OK.
I think I'm going to like this.
The Zap arrived Tuesday afternoon (wife called) so I couldn't wait to get home and unpack it. I let it provide aromatherapy for my home office overnight to burn it in a bit. Next morning, I took the diffuser off while I shaved and showered so it could get up to max heat. Filled a stem using the cleverly-named "suck" method and applied to Myrtle.
When I finished coughing I realized I had just had the most enormous headrush in quite some time.
I tried for another from the same stem but it was much too wispy to do much. But I did get SOMETHING from the second. The third was empty so I tapped it out.
I had to go to work so I stuck the diffuser back on with some fresh oil. Rick, the bottle was unlabeled but it is definitely lemon to my nose - and I like it a lot. Freshens the office, laundry and part of the kitchen nicely. Since one of the larger cat boxes is in my office, it will be staying plugged in 24X7.
The ride in to work (50 min.) was pleasant and my medicine was definitely working for about the same duration of a pinch-hitter load with the same material. I was definitely looking forward to getting home Wednesday night to give Myrtle a real workout. Which I did.
After several stems I got the packing method down (I think) for a good draw but I am not sure I am getting what most others report. I have a Kill-A-Watt so I checked my outlet and I get a full 120+V out of it and the Myrtle is getting 12.2 most of the time. However, I only get one good hit and one crappy one out of any stemload. I think that will be fine as the effect from two zaploads is equal to the 1.5 loads in the pinch-hitter I am used to doing in the morning.
Should I be getting more though? I read people claiming 3-4 hits but I don't see that as possible. Is it different with the 13.5 adapter?
I am fairly certain my pinch-hitter and dugout combo stretches the herbs a bit farther but the jury is still out on that. The effect is definitely superior with the Myrtle without the heavy-lidded head-fog from burning it. I get my general pain relief with a nice overall attitude enhancement.
After Friday night's vaping session ( I started typing this then) turned into an all-day Saturday experimentation session I am still only getting 1.5 good hits per load. Not really a problem as the ABV is not piling up as fast as I guessed it would. I am having a high-school buddy over for the game today, so I will get some good feedback from him. He is a lifetime combuster like I was so It will be educational for both of us.
Anyway, last night I was playing around with Google Sketchup (incredible free 3D modeling program) and worked up a 3D MyrtleZap model (link below). It is not to scale, but now that I figured out how to do the bevels right I will be re-doing it more accurately.
I have used this program to copy my house exactly and do virtual remodeling before ever lifting a hammer. My wife comes up with ideas and I translate them to the screen so we can see what it would look like in 3D with a fly-through. Holy shit, my creative skills are on overdrive while vaked! In addition to the MyrtleZap I designed a cat tree that would look at home in the Jetson's house.
Without further ado, here's the VirtualZap:
http://yfrog.us/1830521590z
(I will be doing the stems and diffuser later too)