Discontinued The Grasshopper

[vapviking]

Wow, Vapviking, that's a discouraging bit of history there. Regarding your latest travails, given all the problems people have had with V1.0 chargers, is it possible that your old charger has coincidentally chosen this time to fail and it's the charger that needs to be replaced?

I'm guessing we'll see the October Update this weekend.

Having a second (currently!) working hopper gives me option to try it out and/or swap parts for go/no-go scenarios. The V1.0 charger I have been using does fine with the working (currently!) SS piece, but not with the troublesome recent Ti piece.
Having the extra working (currently!) hopper has been truly helpful in alleviating the ???wtf??? more than once along the way.
After consulting my in-house Department of Redundancy Department, I broke out a brand new charger, V1.0 that was still in box from when I got them all in early August. Same thing, works for one hopper but not this new Ti bodied, purple-lighted hopper. Wife calls it hot pink, btw. We often call 'em different when color is the topic...She thinks there are two led's in there and maybe both on at the same time, giving this pink/purple/lavendar color. idk.
I came up with an option I'm considering for going forward. If this becomes too frustrating (still a good ways from that, I am a patient s.o.b., uh, sometimes) I'll put them all in time-locked vault for, say, a year. When they see the light of day again HL will either be belly up or replace at that time with some perfected devices.

If they did not, when they work, work so really, really, really well, then I might just...

Edit:
And in a counter-intuitive throw-money-at-it moment I wonder if I should get a couple of GHB2's to try out...gonna need them soon anyway. Yeah, right! Buy something, that's the ticket!

 

[BadDog No]

Vapviking wrote:
And in a counter-intuitive throw-money-at-it moment I wonder if I should get a couple of GHB2's to try out...gonna need them soon anyway. Yeah, right! Buy something, that's the ticket!

Buying something is always a good choice!

 

[CapitalFlower]

Do you think the Ti hopper is more prone to problems than the SS because it does not conduct electricity as well? IIRC the GH uses it's body to transfer current

 

[moondog]

And in a counter-intuitive throw-money-at-it moment I wonder if I should get a couple of GHB2's to try out...gonna need them soon anyway. Yeah, right! Buy something, that's the ticket!

Throwing money at it: Always my go to solution. Piece of gear not working? Throw money at it. Cat climbing up on the kitchen counter where he doesn't belong? Throw money at it. (OK, not really, but you get the idea.)

 

[vapviking]

Buying something is always a good choice!

Throwing money at it: Always my go to solution.

Don't look now but I think our cultural bent is showing.

"Do you think the Ti hopper is more prone to problems than the SS because it does not conduct electricity as well? IIRC the GH uses it's body to transfer current"- @jjl5590
I, for one, have no idea!

 

[moondog]

Don't look now but I think our cultural bent is showing.

Hey, quit lookin' at my cultural bent or I'll throw some money at you!! Or sumpin'.

 

[Hammahead]

Is the back-end robbing power from the load chamber?

A short while back my Hopper started to display less than stellar performance - in a similar manner to what you describe. But I found that cleaning the back-end threads with Blu-tac did the trick. Instantly.

I'm going to try this tonight, but I had just cleaned the area a couple days ago, in fact when I first had that blue/red blinking from the start. The backend was extraordinarily cool this morning. I have a bad feeling about this., Maybe Hoppy and I are not really made for each other? Let's face it: it's like a motor-tuned Ferrari... and I'm probably more the Vauxhall type...

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

This morning (I'm a wake, then breakfast, then baker) it just didn't heat up properly. Set on full, it would not really heat up to the max, I could feel it to the touch and there was considerably less vapour, and after like twice as many tokes than usual (always the same _standardized_ material) the ABV is super light compared to what I had before. I tried a second, fresh battery, with same results. It sort of does a job, there is visible vapour, but soo much less. This is not the Hopper experience I'm used to. I really, really hope it'll work tonight, as otherwise I might have to open another warranty case. Seriously fnck that...

Best,
Hamma

That sounds exactly like what happened when my Ti backend went bad. I never got error lights or anything, just diminished performance. A new backend had it performing like a champ again.

 

[Hammahead]

That sounds exactly like what happened when my Ti backend went bad. I never got error lights or anything, just diminished performance. A new backend had it performing like a champ again.

Did you have to send in the entire Hopper or just the backend? Iow: did they diagnose this from your description of the problem?

 

[vapviking]

Hey, quit lookin' at my cultural bent or I'll throw some money at you!! Or sumpin'.

Where I come from, that's called a lawsuit, pardner! Another cultural proclivity of ours.
weak attempt at getting back ot:
@moondog, I took it to heart back when you first tried your hopper and did (something like) a very disciplined 5 sec. draw, 5 sec. pause, 5 sec draw, turn hopper off, then 5 sec. draw. I had already been doing variations on this theme, but find it a very handy way to keep track (minor ocd habit, I like to count time..). For the 5 sec., I do tend to substitute maybe 8 or 10, or whatever...

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

Did you have to send in the entire Hopper or just the backend? Iow: did they diagnose this from your description of the problem?

I had to send the whole Grasshopper in but that may be my fault as my email was rather vague. I was trying to avoid being too verbose and specific.

I have two hoppers, I wish I would have thought to swap some parts around before contacting Hopper Labs. It wasn't a big deal as I had my SS while the Ti was being looked at.

When my SS had problems later on, I sent a concise yet detailed email mentioning the slow red and blue "police" error lights, and they promptly responded that they were sending me a new body and I could return the old one later.

When I sent in my Ti they sent it back with a complimentary GHB2 battery. That's a $7 value, plus $3.50 for shipping. At this point I've spent less than $6 on postage for my two warranty claims, so for now I'm ahead as far as money goes. I don't expect a new battery every time, so as I file more warranty claims that number will not be as favorable. Still, roughly three dollars per incident is reasonable in my opinion.

 

[JoeMama]

It holds a decent amount of ground bud, To fill it up is a big commitment to one strain, I think i'll use it most traveling when convenience is more important particularly in a non-legal place where strain selection is an issue.

Actually, that is the Number 1 reason for me... I like playing around with different strains, a little here, a little there... but for those strains that I really like will find a home in the Feeder for traveling.

@JoeMama : I have a different weight experience. Must be due to herb and/or grind.

As you said, on left is how it usually appears, very pretty. For kicks, poke it with a toothpick, and it will look like the pic on right, because the feeder yields fluffy loads.

Here are four trials I did after reading your post.

Yes, I'm a gadget nut. Anything to make altering life easier.

Respect! This is helpful, Choo. It may well be the grind, even the dryness (thought it was pretty dry, but mainly it may be too fine. And besides, as I said in my post, it's just a matter of finding the right "shake" to obtain a nominal load. For a while I'll be Feeding and then gently poking the surface to see how it went. Eventually I'll hit on the method and report on that.

 

[MoltenTiger]

That sounds exactly like what happened when my Ti backend went bad. I never got error lights or anything, just diminished performance. A new backend had it performing like a champ again.

+1, waiting on a replacement myself. My other back-end works a lot better, using a claisen/double-adapter the difference is clearly visible between the two.

____________

Regarding the feeder, it's a pretty cool device but it does have its hang ups.
My favourite thing about it is not having to handle flower when filling, I usually fill about 10 chambers worth into the feeder and never have to rehandle it, so no smelly fingers.
I'm getting used to getting a consistent pack and it's faster and easier when out and about to use the feeder. Plus it does make it easy to refill in-sight of randoms.
I don't have to clean my grinder, but the feeder is a different story and that is probably it's worst factor, but it's nothing major.
Overall I'd rate it 8/10, a good optional toy/tool that is well designed and serves its purpose decently.
It's tolerances and material rigidity could be improved, but for the most part I enjoy it as my only 3D printed thing.

I have tried it once with MFLB finishing grinder processed herb and it seemed to perform optimally.
I will have to test it out properly filled..

 

[JoeMama]

I have tried it once with MFLB finishing grinder processed herb and it seemed to perform optimally.
I will have to test it out properly filled..

I don't have that grinder; frankly I'm out of touch on grinders and could use an education.

According to the description of that MFLB grinder, it makes a "microfine" grind. Is that what we want for the hopper?

 

[moondog]

Where I come from, that's called a lawsuit, pardner! Another cultural proclivity of ours.
weak attempt at getting back ot:
@moondog, I took it to heart back when you first tried your hopper and did (something like) a very disciplined 5 sec. draw, 5 sec. pause, 5 sec draw, turn hopper off, then 5 sec. draw. I had already been doing variations on this theme, but find it a very handy way to keep track (minor ocd habit, I like to count time..). For the 5 sec., I do tend to substitute maybe 8 or 10, or whatever...

Yes, our culture is so severely and poorly bent in so many ways.

As for hopping technique, I've settled into: 5 sec draw/turn off hopper/keep drawing until lungs full. I'm finding that the vapor feels like it's getting hotter even as I get to the end of the drawing while hopper is off phase. Weird. And still I have to say, even though I characterize the vapor as "hot" I would not call it "harsh".

I've been alternating my SS and Ti from day to day and as of yet I can't point to any real performance differences. But to be fair, after the first hit, my powers of objective observation and memory tend to decay.

 

[Icon13]

Most modern ecigs have the protection built into the mod. Protected cells do not provide enough amperage required by most ecigs popular on the market today.

Actually, you should never use an unprotected STANDARD LITHIUM ION cell in an e-cigarette. It doesn't matter if the device has protection, the cell needs its own protection in case something happens internally. Yes the device can regulate how much current is drawn from the battery, but just in case something goes wrong with the battery itself, it needs an emergency shut-off mechanism.

You are correct about using protected cells with very low resistance atomizers. A protected cell might not provide enough juice required to operate with such low resistance and high current. That is why if you use an unprotected cell, you should use some sort of lithium manganese battery. Lithium-manganese batteries do not need protection because they are a very stable chemistry, and can safely provide High currents.

I was specifically talking about standard lithium ion. Lithium ion is not stable. As a matter of fact when shipping large quantities of standard lithium ion you have to fill out special paperwork and follow very specific procedures because the chemistry is relatively unstable compared to others.

Personally, I don't care what the e-cigarette guys do with their batteries because I used to work in the industry and I used to sell batteries to e-cigarette companies directly. I have seen/heard people use unprotected cells incorrectly and have their device blow up in their mouth. Shrapnel, dude. As a matter of fact, people that I used to work with have testified in court in such cases on behalf the company. Of course the fault will always fall on the end-user for being negligent and using unprotected cells in their e-cigarette.

Personally, I do not think GHL should be using standard lithium ion at all. PCB is known to fail too. It would have made much more sense to use a lithium manganese instead. They operate at a much higher amperage, have better capacity, more charge cycles, are a very safe chemistry, and do not require any type of protection. I believe that they are also more tolerant to temperature changes, but I'd have to second check that off the top of my head. Unfortunately, this chemistry is more expensive and would probably cost more than they would want to spend when you factor in their proprietary battery size. I hope they come out with a lithium manganese model at some point.

 

[Baron23]

On of my concerns is posting problems too often and making the troubles with Hoppers sound worse. So I try to not summarize too often. Just seemed a good time...Where's that October Update?

I wouldn't give this a second thought. One definition of a fact is "an event that has occurred". All you are doing is laying the facts out there.

I have a Ti GH and love it...because it ain't broke on me yet. I love the function and performance envelope and I love using it...it fits my use case very well.

And, while posts on a BBS are not some sort of vetted statistic, the fact remains that yours is far from the first story of multiple RMAs by owners.

Hopper Labs had better get their shit tightly wired on failure modes and corrective action or they will be put out of business by warranty costs and falling sales due to lack of durability/reliability.

What a shame...this vape should be a YUGE success...they just need to get their manufacturing quality up....WAY up from where it is now.

She thinks there are two led's in there and maybe both on at the same time, giving this pink/purple/lavendar color. idk.

There are two LEDs in there...one red and one blue. Your wife is very smart person.

 

[Hawk]

The GHB batteries must be IMR since this image of a shorted GH battery, http://imgur.com/2KmUGFO, vented properly.

 

[slcbdco]

Actually, that is the Number 1 reason for me... I like playing around with different strains, a little here, a little there... but for those strains that I really like will find a home in the Feeder for traveling.





Respect! This is helpful, Choo. It may well be the grind, even the dryness (thought it was pretty dry, but mainly it may be too fine. And besides, as I said in my post, it's just a matter of finding the right "shake" to obtain a nominal load. For a while I'll be Feeding and then gently poking the surface to see how it went. Eventually I'll hit on the method and report on that.

Yeah I can see if I'm heading out of town for a few days I might load it up with some reliable Durban for my Turban as it seems that loaded full, my little cannabis flask could hold about 2 or 3 days worth. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I didn't think I'd care about the efficiency of the Grasshopper but I remain impressed by it! Also impressed by this flask, you barely notice in your pocket and it does load a great amount for a temp stepper like myself

 

[vapviking]

I wouldn't give this a second thought. One definition of a fact is "an event that has occurred". All you are doing is laying the facts out there.

I just don't want to blow the facts out of proportion by repetition. Someone reading another post next week might not make a distinction and say, oh, yeah, that's the guy with the 12 Bodies.... might say, wow, yet another guy with 12 Bodies!

There are two LEDs in there...one red and one blue. Your wife is very smart person.

smarter than me.
I would still be inclined to call them 'bulbs'!
So I guess in my current Ti Body they are both on when only blue should be on, thus the hot pink (wife's call on the color).

 

[Icon13]

The GHB batteries must be IMR since this image of a shorted GH battery, http://imgur.com/2KmUGFO, vented properly.

Venting properties of a cell have absolutely no relavence to whether or not the cell is IMR or not.

See the top part of the cell in the side shot? Inside that silver looking disk should be a PCB. If there is no PCB then either these batteries are IMR or a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[GrandWazoo]

I like to share with you all what happened to me yesterday , just to say how much stealthy the GH is.
I went to Lucca Comics and games , a four days fair in the center of Italy , there were about 40 k visitors.
All day long with my GH in my pocket , nobody did care of it . At the end of the day I was very tyred (walk all around the old town , Lucca is fantastic ) . When I was going back to my auto I touched in my pocket , touched in my bag , no GH anymore . Try nervous to touch everywhere , in that moment a guy that was walking next to me sayd : "are you searching this ?" holding it....I sayd thanks a lot , I missed it , my sons began laughing , he gave me back my device and gone his way. So I got a great lesson : never in the pocket anymore !

 

[Hawk]

Venting properties of a cell have absolutely no relavence to whether or not the cell is IMR or not.

See the top part of the cell in the side shot? Inside that silver looking disk should be a PCB. If there is no PCB then either these batteries are IMR or a disaster waiting to happen.

In fact you can tell the difference between IMR and regular li-ion by their venting. IMR vent in a controlled manner with little destruction of the battery casing. For the most part they just bloat up as seen in the pic. If these were li-ion the damage to the battery would have been more spectacular with actual fire.

 

[CapitalFlower]

How are you supposed to do a burn off? Do you just set it to max temp and inhale without anything in it?

 

[Icon13]

In fact you can tell the difference between IMR and regular li-ion by their venting. IMR vent in a controlled manner with little destruction of the battery casing. For the most part they just bloat up as seen in the pic. If these were li-ion the damage to the battery would have been more spectacular with actual fire.

You cannot tell the difference by looking at that cell. You cannot tell what the chemistry is based on the bloating of the cell. I've seen countless lithium ion batteries bloat exactly like that one. The result is not always fire; hence they use a PCB.

What I do know is that IMR batteries don't have a PCB because they are unprotected. These batteries have PCB. Unprotected batteries do not have that disc shape at the top, along with that defined Groove around the circumference of the positive end. IMO and from my professional experience in the battery industry, they are standard protected lithium ion.

Furthermore, given the fact that these batteries are proprietary in size, there is absolutely no way that they are IMR. Companies that would swallow grasshopper labs won't even touch standard sized, private label IMR cells because of the cost associated with them.