Discontinued Purple-Days Vaporizer

[SpiralArchitect]

Spiral, too bad about the Radio Shack, but did you look to see if they had a raw Type M plug end? I can get you a cat# if you want. Then you can put it on what is left of the cord.

I saw those their, and remembered reading a post by Acolyte about that being the right plug... it was 6 bucks and I didn't feel like it was a worthwhile gamble, but now I am regretting it.

Maybe I'll stop by and pick it up. It was off-white white, so it's going to be ugly as sin but as long as I can use my baby.... <3

 

[max]

As Tom reveals the time consuming ins and outs of PD making, bit by bit, it becomes more and more apparent what a bargain it is. Just guessing, but I bet the build time for the average box vape = construction time for 3 vapor tubes.

vtac saw the light back on page one of the thread- "The more I think about it, $150 for the base cherry model is a steal. When you consider how much solid wood furniture costs, the time and skill required... he's practically giving it away."

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Does anyone think a PD using a USB connection for power would work?

I'm looking around my 'junk drawer' for an old cable with an M plug... but no luck, yet. I was thinking if the PD used a USB connection, that would be so awesome. I guess it's just the 'nerd inside'.









Does 5mm plug = 'M' plug?

I asked this vendor about it, he says it is 5mm and the cable is 44inches long.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260343446795&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

5 bucks? I might order 2 or 3.

 

[420Downunder]

I can't see why not

 

[Purple-Days]

From the Q & A page. FAQ for all the Nerds.

Can I replace the Purple-Days transformer?
Sure, if you break a cord or plug you can replace the wall power with a
12 Volt DC @ 1000mA (1Amp) power supply. The plug end is 2.1mm x 5.5mm
Type M DC power plug wired center Positive or Negative.

The International page gives a Radio Shack # ... #: 274-1569 which is the plug that you are after. Watch out that you do not get a 2.5mm x 5.5mm which looks almost the same. but is an iffy conection at best...

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Thanks Tom, I really appreciate your input.

I'm sure most manufacturers would say 'fend for yourself' on the intricacies of a power supply.


Can't wait to get to using her again. Using it stationary (it really cannot move anywhere without losing power) is too much of a hassle. I have tucked her away, she is resting safe n' sound in my stash drawer -- taking a break.

 

[bongoman]

I vote for the price rise too. I reckon Tom and Pammy have a big year ahead of them in terms of PD orders and it's in all our interests to see their business flourish and for them to be suitably rewarded in bringing such a great product to market.

 

[Beezleb]

I know of several people who choose the PD based on price point and it was a toss up between the PD and the Warez 3g.

I would agree it certainly is a great deal but pricing is not so simple as many factors go into the equation. Im sure Tom knows what he is doing.

Im sure Tom would accept any monetary tips from those who feel they underpaid, hehe.

 

[Hennessy1414]

all this talk of price raise makes me

lets just say $150 for a cherry unit sounds like a very appealing price after one is introduced to its ability's. for the people that buy it in the blind(not trying it before hand) I can only imagine that the price of $150 looks soo good...the first time I saw this thing and gave it more of my dedication(reading all the posts in this thread) was because of the price I viewed on their website. Its nice that there are more options to spend more $$$ I.E. buy the exotics

 

[vtac]

Would you enjoy working 12 hours a day, using a specialized skill set, making a totally unique product that's in high demand, for less than minimum wage?

I know Tom does enjoy what he's doing, but you're right, Beezleb, many things do factor into the equation. Your example of the Warez 3g costing the same is an excellent example of the PD being hugely under priced. Show me a vape that costs more to make than the PD, all things considered. This is a Rolls-Royce being sold for less than a Hyundai. I'll stop my rant right here, but I hope Tom at least starts charging for shipping.

I reckon Tom and Pammy have a big year ahead of them in terms of PD orders and it's in all our interests to see their business flourish and for them to be suitably rewarded in bringing such a great product to market.

Well said.

 

[Hennessy1414]

Would you enjoy working 12 hours a day, using a specialized skill set, making a totally unique product that's in high demand, for less than minimum wage?

I know Tom does enjoy what he's doing, but you're right, Beezleb, many things do factor into the equation. Your example of the Warez 3g costing the same is an excellent example of the PD being hugely under priced. Show me a vape that costs more to make than the PD, all things considered. This is a Rolls-Royce being sold for less than a Hyundai. I'll stop my rant right here, but I hope Tom at least starts charging for shipping.

its just really funky when a page of people tell him to raise prices...what year is this again

im just saying the possibility of more people being lost to the VW,or any whip/cheaply priced unit, because of the fact you can load full bowls with...dont quote me saying "but the PD is supposed to be a small loader" i dont want to hear that becaus i already know that...but try explaining that to someone who has the choice on what vape their getting by checking out vape-now or purple days...not everyone can find fuckcombustion or have the patience to read all of it...there are people who do, but your average vaporist(mainly smokers...part time vapers) just wants to buy and load up a fat bowl...the PD rules but it could be the factor that draws less sales over to the big time whip vapes if the price of our beloved unit goes up...

all my of course...

 

[Progress]

Responding to ^

I agree that Tom deserves to be fairly compensated for his creativity, skills, dedication, service, and craftsmanship.

I, too, am "sure Tom would accept any monetary tips from those who feel they underpaid"--Beezleb

Good idea, B.

However, I am also confident in Tom's ability to make this decision (and am sure that he recognizes an inability to keep up with orders, as they flood in, as a sign that he could easily raise the price of his product). I, therefore support whatever he decides to do (discounts for 'friends' after the possible price increase --jk).

I can say myself that I would be somewhat on the fence if I had to choose between the V Tower for $199 and the PD for $189 as my first vape (valid?...no?)

Just my (well may have just been a penny--you be the judge )

 

[hazy]

Price rise? Ouch, I'm already hurting from the thought of paying $150, which after exchange rate calculations becomes a lot of money in my currency. Even though I don't own one yet, I've been telling a lot of people about the PD, but even the current price puts most people off. I realise that Tom and Pam should be rewarded for their efforts, but if I could put it another way, I would rather be paid a dollar an hour doing something I love than 10 dollars an hour doing something I hate. Circumstances in my life have led me along the latter path so I know how it feels, and it's the same sad story for many people. It's kind of funny that all those calling for a price rise already have a PD...

To answer SA's question about USB power, unfortunately you can't use it because it's 5V. Another possibility for geeky types is to use the 12V from the computer's PSU, but you'll need to open up the computer. The four-pin plugs that power the drives carry a yellow +12V wire. The black wires are ground. There is plenty of current available to power a PD.

A bit more info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molex_connector

 

[Beezleb]

Some things I would consider.
Whats the make up the bulk of purchasers. Meaning is their first vape or secondary plus.
If its new first time buyers I would want to know why they chose the pd.
If its based on price that has meaning.
If its based on quality or other reason that has meaning.
Then I would consider how many pd can be made a year and figure out cost.
Figure out pricing based on costs and projected demand.

Yea theres more to it but thats the basics of what I would do and do every year.

 

[Purple-Days]

Crazy Purple-People...shut up. He'll raise the price...

We decided the price a long while ago. Has a lot to do with what feels right. No big marketing study, or cost analysis . . . just wing it. What sounded good.

While I appreciate the sentiments, my hourly rate isn't important. I can outwork and undercut any hourly employee, it's my shop. I have never tried to figure an hourly wage for what I do. And was possibly kidding about minimum wage being a pay increase (not sure) and it doesn't matter. VTAC is right, we enjoy this. If I didn't like wood and all the rest . . . I guess most folks know that already.

The $150 base price stands. USPS rates come out in May, I think, but unless they go crazy...

Funny edit Beezleb, almost missed it.

Both of those posts got in while I was typing. .

 

[Hennessy1414]

Crazy Purple-People...shut up.
While I appreciate the sentiments, my hourly rate isn't important. I can outwork and undercut any hourly employee, it's my shop. I have never tried to figure an hourly wage for what I do. And was possibly kidding about minimum wage being a pay increase (not sure) and it doesn't matter. VTAC is right, we enjoy this. If I didn't like wood and all the rest . . . I guess most folks know that already.

The $150 base price stands.

and it came close to his 420th post..

i love my PD

 

[HoneyAir]

If using 12v from the computer, will the resistor automatically draw 1000mA? (Didn't pay enough attention in electronics class).

 

[Purple-Days]

1000mA is the minimum rating to power the unit, above that as at the power port on a car or a 1200 mA transformer etc. will be fine.

I have a spare computer power supply that I have been keeping for the new workspace I am planning, gonna use it as a test bench 12V supply, but wonder at how many I will be able to power at oncve, obviously depends on the particular supply...

 

[Costanza]

As someone who recently lost his PD to the Everett PD, I must object to this price-raise foolishness.
If only until after I buy my replacement.
But seriously folks, $150-$185 for what's to me a necessity is quite a steal.
I'm personally buying two this time around. You never know.
I wouldn't blame Tom whatsoever for raising the price. Hell, I'd expect it out of any other company after such success.

 

[hazy]

Tom, as an example, I've got an old cheapo 300W supply and according to the specs written on the side it is capable of delivering 13A on its +12V line. There should be a similar sticker on your unit. You might want to check the actual voltage output because the specification allows for +/-5% tolerance. There's a bit more about it here.

Not sure if you know about this (educational for other readers at least) but those computer power supplies won't switch on by themselves if used standalone. On the largest plug coming out of the supply there is a green wire which needs to be shorted to one of the neighbouring black wires. I used a tiny piece of solid core wire and jammed it into the holes in the plug.

 

[Beezleb]

thanks for the info on the usb plug Hazy

 

[vtac]

Price rise? Ouch, I'm already hurting from the thought of paying $150...even the current price puts most people off.

I definitely feel what you're saying, but at the same time, $150 is nothing when it comes to vaporizers. And what will $150 get you from a woodworker who makes custom hardwood furniture (we'll ignore all the other things included in the PD kit)? Not very much. Kind of like a cheapo made in India/China bong compared to a hand blown Toro/RooR/custom piece from a glass aficionado's point of view.

It's kind of funny that all those calling for a price rise already have a PD...

I'd say it's precisely because they've used one that they feel that way. I thoroughly enjoy my other vapes and am fairly well informed on the other models out there, and I can honestly say if push came to shove I would scrape together $600 for a PD right now if I had to start over, bills be damned. Its efficiency alone would be enough to make me shell it out (in the ~6 months I've been using my PD I'm sure it's saved me that much, God knows I've been baked the entire time), nevermind the fact that it's such a unique, functional and well made piece of art, and, the fact that vapes costing less to make are being sold for $600.

Sorry to get all defensive, believe me I'm glad it's at a price point that enables as many people to try it as possible. But the notion that a price increase would be unjustified because it's not worth more than $150 is just absurd. Let's not downplay how awesome it is for Tom to be so generous about it.

At any rate, the man has already spoken and this is really none of our business so....



edit: It takes me about 6 edits to write a legible post.

 

[420Downunder]

It's kind of funny that all those calling for a price rise already have a PD...

Actually I don't own one yet but do plan on ordering 4

 

[JohnnyVape]

Hi Tom, Im looking to get the American Cherry PD in the near future. Ive got a couple of questions if you dont mind.

What gear do i need to run this baby in England ? We use 240 volts and the 3 prong plug.

also can you please give me an idea how much the price will be and whether i need to pay import taxes etc.

Thanks and Happy New Year to you all !!

 

[Purple-Days]

Thanks for your interest, JohnnyVape, and happy 2009 to you to...

Like Max said earlier, individual transactions are better handled by e-mail. But, others like you may have similar questions about international kits.

In North America we ship a 120VAC to 12VAC transformer (our units run on 12 Volts AC or DC). International kits are shipped without the North American transformer, you will have to supply the 12 Volts wall power. This is easiest to find in 12 Volts DC and should be a 1000 mA or higher capacity. We send along the car adapter and everything else.

Look at our international page for more details on power requirements and plug type. Let us know (by e-mail) if you have any difficulty or need further help with the adapter. At this point quite a few folks are running PDs on 230V and 240V 50Hz grids around the world.

Price for International kits in cherry $150 with shipping , first class USPS. That's $150 minus $10 for our domestic shipping, minus $10 for the wall wart, plus $20 for postage.

Sorry but, keeping up with import taxes and tariffs in so many places would be impossible. You will have to ask your authorities. Of course there is a customs form and the unit is labeled an Aromatherapy Diffuser (kit) and we declare a value of $130. Please don't ask us to ship it as a gift. I'm not gonna lie to the postmaster that I see all the time... this is a tiny town.

All right, VTAC, the new price to you is $600. Costanza wrote, "I'd expect it out of any other company after such success." Nahhhh... that's not how we operate.

Hazy, that green wire is some valued info. Thanks, I knew when I ripped it out, the label seemed to indicate I would have a great power source, can't remember the ratings but... I kept it thinking it was a likely test bench item.