Discontinued The NEO by Prrl Labs

Mr. Me2

Well-Known Member
Another noob question, kind folks: I’m new to 510 vapes. Is it important to charge the battery externally, or does it not matter so much? I don’t expect that i will need to use backup battery for my level of usage...

I have been stalking CDXX on Etsy, his stuff looks gorgeous
I asked about this too and @Black_Prrl said an external charger could be used, but charging that way is slow. I found that to be true and returned to using the Neo charging cable.
 

NimChimpsky

Well-Known Member
I asked about this too and @Black_Prrl said an external charger could be used, but charging that way is slow. I found that to be true and returned to using the Neo charging cable.
This is true, but isn't it also true that slower charging leads to a longer battery life? Genuinely asking :)

Also, having at least a 2nd battery would be important for me because I notice heat output drops when the battery is below ~30% (also with my TM to a certain degree) so I usually replace the battery around this level, not when it actually 'dies'.
 

Mr. Me2

Well-Known Member
This is true, but isn't it also true that slower charging leads to a longer battery life? Genuinely asking :)

Also, having at least a 2nd battery would be important for me because I notice heat output drops when the battery is below ~30% (also with my TM to a certain degree) so I usually replace the battery around this level, not when it actually 'dies'.
I’m no battery expert so I can’t answer your question. Sorry!
 

QF1994

Well-Known Member
I don't have a Neo but I just got a couple of 18650 vapes recently. I bought an external charger from the local vape joint and bought two extra batteries from IMR batteries. This way I'm never waiting around for a battery to charge-I always have a freshly charged battery available as backup, and if I swap out the battery I immediately charge the old one and then put it in the battery case to be on deck.
 

Razhumikin

Well-Known Member
Just got my Neo in the mail and I'm stoked to use it once it finished charging!!!! My pipe is still on the way though, so im not sure what piece to use it with. If I use a bubbler, should I try a higher heat setting, or can i get good clouds through water on one or two diamonds?

On another note, can you charge it with any USB-C charger, or does it have to use the cable it comes with?
 

Philabrookla

@philabrookla
Just got my Neo in the mail and I'm stoked to use it once it finished charging!!!! My pipe is still on the way though, so im not sure what piece to use it with. If I use a bubbler, should I try a higher heat setting, or can i get good clouds through water on one or two diamonds?

On another note, can you charge it with any USB-C charger, or does it have to use the cable it comes with?
Through water, for good clouds, I would do a pre-heat at 5 diamonds for 30 seconds, just to get a good amount of heat soaked into the Neo.

Then you can hit it at a lower heat setting, or keep it at 5 diamonds. To avoid combustion just don't let the Neo glow too bright at level 5 during your hit, especially if your herb is very dry (or partially vaped already).

A screen in my bowl slide helped me elevate the herb closer to the Neo for better heat, and kept herb from getting sucked into my piece during the priming puffs.

Letting the Neo glow brighter by slowing down your draw speed will introduce more heat during your hit.

Have fun with it, I like flirting with combustion for brick vape style rips. I have combusted once though and not only was it bad tasting but it stressed me out because I saw the herb erupt into an ember from behind the Neo chimney. Thankfully I reacted fast and didn't smoke out my Neo. It could probably take it though!
 

Black_Prrl

Manufacturer of the Neo and Terp Surfer
Manufacturer
A couple of notes on the Li-ion 18650 batteries, charging, and the Rim-C power mod (more experienced users, please correct and add!):

1) External chargers, while slow, are considered to charge more completely and are healthier for the battery itself. That said, I frequently just charge within the Neo for convenience, and will accept the consequences of a shorter usage time.
2) The Neo's power mod is capable of quick charging (Qualcomm QC3.0) at 2.4 amps. The actual charge time will depend on the output current of your wall plug or computer. At 2.4A, it should fully charge an "empty" 2400 mAh battery less than an hour (less, because they're never fully empty). At 1.0A, it will take ~2.4 times as long. Some wall plugs are only 0.5A, so those would take ~4.8 times as long.
3) Eleaf's safety protocols allow for the mod to be used during charging (with a long cable). Out of an abundance of caution, we do not recommend that you do this.
4) Buy a reputable battery brand Samsung, Molicell, Vapecell (new brand, but getting solid reviews)...
5) The battery compartment is tight. Some batteries might not fit. 65mm +/- 0.5 should fit fine. 66+ probably won't fit. We had problems with a couple of Sony/Murata batteries due to their length.
6) When inserting the battery, holding it relatively flat while putting the + side in first seems to work best.
7) The charge capacity of all Li-ion batteries degrades over time. So, you might eventually notice that the usage time per charge begin to get shorter.

Cautions and safety notes:
  • Do NOT overdrain your battery. If it falls below a certain level, it will not recharge.
  • NEVER short circuit... while that might sound exciting, these are high discharge batteries and it's dangerous. Be careful where you put it when not in use.
  • Beware of high and low temps. Never allow the battery to be in freezing temps, nor direct summer sun.
  • If the battery looks swollen or damaged, do not use.
What other recommendations do folks have?
 

pushpaw

Well-Known Member
I will add on to what @Black_Prrl said about batteries to say it is inadvisable to buy batteries from Amazon as the risk of getting counterfeits is too high. Two stores I have heard only good things about are https://www.18650batterystore.com and https://www.illumn.com. I myself have bought Molicels from 18650batterystore.com and they were inexpensive, shipped very quickly and are quality. I have not personally bought anything from Illumn.com but they also seem highly regarded. Their prices seem slightly higher, though. With high-drain devices like this you absolutely don't want a counterfeit battery as bad bad things could happen. Stick to quality suppliers for quality goods.

I am still overdue to post my thoughts on the Neo, but they are coming! I actually did write up my initial feelings but exceeded the character limit for posts in this forum, haha. Lemon Kush makes me extra chatty or something... I am going to try again, and work to make them more concise. I've also had more time with the Neo now. And the short version is still 'I quite like it.' :D
 

StringTheorista

Well-Known Member
When the Neo is fully charged, is the display supposed to show a full battery icon? Mine shows a filling battery, but after a while the screen goes black and I can’t tell whether or not it’s fully charged. QuickStart guide doesn’t say...
 
StringTheorista,
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Black_Prrl

Manufacturer of the Neo and Terp Surfer
Manufacturer
When the Neo is fully charged, is the display supposed to show a full battery icon? Mine shows a filling battery, but after a while the screen goes black and I can’t tell whether or not it’s fully charged. QuickStart guide doesn’t say...

Good question and thanks for noting that this information isn't part of our user guide! We'll add some more comprehensive notes on charging.

We also realize that the battery icon is WAY too small with not enough gradations to really be useful. We're moving the battery status to it's own display along with more gradations and it will flash when below 20%.

There are a couple of things that you might be seeing. If you have it plugged in and the battery icon is not blinking, then the battery is full. Unfortunately, once you use it, the icon will show one bar missing because the algorithm shows full only when 100%, not 99%. That sucks, and we're fixing it.

The screen going dark may be the "screensaver" feature kicking in, ~30s after no button activity. Tapping one of the buttons should bring the display back. Also, the device turns off after 3 minutes of no use.

Pls let me know if you have additional questions or suggestions for making the interface clearer. Thanks!
 

Stooper

Member
Hi is the Prrl Neo firmware for the Rim-C power mod publicly available , I have another one of the Rim c as back up and was curious if this can be done ?
 

StringTheorista

Well-Known Member
As a long time dynavapper and noob Neoist, let me share a couple useful things I’ve discovered:
the dynavap “snapstash” (large) fits an 18650 battery nicely, and the hempshield zipper case (2” x 6”) fits a neo quite well

 

Razhumikin

Well-Known Member
Good question and thanks for noting that this information isn't part of our user guide! We'll add some more comprehensive notes on charging.

We also realize that the battery icon is WAY too small with not enough gradations to really be useful. We're moving the battery status to it's own display along with more gradations and it will flash when below 20%.

There are a couple of things that you might be seeing. If you have it plugged in and the battery icon is not blinking, then the battery is full. Unfortunately, once you use it, the icon will show one bar missing because the algorithm shows full only when 100%, not 99%. That sucks, and we're fixing it.

The screen going dark may be the "screensaver" feature kicking in, ~30s after no button activity. Tapping one of the buttons should bring the display back. Also, the device turns off after 3 minutes of no use.

Pls let me know if you have additional questions or suggestions for making the interface clearer. Thanks!
My unit, when plugged in, never stops blinking. When full, all five bars of the battery blink. Is that normal?
 
Razhumikin,

Black_Prrl

Manufacturer of the Neo and Terp Surfer
Manufacturer
My unit, when plugged in, never stops blinking. When full, all five bars of the battery blink. Is that normal?

It should eventually stop blinking when fully charged--it inadvertently blinks with all the bars full even though the last portion hasn't completely charged. The amount of time it will take before fully charged will depend on the output current of the charging source. So, if it's the common, small, 0.5A wall plug, that may take a while.
 

Razhumikin

Well-Known Member
I got the hemson pipe in the mail yesterday and its.... ok, i guess. You can get some pretty big hits out of it with the Neo, but it clogs very, very easily, and the wood adulterates the taste of your bud and masks it to some extent. Ive tried it with both ground weed and unground buds, but I still get clogs pretty frequently. Does anybody who uses one with the Neo have any tips about how to get the most out of your hemson?
 

Roffa

Well-Known Member
I got the hemson pipe in the mail yesterday and its.... ok, i guess. You can get some pretty big hits out of it with the Neo, but it clogs very, very easily, and the wood adulterates the taste of your bud and masks it to some extent. Ive tried it with both ground weed and unground buds, but I still get clogs pretty frequently. Does anybody who uses one with the Neo have any tips about how to get the most out of your hemson?
Don't grind your flower, crumble it and then pack the bowl fairly tightly. I pack the bowl to about 2/3 full and can leave the Neo on 1 diamond, after heat soaking at 5. I use a bamboo chinese tea scoop to stir.
At the first few draws I just spread the top layer of material around a little bit to avoid scorch spots. Then I'll use the scoop to flip the packed flower and I have green flower on top again. When that's browned I'll start stirring at every draw and by then the flower will be chocolate brown. I don't go any darker than that

 

caseball2051

Well-Known Member
Anyone tried a vaporgenie as a bowl for the neo?

Specifically, I have the bronze sherlock and I'm thinking it might be an interesting fit.
 
caseball2051,
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west-elec

Well-Known Member
Anyone tried a vaporgenie as a bowl for the neo?

Specifically, I have the bronze sherlock and I'm thinking it might be an interesting fit.
Yeah fits really nicely with the silicone and bowl shape suits well. My old girl must have had a few combustion events so taste wasn't the best.
 
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