Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap

[TommyDee]

@dantemaniaco - I wonder if you are seeing something different with the OCD [I relate] - There are contact glitches -sometimes- if things are right. I am using CaS exactly like you are and can dip to the click and not break a stride on the screen.

There is occasion for the timer in Flite to act just like a heartbeat. It can change rates due to technical reasons that are perfectly normal. This is usually observed on the first heating. Subsequent re-heating has a very consistent heartbeat. If this is what you are experiencing, this is Flite's personality.

If you are getting serious non-operating CaS operation, there is something wrong. Jeff will help with that in PM. It is likely that the contacts need a little cleaning or the caps could use a good scrub on some untreated cardboard.

Here's hoping this gets worked out. FireFlite has been on CaS only and firing reliably every time.

 

[dynavapmuser]

Finally my Flite batch 1 arrived too. In the end the customs were cheaper than I expected (€ 80 for a total price of about € 320 to Spain)

I am very surprised by the build quality, and indeed the magnets are very very strong!

I have to say that I don't like the CaS; I use it mainly on the computer and I don't like that feeling of having to pay attention to find the correct position to activate the switch; tried a new one cap and tip but this works very bad whith my OCD I prefer a more automatic option, the Orion or something like that where I don't need to take your attention away from the screen or the instrument while using it. This is a more on the go device I think

Finally I returned to my reliable old DIY IH with its top button

Yeah that's why I decided against the cap as a switch, I like the concept but for me I am already distracted so the extra attention needed probably means it won't fit my needs as well as the button

 

[vapormachina]

@dantemaniaco - I wonder if you are seeing something different with the OCD [I relate] - There are contact glitches -sometimes- if things are right. I am using CaS exactly like you are and can dip to the click and not break a stride on the screen.

There is occasion for the timer in Flite to act just like a heartbeat. It can change rates due to technical reasons that are perfectly normal. This is usually observed on the first heating. Subsequent re-heating has a very consistent heartbeat. If this is what you are experiencing, this is Flite's personality.

If you are getting serious non-operating CaS operation, there is something wrong. Jeff will help with that in PM. It is likely that the contacts need a little cleaning or the caps could use a good scrub on some untreated cardboard.

Here's hoping this gets worked out. FireFlite has been on CaS only and firing reliably every time.

I tried 5 or 6 combinations of caps and tips; using a completely new one works much better but still not my style, I prefer the reliable feedback of a traditional button or automatic actuation

Although I'm checking the Orion thread and the things are not much better there

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi @dantemaniaco , I'm glad it got there safely. Thanks again for being part of the first batch!

I'm sorry you aren't liking the cap-as-switch. One thing you can try that might make things better: use a paperclip or a similar to make a small, "L"-shaped tool, and use this to lift the unattached ends of the cap-as-switch contacts a little higher, so they stand a full 1mm or so above the silicone pads. This is the technique for raising a collapsed contact spring, and it is possible that you may like this more after raising the contacts to a higher profile.

If that still doesn't improve things, please send me a PM and we can discuss next steps. I don't want you to feel trapped w/this.

 

[vapormachina]

ok, tomorrow I'll try it calmly

I'm not worried, watching how things are happening for the Orion universe, a Flite for sale in Europe is like an unicorn right now

 

[Vaporware]

My CaS was super glitchy when I first tried it. I’m not sure how much I should have rubbed my caps on cardboard, but I tried a few seconds a couple of times and it’s at least cycling normally a good portion of the time now.

There are still times I set a cap down in it and get a very fast and uneven cycling or no activation, but I think and hope that working on the caps a little more and maybe adjusting the contacts slightly will get it to be pretty consistent.

When CaS does work normally though, or when I use the button, the Flite does a great job! I still want to work out the kinks so I can use CaS as my primary heating method, and I think it will be worth the effort for others who aren’t comfortable with it yet too.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi all,

A brief update on things, some good news, some less so.

On the good side: I have started to ship the heaters from last week's batches. Thank you to everyone who purchased one! The heaters are >80% built and I am going through the final steps of installing coils, testing, packing, and shipping. I complete each heater individually and it will take me a few days to finish out the batch, which is consistent with the expectation I tried to set last week. I will send you tracking info via my web store after I purchase the shipping label and fulfill your order. I am processing these in the order in the which they arrived. I will do my best to have everything shipped by the end of the weekend.

On the not good side: PayPal notified me earlier today that they've unilaterally determined my products are in violation of their terms of service. They have suspended my account and informed me that after 2+ years of use, I can't use their services for this business. I will need to find another payment processor to continue.

What this means:

1. Last week's orders: If you ordered a heater from me last week, I am still planning on shipping it to you in the next few days, as I say above. The heaters for these batches are more than 80% finished and just need to be completed, tested, and shipped. The PayPal situation affects this because at present I am not able to bill for any changes you asked me to make to your order that cost extra money. If you have requested a cost-free change like a different case color, no problem. However, if you have written to me asking to add batteries or a charger to your order, I will not be able to fulfill those requests at present as I can't charge you for those things. I'm very sorry about this, and understand that this is a frustrating development. I am sorry.

2. Refunds: Although I cannot process new payments at the moment, I am still able to issue refunds. If my change in payment processing status w/PayPal is a deal breaker for you or you otherwise want to cancel your order, you may certainly do so. Please send an email to me at fluxerheaters@gmail.com and please include your order number. I want to sell things to people that want them; I won't hassle you for cancelling your order.

3. Going forward: In all honesty, this just occurred today and I'm not sure yet exactly what this development means for Fluxer's future. There are other payment processing platforms out there which I will explore, but between this and the upcoming USPS changes, I will be taking a harder look at things before I put another batch up for sale. Although the funds I have in my PayPal are still there, PayPal is constraining my use of this money, and I may not be able to access it for sometime. That sucks, too.

So that's the latest. I try to be transparent when possible and I'm not hiding this development. I'm disappointed this happened, and disappointed this happened now instead of, say, 18 months ago, but it's happened, it has effects that I am trying to manage, and I'll need to figure out my next steps.

That's the latest Fluxer news, and I'll let you know my next steps as soon as I've determined them. I don't think this has an immediate effect on any current customers, except that it prevents those that wanted to add one or more additional-cost options to their existing orders from doing so, but please let me know if you have questions, or concerns, And as I said above, if you want to cancel your unfulfilled order, please send me an email and I'll take care of that for you.



Cheers,

 

[mecrobs]

I clean my Simrell/cap weekly and I haven't had any issues with the CaS. It does only work in one specific position but it falls into that spot effortlessly, haven't had any issues with it not firing or anything like what you guys are describing which is good because I don't have a button in case those things were to start happening lol

 

[fak]

Hi all,

A brief update on things, some good news, some less so.

On the good side: I have started to ship the heaters from last week's batches. Thank you to everyone who purchased one! The heaters are >80% built and I am going through the final steps of installing coils, testing, packing, and shipping. I complete each heater individually and it will take me a few days to finish out the batch, which is consistent with the expectation I tried to set last week. I will send you tracking info via my web store after I purchase the shipping label and fulfill your order. I am processing these in the order in the which they arrived. I will do my best to have everything shipped by the end of the weekend.

On the not good side: PayPal notified me earlier today that they've unilaterally determined my products are in violation of their terms of service. They have suspended my account and informed me that after 2+ years of use, I can't use their services for this business. I will need to find another payment processor to continue.

What this means:

1. Last week's orders: If you ordered a heater from me last week, I am still planning on shipping it to you in the next few days, as I say above. The heaters for these batches are more than 80% finished and just need to be completed, tested, and shipped. The PayPal situation affects this because at present I am not able to bill for any changes you asked me to make to your order that cost extra money. If you have requested a cost-free change like a different case color, no problem. However, if you have written to me asking to add batteries or a charger to your order, I will not be able to fulfill those requests at present as I can't charge you for those things. I'm very sorry about this, and understand that this is a frustrating development. I am sorry.

2. Refunds: Although I cannot process new payments at the moment, I am still able to issue refunds. If my change in payment processing status w/PayPal is a deal breaker for you or you otherwise want to cancel your order, you may certainly do so. Please send an email to me at fluxerheaters@gmail.com and please include your order number. I want to sell things to people that want them; I won't hassle you for cancelling your order.

3. Going forward: In all honesty, this just occurred today and I'm not sure yet exactly what this development means for Fluxer's future. There are other payment processing platforms out there which I will explore, but between this and the upcoming USPS changes, I will be taking a harder look at things before I put another batch up for sale. Although the funds I have in my PayPal are still there, PayPal is constraining my use of this money, and I may not be able to access it for sometime. That sucks, too.

So that's the latest. I try to be transparent when possible and I'm not hiding this development. I'm disappointed this happened, and disappointed this happened now instead of, say, 18 months ago, but it's happened, it has effects that I am trying to manage, and I'll need to figure out my next steps.

That's the latest Fluxer news, and I'll let you know my next steps as soon as I've determined them. I don't think this has an immediate effect on any current customers, except that it prevents those that wanted to add one or more additional-cost options to their existing orders from doing so, but please let me know if you have questions, or concerns, And as I said above, if you want to cancel your unfulfilled order, please send me an email and I'll take care of that for you.



Cheers,

Sucks to hear about PayPal...hopefully you can figure out a transition to a new payment processor. Fingers crossed for you my friend <3

 

[vapormachina]

My CaS usually works well, I use an XL stem so it normally works in with its own weight; the problem is that, you have to find the specific position and I am very used to using the IH without looking while I pay all my attention to the instruments (all this with a lot of noise) and when it doesn't heat consistently makes me very nervous I still haven't tried the PMW

It is no new in paypal, the policies of this company suck

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi all,

This isn't a post I enjoyed drafting, but after giving this situation with Paypal some thought and doing some research, it seems very likely that PayPal will take any money left in my business account after they complete their review (for "penalties"). In light of this, I’ve concluded that the best thing I can do at the moment is refund all current heater purchases I have not yet shipped. I know this is disappointing to you, and it’s obviously disappointing to me as well, but it’s what I need to do at this time. I’m very sorry.

This situation with PayPal is frustrating, but I was naive, and this the result. I am looking into other payment processors, and don’t see the PayPal situation as the end of Fluxer, in and of itelf.

I am also researching what the upcoming postal changes may mean for Fluxer, since those are looming as well, and those may be worse than the PayPal issue. The new rules are serious and concerning, and I'm not 100% sure this business is going to have a way to move forward. I'll have more to share as I dig into this. I can already tell it’s gonna be a fun weekend. :-/

That's the latest from here. :/

Happy Friday

 

[coolmist55]

I am an online business owner myself hopefully this can help: Anything "vape" related is being witch hunted right now which is why Paypal is taking this action against you. I'm not sure if Venmo would work, or possibly Stripe. I would visit some of your local vape shops and ask who they use as a payment processor for more ideas. You could also accept cryptocurrencies like BTC through some providers. You may need to promote it on the website as something to heat up metal tools with, not for vaping (though everyone here, who is buying from you, knows what it's for). Some ideas.

As for shipping, UPS, Fedex or DHL are the reliable whereas USPS is not. UPS Ground costs about the same as USPS Priority so it's not a huge difference in overhead cost for you the seller. I ship anything expensive via UPS and I'm physically taking it to the UPS store to get a scan receipt to make sure the package is handled and verified on the spot.

@mr_cfromcali What are the changes to USPS you are seeing that is restricting your operation? New rules? Link to info?

As for me, I'm enjoying the hell out of my Flite No. 32 Red/Red. It's been functioning flawlessly. I came here to report technique I just discovered that is working very well for me. I don't like that unmistakable burnt/brown flavor on my tongue so getting near combustion is a no go for me. I also want to get the most out of my flower and take as many good long puffs as possible.

I should note that I've got a 2020 M Ti Tipped w/ reg cap through Grav Conical glass.

FLITE HEATING TECHNIQUE:

I have the PWM set around the 4/5'oclock position and I start the first heating session off by waiting until cap click and then count 7-10 more clicks before pulling. Take a good long drag but make enough haste before the cap clicks to get it back in the chamber for 7-8 clicks, pull, draw, repeat, 7-8 clicks, pull, draw repeat. My cap never cool clicks, because it's back in the chamber heating up before it can. I'm able to get 6 or 7 good quality tasty lung filling draws from one dose and it has yet to have that unmistakable burnt taste. AVB comes out medium to dark brown in color

 

[Jah75]

Hmm. I’m guessing I should not have sold my carbon in anticipation of the flite I thought was shipping to me 8/.
Good luck in figuring it out

 

[TommyDee]

The world still uses paper checks you know? Does anyone use checks anymore? Cashier's check is instant credit. Just sayin' that could be a simple option for the USA orders.

I'm curious if USPS considers sales different from repairs Shipping vape'ware is going up peeps.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

I truly appreciate all of your support, and will get through this. Thank you!

I've cancelled and refunded all purchases from last week. Thanks to all that wanted to buy! I hope to put these same heaters back up for sale very soon, pending the selection of an alternate payment processor. I'm looking into other payment processing systems, and I have also received some very generous offers for help with a coded solution. I will mull things over this weekend and figure out the best way forward.

FWIW, I did manage to ship some out yesterday before the hammer came down, so if you got a shipping notice, you should get a heater.

I'm very sorry for this mess!! but hopefully I can find another way to do this without too much pain. :/

Finally, it is not my intention to leave anyone's order or repair in limbo. All paid for orders have shipped or have been refunded. I have one repair in the shop that I'll get out this weekend, and we can discuss any repair issues that come up over email. I'm still here, I just lack a functional e-commerce platform at the moment, so I'm blind that way.

I may log off for a bit but will check back later. Thanks, all. It's been a day.

 

[fak]

Woke up from a nap and saw the refund notices...quite a way to wake up

I made a seperate order for an extra charger ($10 USD) I think it may have slipped when you were sending the refund. I'll send you the paypal invoice number over PM. So sad to hear about this, I was super excited!

<3 Hopefully this can be resolved and I can reorder on the next batch.. Maybe crypto or bank transfers can be a solution?

 

[RustyOldNail]

FLUXER: WAX CARVING TOOL - HEATER

With the impending mail restrictions, renaming companies and products may help...
These crappy Chinese IH’s will still be shipped from Amazon, just because of the naming, and their intended purpose, I’m sure Jeff has thought of these things.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

^^^ I'm not arguing, @RustyOldNail , that is what I call them on customs forms and such. But I also have demo videos linked on my web site and YT that show me using them to heat stuff that's definitely not a "wax carving tool," and I have a 130+ page thread on here that's light on wax carving tools but heavy with Dynavaps, so you don't have the scratch the surface too hard to figure out that people are buying these for non-wax carving tool heating purposes. Paypal is very clear they don't want to handle that business. I was squinting hard to see myself as not-quite-in-their-crosshairs, but in the end, it seems I was wrong.

I am not the only person selling stuff like this, so I will do a deeper dive this weekend and see what others are using for their payment processing, send out some inquiries, and see what develops. And yes, that may include taking paper checks, lol. Also, at least one of my customers has professional e-commerce coding expertise, and I need to follow up with him as well. My hope is that I will have another payment system in place "soon", barring anything else disruptive. I'm a legit business, I just need to find a compatible commercial payment processing service.

It's been a long day, and I'm pretty tired, but I do want to let you know how much I appreciate your support through this shit. Thank you!

Hopefully this is more of a temporary setback than a road block. I'll be back with more info over the next few days as I figure out my way forward.

Cheers,

 

[ACE OF VAPE]

Hopefully this is more of a temporary setback than a road block. I'll be back with more info over the next few days as I figure out my way forward.

Cheers,

Sorry to hear about your Pay-Pal misfortune. They shut my account last year and kept (stole) a considerable amount of funds. When I requested the funds back after their imposed 180 day waiting period they basically told me to go F**ck myself. I have a merchant services co. that will probably process payments for you. DM if you would like their info.

 

[Meditation]

Well that all seems a bit draconian doesn’t it. One step forward two steps back. Crypto is the way forward for payment @mr_cfromcali the things you can buy on line with it is pretty amazing! Fuck PayPal. Not sure how you go about delivery though? Carrier pigeons maybe! Although I bet one of the smaller carriers would take your business? Ive got my heater but I still feel like someone has pissed on my chips I hope you find a way forward without too much hassle mr_c.

Ive been testing my heater with different caps my favourite are any from ‘18. I have one cap from ‘17 and I can’t get it to work at all with the CAS even properly cleaned? (not bothered just thought it interesting) the rest of the caps work the CAS without any problems. In fact I’ve just seen the green light it’s charged and a wake n bake is now on!

 

[Vaporware]

I was also going to mention that Induction Heaters have different uses and should really not be considered vaporizer related any more than a lighter/torch is.

@mr_cfromcali One of the reasons I wanted a button on my Flite was so I could use it to heat small tools like that. I’d been meaning to ask you about it, but I can’t see why it would cause any problems.

PayPal sucks. They eventually gave my money back after someone lied about not receiving their order, but I’ve talked to too many people who have had their money held indefinitely or had situations like mine decided in favor of the “customer” who was trying to rip them off.

Oh, and about the Venmo suggestion above, PayPal bought them so that’s not a good option anymore either...

Wire transfers may be a good option, but I think there are plenty of card processors that will take the business too. You just have to find the right one!

@coolmist55 In the last Covid “relief” package last year they slipped in a bill (which they’d been trying to pass for a while) saying that the USPS can’t carry vapes, parts, accessories, etc. anymore. It primarily targets nicotine vapes/e-juice/etc. but it seems to be so broadly written that it may ban mailing dry herb vaporizers too.

The USPS is having a lot of problems since a lot of people in our government (and currently running the USPS) have been trying to make it fail for a long time now. I understand blaming them, but the politicians who keep screwing them over are the real problem there.

As for FedEx and UPS (which are usually a lot more expensive), they both announced that they will voluntarily stop shipping vapes too.

I don’t think any of us know how this is all going to play out yet, but it is a very concerning problem for the industry.

I really think that Induction Heaters should be safe, but I get Jeff’s concern. The penalties for violating this stupid law can be pretty severe.

 

[invertedisdead]

Maybe you can mark them as as a DIY "power amplifier" or "voltage controller" - "some assembly required"

It's getting painfully obvious that anything halfway related to that dreaded "V" word may soon be off limits; we'll have to start saying "steam" like all the European members

 

[Flavor Vaper]

^^^ I'm not arguing, @RustyOldNail , that is what I call them on customs forms and such. But I also have demo videos linked on my web site and YT that show me using them to heat stuff that's definitely not a "wax carving tool," and I have a 130+ page thread on here that's light on wax carving tools but heavy with Dynavaps, so you don't have the scratch the surface too hard to figure out that people are buying these for non-wax carving tool heating purposes. Paypal is very clear they don't want to handle that business. I was squinting hard to see myself as not-quite-in-their-crosshairs, but in the end, it seems I was wrong.

I am not the only person selling stuff like this, so I will do a deeper dive this weekend and see what others are using for their payment processing, send out some inquiries, and see what develops. And yes, that may include taking paper checks, lol. Also, at least one of my customers has professional e-commerce coding expertise, and I need to follow up with him as well. My hope is that I will have another payment system in place "soon", barring anything else disruptive. I'm a legit business, I just need to find a compatible commercial payment processing service.

It's been a long day, and I'm pretty tired, but I do want to let you know how much I appreciate your support through this shit. Thank you!

Hopefully this is more of a temporary setback than a road block. I'll be back with more info over the next few days as I figure out my way forward.

Cheers,

So sorry to hear about these issues, Jeff. I’ll be contacting you privately to follow up.

This company seems to be ahead of the game and prepared for the upcoming changes about to take place:

Shop - Tafée®

tafee.com

 

[rvarick]

I wanted to (finally) take a moment to share some thoughts on my updated Flite #001 received recently. Jeff was kind enough to swap a new heater for my other one per some potential charging issues with it. TL;DR: I’m really happy with the new heater’s configuration!

After first trying the 15mm initial setup (too aggressive for me), 15mm standard, and 16mm standard (not aggressive enough for my taste), Jeff set me up with a 16mm coil with one less loop than the standard (8.5 turns vs. 9.5). This one is dialed in perfectly for me. It’s definitely in the sweet spot between the 15mm and 16mm IMO. I’m getting 2.5-3 draws to dark brown, using full power with a Ti tip across most of my caps. First draw is flavorful, while also robust! Using PWM mode I can dial in the experience even more.

Also, on my prior one I’d gone with the CaS AND the push-button activation in case I needed a way to heat less aggressively. I found this isn’t necessary with the 16mm coil in my case. For my new one I switched back to the CaS only. I’m really loving the sleek look, and option to store the device in the on position without a risk of activating accidentally. The CaS is cooperative with all my caps on full power, and most on PWM. Cleaning on a piece of cardboard helped one that was being difficult too. I noticed the case has a *slightly* lighter gunmetal color than my first one, which I’ve grown to like even more. I’m super happy with the heater and Jeff’s relentless drive to customer satisfaction.

p.s. Really sorry to hear about all the PayPal issues. What a big waste of time. I’m confident they could instead be focusing their efforts on going after actually nefarious things that I’m sure take place on their service! Hope things get worked out with this and the USPS changes as well. It’s a strange time we’re living in, and it’s sad where some’s priorities lie.

 

[mecrobs]

Quick little side question, will the plug in charger Jeff reccomend a few pages back stop charging when the batteries are full? Can I leave it plugged it for extended periods of time?