Cera “Oil Cart” Usage
The Cera Oil Cart is not only expanded in size from the Revolution/DART system but the geometry between the heater and the ceramic reservoir has been optimized. Users familiar with Revolution/DART will find a lot in common, but also some differences in performance and usage.
If you look down into the cart you'll see the ceramic top plate that makes up the floor of the upper chamber. There should be gaps on the side to let the vapor from below get past it. Note it's porous, looking something like a dry sponge. In use the concentrate will be absorbed into that material like water into a dish sponge. The heater will evaporate it from there. Below the plate are four rings of the same material in a stack, they too absorb the concentrate when it's loaded. Up the center runs the heater, basically all the reservoir material is 'at the ideal distance' from the heater (unlike before) so it all comes up to temperature at once. This combined with the increase in reservoir volume makes for heavy hits on demand and lots of them between reloads. Also included in the new design is space behind the rings so overfilled oil (within reason) has a place to be held until it can be used, rather than leaking out the bottom.
Former Revolution/DART users will recognize (and appreciate) these changes.
Now to loading. If your concentrate is 'thin' and flows very freely you probably don't need to preheat, but preheating helps in all cases. Just run the core for 15 seconds or so until the body starts to get warm (or even hot) to the touch. Then add half a gram (no more is recommended until you get experience with that concentrate). In general, this is about the volume of the upper cavity. If it's wax, pack it in. Otherwise scoop some in and let it melt down. You may want to hit the heat for a dozen seconds or so to speed things along. Some of the more solid waxes, glasses, shatters and the like can take fiddling to get them melted in without having vapor build up spit them out again.
Once the cavity clears and the concentrate is in the lower chamber fit the mouthpiece of your choice (drip tip, Pure or True Flow or Cera cap and mouthpiece) and turn the heat on. Some concentrates make noise heating up, some don't, but in 20 or so seconds (from warm) you should be getting lots of vapor starting to happen. This will build over the next minute or two as the full cartridge comes up to temperature. Hit it as you wish. Most users will want to power down between hits, others will find it works better for them to leave power on for a few hits then shut it down (typically for a longer time) before resuming. You should experiment. Unlike convection systems, vapor is being produced whether you draw or not. If you don't draw it out, it condenses again inside but over time this will degrade the taste ('cook') your oil and is to be avoided. Don't let it idle for long periods with power on.
When your session is over for the time being, just set it down and let it cool. There should be no need to keep it upright (or any other position) until cool. The design is very resistant to leaks and 'plugging' (provided it's not overfilled). When the action slows down, as always consider your battery charge first. Assuming it's low concentrate and adding more can leave you overfilled with a still dying battery....hardly progress. Battery life will be quite long (over half an hour of 'on time' typically) so it's easy to forget about it....but don't. If you overfill you're going to waste concentrate and time correcting it. So try your charged battery before you reach for more concentrate.
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