Arizer Solo
- Thread starter Rockwise
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Hey guys, just started a thread regarding my Solo stands. It gives more complete and updated information on the endeavor.
Check it out: Pipe's Solo Stands
Have come a fair ways since starting this over a year ago now. The LED units are no longer being made and PUI has the last of those models but might still have a couple for anyone hooked on that version.
I also still have inventory on 12volt power supplies or car chargers if any members are in need.
As you were.
Pipes
Check it out: Pipe's Solo Stands
Have come a fair ways since starting this over a year ago now. The LED units are no longer being made and PUI has the last of those models but might still have a couple for anyone hooked on that version.
I also still have inventory on 12volt power supplies or car chargers if any members are in need.
As you were.
Pipes
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stark1
Lonesome Planet
What inter-connect does the D020 require....
olivianewtonjohn
Well-Known Member
They all have a 18mm female joint
bigtvapes
Well-Known Member
So I got an fbomb from planet vape. A question for those of you who have it or something like it... uhm... how do you go about cleaning it? I typically pour boiling water onto my (warm) solo stems. I'm a little scared to do that with this considering all the little glass pieces inside. anyone done it? If not... how do you keep it clean? It's a pretty expensive piece I want to keep it clear. But just running glass cleaner solution through it and rinsing isn't doing the job.
CarolKing
Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
@bigtvapes You can use ISO and salt to swish around inside then rinse with very warm water. That's how I clean the Pinnacle Pro Wt. I usually use my D020 Bubbler with my Solo. It's only $30 shipped. I ordered through Dhgate. They have FBomb knock offs. I'm not sure if they are as good as the FBomb?
OF
Well-Known Member
As CK rightly says, ISO and salt is traditional. I even have a pair of rubber stoppers around here somewhere I used to use to cork up the ends so I could shake it. PITA, but it works.....sorta. The salt scrubs the stubborn stuff.
Now I do it like all my other gear, soak it in PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash). Available at 'home brewing' shops and on line:
http://www.amazon.com/PBW-Five-Star--1-lb/dp/B0064O7XBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416210126&sr=8-1&keywords=powdered brewery wash
Pretty amazing stuff, really. A super detergent with 'Oxyclean' action designed to wash nasty baked on organic junk out of brew kettles and lines. A little bit and hot water from the sink does the trick soaking for 15 minutes or so. I've used it to salvage really nasty bongs friends have had left over from blazing and neglect. I used to mess with the corks but went to using a tall glass in the sink (the whole F-Bomb goes inside, cleaning the outside too).
Designed to work in hard water as well.
I use one of the 'travel tubes' (soda bottle blanks) to do the same thing with the Solo and other stems and similar items. Or a skinny jar some olives came in. My little bubbler gets a shot every week or so. I dump the water, put maybe 1/4 teaspoon (I use a small lab scoop) down the spout then fill the bubbler with hot tap water and let it sit in the sink as it cools. Junk floats off and pours out. I then run water thorough it for a couple of minutes to rinse and pour half or so out to run again. I usually do it while making breakfast or otherwise busy in the kitchen.
"Skillet type" carts, like KISS, Dabbler and the like get the same treatment. A small syringe (3ml) is hooked up to the threaded end with an inch or so of tubing, it's little head gets stuffed into a shot glass in the sink with some PBW and hot water and gets pumped a few times, soaked a few minutes and pumped again. Then rinsed, comes out squeaky clean for the most part, far better than anything else I tried (ISO is a joke).
Stuff even did a job on the buildup haze in the dishwasher. And some nasty tree sap that dripped on the concrete patio.......
No scrubbing or hassle, safe to run down the drain (ISO isn't really cool......), rinses easily, good stuff. Cheaper than ISO, and safer I think. Check it out.
OF
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crimsondeath
lurkety lurk
Hi all. After ages of lurking and pondering I just got my first vape; a Solo. I'd like to thank you all for all the info that you've taken the time to discuss and lay out in this forum (special mention to @b0 for putting up with my messages and @OF for more knowledge about batteries than I ever expected).
So, I figured I'd make a compilation of what I've learned here? I hope it's all correct but if not, please do correct me. I just thought I'd put everything together for the next newbie that comes along and also so you'll tell me if I'd misunderstood anything.
- First, what made me choose the Solo: it's a solid device and it tastes good. Not too bulky (though also not the stealthiest). Has been around for a while and carries a 2 year manufacturer's warranty regardless of retailer (customer would pay shipping). While Arizer don't seem too open to disclosing the workings of their product, they seem to be OK as far as customer service goes. Solo accepts 110v to 240v. Practically nonexistent learning curve and (as it seems) good for someone who had previously only smoked. (I thought the transition would be MUCH harder). As a smoker, I had to keep reminding myself at first that slower draws = more temp + intensity. Draw resistance seems good. If I end up wanting to sell it, it's a popular vape and it shouldn't be too hard.
- The versions: Serial numbers are not necessarily correlative in time, and so, saying "the M1A version" is kind of misleading. Previous versions have included ceramic bowl Solo (discontinued due to chipping) and SS bowl Solo that's non-usable while charging. While it's normal to want the newest version (the one you can use while charging), there's certain advantages to the previous one, because you can't use it while charging with the regular charger, but you can get a power adapter to use while plugged; and also, with a PA you can use it sans battery (this would be handy for me, as getting a new battery is an issue more than portability would be, so I wish I could just have relied on a PA).
- The retailer: I went with @PuffItUp . We're still not done emailing (there was a problem with my order. As there might be with any order from any retailer, I would think) but they've been just friendly and nice, the kind of people you want to do business with. There's many other good options though, recommended by FC. As a newbie I'm sticking to Arizer licensed retailers, personally. Can also check the Classifieds here for good second hand deals.
- When you first get it: Charge to full and after the green "CHARGE" light stops blinking, leave charging for another 4 hours. This, only the first time you charge it. While it's not 100% sure that this will help your battery life, it might, and it won't hurt.
- Battery replacement: The Solo uses a Li-Ion 18650 7.4V 2200mAh. If it dies, you can get an official replacement, or find this type of battery on Amazon or elsewhere, or get the one that @CentiZen makes which should last even longer than the one you have. Though changing it isn't a plug-n-play deal at all, there's tutorials on the net.
- Prolonging battery life: It's bad for the battery to be fully discharged (ever) and to be constantly fully charged (so, not the best idea to keep your Solo always plugged). The battery will stop charging at some point to preserve itself (when the green CHARGE light goes solid) but you can double your battery life by halting the charge BEFORE the green light goes solid, and after the number 7 yellow light is lit. This will make you lose about 1 session only per charge so if it doubles your battery life (from 300 to 600 charge cycles? IIRC), it definitely pays off.
Again IIRC (all of this is my recollection of @OF's posts), halting charge at 90% will double the life and at 80% it will double it again. What I'm doing is: charge when my level is shown as 1 or 2, unplug at 7 lit + CHARGE still blinking, and try to not put it away fully charged.
If you want to store your Solo for a while, the ideal battery level would be 60%-70%.
More reading, again thanks to @OF:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
- Stems: they vary slightly in diameter sometimes. It's normal that they'll be tight at first then loosen up. Heat Solo up before insertion if they're too tight.
- The silicone ring for stem adjustment: I don't have any yet but I think I'm just gonna try to go without if possible. They have to be heat resistant 113 rings, so not anything will do. Need to be careful if using them when screwing the top of the Solo back on, because if it gets too tight, that will cause tension and cracks in the bottom cover of the Solo, which is plastic. With the new Solos in particular, it may be necessary to sand down the ring to make it more flat.
- Screens: I haven't tried it with a screen yet, but it should be SS and 5/8 to 1"? (then domed to fit into the tube. The bigger the dome the less capacity you're gonna have in your bowl which is handy for smaller amounts).
- Smell: There have been reports of electronic smelling Solos, and mine in fact smelled FOUL lol. I ran it at 7 for 2 or 3 cycles and the smell started dissipating and it seems a lot better now (I've had it for 6 days). I'm still not 100% sure of where this comes from and I certainly didn't like it; I understand the airpath, before getting to the oven, passes through electronics. Because of this, I think there must be "cleaner" vapes. But, the smell having largely dissipated by now, I still find the Solo pretty good, all things considered, and especially for a total newbie like I am. Wish Arizer would have run those hot cycles before selling this unit, but hey. Also, only some people report this smell, but like I said my Solo did have it.
- Cool accessories by forum members (that I recall): @Ed's TnT for wooden stems (also sold by @PuffItUp ), @Pipes for stands and chargers, @Snappo for beautiful woods to make your stems with, @CentiZen for batteries
tl;dr: Just summin' up what I think I learned and my first impressions, hopefully good for newbies; appreciate corrections if I got something wrong
So, I figured I'd make a compilation of what I've learned here? I hope it's all correct but if not, please do correct me. I just thought I'd put everything together for the next newbie that comes along and also so you'll tell me if I'd misunderstood anything.
- First, what made me choose the Solo: it's a solid device and it tastes good. Not too bulky (though also not the stealthiest). Has been around for a while and carries a 2 year manufacturer's warranty regardless of retailer (customer would pay shipping). While Arizer don't seem too open to disclosing the workings of their product, they seem to be OK as far as customer service goes. Solo accepts 110v to 240v. Practically nonexistent learning curve and (as it seems) good for someone who had previously only smoked. (I thought the transition would be MUCH harder). As a smoker, I had to keep reminding myself at first that slower draws = more temp + intensity. Draw resistance seems good. If I end up wanting to sell it, it's a popular vape and it shouldn't be too hard.
- The versions: Serial numbers are not necessarily correlative in time, and so, saying "the M1A version" is kind of misleading. Previous versions have included ceramic bowl Solo (discontinued due to chipping) and SS bowl Solo that's non-usable while charging. While it's normal to want the newest version (the one you can use while charging), there's certain advantages to the previous one, because you can't use it while charging with the regular charger, but you can get a power adapter to use while plugged; and also, with a PA you can use it sans battery (this would be handy for me, as getting a new battery is an issue more than portability would be, so I wish I could just have relied on a PA).
- The retailer: I went with @PuffItUp . We're still not done emailing (there was a problem with my order. As there might be with any order from any retailer, I would think) but they've been just friendly and nice, the kind of people you want to do business with. There's many other good options though, recommended by FC. As a newbie I'm sticking to Arizer licensed retailers, personally. Can also check the Classifieds here for good second hand deals.
- When you first get it: Charge to full and after the green "CHARGE" light stops blinking, leave charging for another 4 hours. This, only the first time you charge it. While it's not 100% sure that this will help your battery life, it might, and it won't hurt.
- Battery replacement: The Solo uses a Li-Ion 18650 7.4V 2200mAh. If it dies, you can get an official replacement, or find this type of battery on Amazon or elsewhere, or get the one that @CentiZen makes which should last even longer than the one you have. Though changing it isn't a plug-n-play deal at all, there's tutorials on the net.
- Prolonging battery life: It's bad for the battery to be fully discharged (ever) and to be constantly fully charged (so, not the best idea to keep your Solo always plugged). The battery will stop charging at some point to preserve itself (when the green CHARGE light goes solid) but you can double your battery life by halting the charge BEFORE the green light goes solid, and after the number 7 yellow light is lit. This will make you lose about 1 session only per charge so if it doubles your battery life (from 300 to 600 charge cycles? IIRC), it definitely pays off.
Again IIRC (all of this is my recollection of @OF's posts), halting charge at 90% will double the life and at 80% it will double it again. What I'm doing is: charge when my level is shown as 1 or 2, unplug at 7 lit + CHARGE still blinking, and try to not put it away fully charged.
If you want to store your Solo for a while, the ideal battery level would be 60%-70%.
More reading, again thanks to @OF:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
- Stems: they vary slightly in diameter sometimes. It's normal that they'll be tight at first then loosen up. Heat Solo up before insertion if they're too tight.
- The silicone ring for stem adjustment: I don't have any yet but I think I'm just gonna try to go without if possible. They have to be heat resistant 113 rings, so not anything will do. Need to be careful if using them when screwing the top of the Solo back on, because if it gets too tight, that will cause tension and cracks in the bottom cover of the Solo, which is plastic. With the new Solos in particular, it may be necessary to sand down the ring to make it more flat.
- Screens: I haven't tried it with a screen yet, but it should be SS and 5/8 to 1"? (then domed to fit into the tube. The bigger the dome the less capacity you're gonna have in your bowl which is handy for smaller amounts).
- Smell: There have been reports of electronic smelling Solos, and mine in fact smelled FOUL lol. I ran it at 7 for 2 or 3 cycles and the smell started dissipating and it seems a lot better now (I've had it for 6 days). I'm still not 100% sure of where this comes from and I certainly didn't like it; I understand the airpath, before getting to the oven, passes through electronics. Because of this, I think there must be "cleaner" vapes. But, the smell having largely dissipated by now, I still find the Solo pretty good, all things considered, and especially for a total newbie like I am. Wish Arizer would have run those hot cycles before selling this unit, but hey. Also, only some people report this smell, but like I said my Solo did have it.
- Cool accessories by forum members (that I recall): @Ed's TnT for wooden stems (also sold by @PuffItUp ), @Pipes for stands and chargers, @Snappo for beautiful woods to make your stems with, @CentiZen for batteries
tl;dr: Just summin' up what I think I learned and my first impressions, hopefully good for newbies; appreciate corrections if I got something wrong
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stark1
Lonesome Planet
@crimsondeath Nice summery of the Solo, thanks!
While the long stems cool the vapor somewhat, I find them a little too long, a little too awkward.
Have a scientific tubing cutter comin in the mail.
While the long stems cool the vapor somewhat, I find them a little too long, a little too awkward.
Have a scientific tubing cutter comin in the mail.
Simple Man
Simple Pleasures
Welcome @crimsondeath and good summary. I lurked here reading a couple hundred pages when I first found this great thread and before I bought my first solo. Seems like folks either do that or they drop in and start asking questions with seemingly no reading at all. And they're always the same questions.
Your post hit the top dozen or so questions that get answered time and time again. In the future we can point questioning newbies to your post rather than the usual "read the last 20 pages and you'll be set" advice.
Your post hit the top dozen or so questions that get answered time and time again. In the future we can point questioning newbies to your post rather than the usual "read the last 20 pages and you'll be set" advice.
ctxgooner
gooner
@crimsondeath......thats a very good summary of what i too spent several weeks reading.......the only thing i would add is.....if you want to use a wt/bubbler or if you dont like the stock stems,planet vape is the way to go(although there are others who will custom make you one such as @vapedandconfused etc)........
My solo will be waitng for me when i get home this evening........that first charge up is going to be excruciating.......
I do have one ? for @OF or anybody who wants to answer.......can i get a car charger at radio shack etc for the solo and what should i be looking for when im looking.....
Thx
My solo will be waitng for me when i get home this evening........that first charge up is going to be excruciating.......
I do have one ? for @OF or anybody who wants to answer.......can i get a car charger at radio shack etc for the solo and what should i be looking for when im looking.....
Thx
OF
Well-Known Member
Perhaps. First off, since the charge requirements and the car voltage line up (at 12 VDC) there's no need for any electronics. The usual car chargers have only a fuse inside.
However, the connector on Solo is pretty uncommon. Radio Shack sells a mains charger (wall wart) that uses interchangeable plugs one of which fits Solo, perhaps they have a 'car cord' in the same line?
http://support.radioshack.com/support_tutorials/batteries/pwrgde-2H.htm
You want the one for EIAJ-2, their 'type B':
http://www.radioshack.com/enercell-adaptaplug-b/2730335.html
If they don't sell a car cord in this line, you could also get this adapter and connect it to 'any old car cord':
http://www.radioshack.com/enercell-replacement-adaptaplug-socket/2730350.html
Pipes can also fix you up with a more direct solution......which I'd recommend.
Good luck.
OF
4.0X1.7mm, a size not that common.
OF
Well-Known Member
Pipes is, of course, right. But, be advised that there are other connectors that size that are too short. I ended up with some that are enough shorter than the EIAJ-2 spec part to prevent reliable contact. A minor movement of the cable can break the connection. The EIAJ part has worked for me, and several of the faithful have reported the Radio Shack adapter works as well.
Pipes has 'the good stuff' here....... You might PM him and ask if Radio Shack ends up a dry well.
OF
VANVAS
Well-Known Member
I didn't understand something ... The stock car charger from PIU ( for example ) that i know has 1 fuse, can damage the solo? Last day i went to connect my solo to the car , the fuse from the charger was bad, i mean broken filament, i have to change the fuse, i don't know why was broken , so my question is with normal car charger , can damage the solo? I take lot care with my solo battery.
OF
Well-Known Member
Perhaps I don't understand what you mean by "normal car charger"? It's not really a charger, just a cord and fuse, unlike say a USB car charger. Any charger that is a "passthrough" (fuse only inside) will be fine as long as the connector is right for the Solo (the above part or equal with the center positive). The wrong connector can, of course, physically damage it......
As to what kills fuses, sometimes it's just a fuse ghost. In general is a mishap while under power. Like dropping the hot plug on your car keys on a bad day. You might not even notice it at the time, that's what fuses do, keep adventures small and low key. Loose connections to the fuse can also cause it to fail, but the effect is different. Such heat failures happen at one end of the element, and often look good at first inspection. The ones where the center is gone and the ends melted are classic overload interruptions. Some accident or failure made them happen. A one Amp fuse should be fine for Solo, typical 'worst case' currents for charging are under .8 Amps (800 mA).
OF
Melting Pot
Sick & Twisted
I have 2014 model solo and have no car charger but what I do have is a ac-dc converter that I plug in my cigarette lighter and use my home charger
Kinda over engineering happening in this route. Your taking 12 volt dc and converting to 120 AC then plugging in a supply that makes it 12 volts DC again. And keep in mind many converters are a simulated AC meaning it's a square waveform instead of true sign wave. Causes havoc on inductive loads. But I believe the OEM supply "should" be OK.I have 2014 model solo and have no car charger but what I do have is a ac-dc converter that I plug in my cigarette lighter and use my home charger
Have fun and good luck,
Pipes
Papa Woody
"The vapor is strong with this one"-Obi Onda Woody
It seems to me, IIRC, that your car voltage is 12 volts with the engine off, when the engine is running the voltage is about 13.5 to 14 volts.
ctxgooner
gooner
My solo is here!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you PIU!!!!!!!!!!! Ordered friday afternoon and delivered monday afternoon!!!!!!!
Charging has begun........
1st impressions.......smaller but heavier then i assumed......i have large hands
so it will easily fit in my hand......if i had a shorter stem i could hit it and nobody would know.....
The best thing is that the stem fits perfectly on my 10mm joint on my dab rig!!!!!! I was worried for no reason.....no rush to get one custom made......im going to have to use both hands but i'll be taking huge rips in no time.........
Ugghhhh........now the waiting begins
Thank you PIU!!!!!!!!!!! Ordered friday afternoon and delivered monday afternoon!!!!!!!
Charging has begun........
1st impressions.......smaller but heavier then i assumed......i have large hands
so it will easily fit in my hand......if i had a shorter stem i could hit it and nobody would know.....The best thing is that the stem fits perfectly on my 10mm joint on my dab rig!!!!!! I was worried for no reason.....no rush to get one custom made......im going to have to use both hands but i'll be taking huge rips in no time.........
Ugghhhh........now the waiting begins
OF
Well-Known Member
True enough, sometimes a scotch higher even. Notes I have here say I tested it from 10.1 to 15.0 Volts. I've not pushed it higher, but think it's plenty safe in cars as designed.
OF