Discontinued Zion vaporizer

[cybrguy]

Soon come, Mon

We're all just waitin. I think the Mica thing is resolved/decided. Haven't heard anything direct in a couple weeks, other than the couple of posts above.

I do love that pic of Fat Bottom Girl. I've dated a member of that club.

And now, with a steak on my eye, I rephrase. I have great admiration for folks in that club...

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

 

[darkrom]

I had a dream that I owned this vape and it was the 2nd coming of vape jesus. I rarely RARELY have any dream recall so this was a weird one. Was hitting it and blowing out comical amounts of vapor, think smokestack lol...

I must want this one more than I even realized.

 

[ChippyMalone]

I had a dream that I owned this vape and it was the 2nd coming of vape jesus. I rarely RARELY have any dream recall so this was a weird one. Was hitting it and blowing out comical amounts of vapor, think smokestack lol...

I must want this one more than I even realized.

A prophet has had a vision fortelling a vaping messiah?

Now how about a tracking number?

 

[cybrguy]

hmmm.... Yo, @RastaBuddhaTao Sup?

 

[RastaBuddhaTao]

Sorry for the quiet period...

The change to the mica required some R&D and we addressed some other efficiency problems as well. We will begin shipping units today and will ship one approximately every 3-4 days for the first 5 units. Units 5 - 10 could be delayed depending on if the learning from the first five require any rework.

Thanks for your patients as we allow the Zion to mature organically.

 

[cybrguy]

Cooooooool...

 

[Shit Snacks]

Sorry for the quiet period...

The change to the mica required some R&D and we addressed some other efficiency problems as well. We will begin shipping units today and will ship one approximately every 3-4 days for the first 5 units. Units 5 - 10 could be delayed depending on if the learning from the first five require any rework.

Thanks for your patients as we allow the Zion to mature organically.

Sounds good to me! Thanks for taking time with em, a redesign is rarely simple and I know you all are doing this right

Unless I'm getting the first one (or perhaps second), I think I'll need to send you my new address, moving day is Saturday

 

[VegNVape]

Sorry for the quiet period...

No worries RBT - as much as I love a rawkus bubbling thread this current lull is only serving to feed my anticipation . . . when you go quiet we know there's a reason & we are all just patiently waiting for you to emerge

Like you say, it's an organic process & the Zion needs to be afforded the time to mature at it's own pace.

We are with you!


And my trigger finger is at the ready

 

[HD Springer]

Damn I'm pretty excited about the Zion. It's going to be fun to watch the Zion grow and mature. It's going to be even more fun to be able to be a part of that process.

 

[ChippyMalone]

Damn I'm pretty excited about the Zion. It's going to be fun to watch the Zion grow and mature. It's going to be even more fun to be able to be a part of that process.

Yes, I'm so very excited to be able to try this for myself.

And patiently allowing the development process to mature organically at its own pace cannot happen soon enough!

 

[KeroZen]

So far I've been testing the Zion with what I assume will be the stock stem (ie the one short enough to be stored inside the device) as I imagine most users will start with this setup. I was using it dry, and unless you reach high temperatures (read above 200°C/400°F) I think it provides adequate cooling.

You can judge with some practice the correct timing to release the trigger button by feeling how hot the vapor hitting your throat becomes. At the end of a session or when going high in the power range, it can start getting quite hot but nowhere like my Firewood 2.1 with stock stem, which is barely usable this way (in fact I always hit my FW with a stem extension using an Ascent straw and a small silicone tubing link)

Yesterday I tried one of the two longer glass stems I got for testing. I assume those will be sold as accessories and I have no idea if the FC10 will get them too (I wish you do, but it would also make sense if RBT make them separate upgrade parts) I can only recommend them anyways as they clearly cool the vapor better and offer more comfort at high temps. Of course if you plan to use water filtration then it doesn't matter much...

Last night session pushed the batteries hard and was bordering the integrated power cutoff mechanism. My cells ended at 3.24V and 3.28V respectively, starting to get noticeably out of balance. They nonetheless started charging with one solid bar out of 3 on my Nitecore charger.

Now that Ashton and me got acquainted, it's time for me to issue my verdict. I don't know if it is because I got some prior experience with a similar manual drive vape (Firewood 2.1) but I felt at home pretty fast with the Zion and found that the technic, while similar overall, felt much more easier in practice. You need to focus on what you are doing if you don't want to get a blank hot air hit, but if you follow your routine then the device will gratify you everytime with ample tasty vapor.

I'm more a slow sipper, partly due to my damaged lungs and partly due to my spliffs smoking background, but I must admit being able to get such large lungfuls clouds with so little effort feels very rewarding and medicates you very fast. It's quite easy for me to overdo the Zion and blow clouds I wouldn't be able to get with my conduction portables. At times it's almost too much for what I'm after, this is why I've been using it exclusively on the evenings so far.

A friend of mine came to my place the other day and tested Ashton briefly. I just gave him short instructions and let him hit it... After exhaling a very large cloud he said "Wow, I got it, this is the equivalent of a bong but with vapor!".

My impressions are overall very positive and I can only recommend this device, it works pretty well.

 

[RastaBuddhaTao]

Given Kero's sensitivity to flow path purity I went overboard on the testing. Here is a summary of the test and results. @pakalolo I decided against the mica thread as we are now entering the territory of trade secrets but I will share all the gory detail with the Beta testers as they will be working under a confidentiality agreement.

Fine mica flake and glass dust was introduced to the flow path on the heater. Nothing passed the fine mesh of the heater screen.

200%+ over temperature test (1400 F showed that Odor and slight visible vapor was noticeable at the minute mark. This is attributed not only to the mica but also the wood body. Keep in mind that this is an extreme test and the Zion heater is temperature limited to under 600 F.

The mica and heater when subjected to direct torch heat which delaminates the mica and burned through some stainless steel heater components. Surprising how well the mica held up.

Extended normal use have shown no signs smell or test that are attributed to the mica.

In the process a proprietary conditioning methods and mica materials have been developed to further reduce any risk of off-gassing.

RBT will continue the work to ensure vapor path purity as we complete the production readiness phase as we are totally on board and committed to vapor purity.

Too bad there isn't a standard test to keep the industry honest as the purity of the vapor really is the essence of why people vape?

@pakalolo has anyone done any work on a standard test for purity?

 

[cybrguy]

That is a great review, Kero. Thank you.

I'm beginning to wonder if I may use water less with the Zion than my HA and Lotus. I use water primarily for cooling/humidifying, but also because I like it. While I am sure to still like it, from your and other descriptions I may need it less. That would make the Zion more convenient as a walk around device

 

[pakalolo]

@pakalolo has anyone done any work on a standard test for purity?

I'm not aware of any.

I appreciate the amount of testing you've done. I was already comfortable with the material so you didn't have to convince me. I suspect that there will still be skeptics, however, so I remind them that our rules don't permit discussion of materials safety in model threads. If anyone wants to pursue this topic, please start a separate thread in Vaporization Discussion.

 

[cybrguy]

@pakalolo Is Zion gonna get a regular thread (rather than a candidate) now that Zion 10s are starting to be delivered, or will that wait for when full production units start shipping?

 

[vapebuddy13]

would assume full production as there will still be tweaks throughout this process. I wouldnt consider it production until its all set and specifications are done changing and units are ready to start shipping to everyone

 

[stickstones]

would assume full production as there will still be tweaks throughout this process. I wouldnt consider it production until its all set and specifications are done changing and units are ready to start shipping to everyone

I agree. It's up to the mods, but I wouldn't expect a new thread until the beta program is finished.

 

[RastaBuddhaTao]

I agree. It's up to the mods, but I wouldn't expect a new thread until the beta program is finished.

I would also agree we are in beta testing and would prefer to wait until production launch to move. We have such a nice quiet thing going here why ruin it lol

 

[VegNVape]

RBT will continue the work to ensure vapor path purity as we complete the production readiness phase as we are totally on board and committed to vapor purity.

Too bad there isn't a standard test to keep the industry honest as the purity of the vapor really is the essence of why people vape?

@pakalolo has anyone done any work on a standard test for purity?

I'm not aware of any.

Well it looks like the door is wide open.
- Fancy setting the Gold Standard RBT?

I get the feeling the Zion is going to be one helluva benchmark!

Loving your dedication to the cause man.

 

[pakalolo]

@pakalolo Is Zion gonna get a regular thread (rather than a candidate) now that Zion 10s are starting to be delivered, or will that wait for when full production units start shipping?

No, the Zion thread will only get promoted once they swing into full production. At that point, if this thread hasn't deteriorated like some others did *cough*CeraGrasshopper*cough*, we'll probably just move it, but we'll review that when the time comes.

 

[RastaBuddhaTao]

So far I've been testing the Zion with what I assume will be the stock stem (ie the one short enough to be stored inside the device) as I imagine most users will start with this setup. I was using it dry, and unless you reach high temperatures (read above 200°C/400°F) I think it provides adequate cooling.

You can judge with some practice the correct timing to release the trigger button by feeling how hot the vapor hitting your throat becomes. At the end of a session or when going high in the power range, it can start getting quite hot but nowhere like my Firewood 2.1 with stock stem, which is barely usable this way (in fact I always hit my FW with a stem extension using an Ascent straw and a small silicone tubing link)

Yesterday I tried one of the two longer glass stems I got for testing. I assume those will be sold as accessories and I have no idea if the FC10 will get them too (I wish you do, but it would also make sense if RBT make them separate upgrade parts) I can only recommend them anyways as they clearly cool the vapor better and offer more comfort at high temps. Of course if you plan to use water filtration then it doesn't matter much...

Last night session pushed the batteries hard and was bordering the integrated power cutoff mechanism. My cells ended at 3.24V and 3.28V respectively, starting to get noticeably out of balance. They nonetheless started charging with one solid bar out of 3 on my Nitecore charger.

Now that Ashton and me got acquainted, it's time for me to issue my verdict. I don't know if it is because I got some prior experience with a similar manual drive vape (Firewood 2.1) but I felt at home pretty fast with the Zion and found that the technic, while similar overall, felt much more easier in practice. You need to focus on what you are doing if you don't want to get a blank hot air hit, but if you follow your routine then the device will gratify you everytime with ample tasty vapor.

I'm more a slow sipper, partly due to my damaged lungs and partly due to my spliffs smoking background, but I must admit being able to get such large lungfuls clouds with so little effort feels very rewarding and medicates you very fast. It's quite easy for me to overdo the Zion and blow clouds I wouldn't be able to get with my conduction portables. At times it's almost too much for what I'm after, this is why I've been using it exclusively on the evenings so far.

A friend of mine came to my place the other day and tested Ashton briefly. I just gave him short instructions and let him hit it... After exhaling a very large cloud he said "Wow, I got it, this is the equivalent of a bong but with vapor!".

My impressions are overall very positive and I can only recommend this device, it works pretty well.

Thanks for the review @KeroZen and thanks for all the feedback that have lead to improvements in the Zion 10 and thanks to @pakalolo and @stickstones for making Kero's unit better... And tomorrow the family grows

The stem length is being maximized. An opportunity to make the unit shorter was passed on as it would have shortened the stem and we deepened the holes in the body and cap to Maximize stem length. We also have improved the over heating issue that you identified which will reduce stem temperature. We are also introducing flower drops with the Zion. It is a specialty tailored e-cig juice without the nicotine and comes with and without flavor. One drop takes the hot and harsh out of the last few draws and feels 50 degrees cooler!... And yes a drop is insurance as it is a be alert listen to your throat wild ride at the top end.

Thanks for the battery safety as well. Our instructions will require that the batteries be swapped in position after each use. This will even out the battery imbalance and improve battery life. Test have been conducted with batteries at opposite end of the charge with no issue.

This weekend @MrPeanut and I had the pleasure of attend a local music festival. I was able to catch a few lectures from Jason Pinsky as well as share the Zion with a few folks and much like Kero's friend they learned fast and enjoyed the experience. The highlight for me was meeting guitar legend Warren Hanes who I have followed for 20 years and having him sign a Zion flyer... What a fitting kick-off to the Zion 10 phase!
https://twitter.com/rastabuddhatao/status/608091701756968961

 

[1_gr8_underdog]

Sounds great @RastaBuddhaTao can't wait to test the changes out! So excited to hear the first 10 have become more fine tuned through the testing that everyone has done.

 

[cybrguy]

@RastaBuddhaTao Strolling through this thread I notice that a lot of your videos are no longer available. That may be something you want to fix, as this thread is likely to get a lot of new interest soon.

And there seems to be something out for delivery in my little world...

Meet Electra, or Ellie for short.

 

[ChippyMalone]

@cybrguy excited for you.

I wonder if I will receive my Zion 10 by surprise one day soon or if I'll know in advance. I'm ok with the surprise. Cannot wait to see how this works for my medical needs.