Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[XxlinusxX]

@XxlinusxX : interesting. I've been told by @nigel that the main problem is that it is super tight inside and that it would be probably hard to put everything back in place (for instance, if even at the factory they can't manage to install the OLED screen without scratching it badly, I have doubts that we could do any better)

Also I'm under the impression that the batteries are flat-top with either glued or soldered connectors, meaning the average user will likely have some troubles. But hey, not all people like to "DIY" stuff!

i gave it to a friend of my cousin who takes all sorts of things apart, he said it took two hours to find the screw under the panel, from what i saw when trying to take it apart was that everything is tightly held inside the casing and it would be impossible to dismantle without removing this screw, as far as i know the dismantling was fairly easy after that, i am waiting to see if he can fix it, he thinks he can.
I assumed it was the wire solder point that had failed like so many had failed but apparently it wasn't that, it was something on the circuit board that had failed.

 

[lmoye22]

Has anyone tried to take it apart and customize the colors with other skins or paint the unit? I love the Ascent but not the carbon Fiber. I'd like to be able to swap out the skins

 

[buddhakevz]

@lmoye22 They now sell customizable Ascent on the Davincivaporizer website. Maybe... if the sadly "killed by a dog"Ascent ( sorry virtualpurple) could be a good organ donor @Ratchett can design and print new 3D skin based on the dead Ascent ?

 

[Delta3DStudios]

@lmoye22 They now sell customizable Ascent on the Davincivaporizer website. Maybe... if the sadly "killed by a dog"Ascent ( sorry virtualpurple) could be a good organ donor @Ratchett can design and print new 3D skin based on the dead Ascent ?

Depends on what part you want skinned. If you simply want some vinyl stickers for a unit like the Burl, it's easily done. Though new 3D printed skinned parts which require dismantling the Ascent partially which would certainly void the warranty (although if someone has enough burning a hole in their pocket, a gold-plated Ascent may be possible...... )

 

[OF]

Maybe... if the sadly "killed by a dog"Ascent ( sorry virtualpurple) could be a good organ donor [USER=18082]@Ratchett can design and print new 3D skin based on the dead Ascent ?[/USER]

Yer thinking inside the box again......

How about using the dead one as a model for a skin the rest of us could use to make our Ascents look like the dog chewed them up? Complete, perhaps, with some authentic looking rubber dog slobber dripping off? Sure cut down on thefts and hangers on trying to talk you out of a few hits?

OF

 

[virtualpurple]

@virtualpurple I am sorry about your loss. I have actually been looking everywhere myself for a sale on the ascent, primarily for the fact it is supposed to taste phenomenal. Also for the fact it does concentrates.
I will be sure to let you know if I come across any sales or discounts.

I know this is a sore subject (I've been there, all my vapes were stolen) but on a different, note why not make lemonade.
Perhaps you could take the ascent apart and post some pics of the internals. Make the best of a bad situation.
I've looked high and low and cannot find any internal pics of the ascent.

Perhaps you could turn your misfortune into knowledge! I for one would love to see the inside of the ascent!

Again, I feel for you my friend and will let you know if I come across any sales.

Vape Dr, you're a saint man. I assure you that I'll also keep you posted on if I come across a sale on the Ascent. We gotta get you restocked, my friend.

And your suggestion for a post mortem exam has not gone unheard. I still have the Ascent and am more than happy to tear in and take pictures every step of the way!

It may be a day or two before I get around to it, I've been picking up tons of shifts lately, and will pull an additional 12 hours tonight. However, I think it'll be very interesting to crack this bad boy open (well, more open) and take a look.

 

[Vape Dr.]

@virtualpurple Thank you for such kind words!

I will get my collection back slowly but surely, that I can assure you! It will take time, but it will happen.

One of the things I miss most is doing side by side comparison reviews for people on the fence about what unit will work best for them.

I'm glad to see your spirits are still up and you didn't let your unfortunate mishap bring you down.

I am looking forward (just like pretty much everyone) to seeing what makes the ascent tick!

Thank you for turning your misfortune into vital information the entire FC community is dying to see! That to me speaks volumes to your character.
I look forward with much anticipation to your dissection process!

Thank you on behalf of me and FC.

P.S. Make sure you take a picture of the unit before you disassemble it. I'm curious to see exactly how tasty the ascent is to animals! lol.

Stay positive my friend!

 

[Glass004]

Distillation of Specific Cannabinoids Using the Ascent's Temperature Control
It has become apparent after using some Indica, after only having Sativa since I bought an Ascent, the importance of the role that proper temperature regulation practice has while using the Ascent.
Many people will just set it at 430 and let it rip through a water tool. They never will get to enjoy and experience the ability of the Ascent to distill out distinctively different cannabinoids and their unique effects. These cannabinoids are experienced all at once and quickly at 430. Using the graduating temperature technique described in this forum allows the different cannabinoids with different vaporization temperatures ranges to be selectively vaporized. The lower temp range cannabinoids seem very intense with euphoric effects while the 430 temp cannabinoids are very anxiolytic and sedating.
The Indica definitely had a different cannabinoid profile than the Sativa I have used previously. Only using the graduating temperature technique was I able to fully enjoy the differences in the two species.
Now this is an important condition needed to fully experience this effect. You will not be able to easily differentiate the different cannabinoids in small doses. You will need to abandon miserly habit of packing a small two hit load. Instead press in a really good load that will last at least 20 - 30 minutes. As you progress through the temperature escalation be aware of the differences of the medicine delivered with each range. I also strongly recommend glass flowers for their heat sink effects that stabilize temperatures while in use.
Remember.....you can't do this as easily with some of the other vaporizers. The ability to regulate temperature has become one of my favorite features of the Ascent.

 

[CarolKing]

With the Ascent I found starting low and working my way up to the temp I need for the particular herb that I'm using. Different herb take a different temp. It's been fun experimenting with this vape as to different heat settings.

 

[GeekyGodiva]

I really enjoy starting way down at 315 or so and then edging it up slowly. I am a wimp when it comes to huge clouds and get more enjoyment out of light but flavorful hits.

 

[wags1]

Bought my Stealth Ascent new directly from DaVinci on 11/12/13. Used it almost daily since then. It worked perfectly till this past Saturday. Turned it on and it would not heat. Display worked fine and I could access all menus and set a temp but the unit would not heat at all. Simply displayed the current ambient temperature of the chamber.
It is on the way back to DaVinci for warranty repair/replace. Usually electronic equipment is susceptible to early life failure so once I went past 90 days or so I thought I was home free. A $250 device should be built to last more than 10 months. I am a bit disappointed but so far DaVinci customer service has been very responsive.

 

[KeroZen]

But the problem is not of an early-life-failure kind, it's rather a repeated mechanical strain on the wires and solder. How much did you open your bowl? Did you follow the "as little as possible" recommendation? Were you careful at all times?

If you think about it, it's like taking a metal paper clip, and folding it back and forth. If you do that many times and fast enough, at some point the metal will snap clean. I'm sure you could destroy any "pre-hinge-fix" Ascent by swiveling the bowl full 180° open then closing it again a lot of times in a very short duration.

The good aspect is that you will probably receive a revised unit, although this sentence kinda made me doubt:

We also always replace the batteries with brand new ones when your unit is sent in for repair, regardless if they are functioning properly or not.

I know you guys said it was forbidden to ship used/refurbished devices, but I'm wondering why some people reported having received replacement units that looked used. On one hand they can repair your device and send it back, but you may also ask to get another skin/color in the process... what do you get then? It's a bit confusing...

Wouldn't these people have recognized if it was their own device? I'm not even sure you can "reskin" a device because the round bevels/edges surrounding the side panels are painted and not removable (and not the same color for every skin)

Anyways, I'm just wondering because say, for instance, if ever one day they issue a revised silicone buddy rim (wishful thinking heh? I want to believe!) I want to be sure that I'll get the latest version if I RMA my device under warranty.

 

[wags1]

I was always very careful with my Ascent. But, if they are going to make a device that you have to open and close to use then they have to ensure that the device is built in such a way that it won't break from simply using it as designed. No one would put up with a refrigerator that would break if you opened and closed the doors frequently. Sorry but if that is what is causing units to fail it is an unacceptable design flaw.

 

[CarolKing]

It's not that hard to open carefully and not all the way. Some folks open it wide open. I like to be cautious, maybe it wouldn't matter? A small price to pay.

I have small hands and fingers. Probably more difficult for those with large hands.

 

[KeroZen]

They never acknowledged the problem officially but in March or something, they told they changed the hinge and said it would now be good for many openings. Note that they never mentionned the wires and that we might be completely speculating based on the two most common reported failures (ie fails to heat up and fails to charge)

We know that at least 3 pairs must go through the hinge (1 for charger jack / PCB to above to charge the batteries, 1 from the batteries to the nichrome element in the bowl, and 1 from the upper circuit to the temp sensor near the bowl) Some wires that are visible between the bottom PCB and the bowl have no strain relief and are uber tiny, but those are not subject to any motion as the bowl is static in regard to that PCB.

Those that go through the hinge on the other hand are subject to torsion (but are not visible) and if they are as small and only soldered with no support like the other ones, well... Anyways, yes, that sucks, it shouldn't happen, bla bla, but it's like that, like it or not.

---

Now I'm seriously in a bad mood and starting to be really gutted by the device. You know that I have been an active supporter so far, but what happened today really annoyed me. I thought I would clean my Ascent because it was long due. Resin being easier to clean while hot, I thought why not do a short empty run with it? I removed the bottom glass straw, scraped the silicone a bit, then closed the device and set it to 210°C/410°F for a couple minutes...

For some reason I took a blank draw, just to see... and ewwww, the taste was bad, a bit like a mix of PCB, plastic and solder. Having recently soldered a couple of small electronics, my memories of that particular smell are fresh and I found the taste to be strangely similar. I opened the bowl to check if there was something weird, found nothing. I then plugged the air path with my finger and tried to draw, bowl opened, to see if it was coming from the upper part of the device, but this time the taste was normal.

I then held the bowl close to my nose and there it was! Near that bloody PCB close to the charger jack: a faint but noticeable smell. At this point I realized that this smell had been there from the very beginning and that I associated it with the taste of ABV (remember the Ascent was my first vape so I had no comparison point) because at 185°C it's very light (just tested) and the higher the temperature, the stronger it becomes.

I must say that I never cleaned my bowl, it turned black in a few days after purchase, and since then flakes are coming off from time to time and it's still white below, but it's perpetually covered with residues. There is a possibility that what I'm smelling is just oil residues. The ceramic bowl itself and the nichrome wire might also produce a smell when they are hot, and well, the silicone had a smell too...

Now I'm confused, I don't know what to think... Maybe I completely tripped and I'm making a fixation on something perfectly normal. We all say "combustion is gross, horrible taste" etc, but I must say that ABV taste is gross too, one of my friends almost wanted to puke when he smelled the content of my ABV jar, and I don't know, but my Ascent had a gross taste when blank this afternoon...

I remember that when the device was new, I brought it to a party and a girl who had zero experience with vapes tested it. She liked it when the temperature was low, but when we went over 200°C, she took a hit and said "ewww this tastes like burnt plastic, I think there's a problem", to which I just answered "hmm no it's normal, it's like that when you reach high temperatures".

So yes ABV and high temps produce not so good tastes and smell, but I think there's something more here. I just smelled the bowl of my cold FlowerMate and the bowl of my cold Ascent, especially near the grill, and there's something different, like a signature... it's light... but definitely not pleasant, and frighteningly associated in my mind to electronics and solder... and it's been there the entire time, just covered by the super fragrant primo buds I use.

This leads me to the mandatory question for @Davinci_vaporizer : can you claim officially that all solders in the Ascent are lead-free? I know it's mandatory in many countries now, but the Chinese are known to cut corners when they can.

I'm not happy anyways and I think I'll avoid high temps with the Ascent completely from now on.

 

[Norcalsun]

@KeroZen, it sounds like your bowl could be defective. I've owned my unit since 11/2013 and the bowl is still easily cleanable and is white and shiny. Something you might want to check out.

 

[KeroZen]

I didn't say it was not cleanable, I said I did not (even attempt to) clean it!

I recall someone telling something about magic eraser or what not, but I have no idea what it is and under what brand it's sold in my country. All other methods reported in the thread looked like a chore, and it turns black so fast it doesn't seem worth it...

That being said, the bowl in my FlowerMate stays white overall, just a yellow tint that comes progressively but is easy to wash. Do you really think the funky smell could come from the residues? And what could have made my bowl defective? When new it was shiny with no imperfections, good glazing apparently, not rough.

The residue is just a very thin coating, I can scratch it off and under normal use flakes disappear from time to time.

The smell is more noticeable near the grill than the top of the bowl though...

When I combusted, I had already a suprisingly good sense of smell (considering the amount I did, it should have been worse) but now that I completely stopped, it improved clearly (or rather recovered?)

Anyway the smell I describe is very light, lingering when the device is cold, and the hotter it gets the more noticeable it becomes.

To dispell my doubts, I just had a session with the Firewood. No funky taste at all (btw this device had strictly no smell when new, kudos) no electronic shit... It also has glass and nichrome in the air-path, but I can't smell either. It reminded me that convection has really a superior taste, but it's a different beast!

PS: at the end of the session I could taste a bit of wood though... this is what happens when you focus on details too much!

 

[davesmith]

Ok guys, just won an accent!

Now it isn't a vape I'd choose to buy but I feel I should find out a little about the vape before I decide to gift/sell it to a friend.

I've started studying this thread but its gonna take a while. Anything I need to know prior to unboxing tomo?

Thanks in advance, I know its not ideal diving in without prior knowledge but I won it! What can you do?

 

[Davinci_vaporizer]

I know you guys said it was forbidden to ship used/refurbished devices, but I'm wondering why some people reported having received replacement units that looked used. On one hand they can repair your device and send it back, but you may also ask to get another skin/color in the process... what do you get then? It's a bit confusing...

Wouldn't these people have recognized if it was their own device? I'm not even sure you can "reskin" a device because the round bevels/edges surrounding the side panels are painted and not removable (and not the same color for every skin)

We have been repairing the customers units as they are received and are sending them their exact same units. The bowls, screens, and batteries are replaced with every repair. We have not given the option of changing colors since we started repairing units.

This leads me to the mandatory question for @Davinci_vaporizer : can you claim officially that all solders in the Ascent are lead-free? I know it's mandatory in many countries now, but the Chinese are known to cut corners when they can.

I'm not happy anyways and I think I'll avoid high temps with the Ascent completely from now on.

We can officially say that our solders are 100% lead free. We own our factory in China, we do not out source. This gives us the ability to completely regulate the entire manufacturing process.

 

[GeekyGodiva]

Ok guys, just won an accent!

Now it isn't a vape I'd choose to buy but I feel I should find out a little about the vape before I decide to gift/sell it to a friend.

I've started studying this thread but its gonna take a while. Anything I need to know prior to unboxing tomo?

Thanks in advance, I know its not ideal diving in without prior knowledge but I won it! What can you do?

Okay, I got mine recently. I would definitely like to say congratulations. I got mine as a prize as well. It was unexpected and I hadn't budgeted for any accessories and so when I came across the common suggestion of going out to get some glass flowers or beads, I just shrugged and tried to use the unit as it came. There are plenty of accessories I want to try, but it will be a while before I can spend on accessories.

I charged it up, did burn ins and swabbed it all with alcohol, and then charged it more. My first couple sessions were okay. Good taste of herb (with still a bit of plastic taste which went away after a few sessions). It was effective, but the experience was a little lackluster in that it was good, but not really an improvement on my older DV. The draw was more difficult than was comfortable (I like to sip at low temps), but it got me where I wanted to go. I was also frustrated at having to clean the glass so often because it is delicate and there is no choice but to take it out and soak it in ISO.

In hopes of improving my experience from okay to wow I did a lot of experiments playing with it and inexpensive parts I had lying around already. I learned early on that you must cover your load. I have a DBV screen in the bottom of my bowl (curved it like a contact lens and squished it sideways into a long oval and stuffed it down) and a fine mesh tiny one (it is both bigger than the ones that came with the Ascent and finer mesh than the ones that came with the Ascent) from the local head shop that I use to cover my herb after lightly tamping the herb down with the flat side of the pick. The fine mesh upper screen was also squished into a football shape by pressing along the edges and rolling between my finger and thumb, then folded into a taco shell and placed as a cap over the load (I use the pick to help get it so the dome is at the top and the wings tuck around the edge of the material). Using two screens like this mainly keeps particles of herb from clogging the uptake and falling out the grill. It also reduces the residue buildup in the glass uptake.

I tried using a jar filled about 2/3 with wand hash and was far from excited with the result and trying to get the jar back out (even using the damned pick while the oven was warm) was a challenge and minor burn danger I do not recommend to most people. You cannot use the jar with a screen jammed in the bottom of the oven, so if you do want to use the jars keep that in mind.

I had been accustomed to the previous DV model that always gave me a 10 minute session. This one will just go until it has been set down for a time, turned off, or you engage the timer and the third cycle ends. I reprogrammed my three tier timer and I try to remember to engage it and adjust the heat to the freshness of the load ever time I use it. If I forget to do this I may continue sipping until half the battery is gone.

Mostly it comes down to be mindful and cover your load and it should serve you well. HTH,

GeekyGodiva

 

[Norcalsun]

My bowl stays pretty white without much more cleaning than dumping it blowing it out. The stem upbove the bowl gets gunked up pretty fast though. The only time I've had any trouble at all cleaning the bowl is when I add kief or wax/oil.

 

[CarolKing]

If you are going to use wax or hash I wouldn't use the glass jar. We haven't had anybody that I know of that's been successful using it. Some folks use the glass jar up side down for a spacer. But be careful sometimes they get stuck with resin.

Use wax or hash in the middle of some herb. It works much better that way, no mess or burnt fingers.

The glass flowers aren't that expensive and really worth the expense if you can buy them. What they are is glass screens for a pipe. In the long run you use less herb using the flowers. You can customize your load. You can fit as many as 8 depending on how much cannabis you are using. I average probably about 5 or 6 glass flowers in my bowl. I add 2 on the bottom, 1 or 2 in the middle and 2 on top with the stems down to hold the load down.

The reason you need the spacer is for heat conduction and to hold the load down. We found that the glass flowers helped a lot to make the Ascent experience a more pleasurable one.

Early on ( Sept 2013) we were noticing the herb would fly around in the bowl. FCer OF thought of the glass pipe screen flowers. You can find them on Amazon online.

@KeroZen send your unit back if you are noticing problems with it. Good luck.

 

[KeroZen]

@Norcalsun : intriguing...

Seeing I never attempted to clean it, it has never been scratched or physically damaged. I don't use glass flowers either, nor any tool that could hit the bowl. So that leaves us with: difference in material vaped, difference in usage pattern, or... something weird with my particular bowl (but I recall somewhere long ago in this thread someone posting a picture of a black bowl, and also someone recently mentionning the "flakes" coming off, so I'm definitely not alone)

I use it as my alternating daily driver and only with top quality buds, no hash nor concentrates. I have a rather large consumption rate and plenty of supplies, even if I find myself needing less and less since I started vaping. And well, my bowl... it's not "black" but very dark brown if you will, with a layer so thin it's like a second skin.

I tried scratching gently with the metal pick and was able to remove some bits, as I said it's still white below. But really when the device is cold, I can smell the funky odor only when I sniff the charger jack, not the bowl, so I don't know if this is really the issue...

 

[Davinci_vaporizer]

Hey everyone! We have been tossing the idea around about doing some experiments that will give us a better understanding of what you are actually getting out of our vaporizer. Our goal is to have an understanding of the compounds the vapor from the Ascent is made up of, as well as an idea of the effect that will provide with your various herbs. Is there anything you would like to see? Any tests you want to suggest us conducting?

 

[Tanz]

Hey everyone! We have been tossing the idea around about doing some experiments that will give us a better understanding of what you are actually getting out of our vaporizer. Our goal is to have an understanding of the compounds the vapor from the Ascent is made up of, as well as an idea of the effect that will provide with your various herbs. Is there anything you would like to see? Any tests you want to suggest us conducting?

Ya, test the smoke/fumes that comes pouring off it when it's brand new out of box and tell us what that is.