Mini-pipe, Second Impression

[EDO]

Sounds good Tim....with me the minipipe is perfect except for the atomizers....they should last a couple of weeks with heavy vaping and a month with moderate vaping. Everything else you mentioned is a plus.

[surbitonPete]

Hey guys just an update on my progress with the mini pipe atomisers.

I tried a cleaning method with some cleaning solution we sell for the i-inhale mixed with boiling water which seemed to improve performance somewhat.

Now to give you a background: my mini pipe atomiser (the first one I had and still going), was still performing okay, but performance had dropped off slightly after 1 month so nevertheless for the sake of science, I sat it in boiling water and cleaning solution a few times and then flushed it out with tap water. Then dried it, dry smoked it and it had definitely improved.

I then sanded it to stainless steel and tried it in 'The Hydrant' mod I made which has a manual switch. Anyhow, the performance was much better than when in the mini pipe bowl.

This lead me to thinking that perhaps it is the mini pipe's 5 second cutoff that is the problem ie. not all the liquid vapourises and some is left due to the cutoff and this build up gradually causes the atomiser to under perform. But then reading that Pete has tried his in his Black and Decker mod, I'm not so sure? Pete did you use a brand new mini pipe atomiser in your mod and did the atomiser still underperform after a few days?

So anyway, I have requested that the manufacturers change the cut off as I still believe this could be a possible factor. TBH i wouldn't have requested this if I hadn't read this post as my one atomiser - like I said - is going on over a month and still performing fine.

It is a bit of a mystery to me at the moment as it is with everyone else, but I have notified the manufacturers on several occasions so hopefully they will be making improvements imminently.

Compared with the other staple devices I have owned/tested, the mini pipe atomiser rates better or equal - the only atomiser I've had that performs better and more consistently has been the Dura. The Dura however is very thirsty in comparison and requires nurturing with liquid to get the best results. The first dura atomiser I had was knocking on a month producing exactly the same vapour as the day I first got in, but unfortunately died a very sudden death after running 8 Volts through it in a mod experiment.... doooh!

Maybe I just get lucky with atomisers...

Hey Tim.....using the mini pipe atomizers on my mod has been helping them to last a bit longer....but it's only really because as the performance drops I can compensate by drawing for as long as I want and make them hotter (it actually restores them a bit so they work a little bit better if I put it back on the pipe)....so I do think you are right that an unlimited cuttoff on the pipe would at least be a help. I forgot all about that cleaner you said you have so I shall order some in a minute.....I also need some more atomizers I only have one new one left now! ......

[Silk]

Hi Edo -

We always do our best to improve products as we are also searching for perfection all the time and that is why your feedback is of the utmost importance. Without striving towards improvements, we will not progress in the right direction with this new technology.

The improvements we are currently working on and can't guarantee, but will attempt to work out with the manufacturers are the following:


1/ longer cutoff
2/ better battery life
3/ improved lid
4/ improved atomisers
5/ improved switch

If you can think of anything I have missed, please post here or email me so I can forward to the manufacturers.

The mini pipe is still no doubt a great device, but with some or all of these improvements, we will definitely be getting closer to perfection.

Kind Regards,

Tim

Great to hear someone is at least attempting to help make a good product a great product all 5 of your suggestions are valid.


What I would really like to see after that (pipe dreams) is the MIDI-Pipe

• similar basic idea - but with bowl big enough to take a more regular battery (pipe or S/D = longer lasting, better power)
• Switch moved from bowl assy to removable collar (between bowl and atomiser) with manual and auto switch options (and spares).
• Same (but improved) atomiser fitting

From this point it would be easy to move to other pipe designs including bents, bowl/swan-neck could be angled, only needing the cart holder (mouthpiece) to be reverse angled to match, and seeing as how the cart fits into the holder this is a simple molding modification (extended & curved mouthpiece). I think this would also help move it a little further away from the crack pipe image.

re: lucky with atomisers?

Not saying how one person vapes compared to another is better or worse. But it might have an impact on how 'all' these devices work or fail.

I am murder on atomisers, but I think it is because of the way I vape (and smoked) I was (still am) a pipesmoker and will puff on them almost absent-mindedly, rather than like I am smoking a cigarette.

Now while this worked on a real pipe, it is probably not ideal on an e-pipe.

I can't help it, or seem to stop it, and think the design of the mouthpiece might have something to do with that (it is more like a pipe than a cig, and so I smoke it like one without thinking).
This results in bypassing any cutoff (as you are constantly taking many small puffs rather than long draws) and very HOT atomisers, which if allowed to get dry fries them quicker than a quails egg on a hot skillet.

Also because of the way you draw - as in shallow puffs rather than long hard draws (which would just result in a tobbaco burn on your tongue in a real pipe) might affect how liquid wicks on and off the atomiser resulting in more build up, despite the heat of the atomiser.

just my 2c

[EDO]

silk...I have vaped both ways with the minipipe...like a pipe (taking many short puffs) and like a cigarette (longer single drags). Even when I varied my smoking habits, it didn't make much of difference regarding the life of the atomizer.

[Nick O'Teen]

I tend to smoke my minipipe just like my analog pipe - lots of shortish puffs, and it does sometimes get quite hot. But so far I'm lucky with the atomizers I guess - I can just detect the original one is beginning to fade a little, compared to the new ones (from eastmall,) but is still quite smokeable after 17 days solid use (despite experimenting with a variety of juices and home-made brews.) I've cleaned it fairly regularly with boiling water, alcohol and regular blowing out with compressed air, and I'm now trying to alternate it with one of the new ones, just so it gets a chance to rest. I'm also going to get some of that Phosphoric Acid-based cleaning solution, as soon as I can find a UK supplier (anyone know where we can get that on this side of the pond?)

As has been noted, battery life is a bit of a critical factor, and I can see I'm going to have to get another charger (I see smokejuice.co.uk sell them,) just so I can build up a reserve of charged batteries (I've got 5 batteries now, but still only the original charger.) I'm probably going through 4 or 5 changes a day, but I don't wait till the one I'm using flashes - I change it pretty much as soon as a fresh one's ready, so they're probably not being more than half discharged in use (I did notice vapour production drops noticeably after a battery has been in for a couple of hours.)

Anyway, that's my experience so far FWIW - my second impression is pretty nearly as good as my first! I'm sorry to hear about other people's less enjoyable experiences of atomizer lifespans etc. - I guess some batches are better than others, and I seem to have got lucky.

[EDO]

Nick...please let me know how long your eastmall atomizers last...those are the ones that I had the most trouble with.

This is my experience with rotating atomizers.... when you rotate your atomizer your just delaying the inevitable. Lets say without rotating your atomizers they last 5 days on average before dying off. If you rotate 3 ats then by day 15-16 all 3 of your atomizers will kick the bucket. I tried rotating the minipipe ats and cleaning etc....nothing helped. Way too many experienced vaporers have been having trouble with atomizers lately specially the minipipe atomizers and the rn4072.

Let me tell you about another experience of mine....I have had my 401 for 2 1/2 months .....vaped exclusively for almost two months...I vape very heavy...I am still on my first atomizer. I don't clean or rotate or nothing with my 401 atomizer.

Again I am very interested regarding your experience and the eastmall atomizers....if you can... in a couple of weeks..... post how they are performing. My experience was that the original atomizers lasted 7-10 days being vaped very heavily...while the eastmall ats last about 2-3 days vaped moderately.

Thanks.

[Kitabz]

Let me tell you about another experience of mine....I have had my 401 for 2 1/2 months .....vaped exclusively for almost two months...I vape very heavy...I am still on my first atomizer. I don't clean or rotate or nothing with my 401 atomizer.

Yes, the 401 atomisers are amazingly robust - I've also had mine for over two months and all (3) are still going strong. I've even had one go through the washing machine and still work like new. Very impressive. Maybe the vapour on one of them (the oldest) is a little less than the others but other than that, excellent lifespan.

[e-pipeman]

I have the Evo and the atomisers are very reliable. The best I've had are original Intellicig ones (DSE 103 type) which, when plugged into a USB passthrough and battery, just keep going. I still use some from Oct 08!

[Nick O'Teen]

Nick...please let me know how long your eastmall atomizers last...those are the ones that I had the most trouble with.

This is my experience with rotating atomizers.... when you rotate your atomizer your just delaying the inevitable. Lets say without rotating your atomizers they last 5 days on average before dying off. If you rotate 3 ats then by day 15-16 all 3 of your atomizers will kick the bucket. I tried rotating the minipipe ats and cleaning etc....nothing helped. Way too many experienced vaporers have been having trouble with atomizers lately specially the minipipe atomizers and the rn4072.

Let me tell you about another experience of mine....I have had my 401 for 2 1/2 months .....vaped exclusively for almost two months...I vape very heavy...I am still on my first atomizer. I don't clean or rotate or nothing with my 401 atomizer.

Again I am very interested regarding your experience and the eastmall atomizers....if you can... in a couple of weeks..... post how they are performing. My experience was that the original atomizers lasted 7-10 days being vaped very heavily...while the eastmall ats last about 2-3 days vaped moderately.

Thanks.

I'll definitely report back on that - in fact I'll switch exclusively to the Eastmall one I've broken in for awhile, and carry on giving it the hard time I was giving my original (oily homebrews and all,) and see how it compares.
If it's only good for 2-3 days moderate use, it probably ought to be dead by now (it's been that long, and I'm a rather immoderate user

Anyone tried the ones from smokejuice.co.uk or that Dutch site (forgotten the URL)? I don't know where they're coming in from, so maybe they're different? I have no idea how many companies are actually making them, and whether it's a problem with one company, or with only some batches, but the user reports do seem very variable.

I'll probably get a white pipe kit in a week or two, so I'll see how they compare too.

[EDO]

Nick...thanks regarding the switch to using the eastmalls exclusively. Remember when you made the switch and how many ats your rotating....this way you can get an accurate avg of how long they last.

There is no doubt in my mind that the units and ats are different depending who you buy from. I bought my first unit from smilin (vapoe4life). The unit was awesome because you could control the vape by how tight you tightened the atomizer to the battery. I got my second unit a nd spare ats from Eastmall. Now the Eastmall atomizers were working fine with my first unit. But they wouldn't work with the Eastmall switch. In order to make them vape with the Eastmall unit i had to cut notches on the Eastmall atomizers. The notches would create airflow...without them there was absolutely no airflow. And if I tried to loosen the ato a little bit the connection to the battery would be lost. Confusing isn't it?lol