Aromazap/Myrtlezap/CeramicRockZap

Rick

Zapman
Hammock Guru and Anonymous X thanks for the comments. I do remember HG from many years past. As I mentioned in an earlier post, he is in a far corner of the Asian world doing very good things for very poor and forgotten people/children. It was always a real pleasure to supply him with a Zap or two knowing his immensely important role in the Universe. We met some incredible folks while doing Zaps, even though it was only meeting in "the cloud". It was still very real and we always thank The Master Flow for those connections. Our 10+ years doing Aromazaps was an incredible experience that surely blossomed once we got started on FC.

We are good here. Taking a short break on a cloudy stormy Friday after a super Thursday farm delivery. We switched our delivery day from Friday to Thursday a few weeks back. The Chefs like it better and so do we. Kind of gives us a lazy day on Friday before we start the new week on Saturday. I suppose it is all a mind thing but it works for us. Thursdays are also not as busy in our heavy tourist town as Fridays. Believe it or not, those delivery days wear us out. Delivery only takes an hour or so but we also do our weekly shopping on that day so do a lot of running around. Must be all those concrete floors and traffic that gets us. It has also been a very hot summer. Looking forward to a cooling trend due soon, into the mid 80's.

Delivery days are cool. Like yesterday when we get to our first stop and the head chef of all the restaurants we deal with is there working the line. He is the bosses boss. He treats us very good with many "I'll buy ALL" commitments each year. yesterday he grabbed a container of our specialty Cherry Tomato Medley and started pigging out. We have had them for a couple weeks now but those were the first he had tried. He just could not stop plopping them in his mouth. We saw him later and he was still eating them. Makes us feel really good. Kind of a purpose in life thing for us. These guys have very large budgets and buy from everybody but some stuff they can only get from Howling Hills Farm.

My journey through the legal system is almost over. Still no word on moving to unsupervised probation(or off probation) but I am expecting that any day now. My new PO is a very nice easy going guy and said he will turn in the required paperwork last week. He is also very busy so only time will tell. We are not anxious about it as our life will not change much except for not having to check to see if my random UA number is up every day. It is so ironic that Washington is less than an hour away with legal MJ over the counter for all over 21 now yet it really does not trip my trigger. Would not have thunk that would be the case after 45+ years of daily use. I do hear it is very high priced for now anyway. Maybe that has something to do with it?

Enough rambling for now. Life is good. We still sleep very good and get up feeling pretty good. Pat is even off two Dr prescribed pain meds for her arthritis and on Costco over the counter naproxin(Aleve) and she is doing pretty good.
Hope everyone is having a fine summer. Fall will be here before we know it. Keep on looking for the good in everybody. Life is funner if you do.
 

SleepyHead

Well-Known Member
Good to see everyone is in good health.

My RockZap is finally beginning to get colder. Still heats up a good amount, but now my herbs are coming out very very green. This is even with a 13.5v adapter. I removed the bottom and tightened the screws to remove the slight rattle, looked for any broken connections found nothing, but the heat remains the same. Any suggestions? I'm sure this boy has some life in him left :)
 

MaquinaVapor

Maluco Beleza
It's been a long time I haven't visited FC and I'm very said to know what happened to Rick. So I'd like to say that I'll be praying and send all my good vibes towards Rick and his family.

I came back to the forum because I have had a couple of issues with my CRZ. I have plugged it to a 24V transformer by mistake and it almost burned! When I noticed (approximately 30 min after plugging it), it was flaming hot and it even slightly burned burned the wood around the heat tip.

The 24V transformer is that I use with my massage chair looks like my CRZ power supply and they stay close by, so that's why I did such a stupid mistake.

After unplugging it and cooling down a bit, I've tried to vape and it was superb! I have never produced such a thick cloud with my CRZ. \

After this episode, I plugged the CRZ back to its 12V and went back to its normal usage, but I felt that it got weaker and it's not producing much vapour as it used to. So now I think that the use on 24V could have damaged it somehow.

Since I've always considered going to higher voltages (as previously discussed here), I'd like to make a couple of questions regarding "turbo charging" my CRZ:

1 - Do you reckon the use on 24V could have cause some permanent damage?
2 - I've noticed that my power adapter is AC to DC, but the original is AC to AC. Does it make any difference? (My power supply was bought in Australia, because the original was for 127V input and here we use 230V)
3 - Is it worth investing on a variable PSU? Any recommended model, or to look for on a PSU?

Thanks in advance for your suggestion.

Regards
MaquinaVapor
 

underdog

shade-tree vapor engineer
Manufacturer
...
1 - Do you reckon the use on 24V could have cause some permanent damage?
2 - I've noticed that my power adapter is AC to DC, but the original is AC to AC. Does it make any difference? (My power supply was bought in Australia, because the original was for 127V input and here we use 230V)
3 - Is it worth investing on a variable PSU? Any recommended model, or to look for on a PSU?

Thanks in advance for your suggestion.

Regards
MaquinaVapor

1) Yes, it's almost certain that 24v for 30 minutes caused permanent damage to the resistor (heating element) in your CRZ and it will now run cooler at a given voltage in addition to have a reduced lifespan.

2) Functionally it doesn't matter the CRZ will run equally well on either AC or DC voltage.

3) A variable PSU (VVPS) is always nice to have but not necessarily a necessity, I'm sure others can recommend specific brands/models.

I'd start by getting a new resistor, wire and a soldering iron and replacing the one in your CRZ so you're back to stock specs and then go from there. :2c:

I (or someone else) can tell you the resistor part number, etc and you can buy them from a number of places if you're interested. :peace:
 

MaquinaVapor

Maluco Beleza
1) Yes, it's almost certain that 24v for 30 minutes caused permanent damage to the resistor (heating element) in your CRZ and it will now run cooler at a given voltage in addition to have a reduced lifespan.

2) Functionally it doesn't matter the CRZ will run equally well on either AC or DC voltage.

3) A variable PSU (VVPS) is always nice to have but not necessarily a necessity, I'm sure others can recommend specific brands/models.

I'd start by getting a new resistor, wire and a soldering iron and replacing the one in your CRZ so you're back to stock specs and then go from there. :2c:

I (or someone else) can tell you the resistor part number, etc and you can buy them from a number of places if you're interested. :peace:

Thanks Dave for answering my questions, but now I'm not sure I'll be able to fix it my self...

I've read here before that the resistor is the ohmite 25J20re, is this correct?

But even if I get the right part, I'll still need a step by step instruction on how to perform the procedure without damaging permanently my beloved Cherry. In case this sort of thing has been posted here before, could you please point me to the right place?

Many thanks!
 

underdog

shade-tree vapor engineer
Manufacturer
Hey Maquina, you're very welcome.. glad to help you out and Rick as well since he's no longer able to do so himself.

You are correct, the resistor is the Ohmite 25J20RE.

I can't give you super specific instructions but the jist of it is:

> Remove the leather (or other material) from the bottom of the CRZ by pulling it up with your fingers or pliers if necessary

> Remove the 'plug' you find under the leather with a small screwdriver or two and some patience

> Tighten CRZ core if needed by adjusting screw(s)

> Cut/unconnect wires and remove old resistor

> Insert new resistor and solder/reconnect wires to jack (polarity doesn't mater)

> Test with ohmmeter to ensure proper connection is made (or just hope and assume it is)

You can then reassemble the CRZ by doing the 1st and 2nd steps above in reverse. You may be able to reuse the old leather and 'plug' or you may need to replace them if they were damaged during removal.

All said it might take you an hour to do this the first time and after that you could probably do it again in 10-15 minutes. Rick did a great job on the design of the vape and it's quite easy to repair so don't feel too intimidated. Definitely worth fixing considering you can do so for only a 'few' dollars.

If you need specific advice on what supplies to get, etc please PM or email myself or Underdogette (preferably her lol) and we'll help you out however we can.
 

Rick

Zapman
Thanks much Dave for the step by step for MaquinaVapor. You have done an excellent job listing the steps required to fix his CRZ. I will add that the "plug" under the bottom leather is only corrugated cardboard as I recall. It should pop right out. We never did a wooden plug because it would have made it tough to get inside the unit. Ours was always an "open source" device. I will also add that it would be a good idea to clip the old resistor wire up fairly close to the resistor which should leave plenty of slack to solder the new resistor to the two leads. Do not unsolder the wires from the input plug. If you leave them soldered, you will only have to solder two wire-to-wire connections which should be very easy. Remember to use rosin core, no lead solder. Also re-install the small glass beads on the resistor lead as they were on the original heater. They act as an electrical insulator between the resistor leads.
I would fire off a new resistor and some solder to you MV but the drug warriors took all my supplies when they cleaned me out. Such great folks protecting the public from danger. How silly their effort was besides being very expensive for the taxpayers. They lost and lost again. There is also an incredible irony to the story which I will not comment on at this time. This winter might be the time to start writing a very good story......."The Adventures of Zapman, get what you give". I do want to be sure all the dust settles before getting too mouthy on the subject. I have a withheld judgement coming that needs to get done before any stories get started. It is so cool to live long enough to see MJ legal with the bandwagon growing every day.

Thanks again Dave. I'll be sending you an Email in the next day or two about stuff we have talked about in the past.
 

MaquinaVapor

Maluco Beleza
I've never understood all the problems users and even manufacturers have with making log-style (~12 volt, hand-held, convection) vaporizers temperature adjustable. Perhaps, there is a middle ground that everyone, even manufacturers, can accept. What I propose is useful for those wanting slightly higher temperatures; any lower temperatures; or just wanting the option of being able to set their temperature wherever they want (within the acceptable operating range of their unit).

Why not use a slightly higher voltage power source, but still less than car voltage (<14 volts; which seems to be acceptable with most or even all of the log vaporizers), say 13 or 13.5 volts, combined with a low-voltage (12-14 volts, e.g., car/truck/RV/boat) solid-state dimmer switch, costing as little as $10, which allows you to adjust the power downwards. You can use such dimmers with 1) your current 12 volt power supply if you want to run cooler than normal (surely, acceptable to all manufacturers) or 2) with a slightly higher, e.g., 13-14 volt, power supply which you can modulate down with the dimmer switch to your own desired hotter than 12 volt-supply temperature. If nothing else, a dimmer should be useful for those having a problem with their vaporizer running too hot in their car/RV/boat -- just use this to adjust down the power.

For example, see the "12 Volt Universal LED Dimmers" at http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=/hobby.htm see the "12 Volt Universal LED Dimmers." Check out the model for $9.95 at http://www.superbrightleds.com/pdfs/LDP-2A.pdf. You just plug this in between your power supply and vaporizer (presuming that both have the fairly standard 2.5 mm/type M connectors). I have been using the LDP-2A, costing only $9.95, continuously (24 x 7) for well over a year with a DIY log-style vaporizer. It works with excellent reproducibility (measured with a digital thermometer and multimeter).

For ~$15 with postage and presuming you use a ?12 volt power supply that without any down-modulation is ACCEPTABLE BY THE MANUFACTURER for your model vaporizer, this option appears to deserve further consideration and testing by FC members. Perhaps, manufacturers can comment about this for their units. If nothing else, those manufacturers themselves selling >12 volt, e.g., 13.5 volt, adapters might consider bundling-in dimmer switches.

For those familiar with electricity: These dimmers linearly limit from 0%-100% the current (amps) flowing while the voltage remains constant, e.g,. if a vaporizer supplied 13 volts naturally draws .55 amp, with a multimeter you can watch the dimmer linearly vary amps from 0-.55 while voltage remains constant. This is unlike most variable power supplies, which vary voltage while current/amps remains constant. Note, the specs for these dimmers state 12 volts DC, but I spoke with a knowledgeable person with the company who stated that of course what really matters is the power [remember Ohm's Law; power (watts) = volts x amps] in the circuit, and of course these dimmers are made to be used with ~14 volt car/truck/RV/boat electrical systems. Even running with a 14 volt power supply, none of the log-style vaporizers draw enough current (amps) to be a concern for stressing these dimmer switches (with the <$10 model having a 24 watt capacity, e.g., upper limits of 12V x 2A or 14V x 1.7A).

Thanks Dave and Rick for explaining how to fix, your help is really appreciated!

I've only found one website which would send it to Australia and the shipping cost more than the resistor itself, so I bought 3 just in case something goes wrong. ahahah

I've also quoted a post from another thread which I would like your advise on. Is it ok to do what vap999 has just described? (i.e. using a higher voltage power supply and a dimmer to regulate the power/temperature?)

Cheers
MV

PS: Rick, I'm pretty sure that every thing will be fine during the judgement. I will be paying for you from this side!
 

rotax

Zaporist
5+ yo brass Myrtle. A bit over heated a time or 2..a bit of charring, a few spacers added in attempts to keep the core tight [its needing another]. But it is still going strong or stronger as my daily driver.
I know most of society has come accustom to their devices lasting a few weeks/months before they break/get lost/fail/need something faster/etc. But, I like reliability, consistency, and simplicity. And later I realized the 'beauty' aspect is quite import as well. I found an appreciation for the wood grain, and its uniqueness. Thanks for such a great, and likely, life shaping product!

Kosher Kush just sent me, proper.
U96nHeb.jpg
 

Rick

Zapman
rotax. I do remember that stick of Myrtlewood that your MZ came from. Wish you could have gotten a CRZ as they were the last design using SS for the heatport. They also were simple and easy to tighten if the center ever loosened up over time. Glad to hear that old brass unit is still chugging along.

What a beautiful shot of Kosher Kush posted above! You really made me drool. I think I might have had an herb dream too which is very rare these days.

Thanks much for the good words.
 

reece

Well-Known Member
SHAZAM!

Sorry, I had a Gomer Pyle flashback...

Hey Rick and fellow Zappateers! I haven't been around much so I thought I'd stop by to hi!

My Sumo CRZ (I think I got the last Sumo made...or close to it) is still going strong. My three other Zaps are doing well too but I only use their aromatherapy function nowadays.

Anyhoo, not much else to say except thanks to Rick and Pat for, well, being Rick and Pat. Leading by example and putting people first and....going with The Flow...
 

Gunky

Well-Known Member
I still use a Rockzap every day, been on for 3 or 4 years continuously. I have an extra unit stashed away if this one ever needs to be sidelined for repair. Many thanks to Rick!
 

akwardsauce

gold all in my chains...dont believe me just watch
hey does anyone here know how to do an easy fix for mine? i love it and would like to plug it in again. i still love the nylon stems and wish more vapes could still use these.

i actually got mine from a good friend, uncle vito after all the drama went down...

so, the port where you plug in the power adapter rotates a little bit. the leather bottom came off, and i noticed that there are like 2 curly wires. i THINK when they make contact, no heat is generated because the circuit is interrupted. when i make sure that the wires are NOT TOUCHING i THINK the thing works perfectly (its been a while and i kept it unplugged to not stress it too much).

anyone know if this is an easy/cheap fix? I'm quite sure nothing is wrong with the heater but just the twisting power port. i might be able to add a few pics later...

but has always been one of my favorite vapes (i used to have a myrtle zap)!
 

akwardsauce

gold all in my chains...dont believe me just watch
Aw shucks.
2ag1zia.png

You're a good friend too akwardsauce!
Add some pics...
They may provide some help.
I agree that Dave (@underdog ) would be a good one to provide suggestions.
sorry, uncle vito, i meant to say a GOOD & TRUSTED friend (i didn't know you were watching, but i seem to remember that you happen to be everywhere at once).

here are some pics. Dave from underdog replied to me so fast and i what i say in the pictures seem to be the right answer. basically when those wires touch, the system shorts = no heat. so all i gotta do is keep those wires from touching and hopefully stabilize the port so it doesn't rotate (the rotation of the port changes the configuration of the wires & can make them either touch or not touch).

btw, i have always used this zap upside down, so nothing falls into it and the last picture (from L to R) shows the glass stem, 2 stainless steel tipped nylon stems (the baggie stuffed into the left one has extra screens and clips in it), a brass tipped nylon stem, a brass sleeve to fit the brass-tipped nylon stem into the stainless steel heater of the rock zap, and a copper oil dish to be used for aromatherapy.

so glad to know its an easy fix! to stabilize the power port, do you guys think i should use elmers glue or a wooden glue?
bYQ7IzK.jpg
W3SujIh.png

i never noticed this until now, but the wood looks like that pixelated/digital camo pattern that they use in the military now...
X0iN4zX.jpg
zlIY8lG.jpg
 

Vitolo

Vaporist
I would try packing some wood putty into any space around that plug-in from inside the unit first..
use a toothpick, and pack it as a dentist would fill a filling.. in the gap around the power port...
I would allow to dry fully.
I would then put one or two carefully placed beads of JB weld on the outside ring (perhaps on the side facing bottom so that it is not obvious)... touching metal and wood.
That would be my approach... opinions will vary.
 
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akwardsauce

gold all in my chains...dont believe me just watch
thanks uncle vito...i know you are like a vape-surgeon!

i also wanted to mention that the drama i mentioned earlier was referring to the stuff that happened up in idaho...nothing between you or me...
 
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