Multi-brand Vivant Alternate

[huk_huk]

Against my better judgement I'm going to keep loading this thing in hopes of burning off the smell. Probably wait until tomorrow though so I'll post a follow up in a few days.

maybe try to remove the green silicone valvet in the cooling unit. I think the silicone smells a lot and might add the plastic taste. My unit tasted very good after 2-4 bowls

 

[babaindica]

I’ve been a lurker on this forums for quite some time now and had to register just to put across my opinions about the Vivant!

I'd stumbled across this vape thanks to this forum and was very interested seeing the specs of this vape and ordered one right away from dhgate. I got the retail box with all accessories but no battery. I flashed the firmware right away without any hassle.

I've been using the Alternate for 20 days now and have had ample time to compare it with the Crafty, CFX and the IQ and here are my observations –

1. Vapor quality is just as good if not better than the Crafty and IQ and MUCH better than the CFX

2. I did 4 full burn offs and the initial smell from the burn offs was typical robot fart like (just like my CFX) and it was fully gone by the fourth time

3. I’ve used LG HG2, Samsung 30Q, 25R so far with it and the Samsungs have been excellent performers, giving me at least 3-4 bowls per charge

4. Bowl size is on the lower side, its perfect for solo use but falls short if there are two enthusiastic tokers using J

5. My mouthpiece has developed cracks on the 6th day itself (I was using it 2-3 times a day for all the 6 days but the vape was never abused or dropped) which was very disappointing, I messaged heavens_gifts about this issue and they shipped me a brand new entire unit without any questions and told me that the new unit is from a new lot and does not have the mouthpiece cracking issue? Dunno if that is true though :/
BTW although my mouthpiece has cracks it does NOT have any deformation or melting. From what I can see (this is just my theory!) the cracks are due to the large screw under the mouthpiece which gets very hot, since the epicenter of all the cracks is that screw!

6. However even though the mouthpiece currently has 4 big sized cracks the performance is not affected in the slightest and I am still using it regularly. The build quality on the rest of the unit is average, but not that bad considering the price.

7. I love the stealth factor and this is my go-to unit for day use or for outdoor use along with the IQ

My overall impression of this vape is very positive, it has its flaws and teething issues but it ticks the right boxes and almost manages to fulfill almost every short comings that most portables have. I have my fingers crossed and hope that Vivant manages to come out with a version 2 of this vape with all the flaws removed!

 

[rekrab]

How long have you had yours? Have done a cleaning yet?

Ive had it maybe two weeks and no cleaning has been done. I took out the silicone flap inside the mouthpiece cooling chamber. Other than that I just use it and give a quick brush with a steel brush on the screens when im unloading the bowl.

 

[HSIHP]

No plastic smell on mine. So far it's not clear why some vivants have this and some don't.

That's so strange! I wonder if I should roll the dice and send it back to see if I'll get one with no smell?

maybe try to remove the green silicone valvet in the cooling unit. I think the silicone smells a lot and might add the plastic taste. My unit tasted very good after 2-4 bowls

I did that this morning and while I can see that could be the source, my nose is telling me the smell is coming from the heater, not the cooling unit. Anyone else notice this?

Ive had it maybe two weeks and no cleaning has been done. I took out the silicone flap inside the mouthpiece cooling chamber. Other than that I just use it and give a quick brush with a steel brush on the screens when im unloading the bowl.

Weird, I was hoping an ISO bath might are the difference but I guess probably not.

I did two more burn offs last night and two more this morning at 410* and I've noticed the smell is coming from the oven area, not the cooling unit. I'll probably swab the oven with an ISO q-tip to see if it's just some manufacturing residue that needed to be cleaned off. I may even make a vapor lung to pull a few dummy bowls through it before I take the real plunge.

I'm still hopeful! This little thing feels like a beast and I can't wait to get over this hump.

 

[BaroneBarra]

I did that this morning and while I can see that could be the source, my nose is telling me the smell is coming from the heater, not the cooling unit. Anyone else notice this?

I'm under the same impression. I have been trying to do burnoffs without the cap and it definitely still smells, even after 20+ more uses. It's my first vape tho, so I'm not really sure if it's supposed to give that type smell or not....it's different from the plastic taste I have when using the vape, but it still doesn't seem right to me. Really hard to describe a scent with words, and I'm not a native speaker

I should point out I wasn't able to find any isopropyl here, so I tried to clean everything with warm water and soap. Did two batteries worth of burnoffs, no results. Tried to do burnoffs with the cap on, and the ring deformed (which I guess doesn't help to reduce the plastic taste).

Obviously if the problem is the oven, the new mouthpieces would not solve anything. That would be very sad.

 

[mash]

Its weird......to me its seems like a bad batch......It doesnt matter where it was purchased....seems like some are having the plastic melting and\or the plastic smell....and others are fine.

I assume there will be modifications on future units....if cost effective.....better plastic...etc....

I still think you can purchase these on PIU and Vivant......Heaven gifts is on back order but on DHGate site ...heaven gifts has them ready to sell.....

 

[Vitolo]

Obviously if the problem is the oven, the new mouthpieces would not solve anything. That would be very sad.

The oven is ceramic and glass.
These are neutral in odor.
There are two components that potentially can pass the odor.

1. The mouthpiece assembly
2. The air path from the units bottom, leading up to the oven

# 2 would only occur if a "lesser"plastic was used, with the rationale that it is not actual vapor path.
The bottom appears to be factory sealed, so there is no access.tubing, SS, or glass could be used inside in the air path (I did not say vapor path)

 

[HSIHP]

Just did a few more burn offs with the cap off and I pretty sure that it's not the cooling unit/mouthpiece.

The oven is ceramic and glass.
These are neutral in odor.
There are two components that potentially can pass the odor.

1. The mouthpiece assembly
2. The air path from the units bottom, leading up to the oven

# 2 would only occur if a "lesser"plastic was used, with the rationale that it is not actual vapor path.
The bottom appears to be factory sealed, so there is no access.tubing, SS, or glass could be used inside in the air path (I did not say vapor path)

Vito, my guess is that I'm smelling the either the green o-ring that circles the bowl ( and possibly seals the cooling unit on?) or the rubber-feeling liner at the top of the bowl, the part that is slanted to help "guide" the herb in.

I'll keep messing with it today but I'm still not comfortable not inhaling off this unit, then again I'm a pretty cautious guy. I remember defending the Pinacle Pro pretty harshly cause my unit was totally fine even though others were having major problems and this makes me lean towards what others here and Reddit have been saying that it could be a bad batch. I'll keep trying but if the smell doesn't go away after a few days I think I'll have to send it back to try another. I just want this thing to work!

I'm purposely not loading any herb in with these burn offs because I don't want to "season" the bowl with herb smell. In other words, I would rather not cover up the smell with a friendly one of that means there is still something wrong.

More testing to follow...

Edit: BTW I tried the ISO swab to no avail.

 

[Vitolo]

Please be aware that "burn-offs' with the oven open is damaging to both thermostat control and the unit itself. With oven door open, the unit heats endlessly with no way for thermostat to tell oven it is time to shut.
The oven's surrounding components are being heated to a level they were not intended to take by leaving oven open for a burnoff.
Many companies void warranty for this, and many warn against it.
NOTE:
I am not saying that some companies do not advise to do a cycle without herb..... NONE say leave the oven open to heat the oven.
This is a public service announcement.
I am in touch weekly with most worldwide vape makers.
I ask questions about this of all in the industry, and I mention it here so none of this threads readers cause their units issues.

 

[HSIHP]

I totally understand not keeping the cooling unit off during a burn off. Just to be clear, I have only done one burn off without the cap, but I only took the cap off while I was slowly blowing air into the intake hole. Once I finished my breath I returning the cap to keep the heater from over working. While doing this, I noticed the smell coming directly from the main body/oven, not the cooling unit.

Either way, my day off today is full of testing a research and it seems I may have recieved a dud. I also have just notices a small rattling sound from where the screen and buttons are. It seems to get lodged somewhere after a few shakes but comes back every once in a while.

For the record, I'm not trying to scare anyone away form this thing. I truely think this could be an amazing tool as long as the quality becomes more consist and throughout the product line. There any many people having great success with this vape and I hope once mine is replaced I will be among them.

 

[ohmygodimsohigh]

Of the 4 units I have opened and used here, none of them had any obnoxious robot fart smell.
If one or two burn-offs aren't fixing the issue, I would advise returning the issue.

The smell is most likely coming from excess adhesives used during assembly.

 

[HSIHP]

Of the 4 units I have opened and used here, none of them had any obnoxious robot fart smell.
If one or two burn-offs aren't fixing the issue, I would advise returning the issue.

The smell is most likely coming from excess adhesives used during assembly.

I'm doing just that. I went through 2 full batteries worth or burn offs at full temp ( after my 10 at lower temps) and the smell is still prominent.

Please check out the puffitup thread to see how amazing their customer service is, Within an hour this morning Jake sent me a return shipping label as well as better burn off instructions. After following his plan, I will be sending back my unit for another. If some/ most people are not smelling anything, I feel like mine should be no different.

Thanks for letting me rant, y'all. I'll be back once I get my second unit.

 

[BaroneBarra]

Of the 4 units I have opened and used here, none of them had any obnoxious robot fart smell.
If one or two burn-offs aren't fixing the issue, I would advise returning the issue.

The smell is most likely coming from excess adhesives used during assembly.

I think I will go that route too, now that my Dynavap M has arrived.

I would have returned it earlier, but I'm in Europe.
Honestly I'm waiting for a clear answer from Vivant before contacting PIU, it's been some time now.

As @HSIHP, I like the Alternate and I think it has a lot of potential. I don't really feel confident using mine tho, and I'm sorry to say Vivant's reticence, at this point, is frankly unacceptable.

 

[Vivant]

I agree that a lack of a detailed response after WEEKS is unacceptable. The engineers etc. working on the issue should at least have come up with a reason WHY by now.

Is it safe for people to be using these units? We still haven't got an answer.

I think I will go that route too, now that my Dynavap M has arrived.

I would have returned it earlier, but I'm in Europe.
Honestly I'm waiting for a clear answer from Vivant before contacting PIU, it's been some time now.

As @HSIHP, I like the Alternate and I think it has a lot of potential. I don't really feel confident using mine tho, and I'm sorry to say Vivant's reticence, at this point, is frankly unacceptable.

Hello @mourningbell , @Stinky , @BaroneBarra , I can completely understand the frustration. By no means does my statement mean that the engineers do not know what is going on yet. The company just truly wants to be confident in the full statement before they release it, including an ETA on when they will have the solution and etc... If you guys have any other questions in the meantime, I will do my best to answer them. Thank you

I’ve been a lurker on this forums for quite some time now and had to register just to put across my opinions about the Vivant!

I'd stumbled across this vape thanks to this forum and was very interested seeing the specs of this vape and ordered one right away from dhgate. I got the retail box with all accessories but no battery. I flashed the firmware right away without any hassle.

I've been using the Alternate for 20 days now and have had ample time to compare it with the Crafty, CFX and the IQ and here are my observations –

1. Vapor quality is just as good if not better than the Crafty and IQ and MUCH better than the CFX

2. I did 4 full burn offs and the initial smell from the burn offs was typical robot fart like (just like my CFX) and it was fully gone by the fourth time

3. I’ve used LG HG2, Samsung 30Q, 25R so far with it and the Samsungs have been excellent performers, giving me at least 3-4 bowls per charge

4. Bowl size is on the lower side, its perfect for solo use but falls short if there are two enthusiastic tokers using J

5. My mouthpiece has developed cracks on the 6th day itself (I was using it 2-3 times a day for all the 6 days but the vape was never abused or dropped) which was very disappointing, I messaged heavens_gifts about this issue and they shipped me a brand new entire unit without any questions and told me that the new unit is from a new lot and does not have the mouthpiece cracking issue? Dunno if that is true though :/
BTW although my mouthpiece has cracks it does NOT have any deformation or melting. From what I can see (this is just my theory!) the cracks are due to the large screw under the mouthpiece which gets very hot, since the epicenter of all the cracks is that screw!

6. However even though the mouthpiece currently has 4 big sized cracks the performance is not affected in the slightest and I am still using it regularly. The build quality on the rest of the unit is average, but not that bad considering the price.

7. I love the stealth factor and this is my go-to unit for day use or for outdoor use along with the IQ

My overall impression of this vape is very positive, it has its flaws and teething issues but it ticks the right boxes and almost manages to fulfill almost every short comings that most portables have. I have my fingers crossed and hope that Vivant manages to come out with a version 2 of this vape with all the flaws removed!

Hello @babaindica thank you for your extensive feedback, it is truly appreciated. I assure you won't be disappointed in our company.


Overall, thank you again for every person that has an Alternate and also for everyone that is on this thread voicing their opinions, advice, etc... It does not go unnoticed and every opinion is taken into consideration with the members on our team. Thank you again -Emily

 

[Stinky]

Hello @mourningbell , @Stinky , @BaroneBarra , I can completely understand the frustration. By no means does my statement mean that the engineers do not know what is going on yet. The company just truly wants to be confident in the full statement before they release it, including an ETA on when they will have the solution and etc... If you guys have any other questions in the meantime, I will do my best to answer them. Thank you

@Vivant I asked this question previously but it seems to have been missed; is it safe for people to be using these units? We still haven't got an answer.

I used my unit twice and got very sick. I haven't used it since and have been waiting for a response.

 

[CHIDOY]

For those who have had this for a while, how long did it take for the plastic flavor to go away on yours?

My PIU Alternate had no smell at all. Did one burn off session just because.... But loaded it up right after. Again, no smell or plastic-y taste.

Maybe I just got lucky with first run/batch of Alternates?

So far I haven't had any of the issues that peoplle seem to be having. I still am using it in my DAILY rotation and still love my Alternate.

Good luck to everyone. I hope things get resolved soon for people as I want people to enjoy the same vape I have been getting.

Cheers!!

 

[Vitolo]

So far I haven't had any of the issues that peoplle seem to be having. I still am using it in my DAILY rotation and still love my Alternate.
Good luck to everyone. I hope things get resolved soon for people as I want people to enjoy the same vape I have been getting.

I am with you in experience, and in sentiment.

 

[Philreal187]

Took the alternate out for a hike today, it was a solid choice!

 

[Baked-not-fried]

Howdy,
I really love this unit but I've been through two tops now. Both deforming in the same areas as the others pictured here. I was just wondering from the other owners what they might suggest that is very similar to this Alternate. I'm just not feeling all that good about continuing to use it until they get the cap worked out. I realize I've already inhaled what may have come off while deforming the lid but not going to keep using at this time. I'm really bummed about that, as I LOVE it. Also, I never took it above 390 and couldn't imagine what the deformation may look like after melting some wax at max. Not that good, I could only imagine. Anywho, looking for a safe, very similar unit. Just trying to decide what to replace it with when I send it back to PIU. Thanks you guys and Hello!

D

 

[dtaxx]

Hey, this is a long shot and may have been brought up before, but I wonder if there is any way a Crafty cooling unit could be used with the Alternate? They don't exactly match but what if? @Vape Dr. Or anyone else?

That was me. A crafty cooling unit is on it's way, will report back in a few days!

 

[mash]

Got a email from Vivant site that there is a %42 discount sale on today.......

I went to the site.....but I see no code to input in for the discount.....I wonder if all its authorized dealers have similar deals.

 

[Chocu1a]

Well hell, for that price, one might as well buy it now & hold it until they fix the plastics problems & exchange it. I mean, the vape DOES produce nice vapor, & has a great form factor.

 

[mash]

Well....the email received said %42 discount.....

Cant find it on the site


EDIT..... use code VIVFB420 to get discount

 

[Meach]

I gotta check my spam mail...I'm on the email list didn't see anything from them today ..

 

[OyVape]

Well hell, for that price, one might as well buy it now & hold it until they fix the plastics problems & exchange it. I mean, the vape DOES produce nice vapor, & has a great form factor.

That is pretty tempting. Maybe this one might be from a better batch? Luck of the draw, I guess. As long as they honor exchanges for when the upgrade is out....