Discontinued ThermoVape

[Cheesequake]

Your call, I would not. See where it says "(Do not use with Surefire brand flashlights, e-cigarettes, or Arlo Security Cameras)"? That's a huge clue to me. I think they really mean it (how many guys trying to sell you stuff wave you off from buying?). Not up to serious power delivery. Surefire flashlights are big power users (unlike common LED lights) as are e-cigs......which is basically what T1 is, right? Only with T1 you need power for minutes, not seconds. Normal e-cigs have built in cooling periods. We're even more demanding.

I'd contact Tenergy I think, with the exact model number TV used, if you can't sort it out otherwise. Please understand lots of guys tried substituting without success. You asked for advice, you have mine, it's your call.

Good luck with it.

OF

Thanks again. Found a post back from 2014 on a flashlight forum talking about Tenergy saying NONE of their batteries should be used in Surefire flashlights AT ALL. That would include the ones included with the Thermovape lol. Not sure what to think now. Probably just going to order some of the green lifepo4 3.0v 400mah Tenergy's with (nearly) the exact same label as the ones that came with the Thermovape originally. The Thermovape manual also says that most 3.0v LifePo4 batteries will work just fine so I think I'll chance it.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...23-Batteries&p=4523937&viewfull=1#post4523937

Edit: Also found this on a listing by Tenergy on ebay. It's just a general warning they give on all of their rechargable LifePo4 batteries so I'm really not worried about it now:

"This RCR123A battery is made with LiFeP04 rechargeable battery. Its full charge voltage is higher than average voltage of Primary Lithium (one-time use) CR123A battery which is 3.0V. Certain flashlights and other devices that are designed for Primary Lithium CR123A batteries might not be compatible with this battery. It is the buyer's responsibility to be aware of the requirements and limitations of this battery before use. Any damage of the devices is not covered by Tenergy warranty."

And here's the listing if anyone else is looking. These seem to be the closest I can find to the original batteries that came with it. Same voltage, same label, less capacity (I think.) And they're directly from Tenergy for a decent price:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Pcs-Tenergy-RCR123A-Rechargeable-3-0V-3-2V-400mAh-LiFePO4-Battery/291753962557

Edit 2: The more I research the more I think those green ones I ordered are the exact batteries that are supposed to be used with the TV. Gotvape still sells a battery kit with 2 batteries that (unless they're as old as the TV and probably no longer good) have to be the same ones as the green ones linked above on ebay. There aren't any other green Tenergy batteries still being manufactured and sold publicly that look like that.

https://www.gotvape.com/revolution-vaporizer-charging-kit.html

 

[OF]

These seem to be the closest I can find to the original batteries that came with it.

Good luck, please let us know how they work out?

TIA

OF

 

[VAPEHUNTER]

My source for the Tenergy batteries was a kids toy called CUBELETS. They were like giant battery powered LEGO's that ran off of 2 LiFePO4 batteries. They used to sell batteries for $4 each with free shipping after $25. Unfortunately it looks like they made the move to USB rechargeable powered blocks and the batteries are out of stock.
LINK→ https://www.modrobotics.com/cubelets/accessories/battery/

This was my last order of 8 batteries from early 2016 and 4 are still going strong!
ITEMS ORDERED
CUBELETS RECHARGEABLE BATTERY
cb-ec-battery-1 $4.00
Ordered: 8
Shipped: 8
PRODUCT SKU PRICE QTY SUBTOTAL
Subtotal $32.00
Shipping & Handling $0.00
Grand Total $32.00

Cubelets Rechargeable Battery
Each Battery Cubelet contains two of these 3.0V RCR123A size batteries. It's important to use these batteries instead of anything else because some RCR123A batteries are different voltages and could cause problems with the robots you build. These batteries are pretty cool. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) technology is much more stable than Lithium Ion, so these batteries are much safer and more robust. Remember the stories of exploding laptops and cell phones? Not with LiFePO4!

$7.50

Out of stock
Sorry, demand has exceeded production for now.
Enter your email for a back in stock notification.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

Great I need to buy some batteries. Thanks for the link. Got a killer deal on eBay last month on a new thermovape dart kit. Even thou batteries in kit where old I see a huge difference compared to my old one's.

With more dispensers open have I now have access to good concentrates. Really nice to have it back in rotation.

 

[jpdnkstr]

I'm still sitting on my T1, Cera and multiple revolutions and darts with a few bases as well... Cera still blows huge clouds if needed. I miss TV.

 

[OF]

I'm still sitting on my T1, Cera and multiple revolutions and darts with a few bases as well... Cera still blows huge clouds if needed. I miss TV.

I don't blame you even a little bit for using a fake name and keeping your address confidential. Like winning the lottery there are sure to be LOTS of good friends you don't recall calling you up........

I keep my modest collection in reserve. I use them for 'special occasions' since the rules have now changed. When they break they stay broken. Time was I could drive 30 miles or so to the factory and tell tall stories with 'the guys' while they were being rebuilt.

Yeah, I miss TV a lot too. It was good to be there when it happened but today there are a lot of very nice vapes to pick over to compensate somewhat for our loss. Still the simple to the point of elegance designs, made with the best possible materials exclusively sourced from US makers hand built by real guys in the heart of 'Silicon Valley' is an idea we're not likely to see again.

Earlier this month I met with two of them, and gave them Quartz Quests (a very cool vape for a modest cost IMO). Also some grade 1 Ti wire to wind their own heaters. They got giddy over it all (fueled by first rate concentrates....) and gleefully yanked out the factory heaters and started winding their own. Yet there is hope.

OF

 

[Cheesequake]

Any tricks to get this thing working? Brand new fully charged batteries don't seem to be putting off any heat at all.

 

[VAPEHUNTER]

Any tricks to get this thing working? Brand new fully charged batteries don't seem to be putting off any heat at all.

After holding the "slide button" up for about 10 - 15 seconds, do you see the coil "glowing" at all?

 

[OF]

After holding the "slide button" up for about 10 - 15 seconds, do you see the coil "glowing" at all?

Good test. You look down through the holes in the (empty) bowl bottom. You should see a glow with normal 'inside' lighting. When loaded, after it's reached that level for say 10 seconds the core should be hot enough. Take 'test puffs' (quick, don't draw a lot of cold air in.....) until you puff out solid vapor.....then go for it. It can take 30 seconds or more from cold to solid vapor, depending.

If you don't get a glow, hold it for 30 seconds then carefully feel for any heat at all.

Pls let us know?

OF

 

[Cheesequake]

Doesn't even get slightly warm no matter how long I hold it. No glow.

 

[VAPEHUNTER]

Doesn't even get slightly warm no matter how long I hold it.

That's not good. Where did you get the batteries? How do they act on the charger? Do the lights go from Red to Green or just stay Red or just stay Green?
Any chance you live near or plan on taking a trip to Las Vegas? I'll let you borrow my @Pipes Power adapter to trouble shoot your T1.

 

[Cheesequake]

That's not good. Where did you get the batteries? How do they act on the charger? Do the lights go from Red to Green or just stay Red or just stay Green?
Any chance you live near or plan on taking a trip to Las Vegas? I'll let you borrow my @Pipes Power adapter to trouble shoot your T1.

I'm 99% sure it's not an issue with batteries. They show the correct stats on the charger and they were purchased directly from Tenergy.

And no trips planned to Vegas any time soon but I sure appreciate the offer to help.

Ruling out the batteries is there anything else you can think of? I'll post a pic of the internals in a sec.


Edit:

 

[VAPEHUNTER]

Okay. There is a process to re-seat the switch. I know how do do it but to put it in words would be confusing.
Let me see if I can find it from past posts and i'll edit it in.

Or maybe @OF will beat me to it.

EDIT: Found it!!!

Yes, it happens. The most likely problem is the switch, I assume neither coil is lit so it's not a blow coil (which would still light on one side)?

Pull the switch out. Take the core off the top of the battery tube and pull the center contact (with the spring under it) straight down. The contact, spring and black plastic body will come out, held in by an o-ring that will probably stick in the hole. Pry it out as well with a toothpick or something. Make sure it's all clean then put the ring back first. Press it all the way to the bottom evenly. I use the fat end of the switch (backwards) to do this. Then push the switch all the way down small end first until it contacts. The o-ring is a bit of a spring, and if it's not seated right it can push the switch up a bit. It should be fine.

The other thing to check is to be sure the bowl part itself is still screwed in well, it contacts that same switch from above. Look around the rim under the bowl just above the threads for the cap. The flat lip under the rim of the bowl should just come even with the threads, if it sticks up, that's a problem.

OF

 

[OF]

Okay. There is a process to re-seat the switch. I know how do do it but to put it in words would be confusing.
Let me see if I can find it from past posts and i'll edit it in.

Or maybe @OF will beat me to it.

I'd have to dig mine out, I just don't recall it clearly enough. As I recall the idea is to push the switch down then use the slider to push it up again????

However, you can go the other way. Not that I would have advised stripping it down that far without instructions, now that it's done you can screw the thermal core and bowl into a 'standard' e-cig mod. Same 510 threads. Get one with 30 or more Watts ability and, starting modestly (say 10 Watts) step the power up. IIRC those cores ran in the 20 to 30 Watt range (there were lots of versions). Just getting a resistance reading from the mod is a confirmation the heater is OK. If it's not, for whatever reason, nothing else really matters......

With zero heating my money's on switch or other mechanical problems. Low heat points to wrong/weak RCR123As.

OF

 

[Cheesequake]

I don't have any mod to test it with but I'm guessing I just have a dead heater. Reseated the switch to no avail


Edit: IT WORKS!!!! I don't think the very top part with the flared lip was screwed in enough. The black o-ring was visible when I received it but I don't think it's supposed to be. I removed that o-ring so I could screw it down more without any force and BAM glowing red hot right away. Put the o-ring back on and screwed it back on all the way when it was warm and easy to do so and we're in business!

Thanks a ton @OF and @VAPEHUNTER for helping!


Edit: These batteries seem to work great for anyone interested btw. They're a hair longer than the originals which makes for a shorter travel on the sliding button but it doesn't activate fully screwed on. They have a different label than the one shown in the picture but they're LifePO4 and also 3v so I think they're pretty much the same with a different label. The originals read ~400mah on my nitecore too so that lines up. They actually move around less and make less noise too so that's nice.

 

[OF]

screwed it back on all the way when it was warm and easy to do so and we're in business!

Thanks a ton @OF and @VAPEHUNTER for helping!

Great news, yer welcome of course.......but thanks very much for saying 'thanks', sadly it doesn't happen all that often....

OK, now to the next step. It's hard to say from the photo, but that's about the point you want to heat to (where you lose definition of the coils as IR is flying all over inside it, heating the walls and anything (meaning air) that passes through. And some claim convection heating happens when contact is made with a tiny piece of metal heated to 200C..... You're looking at something like 1300C 'all over' the core. Play with it until you sense the heating cycle as this is the point to start taking 'test puffs' when the bowl is loaded.

Load it not to packed (no free flow) but not lose. If it's too lose the load will contract on heating and form 'flues' for the hot air to rush through past the bulk of the load. You'll sort that out as you gain experience, just remember to experiment with packing, it makes a big difference here.

Once you have heat stored in the core it's nearly impossible to 'overrun' it by hitting as hard as you want. Unlike many vapes, most in fact? This is real convection, not the stuff called convection to boost sales....

Remember to keep an eye out for battery discharge, it can happen suddenly and is not at all good for them. Keep them matched for that reason, a strong one (either because it's newer or in better condition or just more charged) can easily KILL it's partner by discharging it too much (even 'reverse charging') before you know it. When the pack starts seeming weak, replace/recharge right away. Lots of guys tried to squeeze 'just one more hit' out, not only is it lame if you get it but it can cost you TWO RCR18650s, both the killed one and it's mate who no longer has a matched partner.

Tough/demanding rules, but the rewards are well worth it IMO.

Enjoy.

Congratulations.

OF

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

Just wondering if there any battery box mods would work with a thermovape that use the rcr123 batteries?

 

[OF]

Just wondering if there any battery box mods would work with a thermovape that use the rcr123 batteries?

Not directly, but the thermocore itself has a standard 510 base and would fit most mods. You need VW I think, at least 20 Watts. A proper mod with solid VW mode will 'take care of the battery voltage issues. LV or HV units both work this way. But you also need a bowl cover and MP which you'd have to rig......

Evolution, OTOH, is a good option with herb, and Revolution/DART is great with oils and waxes and all fit 510 threads. The later versions, Cera (herb) and Luna (concentrates) use a non standard screw base, you're SOL unless you have a machine shop in your pocket or want to fiddle a lot:

That's a standard 3/8 inch brass nut with the 510 end of a thread adapter soldered on. It's sitting on a Cera cart. Here:

Is a side view with a couple of a Luna and a couple of Cera carts. Both these later designs 'blow the doors off' the original series, but unfortunately TV 'went under' before they could be widespread.

More's the pity, as they say.

OF

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

Great the revolution is one I still use. I do have one of the 30 watt core evolution that might be more enjoyable with the added power.

 

[niall]

Hey what ecig mod VW capacity would you guys recommend to power an Evolution, but also Revolution attachments?

I've dug out all my old TV kit after years of inaction - I just got too frustrated with the mechanical switch (and the internal switches themselves needing re-seating) so I'm looking to pick up a VV/VW mod kit and power these babies up.

I'll probably look at selling my T1 with Tenergy batteries, Evolution 510 adapter etc. too so if anyone is on the lookout and prepared to pay shipping from Australia (probably ~USD$30-40) hit me up. Just cleaned it all and charging up batteries to verify what's still working. I've also got the Alpha ecig versions (small and regular), LR and HR atomisers, plus the nice ceramic dripper tanks they made (could be good for oil like the Revolution?). Anything I can't use with a mod kit I'm happy to sell to a fellow FC member

 

[OF]

Hey what ecig mod VW capacity would you guys recommend to power an Evolution, but also Revolution attachments?

I've successfully used mods like (VTC) Mini (Dual and so on), and (I stick) Pico. Nano should be fine as well.

Not very demanding these days. Stick with VV (VW should also be OK?), in the expected range (say 3.2 to 4.2 Volts). I liked it best around 3.6 IIRC.

Don't even think about Temperature control.

OF

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

I've successfully used mods like (VTC) Mini (Dual and so on), and (I stick) Pico. Nano should be fine as well.

Not very demanding these days. Stick with VV (VW should also be OK?), in the expected range (say 3.2 to 4.2 Volts). I liked it best around 3.6 IIRC.

I use a old DNA40 it was cheaper than replacing the batteries for the thermovape. I wanted something fairly accurate for the low wattage draw they use. Plus they where 10 bucks on eBay at the time.

The seller doesn't offer this model any longer but he still has some DNA40 SS models. There more $$ but might still be a desirable option for some. I bought from this seller before, he ships quick (should get in a 3-5 days in USA) so tossing it out there as a possible suggestion.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HANA-MODZ-...352231?hash=item1a32cb9427:g:2NYAAOSwcYxZjkRe

 

[PPN]

Do you really need a DNA chip to drive the Thermovape gear? I thought DNA is very nice for temp control but since you don't need it here...

For the Evolution you need a heatsink too cause the high heat will transfer to the mod which is not good. You need one. I don't know for the Revolution, I got one by the past but managed to break the heater very fast using dirty extracts, I learned the lesson.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

Do you really need a DNA chip to drive the Thermovape gear? I thought DNA is very nice for temp control but since you don't need it here...

For the Evolution you need a heatsink too cause the high heat will transfer to the mod which is not good. You need one. I don't know for the Revolution, I got one by the past but managed to break the heater very fast using dirty extracts, I learned the lesson.

My concern is mostly with the fluctuation of a inexpensive mod wattage output at low watts. I run my thermovape dart at 10watts. Just afraid that a cheaper mod might supply unstable higher wattage than expected and damage unit. Down to just 2 darts and there non replaceable. I don't do a lot of concentrate but when do I enjoy using the Dart.

I do run the evolution on a cheap witcher mod at 20 watts. I really don't care that much if I damage it. I have better vaporizer to use, so I only use the evolution few times a year. I do agree if going use it for anything other than a quick hit or two you will need a heatsink.

With the amount of other 510 devices and performance they offer I feel the evolution is rather outdated performance wise.

 

[OF]

Do you really need a DNA chip to drive the Thermovape gear? I thought DNA is very nice for temp control but since you don't need it here...

No, you don't (as I said above). TC will NOT work, since the coil has basically no TCR to work with.

My concern is mostly with the fluctuation of a inexpensive mod wattage output at low watts.

Agreed, VV is much more reliable I think, which is why I recommend it. Given the unchanging resistance of the heater it amounts to the same thing, but the signal the mod has to work with is much larger, therefore stable?

OF