Vandy Vape Pulse v3 Squonk Mod ~A review by AngeNZ
The
Vandy Vape Pulse v3 Squonk Mod was sent to me from Sourcemore for the purposes of an unpaid, neutral review.
I love squonking and as I happen to have the two earlier versions, I was extremely interested to see how the Pulse v3 stacks up. And the result? Read on and find out!
Introduction:
The Vandy Vape Pulse v3 is a regulated 95 watt max, external 21700/20700/18650 battery squonk mod. Its Vandy Vape chip offers wattage, voltage, temperature control and bypass modes. It has a bottle size of 7.8ml which features an easy fill-port. Without the battery the mod and chip are waterproof. The outside and front panels can all be replaced to change up the look and feel of this mod.
The Pulse v3 comes in 6 colours, including the gorgeous mint green I received:
Kit Contents:
1 x Pulse v3 Mod
1 x 18650 Battery Adaptor
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x QC Type-C USB Cable
2 x Squeeze Bottle (Black and White)
Specifications:
Size: Length: 52.5mm, Height: 92.5mm, Width: 26.2mm
Vaping Time: 10S
Battery: 21700/20700 battery or 18650 battery with 18650 adapter
Output Power: 5W-95W
Output Voltage: 0.5-6.0V
Working Modes: WW/BPN/V/TC
TC Control: 200~600'F / 100~315'C
Charging Input Voltage: 5 + 0.25V
Atomizer Resistance: 0.05-3.0Ω(+5%)
Charging Input Current: 1000MA(+5%)
Charging Port: Type C
Maximum Output Current Protection: 34A
Replaceable panels
Waterproof chip / PCB
Chip: Vandy Vape
What Is Squonking?!
RDAs were originally designed only for dripping. You took off the cap or squeezed juice down the drip tip, to soak your cotton. Vaped your head off, dripped again and vaped some more. Some genius vapers then got the idea to create a system, which allowed juice to be squeezed up into the RDA. They did this in two ways:
1. Used a hollow 510 pin in the RDA.
2. Designed a mod with a hollow 510 connector with room for an attached tubed squeezable bottle below. And a gap on the mod to allow a finger to press the bottle.
This brilliant design meant you now had a 6ml+ sized 'tank' under your RDA, in a low profile setup. Their ingenuity is very much our gain. Now 99% of RDAs include a squonk (hollow) 510 pin along with the traditional sealed pin.
First Impressions:
I loved what I saw when I opened up the box. I really liked the see-through design and how light in weight it was. As I have a lot of stainless steel RDAs, I loved the silver panel on the top. [BGCOLOR=initial]What impressed me the most, was that they included a spare bottle with the mod.[/BGCOLOR]
Evolution of the Pulse:
Pulse 80w:
The first regulated Pulse squonk mod featured a 20700 battery. It was boxy in design, but it was a lot lighter in weight than many other squonk mods. It had a 7ml bottle and was compatible with similar sized non-Vandy Vape bottles. Its side panels were removable to access the bottle and battery. This led to customised panels to change the look.
At this time, there were very few mainstream regulated squonk mods. So deservedly this mod was very well received.
Pulse v2:
Three huge improvements with version two. The Pulse got curves, it was so much more comfortable to hold and use. Vandy Vape also implemented a bottom fill port. This meant you could easily refill the bottle, by flipping the mod and unscrewing the port. And this version featured a water resistant mod and chip, it also meant you could flush out the squonk bottle - with it in the mod (minus the battery).
The battery capacity was upgraded to a 21700 size.
Pulse v3:
Vandy Vape have kept the curves and given the mod a see-through design. The bottle size has increased to 7.8ml and now has an easy-fill port. Lifting the tab means you can easily fill up the bottle with it in the mod. The whole design has been slimmed down. And while taller, it feels more compact than its predecessors. The front and side panels are all removable and customisable.
The Mod:
When it comes to a decent squonk mod, you want the trilogy: comfortable to hold, fire and squonk. And as we all have different sized hands (I'm in the smaller category), some left-handed, some right-handed - this can come down to personal preferences.
That said, the design of the Pulse v3 should suit most people. The door cutout is large enough for big fingers, and not too big for smaller ones. The mod has a nicely rounded shape, with no sharp edges. The replaceable panels are all strongly magnetised and sit with no movement at all. Th[BGCOLOR=initial]e buttons click firmly and are not loud. Loaded with a 21700 battery, a full bottle and an RDA it is light in weight at 227g. However it is well-balanced and not top heavy at all.[/BGCOLOR]
There is one quirk about the new design up top. From the stainless steel 510 plate, it angles down slightly to the side panels. It's not a flush 26mm width. I'm using a 25mm beauty ring in my shots, which gives you some idea of how it looks.
Having a waterproof mod (
minus battery) and a waterproof chip in a squonk mod is brilliant. Anyone who has squonked before knows it can get messy, especially trying out a new bottle or RDA. And as you are continually squeezing juice through a 510 connection which is attached via wires etc to the chip, waterproofing helps mitigate any future problems.
The one thing that hasn't changed over the various Pulse versions is the battery compartment. It's well marked with the negative end at the top of the mod. The negative end is spring released, so put your battery in negative first, push up and slide in the positive end. To get the battery out I always find it easiest to just smack the mod against my hand. Vandy Vape have included an 18650 adapter if you wish to use the smaller sized battery.
Menu:
The Vandy Vape chip's menu system is different to some others. And the instruction manual doesn't go into it. So here's my rough guide:
Out of the box it is setup for Wattage mode only. You have to turn on the other three modes Temperature Control, Voltage and Bypass via the Main Menu.
Turn On/Off: 5 clicks
Change Modes: 3 clicks of the fire button, then + and - to select
Lock/Unlock: Press fire and + buttons. Option to also lock fire button in Main Menu (FIR). On = fire button excluded, off = fire button included.
Flip Screen: Press fire and - buttons
Stealth Mode: Press all 3 buttons together
: Hold the + and - buttons at the same time
(Use + and - buttons to scroll and fire button to select)
Wattage Mode: Change wattage using + and -
Voltage Mode: Change voltage using + and -
Bypass: Uses your coil's resistance and battery voltage to set your wattage. Similar to an Unregulated mod.
Temperature Control (TC): Choose from SS, Ti and Ni to match your coil's wire.
- Change Wattage: 4 clicks of fire button
- Change TCR: Access the Menu system (+ and - pressed together) and scroll down to TCR
- Set Resistance: Access the Menu system (+ and - pressed together) and scroll down to Ω to manually set your coil's resistance when cold.
- Turn ARR Auto Resistance Renewal on/off via the Main Menu
Squonking and the Bottle:
Vandy Vape have gone with a square bottle for this version with a 7.8ml capacity. It has a traditional squonk tube connecting it to the 510 pipe. This does allow you to use non-Vandy Vape bottles if you choose to and have one in that fits. In terms of softness, I'd put it mid way. This makes it pretty beginner friendly. To completely drown a new wick in a large well RDA, I have to press it hard and hold it down for a second or two.
If you are new to squonking then spend some time squonking with the cap off your RDA. It's the simplest way to see how much pressure you need. It's also a great way to see how the bottle sucks back any excess. And because it does exactly that, don't be afraid to press hard. The airflow holes on your RDA are usually a pretty good indicator of how much is too much! If juice starts pouring out of them, you know you've slightly overdone it. As for knowing when to squonk - I use the 'if in doubt squeeze' way of thinking.
Fill Port:
I was initially sceptical about the fill-port on the bottle. This was due in part to loving the bottom fill-port on the older v2. However it has very pleasantly surprised me. It is a solid silicone strip, with a plug similar but larger to most pod tanks. The large hole means I can shove in even a large nozzle and easily refill the bottle. I found if I angled the nozzle against the center tubing, I could fill it as fast as I wanted. I had no trouble with it flooding, like you sometimes do when filling a pod too fast. So it gets the big tick in my book.
My Thoughts:
What makes you look at and purchase a mod is its design and its appeal. In both of these categories the Vandy Vape Pulse v3 immediately got my attention. I'm a fan of see-through mods and I like how you can mix it up with interchangeable panels and face plates. If you have a 3D printer -
Vandy Vape includes the blueprints on their site. Being see-through also means you can have some fun with battery wraps.
A 21700 squonk mod is never going to be tiny. But as a lot of them are quite heavy, I love how light in weight the Pulse v3 is. The design has slimmed down and I find it comfortable to hold, fire and most importantly: squonk.
Quality-wise, this is a rugged and solid device. It's handled my day to day knocks and drops without any issues. In fact the only thing that has fallen off due to a drop, was a drip tip off the RDA. The panels are solid and very firmly attached.
What makes you continue using a mod is how it functions. And the Pulse v3 hasn't had a day off since I got it. The bottle fill-port works well and makes it so easy to refill the bottle. In terms of the chip, I've had no issues at all. Battery life is fantastic with both a 21700 and an 18650. It fires extremely fast and hits as hard as my non-Vandy Vape mods. Being a boost chip, I get no wattage drop off when the battery is at the lower end. Which is great - I wish all chips had this feature. Offering TC, Bypass, Voltage and Wattage modes means it should suit everyone. In Temperature Control mode, I really like how simple it is to adjust your TCR and your wattage.
With each version, the regulated Pulse squonk mod gets better and better. While I still love and use my Pulse v2, I'm really enjoying the upgraded v3.
The Bottom Line:
Am I still using this Pulse v3 after testing? Absolutely. Why? It's ergonomic, has a brilliant chip and its bottle fill port works a treat. I love how it looks and that it has a waterproof chip and mod (without the battery). Plus it's rugged enough for outside use. It's an ideal squonk mod for both new and experienced vapers.
Thank you to Joyi from
Sourcemore, I've really enjoyed showing off this fantastic mod.
The
Vandy Vape Pulse v3 is available for purchase at Sourcemore:
Vandy Vape Pulse V3 Mod is the Squonk Mod that comes with new easy fill bottle, 95W with Watts, TC, Bypass mode. It is powered by 21700 battery, 18650 battery with adapter, features waterproof chip/PCB.
www.sourcemore.com
