VapCap Induction Heater for Desktop and in Car Use

Stu

Maconheiro
Staff member
Thank you @Pipes ,top notch product I received today! I'm enjoying a few after work
20190701-191751.jpg
There is some serious Canada going on in that pic. Appropriate I would say for this Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day to all our FC members from the great white north. (Except Pakalolo.... he has too many happy days already)

:peace:
 

Pipes

Addicted DIY Enthusiast
Accessory Maker
Good question. The typical number of charge cycles for Lipo chemistry is 300-500 full charge/discharge to drop to 75% capacity, so a year would be a charge a day every day. Your cell phone falls into this category. You'd have to be a pretty heavy and consistent user with the PSM. For most, there will be many days it will not be used or not a full charge cycle, so I'd guestimate 2+ years would be a more typical expected life span. :science:
 

Squiby

Well-Known Member
My Skelator IH lives on my bedside table and I use it a few times every evening to heat 3-5 cycles for one or two loaded tips. The batteries are still going strong. I've had my Skelator for for a full two years now.

I highly recommend @Pipes IHs. I'm considering adding another to my household. Wonderful, reliable device!
 

odc57

Well-Known Member
My Skelator IH lives on my bedside table and I use it a few times every evening to heat 3-5 cycles for one or two loaded tips. The batteries are still going strong. I've had my Skelator for for a full two years now.

I highly recommend @Pipes IHs. I'm considering adding another to my household. Wonderful, reliable device!
I have a Portside and a Caldron. Both work Great. I have the best of both worlds. Thanks to @Pipes. :leaf:
 

Hobbess

Relaxed
.

I got my Caldron this week and I love it, surpassed all expectations!

.

Quick question - will an IH heat titanium?

I find that after a bit the Caldron heats up the VapCap tip and the heat travels up the stem. If titanium doesn't heat with induction heating a titanium tip would be a quick fix.

,
 

Moses Baca

Colorado State Reformatory #8755
My wife and I both use it a lot so I went with the FD for the replaceable 18650 batteries. I really want a home, plug-in IH, too. I'd like to find a nice wooden box and use a BB unit but the Caldron looks so good.
 

warren0728

Well-Known Member
I went with the FD for the replaceable 18650 batteries. .
exactly the reason i'm looking at the flux deluxe for the future ... i like that it uses batteries that i already have a bunch of!

i wonder if the bb unit with the battery connection would be able to use 18650’s as the battery source? i’m asking here instead of a pm with @Pipes in case others were interested too!
 
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Pipes

Addicted DIY Enthusiast
Accessory Maker
I no longer make the 18650 packs as found the RC Lipo tech easier to make and more reliable. I also wasn't 100% comfortable with the 20 amp BMS as a little overrated for the task. I tried and make units with the smaller 10 amp BMS which is much better rating safety wise for this task. The problem there was the 10 amp BMS has no reverse battery protection and if one put a battery in backward, the BMS would instantly burn up. Thus, I opted to go with the RC Lipos and a smaller enclosure.
Here's the tried and true method using the 20 amp BMS. I had to look back to March 2017 when I posted the 18650 battery layout for the original PortSide.
That verifies my findings as well. Got well into the triple digits on number of puffs before I stopped counting.

Just to let everyone know, I still have Jarhead Desktop units for sale as seems most want to wait for the portable. Can't blame the bums though. So anyone feeling the VAS eating at them, shoot me a PM.

On the portable front, I've received my enclosure for fit testing and it all fits very nicely. Also, I now have all the other parts, so just have to verify this enclosure is the one and I'll order some quantity. The parts all perform as expected and the charger charges the battery pack very well and shuts off when pack is full. It also has an LED to know if charging or battery full.

The BMS board fits perfect on the rear of the battery holder. I used a good gauge hook up wire to join the appropriate connections. It's held onto the holder by the solder connections as well as double sided rubber tape.



The enclosure is on the right and a skeleton mock up functional unit on the left. Yes, the pieces are joined by sharing a piece of perf board. Ideally, an enclosure measuring 65mm X 65mm square and 80 mm high would be absolutely perfect, but can't find anywhere. Skeletor could just drop right in. Not to be the case, pardon the pun. However, the extra space in the test case above the battery holder measures 18mm X 54mm X 100mm depth could be utilized for storage..? A couple of those plastic VC tubes would fit perfect and leave the snap lids protruding. We'll see, maybe something similar.



I still have to finalize the hole placement but have a good idea on how I want it. Going to orient it on it's side so it can be placed wedged beside a car seat more easily and takes up less surface area.

All in all, I'd say the Porta Induction Heater is coming soon. Maybe under a month away!!

Now, I've also had inquiries about a kit form of this. Basically, the components pre-wired with enough wire lengths to allow perks with different skill sets to make their own enclosures. To this I say Bravo!!, No problem as saves me some work. Or even sell the Skeletor type units like the one above, and one can build around it. Again, fine by me.

A kits would consist of a package like the following. Arranging the coil could be done by request on orientation or done by recipient.



Lots of options.
:tup::science:
 

david8613

Well-Known Member
I ran a lucid customs metal wall powered induction heater with my vapcap "m" 2019 for the first time this weekend. I have to admit I shyed away from dynavap for years because of the whole butane and open flame thing, I did not like the idea, but with an induction heater its a totally different game, awesome set up, easy to use, clean, perfect vape, no charring, and that little vapcap "m" 2019 kicked my butt with lovely effects! using an induction heater seems so professional, I like it a lot. I might have to look into a portable unit.
 

KurtSmoooth

Well-Known Member
Been using my caldron pretty much everyday for a month now. The trigger to engage the heat sometimes flashes the led and doesnt engage fully but if i keep my hand still its no issue. Very pleased with the device and its changed my dynavap sessions for the better!:leaf:
 

b8man99

Well-Known Member
Hi Pipes - small issue with my Portside (original) I wonder if you could help me out a bit. It's been in daily use since I got it over a year ago.

The light on the charger no longer turns green or finishes charging. It either stays red with the battery only slightly charged or the light simply goes out. I thought it might be flat batteries but with a new set it's still the same.

Any ideas what it might be? Thanks!

Also, am I right in thinking the Caldron is more powerful than my Portside?
 

Pipes

Addicted DIY Enthusiast
Accessory Maker
Hi Pipes - small issue with my Portside (original) I wonder if you could help me out a bit. It's been in daily use since I got it over a year ago.

The light on the charger no longer turns green or finishes charging. It either stays red with the battery only slightly charged or the light simply goes out. I thought it might be flat batteries but with a new set it's still the same.

Any ideas what it might be? Thanks!

Also, am I right in thinking the Caldron is more powerful than my Portside?
If the LED on the charger is actually going out, you need a new charger.
The Caldron may be a little quicker to heat than the PSM but with the original PS, it would depend on your battery rating. If using batteries rated for say, 30C, the PS would likely be quicker than the Caldron but if running 20C batteries, you're looking at close to the same. Under 20C batteries, your back to the PSM timing.
:science:
 

b8man99

Well-Known Member
If the LED on the charger is actually going out, you need a new charger.
The Caldron may be a little quicker to heat than the PSM but with the original PS, it would depend on your battery rating. If using batteries rated for say, 30C, the PS would likely be quicker than the Caldron but if running 20C batteries, you're looking at close to the same. Under 20C batteries, your back to the PSM timing.
:science:

Yup the light goes out. Ok, thanks for the quick reply. I’ll order another charger now. You make some very solid devices Pipes!
 

david8613

Well-Known Member
if one was make one of these induction devices shaped like a firefly 2, elongated with just one battery. about how many heat cycles could you get off from one battery. it would be nice and stealthy I think.
 
david8613,
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