Discontinued The Firefly Vaporizer

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rplenty

New Member
I do get reasonable vape but find there is more vape when I put the abv in the volcano. Still I don't feel that a 300 dollar unit should vary wildly so much so that my technique should need to change based on the particular unit. You have not convinced me that I should expect such a wide variance and I do think the amount of time to shutoff would be a good indication on how long the unit takes to heat to 400 degrees. If it takes longer the coil could absolutely be positioned wrong so that it does not fully heat the bowl but instead finds a different path to trigger the heat sensor which would be why it takes more time to trigger the sensor. Why would this not be the case?
 

mitchgo61

I go where the thrills are
I do get reasonable vape but find there is more vape when I put the abv in the volcano. Still I don't feel that a 300 dollar unit should vary wildly so much so that my technique should need to change based on the particular unit. You have not convinced me that I should expect such a wide variance and I do think the amount of time to shutoff would be a good indication on how long the unit takes to heat to 400 degrees. If it takes longer the coil could absolutely be positioned wrong so that it does not fully heat the bowl but instead finds a different path to trigger the heat sensor which would be why it takes more time to trigger the sensor. Why would this not be the case?

Because it's not the case. The shutoff has nothing to do with the temp it has achieved...it's purely based on time. My Red FF shuts off at second 30, no matter how hot or cold the unit was at the beginning of the push. My Silver shuts off at 45 seconds. (And that one appears to run, or spike, HOTTER than the Red, which is the inverse of what you imagine may be happening.) The cutoff isn't an indication of when the FF reached a certain temp.

You asked a question. Several of us have answered. You don't like, or agree with, our answers. Fine. Call the manufacturer if you are unhappy with what you got for your 270 (not 300, unless you paid too much somehow). If you are convinced the coil is improperly placed, you have two choices. Move it yourself, and violate the warranty if you don't achieve desirable results. Or call FF.
 
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2 Paces

Well-Known Member
I do think the amount of time to shutoff would be a good indication on how long the unit takes to heat to 400 degrees. If it takes longer the coil could absolutely be positioned wrong so that it does not fully heat the bowl but instead finds a different path to trigger the heat sensor which would be why it takes more time to trigger the sensor. Why would this not be the case?

You are assuming that the auto shut off starts when it reaches 400. From what I can tell, the unit shuts off after a certain time interval, not dependent on reaching a certain temp at all.

With aggressive pulls on the mouthpiece, the unit may never reach 400 degrees. Yet my unit always shuts off after the same amount of time.

I could be wrong, but I do not believe the shut off timer is initiated by the temp of the Firefly reaching 400. I believe it is simply a timer which is started by the button push. Mine has never varied, and I have pulled on it so hard that it never got up to vapor producing temp (on purpose, just to test my theory).


Also, I was one of the people who sent back a cool running Firefly and had it replaced with one that ran hotter. The auto shut off time on each was identical.
 

rplenty

New Member
Because it's not the case. The shutoff has nothing to do with the temp it has achieved...it's purely based on time. My Red FF shuts off at second 30, no matter how hot or cold the unit was at the beginning of the push. My Silver shuts off at 45 seconds. (And that one appears to run, or spike HOTTER than the Red, which is the inverse of what you imagine may be happening.) The cutoff isn't an indication of when the FF reached a certain temp.

You asked a question. Several of us have answered. You don't like, or agree with, our answers. Fine. Call the manufacturer if you are unhappy with what you got for your 270 (not 300, unless you paid too much somehow). If you are convinced the coil is improperly placed, you have two choices. Move it yourself, and violate the warranty if you don't achieve desirable results. Or call FF.
Because it's not the case. The shutoff has nothing to do with the temp it has achieved...it's purely based on time. My Red FF shuts off at second 30, no matter how hot or cold the unit was at the beginning of the push. My Silver shuts off at 45 seconds. (And that one appears to run, or spike, HOTTER than the Red, which is the inverse of what you imagine may be happening.) The cutoff isn't an indication of when the FF reached a certain temp.

You asked a question. Several of us have answered. You don't like, or agree with, our answers. Fine. Call the manufacturer if you are unhappy with what you got for your 270 (not 300, unless you paid too much somehow). If you are convinced the coil is improperly placed, you have two choices. Move it yourself, and violate the warranty if you don't achieve desirable results. Or call FF.
Dear Mitch, you state several people have answered and said that I don't like your answers. I beg to differ, only two people have answered one said try a different technique and then there is you. You answered and with bad attitude, so I will ignore you and look for several people who are not a "know it all" about the firefly.
 
rplenty,

mitchgo61

I go where the thrills are
Dear Mitch, you state several people have answered and said that I don't like your answers. I beg to differ, only two people have answered one said try a different technique and then there is you. You answered and with bad attitude, so I will ignore you and look for several people who are not a "know it all" about the firefly.

Wow. Sorry you think I exhibited a bad attitude. I apologize if I expressed myself inarticulately. I was just trying to help you address your concerns, especially since your first post was based on quoting something I said. All I've ever tried to do here is what other FC folks have done for me for five years now....give me good info on vapes and help me with my technique. Since I've used three FFs since the first week they shipped, I feel like I know the device fairly well. But you are certainly free to ignore me. The only reason I answered you in the first place is because you asked me a question directly, and frankly I was distressed that a new FF user was having issues. I want everyone to love the FF as much as I do.

I wish you much luck and success in fixing your FF issues and in wherever your vaping journey takes you from here. And if you ever need any help or info from me, I'm always happy to help if and when I can.
 
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rplenty

New Member
Wow. Sorry you think I exhibited a bad attitude. I was just trying to help you address your concerns, especially since your first post was based on quoting something I said. All I've ever tried to do here is what other FC folks have done for me for five years now....give me good info on vapes and help me with my technique. Since I've used three FFs since the first week they shipped, I feel like I know the device fairly well. But you are certainly free to ignore me. The only reason I answered you in the first place is because you asked me a question directly, and frankly I was distressed that a new FF user was having issues. I want everyone to love the FF as much as I do.

I wish you much luck and success in fixing your FF issues and in wherever your vaping journey takes you from here. And if you ever need any help or info from me, I'm always happy to help if and when I can.
Thanks Mitch will enjoy FF, you are probably correct but I wanted to hear from other also. Have a good day.
 

WildChild

Seeking My Shangri-La
Because it's not the case. The shutoff has nothing to do with the temp it has achieved...it's purely based on time. My Red FF shuts off at second 30, no matter how hot or cold the unit was at the beginning of the push. My Silver shuts off at 45 seconds. (And that one appears to run, or spike, HOTTER than the Red, which is the inverse of what you imagine may be happening.) The cutoff isn't an indication of when the FF reached a certain temp.

You asked a question. Several of us have answered. You don't like, or agree with, our answers. Fine. Call the manufacturer if you are unhappy with what you got for your 270 (not 300, unless you paid too much somehow). If you are convinced the coil is improperly placed, you have two choices. Move it yourself, and violate the warranty if you don't achieve desirable results. Or call FF.
Great answer, @mitchgo61. You have given a lot of solid advice in this thread.

My previously faulty, now fixed FF is continuing to kick ass! Can't tell you how pleased I am. :)
 

natural farmer

Well-Known Member
At first I thought I had a cold-ish unit as well… After a couple of days the ABV can come out as dark as I wish it to. I can finish a load in 4 hits now. I've got the high temp down. Just needs some more preheating (maybe 8 secs…) and more focused drawing. Next station is more consistent low temp hits…
 

Tickdickler

Well-Known Member
Im sorry if this has been brought up before I've only read like 60 of the 100 pages on this thread. How do you have your screen in the bowl? I messed around with it resting above the gap at the bottom of the bowl. When I first used the unit, the screen in there had its edges inside of the gap at the bottom. What way do you guys prefer?

I cant really comment on a difference, I've only had the FF since yesterday and I'm still working on my draws. I just wanted to know if screen position changes anything?
 
Tickdickler,

vinhale

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

A question, and a tip:

Question: I was cleaning the bowl and I pressed as I twisted some paper towel and an o-ring started creeping out from the bottom of the bowl. How is it possible that a rubber piece is so close to the heating element? Is the purpose of this ring to keep dust out of the internals?

A tip: This is really not-classy and is probably only for the function-over-form types, but I discovered the Firefly's perfect utilitarian stirring tool: bike brake cable.

Cut a 3 inch or so segment of brake cable (so it is stiff enough to not bend) and you have a stirring tool that snaps right to the magnets of the FF cover. Yes, it will probably scratch your cover over time, but its pretty convenient

21ngjdh.jpg


Enjoy!
 

darkrom

Great Scott!
This may be because I haven't gotten the technique down yet but I feel like I got a "cold" unit. I only get 1 or 2 big clouds a session so far and I pre heat 7-10 seconds. After the 2 big clouds the rest are much smaller. I also feel I have to try really hard to get the material all brown.


Your issue is preheating. No need to do so. Watch how long it takes for it to heat up to full temp, 1 second or so. I press the button, look for glow and start hitting.
 

mitchgo61

I go where the thrills are
Im sorry if this has been brought up before I've only read like 60 of the 100 pages on this thread. How do you have your screen in the bowl? I messed around with it resting above the gap at the bottom of the bowl. When I first used the unit, the screen in there had its edges inside of the gap at the bottom. What way do you guys prefer?

I cant really comment on a difference, I've only had the FF since yesterday and I'm still working on my draws. I just wanted to know if screen position changes anything?

The screen is JUST large enough so that the edges slot a touch under the bottom edge of the glass bowl. One tip to seat the screen: make it into a dome, so that the circumference is smaller than the surface of the bowl. Place it dome-side up, and gently press down till the edges of the screen slide under the bottom edge of the glass bowl.

Question: I was cleaning the bowl and I pressed as I twisted some paper towel and an o-ring started creeping out from the bottom of the bowl. How is it possible that a rubber piece is so close to the heating element? Is the purpose of this ring to keep dust out of the internals?

It's pretty odd that the O-ring came out from the bowl...I clean mine with some paper towel damp with iso and so far haven't caused the ring to pop out. (Very weird...must have been some circular play in your bowl, which is strange because the bowl and heater assembly are held in place by the pressure of the top plate.)

If you didn't seen these excellent tear-down pix, check 'em out. You'll see the black O-ring in several of the shots around the top edge of the bowl. I assume it's there to make a solid seal between the bottom edge of the steel plate and the top edge of the glass bowl.

http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/the-firefly-vaporizer.11365/page-81#post-549916

 
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Raskin666

Doom Walrus
I used to do no preheat, then I tried a 4 sec preheat for every hit and I was charring regularly. I now use a longer preheat for the first hit or so, then very short if any preheat for subsequent hits. This has solved the charring issue. I imagine with the slight variations in the heater, techniques might vary for effectiveness.
@WildChild So glad your unit is solved! What technique is most effective for you now that you adjusted the element?
 

fernand

Well-Known Member
As far as 45 vs 30 seconds go, look at the photos on page 81. There's a many-legged chip on the board. It's a microprocessor/controller. Its firmware determines most behavior of the FireFly, like its "shutoff if button infinitely pressed" timeout. It's a safety thing, what if you had the button pressed, say in your pocket? It has nothing to do with how the coil is behaving.

Maybe some of our new arrivals are overfilling the bowl? I was having some issues with full bowls. Like needing to deep stir. I've arrived after several weeks to where I only put a small pinch of shredded bud in, and there's no need even to open the lid, just tap and shake between tokes. I do warm it up a good 10 seconds before starting to draw on the first drag. And I get 5-6 amazingly effective tokes out of what? 0.050 g, 50 bloody milligrams (1)? Maybe try using just a pinch, just for the hell of it, you might find a happy medium somewhere. Everybody may find a different sweet spot. I can assure you that it's there for you to discover.

If you want to mess with the coil, and you're handy with tools, it can change the character a little, but overall it's not clear that it's necessary.

(1) granted, it's 19% bud ;-)
 
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mitchgo61

I go where the thrills are
In order to get to the bottom of this I contacted FF to confirm the nature of the cutoff. It is indeed just an arbitrary time cutoff. Here's what Shelby sent me....

"I just confirmed with my Returns Technician who repairs all of the Firefly's that come in for warranty services and he informed me that it is in fact a 30 second timed shut off. This is to prevent the unit from overheating. I asked him about why your Silver Firefly would turn off after 45 seconds, but he was unsure as he has not experienced that before. I tested the automatic shut off with my unit here, and mine turns off after 30 seconds as well. I wish I could be more help with that!"

So apparently at least a few units have a 45 second cutoff, but now we know definitively that time and not heat level is the trigger.

Maybe some of our new arrivals are overfilling the bowl? I was having some issues with full bowls. Like needing to deep stir. I've arrived after several weeks to where I only put a small pinch of shredded bud in, and there's no need even to open the lid, just tap and shake between tokes. I do warm it up a good 10 seconds before starting to draw on the first drag. And I get 5-6 amazingly effective tokes out of what? 0.050 g, 50 bloody milligrams (1)? Maybe try using just a pinch, just for the hell of it, you might find a happy medium somewhere. I can assure you that it's there for you to discover.

(1) granted, it's 19% bud ;-)

Interesting. I totally have the opposite experience....if I don't fill the bowl very full and compact it a little, I don't get superior results. I seem to achieve a much better extraction percentage with more, not less, on both of my FFs. Once again, different strokes...
 
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WildChild

Seeking My Shangri-La
@WildChild So glad your unit is solved! What technique is most effective for you now that you adjusted the element?
Thank you, @Raskin666.

To be honest, I'm still working on technique. So far: 8 second preheat on first draw, no warm up on subsequent draws, start very slow and slightly increase my breath after about 5 seconds, sometimes pulse my breath speed a bit, grind and mix the darkened hand-torn bits finer then do a couple of double button press draws to finish it off. It's pretty dark brown by then...

Hope this helps a bit. :)
 

natural farmer

Well-Known Member
I have to agree with the smaller bowl technique. What I like to do is throw in a whole mini nug, hit it once or twice for flavor, then break it up by hand when it is dry. Its never a FULL bowl, and it vapes super evenly.

Full nugs work very nice indeed. And you just finger grind them straight into the bowl which keeps things tidy. :)

While still trying to find the perfect draw I have managed to go to about 4 bowls for a charge up from 2 so far... Do you guys think I may reach 6 or 7 bowls if I keep getting better??? :p
How many bowls are you getting out of the FF max?
 
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