Just spoke to Dv they said they still don't have a date for more ordering but it should be "very very soon"
Gentle Friends,
After a missed connection or two I finally got the loan of Nigel's "Burl" Ascent for some evaluation and testing. After charging, I of course couldn't resist loading up a bowl of known bud, putting it on 392F and having a go. Sucker holds a LOT. This load was .30 grams and was a fair bit short of hard packed and full. With a running start I might go .50? Subjectively I found 'sipping' slowly to be quite good, honking on it not so much so.
Now, to the fun part. I made a special Thermo Couple for the job by cutting the last 5 inches or so off, stripping all the fiberglass off it and attaching the bare wires to a T/C connector (backwards the first time, of course.....). In order to keep the two wires insulated I put a thin wall PTFE sleeve over one of them. The other shorts to the grill of course, but since it's a 'floating ground' system, a single ground fault is OK. These I fished up though the grill and through one of the four holes into the oven. I taped the connector to the outside of the swinging door. You can see the TC head here, about in the center of it all. The overall cable blocks about half (or a bit less) of one hole.
For a first quick check of the system I packed the bowl with ABV (mostly from the 'familiarity ride') trying to keep the the TC head as close to the wall as I could. I don't think it actually touches but it's close.
Firing it up at 400 had the measured temperature in the 330F range when the display said 'making vapor' and a solid 400F. It took several more minutes to get to 390F (next time I'll get that number?). Finally making temperature to a surprising level of agreement. This explains, I think, at least in part the time delay I saw in getting solid vapor going. The indicated temperature does not accurately represent load temperature sometimes. There seems to be lots of 'thermal inertia' going on here. The sense point for temperature control (my guess is the heater body; with the glass, ceramic and rubber layers between there and the load?) doesn't really measure the load. Being well surrounded by the heater body, eventually everything gets to temperature much like in a home oven, unlike some other systems where there aren't layers of thermal insulation in the heat path?
Anyway, the load makes temperature eventually to a surprising agreement (remember this is half way up, near the wall):
Now for the fun part, hitting it. A moderate (15 second?) hit doesn't change the display (and indeed might not change the temperature at the sense point much), but look what happens to the load temperature:
That's a pretty nasty drop, and remember this is near the wall (we can assume it's probably worse in the center?). Looks to me like the cold air coming in with the hit is stopping useful production? I think this shows why hitting it hard looking for huge clouds doesn't work as well as you might hope?
It takes it a fair while to recover as well.
Anyway, more playing and some more careful data collection should fill in some of the blanks but it looks to me like some of it's pretty easy to understand and predict? Trying to standardize load and draw will take some thinking I think.....
Overall a neat little product IMO.
More when I know more worth telling.
OF
I'm going to throw this out there ... I have my Solo out on indefinite loan to a friend because, although a great portable, its anything but discreet and is only a portable in the sense that it operates on a battery and is small enough to carry around with accessories in a moderate case. The Ascent fits the bill more similar to that of the Inhalater that is not really discrete but discrete enough. It can be used in public without it being extremely obvious (similar to the INH). The Solo on the other hand ... I feel like I'm on display ... so being that with the Solo I feel like I'm on display ... I'd just as soon use my heavy hitting MiniVAP when discretion isn't overly concerning.Thanks for the useful info, that's unfortunately the kind of thing I'm starting to fear about the Ascent. It has been delayed just TOO many times in my opinion. I know it's to make it better and stronger, but really? I feel the "oh shit this always breaks we cannot ship that to customers" and as much as I had high hopes in the beginning of the journey, right now I have high doubts about the reliability of the product and WHEN we'll get it.
I'm on the edge of turning heels and picking a Solo. Please anybody, reassure me!
Thanks
I'm going to throw this out there ... I have my Solo out on indefinite loan to a friend because, although a great portable, its anything but discreet and is only a portable in the sense that it operates on a battery and is small enough to carry around with accessories in a moderate case. The Ascent fits the bill more similar to that of the Inhalater that is not really discrete but discrete enough. It can be used in public without it being extremely obvious (similar to the INH). The Solo on the other hand ... I feel like I'm on display ... so being that with the Solo I feel like I'm on display ... I'd just as soon use my heavy hitting MiniVAP when discretion isn't overly concerning.
If I'm looking for discretion, the Solo doesn't fit the bill at all ... I was using the Inhalater 004 but found that I needed water conditioning or to be outside on a cool day ... or the mouth irritation was such that I would get canker sores from the heat ... I don't have this probem with the Ascent nor Solo at moderate temperatures (the Solo on 7 can cause this issue for me if I use it exclusively and use it at high temperatures without water conditioning ... I have yet to experience this with the Ascent)
I'm continuing to stay on the Ascent band wagon ... I enjoy my device and am looking forward to improvements coming in the updated releases.
The Solo isn't a pocket vape, but if it'll meet your needs then why wait on and worry about the Ascent? The Solo has already been through it's own growing pains (with pretty much equal and to this model), and is now a solid and reliable performer, and cheaper as well. If you want to be reassured that the Ascent is solid and making people happy, play the waiting game. If you want to be an early adoptee, then you'll have to deal with the risk that's involved.Tommy Bergeron said:I'm on the edge of turning heels and picking a Solo.
Thanks for the useful info, that's unfortunately the kind of thing I'm starting to fear about the Ascent.
right now I have high doubts about the reliability of the product and WHEN we'll get it.
The Solo isn't a pocket vape, but if it'll meet your needs then why wait on and worry about the Ascent? The Solo has already been through it's own growing pains (with pretty much equal and to this model), and is now a solid and reliable performer, and cheaper as well. If you want to be reassured that the Ascent is solid and making people happy, play the waiting game. If you want to be an early adoptee, then you'll have to deal with the risk that's involved.
You're welcome. I guess I don't share your fears? I see nothing to call the reliability into question. Like most vapes I think you get better results with one technique over others.
I see nothing to make me think it won't do the same thing over and over again.....and subjectively it does make good vapor. And I think the build quality is at least reasonable, this sample is very nice cosmetically, few I think would find fault.
Time may tell a different story of course. But I see no reason to 'give up' on Ascent and think the next version will have some useful improvements as well?
OF
With the temperature drop after pulling on the ascent wouldn't any bowl like this do that? You are directly pulling the hot air out and it needs to get back to temp. Nothing to really make me worried but I can see how that would kill your herb much faster.
I had a question about that. I'm smoking joints with my girlfriend every evenings. We go though an ounce every 8 days or so which costs us a LOT (I buy nice herbs, and it's 180$/ounce here so about 700$ a month :-/)Not necessarily. It depends on the design. Many convection vapes do just the opposite. Vapes like HA, VG, Cera LL and so on cool down when you stop hitting.
I'm not sure why this vape would 'kill the herb much faster'? Than what?
OF
I'm smoking joints with my girlfriend every evenings. We go though an ounce every 8 days or so which costs us a LOT (I buy nice herbs, and it's 180$/ounce here so about 700$ a month :-/)
I heard that vapes tend to go through LESS of the herbs. Is it the truth? If so is there a huge difference?
Any tips?
Gentle Friends,
After a missed connection or two I finally got the loan of Nigel's "Burl" Ascent for some evaluation and testing. After charging, I of course couldn't resist loading up a bowl of known bud, putting it on 392F and having a go. Sucker holds a LOT. This load was .30 grams and was a fair bit short of hard packed and full. With a running start I might go .50? Subjectively I found 'sipping' slowly to be quite good, honking on it not so much so.
Now, to the fun part. I made a special Thermo Couple for the job by cutting the last 5 inches or so off, stripping all the fiberglass off it and attaching the bare wires to a T/C connector (backwards the first time, of course.....). In order to keep the two wires insulated I put a thin wall PTFE sleeve over one of them. The other shorts to the grill of course, but since it's a 'floating ground' system, a single ground fault is OK. These I fished up though the grill and through one of the four holes into the oven. I taped the connector to the outside of the swinging door. You can see the TC head here, about in the center of it all. The overall cable blocks about half (or a bit less) of one hole.
For a first quick check of the system I packed the bowl with ABV (mostly from the 'familiarity ride') trying to keep the the TC head as close to the wall as I could. I don't think it actually touches but it's close.
Firing it up at 400 had the measured temperature in the 330F range when the display said 'making vapor' and a solid 400F. It took several more minutes to get to 390F (next time I'll get that number?). Finally making temperature to a surprising level of agreement. This explains, I think, at least in part the time delay I saw in getting solid vapor going. The indicated temperature does not accurately represent load temperature sometimes. There seems to be lots of 'thermal inertia' going on here. The sense point for temperature control (my guess is the heater body; with the glass, ceramic and rubber layers between there and the load?) doesn't really measure the load. Being well surrounded by the heater body, eventually everything gets to temperature much like in a home oven, unlike some other systems where there aren't layers of thermal insulation in the heat path?
Anyway, the load makes temperature eventually to a surprising agreement (remember this is half way up, near the wall):
Now for the fun part, hitting it. A moderate (15 second?) hit doesn't change the display (and indeed might not change the temperature at the sense point much), but look what happens to the load temperature:
That's a pretty nasty drop, and remember this is near the wall (we can assume it's probably worse in the center?). Looks to me like the cold air coming in with the hit is stopping useful production? I think this shows why hitting it hard looking for huge clouds doesn't work as well as you might hope?
It takes it a fair while to recover as well.
Anyway, more playing and some more careful data collection should fill in some of the blanks but it looks to me like some of it's pretty easy to understand and predict? Trying to standardize load and draw will take some thinking I think.....
Overall a neat little product IMO.
More when I know more worth telling.
OF
I doubt there's a serious guy around here that hasn't experienced his weed bill dropping by at least half?
I have heard all these stories of decreased use, but have not experienced it. I have been going through an ounce a month for over 20 years. That did not change when I switched to vaping about 2 years ago.
From what I have read here, reduced consumption is common. But it is not guaranteed. Mine stayed the same.
What vapes are you using?
180$/ounce here so about 700$ a month :-/)
What is your opinion of the temps here to other vapes currently out there?
What I am asking is are the temp draw issues with the Ascent, typical with other vapes.
What if 1 or 2 of the 4 holes were plugged up to make drawing hard/fast more difficult.
I had a question about that. I'm smoking joints with my girlfriend every evenings. We go though an ounce every 8 days or so which costs us a LOT (I buy nice herbs, and it's 180$/ounce here so about 700$ a month :-/)
I heard that vapes tend to go through LESS of the herbs. Is it the truth? If so is there a huge difference?
Any tips?
Thanks!
It's much harder to get efficient vaping with heavy hits in a smaller unit. It's a huge technological achievement IMO that these portables even work, and it's normal to have this many problems in new launch models.