Multi-brand Vivant Alternate

[blackbur]

Thanks for pointing that out stickstones.
Hopefully they will fix that timer, until they do I will pass on this unit.

 

[radiant34]

I was thinking that at first. When it was on the way I was thinking it might be a booster type vape where it just heats up when you want it and then cools right down. The timer doesn't work like this at all. I hope they change this and wouldn't recommend it until they do. It vapes well, so it's got that going for it.

It's basically a copy of the Crafty, with some features you always wanted with that unit as well as some unfortunate head scratchers. The price is really low, so that's good. And the accessory list is impressive until you find out they don't work as well as the originals. Honestly, I have hopes for how this one will turn out down the road, but I think what is rolling off the lines now still needs some work first.

how does it compare to the mighty? same taste?

 

[blackstone]

As someone who would like a Crafty but is unsure about battery run times, this is appealing.
I don't necessarily agree that the answer should be user replaced battery, maybe a strong future battery that lasts all night. But until that happens, this is an option!
A well priced option too.
So 1 minute timer, but you have to hold down a button to reset, instead of just press?
I wonder if anyone could get on OK with that part, depending on load size or if you could perform frequent resets as habit.
Smaller bowl suits me too.
Maybe it's too early to say, but his device appears to have less potential issues than other recent, well recommend releases.

 

[Xelatsok]

Manufacturer came from e-cig world. So reset timer may be used accordingly e-cig habits - you hold it while you draw and you draw just a few seconds, less than 10.

 

[blackstone]

And the upgradeable firmware, I don't fully understand all the capabilities of this but, if they can change the firmware to extend the timer or reset it with simple presses,
would this have to be done at factory or could we do it with a PC and the cable?

The upgradable firmware is unique for herbal vaporizers as I havent seen one with that before. If someone know of one, please link me.

The 60 second session timer is the weirdest part for me. I would much prefer 5 minutes for the session timer before an auto shutoff. At $130, it is going to be very competitive if it's a solid and safe unit.

Tonight I read that the Pax 3 updates it's firmware through the app in some form or other.
I'm assuming the timer is there to alleviate as much as possible some of the battery run time issues that have been reported on other recent convection portables, or even hybrids like the Crafty. Especially with new users who would be less smart about battery conservation.
Although if you can swap the battery maybe it won't need it so much?

 

[Lookatmeglow]

Tonight I read that the Pax 3 updates it's firmware through the app in some form or other.
I'm assuming the timer is there to alleviate as much as possible some of the battery run time issues that have been reported on other recent convection portables, or even hybrids like the Crafty. Especially with new users who would be less smart about battery conservation.
Although if you can swap the battery maybe it won't need it so much?

Thank you. I did not know the pax 3 app had that ability or might have that ability. I feel that due to the replaceable batteries, they could easily extend the session timer. I understand that coming from the ecig world, herbal vaporizers are different in use, so having a 60 second timer makes a bit more sense. I would personally prefer a 5 minutes timer and shorter battery life. Rather than the more constant reheating.

 

[Mulehead]

And the upgradeable firmware, I don't fully understand all the capabilities of this but, if they can change the firmware to extend the timer or reset it with simple presses,
would this have to be done at factory or could we do it with a PC and the cable?

I've been in contact with Vivant about this very same question, and the firmware updates will be downloaded on your computer hooked up to the USB on the device.

I also asked about that silly 1 minute timer and it's basically in place for safety/liability reasons.

+1 for a 5 minute session timer!

 

[blackstone]

Nice job Mulehead , I think I had an MP3 player like that too, but another device I think it had to be the factory.
Nice to know.

Safety and liability, hmm.
Makes me think of what @stickstones said about some heat too.
I think the Mighty/Crafty was 1 minute at the start too, and they upped to 2.
2 minutes might do me but if it is difficult to press it might wear you out haha.

Would be nice to see some of our retailers here like @VapoShop and @PuffItUp eventually give it approval and stock it too.

 

[Vape Dr.]

@blackstone Puffitup does have them but it says "out of stock".

It was difficult to find so here's a link.

https://www.puffitup.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VIV.ALT

 

[blackstone]

@blackstone Puffitup does have them but it says "out of stock".

It was difficult to find so here's a link.

https://www.puffitup.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VIV.ALT

Thanks for that! I meant to check the site yesterday but, you know how it goes!
Thought of checking their blog first but right, it's listed onsite and a tear down or blog post may come later.
Well I was hoping Puffitup would get it for you guys mostly, maybe me too. But geographically Vaposhop might work better for me regarding import.
Still, it's nice to see one of them take it on already!
Cheers

 

[stickstones]

how does it compare to the mighty? same taste?

I hope to get a chance to do a side by side next week and will report back if that happens.

 

[djchexxx]

I was pretty interested to give this vape a shot until I found out the warranty is only 90 days.

https://vivant.com/pages/faq

 

[blackstone]

I was pretty interested to give this vape a shot until I found out the warranty is only 90 days.

https://vivant.com/pages/faq

I also spotted that last night and it gave me a shudder after having a bad experience with a 1 year warranty Puffit 2.
It makes you wonder would it be worth the extra money for 2 year Crafty warranty for example, whatever about quality and country of origin. (or even less extra money for 10 year Pax 2 warranty)

Another slightly concerning thing I found is "the recommended temperature is 180C, the Alternate can go up to 220C"
Does that mean using it at 195 or 210C is not really recommended?? Or it will result in unwanted symptoms or heat?
Maybe it drains the battery very quick at high temps.

 

[Vape Dr.]

Hello all!

I got my Alternate today. I am charging the battery now (it comes with a SONY VTC4!) and I did a few mods in the meantime.

I didn't really like how far up the screen in the cooling chamber was so this was my solution...

I got a 3/4" screen and a HipVap pod which was the perfect size and formed a bottle cap screen.


Notice how far the cooling chamber screen sits.



I trimmed the edge of the screen even.


When inserted it sits close to flush. Cleaning should be a breeze now.



In the chamber instead of putting an arizer basket screen like I do with the Crafty/Mighty I found an RBT screen fits in the chamber perfectly!

I feel with the short time the vape will be on (60 seconds) it is a worth while mod.

The load will be smaller and there will be more convection.

I put an RBT screen in my CFV and it works amazing!

The screen fits in the Alternate perfectly and cleaning will be as easy as a quick blow.


Now time to hurry up and wait for the battery to charge!

I'll be back with more info after I use it!

 

[sickmanfraud]

Hello all!

I got my Alternate today. I am charging the battery now (it comes with a SONY VTC4!) and I did a few mods in the meantime.

I didn't really like how far up the screen in the cooling chamber was so this was my solution...

I got a 3/4" screen and a HipVap pod which was the perfect size and formed a bottle cap screen.


Notice how far the cooling chamber screen sits.



I trimmed the edge of the screen even.


When inserted it sits close to flush. Cleaning should be a breeze now.



In the chamber instead of putting an arizer basket screen like I do with the Crafty/Mighty I found an RBT screen fits in the chamber perfectly!

I feel with the short time the vape will be on (60 seconds) it is a worth while mod.

The load will be smaller and there will be more convection.

I put an RBT screen in my CFV and it works amazing!

The screen fits in the Alternate perfectly and cleaning will be as easy as a quick blow.


Now time to hurry up and wait for the battery to charge!

I'll be back with more info after I use it!

Isn't the battery an 18650?? You must have 1 charged battery around to try this with?

 

[radiant34]

Hello all!

I got my Alternate today. I am charging the battery now (it comes with a SONY VTC4!) and I did a few mods in the meantime.

I didn't really like how far up the screen in the cooling chamber was so this was my solution...

I got a 3/4" screen and a HipVap pod which was the perfect size and formed a bottle cap screen.


Notice how far the cooling chamber screen sits.



I trimmed the edge of the screen even.


When inserted it sits close to flush. Cleaning should be a breeze now.



In the chamber instead of putting an arizer basket screen like I do with the Crafty/Mighty I found an RBT screen fits in the chamber perfectly!

I feel with the short time the vape will be on (60 seconds) it is a worth while mod.

The load will be smaller and there will be more convection.

I put an RBT screen in my CFV and it works amazing!

The screen fits in the Alternate perfectly and cleaning will be as easy as a quick blow.


Now time to hurry up and wait for the battery to charge!

I'll be back with more info after I use it!

any plastic taste to it like the cfx? been eyeing this vape, but not sure if its up to par with mighty/crafty flavor

 

[danald2000]

I really hope they fix the timer. With it in stock at puff it up and only $110 shipped with lots of extras very enticing! A convection/conduction hybrid vape with replaceable 18650 batteries and an oled screen for temperature control to the degree! At a price that low, and with the ability to swap out batteries I think it is worth the risk with only a 90 day warranty. Now fingers crossed that we can get a 5 minute shutoff firmware update...

2017 is the year of the vape!

 

[danald2000]

@Vape Dr. Do you have any boundless or the mighty/crafty to compare the vivant to?

 

[Vape Dr.]

Hello all! Sorry for the late replies, I wanted to get some more info for you all.

@sickmanfraud Yes I do have other 18650 batteries but wanted to try the unit with the factory batteries to see what the life was and how many chambers I could get per charge. I got 4-5 depending on temp all 3 minute sessions

@radiant34 I don't really get a plastic taste with my CFX using the ELB mod with the factory CFX screen removed.

I will say the Alternate has a plastic taste to it before a chamber has been ran through. I loaded up a chamber and ran it for 3 minutes without vaping it and the plastic taste did go away.

I can not compare the taste of the Alternate to any other vapes because there are too many variables such as strain, how dry, temps, person, etc. I can say it works very well.

Also some people are more "hyper" sensitive than others.
Something may taste fine to one person but taste "off" to another.

That being said I personally do enjoy the flavor very much. Tasty low temps with nice visible vapor, and good taste at higher temps with much vapor! It never gets the popcorn taste which is great. After the flavonoids and terps are stripped the taste gets neutral for lack of better term which is nice.

@danald2000 The timer issue is being addressed as we speak.
There will be a link on the ViVant website that you will be able to set the timer up to 5 minutes by plugging your Alternate into your computer. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I do not have a Mighty or Crafty to compare it to at the moment. IMO I can say I think you will be impressed. Especially at the price it is very hard to beat.
They are definitely giving boundless a run for their money in the affordable portable market.


I had a nice talk today with Josh at ViVant, he is the chief engineer. Quick rundown of our conversation.
-60 second timer being addressed
-You will be able to program the Alternate from 1-5 minutes through your computer on their website.
-The 90 day warranty is being addressed. They plan on increasing the warranty. I feel comfortable with the warranty because they are very passionate and want people to be happy so you continue to buy new up and coming vapes in the future. They have a contact number and you can talk to a live person during normal business hours. So your not all day.
-They are looking into larger mAh batteries so you can get an extra few sessions per battery. Right now I average 4-5 sessions per battery doing 3 minute sessions.
-All Alternates go through an ultrasonic cleaning process to assure no oils or residues are left behind.
-Plans for a WPA are in the works.
-I am going to be getting a data sheet of all materials used in the Alternate to post here so you know it
is a safe vaporizer. They will also have that info up on their website in the future.

So, I must say I really do enjoy the Alternate, it fits a nice niche and is a super convenient portable with swappable 18650s.

It is not perfect, but they are working on many things to improve it during their rolling launch, most of which can be done through your computer, no need to send it back to upgrade.

I am in no way, shape, or form being paid by ViVant.

I assure you everything I say is unbiased. I took a liking to the Alternate as soon as I saw it.

I pursued them on my own on and on behalf of FC to let them know that the 60 second shut off and 90 warranty is most likely keeping people from pulling the trigger and buying one.

After talking a bit some other minor modifications are being made as well that also will be upgradeable through their website.

Sorry for the long post. I hope this information helps.

 

[justcametomind]

I think I'll just sit here and let @Vape Dr. use it a couple more days. Then it's @VapeFiend.com or @VapoShop turn to import some unit!

 

[radiant34]

Hello all! Sorry for the late replies, I wanted to get some more info for you all.

@sickmanfraud Yes I do have other 18650 batteries but wanted to try the unit with the factory batteries to see what the life was and how many chambers I could get per charge. I got 4-5 depending on temp all 3 minute sessions

@radiant34 I don't really get a plastic taste with my CFX using the ELB mod with the factory CFX screen removed.

I will say the Alternate has a plastic taste to it before a chamber has been ran through. I loaded up a chamber and ran it for 3 minutes without vaping it and the plastic taste did go away.

I can not compare the taste of the Alternate to any other vapes because there are too many variables such as strain, how dry, temps, person, etc. I can say it works very well.

Also some people are more "hyper" sensitive than others.
Something may taste fine to one person but taste "off" to another.

That being said I personally do enjoy the flavor very much. Tasty low temps with nice visible vapor, and good taste at higher temps with much vapor! It never gets the popcorn taste which is great. After the flavonoids and terps are stripped the taste gets neutral for lack of better term which is nice.

@danald2000 The timer issue is being addressed as we speak.
There will be a link on the ViVant website that you will be able to set the timer up to 5 minutes by plugging your Alternate into your computer. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I do not have a Mighty or Crafty to compare it to at the moment. IMO I can say I think you will be impressed. Especially at the price it is very hard to beat.
They are definitely giving boundless a run for their money in the affordable portable market.


I had a nice talk today with Josh at ViVant, he is the chief engineer. Quick rundown of our conversation.
-60 second timer being addressed
-You will be able to program the Alternate from 1-5 minutes through your computer on their website.
-The 90 day warranty is being addressed. They plan on increasing the warranty. I feel comfortable with the warranty because they are very passionate and want people to be happy so you continue to buy new up and coming vapes in the future. The have a contact number and you can talk to a live person during normal business hours. So your not all day.
-They are looking into larger mAh batteries so you can get an extra few sessions per battery. Right now I average 4-5 sessions per battery doing 3 minute sessions.
-All Alternates go through an ultrasonic cleaning process to assure no oils or residues are left behind.
-Plans for a WPA are in the works.
-I am going to be getting a data sheet of all materials used in the Alternate to post here so you know it
is a safe vaporizer. They will also have that info up on their website in the future.

So, I must say I really do enjoy the Alternate, it fits a nice niche and is a super convenient portable with swappable 18650s.

It is not perfect, but they are working on many things to improve it during their rolling launch, most of which can be done through your computer, no need to send it back to upgrade.

I am in no way, shape, or form being paid by ViVant.

I assure you everything I say is unbiased. I took a liking to the Alternate as soon as I saw it.

I pursued them on my own on and on behalf of FC to let them know that the 60 second shut off and 90 warranty is most likely keeping people from pulling the trigger and buying one.

After talking a bit some other minor modifications are being made as well that also will be upgradeable through their website.

Sorry for the long post. I hope this information helps.

They mentioned heating element is ceramic and oven is ss. Really wanna to try it out. My cfx had a plastic taste due to the plastic tape they wrap around heating chamber. Don't know if it's faulty but it still offgasses with empty bowl

 

[Vape Dr.]

@radiant34 I ran the Alternate at 428° for 3 minutes and it did not offgas at all.

 

[djchexxx]

Hello all! Sorry for the late replies, I wanted to get some more info for you all.

@sickmanfraud Yes I do have other 18650 batteries but wanted to try the unit with the factory batteries to see what the life was and how many chambers I could get per charge. I got 4-5 depending on temp all 3 minute sessions

@radiant34 I don't really get a plastic taste with my CFX using the ELB mod with the factory CFX screen removed.

I will say the Alternate has a plastic taste to it before a chamber has been ran through. I loaded up a chamber and ran it for 3 minutes without vaping it and the plastic taste did go away.

I can not compare the taste of the Alternate to any other vapes because there are too many variables such as strain, how dry, temps, person, etc. I can say it works very well.

Also some people are more "hyper" sensitive than others.
Something may taste fine to one person but taste "off" to another.

That being said I personally do enjoy the flavor very much. Tasty low temps with nice visible vapor, and good taste at higher temps with much vapor! It never gets the popcorn taste which is great. After the flavonoids and terps are stripped the taste gets neutral for lack of better term which is nice.

@danald2000 The timer issue is being addressed as we speak.
There will be a link on the ViVant website that you will be able to set the timer up to 5 minutes by plugging your Alternate into your computer. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I do not have a Mighty or Crafty to compare it to at the moment. IMO I can say I think you will be impressed. Especially at the price it is very hard to beat.
They are definitely giving boundless a run for their money in the affordable portable market.


I had a nice talk today with Josh at ViVant, he is the chief engineer. Quick rundown of our conversation.
-60 second timer being addressed
-You will be able to program the Alternate from 1-5 minutes through your computer on their website.
-The 90 day warranty is being addressed. They plan on increasing the warranty. I feel comfortable with the warranty because they are very passionate and want people to be happy so you continue to buy new up and coming vapes in the future. The have a contact number and you can talk to a live person during normal business hours. So your not all day.
-They are looking into larger mAh batteries so you can get an extra few sessions per battery. Right now I average 4-5 sessions per battery doing 3 minute sessions.
-All Alternates go through an ultrasonic cleaning process to assure no oils or residues are left behind.
-Plans for a WPA are in the works.
-I am going to be getting a data sheet of all materials used in the Alternate to post here so you know it
is a safe vaporizer. They will also have that info up on their website in the future.

So, I must say I really do enjoy the Alternate, it fits a nice niche and is a super convenient portable with swappable 18650s.

It is not perfect, but they are working on many things to improve it during their rolling launch, most of which can be done through your computer, no need to send it back to upgrade.

I am in no way, shape, or form being paid by ViVant.

I assure you everything I say is unbiased. I took a liking to the Alternate as soon as I saw it.

I pursued them on my own on and on behalf of FC to let them know that the 60 second shut off and 90 warranty is most likely keeping people from pulling the trigger and buying one.

After talking a bit some other minor modifications are being made as well that also will be upgradeable through their website.

Sorry for the long post. I hope this information helps.

Wow this is really great to hear! Im glad you reached out to them and they responded quickly. Its great that they're fixing all the small issues. Seems like their customer service is on point as well. Really stoked that they're already going to be pushing updates to fix the timer issue.

Do you know whats the lowest amp battery the alternate can use?

 

[Vape Dr.]

Josh at ViVant was an absolute pleasure to talk to. I feel 100% comfortable with their customer service.

I love the fact that any upgrade or change to the firmware will be able to be done from your own home on your computer from their website.
No need to send the unit in if you already have it, just update it!

It comes with a SONY VTC4 which is a 2500mAh 30amp drain battery. Through testing I found the best results with an LG HG2 3000mAh 20amp drain battery. It heated up within 2 seconds of the sony an I got 1-2 more sessions.

@djchexxx I don't have any 10 or 15 amp drain but I just did a test for you with a SAMSUNG ICR18650-30B 3000mAh 6amp drain.

It took 1:42 to reach 356°F. I left it on for 60 seconds.
The battery got very warm and red 87% on the unit.
As the battery cools down it is now at 95%

I don't think I would feel comfortable using the 6 amp battery, but a 15 or possibly even 10 amp....maybe... might not get as hot.

The HG2 is 20amp and feels no warmer than the 30 amp sony when warming up or when in use.

 

[danald2000]

I feel like this vape could finally be the $100 vape king. Weecke Fenix couldn't, Boundless CF couldn't hang with nicer units, neither could the Odin. Chinese Vape Gods... are our prayers finally answered???