The Arizer Air

[MaximusJ]

Hey there,

New member here (and first post). I've been reading this forum for the last two weeks since I received my Air. I absolutely love the thing. I was a big smoker and could smoke anywhere from 5 to 10 joints a day. The smell of green was making me uncomfortable towards my neighbors (I always smoke outside) And since I was smoking fattys, the quantity became an issue after burning an ounce a week for a couple years. Then I tried the solo at my friend's.

Really liked the taste, LOVED the lack of smell, and enjoying my old habits while being as stealthy as a ninja got me hooked; I had to get a vape. I went for the air, for the stealthy look and small size.

But, considering my old habits, I,m a bit disapointed about the clouds generated by the air. I even still combust when I feel like having solid hits, because with the Air, the hits are pretty weak, even if my green is cured and i'm taking looong and slow hits.

I am considering upgrading to a PVHES to increase the flow and get more vape clouds. Do you guys think it would be a good first step into improving my air? Would you recommend domed screens as well? Even if Very little pieces enter my stems. Would love to get a bubbler at some point, but will try to work on airflow for now since I can stand the harshness, just need more vapor produced.

Thanks for your input. Cant wait to pull a satisfying draw out of my new toy.

 

[UnshavenFish]

I don't own an Air, just considering it as a future possibility. I'm wondering about battery maintenance when not in use. It's possible that I could go some time without using it - I can be kind of of and on. If you don't use it for say a month or two - what is the procedure with the battery and/or any extra batteries you own during the the month or two months that you don't use it. What if 6 months go by? Should you recharge it? Can you just leave it and charge it again when you finally decide to use it again? Should you remove the battery if you aren't using it for a while? Should you store the batteries in the fridge? How long are the batteries good for.....what's the longest that you can go without using them before they expire?

I'm a bit torn between the Grasshopper, Air, and E-Nano as a next vape. One of the things I like about the E-Nano you can put it in storage for months at a time and not have to worry about anything. It should work fine when you decide to plug it in and use it.

Yes you can keep the batteries for years under proper storage conditions, around 60-70% charge (around 3.7 volts, or fully charged then have a session or two) with minimal capacity loss, there are methods involving a fridge but it's more hassle than it's worth IMO ideally just keep them under 25°c.
The bad things to do would be store at full charge or empty and somewhere hot.

All quite different choices your looking at, I also like the look of the GH but think I'm gonna wait a bit longer, the vapes I have right now can keep me more than happy for a while yet, and the honeymoon period with my wooden butane vapes is lasting longer than I expected (loving no battery's and instant hits) and can't see it changing anytime soon.


On a different note I received my domed screens today and im very happy.
I know it's a bit but here goes anyway
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-X-Ariz...964?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item419635bb2c
UK seller so no long waits for those of us on this side of the pond anymore, I won't get into the whole dome up dome down but just say I go greedy dome

Nice fit good quality, and they can also be used in my crafty and SSV.

@MaximusJ welcome to FC, first thing I would suggest I going a little while without combusting and just vaping, I myself did both for a while and eventually once I just vaped it all fell into place (even had a bong at a friends house the other day and it did nothing for me tasted horrible and little effect) once your body/mind adjusts you will find whole new levels of effect to explore, also don't think of big clouds as things working (although they are nice and I like a cloud myself they are not needed for the effects, remember things can take 10-20 minutes to kick in) if you do want bigger clouds though a fine grind with dry herb and high temps works best (try grinding then empty grinder onto a sheet of paper, leave for 30 mins then vape) and as you mentioned slower draws, I'm not sure high flow stems would increase clouds (more air to vapour ratio) but I don't own any apart from the bubbler stem so can't say for sure, good luck and keep us posted how you get on.

 

[bounce5]

ideally just keep them under 25°c.
The bad things to do would be store at full charge or empty and somewhere hot.

@UnshavenFish I actually live in a hot humid place (Carribean) and have no air conditioning. In my experience living here - many things that have batteries have been ruined by the batteries leaking out at some point - I think the heat has to do with it....also possibly issues with cheap batteries. This is part of my hesitation with getting a battery powered unit here. The temperature here is usually above 25°c (usually in the 80's and 90's °F). The only way to keep the batteries under 25°c would be to keep them in the fridge - but you say that isn't as simple as it seems? What does that involve?

I have a vapman, and that works well here. I love it, the only thing I don't like is the sound the torch makes. Also it would be nice to have something more automatic.

 

[OF]

many things that have batteries have been ruined by the batteries leaking out at some point - I think the heat has to do with it....also possibly issues with cheap batteries. This is part of my hesitation with getting a battery powered unit here. The temperature here is usually above 25°c (usually in the 80's and 90's °F). The only way to keep the batteries under 25°c would be to keep them in the fridge

While it's always good to consider such things, I think you're worrying about the wrong things.

First off, modern Li-ions have basically noting in common with cheap primary (non rechargeable) batteries past their being round batteries. Li-ions basically 'never' leak since their chemistry is not corrosive unlike primary cells (the right name for a single 'battery'). Primary cells 'make' their power by corrosion. Secondary batteries (like these) store power used to charge them chemically (much like plating metal).

If they fail (very rare) they vent by breaking a special seal, leaking solvents that tend to evaporate but don't corrode the works and cause no problem if the device is designed to vent the gas away safely (as Air is). Chances of such a failure if you stick to the factory battery and chargers is basically null IMO.

Elevated temperatures robs charge and can shorten life, but they can get quite hot and do just fine. Avoid full charge at temperatures past 40C and you should be fine. Just expect the battery to be 'a little more discharged' after a few months. The factory battery was carefully chose for 'toughness' under these sorts of conditions. Lots of good information here (pay attention to the stuff around table 3 for temperature data:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

I think you should consider Air, nothing you suggest is a 'deal breaker' IMO.

OF

 

[UnshavenFish]

Sometimes I forget not everyone has our battery friendly UK temps 25°c here (North East Coast) is a hot summer day, you know your in Newcastle when people are walking around in t-shirts in the snow

there are methods involving a fridge but it's more hassle than it's worth IMO

but you say that isn't as simple as it seems? What does that involve?

It is simple, just not in most cases worth it IMO (unless getting really anal about batteries, or extreme temp situations) generally for these reasons it's not something normally advised to do, but it's as simple as putting battery's (at storage charge) in something like a ziplock bag with most air removed and fridge not freezer, then when removing you need to let the battery warm up (easily an hour) before use and also consider moisture (think of a can of coke in the fridge and what happens to it when taken out) so for me even the possibility of some corrosion, or battery damage due to too cold, mixed with condensation worries once removed makes it more hassle than the small gains that could be had.

If the batteries were more expensive or harder to get maybe I would treat mine a little better, but the way I see it is if I can get a year out of them I'm happy for the price, and I don't see any reason you couldn't achieve this maybe even longer, I'm sure there are US users that have similar temps to contend with.

If batteries are a worry something like the enano could be a better choice but then your tied to a socket, if it was me I would get all your suggestions (enano,air,GH) as they all fill a different need (maybe that's my OCD or maybe I'm just a little ) IMO the air fits nicely between the nano and GH (nano being a home unit and GH super portable, the air has a little of both going for it)

 

[MaximusJ]

@MaximusJ welcome to FC, first thing I would suggest I going a little while without combusting and just vaping, I myself did both for a while and eventually once I just vaped it all fell into place (even had a bong at a friends house the other day and it did nothing for me tasted horrible and little effect) once your body/mind adjusts you will find whole new levels of effect to explore, also don't think of big clouds as things working (although they are nice and I like a cloud myself they are not needed for the effects, remember things can take 10-20 minutes to kick in) if you do want bigger clouds though a fine grind with dry herb and high temps works best (try grinding then empty grinder onto a sheet of paper, leave for 30 mins then vape) and as you mentioned slower draws, I'm not sure high flow stems would increase clouds (more air to vapour ratio) but I don't own any apart from the bubbler stem so can't say for sure, good luck and keep us posted how you get on.

Thanks for your answer. I'm sure it was discussed before, but 220 pages is a long read; and I must have read at least 50 of them but couldnt find anything; even with the search engine.

After my post, I found a very interesting topic which I can relate a lot to. http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/trying-to-switch-to-vaping.18239/

I think thats my problem; i'm getting a pretty nice high with the vape, but combusting between sessions is what makes me want more after a vape. I will switch to vape only from now on with maybe one little combustion treat per week or so and see where it leads me. My joints were maybe 50/50 green and flavored cigar tobacco; so maybe there's a little bit nicotine withdrawal mixed into that. I usually dont have an issue with stopping the nicotine cold turkey, but that combined to stop combusting makes it harder for some reason.

This thread sure was inspiring as I can see i'm not the only one struggling. And I think I was combusting a LOT more then OP, but at least i'm getting satisfied with my vape sessions so it might be easier then I expect it to be.

 

[Stoned Cold]

Thanks for your answer. I'm sure it was discussed before, but 220 pages is a long read; and I must have read at least 50 of them but couldnt find anything; even with the search engine.

After my post, I found a very interesting topic which I can relate a lot to. http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/trying-to-switch-to-vaping.18239/

I think thats my problem; i'm getting a pretty nice high with the vape, but combusting between sessions is what makes me want more after a vape. I will switch to vape only from now on with maybe one little combustion treat per week or so and see where it leads me. My joints were maybe 50/50 green and flavored cigar tobacco; so maybe there's a little bit nicotine withdrawal mixed into that. I usually dont have an issue with stopping the nicotine cold turkey, but that combined to stop combusting makes it harder for some reason.

This thread sure was inspiring as I can see i'm not the only one struggling. And I think I was combusting a LOT more then OP, but at least i'm getting satisfied with my vape sessions so it might be easier then I expect it to be.

..try the VXCE....it will surely blow you away....IMO

 

[CarolKing]

VXCE is that a water tool? Welcome to FC @Stoned Cold.

 

[WoodVillain]

VapeXhale Cloud Evo i think.

 

[SSVUN~YAH]

I was wondering if Seibo had his own cranberry extract for a minute...

 

[MaximusJ]

..try the VXCE....it will surely blow you away....IMO

Wow it sure does produce nice clouds; but Its as big as a saxophone! Its big, even for a desktop.

 

[Stoned Cold]

VXCE is that a water tool? Welcome to thi there!...it's vapeXhale Cloud EVO CloudUSER=23769]@Stoned Cold[/USER].

 

[whatitdew]

Solo and air user. I tend to use the solo with a bubbler at home, I like the longer session time and battery life. I use the air mostly when I am on the go. I wish they had the same seal type. It's annoying as hell to have to buy separate stems/gongs for each unit. Will not use my pvhes gong with the air cuz I am afraid it will stretch the seal out and then my vortex stem will no longer fit properly.

i also don't like the feel of the air as much, gets warm and clammy easy in my hand. Other than that I love the unit. These are my daily drivers. Thinking about selling the solo though and getting another air later for backup.

Haven't read through this whole thread but has there been a consensus on if one unit works better for vapor bonging or not? I would presume they would be about equal but maybe a slight edge to the air as it seems to keep a consistent temp better.

 

[Chezgreendream]

Hey guys, I already own an e nano and was in the market to getting a portable vape. I saw the Arizer Air on a video review, I liked it pretty much. Can someone convince me to go for it?

I am however alittle in between. I read reviews about the solo and it seems that the solo out preforms the air even though the air seems like a new and improved solo. Can someone sort this out for me please?

How about draw restriction?, I go for units that wont have me feel like I am pulling a bean through a straw. overworking my lungs spikes my bloodpressure. Or are there techniques to use such as the mouth pumping, like the milkshake draw, or the sippy sipp draw?

 

[subway13029]

Don't have a solo but do have an air and have been told it ia a tighter draw with the solo..the air has restriction but for me when I use my vortex or my pvhes gong it provides too much airflow and I get wispy hits..but with a solo stem or stock gong from pv..I can really rip this thing..for some reason adding airflow doesn't work as well for me with the air.

 

[OF]

I am however alittle in between. I read reviews about the solo and it seems that the solo out preforms the air even though the air seems like a new and improved solo. Can someone sort this out for me please?

From a performance standpoint (blindfolded) I doubt anyone can tell the difference between Solo and Air. They use the same stems, provide the same basic heating control (Solo has more range, especially at lower temperatures). Solo again has a small edge in 'battery level' (7 steps against 4) and of course longer charge life (having twice the battery), say 8 sessions to four? Air has the ability to change batteries.

IMO you'll be happy with either, so happy you'll want to buy the other one too.......

I would not obsess on draw restriction, lots of us rushed to PVHES and other schemes only to find that the design was as restricted as it is by design (that is the maker actually knows what he's doing........go figure). Lots of us came back to stock stems. You don't have to work hard to suck off the vapor as it's produced. Sucking harder doesn't change that production rate, in fact it actually lessens it. It's not like blazing, don't let your old habits control your decisions. In comparison they are the same WRT restriction. In fact some of favor the older (more restricted) Solo (not that you can buy them new any more).

Come on in, the water's fine. The Solo and Air threads didn't get so big because guys were griping about their units?

OF

 

[Chezgreendream]

Don't have a solo but do have an air and have been told it ia a tighter draw with the solo..the air has restriction but for me when I use my vortex or my pvhes gong it provides too much airflow and I get wispy hits..but with a solo stem or stock gong from pv..I can really rip this thing..for some reason adding airflow doesn't work as well for me with the air.

Let me rephrase that comment I made about draw restriction. Some draw restiction is fine, as I want to feel that Im pulling on vapors, though I dont want it to be overly restrictive. Thanks for making the distinction between the Air and the Solo.

 

[Vapor Loop]

It really depend's on if you draw too hard or not with this one, There are better options if you wan't to be able to take short hard draw's. The Haze let's you draw as hard or as soft as you would like. I do find the Air has a bit better flavor tho.

 

[spiggot]

I thought the draw restriction might be annoying for me when I was considering purchasing, but it isn't. I actually prefer to use Solo stems in my Air, despite never having tried a Solo. These give a lot more draw restriction than my PVHES turbo stem, but I find nice slow long sips give me much bigger hits, and the clouds that go with it, if that's your thing. As it tastes so good it's really not a problem once you're used to it. If I want a little bit more air and less restriction, I simply ease out the stem a mm or two, which helps a lot.

I don't have a huge amount of experience with Vapes, but I do own a Pinnacle Pro and an Extreme-Q. The Air is by far the most heavily used, as it's super convenient and so easy to keep clean, by simply dumping all the glass in an iso bath. With a bunch of batteries and stems on rotation between use and cleaning/recharging externally, it really is the perfect solution for me, for now. I love the freedom of a portable, despite only using at home. I think I'd find having to plug the unit into the wall to charge it annoying, which I never have to do with the Air, and of course you would with the Solo.

My advice would be to buy the Arizer Air, it's superb!

 

[MarsellusWallace]

I have a question I've been recently thinking about after reading a few posts on it.

What's the big deal with having the herb touch or make contact with the oven? It's not like it will combust or burn or anything like that. Is it a matter of vaping the bowl evenly? Perhaps avoiding contact preserves the taste for longer?

I use a single domed screen with the dome facing outward in order to reduce the size of the bowl and I do notice that herb that touches the oven gets darker than the rest after a session. However, I've never felt compelled to use another screen to eliminate contact with the oven.

 

[OF]

What's the big deal with having the herb touch or make contact with the oven? It's not like it will combust or burn or anything like that. Is it a matter of vaping the bowl evenly? Perhaps avoiding contact preserves the taste for longer?

While I tend to agree (it's not a sin), there are others who are sold on it for things important to them. I guess it might change the flavor 'sooner', that is as the stuff deep inside is just getting to the sweet tasting part, the part touching is now changing to a less attractive taste? That's the most I can find to object to.

On the subject of domed screens I think this has another advantage in that the average to heat is lowered since more is now either on the walls or the open end as a percentage of the load (the herb displaced tends to vape last). So the load cashes more rapidly I think, that is vapor drops off more rapidly at the end since there's not a lot lingering up against the glass web?

So, while I've tried screens in the bottom, and a custom made SS heat shield given me by another Member that does even better IMO, but it's not worth the effort to me. I recommend folks try it (and other options) but don't recommend it's routine use personally.

OF

 

[UnshavenFish]

I used homemade dome screens and now have the real ones (big step up) I only use one and insert it for size (only loose a little room at edge close to the four holes) the reason I use the screen is to keep my stem clean and holes free (it also helps keep things a little more even) I have my first hit with air upside down or sideways to keep herb in place (away from oven) the only reason I do this is to save on cleaning, my oven still looks brand new (cleaned it once but it didn't need it) the bottom of my load still gets darker due to high temp usage but I have a shiny clean oven.

 

[DreamHaze]

Solo and air user. I tend to use the solo with a bubbler at home, I like the longer session time and battery life. I use the air mostly when I am on the go. I wish they had the same seal type. It's annoying as hell to have to buy separate stems/gongs for each unit. Will not use my pvhes gong with the air cuz I am afraid it will stretch the seal out and then my vortex stem will no longer fit properly.

i also don't like the feel of the air as much, gets warm and clammy easy in my hand. Other than that I love the unit. These are my daily drivers. Thinking about selling the solo though and getting another air later for backup.

Haven't read through this whole thread but has there been a consensus on if one unit works better for vapor bonging or not? I would presume they would be about equal but maybe a slight edge to the air as it seems to keep a consistent temp better.

selling a solo, ehhh?
hmmm

 

[WoodVillain]

A WIP picture of my buckeye burl stem from @Ed's TnT

Still needs some polishing he said but it already looks beautiful... So i decided id go ahead and share it

 

[spiggot]

I used homemade dome screens and now have the real ones (big step up)

What do you mean by "real ones"? Are these the pre-domed ones sold on ebay that have been mentioned before?

My pre-cut Planetvape ultra fine ones have run out as I have so many stems now and ordering more from overseas is expensive due to shipping charges. For my latest new stem (curved Solo), last night I decided to try doming a much cheaper standard 12.5mm red eye one I had. It seemed to work well the one time I've tried it last night, and it uses less material too. The screen did go wonky in the stem part way through, no doubt allowing a little material through the stem holes. I was wondering if it's worth buying pre domed ones to help prevent this happening. The ones I've seen on ebay here in the UK look like they're not ultra fine though, which I'd prefer to keep small particles out off my mouth as much as possible.

Pre-domed ones even from the UK also more expensive than just buying regular ones and doming yourself. Maybe I just need to get better at doming the cheaper ones.