4 Vamos fail to fire IClear30, Am i just unlucky or are new vamos crap

[minos316]

I have previously purchased 2 vamo mukeys. The first one did nothing but display a check atomizer error. The second one worked fine, I then removed the battery and put it away as I was just testing it due to that previous experience. Later that day I put the battery back in, put the iclear on and I get the dreaded check atomizer error yet again. I'm pretty ...... at this point, in with my second order there was also a Vamo v7. This worked fine as far as I could tell, so this is now my main mod. Later that day I’m at a friend’s house and the performance of the v7 is pants its firing but it’s hardly making any noise and hardly any vapour. At first I thought it was the battery but it had a fresh battery in it, so concluded that this v7 was also faulty, something to do with the voltage regulation I suspect. When I got home I tried other tanks and different batteries tried both 18350, 18650 and some different iclears, same throughout.

So the count so far 3 vamos that wont fire iclears.

I was quite annoyed at this point, I sent the vamo mukey and the v7 back to china yesterday. Ok now I figured I will forget china I will be buy a vamo v5 here in the UK. I currently use a v5 I got about 9 months ago but due to the thread failing sometime soon has made me seek a replacement. So I decided to go on past experience and bought another v5 from eBay in the UK.

Got it today and yes you guessed it, I put the iclear on it and it displays check atomizer. However something I didn’t think to check with the others is. I tested and tried a normal 2ohm rated ce4 clearomiser on it, fires it fine, but will not fire any iclears.

My iclears are rated at 2.4 so well within the limits all 4 vamos are compatible with.

I have had it with vamos, Can anyone recommend to me a mod with similar performance options/price, I obviously need to get a replacement that is not a vamo.

If anyone would care to enlighten me on why perhaps 4 vamos would fail to fire my iclears then please share as of right now I am just of the opinion they are crap. I currently have a v5 will a failing thread it works fine. My friend has a brand new vamo v2 again also works fine with iclears.

 

[retired1]

Are you sure it's the mod and not the iClear? Did you try prying the center pin on the Vamo up a tad to ensure it's making a good connection to the iClear?

With the Vamo, you cannot crank the atomizer down tight on 'em. Screw it in until you just feel it making contact. If you over tighten, the center pin gets compressed and then fails to make good contact.

 

[minos316]

The iclears work fine on my other stuff and I also tested at least 3 different iclears. i never over tighten stuff ever, I am always careful with this due to a rather expensive mistake i did with over tightening a bolt some years ago with a motorcycle, so I learnt the hard way.

I still have the latest v5 in my possession, The centre pin is different to my old skool v5 but similar. the v7 had a spring loaded one however didn't fire properly. It did however work fine for most of the day and just all of sudden the performance dropped. If this issue is a common occurrence id says 4/4 is common maybe other people should be aware of it if they use iclears, its not good.

i can be pretty dam unlucky sometimes but what are the chances of receiving 4 faulty vamos?

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here!

I agree with Retired. Sounds like the center pin of the battery is not making a connection with the atomizer of the iClear. Just make sure that if you use something conductive (metal) to pry up on the center pin that you do NOT hit the fire button while you are working on the battery. Or better yet, turn off the battery.

Center Pin Issue - Fixing a non firing eGo battery

If you continue to have problems, buy a few spacers from MadVapes. They solve all connectivity problems. Just drop one into the 510 well of your battery and you're good to go! You can thank ECF member GinnyTx for this little tidbit!

 

[minos316]

The centre pin isnt compressed and the v5 is brand new, god knows cant explain it. Are there any other better mods roughly the same price as the vamo that dont have these issues. I'm actually quite fond of the vamo I currently have a v5 I have never had to do anything to the centre pin, but the thread is on its way out. Also a friend of min eno such issues with his v2. meh im annoyed.

Can you think of any household metal that would fit in that space, I cant. Would love to get it working to be honest god knows ill be screwed if my current v5 thread fails in the next couple of days.

Does seem to be something to do with the centre pin the ce4 tanks work fine.

Why did they have to go pissing about with changing the pins the one on my old v5 works fine never had an issue.

 

[minos316]

Can anyone recommend any VV devices that don't suffer from this issue?

 

[beez0527]

Can anyone recommend any VV devices that don't suffer from this issue?

Eleaf iStick 30W Battery with no wall adaptor - Cvapor.com

 

[stevegmu]

Aluminum foil is a great conductor of electricity...

 

[drunkenbatman]

If anyone would care to enlighten me on why perhaps 4 vamos would fail to fire my iclears then please share as of right now I am just of the opinion they are crap. I currently have a v5 will a failing thread it works fine. My friend has a brand new vamo v2 again also works fine with iclears.

Hey mate, sorry for the issue. The Vamo is OK, and the tank is OK, but I believe you're experiencing an incompatibility with the connections and it's not just the iclear30, the Kanger protanks would often have the same issue unless you used an airflow controller. Some places like discount vapers specifically don't warranty them if it doesn't work with your protank. It has to do with the lengths of the 510s on those tanks compared to the negative well of the 510 on the mod.

One thing you might try is a 510 to 510 adapter, and this thread may give you ideas even though yours is new:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/375871-vamo-ohm-error-fix.html

 

[Serielle Vapist]

Hey Minos, just a couple questions...First which I clear is it? 30, 30S, 30B? If it is a regular iclear 30 then the iclear 16 will act up if they were installed on a device that compressed the center pin of the tank. The fix is to remove the coil assembly, turn it upside down and in the middle is a flat pin. You need to take a pair of tweezers and pull the pin out just a little bit so that it touches the top of the center pin in the base of the tank. Once you are sure the coil is connecting to the base and it will fire on another piece (Say a twist battery or whatever) then its not your tank. Another suggestion is that you have an inadequate battery in your Vamo perhaps? My GF has a Vamo V5 and it fires anything I put on it. She has a protank 2, iclear 30, iclear 16, and many more. Let me know what happens?

 

[minos316]

Hey mate, sorry for the issue. The Vamo is OK, and the tank is OK, but I believe you're experiencing an incompatibility with the connections and it's not just the iclear30, the Kanger protanks would often have the same issue unless you used an airflow controller. Some places like discount vapers specifically don't warranty them if it doesn't work with your protank. It has to do with the lengths of the 510s on those tanks compared to the negative well of the 510 on the mod.

One thing you might try is a 510 to 510 adapter.

Apparently this vamo has a new centre pin. It has a groove like a straight edge screw would have. its basically adjustable clockwise/anticlockwise ( i did think it was a bit odd on the mukey but apparently i didnt click at the time). So i have raised the pin however after the tanks been on and off a few times i get check atomizer error meh its a pain in the ..... Havent decided yet whether im keeping it. i dont want to be a carrying a screwdriver around with me just in case. Is there anyway to stop it tightening itself back up when removing and re-screwing on tanks?

Ill defo be looking for a new mod im not carrying a screwdriver around with me but could be an option as a backup perhaps.

and thanks for the help guys i do appreciate it.

Apparently a bunch of designers sat in a meeting and thought this pin was a really good idea.

 

[minos316]

Hey Minos, just a couple questions...First which I clear is it? 30, 30S, 30B? If it is a regular iclear 30 then the iclear 16 will act up if they were installed on a device that compressed the center pin of the tank. The fix is to remove the coil assembly, turn it upside down and in the middle is a flat pin. You need to take a pair of tweezers and pull the pin out just a little bit so that it touches the top of the center pin in the base of the tank. Once you are sure the coil is connecting to the base and it will fire on another piece (Say a twist battery or whatever) then its not your tank. Another suggestion is that you have an inadequate battery in your Vamo perhaps? My GF has a Vamo V5 and it fires anything I put on it. She has a protank 2, iclear 30, iclear 16, and many more. Let me know what happens?

Aye its definitley the pin height buts its a new type of pin see pic previously I also have a vamo v5 with a completely smooth pin and it also has no problem firing anything this was to replace that as the thread is on its way out.

Im using iclear 30.

 

[drunkenbatman]

Ahhhh, well we can't make that decision for you but I really appreciate you letting us/future readers know what it was.

*gives the horns*

 

[Serielle Vapist]

Hey Minos, if your heart is not set on the Vamo I would suggest the new Innokin SVD 2.0 with the Evolv DNA chipset. It will fire 510 and has an ego adapter, also it fires down to .5 ohms. I own one and absolutely love it, the DNA chip is awesome and it will fire consistently great right until the battery is completely spent. Do some homework on it, you might like it.

 

[doofy666]

I have the same vamo v5 centre pin as you do, with the same issues.

The fix ought to be simple: remove the screw and add a spacer/washer.

External diameter of about 5mm with a hole in the middle - how hard can that be to find? Must do mine one day.

 

[Bunnykiller]

I gave up on Vamos after 2 tries... now I own SVD's and have had no issues....

 

[danny4x4]

I've always used this on my mods. It's on the mod permanently until the threads strip, which hasn't happened yet. Google 510 airflow controller.

http://www.madvapes.com/tank-airflow-controller.html

Pros :
1) Protect threads on mod.
2) no worries about atty not making contact or compressing the pin of mod

Cons :
1) there might be a gap between the atty and controller.
2) the ones I have are only 18mm in diameter, so it doesn't look seamless on most mods. But looks don't bother me.

 

[edyle]

This is a common problem because of the inherent unsuitability of the little cigalike sized 510 thread connection used on mods and tanks.

I used to get "Noload" error a lot when I first got my zmax and vamo; moreso my zmax because it is rock solid and I can't open it up.

Anyway with the vamo: see that top cap ring thing at the top that surrounds the ego/510 connector? That is the key to solving the problem.

You screw your tank down till it just touches and works, then screw that topcap/ring/beautyring UP to lock itself on the tank.


On mech mods with adjustable center pin, you back the mod center pin out; then screw the tank all the way down till it hits the surface flat, then screw the mod center pin inwards to make contact.

I wait for the day when they start making regulated mods with replaceable topcaps; then you buy a bunch of topcaps, and screw them permanently on your tanks.

 

[doofy666]

Hmmm... not as simple as I expected. I decided to make a spacer(s) and it took over an hour. But most of this was thinking time.

First find some thin metal that can be cut with scissors. I used .009 inch stainless steel sheet. A coke can is probably similar. I don't think it needs to be conductive but if you want guaranteed conductivity then you will probably need to sand the coke can to bare metal.

Drill a 3mm hole in the metal.

Now - and this is the important part - cut the metal as close as you can possibly get to the hole. If you look at the top of the vamo with the 510 screw removed, you will see a definite circle a bit larger than the screw head. The screw head is about 4mm.This is what we are aiming for. I think there is a slight slope outside this circle - this kept giving me "low load" errors when my spacer had too large an external diameter.

Repeat the process. I have 3 spacers in my vamo, it fires my iclear, and there is the slightest of gaps between iclear and vamo. There's a much larger gap with my Kayfun 4 which is what I needed this fix for.

Put spacers on 510 screw and tighten as tightly as you dare.

This vamo is an absolutely stupid design. You have to adjust a 510 screw to accomodate different attys and the screw moves as you take attys on or off. But I am now a happy bunny cos my fix works for me. I wonder how long it will last.

The reason I said above that conductivity is probably not an issue with the spacer is cos my first attempt was a nylon spacer that fitted perfectly. This allowed my ego threaded pro tank 3 mini to fire (for the first time), but was too deep to allow a 510 to screw on.

 

[minos316]

Hmmm... not as simple as I expected. I decided to make a spacer(s) and it took over an hour. But most of this was thinking time.

First find some thin metal that can be cut with scissors. I used .009 inch stainless steel sheet. A coke can is probably similar. I don't think it needs to be conductive but if you want guaranteed conductivity then you will probably need to sand the coke can to bare metal.

Drill a 3mm hole in the metal.

Now - and this is the important part - cut the metal as close as you can possibly get to the hole. If you look at the top of the vamo with the 510 screw removed, you will see a definite circle a bit larger than the screw head. The screw head is about 4mm.This is what we are aiming for. I think there is a slight slope outside this circle - this kept giving me "low load" errors when my spacer had too large an external diameter.

Repeat the process. I have 3 spacers in my vamo, it fires my iclear, and there is the slightest of gaps between iclear and vamo. There's a much larger gap with my Kayfun 4 which is what I needed this fix for.

Put spacers on 510 screw and tighten as tightly as you dare.

This vamo is an absolutely stupid design. You have to adjust a 510 screw to accomodate different attys and the screw moves as you take attys on or off. But I am now a happy bunny cos my fix works for me. I wonder how long it will last.

The reason I said above that conductivity is probably not an issue with the spacer is cos my first attempt was a nylon spacer that fitted perfectly. This allowed my ego threaded pro tank 3 mini to fire (for the first time), but was too deep to allow a 510 to screw on.

Seems like the best way to go it to bodge it somehow by permanently raising the spacer. However what else concerns me is juice going down the centre hole into the electronics as iclears as good as they are, do occasionally leak.
That screw can it just be completely unscrewed and removed like any other normal screw.

I gave up on Vamos after 2 tries... now I own SVD's and have had no issues....

Which svds dont have these issues or is it generally all of them. I don't know why ksd changed the pin there was nowt wrong with the old one. The other thing I don't like with this new pin is i could see ejuice could easily make its way down underneath it and into the device, its so inherently flawed.