X-Max Ace Vaporizer by TopGreen

[fifty_shades_of_green]

You cannot go too big with battery capacity (the vape will only draw what it needs), just never smaller than recommended (especially the stated minimum amp draw required)

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought that might be true but it's always nice to get confirmation from someone else. Btw, my VP4C arrived today and I've almost got those new Sony VCT5As fully charged up.

I'm learning a lot from the 18650 battery thread and one of the guys mentioned the importance of having original and quality "wall warts" and phone chargers. He passed on a link to a youtube channel called "DiodeGoneWild" that takes a look at what's inside some of the cheap and/or counterfeit units from Asia. It's absolutely shocking what some shady vendors are peddling on Amazon and ebay these days! Buyer beware!

Here's a link to that playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfUGOPyKWwiriWhjmdtvjBw_J7X_X5OnU

 

[LesPlenty]

Another reason I like the Nitecore SC4 charger, it runs from mains AC or from a 12v plug and has a USB out built into it you can use while camping. USB-powered chargers are very slow as well.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

Another reason I like the Nitecore SC4 charger, it runs from mains AC or from a 12v plug and has a USB out built into it you can use while camping. USB-powered chargers are very slow as well.

It took me about 4 hours to get them charged up from 3.2-4.2V at .5 amps. I'm starting to think that I should have bought the one that lets me connect to the mains or maybe I'll just have to get a 2 amp USB power adapter to speed things up a bit. The funny thing is, I convinced myself before ordering my charger that I don't need to charge faster than 1 amp in order to prolong the life of my batteries. Having said that, my batteries didn't get warm at all.

@PPN: Does the Ace automatically cut the current at 3.3 volts and shut itself off? Is that the "built in" protection that it has or is there a chip or some additional controller that regulates the Ace as in electric power drills? Like I said earlier, once you start reading that 18650 battery thread, you'll never be the same.

 

[LesPlenty]

Does the Ace automatically cut the current at 3.3 volts

More like 4.2v for 18650's being charged.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

More like 4.2v for 18650's being charged.

Actually, what I meant is will the device automatically shut down when the battery reaches 3.3V (and if there are any other built in safety controls) but that's another good point. Does the Ace automatically switch to "stand by or trickle" if the battery is fully charged?

Having said that, please don't leave any charger or the Ace unattended when charging batteries. One of the contributors on the 18650 thread mentioned a friend whose house burned down due to a faulty surge protector. I've learned a lot from that thread and am much more aware of how many fake and dangerous products there are on the market, so we can definitely lower the risks by keeping an eye on the charger and checking for original products from reputable vendors.

 

[LesPlenty]

Does the Ace automatically switch to "stand by or trickle" if the battery is fully charged?

I have left them on the usb charge for days accidentally.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

I have left them on the usb charge for days accidentally.

Glad to hear that everything was ok! Hopefully the Ace automatically stops charging once 4.2V has been reached. I've been wondering what kind of "built in safety" features if any, portable vapes have? If the device malfunctioned or simply broke, would it short circuit the battery?

Changing subjects a bit. How well is everyone's Ace holding up? I've had my Ace for about a year and use it a few times a week at most but lately, the spring button used to eject ABV material in the oven chamber has been getting stuck. It usually takes just a bit of jiggling around to get it unstuck. Has anyone else had issues with the spring button getting stuck? It also made me think that this might be a good way to reduce the size of the chamber but mine usually gets stuck at the very top!

 

[LesPlenty]

anyone else had issues with the spring button getting stuck?

My first older units switch does get stuck at the top occasionally...as you said, jiggle, jiggle to release!

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

My first older units switch does get stuck at the top occasionally...as you said, jiggle, jiggle to release!

Although this is a useful feature, it seems like it's going to cause problems sooner or later. I wonder if they'll include it on the next version of the Ace or maybe just shrink the size of the chamber oven.

Has anyone had any problems with the electronics on their Ace or the oven not heating up properly? Mine is fine so far (touch wood) but I really don't know what kind of "lifespan" you can expect from portable vapes and what's most likely to malfunction down the road.

 

[LesPlenty]

like it's going to cause problems sooner or later

I thought it may be the old black ceramic coating wearing off that may have caused the sticking problem, no coating on the newer models to cause the problem (my newer unit is still fine).
Any electronic vape can fail...I went through 2x Mighty vapes and sold the new 3rd replacement due to problems so even expensive stuff can fail. A replacement of this unit costs about the same as a battery replacement by S&B on the Mighty, so there is that consideration!

I have also settled on 180-185c as the maximum temp I use for herb, any more and I think I am getting close to charring the load on my 2x units, I usually do one sesh at 175-180 then another at 180-185 to finish depending on the RH of the pot I am using.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

I thought it may be the old black ceramic coating wearing off that may have caused the sticking problem, no coating on the newer models to cause the problem (my newer unit is still fine).

I remember from the photos that the chipping on your old Ace was extreme (almost like a paint stripper) but I think the problem might be the internal spring which eventually gets jammed up after all those ejections.

Any electronic vape can fail...I went through 2x Mighty vapes and sold the new 3rd replacement due to problems so even expensive stuff can fail.

Wow, that's incredible and doesn't say much for their premium prices! Did you start noticing little problems at first or did they just suddenly die?

I have also settled on 180-185c as the maximum temp I use for herb, any more and I think I am getting close to charring the load on my 2x units, I usually do one sesh at 175-180 then another at 180-185 to finish depending on the RH of the pot I am using.

I usually start at 175C and sometimes go up to 200C but I must say, even after finishing a sesh at 190-195C, the herb is pretty much charred too. Maybe this is because the Ace is a conduction vape or did you have the same experience with the Mighty?

 

[LesPlenty]

Did you start noticing little problems at first or did they just suddenly die?

The screen slowly fades until you cannot see it at all, a known problem with the Mighty.

Maybe this is because the Ace is a conduction vape or did you have the same experience with the Mighty?

Not even close to charring in the mighty, I have other conduction vapes like the Arizer Air that will charr on high. I am glad you can get to higher temps with the Ace because I like to vape my rosin dabber hemp fiber wiper in the Ace every couple of weeks once it is saturated.

 

[serialtoker]

Av noticed it does get fairly hot, (uncomfortable in the hand hot) after 3 back tae back 5 min sesh's at 390f which was done deliberatly as a test, av ditched the Samsung that came with it because 3 sessions = flat n hot battery, I use VTC5a's in it now which I purchased as replacements for the stock battery, I get 4 or more wi the 5a's dependant on what am doin, I don't generally do more than 2 back tae back sesh's if am usin the Ace,I huv a couple o Youshika Y2000 intelligent chargers which huv stood me in good stead without incident fir the last 6 years, they take 21700 aw the way down (size wise) tae 2/3AA (fir other items) aw ma 18650 batteries get charged at 300mah (there are other options) I huv enough batteries at hand so nae need fir quick chargin which a think kills em quicker, av never charged a battery (which is removeable) in any unit, only bricks get usb charged, via the usb on the back of the charger unit or a powerbank, The eject button has been a bit stiff (from the bottom) despite the unit being cleaned regularly with iso, however it doesnae feel like it's hitting anything in the chamber (nae scrapes/markin) and it's an intermittent issue now n again which is sorted by a wee bit o jigglin about tae free it, the black glaze seems tae be holdin up fine, nae chips/flaking or the like so am assuming mine was properly fired at manufacture, it's an out n about vape so has a fairly hard life wi regards tae scratches n the like but it's holdin up well and is still unblemished, the carbon stickers are fine as well, I bought it tae replace ma Ecapple, job done

 

[LesPlenty]

The silicone cover that comes with newer versions helps with the heat, so does the faux wood/leather model to start with.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

Not even close to charring in the mighty, I have other conduction vapes like the Arizer Air that will charr on high.

That seems to be pretty common with most conduction vapes. I think the Fog is the only convection vape that Xmax has. I was wondering if they'll come out with the next version of the Fog or if/when the Ace 2 ever sees the light of day, will they switch to convection? That might be too much of a stretch because they'd probably have to do a major redesign if they go that route.

The silicone cover that comes with newer versions helps with the heat, so does the faux wood/leather model to start with.

That's a great look and I think that silicone cover really helps with the heat issue. I was actually thinking of using an oven mitt but thought it's best to let it cool down a bit before handling again...

av ditched the Samsung that came with it because 3 sessions = flat n hot battery, I use VTC5a's in it now which I purchased as replacements for the stock battery

I did the same thing. The warm and sometimes even hot Samsung 26 JM scared the crap out of me. I ended up getting buying two VTC5a cells which have a much higher CDR and give me more peace of mind. The Samsung 26 JM's CDR is only 5.2A which is a bit low and getting warm/hot is definitely not a good sign. I agree it's best for the batteries to charge a bit slower--I recently got an XTAR VP4C charger and charge them at .5A which takes awhile but they never got even a bit warm.

I've been learning a lot about 18650 batteries lately and have found a ton of useful info on these two threads.

18650 Battery

I have previously asked this question (similar question) in another thread. I don't believe I got an answer. It seems all my 18650 battery vapes use different capacity batteries. I was wondering if I could use a 18650-3500mah-15A in the Tinymight, IQ2, and the Tetra P80. Sony and Samsung (and...

fuckcombustion.com

18650 Battery Safety

What exactly does blow up mean? The ones I bought were recommended by someone a page back and have been used with the Zion I think so hopefully will be ok. The charger I will probably buy. This is a controlled short that shows what can happen when an 18650 shorts out. I'm not suggesting this...

fuckcombustion.com

it's an out n about vape so has a fairly hard life wi regards tae scratches n the like but it's holdin up well and is still unblemished, the carbon stickers are fine as well...

Glad to hear that it's holding up well with all that use.

 

[PPN]

Mod note: response to deleted post removed.

I usually start at 175C and sometimes go up to 200C but I must say, even after finishing a sesh at 190-195C, the herb is pretty much charred too. Maybe this is because the Ace is a conduction vape or did you have the same experience with the Mighty?

It's strange your flowers to be charred at 195 if you are not baking it for severals cycles, what do you means by "charred"? black or just dark brown? after a 5mn session at 195 my abv comes out brown that's all, after some strains tend to react differently under heat, I had a strain which turnt dark brown in a single hit although there was still a lot of resin and good aromas in.
With flowers I usually do a first cycle of 5mn with t° set at 190-200 and do another cycle at 210-215, that 2nd cycle doesn't taste as nice but clouds remains to be very, very big and since flowers are already "decarbed" by previous cycle these clouds are very smooth. You need a good resinous strain to achieve that with low thc weed or cbd weed I use it differently, only one 5mn cycle (remenber I use a spacer for half load or so) and start at 200-205 for 2-3mn and swith at 215 for the rest. Yes I like to get some clouds!

 

[serialtoker]

The silicon sleeve is really a temporary soloution imo, needs tae be some sort of insulation around the chamber tae stop the heat bleeding out intae the unit and makin it hot, the Ecapple got a bit warm but not as hot with the same type of cycles and I don't think it had any insulation around the chamber? it wasn't glazed inside either, nothins perfect on this planet, vapes included , adaptability on our part makes things work

 

[LesPlenty]

Definitely able to char at 200C if you hit it hard and long enough,
the black bits are from the Ace, my new max after finding that is now 195c with my herb.

The big pucks are from the Plenty and the little logs the Ace and you can see I have been flirting with char a bit.
You just have to be a bit careful how far you push a load (time-wise, more sessions on the same load is risky) at higher temps or you end up with stinky smoker fingers.
This is the same for both my units. (I always get a spare of vapes I really like but was given my spare due to a fault on my early units oven coating).

Also really looking forward to the V3Pro, I spent a while trying to find info after @west-elec posted above but now know why I could not find any.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

Mod note: response to delted post removed.

It's strange your flowers to be charred at 195 if you are not baking it for severals cycles, what do you means by "charred"? black or just dark brown?

I start at 175C and usually have a 5-7 min sesh and then go up to 180C and repeat the cycle up to 190-195C (sometimes 200C). At that point, it's pretty dark brown or sometimes even looks like coal dust if it's finely ground. I've been collecting this dark ABV in jars and am thinking of what to use it for but it just seems too gross to use for cooking and smells burnt, so I'll probably just toss it. I think all the good stuff has already been vaped out of it.

The silicon sleeve is really a temporary soloution imo, needs tae be some sort of insulation around the chamber tae stop the heat bleeding out intae the unit and makin it hot

I completely agree and am also worried about all that heat making batteries get hot...

Definitely able to char at 200C if you hit it hard and long enough,
the black bits are from the Ace, my new max after finding that is now 195c with my herb.

Yep, that's been my experience too. Btw, those are some great photos and it looks like those pucks could make a nice addition to some recipes.

 

[LesPlenty]

could make a nice addition to some recipes

I have been trying to remember to discard the Ace pucks rather than add them to my ABV pile if they look at all charred...you can see by the pics I do not always remember )should be OK now with my new top temps)!

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

I have been trying to remember to discard the Ace pucks rather than add them to my ABV pile if they look at all charred...you can see by the pics I do not always remember )should be OK now with my new top temps)!

Those pucks are just about the perfect size for making a veggie burger--just add some lettuce, tomatoes and add your favorite condiments.

On a more serious note, I've noticed that my new Sony/Murata VT5As stay cooler during sessions but they still get warm which isn't great. I think that heat is being transferred from the Ace to the battery chamber and the chamber itself seems to be made of some kind of metal with some silicone on one side. It seems like a heat trap and isn't the best way to keep batteries cool. All that metal also makes me worry about a possible short circuit of the battery which isn't the best way to enjoy your sesh.

Does anyone know if there's a way to power portable vapes via usb cable or some kind of adapter which lets you connect them to the mains? That would definitely give me more peace of mind.

 

[PPN]

Does anyone know if there's a way to power portable vapes via usb cable or some kind of adapter which lets you connect them to the mains? That would definitely give me more peace of mind.

Do you means to power it with no batteries inserted? I think this is exists... but it's rare, most vaporizers don't use true Passthrough which means the power is going directly to the heater without to go in the battery, the only one vaporizer (portable... originally) I have with a true Passthrough is the OG MistVape vaporizer and this is means to be a desktop if used in that situation.

Most portable vaporizers can't be used while in charge, if yes they can only if the batteries are already well enough charged (at least 30%, maybe more). I noticed this is not mentionned in the Ace userguide if you can use while in charge or not... I'll ask to our engineers and report here later. Good question btw!

 

[LesPlenty]

I'll ask to our engineers and report here later.

The unit does charge while using...nowhere near to keeping up though.
I get most 18650 batteries very hot while using them back to back in any of my vapes that take them, it is not just an Ace trait.

 

[fifty_shades_of_green]

Do you means to power it with no batteries inserted? I think this is exists... but it's rare, most vaporizers don't use true Passthrough which means the power is going directly to the heater without to go in the battery, the only one vaporizer (portable... originally) I have with a true Passthrough is the OG MistVape vaporizer and this is means to be a desktop if used in that situation.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I would love to use the Ace without any battery if possible... Is there a way to do this either by using usb (without battery) or by using wall power?

 

[LesPlenty]

Is there a way to do this either by using usb (without battery) or by using wall power?

Well you could jerry-rig a lab power supply to where the battery usually sits but that could get sparky quick...just get a desktop for desktop use.