Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[OF]

Sounds a bit annoying having to keep putting a bunch of those in and stuff so if I was on the go would the ascent still perform well?

Yes, it's an additional hassle (although IMO not a huge one if you work on your technique), but it does significantly improve performance......or thinking folks wouldn't continue to use them. We would only continue to use them if we thought the benefit outweighed the hassle.

And of course you don't have to used them all the time. I suspect few, if any, do. It's just an option.

But they are cheap and reported effective by other Members. IMO you should try them personally and see?

I don't use them and just compact the load to make a flat hard puck. No need to distribute heat IMO, no or little flying plant matter, and plenty of power available without them. Other FC members like them a lot but you can definitely use the device without them or other artefacts.

Agreed, it works OK as shipped, it just works better this way? How much better, and is it worth the effort are questions owners should decide for themselves.

Let me ask up front: Have you actually tried them? If so, I think you're the first to have done so and not found them of value in at least some cases. Have you tried them at least a few times, and don't recommend others trying them as well? TIA

BTW, I think you've missed the point of the flowers. The goal is not to "to distribute heat" at all, the load is already uniformly at the same temperature before the hit starts by actual measurement. There is no 'extra heat' to distribute, the distribution is already as good as Thermodynamics will allow without them. The idea is to store additional heat in the load to make more vapor during the upcoming hit. More heat energy available for the hit without raising the temperature. Not a change in heat distribution (which is already excellent if you give it enough time to recover).

Maybe try tweezers?

Good suggestion, a bit more awkward, but works fine. You can also just lay them on concrete, brick, ceramic or other 'fire proof surface' an torch it right there (flipping it over part way through). I use a bent safety pin to 'fish' mine out. I've been known to torch it right there with the pin poked through the mesh. The goal is to not burn yourself our the house down.

BTW since the mass is very low and the surface area high the screens cool in a few seconds.

OF

 

[Amoreena]

... Good suggestion, a bit more awkward, but works fine. You can also just lay them on concrete, brick, ceramic or other 'fire proof surface' an torch it right there (flipping it over part way through). ...

We're not discussing ways to hold the scrubber while cleaning ceramic bowls anymore, are we?

 

[Scott A]

The glass flowers definitively make it a hassle to reload (especially in a moving car!). But as KeroZen mentioned, you can use the Ascent just fine without them - just tamp everything down into a partially compressed 'brick' - don't make it too tight so no air can flow, but dense enough to let heat transfer throughout the load.

To be honest, the flowers are a bit annoying. I've really been thinking about designing a simple oval spacer and having it milled from Stainless Steel. Maybe different size spacers to accommodate different sized loads.....

I would buy that.

 

[OF]

We're not discussing ways to hold the scrubber while cleaning ceramic bowls anymore, are we?

Well I wasn't.......

OF

 

[Amoreena]

Well I wasn't ...

I was. That's probably why my idea seemed awkward to you.

 

[Zow237]

Just got my ascent from puff it up... 225 with vape case water adapter and care charger.. Great deal!!! Might snag a 2nd from mass drop now for a back up... Can't beat 150 if I have one already thats with 2 year warranty... I got the 14mm water adapter anyone have any recommendations of a water piece for this??

 

[Norcalsun]

I mainly use the glass flowers to "thumbtack" the load in the bowl so I don't suck up particles through the mouthpiece. The heat conductivity is a bonus. I know others use a small piece of metal screen, I just prefer the glass flowers because of their conductivity.

 

[Davinci_vaporizer]

I really want to buy one of these but as ive read time and time again.... people saying they are on there 4th and 5th units.... i wanted to buy it from my local headshop but i dont know if they are old models or new ones that they have.

Luckily head shops are authorized resellers. Should you purchase one at your local shop, just make sure to hold on to your receipt. If it has a serial number start in "2AA1" that means it was made this year, the "1AA1" means 2013. With a receipt, if anything goes wrong within two years you are covered under warranty with us!

 

[glenda]

Sorry, grabbed part of this from a previous post hoping DV acknowledges it before being buried.

The Ascent is well engineered and seems to have the bugs worked out of it, and although it works fine without anything in the bowl except packed herb, most feel the bowl needs some form of spacer to get optimum performance and conserve the quantity of herb used. Previous post show that I have tested various methods tried by others.

After looking at the size of the oil jar and how it fits in the ceramic bowl, I noted 2 things.
1 There is a small protrusion on the bottom of the ceramic bowl that keeps the jar off the bottom (room for herb)
2 When the jar sets on this protrusion, it is slightly recessed, room for a bit more herb underneath without heavy packing.
IF ONLY the oil jar had holes in it!
I took a Dremel tool to one of the oil jars. A perfect hole (hair bigger than stem holes) in the first corner, blew out 1/8" 45* hole in the other. Cleaned up smooth and gives good air flow.
Completely destroyed the second jar.
Put in load (.15-.2), compressed with jar till flush, and got the BEST and the lowest temp 370 hits yet.
(I also tried loading the can, but it floated and gave lousy tasting hit. Sat off bottom.)

DV IF YOU ARE LISTENING:
I can understand shying away from anything like the sombrero that may have a new development cost associated with it. Although a good idea, it is unproven and may be overkill. Just use your same process that puts the 4 holes in the stem and do it to the bottom of the jar. Different height jars for different loads. Sell as set. An easy one for you to test.
May need larger holes to keep from further restricting air flow.
IMO
Out of the box as is = 4 stars
Add a modified jar, spacer = 5 stars = mine w/ mod jar

I am exclusively using concentrate and found putting a hole in the corner gave me visible vapor and better hits. I contact Da Vinici to suggest they supply an oil jar and a concentrate jar (with a few small holes in the bottom)... I came to this conclusion after looking at my old Arizer Solo and realised air flow is very important with dense material like concentrates

 

[Glass004]

I don't mind not having a shiny white oven. I am using glass flowers in my loads. Significant residue does not accumulate. Taste is always great. Why does the oven need to be scrubbed? I caution that efforts to keep the oven white could expose the unit to damage.

I called Puffitup. They say that they are a DaVinci authorized retailer. They send out new units and sometimes they repair units when honoring a warenty. DaVinci does not appear to update their website and I doubt they have incentive to list new retailers.

 

[KeroZen]

I think I'm with you on that one, residues do not seem to accumulate and if insulation there is, it is insignificant as my device has plenty of power (and also the best taste of all my portable vapes)

My problem was not vapor production but an off smell I could (and still can) spot when the device is running empty. I had the gf check it for me and she confirmed that the smell is coming from the grill side and not from the bowl. It's pretty faint but she said "it smells like my hair drier or like a heating electrical appliance".

I think I might just be smelling the nichrome heating element in fact. And honnestly, as soon as there is green inside the bowl this faint smell is almost completely masked. I think you have to know it's there in order to spot it, and even then, it's light.

I've been using the device daily since that post and didn't bother with the issue any longer. I'm still really happy with my Ascent and use it several times per day, especially when I want a low temp session and/or when I'm using a strain with a delicious taste that I want to conserve and enjoy as much as possible.

Sometimes I also go directly to mid or high temps with it when I want a shorter session and there's really plenty of vapor, enough to make me cough!

I might try this magic eraser trick but I have no idea how this product is called where I live. If it has "magic" in the name, I imagine it's not your average white pen eraser no?

 

[Amoreena]

... I have no idea how this product is called where I live. ...

This is it:

https://www.mrclean.com/cleanbook/magic-erasers-101

Apparently it's made of Melamine foam. Might be easier to find that where you live?

 

[Jambi619]

I was thinking about picking up the Ascent on Massdrop, but decided not to because of lack of warranty (although MD says they'd honor it themselves, somehow?)

Anyway, I'm curious if Davinci does Black Friday sales, or what authorized retailers I could visit for a warrantied Ascent on Black Friday?

EDIT: Found the list of authorized resellers on DV website.

 

[CarolKing]

Sometimes Davinci has 20% off on its products.

 

[Jambi619]

When I asked DV about Massdrop they gave me a 10% off code, but 20% is even better!

Question is, how long will I have to wait for that?

 

[OF]

Question is, how long will I have to wait for that?

An excellent question. My 'take' is it has to do with the season than how long it's been since the last sale? IIRC there's a series of great offers from several makers that seem to start happening around Thanksgiving?

It's a tough call, the sooner you get it the sooner you can start enjoying it and probably the longer (until it's replaced by a still better one?). But if you can save serious bucks by holding off, that can cover some tasty bud to break it in with........

Also, in that mix, is your alternative vapes until then. Then again, a guy should always have a back up vape anyway, so hopefully you're covered. While some guys have had troubles and had to swap units (more so early on than lately?), I have had none and think that's the usual case. In any event DV is very good at working until the customer is happy one way or the other, IMO you need not fear that part.

Anyway, good luck with the waiting out a good deal. I bet you enjoy it, perhaps all the more, when it comes to your house.

OF

 

[Jambi619]

Pulled the trigger, hope to have my Ascent by Sat.

So best practice loading it is to tamp the load with an oil jar, then add something like cotton or glass flowers to the top to filter material from the airpath and hold the load down?

 

[Zow237]

I got my ascent yesterday. Did a burn off for 10 mins. Then tried experimenting. I have done prolly 5 or 6 loads now n still haven't gotten that vapor thickness I want... So when I get off work gonna try a full pack n see how that goes but this pack is huge just like pax

 

[OF]

I got my ascent yesterday. Did a burn off for 10 mins. Then tried experimenting. I have done prolly 5 or 6 loads now n still haven't gotten that vapor thickness I want... So when I get off work gonna try a full pack n see how that goes but this pack is huge just like pax

Try the glass flowers......AFAIK everyone who has has reported useful improvements in that area.......

OF

 

[Zow237]

I have 2 in the bot and 2 on top

 

[Delta3DStudios]

I got my ascent yesterday. Did a burn off for 10 mins. Then tried experimenting. I have done prolly 5 or 6 loads now n still haven't gotten that vapor thickness I want... So when I get off work gonna try a full pack n see how that goes but this pack is huge just like pax

I believe load density plays a key role - why not ensure your load is nicely compacted before testing (don't make it so compressed no air can flow through it! ). I believe a dense load is required to transfer the thermal energy

 

[Zow237]

I believe load density plays a key role - why not ensure your load is nicely compacted before testing (don't make it so compressed no air can flow through it! ). I believe a dense load is required to transfer the thermal energy

Ok.... How much is an ideal pack

Has to be grounded or can it be full guys or partially broke. Up

 

[Jambi619]

Still waiting on mine, but I read something earlier in the thread about using the oil jars as a spacer. Does that work well?

 

[Norcalsun]

I've found that ground and very dry bud produces the most vapor, if that's what your looking for. Try temps of 400F+, you should be able to get enough vapor to make you cough. Draw slow and steady. Also I've found that the water tool adaptor helps a lot for a airtight pathway.

 

[Zow237]

I've found that ground and very dry bud produces the most vapor, if that's what your looking for. Try temps of 400F+, you should be able to get enough vapor to make you cough. Draw slow and steady. Also I've found that the water tool adaptor helps a lot for a airtight pathway.

yeah i try to make sure my material is dry before i vape. yeah but 400+ is combustion. I guess its still better than smoking a pipe.


I also just a had very nice session. i start at 350 and work my way up to 401 and then im pretty much done with it.... very impressed but the unit sure does stink.