FlashVAPE

[Vapzilla]

Thanks for the update, you making my online trigger finger itchy!
I'm just a little concerned about that fine line of combustion, though I do enjoy a heavy hit.
I am most attracted to it for that quick hit ability it has and at the same time won't be cooking my load away while it's sitting idle.

 

[Tweek]

I wouldn't really worry about the combustion. You may combust once or twice when getting a feel for the unit, but after that, you start to develop a feel for timing.

 

[natural farmer]

Just like the MFLB I guess...

 

[Tweek]

Just like the MFLB I guess...

This definitely has more power behind it than the MFLB. The concept may be the same, but heat up is fast and hot.

 

[pakalolo]

It is a fine line between heating it long enough for maximum vapour and combusting. It is a beast! My favourite technique is to take micro hits and I find the Flashvape keeps up nicely. I can generally get light-medium vapour. Any thicker and I usually hit combustion pretty quickly. AVB is a light, even brown with some green flecks.

When you say micro-hits are you hitting while the button is pressed?

Battery life is pretty consistent throughout use. I really did not notice the battery dying until the indicator light on the front started to dim. It chugged along nicely for a heavy, 45 minute session.

You don't get much warning that the battery is dying but that is the nature of the battery: the discharge curve is flat until the end, then it falls off a cliff. Unfortunately this characteristic of li-ion batteries means you can't really have anything to tell you how much capacity is left, so the light is as good as you can get. My first indication is that I hit it as usual and don't get much vapour. Right after that, the light dims.

I wouldn't really worry about the combustion. You may combust once or twice when getting a feel for the unit, but after that, you start to develop a feel for timing.

Just like the MFLB I guess...

Not really. Even with the PA turned up all the way, the LB is no match for the power turned out by the FV. You'd still have to hold the power on for a while to reach combustion in the LB, but with the FV it happens quickly. With a fresh load it's safe at 8 seconds, but at 9-10 seconds you will combust. It will happen slightly sooner if the load has been hit a couple of times since it's then been dried out. In fact, I'll bet that failure to reduce button time as the load is cooked will be the primary cause of accidental combustion.

Reaching combustion shouldn't deter anyone from getting the FV. It's part of learning the limits of the device. I believe that this is a small price to pay for the power it delivers.

 

[marduk]

If you draw continuously while keeping the button pressed, would the FV reach a point of thermal equilibrium that is below combustion temperature? Or is the heater so powerful that temperatures continue to increase while drawing?

 

[Roger D]

Guys I really can't wait to get mine... I should have it soon, it has been shipped from Canada like a week ago. All the good reviews are making me so eager to try it !
I will try to hook it on my bubbler with silicone and post a video
Its really exiting to see the first steps of a new hit vape. It's going to be huge, at this price point, this unique conception and build quality, already makes its a must have in your pocket kind of thing.

 

[pakalolo]

If you draw continuously while keeping the button pressed, would the FV reach a point of thermal equilibrium that is below combustion temperature? Or is the heater so powerful that temperatures continue to increase while drawing?

Excellent question. I just did an experiment to test this. I loaded up some ABV because it is dried out and is therefore more likely to combust. I held the button down for 5 seconds then pulled hard for as long as my lungs would let me. Before I started to pull I was getting a little vapour but as soon as I started hitting everything cooled off and stayed cool even though I kept the power button down. My conclusion therefore is that yes, you can keep it below combustion. I'd be interested in what Tweek and Vito have to say.

 

[marduk]

Nice! I think the FV is going to be a huge success.

 

[Tweek]

When you say micro-hits are you hitting while the button is pressed?

I have tried it out two ways actually, and both work very well. I will either:

--Hold the button down for 5 seconds, hit and hold my breath, keeping the button held down and then puff every 3-4 seconds after that. I usually do that 3-4 times before I blow out and shake the unit.

--Hold the button down for 5 seconds initially, release and hit, then quickly tap the button almost immediately again and hit. I find you can build heat in the bowl just by tapping the button, therefore your next hits can happen around the 3 second mark. This is my favourite way of using the device.

Hope that made sense.

If you draw continuously while keeping the button pressed, would the FV reach a point of thermal equilibrium that is below combustion temperature? Or is the heater so powerful that temperatures continue to increase while drawing?

Excellent question. I just did an experiment to test this. I loaded up some ABV because it is dried out and is therefore more likely to combust. I held the button down for 5 seconds then pulled hard for as long as my lungs would let me. Before I started to pull I was getting a little vapour but as soon as I started hitting everything cooled off and stayed cool even though I kept the power button down. My conclusion therefore is that yes, you can keep it below combustion. I'd be interested in what Tweek and Vito have to say.

I have played around with holding the button down as long as I could while trying different draw speeds. The bowl didn't burn, but you had to be really careful...slow down too much and you start to taste it heading south. I also didn't find the vapor as satisfying this way, but I was getting flavour. What ended up working was pausing in your draw, like I suggest above and allowing the heat to build just enough for vapor. You start to get the feel for it.

 

[Vitolo]

I feel that the button, when depressed, does start to dwindle in it's power output after a few seconds.
I have not yet combusted with the FV, and I think this can only occur in those first few hits, where the power of the battery is still above 1/2.
Yes... the power falls at once, as if off a cliff... but... after the first few hits, I see that I get vapor that builds, then slowly reduces in volume... until I release the button and depress it again.
This I assume is for two reasons...
1- The power does surge when the button is depressed, and then lightens up on production, once the battery is half depleted.
2- Like the MFLB, the heat source wants that "shake" from the user... to get fresh herb closer to the heat source.

Since the herb is not in a direct air path, like the MFLB 's situation, I feel that draw speed will affect "coolness/heat" less than on the MFLB.. The Vapor builds and gently rises in this unit, and then the user sucks that vapor up out of that area, off of the vaporization source, as opposed to some air being drawn past the heat source/bottom screen area

 

[Tweek]

In regards to the batteries, this is where my technique seems to help. I don't notice the battery fall off as much, since there is already so much heat built up in the ceramic chamber from tapping. So even though battery life might be waining, I am still able to pull decent clouds right till the end without it really bothering me in any noticeable way. It is only once it cools, that I notice I have to hold the button longer due to the battery becoming depleted.

 

[FlashVAPE]

I have tried it out two ways actually, and both work very well. I will either:

--Hold the button down for 5 seconds, hit and hold my breath, keeping the button held down and then puff every 3-4 seconds after that. I usually do that 3-4 times before I blow out and shake the unit.

--Hold the button down for 5 seconds initially, release and hit, then quickly tap the button almost immediately again and hit. I find you can build heat in the bowl just by tapping the button, therefore your next hits can happen around the 3 second mark. This is my favourite way of using the device.

Hope that made sense.


I have played around with holding the button down as long as I could while trying different draw speeds. The bowl didn't burn, but you had to be really careful...slow down too much and you start to taste it heading south. I also didn't find the vapor as satisfying this way, but I was getting flavour. What ended up working was pausing in your draw, like I suggest above and allowing the heat to build just enough for vapor. You start to get the feel for it.

... its good to see different advanced methods of of FVing! the FV is a powerful tool that allows users to customize their experience based on their own preferred vaping style.. a little, or alot, the FV can deliver.

 

[pakalolo]

I feel that the button, when depressed, does start to dwindle in it's power output after a few seconds.
I have not yet combusted with the FV, and I think this can only occur in those first few hits, where the power of the battery is still above 1/2.
Yes... the power falls at once, as if off a cliff... but... after the first few hits, I see that I get vapor that builds, then slowly reduces in volume... until I release the button and depress it again.
This I assume is for two reasons...
1- The power does surge when the button is depressed, and then lightens up on production, once the battery is half depleted.
2- Like the MFLB, the heat source wants that "shake" from the user... to get fresh herb closer to the heat source.

Since the herb is not in a direct air path, like the MFLB 's situation, I feel that draw speed will affect "coolness/heat" less than on the MFLB.. The Vapor builds and gently rises in this unit, and then the user sucks that vapor up out of that area, off of the vaporization source, as opposed to some air being drawn past the heat source/bottom screen area

I don't think it works quite the way you describe. The flat discharge curve means that it puts out about the same power until it is almost depleted regardless of how much energy is left in the battery. The slope does decline slightly but I've never seen a graph that shows a difference that would have the effect you describe.

A major difference from the LB is that the FV has a ceramic heater and does not send power directly to the screen. It is a conduction vaporizer only when used as indicated in the instructions, where you heat the load without drawing. Since there is no air movement radiant heat does all the work, heating the screen and the load, hence conduction.

As soon as you start inhaling, air is drawn over the heat source, which is directly below the air inlets. The air then flows up through the screens and the load, which is why the FV can be a convection vapourizer. Because the FV is so powerful, it can heat air to convection temperatures provided that you don't pull too hard. The reason I couldn't get the ABV to reach combustion was simply that the air moved too quickly past the heater for convection and also cooled down the screens so no conduction either.

 

[Vapzilla]

Tweek, Pakalolo, Vitolo and Flashvape
Thank you for the great info, pics and video.
I'm going to order one!

 

[FlashVAPE]

Tweek, Pakalolo, Vitolo and Flashvape
Thank you for the great info, pics and video.
I'm going to order one!

... you are most welcome! im sure the FV will bring you lots of joy!

 

[Stone__Man]

any new findings ? feelings ? likes ? dislikes?

seems not a lot of new vapes in this last half year, and those I found ATM this one interests me the most.

was reading about the pax and what I have read does NOT encourage me in that direction any longer, too finicky and such, and frankly 250 bones is too much for me to swallow.cleaning all the time, filling that big bowl and packing it down does not sound frugal to me.

one point of the FV that has gotten me interested is the load size and that it can be pretty much any amount, (well that is how my mind interprets what I have read) . is this true in your findings ? those that have one?

at this point the vapman is my ONLY vape and I've quite enjoyed it, and particularly love its frugal use of my greenery. it alone has saved me a LOT in consumption $$$. no clue what the "load " size is but suffice to say its just a pinch.

I mention the vapman how little it uses, simply cause I LOVE that, and perhaps better explains my questions of the FV and its load size. I like the idea of only having to use a little for when I just want a little bump, or loading half full and not worrying about opening the unit up to add more (read pass around to others) . I understand it is good to shake between draws, no problem there, even a monkey can do that

I should also mention I don't give a rat's ass about HUGE CLOUDS, in the least. I only care about what the device delivers in feeling not exhale volume.

I understand this is a rather tough one to answer, what with all the variables of button press length and length and strength of draw & so on and so forth . but on AVERAGE how many draws could I expect from one battery? I ask this as it was one thing that kept me from getting a MFLB to begin with (how quickly it drained the batts). and would load size play any role in this? my mind tells me it should, as more volume at one time will take longer to change temp.

also this is from the FV website "
-Each half filled bowl should last approximately 10-15 puffs at 5 seconds of vape time each puff, before most of the active ingredients are vaporized.
-A full charged battery will last a good 2-3 bowls before requiring a recharge. However, it is recommended that batteries be charged after each bowl vaped."

call me daft but its all a bit confusing to me. we have 10 to 15 puffs per bowl = between 20 and 45 puffs using the 2-3 good bowls. is that to say if I fill the FV half full I can do this 2 or 3 times per battery, with pretty much the same performance from the unit? or is that just in theory not practice? it goes on to say its recommended battery be charged after each bowl, therefore after every 10 to 15 hits.

that is a HUGE difference between 10 puffs and 45. I'm sure everyone using any battery powered device of ANY kind would LOVE to double or triple their devices battery useful life on one charge.
so in the real would what can I expect 10 puffs per fresh batt? or 45?

sorry but it struck me as odd the very first time I see the site, and it still has me scratching my head as to the intention of the words and how different folks will interpret them. if its recommended after every bowl (10 to 15) puffs to change/charge battery, how does that jive with its preceding sentence of 2-3 bowls before require recharge?

there is no ill intent in the least just like to be clear in my research of potential purchases. Perhaps I read it wrong , perhaps its only me its confusing, perhaps not.



Peace

 

[Tweek]

If I fill the bowl halfway as suggested in the manual, and really work hard at smoking it all in one sitting, I can generally get 30-45 min out of the battery. I have tried counting puffs, but usually lose count This does all vary according to technique, but the batteries do have a good supply of juice I find.

For official records sake, I will pop in a fresh battery now and keep track of the puff count for you. Be back in a while.

Edit: I put fresh batteries and packed a fresh bowl 15 min ago. So far, using the suggested technique in the manual, I have gotten 20 solid puffs with no sign of slowing down. I am finding I do not have to hold the button down as long, as the load is drying out and chamber is building heat. 3-4 seconds max at this point.

Will keep you posted.

Edit #2: Ok, I managed to get 38 hits off of a single bowl and the battery still has juice. Unit started to get warm in the hand at around 30 hits and near the end, was warm enough to need a break, probably not good for the battery to push it. So after a rest, I will load a second bowl on the same battery and let you know.

Edit #3: Ok, so I loaded a second bowl and managed 22 hits before the indicator light started to dim. Even though I gave it a good cool down time, the unit got hot again in my hand rather quickly. Didn't bother me, but might be uncomfortable for some. Only solution is to swap to a fresh battery at this point.

Knees...so...wobbly....

 

[pakalolo]

any new findings ? feelings ? likes ? dislikes?

seems not a lot of new vapes in this last half year, and those I found ATM this one interests me the most.

was reading about the pax and what I have read does NOT encourage me in that direction any longer, too finicky and such, and frankly 250 bones is too much for me to swallow.cleaning all the time, filling that big bowl and packing it down does not sound frugal to me.

one point of the FV that has gotten me interested is the load size and that it can be pretty much any amount, (well that is how my mind interprets what I have read) . is this true in your findings ? those that have one?

at this point the vapman is my ONLY vape and I've quite enjoyed it, and particularly love its frugal use of my greenery. it alone has saved me a LOT in consumption $$$. no clue what the "load " size is but suffice to say its just a pinch.

I mention the vapman how little it uses, simply cause I LOVE that, and perhaps better explains my questions of the FV and its load size. I like the idea of only having to use a little for when I just want a little bump, or loading half full and not worrying about opening the unit up to add more (read pass around to others) . I understand it is good to shake between draws, no problem there, even a monkey can do that

I should also mention I don't give a rat's ass about HUGE CLOUDS, in the least. I only care about what the device delivers in feeling not exhale volume.

I understand this is a rather tough one to answer, what with all the variables of button press length and length and strength of draw & so on and so forth . but on AVERAGE how many draws could I expect from one battery? I ask this as it was one thing that kept me from getting a MFLB to begin with (how quickly it drained the batts). and would load size play any role in this? my mind tells me it should, as more volume at one time will take longer to change temp.

also this is from the FV website "
-Each half filled bowl should last approximately 10-15 puffs at 5 seconds of vape time each puff, before most of the active ingredients are vaporized.
-A full charged battery will last a good 2-3 bowls before requiring a recharge. However, it is recommended that batteries be charged after each bowl vaped."

call me daft but its all a bit confusing to me. we have 10 to 15 puffs per bowl = between 20 and 45 puffs using the 2-3 good bowls. is that to say if I fill the FV half full I can do this 2 or 3 times per battery, with pretty much the same performance from the unit? or is that just in theory not practice? it goes on to say its recommended battery be charged after each bowl, therefore after every 10 to 15 hits.

that is a HUGE difference between 10 puffs and 45. I'm sure everyone using any battery powered device of ANY kind would LOVE to double or triple their devices battery useful life on one charge.
so in the real would what can I expect 10 puffs per fresh batt? or 45?

sorry but it struck me as odd the very first time I see the site, and it still has me scratching my head as to the intention of the words and how different folks will interpret them. if its recommended after every bowl (10 to 15) puffs to change/charge battery, how does that jive with its preceding sentence of 2-3 bowls before require recharge?

there is no ill intent in the least just like to be clear in my research of potential purchases. Perhaps I read it wrong , perhaps its only me its confusing, perhaps not.



Peace

You can vary the load size as much as you like. I tend to load about .1 g, around the same size as my LB trench. I have no reason to load more since I'm not sharing.

I don't think the load size matters at all to the battery life. I think that the difference in power needed to vapourize a half-filled bowl compared to barely covering the screen is a tiny percentage of the power it needs to heat the screens. Like Tweek I haven't been tracking the battery life yet. I don't charge it after every bowl, I wait until I get a hit that doesn't deliver vapour. Unfortunately that's the earliest indication I get that the battery needs charging. The light will get dimmer if I keep the button down but by then it's not able to produce vapour. I'm counting down the puffs in this battery, however, so like Tweek I'll try to remember what I was doing and report back. Testing is hard work.

Incidentally, it is a complicated and difficult problem to provide a meter to show the remaining power for LiFePO4 batteries, and because of the shape of the discharge curve a meter isn't that useful. By the time there's enough drop to show up in a meter, the battery is almost done. This problem has gotten a lot of attention because LiFePO4 batteries are used to power electric vehicles. Gauges have been developed but they are impractical in devices like the FV. All of this is a long way of saying that you shouldn't fault the FV for not having a better way of warning you that your battery is nearly depleted.

 

[FlashVAPE]

any new findings ? feelings ? likes ? dislikes?

seems not a lot of new vapes in this last half year, and those I found ATM this one interests me the most.

was reading about the pax and what I have read does NOT encourage me in that direction any longer, too finicky and such, and frankly 250 bones is too much for me to swallow.cleaning all the time, filling that big bowl and packing it down does not sound frugal to me.

one point of the FV that has gotten me interested is the load size and that it can be pretty much any amount, (well that is how my mind interprets what I have read) . is this true in your findings ? those that have one?

at this point the vapman is my ONLY vape and I've quite enjoyed it, and particularly love its frugal use of my greenery. it alone has saved me a LOT in consumption $$$. no clue what the "load " size is but suffice to say its just a pinch.

I mention the vapman how little it uses, simply cause I LOVE that, and perhaps better explains my questions of the FV and its load size. I like the idea of only having to use a little for when I just want a little bump, or loading half full and not worrying about opening the unit up to add more (read pass around to others) . I understand it is good to shake between draws, no problem there, even a monkey can do that

I should also mention I don't give a rat's ass about HUGE CLOUDS, in the least. I only care about what the device delivers in feeling not exhale volume.

I understand this is a rather tough one to answer, what with all the variables of button press length and length and strength of draw & so on and so forth . but on AVERAGE how many draws could I expect from one battery? I ask this as it was one thing that kept me from getting a MFLB to begin with (how quickly it drained the batts). and would load size play any role in this? my mind tells me it should, as more volume at one time will take longer to change temp.

also this is from the FV website "
-Each half filled bowl should last approximately 10-15 puffs at 5 seconds of vape time each puff, before most of the active ingredients are vaporized.
-A full charged battery will last a good 2-3 bowls before requiring a recharge. However, it is recommended that batteries be charged after each bowl vaped."

call me daft but its all a bit confusing to me. we have 10 to 15 puffs per bowl = between 20 and 45 puffs using the 2-3 good bowls. is that to say if I fill the FV half full I can do this 2 or 3 times per battery, with pretty much the same performance from the unit? or is that just in theory not practice? it goes on to say its recommended battery be charged after each bowl, therefore after every 10 to 15 hits.

that is a HUGE difference between 10 puffs and 45. I'm sure everyone using any battery powered device of ANY kind would LOVE to double or triple their devices battery useful life on one charge.
so in the real would what can I expect 10 puffs per fresh batt? or 45?

sorry but it struck me as odd the very first time I see the site, and it still has me scratching my head as to the intention of the words and how different folks will interpret them. if its recommended after every bowl (10 to 15) puffs to change/charge battery, how does that jive with its preceding sentence of 2-3 bowls before require recharge?

there is no ill intent in the least just like to be clear in my research of potential purchases. Perhaps I read it wrong , perhaps its only me its confusing, perhaps not.



Peace

hey there Stone-Man, great questions...

In regards to the puffs per charge question, we state that it is recommended to charge between uses (each bowl) simply because this way, you are sure to get the best battery power out of the unit each time you use. and since this cell has no "memory effect", this will not do any harm to the battery. Also, as it is most likely that the average person should be nicely vaped after one bowl, there should be time for a charge between uses.

We state 2-3 half filled bowls on a single charge because of the nature of the FV is user controlled. and as with such, your milage may vary based on your personal style of usage preference. The only way the bowl size will effect the battery life will be in terms of how many puffs you get out of the bowl based on how much you put in it. If a thin layer of 0.1g lasts you 10 puffs, and a half filled bowl may lasts 25 puffs, it will not be accurate for an exact number to be placed on the battery life based on the count of the number of bowls we are able to get out of the FV on a single charge due to the many variables involved during usage. The same goes for the exact number of puffs count based on many variables such as power-on time per puff. So as such, all the suggestions about the battery life of the FV on our instructions are very conservatively stated, and most users will agree that they are getting more out of the FV per charge that what we have stated.

As many users have discovered first hand, you can rest assured that the FV will go a long way on a single charge.

I should also state that the suggested 10-15 puffs on each bowl is also very conservative... since materials different greatly, as does the amount you put in. We just don't want to misinform newbie users to keep vaping the same bowl after its done, so we also state this figure very conservatively in the instructions.

 

[Ace.357]

I just went through the entire thread. So far I'm really diggin what have read. Thanks pakalolo, vitolo, and tweek. I enjoyed your informative reviews and thoughts on the unit. Definitely seems like a heavy hitter that's fun to play with/test.

I've tried different portables - MFLB, Solo, No2, Inhalater. Although they all get the job done, (IMO) the MFLB delivered the tastiest hits. Taste is important to me. How would you guys compare the taste to your other portables?

 

[pakalolo]

I just went through the entire thread. So far I'm really diggin what have read. Thanks pakalolo, vitolo, and tweek. I enjoyed your informative reviews and thoughts on the unit. Definitely seems like a heavy hitter that's fun to play with/test.

I've tried different portables - MFLB, Solo, No2, Inhalater. Although they all get the job done, (IMO) the MFLB delivered the tastiest hits. Taste is important to me. How would you guys compare the taste to your other portables?

The taste is superb. It compares well with the LB and Palm 2.0. If I were limited to evaluating based on taste, I don't know how I'd choose between them. All three of these leave the Pax in the dust when it comes to flavour.

 

[Ace.357]

Do you have to use finely ground up herb like with the launch box?

 

[pakalolo]

Do you have to use finely ground up herb like with the launch box?

Thanks for asking that, I've been meaning to bring that up.

It's a conduction vapourizer when used as instructed, therefore if you use it that way then you will get better results if you use a fine grind. The heated surface area is quite large, however, so you can easily get good results from a coarse grind.

You don't need to grind as fine if you use it the way I usually do, which is to start pulling on it before I release the power button to introduce some convection effects. I also open it after the first hit to make sure nothing is stuck to the screen, and often at that point I will dump and crumble. A fine LB style grind does work better in my opinion, the FV just doesn't need it.

 

[Stone__Man]

Knees...so...wobbly....

LMFAO I just love your wit bro

and thanks so much for "taking one for the team" lol it must have been hell

pakalolo shaka brada , lived there for 5 years, talk about great greenery

Flash , I thank you sir for your reply , this is feeling more and more like a "go" all the time.seems battery life will not have the same problems as the LB ( as I read it )

one simple , probably stupid question for those that have this unit.
what do u do with the stem when not in use? the way I can misplace, lose things that concerns me, as I don't feel leaving it in the unit is the best choice.

with that said, and the battery life concerns, checked off the list.

I think of the (1) stem storage and (2) overall heat buildup. are there any small holes that would allow heat build up to escape the body? no not the 6 there for air intake, but elsewhere lower down, think battery/heating element area? battery heating up being the biggest concern, is the aluminum body material choice to do with aluminum's excellent heat transfer properties ? to pull heat away from battery and heater element area? and does the batt actually operate in a safe zone of operation temps?

I wonder if a "beer koozie" would be in order around the middle hand hold part of the unit? if it would protect hands a bit from the heat? (sized to fit snuggly on the middle of unit) perhaps even inside out neoprene.

perhaps I answered myself battery heating up being the concern a sleeve that further insulates our hands would perhaps lead to users overheating battery or heater not having as much sensory notification? lol just thinking out loud here .

I even wonder if a "maglite" designed product (neoprene sleeve ) would work for this purpose. including the rubber lens head protectors, if they could be slipped on to protect the glass when not in use.

not sure if i just missed it or what, there are 3 screens in this? two user replaceable one not? what is the hole size of these different screens? the lowest one has more holes per inch compared to the top two? or am I WAY out in the weeds on this?

I really jdo appreciate the early adopters feedback its often times worth its weight in gold thanks again.