Discontinued The RBT Milaana (unregulated single 18650)

[Milkytime]

so here is my screen which is much farther than i have seen others.

i load 1/2 of the screen usually with just a tiny tap of pinky to seat load not much pressure at all.

then i draw slow as slow as i possibly can, slower then id hit my pax, and as soon as i feel any heat i back off the button and ride the heat. As you can clearly see in this pic on a fresh load hit 1 black spot center and green all around. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back but it seems far already with a 1/2 size load. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back? i get much much better performance on the last 1/2 a battery, feels more like maybe it should?

 

[flotntoke]

so here is my screen which is much farther than i have seen others.

i load 1/2 of the screen usually with just a tiny tap of pinky to seat load not much pressure at all.

then i draw slow as slow as i possibly can, slower then id hit my pax, and as soon as i feel any heat i back off the button and ride the heat. As you can clearly see in this pic on a fresh load hit 1 black spot center and green all around. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back but it seems far already with a 1/2 size load. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back? i get much much better performance on the last 1/2 a battery, feels more like maybe it should?

Well, that sucks. I'd get it checked out. Mine doesn't do that unless I lay on the button too long.

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

@Milkytime try varying your draw speed. Most of the time, I am definitely drawing faster than I did on my Pax.

 

[AJS]

so here is my screen which is much farther than i have seen others.

i load 1/2 of the screen usually with just a tiny tap of pinky to seat load not much pressure at all.

then i draw slow as slow as i possibly can, slower then id hit my pax, and as soon as i feel any heat i back off the button and ride the heat. As you can clearly see in this pic on a fresh load hit 1 black spot center and green all around. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back but it seems far already with a 1/2 size load. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back? i get much much better performance on the last 1/2 a battery, feels more like maybe it should?

Try drawing faster. If that doesn't help, just tap the trigger more instead of holding it. If your unit is hotter, you'll need to develop a technique slightly different than ours, but it should still work just the same once you get your technique down, unless it's doing random temperature spikes, which I don't see happening.
Let off the trigger sooner, or hold for 2, off for .5, hold for 2, off for .5. This will make the temp increase a bit more gradual. Your temp is rising too fast, only reason that hot spot should happen.

 

[stickstones]

Didn't I read here that tunneling is related to a draw that is too strong?

 

[AJS]

Didn't I read here that tunneling is related to a draw that is too strong?

That's correct, but that's normally once the heater is really hot, not the first hit. The fact that his gets that hot on the first rip means we need a way to keep the temp down. Further screen, faster draw, button feathering; the three factors affecting temp that you can directly control (not counting battery). He did the screens, only things left is button and faster draw, and might as well just try it and see what happens, will give us more to work with for a diagnosis.

 

[Shit Snacks]

so here is my screen which is much farther than i have seen others.

i load 1/2 of the screen usually with just a tiny tap of pinky to seat load not much pressure at all.

then i draw slow as slow as i possibly can, slower then id hit my pax, and as soon as i feel any heat i back off the button and ride the heat. As you can clearly see in this pic on a fresh load hit 1 black spot center and green all around. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back but it seems far already with a 1/2 size load. i guess i can keep pushing my screen back? i get much much better performance on the last 1/2 a battery, feels more like maybe it should?

Yes seems you're drawing too long and slow then, with trigger pressed too long. I also wouldn't tamp it at all and just let you own draw and the heat tamp it for you. If you start your drae slow and then speed up as you let off the trigger you should get a more even extraction. I don't really ever get hot spots anymore I am so comfortable with this, can sense it in my throat and from the taste, but when using with newbies they often do. It takes a lot practice to hone the draw technique more than anything else, can be especially difficult if used to other vapes. Other factors like screen and the load are substantial, but with pure convection like this it is extremely draw dependent to get the best results consistently, a lot like Elevape, a log, or really Triihouse in that sense

 

[Milkytime]

Didn't I read here that tunneling is related to a draw that is too strong?

this was my understanding as well, ill try a fast draw see whats up.

@AJS thanks for some of the tips and it will be interesting if we can determine if mine is truly tuned hotter.

 

[Shit Snacks]

this was my understanding as well, ill try a fast draw see whats up.

@AJS thanks for some of the tips and it will be interesting if we can determine if mine is truly tuned hotter.

The way to control heat, even if tuned hotter, is primarily just hold the button less. Draw compensates for a lot so I would say always draw slow at first then faster as the heater rises in temp (and let off the button while you continue to draw clearing the hit). Then once heat soaked you could probably draw slow without pressing the trigger much at all, it changes things since it can retain a lot of heat due to the high surface area. So you could also counter the heater rising in temp (at a rate depending on voltage and heat soaking) with the trigger, potentially the way you grind/pack too, but how you inhale is the real key for any pure convection. I know my draw fluctuates so it's hard for me to describe it but it feels intuitive when you adjust technique based on how it works, I don't typically hold the trigger for very long the way I use it. I hope that helps, I feel like the unit is fine but you could always test out the customer service if it feels off too...

 

[Tommy10]

I was having the same problems at first (granted your heater still may be hotter given how far back the screen is) pretty much what AJS has said, less heat, slightly quicker draw. I think you maybe be best off drawing fast, getting Whispy hits then gradually slowing down your hit, as opposed to starting off very slow and increasing it. Much less charring and black spots this way.

 

[HD Springer]

this was my understanding as well, ill try a fast draw see whats up.

@AJS thanks for some of the tips and it will be interesting if we can determine if mine is truly tuned hotter.

Oh my god. Say what?????? You might have a hotter unit. I'm freaking jealous.
Seriously I hope you can find your sweet spot milky.
I think the mi is worth trying to find your groove. The unregulated factor mustn't be overlooked. Just like with the Mflb there will be those that love it and those that hate it. Biggest difference is the mi has more then enough power. You must contain said power to maximize the outcome. The Mflb has to be coaxed into giving its goodness. Way less power.

My biggest advice would be:
-changing draw speeds.
-getting used to feathering the button
-moving load further into stem. A single mm change in distance could be the difference in cool vapor and combustion.

Again unregulated isn't for every one. But once you find your groove it's hard to pass up. IMO.

 

[Melting Pot]

Just a little test for those that have mi.
And a multi meter , test the resistance of the heater.
Should be able to tell if there are hotter units out there.

 

[little maggie]

I have a dark area in the middle as others do. But I'm using such a tiny amount that it doesn't seem to matter.

 

[BadDog No]

Great posts on fine tuning your Milaana. Thanks for the review. I will approach my first sessions with the respect such a quick heater deserves. Definitely go all scientific with counting my warmup and draw times. Not by nature a cloud chaser and I love hitting terpenes at low temp so I think we'll take it real slow. Feel like when I was kid and belonged to a rifle club. We fired 22s in competition and then in the summer they'd let us at the M1s and Springfields as a treat out at a farm. Recoil was quite different and even though you're ready, you're not really. So I should maybe just hook up some water. Do a nice medium grind and pack. And see how big a cloud I can get. Did I mention that maybe both Millie and my OGB 18/14 may be here tomorrow?

 

[Bravesst]

No mystery there...dry grass sets fire much easier than green grass.

I'm sure our resident safety consultant/fire chief @Bravesst could shed some light on the science...

No real mystery, Vegetable glycerin is absorbing some of the high end heat early on. It has a much higher *ignition temp* than dry product, and raises the ignition temp of the combined materials.
----------------------------
I found a female 18mm, fuck the warranty on this one, as I plan on taking it completely apart and really examine under the hood. Very simple internally, the heater element sits at the bottom of the glass, covered by layers of heavy duty screen and what appears to be a heat resistant rectangular disk. It glows quite red very quickly, and it's easy to get a sense of unregulated. Ill take pics before I finalize reassembly

 

[BadDog No]

@Bravesst: Wonder if that "heat resistant rectangular disk" that glows red is the mica component?

 

[Copacetic]

I intended to use my Mi through water, but the flavour is so good with the short stem that I've never tried water again after my first attempt (my one and only combustion event so far).
I think that the reason I combusted (other than over enthuiasm for a huge cloud) was that the bong removed all of the heat feedback that guides button feathering.
Even though I went to the trouble of shortening the joint on an 18/18 M-M adapter I've never gotten round to trying again as the taste (and effect) is so good that I don't want to compromise it with a water tool!

I have a very low tolerance (rising rapidly though!) and generally prefer micro-loads with all my vapes, but the temptation to do 60-70% full bowls for the big gobs of flavour often leaves me in a near vape-coma!

I've experienced a hot spot while riding the button hard and simultaneously drawing very hard, but also when riding & drawing very slow.
I just go for a medium draw, and control heat with the button now.
I do get hot-ish spots on occasion, then I just stir.

Once I get a long stem which actually fits (or grind down the supplied one) I doubt I'll bother with my plans to use a water tool.
Despite loving bongs/bubblers I really don't think I'm going to need one with the Mi'.

I hope you eventually find satisfaction @Milkytime, I imagine you will, as this is a great vape.
Good luck.

 

[Bravesst]

@Bravesst: Wonder if that "heat resistant rectangular disk" that glows red is the mica component?

Absolutely mica, any of you engineers wanna comment on the exact purpose / properties of mica?

 

[WakeAndVape]

Absolutely mica, any of you engineers wanna comment on the exact purpose / properties of mica?

Their purpose of Mica in general or in the vape?

Also PM me pictures of the guts (if possible)...I'm super nerdy like that.

I've been interested since I saw under the bottom!

Glad to hear your doing the repair yourself, where did you get the glass?

 

[YaFreekin Right]

Their purpose of Mica in general or in the vape?

Also PM me pictures of the guts (if possible)...I'm super nerdy like that.

I've been interested since I saw under the bottom!

Glad to hear your doing the repair yourself, where did you get the glass?

Please post the pics here. As the manual says it is patented so RBT can't have an issue with it being posted.

 

[thekarmawhore]

One thing I found helpful for me to learn how to 'read' this vape was switching to a stem long enough to see the vapor production rate as it is happening. I think I've been to heavy on the button and now can get smoother hits and more hits per stem. Some of the smoothness is definitely a result of more glass, but my button timing has improved as well.

 

[Zangano Cruel]

Hola FC:
Yes, that rectangle is mica.
As we discussed before the "infamous patented technology " of RBT is nothing else than the "old reliable hair dryer technology "
Nothing else than that, dedicated to a vape.
Good luck trying to name/redo a patent to fit the exact bla bla bla that needs a patent to clear a record/new patent??? I wish them the best.

On technique, I'm barely getting hot spots now.
The trick, IMO no matter how you "feather the button " or "adjust your draw speed" , IMO it's all in (I'm not screaming, sorry, so people can read and take some advice on technique)
SPINNING THE STEM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE OR AS NEEDED NON STOP TILL THE HEATER IS COLD AND NO MORE VAPOR IS DRAW. THIS IS A 2 HAND TECHNIQUE. IT WORKS ALWAYS FOR ME.
I'M SURE SOMEONE DID IT ALREADY.
GonG JOINTS GET SOFTER WITH TIME AND SPIN BETTER IMO.
TRY THIS AT HOME AND POST RESULTS PLEASE.
Stay vaped my friends.

 

[Tommy10]

Getting better with small loads, not as small as I'd like yet, but impressive! Spinning stem leaves me feeling less hard done by if I don't stir, which I usually don't. Starting to save ABV now, so good with the bad.
Wish I had my long stem, couldn't even think where I lost it, moving house very soon so it's either turning up or gone.
Luckily the 18mm is pretty pretty easy to source for, and a rubber seal on an international joint I can live with in a pinch!
Anyone seen similar style stems on dhgate? Anything 18mm and dry would be sweet!

 

[BadDog No]

@Tommy10: This was posted earlier. Colored stems! Cheap!
http://www.mountainglass.com/Male-19-22-Joint-Jade-White.html#.V1WQ3BHmiXt

 

[Tommy10]

@Tommy10: This was posted earlier. Colored stems! Cheap!
http://www.mountainglass.com/Male-19-22-Joint-Jade-White.html#.V1WQ3BHmiXt

Right size does anyone know? Looks too good too be true? 5 for US $9, wonder if colours other than white.
Absolutely amazing if all above board.

Edit, just navigated the website better, on iPhone.... Heaps of awesome colours and configs on there!

http://www.mountainglass.com/Male-19-22-Joint-Import.html#.V1WThMgmKnM