (and alter the metal properties) to create enough of an oxide layer so they can really touch safely. I always did spaced apart designs for that reason (note: it's not needed with nichrome for instance but it's hard to TC that material properly, at least using the usual means)

Now as for meshes... well, it's a really complex matter. And you're touching a very controversial subject. Especially in the light of the RBT patent claims etc. But I think a collaboration between Dan and Ryan is i the works if I'm not mistaken? (and if the project didn't stall?) So a ready-made HSA heater based ModPod could probably be on the horizon.

If you want to discuss mesh heaters please bring the discussion to the "open source RBT" thread in the DIY forum.

 

[withoutbliss]

I'll shed as much light on the subject as I can @Vape Donkey 650. An SP in hand would definitely help but my funds would not agree with another vape purchase after my Evo.

How does the adjustable airflow effect performance of your builds? This is probably my favorite feature of the SP.

 

[dodgy_b]

At least for now my coil building contributions will be on the sidelines

That said I think a couple of you cats may have a business model on your hands to serve those of us who are simply looking to purchase replacements. In fact I foresee a whole bunch of little envelopes arriving weekly at my house to fill a tackle box full of these coils.

In the meantime I did order extras of the current stock coils with my initial order. I should note I'm still on the 1st set that came pre-installed in my Stempod. That's 17 straight days, albeit lighter use at night, but they're still kicking strong with the same resistance readings. I don't take it past 40W though as my preferred style has me building up a lot of heat with the air flow almost closed then opening it at the end of my pull. Kinda old school binger style.

The interesting thing is that I've spent the last 2 years or so buying portables (prob a dozen or so) only to have to learn/adjust my technique for each new device. The Stempod feels like bring whatever technique you want to the plate and adjust the device for max results.

Enjoying this thing...

 

[KeroZen]

But guys, you should not have to replace your coils... I mean if not ever, at least not until years of use! As long as you don't make them glow too hot and if you use a large enough diameter (i.e. small gauge like between 18 and 22ga) they should last. They are not in contact with any organic matter and with proper temperature-control oxidation should be minimal.

 

[dodgy_b]

But guys, you should not have to replace your coils... I mean if not ever, at least not until years of use!

Now that's what I like to hear!

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

But guys, you should not have to replace your coils... I mean if not ever, at least not until years of use! As long as you don't make them glow too hot and if you use a large enough diameter (i.e. small gauge like between 18 and 22ga) they should last. They are not in contact with any organic matter and with proper temperature-control oxidation should be minimal.

That why I was surprised mine went so quick. Waiting for some replacement coils from Dan and I also ordered some different assorted ones from eBay. Figure once I put in something a bit more robust shouldn't need to worry about it wearing out as quick.

Used the stempod in wattage mode well camping and it worked surprising well. I'm now sure it's going be a great replacement for my elevape. Even on the busiest hiking trails and staying at a crowded campground one night. I was able to medicate whenever it was needed.

For stealth use not too concerned with TC aspect. It was easy to take a quick hit or two then toss it back in my cargo pants pocket. When you add it's hard hitting convention vapor production with a fairly small package. It worked out great as my new travel vape.

Did get some assorted coils but realized there kanthal A1 wire instead of SS. Oh well they were cheap and still usable in wattage mode. Ended up tossing a set of fused clapton coils on till I get the SS ones.

If anyone wants a couple of Kanthal A1 coils to use in wattage mood PM me. I got a demon killer assorted pack and really don't need 48 coils.

 

[oddjobold]

Received my stempod. Not had chance to use it yet. I wont until the weekend but thought i would post some initial impressions.

Stempod:

This is far more sturdy and well made than expected. A really weighty and well machined piece of metal. Looks almost indestructable. My o ring was lose when it arrived. My stems seem to fit better without it. Is it need and where should it be seated?

Like the stem. Nice design. Bit differnt.

Stashpod:

I dont like this one little bit. As it is a bonus does not really matter but check out the finish:

(Sorry for the sideways pics - tinypic newbie). Not sure if all 3D printing is like this but its pretty bad. Glue stains on the back. White has already started to show marks and stains.

The lid flaps about and opens at will.
The stash is massive and not pocket sized.
Even though its massive there is no place for the allen key or tub of spare coils.
I dont get the point of it as the stempod will live on your mod.
The glass stem was lose in the stash and rattled around a lot. Surprised it was not broke in shipping. The stash was shipped in a huge box with one deflated piece of packing.

I guess none of this really matters as i was buying a stempod not a stashpod. In my opinion a slim line, air tight, tube carry case for the glass stem would be more usefull than the stashpod.

Thats my . Looking forward to trying my stempod at the weekend

 

[ray_b]

Here are a pair of Geek Vape pre-built staggered, fused clapton coils in SS316L. The coils came with the wraps touching each other, I put them on a 3.5mm coil mandrel and separated the wraps to create spaced coils. I haven't used this set-up yet.

 

[Summer]

I've been meaning to post this for whatever benefit anyone will derive from it, but I had to re-watch @supershredderdan's 2 prior streams so that what I posted was accurate. BWT, this is the type of info. I would like posted on the website, whether it's under FAQs, Instructions or Tips.


In Dan's 7/23 IG stream:

Per Dan, the 18 to 14 reducer will be good for microdosers as it has a .05 capacity. And I add, for those who have a 14mm stem they like.

Beginning around 15 min. into the stream:

"When you bump the TCR higher you're basically telling it to be hotter at the same temp. So, what it's more literally doing is saying basically the ratio of your resistance increase is a more extreme response from the PI limiter or whatever you want to call it. And every mod does it a little differently -- some of them actually ping the temp & some of them actually have a reader that's like just on the 510. And DNA mods they actually read it live so there's no actual delay. That's why people like DNA mods for temp control. So if you bump it up to 290 its basically .. & that the reason your resistance is gonna be loose is either the pin in the actual 510 screw isn't connecting all the way or one of your coils need tightening down on the side. Either way, it's not getting as solid a connection so it's not responding to the resistance changes as accurately; so to respond to that you would bump up the tcr to tell it to be more impulsive about the changes that you come across."


Starting at 38:00:

Ti is safe in TC, but toxic in wattage at upper limits.

SS completely safe in wattage mod. up to 1700 degrees which is melting point. In temp or wattage mode only reaching 800 - 900 degrees in coils, but only 400 - 430 degrees to general bowl area.

Kanthal only works in wattage. The resistance doesn't change enough for the box mod to guess what the temp is, so it's not compatible with TC. Thick kanthal builds are best for manual, on-demand clouds like Zion/Milaana.


7/24 IG stream at 30:00 - 36:00. Concerning notch coils:

TCR 285, coil optimally .115 or .117 to .12

If the coil is reading .13, then up TCR to 290

Do not let the coils go past .14. The reason your resistance is loose (.14 or more) is because:

• the pin in the 510 screw isn't connecting all the way
• 
  
• one of your coils need tightening down on the side.
• 
  
• there's a problem with the coils. I'm adding, assumably damaged & needs replacement.

Can also see if adjusting temp will reduce coil value.

If resistance is a little high from unit being warm, to get back to base resistance just blow through the stempod for a second to reset it. *I believe this may be done when the unit is off?

If the vapor drops, try adjusting with settings, then if not, time for coil replacement.

Dan gets 4 - 6 weeks of regular, heavy daily use for the notched coils.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

I've been meaning to post this for whatever benefit anyone will derive from it, but I had to re-watch @supershredderdan's 2 prior streams so that what I posted was accurate. BWT, this is the type of info. I would like posted on the website, whether it's under FAQs, Instructions or Tips.


In Dan's 7/23 IG stream:

Per Dan, the 18 to 14 reducer will be good for microdosers as it has a .05 capacity. And I add, for those who have a 14mm stem they like.

Beginning around 15 min. into the stream:

"When you bump the TCR higher you're basically telling it to be hotter at the same temp. So, what it's more literally doing is saying basically the ratio of your resistance increase is a more extreme response from the PI limiter or whatever you want to call it. And every mod does it a little differently -- some of them actually ping the temp & some of them actually have a reader that's like just on the 510. And DNA mods they actually read it live so there's no actual delay. That's why people like DNA mods for temp control. So if you bump it up to 290 its basically .. & that the reason your resistance is gonna be loose is either the pin in the actual 510 screw isn't connecting all the way or one of your coils need tightening down on the side. Either way, it's not getting as solid a connection so it's not responding to the resistance changes as accurately; so to respond to that you would bump up the tcr to tell it to be more impulsive about the changes that you come across."


Starting at 38:00:

Ti is safe in TC, but toxic in wattage at upper limits.

SS completely safe in wattage mod. up to 1700 degrees which is melting point. In temp or wattage mode only reaching 800 - 900 degrees in coils, but only 400 - 430 degrees to general bowl area.

Kanthal only works in wattage. The resistance doesn't change enough for the box mod to guess what the temp is, so it's not compatible with TC. Thick kanthal builds are best for manual, on-demand clouds like Zion/Milaana.


7/24 IG stream at 30:00 - 36:00. Concerning notch coils:

TCR 285, coil optimally .115 or .117 to .12

If the coil is reading .13, then up TCR to 290

Do not let the coils go past .14. The reason your resistance is loose (.14 or more) is because:

• the pin in the 510 screw isn't connecting all the way
• 
  
• one of your coils need tightening down on the side.
• 
  
• there's a problem with the coils. I'm adding, assumably damaged & needs replacement.

Can also see if adjusting temp will reduce coil value.

If resistance is a little high from unit being warm, to get back to base resistance just blow through the stempod for a second to reset it.

If the vapor drops, try adjusting with settings, then if not, time for coil replacement.

Dan gets 4 - 6 weeks of regular, heavy daily use for the notched coils.

Awesome info going go back and check my connection reading .165 sounds like I have something loose.

 

[ray_b]

Thank you @Summer, that was very considerate of you to write up the IG stream summaries.

Per Dan, the 18 to 14 reducer will be good for microdosers as it has a .05 capacity. And I add, for those who have a 14mm stem they like.

What's available in 14mm stems? I don't think I've seen one, never looked for one either.

There really should be a thread dedicated to coils now.

A question for the members following this thread. I'm starting to develop some obeservations from building a few coils for the StemPod. Should I keep posting my coil building results here or would a new thread be preferable?

 

[superdang9000]

A question for the members following this thread. I'm starting to develop some obeservations from building a few coils for the StemPod. Should I keep posting my coil building results here or would a new thread be preferable?

Good question, it seems appropriate here because it's part of the core functionality of the StemPod... changing out coils for different results. On the other hand, it could take away from the "stock" StemPod discussion.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

A question for the members following this thread. I'm starting to develop some obeservations from building a few coils for the StemPod. Should I keep posting my coil building results here or would a new thread be preferable?

Personally I like to hear results of the wire coil builds. Part of the appeal of stempod is we can make our own coils. I feel that info belongs here.

Wanted give a shout out to Summers on his last post. Indeed my one post was not tight enough.

After tightening it reading the correct resistance.

Starting to get the hang of AF. It's kinda buggy on my mac so have to make adjustments with old windows laptop.

I do have a bunch new premade coils coming tomorrow. Looking for a cheap tool kit on amazon for coil making.

Leaning towards this one since I don't want spend too much. Any thoughts on it?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CKL6ZTF/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2796R6Y9UPJCP&psc=1

 

[P.A.M.]

Lol , perhaps a patent applied for was once "applied for" for that said heater but I doubt it was secured , doubt there's a valid patent on any mesh wire heater . If there is one , why hide it ..

Shitty deal on the Stashpod print out @oddjobold . The white is indeed prone to discolouring , was my first thought when first seeing the bright white .

Quite sure the Stempod was built to be user friendly as far as coil modifications, seems people are using them as intended, up to Dan to tweak a "common" please-all , base coil, things should go smoothly.

Keep up the great work @supershredderdan

 

[Hippie]

@ray_b yes - keep posting coil builds and experiences pls m8

I'm looking forward breaking out ceramic tweezers and rolls of Clapton wire I bought for rebuilding my ecigs and joining in when the wooden stashes start shipping.

Touching coils with SS isn't an issue in my experience building ecig coils by the way.
You'll see if there's an issue when you start pulsing and tweaking the coils to balance them anyway.

 

[Summer]

What's available in 14mm stems? I don't think I've seen one, never looked for one either.

There's no official SP 14mm stem yet. It's a 18 to 14mm ss reducer that fits flush into the SP & is held firmly in place by the o-ring which will allow you to use a 14mm stem for microdosing, or as I said, if you already have a 14mm stem you like. I think there's gonna be 1 more prototype until it's ready for sale. Dan wants to round off the edge(s). When it's on the SP, it fits seamlessly & blends aesthetically so you don't even know it's there. Maybe @supershredderdan can post a couple of pic of want it looks like on & off the SP.

 

[Hogni]

All I wanted was a vaporizer attachment out of the box. Perhaps experimenting with some settings of the mod to find my sweet spot. Now I feel like I'd have to study electrical engeneering just to use the SP
But guys, thanks a lot for your field researches

 

[Oogendoogan]

All I wanted was a vaporizer attachment out of the box. Perhaps experimenting with some settings of the mod to find my sweet spot. Now I feel like I'd have to study electrical engeneering just to use the SP
But guys, thanks a lot for your field researches

i think the coil builds have you a little confused mate. You don’t need to build your own coils. I’ve never touched an rda or an ecig coil before the stempod and building my own coils seems like a nightmare not worth going through lol. But installing new ones is very easy. Honestly I’d rather deal with installing new ones than use a device like the splinter where eventually the ohms will go up and the only way to fix it is to replace the heater which isn’t user replaceable which means a trip to the manufacturer to get fixed.

With the stempod just grab some extra coils and your good to go. I’m on week 3 with my notch coils and it looks like Dan is working on a different coil for the stock SP coil that lasts considerably longer so users have to replace it much less. I’m posting this to say, don’t let the coils scare you away from the stem pod. You should be able to order 10-20 coils with your unit and you should be fine for at least 6 months. And that’s with the current notch coils that are meant to be replaced every 4 weeks or so. If Dan comes out with longer lasting coils the stempod will be incredibly easy to keep working like new forever.

 

[Hogni]

I already have orderd the SP long time ago. Just waiting for the wooden PodStash

And to change a coils seems not to be witchcraft but all we are speaking about the last 2 weeks are settings of mods and better coil constructions - even it's necessary it's putting a damper on the joy of waiting.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

i think the coil builds have you a little confused mate. You don’t need to build your own coils. I’ve never touched an rda or an ecig coil before the stempod and building my own coils seems like a nightmare not worth going through lol. But installing new ones is very easy. Honestly I’d rather deal with installing new ones than use a device like the splinter where eventually the ohms will go up and the only way to fix it is to replace the heater which isn’t user replaceable which means a trip to the manufacturer to get fixed.

With the stempod just grab some extra coils and your good to go. I’m on week 3 with my notch coils and it looks like Dan is working on a different coil for the stock SP coil that lasts considerably longer so users have to replace it much less. I’m posting this to say, don’t let the coils scare you away from the stem pod. You should be able to order 10-20 coils with your unit and you should be fine for at least 6 months. And that’s with the current notch coils that are meant to be replaced every 4 weeks or so. If Dan comes out with longer lasting coils the stempod will be incredibly easy to keep working like new forever.

Totally agree with you don't let coils life scare you off. It sounds like Dans working on a longer lasting coil.

Really not sure if time is a good factor to measure coil life. Comes down to the usage.
Sure my first set went quick time wise but where heavily used. If i was to guess I say that set of coils lasted me thru 14-20 grams of meds.
i also pushed the first set with dialing in temperature wattage etc.

On a fresh notched set now that I have settings dialed in I would expect to get a ounce or more before replacing.

Figure with even better coils things only will get better. The 510 mod devices with TC take some of the best features from the unregulated on demand convention vaporizer. Then allow user greater control over the temperature combusting etc.. Theres no need to adjust breathing rate take into account battery rundown etc. using a mod. With the replaceable coils the stempod one of the best 510 device out.


Well it might not be for everyone. Heck I still greatly enjoy my unregulated vapes. I have to say it is much easier to hand someone my stempod and see them get a good hit than explain my Milaana etc. to them.

Also find i'm charging using less battery's than before when using a mod. Even using the one battery mods I get lot more hits out of a battery than I do in a unregulated device. I count that as a plus.

So guess I look at it like this. I'm now buying coils but causing less wear and tear on batteries so guess always going be some tradeoff

 

[ray_b]

Damn, very well said @HerbieVonVapster! ^^^ You've hit all of the high points.

It sounds like Dans working on a longer lasting coil.

This is key for users that don't want to mess around with building coils. The lifetime of the original notch coils isn't horrible and I have no doubt that Dan will develop a coil with longer life. I like to tinker so I'm looking forward to experimenting with different coils. The StemPod satisfies the needs of both types of users.

The StemPod (and Splinter) are my first battery powered vapes, all of my portables were butane powered. I'm glad I waited, the 510 atty/box mod combo does everything I want in a portable vape, portable in the sense of a hotel room or a friend's house, not stealth use in public. My butane vapes are for home use now.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

The StemPod (and Splinter) are my first battery powered vapes, all of my portables were butane powered. I'm glad I waited, the 510 atty/box mod combo does everything I want in a portable vape, portable in the sense of a hotel room or a friend's house, not stealth use in public. My butane vapes are for home use now.

Wow my first portable was butane, thats how I originally found FC.

Really with a smaller mod the stempod can be stealth enough to use in public.

i found that a lot of being stealthily is how you act. If using this in public act like it's a ecig mod. You less likely to get busted if not acting like you're hiding doing something wrong.

If you're trying hide it and glancing around um your acting guilty. Your likely draw just that attention you seek to avoid. When someone works in law enforcement or security they learn to look for just this type of behavior.

Most time security or law enforcement doesn't care what your doing till you give them a reason too. If one glance you way and see you inhaling something more likely to let just pass if they think it cigarette or ecig. You try hide it glance away or tense up. It just giving them the body signals there going use as reason to apporch you.

My feeling is if you need to vape in public do it where smokings allowed. Then act like you doing nothing wrong is the best approach.

 

[cpk]

Looks like the wooden box Stempods are now shipping. I am surprised I thought it would be later this month.I just received email confirming this along with both orders shipping together.