Discontinued ThermoVape Evolution

[Pipes]

OK, been driving me crazy so have to at least ask.
Tim, have you changed out you resistive wire type(s)? Or same secret sauce but different gauge?
I imagine this might be a TV secret but doesn't hurt to ask.

Pipes

 

[Ash057]

i ordered the HP LV Evo last night. going to compare it side by side to my original LV Evo. hoping to get better clouds and longer cell life. i will post results.

Coolness - I ordered the SV HP Evo - My goal is faster complete vaporization!

 

[2clicker]

Cool. Very interested in what you find. Off hand 'more for less' sounds like one of those 'too good to be true' deals; I'd be very interested in how it's done......

Please let us know.

OF

i figured for $26 ill give it a shot. ive often wondered if the core elements could be made, multiplied, positioned, or shaped differently increasing performance. considering that my orig LV Evo works pretty damn well when properly heated ill be satisfied with a quicker warmup and longer cell life. any improved cloud production would be a bonus.

hopefully this will keep me busy until the big TV bomb drops.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Hey guys, I just got an old-style Evolution LV kit off of Ebay for a song. Should my evolution cartridge have "LV" etched on the bottom just like my LV Dart does? Is there a chance I got a full voltage cart? I got the 4 battery setup which I believe indicates a low voltage battery unit.

Sorry for coming off like a babe in the woods, it's a long thread. I can't wait to start modding and messing with this cool design, and am also interested in how these batteries juice the Revolution verus how the Omicron battery performed. Do we have any feedback on the HP LV core? If it's a good unit then I'll probably pick one up.

 

[UpUpandAway]

Hey guys, I just got an old-style Evolution LV kit off of Ebay for a song. Should my evolution cartridge have "LV" etched on the bottom just like my LV Dart does? Is there a chance I got a full voltage cart? I got the 4 battery setup which I believe indicates a low voltage battery unit.

Yeah, the low voltage carts should have "LV" etched on the bottom so I think you got the SV version.

What do you mean by "4 battery setup"? Did you get 4 of the Tenergy RCR123a's? If so, then you should be all good with the SV evo cart.

 

[GOATPUSSY]

Got my evolution yesterday. Oooohhhhh boy. Laaaattttttte night. Havent had such a nice mix of crumply hash and herb in a while. Completely worthless at work today.

Been working through a couple of threads... not quite there yet on this one soooo,
Couple of q's for the cool kids...

How do I not fry my fingers reloading? (Hahaha... Ouch).

Do I load the cart to the top? How much do you put in?

And finally... Is the little mouthpiece supposed to stay on when using with a bubbler and is it supposed to fit tightly (the ptfe cover)? I used the adapter for my t1 and it mates much nicer with a gong fitting...

Thanks in advance.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Yeah, the low voltage carts should have "LV" etched on the bottom so I think you got the SV version.

What do you mean by "4 battery setup"? Did you get 4 of the Tenergy RCR123a's? If so, then you should be all good with the SV evo cart.

Yeah the cart has no LV on the bottom, it's just plain. And yeah, 4 RCR123A's. So I got the 6V evolution essentially? It was from an Ebayer who I doubt has all the details straight in their mind. I guess I shouldn't use the LV Revolution on it?

Thanks UpUp

 

[Fully Melted]

Yeah the cart has no LV on the bottom, it's just plain. And yeah, 4 RCR123A's. So I got the 6V evolution essentially? It was from an Ebayer who I doubt has all the details straight in their mind. I guess I shouldn't use the LV Revolution on it?

Thanks UpUp

It's a 6volt SV unit.
It will burn out an LV Revolution. Or any LV device. You have to use SV devices with it...... unless you swap out the battery for the one 3.7v that TV sells for LV use.

 

[2clicker]

my HP LV Evo is on par to arrive in my mailbox tomorrow. unfortunately my sharpstone grinder is no longer in service so im reduced to using an exacto knife. in turn not quite getting the grind im after. likely will have to go the cheap acrylic route for the time being until i decide on a space case or mendo.

anyway, cant wait to try it. gonna be a long work day tomorrow so ill sure be ready to put it through its paces when i get home.

here is a question for TV or TVTim... would you entertain personal engraving on your product? just a thought.

 

[OF]

unfortunately my sharpstone grinder is no longer in service so im reduced to using an exacto knife.

Bummer. Have you tried the 'small scissors in a shot glass' technique? It actually works pretty well if you 'get into it'.

Enjoy your upcoming toy, I'm sure you know how......

OF

 

[UpUpandAway]

Got my evolution yesterday. Oooohhhhh boy. Laaaattttttte night. Havent had such a nice mix of crumply hash and herb in a while. Completely worthless at work today.

Been working through a couple of threads... not quite there yet on this one soooo,
Couple of q's for the cool kids...

Ooh, ooh ... I'm a cool kid!

Awesome handle, btw.

How do I not fry my fingers reloading? (Hahaha... Ouch).

As far as not frying your fingers goes, the simple answer is to just wait and let it cool down.

Ideally, if you had two evo's then you could pre-load both of them and then when you're done with the first one just take it out and screw in the second one. This'll give the first evo some time to cool before you reload it but without any downtime in the vaping.

Do I load the cart to the top? How much do you put in?

And finally... Is the little mouthpiece supposed to stay on when using with a bubbler and is it supposed to fit tightly (the ptfe cover)? I used the adapter for my t1 and it mates much nicer with a gong fitting...

Thanks in advance.

Haywood has an awesome post that details how he maximizes the performance of the evo. Personally, I don't use the sleeve but I follow the "fill half-way and use an extended tru-flow mp to hold the load in place" method.

Nice to see that the discussion about alternate methods of using the Evo has come up again. Most here seem to prefer to use the Evo as designed, but I'm one of the ones that prefers not to use the standard Delrin Insulating Sleeve. I never managed to get what I consider reasonable hits with the standard setup. I tried everything that was suggested, did tests to figure out where the air path might have a leak, but nothing helped. I was beginning to think I had a weak Evo core. Then one day I just put a mouthpiece directly into the top of the Evo core, not using the insulating sleeve at all, and the Evo went from being a huge disappointment to a great pleasure. Clean hits just like my T1, with no stirring required, and no endless cleaning of the holes in the T1 cap. I enjoyed it so much that I stopped using my T1 for a few weeks. (I go back and forth these days, alternating between my T1 and Evo and DART, depending on my mood and circumstance).

I did a bunch of experimenting with the Evo setup and settled on what works the best for me. It required modifying the standard Delrin Insulating Sleeve and switching to a UFO based extended Delrin mouthpiece. Here's the story.

I started out with the bare SV Evo core screwed into a T1 battery base with an Insulated adapter, the adapter that allows you to screw in the Evo core into the T1 base, not to be confused with the Delrin Insulating Sleeve, which is mentioned from here on.

I was using my white PTFE mouthpiece to start, as I wasn't sure if the Delrin mouthpiece could take the heat involved with direct connection to the core. I was getting great hits, and loving my Evo, but I was getting bits of botanicals in my mouth with every hit, as there was no screen of any kind in the vapor path. As I got more and more medicated, I also started putting up with burning my fingers on the very hot Evo core now and then. The first time I burned my lips on the top of the metal core by taking too much of the very small PTFE mouthpiece into my mouth, I realized that I had to figure out a better way.

So I switched to the extended Delrin mouthpiece to keep my lips away from the core, and checked repeatedly to make sure the Delrin wasn't melting or deforming, and that the O-Ring was holding up. It's been fine for months of heavy use. Then I ordered a UFO equipped extended Delrin mouthpiece from TV, and that took care of the little bits of herb that were in every hit. The UFO doesn't significantly effect the draw, with the heaviest restriction on air flow still being the intake holes in the bottom of the Evo core above the 501 threads.

Finally, I was still burning my fingers on the core now and then, so it came time to hack the standard Delrin Insulating Sleeve. When I ordered the extended Delrin mouthpiece with UFO, I also ordered a couple of extra insulating sleeves. I asked TV to not press the UFO into the top of the sleeves, as I was planning on cutting the top off, and that's where the UFO lives. They were happy to oblige, and they even included the UFOs loose with the sleeves, which was really great as it allowed me to add the UFOs to some of the other extra mouthpieces I already had. ThermoEssence is really the best. They go out of their way to be really useful to their customers, and they're a pleasure to deal with. They honor bizarre requests, and are happy to help you if there's something you want that isn't on their web site. You want five orange O-Rings instead of an assortment?, just ask. If you've you made medicating a way of life ("It's not just a hobby"), there is no better company to deal with.

So I took a knife and carefully cut the top part off a standard Delrin Insulating Sleeve. Then I took a small Dremel grinder and smoothed out the rough edges on the top, and voila.

Here's what you can see in the picture above. On the left is the standard Evo setup with the supplied short Delrin mouthpiece. The sleeve goes over the core, and the mouthpiece goes into the sleeve. The sleeve has a UFO built into the top, so no particulate matter goes into your mouth. Next is the setup with the same mouthpiece, inserted directly into the Evo core, with the modified Delrin Insulating Sleeve on the outside of the core. The mouthpiece doesn't even touch the modified sleeve. To the right of them is a view from the top looking down, so you can see how the sleeve fits around the core, and how the mouthpiece sits in the top of the core. This is with the white PTFE mouthpiece, which is the same size as the short black Delrin mouthpiece in the other pictures to the left. I used the white one for this picture because it shows more clearly what is going on. The silver ring you can just see around the white mouthpiece is the top of the Evo core, and the black around that is the top of the modified insulator sleeve where I chopped off the top.


Some interesting tidbits about all this.

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the red O-Ring around the Evo core that's used to help hold the insulating sleeve in place, and to prevent air from getting in at the bottom of the sleeve, which would dilute the vapor coming from the core. The usual place for this O-Ring is one notch lower, but I put it there in the pictures because it shows where the bottom of the Evo herb chamber lies. This is the bottom of the "bowl" that holds your botanicals. When you use the Evo as designed, with the unmodified insulating sleeve, the whole top of the core is available to hold your weed. When you put a mouthpiece directly into the core (bypassing the insulating sleeve), you lose some of the available space at the top of the core. When you use a mouthpiece with a UFO pressed into the bottom, you lose even more space. A close look at the picture shows you exactly how much you lose. With a UFO equipped mouthpiece, your load size is about half what it would be with the standard Evo setup. For me, it's more than worth it, but it is something to be aware of.

Also something to be aware of is that a UFO equipped mouthpiece will only fit into the Evo core or the Rev/DART core. It won't fit into a T1 or the standard Evo insulating sleeve. It also won't fit into a Smooth-Flow or Pure-Flow.

The different mouthpieces and non-glass bong adapters have subtly different ends. On the end that fits into the core/cap there is a tiny extended lip around the standard length Delrin and PTFE mouthpieces that isn't around the extended length Delrin mouthpieces or the bong adapters. The lip makes the fit MUCH better, with no side to side wiggle possible. At least I think it's the lip. My extended Delrin mouthpiece doesn't have this lip, and it wiggles around. The Delrin/PTFE bong adapters don't even have a diameter increase, and can be inserted deep with nothing to stop them at all. HEY TIM: Next time you remake the molds, please include the lip around the circumference of all the mouthpieces; it makes the mouthpiece fit much better into whatever it's inserted. (Or if it's not the lip, something allows the extended Delrin mouthpiece to wiggle around when inserted in the core, while the shorties are a perfect wiggle-free fit).

Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the ptfe glass adapter is meant to fit the T1 but not the evo? That's prolly why you had a tight fit.

I shaved a bit off of the o-ring of the t1 glass adapter so that I could fit it onto the dart and use it with the ss hydraline.

 

[jambandphan03]

Just a heads up, I've put an Evo 6v/Rev up in classifieds, as well as Pipe's 6v wall adapter.

 

[charliedontsurf]

After a day's use, my feelings are pretty mixed. The unit feels very quality, as I expected. Vapor quality is actually pretty good once you work on your technique and allow for a 10-15 second heat up time. I managed to get vapor through my bubbler with completely acceptable density. Like others I've found that heat up time is less with the sleeve removed - also like others I've found the unit gets hot, including the button, and I guess I'll look into some way to insulate it. The battery life is the only true issue for me, and it'll probably keep the Evolution out of heavy rotation. I keep wanting to say "what, are you quitting on me already?" to the damn thing. I can only imagine what the more power hungry TV1 would be like. Of course, I could never blame Thermoessence because the limiting factor here seems to be the battery technology and the amount of juice required for their pure convection designs.

As it stands, I think the MFLB will still rule my pocket, as the bowl load is considerably larger (who wants to be reloading all the time?) and I can get two trenches from one reliable AA battery - it isn't as flavorful or attractive or as hard hitting as the Evolution but it'll do. The Solo will still be my choice when I need a portable for vaping with a group or when I might vape with new people, as its extreme ease of use and great vapor production always impress. I don't really know where the Evolution will slot in between those two situations, because it's all VHW and WW at home.

 

[2clicker]

Bummer. Have you tried the 'small scissors in a shot glass' technique? It actually works pretty well if you 'get into it'.

OF

i have. i just figure the less cutting surface the better for less trich loss.

the shiny finish on the magnet of my sharpstoned peeled off exposing the bare magnet. it was easily scratchable and that produce magnet dust. needless to say im not going to use it anymore.

space case or mendo?

 

[OF]

i have. i just figure the less cutting surface the better for less trich loss.

the shiny finish on the magnet of my sharpstoned peeled off exposing the bare magnet. it was easily scratchable and that produce magnet dust. needless to say im not going to use it anymore.

space case or mendo?

I 'fixed' the built up material by scraping it off the blades back into the shot glass, but yes, it makes a slow process even slower. A grinder is best IMO. I actually like using a cheap coffee grinder, I find it does best:
http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex...qid=1348150065&sr=1-2&keywords=coffee+grinder

Of the two you suggest, I like the Mendo (locally made you know), but my SC is also well made. I too would avoid on that had lost the plating from the magnet.

Good luck.

OF

 

[Ash057]

the HP evo core was delivered today DOA
you can hear lots of movement inside rattling around.

 

[OF]

the HP evo core was delivered today DOA
you can hear lots of movement inside rattling around.

Bummer, for sure it didn't leave the factory that way. That does not bode well for it's ability to deal with life's bumps and scrapes. It could of course be one of several things, but if it's a 'stress fracture' at a key point from vibration or shock in transit I'm sure TV 'needs' to see it (to use a grossly overworked phrase). By all means contact them and get the replacement on it's way to you and a return set up?

They not only light 'em up and check the output several times in the process, but they also bang them around way more than UPS has any right to. Every one, I've watched it cringing.....they seem to enjoy that part and point out if it balks it gets the whole treatment all over.

Last time I was there there was a lot going on and I didn't get a chance to even look at one. Wouldn't have made much difference to actually get one, I'm having too much fun with the LV T1 core to try to keep some new TV creation in focus.

Good luck, I'm sure they'll do what they can as fast as they can to get you going.

OF

 

[Pipes]

the HP evo core was delivered today DOA
you can hear lots of movement inside rattling around.

That sucks. No heat? Some rattling can be normal as the ceramic may be loose inside the heating coil. Most get wedged in and don't rattle.
Anyway I'm sure TV will fix you up.
Pipes

 

[jambandphan03]

When I need to contact them for a problem with my order, I usually hit reply to the order confirmation email, that way they get my order # and it seems to almost always get a quick response.

 

[Ash057]

I emailed them before posting and waiting to hear back.

This doent sound like ceramic rattling around. It sounds metal on metal.

Say what you will about quality control. I ordered my first Evo kit for a trip and it was delivered with a bad battery that made for a shitty vacation trying to figure out why it wasnt heating. Then today I get a DOA "HP" core. Hard to belive this was "tested" and it broke during shippment.

Glad you guys have had good luck but my track record so far with TV hasnt been anything to brag about. So far every order has been frustrating.

That sucks. No heat? Some rattling can be normal as the ceramic may be loose inside the heating coil. Most get wedged in and don't rattle.
Anyway I'm sure TV will fix you up.
Pipes

 

[OF]

Say what you will about quality control. I ordered my first Evo kit for a trip and it was delivered with a bad battery that made for a shitty vacation trying to figure out why it wasnt heating. Then today I get a DOA "HP" core. Hard to belive this was "tested" and it broke during shippment.

Bad luck for sure. Batteries are not tested AFAIK, that's not an easy process to do right and I've seen none of the equipment that would require (like banks of chargers) nor seen that activity.

I'm sorry your vacation suffered, but hope you learned a valuable lesson about unproven gear being counted on in a 'mission critical role'? I hope you had some sort of backup.....

Think what you want about not testing cores, but a little thought would tell you how necessary it is due to the 'fiddly' hand construction and need to verify correct resistance and power output. Out of spec cores, once assembled and checked, are stripped and coils shortened or replaced depending to get the right value. Not to mention the added cost of returns (which is huge and can bring a company down).

So I wouldn't expect batteries to be tested (nor would some folks accept 'used' ones) but am confident the cores are. Assume what you want, but I share your confidence they will stand by their product.

OF

 

[Vape N Bake]

My HP LV core showed up today but it turns out they sent me the wrong one. I was really looking forward to trying this out but it looks like I will need to wait another week. Oh well!

 

[2clicker]

well looks like im the lucky one today! my HP LV Evo arrived and holy balls... this thing is a MONSTER. so my normal heat up time, before i even attempt to hit the standard LV Evo, is about 1:30 - 2mins. that is the time i feel it takes to get to where it needs to be cloud production wise. this is not the case with the updated core.

first thing i noticed that the contact at the bottom had a hole in it instead having the LV engraved into it. another difference was that the holes/screen of the bowl were smaller on the HP. about 1/2 the size as my standard. and this is for GOOD reason. so i load er up, slide in a fresh cell, and start to warm it up. i let it go to 1 min and tried to hit it. i got a giant hit, but i could taste burning instantly. right away i unpacked it to inspect the load. indeed there were some black bits, but not as bad as i thought. so then i load a fresh load, same cell, and let heat for 20 seconds and hit it. it hit like a champ. nothing but wonderful vapor. i kept the switch engaged between hits and when i hit it again, it combusted slightly. i unpacked it and inspected. less black bits this time, but still some. so i repacked it again... 15 second warmup seems perfect. then i let off the switch. next hit i gave it a 5 sec warmup and ripped it. glorious vapor. no combustion. from there i just used a 5 sec warmup between hits and i very evenly vaped the load. the best part about all of this is that because the switch is not engaged the whole time its MUCH more efficient on the cell. i think i could easily get 5-6 loads per charge versus the 1-2 with the standard Evo. the HP LV Evo is a real winner.

this version is almost perfect. this thing is not for the novice vaper, but im sure anyone could learn the routine and be extremely happy with it (like me)

if this is any indication of the 2nd Gen TV tools then TV has set the standard. more to come.

 

[Vape N Bake]

well looks like im the lucky one today! my HP LV Evo arrived and holy balls... this thing is a MONSTER. so my normal heat up time, before i even attempt to hit the standard LV Evo, is about 1:30 - 2mins. that is the time i feel it takes to get to where it needs to be cloud production wise. this is not the case with the updated core.

first thing i noticed that the contact at the bottom had a hole in it instead having the LV engraved into it. another difference was that the holes/screen of the bowl were smaller on the HP. about 1/2 the size as my standard. and this is for GOOD reason. so i load er up, slide in a fresh cell, and start to warm it up. i let it go to 1 min and tried to hit it. i got a giant hit, but i could taste burning instantly. right away i unpacked it to inspect the load. indeed there were some black bits, but not as bad as i thought. so then i load a fresh load, same cell, and let heat for 20 seconds and hit it. it hit like a champ. nothing but wonderful vapor. i kept the switch engaged between hits and when i hit it again, it combusted slightly. i unpacked it and inspected. less black bits this time, but still some. so i repacked it again... 15 second warmup seems perfect. then i let off the switch. next hit i gave it a 5 sec warmup and ripped it. glorious vapor. no combustion. from there i just used a 5 sec warmup between hits and i very evenly vaped the load. the best part about all of this is that because the switch is not engaged the whole time its MUCH more efficient on the cell. i think i could easily get 5-6 loads per charge versus the 1-2 with the standard Evo. the HP LV Evo is a real winner.

this version is almost perfect. this thing is not for the novice vaper, but im sure anyone could learn the routine and be extremely happy with it (like me)

if this is any indication of the 2nd Gen TV tools then TV has set the standard. more to come.

Great report! It sucks I have to wait till next week to get my replacement but it sounds like it is worth waiting for.

 

[OF]

this version is almost perfect. this thing is not for the novice vaper, but im sure anyone could learn the routine and be extremely happy with it (like me)

if this is any indication of the 2nd Gen TV tools then TV has set the standard. more to come.

Super, glad to hear you're happy!

I think the 'not for the novice' is very important, perhaps even 'not for every vaper'? I'm not sure being as happy as you is a realistic goal for some of us.......

It is, I agree, a great option and foretells exciting things to come. More to look forward to, exciting times.

Thanks for the good news.

OF