Discontinued The Firefly Vaporizer

[Un Prophete]

No, but could do so within a few days, unfortunately my Torx T6 (or whatever it was) was since sacrificed to my Macbook pro while I was doing some work on that machine, so I need to go out and buy a new one.

Also just remembered there was some discussion on the magnets in the device a while back. They are (just tested) powerful enough to put an Apple laptop to sleep if you put the lid in the right place. That's how the computer senses the screen is closed. If you have a solid state computer, don't worry about it besides keeping the lid away from that point. If your computer has a spinning disk, don't put the lid near the hard drive while it's running (probably fine while off, but backup your data before testing any of this).

Should be fine next to a credit card in a wallet, but don't put the card under the lid and close the device. I'm also not going to test this one.


The glow is a bit counter-intuitive. That it dims at all when air passes over it (easier to see if you inhale briskly with no material in the bowl) means the aerodynamic design is very effective at removing heat from the coil, thus into the air and through your herb. That said, a huge amount of the energy is lost(ish) to the device. The lost energy is not actually lost, the coil doesn't have to work nearly as hard when the device gets hotter.

I think most of the heat in the air is lost after it passes through your material and collides with the lid, which is somewhat thermally isolated from the bowl (good thing glass to metal is such a terrible way to transfer heat, not that the bowl gets very hot near the top anyway), and has quite a bit of thermal mass itself. I believe this is why you see the window and lid getting dirty, a few of the heavier molecules condense out of the air as it cools rapidly on contact with the lid.

In short: as the device heats, the glow will dim and move from the yellowish to the orangeish (these are highly technical terms) part of the visible spectrum, all this indicates is that it has sensed the coil is the proper temperature to heat the air to about 400 degrees. I believe at this point it is mostly variation in draw speed that will cook material different amounts, and obviously the bottom of the bowl cooks a bit faster as the air cools on its way up. I've found it to be quite effective with a moderate but consistent draw (10-20 seconds) and occasional stir, but don't really want to get into dissecting method. It's all rather intuitive for me.

You are as passionate about this stuff as I am about film. I dig it, good work. Are there like special forums dedicated to this sort of thing?

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

You are as passionate about this stuff as I am about film. I dig it, good work. Are there like special forums dedicated to this sort of thing?

For vaporizers? This is it. There's tons of technical information in most threads, plus we get the luxury of having people who study and work with these concepts on a daily basis.

 

[Un Prophete]

For vaporizers? This is it. There's tons of technical information in most threads, plus we get the luxury of having people who study and work with these concepts on a daily basis.

No, I just mean in general, if there is a forum where tech/physics experts and hobbyists get together. Sorry for the off topic, the world just fascinates me lol.

 

[tufftitty]

See how uneven this is...I am Mr. Inconsistent...

Looks like too much and a little too fine of a grind. Just pile up about half that much with pieces until you get to the edge of the glass then just barely tamp down, like a pat on the head.

 

[Volteric]

Looks like too much and a little too fine of a grind. Just pile up about half that much with pieces until you get to the edge of

My first thoughts there are you're either leaning on the button too long or hitting the button again too soon, i.e. "pulsing it," which apparently some people do with success.

Maybe simply breathing too slowly with extra dry herbs? But I wouldn't think it would cause that type of charring. I only get that type of charring on a 2nd or 3rd toke that I'm taking very soon after a previous toke and lean on the button extra long. Can always taste when it happens.

Might want to try the @steama approach where you inhale fast enough to feel resistance and then scale it back just enough so that you're not feeling resistance. If you haven't already.

Eureka! I am having really good success with the sipping method/mouth power over spreading my lungs wide open trying to get the vapor to rape me. Nice quick little sips and inhaling did the trick and the abv is consistent and a nice foxy brown!

 

[EveryDayAmnesiac]

Eureka! I am having really good success with the sipping method/mouth power over spreading my lungs wide open trying to get the vapor to rape me. Nice quick little sips and inhaling did the trick and the abv is consistent and a nice foxy brown!

Great to hear! Hopefully now you can really start honing in on the method that works optimally for you.

 

[Stu]

Ummm how do you delete a duplicate post?

Just hit the report link in the bottom of the post. That alerts me to get the broom for a cleanup on aisle FF.

 

[mitchgo61]

Eureka! I am having really good success with the sipping method/mouth power over spreading my lungs wide open trying to get the vapor to rape me. Nice quick little sips and inhaling did the trick and the abv is consistent and a nice foxy brown!

Nice, the pull-with-your-mouth thing works really well in my experience. Not always necessary, sometimes brings too much suction power to the party, but at certain stages on certain devices it's just what the dr ordered.

Also, have you tried the inhale-through-your-nose technique? Make a seal with your mouth, but breathe in *slowly* through your nose. Only breathe through your mouth at the very end of the hit to carb out the chamber. It seems weird but it works really well, though I've only used it on the MFLB and VB2 and not the FF, yet.
There's a great explanation on this in the excellent Vaporpedia MFLB section:

[vaporpedia link removed due to malware]

 

[Volteric]

Great to hear! Hopefully now you can really start honing in on the method that works optimally for you.

Oh man seriously quick little sips to a nice steady draw is sublime. And I'm able to just let the heat button go, no glow and get 2 more full hits! Yaaaay!

 

[Dragonfly]

In short: as the device heats, the glow will dim and move from the yellowish to the orangeish (these are highly technical terms) part of the visible spectrum, all this indicates is that it has sensed the coil is the proper temperature to heat the air to about 400 degrees. I believe at this point it is mostly variation in draw speed that will cook material different amounts, and obviously the bottom of the bowl cooks a bit faster as the air cools on its way up. I've found it to be quite effective with a moderate but consistent draw (10-20 seconds) and occasional stir, but don't really want to get into dissecting method. It's all rather intuitive for me.

Thanks for the write-up. Very interesting material!

I look forward to photos. I'm wondering if you noticed a thermal probe mounted somewhere near the heating element. I don't know if thermal management is done by active temp sensors or is mostly a pre-programmed application of power.

 

[natural farmer]

Just hit the report link in the bottom of the post. That alerts me to get the broom for a cleanup on aisle FF.

Hey Stu! Have you received yours yet? We haven't heard any thoughts...

 

[darkrom]

I got to hold one of these finally as my AWESOME local headshop has them now! The candy red finish is supreme!

Is the warranty valid if I buy it through my headshop? Does anyone know that for a fact? I can get it for $270 at the local headshop.

I just bought a new mattress and I'm trying to sell my car, so I definitely can't buy it now even though I want one BAD, but I'm strongly thinking of getting one in the future.

Now that people have had them for a while, how many bowls are you "vapor pros" getting roughly? I know it'll vary per person and other factors of course, just looking for a ballpark now that people figured out how to use it best. I've been dying to try one out, wish you could try before you buy haha.

 

[havealight101]

I got to hold one of these finally as my AWESOME local headshop has them now! The candy red finish is supreme!

Is the warranty valid if I buy it through my headshop? Does anyone know that for a fact? I can get it for $270 at the local headshop.

I just bought a new mattress and I'm trying to sell my car, so I definitely can't buy it now even though I want one BAD, but I'm strongly thinking of getting one in the future.

Now that people have had them for a while, how many bowls are you "vapor pros" getting roughly? I know it'll vary per person and other factors of course, just looking for a ballpark now that people figured out how to use it best. I've been dying to try one out, wish you could try before you buy haha.

Warranty is good, I've bought 2 from a lhs, and one is going in for RMA#005x.
loads will vary, but 3-5 seems to be the average.

 

[Volteric]

PAX ABV

FF ABV

Its hard to see but the FF abv is about half the material than the Pax. In trying the sipping method and then inhaling I'm getting about as many tokes as the Pax (not as robust and still in my opinion not as flavorful) but it seems fairly clear that the FF is more efficient with material than the Pax.

 

[Stu]

Hey Stu! Have you received yours yet? We haven't heard any thoughts...

I've been playing with my fire engine red FF for a couple of weeks now. I must say that I have mixed feelings so far.

I've been able to coax decent clouds using proper technique. I feel that the pre-heat time can vary from hit to hit. The biggest factor seems to be how warm the unit is. A dead cold unit will require you to lean on the button more in the beginning. As the unit warms up, it takes less energy to get the bowl up to optimal vaporization temps, so you don't need to pre-heat quite as much.

The vape signature of the FF is reminiscent of the T1 IMO. Taste is pretty good, but I can detect the SS in the flavor profile.

The problem that I'm having (and I seem to be the only one as I have not read anyone else having this issue) is that I can't seem to get a good hit that doesn't make me cough really hard. My lungs are pretty sensitive due to chronic bronchitis and lots of vaporizers make me cough. But the FF seems to really take it to another level and it's quite frustrating. I'm not sure why this is tbh.

I also made the mistake of not purchasing the external charger. I did pick up an extra battery, but with no place to charge it (aside from inside the FF) it doesn't come in too handy.

For me the jury is still out on this one.



[URL='http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/best-of-the-firefly-vaporizer-thread.16628/'] [/URL]

 

[Volteric]

I've been playing with my fire engine red FF for a couple of weeks now. I must say that I have mixed feelings so far.

I've been able to coax decent clouds using proper technique. I feel that the pre-heat time can vary from hit to hit. The biggest factor seems to be how warm the unit is. A dead cold unit will require you to lean on the button more in the beginning. As the unit warms up, it takes less energy to get the bowl up to optimal vaporization temps, so you don't need to pre-heat quite as much.

The vape signature of the FF is reminiscent of the T1 IMO. Taste is pretty good, but I can detect the SS in the flavor profile.

The problem that I'm having (and I seem to be the only one as I have not read anyone else having this issue) is that I can't seem to get a good hit that doesn't make me cough really hard. My lungs are pretty sensitive due to chronic bronchitis and lots of vaporizers make me cough. But the FF seems to really take it to another level and it's quite frustrating. I'm not sure why this is tbh.

I also made the mistake of not purchasing the external charger. I did pick up an extra battery, but with no place to charge it (aside from inside the FF) it doesn't come in too handy.

For me the jury is still out on this one.

I'd recommend calling FF service and see if they can work a deal with you for an external charger. Tell them you intended on getting the Premium Package and that you forgot to include the external charger and see if they will help you out or offer it at a lower price.

It's clear that there is a learning curve with this vape just like every vaporizer, IMO. Some are more consistent and require less finesse but overall I am convinced the FF is in the top 3 portables to date.

 

[bumdiggy84]

Figured it out yet? I too want to see the dual color... I'm tempted to buy the red lid for my gray one. Although, I have to say, the gray is the way to go... classy and still stealthy. I feel like the silver and red ones stand out too much and could get annoying after a while. Everyone with a red one, still loving theirs?

finally got it to work...

ALSO wanted to tell all who use the Q-tip/ISO method to clean(which should be everyone)... I might be the only one who DIDN'T realize this, BUT...after you've swabbed and get you Qtip all dirty...just squeeze and pinch off the "tip" and you will still have cotton tip leftover to continue swabbing/cleaning. Now I'm only using two Q tips with this method, instead of four. (I know I know, I'm the only one that was too medicated to figure that out!)

Someone else said to "vape" the cotton tips...haven't tried that yet, just tossin em lol


AND also, the seal on my Grey lid came loose. TIP TO ALL NEW PURCHASERS!! MAKE SURE THE SCREWS ARE TIGHT, as I DID NOT, even thought I was advised by another user in this thread....off to by a T6 torx to fix it

thanks again for the advice/tips everyone!!

 

[EveryDayAmnesiac]

@Volteric

The ABV from your FF is still looking a little uneven. Or is it just the pic?

@Stu

I must say that I find your coughing surprising. I have a sensitive throat / lungs myself and I have only coughed at the times when I took WAY too big of a hit.

I definitely agree that you can taste the SS. I don't find it to be a deterrent, but it definitely doesn't taste as good as the Ascent or Solo.

@bumdiggy84

It's hard to see the color juxtaposition in those pics!

 

[mckeen]

I've been playing with my fire engine red FF for a couple of weeks now. I must say that I have mixed feelings so far.

I've been able to coax decent clouds using proper technique. I feel that the pre-heat time can vary from hit to hit. The biggest factor seems to be how warm the unit is. A dead cold unit will require you to lean on the button more in the beginning. As the unit warms up, it takes less energy to get the bowl up to optimal vaporization temps, so you don't need to pre-heat quite as much.

The vape signature of the FF is reminiscent of the T1 IMO. Taste is pretty good, but I can detect the SS in the flavor profile.

The problem that I'm having (and I seem to be the only one as I have not read anyone else having this issue) is that I can't seem to get a good hit that doesn't make me cough really hard. My lungs are pretty sensitive due to chronic bronchitis and lots of vaporizers make me cough. But the FF seems to really take it to another level and it's quite frustrating. I'm not sure why this is tbh.

I also made the mistake of not purchasing the external charger. I did pick up an extra battery, but with no place to charge it (aside from inside the FF) it doesn't come in too handy.

For me the jury is still out on this one.

I have to chime in here. The FF has not made me choke/cough at all. I have some bad lungs, surgery and alot of tumors/masses. Some COPD and emphysema have really made me change my life and my vaporizers. The Davinci and the Pax make me couph a bunch near the end of a session. The FF does not do this to me. Maybe the FF's vapor is so cool that your taking in a bit much with one toke. I have had to switch to the Firefly due to this very reason. This little FF is saving my lungs and my money.

And what exactly does stainless steel taste like? As a heliarc welder in the past, I never tasted/smelled S/S. The stainless steel coating is same as chrome plating. In fact, I've never heard of stainless steel coating.

 

[bumdiggy84]

@bumdiggy84

It's hard to see the color juxtaposition in those pics![/quote]

I agree..I'll try again...

 

[grokit]

@bumdiggy84, I only got the 1st pic, next 2 are broken.

But I really like the 2-tone look

 

[mitchgo61]

The problem that I'm having (and I seem to be the only one as I have not read anyone else having this issue) is that I can't seem to get a good hit that doesn't make me cough really hard. My lungs are pretty sensitive due to chronic bronchitis and lots of vaporizers make me cough. But the FF seems to really take it to another level and it's quite frustrating. I'm not sure why this is tbh.

For me the jury is still out on this one.

Interesting. I find it super smooth. Yesterday I was playing with the MFLB for the first time in ages. Got huge hits from it, but very harsh. The contrast with the big FF hits, which sometimes make me cough but never leave me with a harsh feeling, was quite pronounced.

Not really sure why you are having issues with harshness. Sounds like you've been using it long enough to be high on the curve. (I do agree with the "current heat state" observation..a cold FF requires more heat button action, and as it warms up, pulling big hits becomes faster and easier. Till the material starts to get spent, that is.)

I'd recommend calling FF service and see if they can work a deal with you for an external charger. Tell them you intended on getting the Premium Package and that you forgot to include the external charger and see if they will help you out or offer it at a lower price.

Yeah give 'em a call, talk to Sarah, tell them you are FC staff and you are looking for a possible "premium package" price. They will likely treat you extra special.

 

[Volteric]

@Volteric

The ABV from your FF is still looking a little uneven. Or is it just the pic?

@Stu

I must say that I find your coughing surprising. I have a sensitive throat / lungs myself and I have only coughed at the times when I took WAY too big of a hit.

I definitely agree that you can taste the SS. I don't find it to be a deterrent, but it definitely doesn't taste as good as the Ascent or Solo.

@bumdiggy84

It's hard to see the color juxtaposition in those pics!

All I can say is that it is much, much more consistent than at first. The sipping method is getting me far more consistency and mileage with the material so I hope as I fine tune the technique I get more even abv.

 

[bumdiggy84]

@bumdiggy84, I only got the 1st pic, next 2 are broken.

But I really like the 2-tone look

 

[tufftitty]

PAX ABV

FF ABV

Its hard to see but the FF abv is about half the material than the Pax. In trying the sipping method and then inhaling I'm getting about as many tokes as the Pax (not as robust and still in my opinion not as flavorful) but it seems fairly clear that the FF is more efficient with material than the Pax.

You're putting that abv back in the ff right??? I could easily get another 5-6 clouds out of that....