Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[KidFated.]

I bought ten of these for travel cache storage. They are 4" tall and described as uncrushable; the walls are thick.
Apparently they are the 'blanks' which are turned into thin wall soda bottles.

I get these from my dad that works at a beverage place, the green ones are baller!

 

[MrNaturalAZ]

There's no need to decarb again, what I forgot to say was "It should already be decarbed (the oil) from vaping the flower." No need to do it again if you vaped it the first time

Yeah, re-reading your original I see it could have gone either way - the "already" was just implicit rather than explicit

 

[Glass004]

WTF!!!!
My second Ascent that I got last week has crapped out. It does not seem to accept a charge.
When plugged in the screen indicates charging.
However when the unit is turned on the battery screen blinks and the unit will not heat, even with the unit plugged in to the wall charger.
I tried a second charging unit with no improvement in charging ability.
I'll be calling the DaVinci folks first thing in am.
Rats!!! My replacement Ascent from GotVape.com will not be here until Weds. evening.
I am rather pissed. I have been using this unit throughout the day but very gently. No pocket transport. Most of the day the unit was plugged in as I vaped.
Digging out my heat lamp now.
Edit: I tried what I think is called chasing the dragon. I placed a little herb on aluminum foil and heat with a lighter, breathing in the vapors. It is difficult not to combust the herb. It seemed to work but even a little combustion is too much.

 

[Urge]

Herb vaporizer noob but a 3 year ecig vet. I recently purchased an Ascent as my 1st herb vaporizer. I read several reviews and opinions in various forums and it sounded great. It may yet turn out to be great. I have a finishing grinder to pulverize the herb for max surface area, I take long (10-20 seconds) slow tokes, and I fill up the chamber and pack it down. I heat the chamber to 375°. I am getting very light exhales of vapor. I am going to order some of the pyrex glass flowers to help maintain a constant temp. I have a MM card and am getting very xcellent reefer but I get off better with a pipe than the Ascent vaporizer, whats up with that?

Urge

 

[CarolKing]

You can try a higher temperature. I personally go as high as 408 degrees, I vape for pain.

The glass oil can might help, it you sit it on top of herb facing the bottom down on top of the herb. Others have used the oil can with success. There's a bit of a learning curve with the Ascent. It takes some practice.

The glass flowers work really well, but I have heard others successfull with just herb well packed.
This unit can be a very good vapor producer with a lot of flavor IMO. It medicates very well I might add.

 

[OF]

I have a finishing grinder to pulverize the herb for max surface area, I take long (10-20 seconds) slow tokes, and I fill up the chamber and pack it down. I heat the chamber to 375°. I am getting very light exhales of vapor. I am going to order some of the pyrex glass flowers to help maintain a constant temp. I have a MM card and am getting very xcellent reefer but I get off better with a pipe than the Ascent vaporizer, whats up with that?

Sorry you're having troubles getting up to speed, but they're common and I think easily resolved. As CK says, try the flowers and perhaps more temperature. I'd add to that (and the above) to be sure to wait long enough for the heat to recover between hits. A full minute is a good starting place, you can cut back on that later when the results are there.

As to the 'why don't I get off like when I smoke' that's a bit more complex. We've all faced it, to one degree or another. Over the years your mind has associated that 'face in the campfire' thing with getting high. All the nasty stuff in smoke (best avoided of course) is part of the buzz and without it your brain is lost. To sort this out you have to put down blazing for a week or two. No smoking (bad part) but plenty of vaping (good part) will break the link in your mind and that's the best part. A week or two down the road your lungs will be starting to clear, your throat liking you again, and your brain now used to the idea of getting the THC without all the nasty garbage included. Smoking will actually be revolting again, just like it was years ago when you forced yourself to take another hit.

This goes hand in hand with 'I'm not getting the effect I want'. Fix one, the other follows in many/most cases.

Hang in there. The medical effect is better, you're more able to function, you smell better, spend less money on stash and get to live longer to enjoy it all. Goals I hope you agree are worth the effort?

OF

 

[gangababa]

Herb vaporizer noob but a 3 year ecig vet. I recently purchased an Ascent as my 1st herb vaporizer. I read several reviews and opinions in various forums and it sounded great. It may yet turn out to be great. I have a finishing grinder to pulverize the herb for max surface area, I take long (10-20 seconds) slow tokes, and I fill up the chamber and pack it down. I heat the chamber to 375°. I am getting very light exhales of vapor. I am going to order some of the pyrex glass flowers to help maintain a constant temp. I have a MM card and am getting very xcellent reefer but I get off better with a pipe than the Ascent vaporizer, whats up with that?

Urge

Only into my sixth week of experience, I am a vapor-newbie Ascent user. At first I was sure that this unit, though lovely to look at, was not going to work. I felt as you expressed. Now I am amazed. I just shut off the burl-baby after 15-20 minutes at 366 where I started. I typically work a bowl up by 10-12-15 degree steps as needed; finishing out at 430. So I have some meditating to do yet.

I have perhaps .2 g under a glass jar. There is light compression. Depending upon strain, this Ascent fills my lungs with seemingly endless vapor as I exhale out nose.
The Ascent has worked for me with big loads, small loads, compressed loads (conduction), looser loads under a screen (adds convection).
I've said to wife, "this tactile delight seems to magically manufacture merry-wanna's". Using the Ascent transports me back to my pipe smoking, swirls of taste around my head, youth.

 

[KeroZen]

Alright folks, I found a cheap and effective fix for the top seal air-leak problem, and the good news is: it comes included in your Ascent box! \o/

I took pictures but won't post them because honnestly you won't need them, just follow the instructions it's easy!

Kero's Ascent Quick Leak-Fix

1) Take one of your silicone straw "caps" included in your kit (the stuff you're supposed to use to cover the drawing straw end)
2) With a razor blade or your favorite sharp tool of choice, cut the thing and keep just the O-ring (you can leave a short bit of the stuff in place as you don't want to weaken the ring by cutting too close)
3) Remove your drawing glass straw
4) Remove carefully your silicone buddy rim (you can use the stir tool for that), mind the power button!
5) Insert the drawing straw into the now removed buddy rim
6) Fit the O-ring around the drawing straw on the bottom (normally hidden) side of the buddy rim
7) Push the straw and O-ring so that only a few milimeters protrude from the buddy rim bottom (this is needed because otherwise the straw gets in the way when putting the buddy rim in place)
8) Carefully put the power button in its location (slot, careful with those tiny wires)
9) Put buddy rim back in place

...and voila! Perfect top seal as the silicone will press the ring against the plastic tube, like a sandwich. Improved my draw, and no more air coming from the electronics!

----

@Glass004 : sorry for your loss... out of curiosity, how much were you opening the bottom of your device? (fully or half only)

@Urge : welcome! You'll need to perfect your technic, and also learn to not make a fixation on visible vapor.

 

[Glass004]

@Glass004 : sorry for your loss... out of curiosity, how much were you opening the bottom of your device? (fully or half only)

I only opened it past 90 degrees one time.
Waiting for DaVinci to open.
For the record. I have bought two Ascents. I returned one to GotVape.com for button problems and now I am returning the second unit to Davinci because batteries will not charge.. I bought two Ascents to have one for backup, and even that is not enough to keep a functioning Davinci unit around. The units break faster than I can get them replaced under warranty.
My experiences would lead one to believe that this is a product that has come before its time.
Edit #2: By applying sideways pressure on the power plug I got the unit to function. I am hoping to limp on by until my unit from GotVape comes by snail mail (shipping across country by land) Free shipping but.....unhappy customer.

 

[Urge]

OF wrote...

Hang in there. The medical effect is better, you're more able to function, you smell better, spend less money on stash and get to live longer to enjoy it all. Goals I hope you agree are worth the effort?

So, are you saying I won’t get as high? You have to put about ½ gram into the Ascent to fill up the chamber, that is a lot more reefer than I would need in a pipe. I see my spending on reefer going up. How is the medical effect better? Are there cannabinoids that you get with vaping that you don’t get with smoking?



Urge

 

[Delta3DStudios]

So, are you saying I won’t get as high? You have to put about ½ gram into the Ascent to fill up the chamber, that is a lot more reefer than I would need in a pipe. I see my spending on reefer going up. How is the medical effect better? Are there cannabinoids that you get with vaping that you don’t get with smoking?



Urge

I too had doubts like you. I had been combusting for 10+ years (newbie, I know). I had bought a vape-genie wood box with the whip knockoff about 5 years ago, wasn't really impressed with it. So I didn't consider vaping until a friend like me try his PAX, which also didn't impress me, but portable vaping did.

So I bought the Ascent on a whim (and a nice tax refund). Few things to comment coming from someone who converted from combusting to vaping thanks to the Ascent

1) The ascent will not produce thick clouds like some vaporizers on this forum, but it's portable and has a digital thermostat. This allows you to dial in the temperature much easier. The heater on the Ascent isn't very strong. My average session would last 20+ minutes to get full extraction from the herb. But the effects were just as potent as my butane powered vape (Lotus) which I can finish a whole session in under 3 minutes flat.

2) Starting at 375F is baking your herb WAY too fast. Try starting at 340F and work your way up 10 or 15 degrees at a time. I usually keep vaping at the set temperature, then move up once I see no more visible vapor (and taste no flavor). I keep going until 400F, and my herb comes out a nice chocolate brown, consistent color throughout. (Note, I have never used the stir-stick mid-session, never had a need)

3) Try not grinding your herb to a powder using the finishing grinder, you may be grinding your herb too fine, and packing tight is not permitting optimal extraction. Try using LESS herb, and filling the void with glass flowers (or use the included glass jar on top of a very very tiny load). You'll find you get some potent effects from minimal herb.

4) Combusting and Vaping are two different beasts. Your mind is playing tricks with you on what effects are caused by the medicine in the herb, and what affects are caused by the carbon monoxide and other harmful toxins caused by combusting.

I wasn't too amazed by the Ascent on my first session. But once I learned to slow down my draw, start at lower temperatures, and stopped combusting for a week or two, my feelings changed.

I still get that medicated effect I want from vaping, but now I've become quite the herb snob. I won't combust with my friends. If there's no vaporizers in site, I won't smoke (or maybe one draw for shits and giggles). But honestly, keep an open mind, and have some patience.

I'd say my consumption of herb has been cut in half from my combusting days. I'd probably be saving money, if I wasn't busy buying new vaporizers, and collecting glass bubblers!!!

 

[OF]

OF wrote...

So, are you saying I won’t get as high? I see my spending on reefer going up. How is the medical effect better? Are there cannabinoids that you get with vaping that you don’t get with smoking?

No, I'm saying it's different from what you're expecting. Vaping is much different than blazing. You meet very very few folks around here who still blaze once they 'get it'.

You will not end up spending more. Estimates run half to 1/4 prior expenditures on herb (I'd say 1/3 the cost is average?), most of us shifted up to the top shelf and still saw more than a 50% reduction in our weed bills. Nobody, AFAIK, has reported an increase. Nobody. You can be the first.........

No, you get the same chemicals (nothing new is added to your bud.....) but you no longer destroy much/most of the THC with fire before it gets to you and you don't dilute it with a bunch of nasty stuff you'd avoid in any other situation.

Yes, the medical effect is much better without all the (what most objective folks would I think call) poisons mixed in. You don't need to put your head in the campfire to get THC. This is a better way. Or we'd all go back to blazing.

Have some faith, there are over 16,000 true believers on this forum......we're not all nuts. Hang around some, you'll see......

OF

 

[KeroZen]

Wow! With the leak-fix I get much more visible vapor at 170°C (338°F) at the cost of a slightly more restrictive draw (using a hard packed load) It clearly changed my vapor/air ratio in a positive way and it might even help with my never-ending sessions as I feel I'm able to extract faster.

@Glass004 : I can feel your pain! Those weak solders/wires are a plague in the early units but DaVinci claimed the latest hinge revision should solve the problem and be good for a long time. I hope you'll get a good functional unit this time!

@Urge : I put on average 0.12g for a good session and as low as 0.06g for shorter sessions. Under 0.04g the device is hard to use without resolving to use extra tricks (filler/spacer/flowers/bead/sombrero/cotton/etc) When I put 0.25 or more, the session just never ends, it's crazy!

I will make a long-due post soon to share my little research session results, but provided you have minimized your air-path leaks (by matching your straws pair and/or fixing the top seal) and that your 4 bowl holes are *ALWAYS* fully obstructed by compact plant material, i.e. you need to pack your load to make a flat puck, then you should get a lot of vapor.

You will need to develop your drawing technic, it takes some time. Try to puff it like a cigar, by just making a series of pulsed draws by sucking with your cheeks until your mouth is full of vapor, then inhale deeply to mix it with fresh air and fill your lungs fully. If for some reason you get vapor and then it seems to stop, open the bowl and check that the puck didn't move up. Push it back in place if needed, it must make contact with the bottom and cover the holes at all times. If this happens it means you are drawing too hard or shaked the device too much.

Note also that depending on your grind method and the bud structure and trichs amount, the puck can "unpack" and get loose / fluffy in the middle of the session. Stir and repack hard and it will go on! As I'll try to explain in my next post, you need to perform at least one "perfect reference session" where you reach near 100% extraction efficiency (read 100% as the maximum the Ascent can do, not the absolute 100%) and then you will know when later sessions are complete or if they aborted for some reason (as it's quite easy to extract only 25-50% of the load with a bad technic)

As for the difference in effects with smoking, I think I get way more medicated with vaping a given amount vs smoking it (vaping is more efficient) but it's more heady and less stone / couch-lock. I don't like being wasted, so for me it's perfect. I can understand you might not be after the same kind of effects though. But no, vaping does not magically produce any new components, it just ensures you get them (mostly) unaltered. Smoking gives you more components because pyrolisis breaks all molecules into smaller bits, and those smaller bits desperately want to interact with anything they touch, because they shouldn't exist in their current form. They are the infamous free radicals and are known carcinogens.

 

[Glass004]

OF wrote...
How is the medical effect better? Are there cannabinoids that you get with vaping that you don’t get with smoking?



Urge

The cannabinoids that you don't get when you vap are the toxic ones generated by combustion. Combustion is a chemical process causing toxic substances to be produced, carbon monoxide being the one you feel prominently as a majority of the rush from combustion. Toxic cannabinoids are implicated in hypothalamus dysfunction leading to Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome.
Vaping allows you to appreciate the more suttle effects of the cannabinoids.
Another example of combustion and toxicity are the toxic compounds produced when burning tobacco.

 

[OF]

The cannabinoids that you don't get when you vap are the toxic ones generated by combustion. Combustion is a chemical process causing toxic substances to be produced, carbon monoxide being the one you feel prominently as a majority of the rush from combustion. Toxic cannabinoids are implicated in hypothalamus dysfunction leading to Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome.

Excellent post with one minor quibble: after they hit combustion they're not cannabinoids any more.....they are just poisons made of hydrocarbons due to incomplete combustion. You can get the same 'benefit' blazing tobacco, tea, yard clippings and any number of other hydrocarbons......and there you don't waste that lovely THC?

Carbon monoxide is not a cannabinoid, but it's a particularly nasty toxic. It bonds with red blood cells blocking oxygen transport for the life of that cell. You have to wait for that cell to die and be replaced before the ability to carry oxygen is restored. IIRC the average lifespan is something like 90 days, which is why CO poisoning is so nasty, you can get some today (to add to what you got over the last few months) and get to save that against further exposure as you work on a toxic dose. Best avoided, IMO, if you can.

Vaping is just a better way, as indicated by the very few that go back to blazing. It's a bit like the 'proof' the world is really flat based on the observation 'everyone who leaves town never comes back'.

Like I said, you can function better, IMO enjoy it more, smell better, save money and live longer...... Not a tough call for me to make.

OF

Edit: Oh, yeah, one other benefit worth considering: You bong stays cleaner.....just like your lungs do...... Think about it? OF

 

[nigel]

I have a finishing grinder to pulverize the herb for max surface area, I take long (10-20 seconds) slow tokes, and I fill up the chamber and pack it down. I heat the chamber to 375°. I am getting very light exhales of vapor. I am going to order some of the pyrex glass flowers to help maintain a constant temp. I have a MM card and am getting very xcellent reefer but I get off better with a pipe than the Ascent vaporizer, whats up with that?

When I first got mine, I was packing the whole bowl, trying firm packs and light packs. Whatever I did seemed really inefficient. I did eventually go to reduced bowls, but I think it wasn't until I tried an experiment at ~0.025g before I really began to understand the efficiency here.

If you are after visible vapor, you'll probably want to go a bit higher in the temp range, although as many of us have pointed out, you don't need visible vapor to get medicated (depending the effect sought after). Once you learn your technique, allow me to suggest trying a session at 330°F (or even lower). You'll have little to no vapor, but still get medicated (although it will be a different effect than what you'd get at a higher temp due to a more restricted set of compounds, the point here is to produce an effect in the absence of visible vapor). You'll see that visible vapor is NOT a requirement.

As you go up in temp, you will increase vapor production and you'll also enlarge the set of compounds you are exposing. Many people do associate the higher ranges with more of a couch-lock effect, but then some people have ailments that are best treated at higher temp. I, myself, usually don't go above 392°F at the end of a session, but some people *start* at 420°F+.

And nothing says you have to stick to any one temp, as you learn the effects at the different ranges. Some people might hit very low temps in the morning to lightly medicate but retain functionality, hit the same bowl in the early evening at mid-range, and then finish off the bowl at very high temps right before going to sleep. I know one user that needs the medication at the high temps, and will "burn off" most of the lower temp compound (including the THC) and then only intake vapor from the higher temps. A lot of us will temp-step, but all in one prolonged session.

One note with the pipe vs vapor: With combustion you basically are doing a shotgun blast. Not only does this blast annihilate a lot of the compounds, it is very indiscriminate in those compounds... Your only choice is "all of them". At your 375°F, off of the top of my head, you are missing CBC and THCV (along with a few terpenoids, which it is argued have a synergistic effect). So, some of the perceived difference might come from this.

Alright folks, I found a cheap and effective fix for the top seal air-leak problem, and the good news is: it comes included in your Ascent box! \o/
...and voila! Perfect top seal as the silicone will press the ring against the plastic tube, like a sandwich. Improved my draw, and no more air coming from the electronics!

Great idea! I don't know if anyone really uses the cap anyway. I never carry mine naked in a pocket (I have a hard case for the Ascent and a few tools), so no danger of pocket-lint.

Edit #2: By applying sideways pressure on the power plug I got the unit to function.

I'll point out here, that I had an issue that sounds a bit like that, although IIRC I am the only one that has reported it. Turns out it wasn't the Ascent but the wall wart/charger connector that was bad. That's probably not your issue, but it will only take a second to test once you get your second unit to test that charger on the problem unit.

 

[Urge]

I just tried the Ascent with the glass bowl on top of a little reefer. I am still not a happy camper, a mild high after 4-5 hits. It started gurgling part way thru my draw. I used the finishing grinder to pulverize my herb but I could have done it with my fingers. It is not particularly wet weed. WTF I haven't tried pairing up the glass straws yet but that is my next step. I have been looking at glass flowers and found these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Pack-of-10-x-Flower-Glass-Screens-Daisy-Style-Smoking-Pipe-Assorted-Color-/301176246996?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461f80d2d4
The seller says they are approx. 1/4" in diameter/length, that's close to the size of the opening in the Ascent. Has anyone bought these and do they fit? Alternatively, anyone have a reccomendation for glass flowers? Does it matter if you get pyrex glass or not?

Urge

 

[Glass004]

Excellent post with one minor quibble: after they hit combustion they're not cannabinoids any more.....they are just poisons made of hydrocarbons due to incomplete combustion. You can get the same 'benefit' blazing tobacco, tea, yard clippings and any number of other hydrocarbons......and there you don't waste that lovely THC?

Carbon monoxide is not a cannabinoid, but it's a particularly nasty toxic. It bonds with red blood cells blocking oxygen transport for the life of that cell. You have to wait for that cell to die and be replaced before the ability to carry oxygen is restored. IIRC the average lifespan is something like 90 days, which is why CO poisoning is so nasty, you can get some today (to add to what you got over the last few months) and get to save that against further exposure as you work on a toxic dose. Best avoided, IMO, if you can.

OF

I think current research is insufficient to show which is more toxic to the hypothalamus, the aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons produced by combustion of MJ, or the dozen or more cannabinoids that are altered by combustion to toxic cannabinoids. Both are present in burned MJ smoke. Both are suspected but not definitively linked to hypothalamus dysfunction.

I just tried the Ascent with the glass bowl on top of a little reefer. I am still not a happy camper, a mild high after 4-5 hits. It started gurgling part way thru my draw. I used the finishing grinder to pulverize my herb but I could have done it with my fingers. It is not particularly wet weed. WTF I haven't tried pairing up the glass straws yet but that is my next step. I have been looking at glass flowers and found these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Pack-of-10-x-Flower-Glass-Screens-Daisy-Style-Smoking-Pipe-Assorted-Color-/301176246996?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461f80d2d4
The seller says they are approx. 1/4" in diameter/length, that's close to the size of the opening in the Ascent. Has anyone bought these and do they fit? Alternatively, anyone have a reccomendation for glass flowers? Does it matter if you get pyrex glass or not?

Urge

I wonder if the gurgling was the glass bowl floating in the air stream. The glass bowl delays heating, but prevents the screen from clogging with fine grind.
Some say that compaction is the key to big hits, high surface area cannot be obtained with compaction.
For long sessions, I pack it full and heavy. For quick hits I put in a small amount of fluff and use high temp.

 

[VaporKraut]

Hey everyone! Just ordered my Ascent right now and I'm realy excited Newer vaped before, so I hope the vapor can satisfy my, after I only combusted my flowers till now...

After reading this thread (even if not every single line, but most of the stuff), I know that some glass flowers would be good (even if others say, the oil jar is enough). But I live in Germany and can't find any "glass screens" or something like that here... Well, I saw two in a head shop and they wanted 4 respectively 5 € for one pice!

I only find this stuff, that was already postet here:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/10x-Glasperl...3608?pt=Schmuckgestaltung&hash=item3cb5474138

Do you think thats ok? Also in terms of size, shape, mass... Or has someone a better idea? Ordering for other european countries would be maybe ok, but from US is a bit silly with something like 10 € just for the transport of some tiny glass pices...

 

[OF]

I haven't tried pairing up the glass straws yet but that is my next step. I have been looking at glass flowers and found these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Pack-of-10-x-Flower-Glass-Screens-Daisy-Style-Smoking-Pipe-Assorted-Color-/301176246996?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461f80d2d4

Those appear to be the ones we're all using. Typical loads are seven I think (it's what I used anyway....give or take). I never broke one but some guys break them fairly often. I'd suggest getting more than 10. I think most of us got them from Amazon?

I only find this stuff, that was already postet here:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/10x-Glasperl...3608?pt=Schmuckgestaltung&hash=item3cb5474138

Do you think thats ok? Also in terms of size, shape, mass... Or has someone a better idea? Ordering for other european countries would be maybe ok, but from US is a bit silly with something like 10 € just for the transport of some tiny glass pices...

Those should work, but the version we're using has more surface area for the mass, an advantage in transferring the heat. Someone (Rohr?) makes them in Germany IIRC, in several sizes. There was a link to an EU source drifting around a while back, but being a Yank I didn't save it. Perhaps some else had the presence of mind to do so?

OF

 

[VaporKraut]

@ OF: Yes, the one from Roor where the ones if seen in the headshop. Like here:
http://www.chillhouse.de/main.php?descr=Siebe (Glas)&gid=100000.105000.105300.0.0&action=articles&CHILLSESSID2=8db676f82596f7080ecc528f1ea4c402
But after reading how much flowers people use (something like 7 I think is average), thats too expensive...

 

[KeroZen]

Little pseudo-scientific experiments with the Ascent

I found some free time to assemble my little research notes. I was experimenting with load sizes trying to find if there is some "sweet spot" and to check if the Ascent is really inefficient with small loads or not. I was also trying to understand why some sessions were plentiful and felt like being in cruise mode, while some were really disappointing and left the girlfriend and me wondering what went wrong or if the thing was not just plainly broken!

As I said previously, I'm now convinced most problems people have with vapor production and efficiency with the Ascent come down to an incorrect technic (aka user error) for the most part, and to a low (and variable) vapor/air ratio due to the leaky air-path. The ratio can be corrected more or less easily, but for the technic there are two schools: the flowers adepts and the puck adepts (sans-flowers).

The glass flowers technic is pretty efficient and allows to use micro loads (that ~0.025g figure is impressive @nigel!) but there are some drawbacks as well... I'm not sold yet, what will follow will thus concern mostly the puck technic.

Test #1: light vs tight packing

Usually with convection you need a loose packing, and with conduction a tight packing. While DaVinci advertize the Ascent as hybrid (which it is) I think most of us agree conduction is the principal energy source in this device.

The first test is easy: take approx 0.12g of material, divide in two equal parts. Select any temperature and do the first session with a tight pack to make a flat puck covering the entire surface of the bowl bottom. Note vapor density. When done, unload and reload with the second half, this time pack very gently, using same temperature. Again note vapor density.

Needless to say in my case, the second test even if the device was already hot yielded a super wispy vapor. After a few hits I opened the bowl and packed the load hard, and got instantly thicker vapor.

Test #2: variable vapor/air ratio

This one is perhaps less obvious and was not much of a problem with my previous glass straws pair which had a good match, but with the other one it's pretty clear. Basically, it could explain a small percentage of the sessions that feel wispy even if the load is packed right (but not the majority, see #3 and #4 which are more likely to be a problem)

Whenever you pull the drawing straw out, the gap between the silicone buddy rim and the plastic air tunnel can vary a little. This will slightly alter the vapor/air ratio by mixing a variable amount of air from the upper part of the device. To test it, select your straws having the worst match and pick the largest drawing straw so that it sticks to the silicone more. Load a bowl, then extend your drawing straw out to the max, trying to pop the buddy rim out a bit in the process, take a hit, note vapor density. Then put the straw back halfway and using the stir tool or your fingers, push back on the silicone buddy rim so it fits firmly against the air tunnel. Take another hit and note vapor density.

This one is easy to fix, no need to discuss it further.

Test #3: mid to end of session puck unpacking

This one is very frustrating. Your session is going fine, and say midway through it, you up the temperature one notch and get only a few hits that become wispy pretty fast. You know there should be more as you just started a new temperature level, but nope, it seems to stop.

I found that some herbs, and more precisely some calyxes forms (those that are tiny and pointy for instance) tend to stay "whole" when grinded, instead of tearing apart, so you end up with a pile of little cones and plant bits rather than a coarse or fine powder. Stickiness can have an impact too. But I clearly have strains that are more prone to this issue and for one it's systematic.

So what happens is that midway through the session, the herb dries and become lighter and the puck becomes all fluffy. The air doesn't encounter enough resistance and the vapor becomes super wispy. Again it's straight forward to test: when it happens, open the bowl and repack hard. In most cases the density will improve at once.

You can also test this one another way: get your bowl going strong, then open it and with the stir tool make it all loose, close and draw. Yes this is a variant of #1 but it happens gradually...

Test #4: see-thru holes

This one is the most frustrating! When it happened and I didn't know the cause, I really thought the device was super uneven. Left me really disappointed with sessions that didn't last as long as they should have. I know there were more hits to get, but the device refused to extract them somehow...

The smaller the load the most likely this problem happens. Also like #3 it can happen gradually during the session. Sometimes it even slowly creeps in... The culprit: anytime one of the 4 bowl holes is not fully covered with a layer of material. Even a pinhead direct see-thu hole and the vapor/air ratio is ruined and extraction stops! Sometimes the puck seems to be packed right, it's in place and packing it further doesn't improve the situation, yet you know there are hits left in there... Find a light source and try to see through from above the bowl. If you see the slightest light spot shining through the puck, it's compromised, and you'll have to stir and repack.

Again easy to test: get your bowl going strong, open it and with the stir tool uncover one of the holes (or using a needle going through the bottom grill) Close and draw.

Test #5: load size vs efficiency

Now I wanted to find if the number of hits vs load size was linear or not. Put simply, I wanted to know if there was a sweet spot for the load size to maximize efficiency. Obviously due to #4 and to some extent #3, there is a limit to the minimum efficient load size as we will see below. I couldn't get as low as @nigel's figure in a satisfying way in fact. That being said we are talking about micro loads here, about 1/4 of what I would put in a small (tobacco laced) joint! On the other end of the spectrum I didn't test very large loads because they just last forever and are impractical to test. Please keep in mind I did these tests prior to fixing my upper seal leak (yet it was using the best matched straws, so problem was minimal then)

I used a particular strain that vapes really good (selected the one I had that always produced the densest clouds) and which had a very uniform bud quality, to minimize variations due to the material itself. I used a cheap digital scale but it was not super precise, so I also noted the equivalent in number of joints I could roll with the same amount (years of habits make one good at eyeballing the quantity!)

I tried to draw always the same way: 3 seconds depression, then large air intake, holding a bit then exhaling through the nostrils. I counted a "hit" only if it felt satisfying and if I could see visible vapor exhale under normal lighting conditions (again always the same to minimize variation) As soon as a hit was wispy, I didn't insist and raised to the next temperature level. Tests were done in a short period so external temperature variation was also minimal. I used 5 temp levels each time: 177, 185, 195, 205, 221°C taking note of the number of hits per level.

I don't know if people are really interested in the detailed results, and this post is already long enough, but I got surprisingly linear results in the 0.05g to 0.25g range with on average (yes it's a bold claim seeing I don't have that many data points) 34 hits for a 0.06g load and over 140 for a 0.25g load. Below 0.05g and mostly due to #3 and #4 I saw a strong decline with 12 hits on average for a 0.03g load (and overall those sessions felt wispy)

 

[OF]

@ OF: Yes, the one from Roor where the ones if seen in the headshop. Like here:
http://www.chillhouse.de/main.php?descr=Siebe (Glas)&gid=100000.105000.105300.0.0&action=articles&CHILLSESSID2=8db676f82596f7080ecc528f1ea4c402
But after reading how much flowers people use (something like 7 I think is average), thats too expensive...

Similar, but not the same site I think and I recall more options?

I agree, the price is pretty dear, perhaps an EBay buy is in order? Some guy should import a pile of them from the plant in China that surely must be making millions a shift to the EU.....we can make him rich.....

Glass beads are another option, but my testing showed them to be second place in terms of production (I suspect for the surface area issue) and you need to be on the watch for coatings and other stuff you don't want to be vaping. I also have some glass sphere 'boiling beads', the smallest of which did OK as well (they came from a still I rebuilt once).

Good luck.

OF

 

[CarolKing]

When I first received my Ascent, I didn't like it. I was having a hard time getting this little machine to work right. I would put in the herb and it would fly around inside the unit because there wasn't anything to hold it down. I would try to pack it down, I didn't want to fill up the bowl because IMO it was too big.

I didn't have much luck until I bought the glass flower pipe screens. I also like a light piece of cotton on top. First I add a couple glass flowers, then I add some herb, more glass flowers and herb and I try to pack it the best I can. At the end I use the cotton on top. I use cotton a lot with other vaporizers too. I probably use anywhere from 6 to 8 flowers, depending on how much herb I'm using.

My temp I start out at anywhere from 380/385ish, it really depends on the herb. I have used herb where I needed to start at 370 or 375. Only you know what your personal preference is. If the herb is too harsh, I turn it down. If there isn't much vapor being produced, I turn it up. What my routine is might be different than what you like. I go up as high as 408/410 degrees, sometimes it's around 400 or so when I'm done. Like I said some herb requires more or less heat.

Take some time to really get to know this little vape. Do your homework, you will get the hang of it. Slow and steady wins the race when you take a draw and make sure you give it time to get the heat back up. FCer OF suggested 1 min for recovery time. I grind my herb to a cornmeal consistency by the way.

After about 12 or 15 min my session is over, I dump the ABV and it is usually a coffee color evenly baked. Never do I have to stir the herb. I have tried glass beads before, but I was worried about it being toxic if it turned out that it was the wrong kind of glass.

I personally like using the Ascent gong or Eds wooden stems, I will be getting a cocobollo Wong from Ed soon. It was mailed today! I will be looking forward to that.

Good luck and hope you hang in there, it will be worth it in the end.

 

[Delta3DStudios]

@KeroZen Thanks for the thorough testing!

Interesting, I always used my 3D printed tamping tool to gently pack down my loads so i got an even spread. Always thought packing tight was a bad thing.

Now I'm going to try tamping down my loads tighter and seeing how the vapor changes.