MonsterWithoutBorders
Philosophim
Just graduated from waiting shipping insanity. I am relieved. God damn this thing is so beautiful and feels so good. (Ripped by ff2 so some idiocy was deleted)
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Discontinued The Grasshopper
- Thread starter midgetsanchez
- Start date
Vapor_Eyes
taste buds
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WoodyWeedPecker
Well-Known Member
I know the Grasshopper is partial pass-through charging not full pass-through charging. Does anybody has any idea how it works?
It seems when I'm using the hopper while it's on the USB cable, it simply shut down the recharging mode and switch to battery mode.
No amount of power from the USB cable is used to power your vape using the partial pass-through.
I often vape with the pass-through charging but I'm getting blinking blue lights and red lights very quickly as if no power was taken from the cable.
It would be nice to have full pass-through charging so I can use my unit whenever I want without waiting for the batteries to recharge (with the unit you can only recharge one a time, an external charger can help).
It seems when I'm using the hopper while it's on the USB cable, it simply shut down the recharging mode and switch to battery mode.
No amount of power from the USB cable is used to power your vape using the partial pass-through.
I often vape with the pass-through charging but I'm getting blinking blue lights and red lights very quickly as if no power was taken from the cable.
It would be nice to have full pass-through charging so I can use my unit whenever I want without waiting for the batteries to recharge (with the unit you can only recharge one a time, an external charger can help).
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MonkeyTime
Well-Known Member
Not sure that would be possible with a usb charger, it would never be able to supply enough current to keep up.
vapviking
Old & In the Way
That looks delicious!
Hard to beat a 1/3 bowl of kief. I always make sure to sandwich between flower.
Works well with kief wrapped in small piece of cotton ball too, without flowers.
MonkeyTime
Well-Known Member
I've yet to try cotton as a spacer, when you use it, does it just need to be 100% cotton or is there something else I should look for? I've got a few things I'd like to try with a disposable spacer and this is looking like a great weekend for scientific testing
sorry for the OT
greenextinguisher
Well-Known Member
@dac13 and I ordered ours from that guy on ebay. They are older serials and they are lacking the extra resistors on the PCB. My guess is that they are refurbs or maybe b-grade stock, but they look like new and are legit. GHL is probably in a tough $$$ spot and is using the extra revenue stream to keep things moving forward.
bobinthesaab shipped the day I ordered and I think I had it in my hands within 48 hours. Pretty great service. @dac13 quickly developed a problem and didn't have trouble getting it fixed with GHL. They replaced his body, so who really cares if it was a refurb? I'm not sure if his replacement body has the additional resistors, though. You end up with the same treatment in the likely scenario you develop some sort of issue. Mine is still functioning but feels a little shakier than the SS I got with the added resistors.
I was persistent in getting my refund with GHL and eventually did. It took several e-mails over a few months. I think others didn't have to be as persistent. They didn't give me a hard time or anything, they were just unresponsive.
Has anyone tried polishing a hopper with a Dremel to buff out scratches? The plain TI and SS scratch like mofos. Is it going to make the finish look weird in the buffed spots? I don't know much about treating metals.
newVaper420
Vapor Enthusiast
According to him on Reddit, the units he are sending out were received 30 days ago. So not sure if Hopper Labs is sending him older stock or what not, but it doesn't make sense. Not that I'm saying you are wrong, but when did you order yours from him. Maybe that's the difference? He got a new batch.
Anyhow, agreed. Plenty of people with new units who just receive them have failures. So in that respect there is no difference between ordering direct from Hopper Labs, and ordering from Bobinasaab LOL :-).
greenextinguisher
Well-Known Member
Ours came from his July batch. What doesn't make sense?
seaofgreens
My Mind Is Free
That the July batch would have a bunch of duds perhaps?
newVaper420
Vapor Enthusiast
That your batch were missing resistors for whatever reason. I'm still not going to worry about my order.
Yeap exactly.
greenextinguisher
Well-Known Member
I don't think the july batch has a bunch of duds. I only know the story of two of them. One was not ok and mine has been fine. The one that was not ok had no problems getting a body exchange.
Oh... you must have missed our discussion several pages back about the resistors. It isn't "missing" resistors, its just of the configuration that has two fewer. It is a known configuration.
You 100% should not be worried about it. You are getting a totally legit hopper in a new condition from a reputable, service-oriented reseller. I'm sorry for my speculation earlier. I didn't intend to put a damper on your experience. I absolutely could be wrong and the simple explanation could be that he was just slowly selling a batch he got early on to maximize profits and that you will get a much later serial number. I'm actually really curious to find out.
You are getting a better deal than I did. I paid $30 more and I think its the right call. Plus, hoppers aren't too expensive. If they do make serious improvements and we want shiny new ones later down the road, we'll be able to pick one up. At least we have something now!
I checked out his history as well and he was selling them at a huge premium early on. He's gradually reduced his price to match demand, I believe. The price has really plummeted in the last few months. I wonder if he knows something that we don't about their production ramp up.
edit: poor wording fixes
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Vapor_Eyes
taste buds
This bobinthesaab guy just seems like a guy who made a smart investment during Hopper Lab's indiegogo campaign. He also seems to provide fast shipping and good service.
I did some research on him in early June, which is when I believe he started selling Grasshoppers.
This is the same time VapoShop started selling them and Vapefiend restocked. I bought from VapoShop before I saw his. Mine is missing the two extra resistors also, they seem to be a very recent addition to the design. I've had no problems with performance in two months of ownership.
I'm pretty sure @Bdubbdiblets and perhaps a few other members bought from him in June with no issues.
I am 99.9% sure his Grasshoppers are no different than the ones sold on Vapefiend or VapoShop. With Hopper Labs' production issues, it's likely that they couldn't fulfill retailer backer orders all at once and are sending them out in regular (monthly?) shipments.
The price fluctuations can be attributed to simple economics. His hoppers were more expensive in June. A limited amount of people are willing to pay the higher price, especially considering the extra hoppers going out to retailers and pre-orders. Grasshoppers aren't the mythical beast they once were. So once the market's needs are met sales slow down.
So you lower the price to build interest. Maybe he lowered it too much on accident. It's also a good strategy to do that on purpose. Sell a few at the lower price to get people talking about it, then as sales build raise the price. Simple supply and demand.
It also plays into the psychology of the buyer. Say $250 is more than you want to spend. Then you see it for $225 which sounds like a good price to you. You sleep on it and wake up deciding to buy a hopper. Then you see the price went up to $250. There is a good chance that you will buy it since your mind is now set on owning a hopper. You might also be concerned that the price will continue to rise as supply gets lower, so now $250 looks like a bargain.
I have no special knowledge of the situation other than what is available publicly on the Internet. At the very least it's a fact that he has great eBay feedback and is selling authentic Grasshoppers with a lifetime warranty. I highly doubt his Grasshoppers are B-stock, or inferior in any way. I'm sure some people who purchase from him will have problems with their hopper, just like people have problems with their units they received directly from Hopper Labs.
I did some research on him in early June, which is when I believe he started selling Grasshoppers.
This is the same time VapoShop started selling them and Vapefiend restocked. I bought from VapoShop before I saw his. Mine is missing the two extra resistors also, they seem to be a very recent addition to the design. I've had no problems with performance in two months of ownership.
I'm pretty sure @Bdubbdiblets and perhaps a few other members bought from him in June with no issues.
I am 99.9% sure his Grasshoppers are no different than the ones sold on Vapefiend or VapoShop. With Hopper Labs' production issues, it's likely that they couldn't fulfill retailer backer orders all at once and are sending them out in regular (monthly?) shipments.
The price fluctuations can be attributed to simple economics. His hoppers were more expensive in June. A limited amount of people are willing to pay the higher price, especially considering the extra hoppers going out to retailers and pre-orders. Grasshoppers aren't the mythical beast they once were. So once the market's needs are met sales slow down.
So you lower the price to build interest. Maybe he lowered it too much on accident. It's also a good strategy to do that on purpose. Sell a few at the lower price to get people talking about it, then as sales build raise the price. Simple supply and demand.
It also plays into the psychology of the buyer. Say $250 is more than you want to spend. Then you see it for $225 which sounds like a good price to you. You sleep on it and wake up deciding to buy a hopper. Then you see the price went up to $250. There is a good chance that you will buy it since your mind is now set on owning a hopper. You might also be concerned that the price will continue to rise as supply gets lower, so now $250 looks like a bargain.
I have no special knowledge of the situation other than what is available publicly on the Internet. At the very least it's a fact that he has great eBay feedback and is selling authentic Grasshoppers with a lifetime warranty. I highly doubt his Grasshoppers are B-stock, or inferior in any way. I'm sure some people who purchase from him will have problems with their hopper, just like people have problems with their units they received directly from Hopper Labs.
newVaper420
Vapor Enthusiast
I don't think the july batch has a bunch of duds. I only know the story of two of them. One was not ok and mine has been fine. The one that was not ok had no problems getting a body exchange.
Oh... you must have missed our discussion several pages back about the resistors. It isn't "missing" resistors, its just of the configuration that has two fewer. It is a known configuration.
You 100% should not be worried about it. You are getting a totally legit hopper in a new condition from a reputable, service-oriented reseller. I'm sorry for my speculation earlier. I didn't intend to put a damper on your experience. I absolutely could be wrong and the simple explanation could be that he was just slowly selling a batch he got early on to maximize profits and that you will get a much later serial number. I'm actually really curious to find out.
You are getting a better deal than I did. I paid $30 more and I think its the right call. Plus, hoppers aren't too expensive. If they do make serious improvements and we want shiny new ones later down the road, we'll be able to pick one up. At least we have something now!
I checked out his history as well and he was selling them at a huge premium early on. He's gradually reduced his price to match demand, I believe. The price has really plummeted in the last few months. I wonder if he knows something that we don't about their production ramp up.
edit: poor wording fixes
No worries :-). I think we are on the same page :-) Vape on :-)
----
I ordered the Nitecore D4. Next up is to order the batteries from Hopper Labs, but I'll do all that after I get it working.
greenextinguisher
Well-Known Member
According to his ebay history he sold a few for around $500 at least six months ago which would mean he started selling in January, right? There is a point in his reviews where it transitions from "in the last six months" to "in the last year."
Looks like he sold a bunch really quickly at $229, so he probably decided that price is still a little too hot. lol
Its a no-brainer at $229 faced with at least a several month wait.
kingfisher
Well-Known Member
Since my TI unit has been done I've been using the stainless one more.
A couple of notes in comparison.
1. I swear the stainless heater is putting out more heat.
-this may be due to my TI failing slowly over time. As it seems it was the air flow sensor that failed.
2. I consistently get a hot back end with the stainless. Where as never with the ti. There are various theories out there but here are mine.
-The hopper is conducting power through the threads. From a basic electronic design perspective this is a practice that is shunned in industry. It is difficult to maintain proper surface contact. The more current the more heat due to losses. So people have been spot on about the back end getting hotter as the battery drains. Ti is both more conductive and due to the difficulty in machining, ie the scratchy feeling when threading the back end on. Ti is a hard metal to machine and the surface finish has lots of little spikes basically looking like little mountains after being machined. It is my theory that these interface more effectively than the smoother surface of the stainless.
-I put some di-electric grease on the threads. No more back end heat, and the heaterror output is ridiculous. It's like when I got my new back end again. Now after several uses and a couple battery changes I am getting more heat on the back again. Sooo thinking a cleaning and re-application of grease helps.
A couple of notes in comparison.
1. I swear the stainless heater is putting out more heat.
-this may be due to my TI failing slowly over time. As it seems it was the air flow sensor that failed.
2. I consistently get a hot back end with the stainless. Where as never with the ti. There are various theories out there but here are mine.
-The hopper is conducting power through the threads. From a basic electronic design perspective this is a practice that is shunned in industry. It is difficult to maintain proper surface contact. The more current the more heat due to losses. So people have been spot on about the back end getting hotter as the battery drains. Ti is both more conductive and due to the difficulty in machining, ie the scratchy feeling when threading the back end on. Ti is a hard metal to machine and the surface finish has lots of little spikes basically looking like little mountains after being machined. It is my theory that these interface more effectively than the smoother surface of the stainless.
-I put some di-electric grease on the threads. No more back end heat, and the heaterror output is ridiculous. It's like when I got my new back end again. Now after several uses and a couple battery changes I am getting more heat on the back again. Sooo thinking a cleaning and re-application of grease helps.
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Vapor_Eyes
taste buds
I'd like to hear more about this di-electric grease. It sounds like a good candidate for the Grasshopper Fixes resource.
Bdubbdiblets
Well-Known Member
Very true, still hopping strong and because of him! He is legit..
greenextinguisher
Well-Known Member
This is the Q-Tip from my week-longish test. It was turned a shade of black/gray after wiping the mouthpiece threads inside and out. The photo doesn't really pick up how dark it is, but there are dark-colored bits in there.
closeup of my threads:
Radiocitysuicide
Well-Known Member
How do we check how many resistors there are? I'm sure my SS is the old design but I want to compare it to my Ti when it arrives. I'll also post the serial number range when I get it.
Vapor_Eyes
taste buds
Look inside the battery compartment of your Grasshopper. Notice how there are two extra components on the SS model at the 11:00 position:
A closer look:
TI PCB:
SS PCB:
It looks like my SS has two additional resistors installed. This could be related to the conductivity of the metal or it could just be different models from different times.
A couple of notes/anecdotes:
- These came from different sources and neither of them came direct from Grasshopper Labs
- @dac13 purchased his TI from the same lot as mine. He quickly developed a problem and started an RMA process with GHL. It will be interesting to get an update on that.
- Whenever I install a battery in the TI, the lights turn on red briefly as the backend makes contact with the battery. This doesn't happen on the SS.
- I think I like my SS better, but I can't really quantify this and need more time. It seems like the times where I was primarily negative about the hopper, I was primarily using the TI. When I've been primarily happy, I've been primarily using the SS. That being said, I've tried them back-to-back on several occasions and couldn't find much of a difference.
- My SS has a shitload of extra flux
I'd love to hear some reports from others as to which PCB they have along with what metal and what their experience has been like.
-- EDIT --
Seems like a very plausible explanation for the additional hardware.
Yeah, the connector on the backend does not seem to be plated where the one on the pcb does seem to be.
JoeMama
Well-Known Member
Isn't dielectric grease, well, greasy?
The is like DetoxIT, except the function of DetoxIT Gold is to molecularly fill in "holes" in metal.
While the grease may have a positive effect that may last longer, I think DetoxIT does the same thing with less mess.
@kingfisher you are so right about how the means of conducting through threads and body being shunned. It's very inefficient. The dielectric grease would certainly do the job. Have you had the chance to try DetoxIT to make a comparison?
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jabba
Well-Known Member
#1 I got the Deoxit D pen in the mail today....tried it...much to my surprise....my back end no longer gets hot! You could blow me over with a feather.....serious.....the back end is cool as a cucumber after one application. AWESOME! We shall see how long it takes before I need to reapply.
#2 The SS GH that I have been using is perfect...and I got it from bobinthesaab on Ebay. Fast shipping...no problems whatsoever. The 2nd SS GH that I bought as backup came from some vaposhop in the Netherlands. I've never used the backup SS GH....but I tested it once to see that it does heat up. I would not hesitate to order from the Saab guy on Ebay whatsoever.....also referred a friend to that old auction...his is also running perfectly. I paid a bit more of a premium than current auction(s).....well worth it imo....to avoid the long and unknown wait period from HL.
Pretty excited about the deoxit D pen and my now cool back-end. Now it is official....my GH is the holy grail. Battery was fine before...curious if this will improve things. Update after more use....but as is...I wouldn't change a thing!
#2 The SS GH that I have been using is perfect...and I got it from bobinthesaab on Ebay. Fast shipping...no problems whatsoever. The 2nd SS GH that I bought as backup came from some vaposhop in the Netherlands. I've never used the backup SS GH....but I tested it once to see that it does heat up. I would not hesitate to order from the Saab guy on Ebay whatsoever.....also referred a friend to that old auction...his is also running perfectly. I paid a bit more of a premium than current auction(s).....well worth it imo....to avoid the long and unknown wait period from HL.
Pretty excited about the deoxit D pen and my now cool back-end. Now it is official....my GH is the holy grail. Battery was fine before...curious if this will improve things. Update after more use....but as is...I wouldn't change a thing!
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JoeMama
Well-Known Member
That's great, Jabba!
I have been using DetoxIT (Gold now that I've learned "D" is for restorative rather than maintenance - or at least the first application) for about a week now, and two days ago I felt the need to apply the Gold for the first time since doing the first "D" clean. I'd be curious how you fare.
This is the Q-Tip from my week-longish test. It was turned a shade of black/gray after wiping the mouthpiece threads inside and out. The photo doesn't really pick up how dark it is, but there are dark-colored bits in there.
closeup of my threads:
Great pics, Green. Looks like mine as well. Makes me feel like I should really take care of those threads, because they don't get "better" with use!
Have you used DetoxIT on the threads at all? Maybe its me, but it really seems to make the screwing/unscrewing feel smoother.
What @kingfisher said about the threads is right on; all those spikey edges on the threads is where the oxidation will more likely occur between.
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kingfisher
Well-Known Member
As far as the grease being greasy.. I didn't slather it on. I merely put a tiny dab across the threads, and spread it around. Now you cannot tell it is even there because it is clear too.
I haven't tried the oxy pens but they're a neat idea. Though I would question, that it doesn't appear oxidation is the issue. I mean I could see maybe after many uses, but I think dirt and metal dust are the main problem.
I think that the grease will attract more dirt to stick. Though it should also stave off corrosion if it is occuring.
Also the stainless was probably on the border for conductivity. With respect to the design tolerance. . . Less dirt to make a problem.
Edit: just wiped all the grease off for cleaning. Perfectly clean threads now, but heat returmed. Re-applied grease and..... back end heat is gone.
I haven't tried the oxy pens but they're a neat idea. Though I would question, that it doesn't appear oxidation is the issue. I mean I could see maybe after many uses, but I think dirt and metal dust are the main problem.
I think that the grease will attract more dirt to stick. Though it should also stave off corrosion if it is occuring.
Also the stainless was probably on the border for conductivity. With respect to the design tolerance. . . Less dirt to make a problem.
Edit: just wiped all the grease off for cleaning. Perfectly clean threads now, but heat returmed. Re-applied grease and..... back end heat is gone.
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