Mono Loco
Well-Known Member
INDUCTION HEATERS ("I.H.) for DynaVaps ... what's available these days??? (April 2020)
With this COVID-19 Stay@Home order, I find myself on the internet more than ever. I'm still waiting for our new (well, not so new anymore, I suppose) Governor to fulfill his campaign promise to LEGALIZE. When he does, I'm going to get a nice I.H. I already have the ugly, but effective, Dental Heater one, and I would have bought one from Pipes ... if he offered an option of having an external momentary switch instead of "bottom of the heat chamber tactile switch". But, I'm currently not partaking (sigh...) so there's no rush for me. Until it's legal here, I am simply refreshing my old notes and looking into new offerings for future reference - there are so many nice looking option these days!
I decided to share my list from my notes here. Other than putting Pipes at his rightful place on top, the remaining order is random. I'm merely making a list, with minimal details ... no specs., reviews, or recommendations. Like all of Pipes' offerings, most use a momentary pressure switch located in the bottom of the heat chamber that is activated by inserting the vaporizer and gently pressing it down a bit. If there are any units that I missed (very likely) please add them for everyone's sake. ;-)
#1 - by "Pipes", the Godfather of them all, the original ... .
His is a time-tested, proven design with stellar support.
a) Battery Powerd model: Portside Mini (aka, "PSM") - uses a LiPO battery, ala' R.C. gear= $105
b) AC (wall plug-in) model: Cauldron (replaced his JarHead model) = $80
c) Bare Bones (B.B.) "kit" form. You buy the guts "a-la-carte" from him and make your own enclosure.
$35 Main Driver Module ... with Male connectors already on the power-lead dongles = includes the heating coil, the board, the glass tube, the switch, etc. ... all the required stuff PRE-ASSEMBLED in a tidy, compact package = NOT a bunch of loose parts! You just add either the:
$5 AC jack, ("Home Harness") with pre-attached Female connectors (and, of course, a suitable Power Brick, like the one also available form Pipes for $20), or ...
$20 Pre-wired Battery Harness, complete with BMS board all wired-up and complete with connectors in place
.... also available are AC adapters, Car Adapters, Battery Chargers .... basically, everything you'll need, in a more or less "plug-n-play" format!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2) www.fluxerheaters.com = F.C. user: mr_cfromcali
He's a very busy guy, with a pretty long wait-list. His units use (3) x 18650 LiON batteries. Lots of options. His product's developmental history is good reading ... all detailed in his threads here.
- Flux Deluxe BASE = $150 (batterirs not incl.)
- Flux Deluxe STANDARD td = $175
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3) www.dynavap.com = finally, an "OEM" offering ... kinda'. DynaVap collaborated with LUCID CUSTOM to form "DynaTec". DynaTec has a model called the Apollo 2. It is currently out of stock at Dynavap.com, but is sold at retailers, too. It is an AC model, not battery, but I imagine a Battery option will follow soon. I've seen it listed for $130.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4) https://magheater.jimdofree.com/
From Germany - several modesl (both AC and battery) including some fancy adjustable heat sensoring.
- Basic “Compact” = $165
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5) www.vaphotbox.com =
- the "VHB", Vap Hot Box, ABS plastic chassis, (2) x 18650 Batts = $150
- the "VHB Micro ", small wooden cube chassis, AC powered = $180
* uses a finger-press momentary switch on the outside of the chassis, NOT the more common "at the bottom of the Heat Chamber" light-pressure tactile switch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6) https://toggengear.com
- the "Alpine 2020", aluminim chassis w/ walnut top, 1000mAh battery = $169.99
A brand new offering = not even shipping yet! pre-orders were @ $99.99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7) (various sellers, eBay, Amazon, AliExpress) = SKJ Lab J28-3 = “dental wax heater” = $50
This bargain-priced unit is not as convenient because it requires the user to insert, hold still, wait, withdraw, reinsert, and wait some more before reaching the click. It's slower to heat than the other types, but still better than a torch and hard not to consider at its price.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some Woodworkers are using Pipes' B.B. kits to make some real Eye Candy !!!
- F.C. member: phattpiggie (Phattpiggies Wood Shed - he does more than stems!)
- https://timberheaddesigns.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, there are several postings on Reddit that give good instructions and have schematics.
The one by user: beasthoss is very nice.
Cheerio, all!
With this COVID-19 Stay@Home order, I find myself on the internet more than ever. I'm still waiting for our new (well, not so new anymore, I suppose) Governor to fulfill his campaign promise to LEGALIZE. When he does, I'm going to get a nice I.H. I already have the ugly, but effective, Dental Heater one, and I would have bought one from Pipes ... if he offered an option of having an external momentary switch instead of "bottom of the heat chamber tactile switch". But, I'm currently not partaking (sigh...) so there's no rush for me. Until it's legal here, I am simply refreshing my old notes and looking into new offerings for future reference - there are so many nice looking option these days!
I decided to share my list from my notes here. Other than putting Pipes at his rightful place on top, the remaining order is random. I'm merely making a list, with minimal details ... no specs., reviews, or recommendations. Like all of Pipes' offerings, most use a momentary pressure switch located in the bottom of the heat chamber that is activated by inserting the vaporizer and gently pressing it down a bit. If there are any units that I missed (very likely) please add them for everyone's sake. ;-)
#1 - by "Pipes", the Godfather of them all, the original ... .
His is a time-tested, proven design with stellar support.
a) Battery Powerd model: Portside Mini (aka, "PSM") - uses a LiPO battery, ala' R.C. gear= $105
b) AC (wall plug-in) model: Cauldron (replaced his JarHead model) = $80
c) Bare Bones (B.B.) "kit" form. You buy the guts "a-la-carte" from him and make your own enclosure.
$35 Main Driver Module ... with Male connectors already on the power-lead dongles = includes the heating coil, the board, the glass tube, the switch, etc. ... all the required stuff PRE-ASSEMBLED in a tidy, compact package = NOT a bunch of loose parts! You just add either the:
$5 AC jack, ("Home Harness") with pre-attached Female connectors (and, of course, a suitable Power Brick, like the one also available form Pipes for $20), or ...
$20 Pre-wired Battery Harness, complete with BMS board all wired-up and complete with connectors in place
.... also available are AC adapters, Car Adapters, Battery Chargers .... basically, everything you'll need, in a more or less "plug-n-play" format!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2) www.fluxerheaters.com = F.C. user: mr_cfromcali
He's a very busy guy, with a pretty long wait-list. His units use (3) x 18650 LiON batteries. Lots of options. His product's developmental history is good reading ... all detailed in his threads here.
- Flux Deluxe BASE = $150 (batterirs not incl.)
- Flux Deluxe STANDARD td = $175
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3) www.dynavap.com = finally, an "OEM" offering ... kinda'. DynaVap collaborated with LUCID CUSTOM to form "DynaTec". DynaTec has a model called the Apollo 2. It is currently out of stock at Dynavap.com, but is sold at retailers, too. It is an AC model, not battery, but I imagine a Battery option will follow soon. I've seen it listed for $130.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4) https://magheater.jimdofree.com/
From Germany - several modesl (both AC and battery) including some fancy adjustable heat sensoring.
- Basic “Compact” = $165
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5) www.vaphotbox.com =
- the "VHB", Vap Hot Box, ABS plastic chassis, (2) x 18650 Batts = $150
- the "VHB Micro ", small wooden cube chassis, AC powered = $180
* uses a finger-press momentary switch on the outside of the chassis, NOT the more common "at the bottom of the Heat Chamber" light-pressure tactile switch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6) https://toggengear.com
- the "Alpine 2020", aluminim chassis w/ walnut top, 1000mAh battery = $169.99
A brand new offering = not even shipping yet! pre-orders were @ $99.99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7) (various sellers, eBay, Amazon, AliExpress) = SKJ Lab J28-3 = “dental wax heater” = $50
This bargain-priced unit is not as convenient because it requires the user to insert, hold still, wait, withdraw, reinsert, and wait some more before reaching the click. It's slower to heat than the other types, but still better than a torch and hard not to consider at its price.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some Woodworkers are using Pipes' B.B. kits to make some real Eye Candy !!!
- F.C. member: phattpiggie (Phattpiggies Wood Shed - he does more than stems!)
- https://timberheaddesigns.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, there are several postings on Reddit that give good instructions and have schematics.
The one by user: beasthoss is very nice.
Cheerio, all!
