Aegis Squonk Kit featuring the Tengu rda a review by ScottP
Aegis Squonk kit
GeekVape
Ever since GeekVape released the original Aegis mod, the name Aegis has been synonymous with durability, dependability and of course water resistance. The Aegis Squonk is no different. Just as it’s older brothers, the Aegis Squonk comes with the IP67 Water and Dust resistance certification as well as the rugged casing we have come to love about the Aegis line. If you like to squonk and work or play in areas that make you afraid you will damage your vape, then the Aegis squonk just might be what you are looking for.
Specifications:
What’s in the box:
How to use the menu:
First Impressions:
Upon opening the box, your first thought will be, wow, that's a good looking mod. I personally love the shiny dark green against the flat black. Picking it up, you can feel how reinforced the front area that houses the electronics section feels, and you know this is going to be durable. Next you will notice the large squonk window, and giving the bottle a little press, you can see that it has just the right amount of tension to deliver enough liquid without over doing it. The RDA is an unassuming flat black with a standard Delrin 810 tip pre-installed. Removing the top cap you find a unique "T" shaped build deck with 2 flat head screws on the top and 2 more screws at an angle on the sides. As the excitement builds, you can't help but think this just might be something special.
What it's like to use the Aegis Squonk and the Tengu RDA:
Over the course of the last week, I have used this kit exclusively in various modes to put it through it's paces. building the Tengu RDA is fairly simple. There are 4 flat head screws (2 on top and 2 at an angle on the sides) that allow you to install one coil on each side of the deck with one leg in the lower section and the other leg in the opposite upper section (of the T). Then repeat on the other side. The build I went with in the Tengu RDA was my standard 26ga SS316L single strand wires because I use TC a lot and these types of coils work well for that. The dual SS coils measured 0.38 ohms.
NOTE: It is possible to build this RDA as either a single coil or a quad coil. However, just from observing how the airflow works I believe these builds could have disadvantages. In single coil, there is no way to shut off the back airflow so you will get a lot of extra air which would likely result in really muted flavor. In quad coil setup, it would put all 4 coils nearly vertical on either side of the airflow so the coils would likely get too hot without the direct air. As a result I stuck with the dual coil setup for the duration of my testing.
First I used the Wattage mode, setting it at 35W. Performance in this mode was pretty standard, as expected. As with many mods in wattage mode, the initial puff after a long period of inactivity had a slight ramp up time. Subsequent puffs once the coil was warmed, worked beautifully. I could have turned the Wattage up to try and compensate, but I worried that subsequent puffs might be too hot then. It seemed to fire consistently at the correct wattage across the board and was very smooth. The flavor and vapor production of the tank was great and over all was a great experience.
Next up, I tried the TC mode. In TC mode with these SS coils I like to vape at around 435F and bumped the starting power to 40W to give it a faster ramp up time. The flavor was comparable to the Wattage mode with a slight falloff in the vapor. This is to be expected in TC mode with any mod as the wattage will be adjusted down once the coil reaches the desired temp, which of course doesn't happen in wattage mode. Based on previous use of TC in other mods, I would say this mod is pretty accurate and is comparable to other known accurate boards.
The third mode I experimented with was the Variable Power Curve (VPC) mode. In the VPC mode you get 5 data points to adjust the wattage over time. Each point seems to represent about 0.5 seconds for 2.5 total seconds of control. After the 2.5 second mark all additional puff time will use the 5th data point up to the 10s cutoff point. I set the first data point to 40W, the second data point to 37W, and all the rest to 35W. The result was similar to the 35W setting in power mode with a faster ramp up time of the initial puff after a period of non-use. Then I adjusted the 4th data point to 33W and the last data point to 30W. This gave me a similar experience to TC: quick ramp up time, then a slow decline in power to maintain temp and prevent overheating. This mode can be useful to someone that want's a similar experience to TC while using coils/materials that are not TC compliant.
I did not use the TCR mode which allows you to use a custom TC complaint material since the SS316L I used seemed to be spot on already. I also did not use bypass mode since I did not build specifically for this mode. The bypass mode should give a similar experience to a Mech Mod, but with many of the safety features of a regulated mod. To use this mode you should be familiar with Ohm's Law and be aware of battery limitations. Using a regulated mod in bypass mode does not excuse this requirement.
PROS:
CONS:
Thoughts and Observations:
Should YOU get the Aegis Squonk Kit?
If you primarily vape from the comfort of your easy chair, and like to change flavors a lot, then this might not be the mod for you. However, if you are into single flavor squonking and work in an environment where you could easily damage, drop, or break your mod; if you are looking for a squonker you can safely take to the pool, beach, or even the bath without worry of water, sand, or dust hurting your mod; or you are always on the go and frequently drop things, then I think you owe it to yourself to give this mod a try. I think you will be impressed by the quality of the device and the peace of mind you get, knowing what you have in your hand is an Aegis.
Aegis Squonk kit
GeekVape
Ever since GeekVape released the original Aegis mod, the name Aegis has been synonymous with durability, dependability and of course water resistance. The Aegis Squonk is no different. Just as it’s older brothers, the Aegis Squonk comes with the IP67 Water and Dust resistance certification as well as the rugged casing we have come to love about the Aegis line. If you like to squonk and work or play in areas that make you afraid you will damage your vape, then the Aegis squonk just might be what you are looking for.
Specifications:
Mod Specifications:
Dimensions: 87.7mm x 30.9mm x 53.5mm
Connection: 510 threading
Capacity: 10ml (Effective capacity: 7.8 - 1.6 = 6.2ml)
Output Power: 5W - 100W
Output Voltage: 0.1V - 8V
Resistance Range: 0.05ohm - 3ohm
Charger: USB Micro 5V 1.5A
Battery: single 18650 (NOT included)
Display: 0.96in black and white
Puff cutoff: 10s
RDA Specifications:
Dimensions: 24x 28.3mm
Type: Dual Coil RDA with unique “T” mount
Juice well: 6mm deep
Connection: 510 threading
Drip Tip: 810 Wide bore (installed) or any 510 with included adapter
Bottom feeder squonk pin comes installed with non-squonk pin included
Dimensions: 87.7mm x 30.9mm x 53.5mm
Connection: 510 threading
Capacity: 10ml (Effective capacity: 7.8 - 1.6 = 6.2ml)
Output Power: 5W - 100W
Output Voltage: 0.1V - 8V
Resistance Range: 0.05ohm - 3ohm
Charger: USB Micro 5V 1.5A
Battery: single 18650 (NOT included)
Display: 0.96in black and white
Puff cutoff: 10s
RDA Specifications:
Dimensions: 24x 28.3mm
Type: Dual Coil RDA with unique “T” mount
Juice well: 6mm deep
Connection: 510 threading
Drip Tip: 810 Wide bore (installed) or any 510 with included adapter
Bottom feeder squonk pin comes installed with non-squonk pin included
What’s in the box:
- One Aegis Squonk mod
- One Battery Assist Tool
- One L Shaped Hex Wrench
- One USB Cable
- Spare silicone reservoir
- One Tengu RDA
- One Delrin 810 Drip Tip
- Two Feather Cotton
- One Spare Parts Bag
- One 510 Drip Tip Adapter
- Two N80 Fused Clapton coils
- One Gold Plated Positive Pin (for non-squonk use)
- One GV Triangular Tool
How to use the menu:
Basic use:
5 Clicks of the fire button will turn the mod on/off
Use the Left and Right buttons to change Wattage or Temp depending on mode
Hold both Left and Right buttons to lock/unlock the menu to prevent changes.
Changing Modes and Options:
3 Clicks of the fire button will enter the "Mode Select" menu.
Use the Left and Right buttons to change modes between the following:
Modes: Power > TC-Ni > TC-SS > TC-Ti > TCR > VPC (Variable Power Curve) > Bypass
1 Click of the Fire button to move down to the next option in the menu
Use the Left and Right buttons to change the option
Left and Right to change options
1 Click of the Fire button to move to the next option.
NOTE: When on the coil resistance option, the Left button will lock/unlock the coil resistance while the right button will cause the mod to re-read the coils resistance.
5 Clicks of the fire button will turn the mod on/off
Use the Left and Right buttons to change Wattage or Temp depending on mode
Hold both Left and Right buttons to lock/unlock the menu to prevent changes.
Changing Modes and Options:
3 Clicks of the fire button will enter the "Mode Select" menu.
Use the Left and Right buttons to change modes between the following:
Modes: Power > TC-Ni > TC-SS > TC-Ti > TCR > VPC (Variable Power Curve) > Bypass
1 Click of the Fire button to move down to the next option in the menu
Use the Left and Right buttons to change the option
Left and Right to change options
1 Click of the Fire button to move to the next option.
NOTE: When on the coil resistance option, the Left button will lock/unlock the coil resistance while the right button will cause the mod to re-read the coils resistance.
First Impressions:
Upon opening the box, your first thought will be, wow, that's a good looking mod. I personally love the shiny dark green against the flat black. Picking it up, you can feel how reinforced the front area that houses the electronics section feels, and you know this is going to be durable. Next you will notice the large squonk window, and giving the bottle a little press, you can see that it has just the right amount of tension to deliver enough liquid without over doing it. The RDA is an unassuming flat black with a standard Delrin 810 tip pre-installed. Removing the top cap you find a unique "T" shaped build deck with 2 flat head screws on the top and 2 more screws at an angle on the sides. As the excitement builds, you can't help but think this just might be something special.
What it's like to use the Aegis Squonk and the Tengu RDA:
Over the course of the last week, I have used this kit exclusively in various modes to put it through it's paces. building the Tengu RDA is fairly simple. There are 4 flat head screws (2 on top and 2 at an angle on the sides) that allow you to install one coil on each side of the deck with one leg in the lower section and the other leg in the opposite upper section (of the T). Then repeat on the other side. The build I went with in the Tengu RDA was my standard 26ga SS316L single strand wires because I use TC a lot and these types of coils work well for that. The dual SS coils measured 0.38 ohms.
NOTE: It is possible to build this RDA as either a single coil or a quad coil. However, just from observing how the airflow works I believe these builds could have disadvantages. In single coil, there is no way to shut off the back airflow so you will get a lot of extra air which would likely result in really muted flavor. In quad coil setup, it would put all 4 coils nearly vertical on either side of the airflow so the coils would likely get too hot without the direct air. As a result I stuck with the dual coil setup for the duration of my testing.
First I used the Wattage mode, setting it at 35W. Performance in this mode was pretty standard, as expected. As with many mods in wattage mode, the initial puff after a long period of inactivity had a slight ramp up time. Subsequent puffs once the coil was warmed, worked beautifully. I could have turned the Wattage up to try and compensate, but I worried that subsequent puffs might be too hot then. It seemed to fire consistently at the correct wattage across the board and was very smooth. The flavor and vapor production of the tank was great and over all was a great experience.
Next up, I tried the TC mode. In TC mode with these SS coils I like to vape at around 435F and bumped the starting power to 40W to give it a faster ramp up time. The flavor was comparable to the Wattage mode with a slight falloff in the vapor. This is to be expected in TC mode with any mod as the wattage will be adjusted down once the coil reaches the desired temp, which of course doesn't happen in wattage mode. Based on previous use of TC in other mods, I would say this mod is pretty accurate and is comparable to other known accurate boards.
The third mode I experimented with was the Variable Power Curve (VPC) mode. In the VPC mode you get 5 data points to adjust the wattage over time. Each point seems to represent about 0.5 seconds for 2.5 total seconds of control. After the 2.5 second mark all additional puff time will use the 5th data point up to the 10s cutoff point. I set the first data point to 40W, the second data point to 37W, and all the rest to 35W. The result was similar to the 35W setting in power mode with a faster ramp up time of the initial puff after a period of non-use. Then I adjusted the 4th data point to 33W and the last data point to 30W. This gave me a similar experience to TC: quick ramp up time, then a slow decline in power to maintain temp and prevent overheating. This mode can be useful to someone that want's a similar experience to TC while using coils/materials that are not TC compliant.
I did not use the TCR mode which allows you to use a custom TC complaint material since the SS316L I used seemed to be spot on already. I also did not use bypass mode since I did not build specifically for this mode. The bypass mode should give a similar experience to a Mech Mod, but with many of the safety features of a regulated mod. To use this mode you should be familiar with Ohm's Law and be aware of battery limitations. Using a regulated mod in bypass mode does not excuse this requirement.
PROS:
- High accuracy and plenty of mode options to suit most people.
- The design aesthetics make this a great looking mod
- The heavy duty housing makes this mod highly durable and releves fear of damage from dropping it.
- IP67 Water/Dust resistant means you can use this by the pool or in harsh environments without worry.
- Innovative top fill design means you don't have to remove the bottle like you do in some designs.
- Small size makes it easy to carry.
- Rounded back end and beveled front corners make it comfortable to hold.
- 10 ml capacity bottle * (see observations)
- The silicone bottle is easy to press to deliver the right amount of juice to the RDA.
- Big squonk window makes squonking easy
- RDA has great flavor.
- RDA is easy to build.
CONS:
- Refilling usually requires removal of RDA or at least the Cap of the RDA. This is still easier than removing the bottle completely as some mods require.
- Difficult to clean the bottle or change flavors since you have to remove screws and take the whole back panel off to wash it out. Of course this had to be this way to preserve the IP67 rating.
- The large squonk window could be problematic if carrying in a pocket or purse with other items.
- A single 18650 battery will likely mean carrying additional batteries to make it through a work day. This will of course depend on wattage settings and frequency of use.
- The RDA has air flow control but using it starts directing air away from the coils.
- The RDA has angled bottom post screws, this can twist the legs of some "flat" wire coils causing hot spots. Using round wire or gently pre-twisting legs prevents this.
Thoughts and Observations:
- * About the juice capacity of the bottle: While the bottle does indeed hold 10ml, I find the effective capacity is about 6.2ml. The reason is that when filling the bottle you cannot see where the "top" really is, so I only fill it to the top of the squonk window which is only about 7.8ml of the 10ml top. I also noticed that once the juice level reaches the bottom of the window (1.6ml still in the bottle), it starts getting harder to squonk the juice up to the RDA. So this is when I refill it. This means I am using 7.8ml - 1.6ml = 6.2ml between refills, which is what I consider it's "effective" capacity" to be.
- I have heard that some people have replaced the internal hose to allow easier squonking all the way down to the bottom thereby increasing this effective capacity. I have not tried this.
- This is marketed as a "2in1" device, meaning with an optional part (NOT included) you can replace the back squonk section with a smaller solid section turning this into a standard non-squonk mod, similar to the Aegis Solo. Since this optional part was not included, I cannot speak to how it looks using this part. Although I am not sure why someone would want to use it. If you want a squonker then get the Aegis Squonk, otherwise just get the Aegis Solo.
- It would have been really nice if the other optional part made it a dual 18650 battery mod instead of keeping it as a single battery. This would give you the option of single battery squonker or dual battery non-squonker. I think this would have made it a much more versatile device. Even if there was no way to tie the second battery into the system, leaving it as a hollow place to safely store a second battery would have been a really neat idea.
- The rubberized coating of the front housing and the screen are a bit of a dust/fingerprint magnet. However, due to the IP67 certification, you can safely rinse off any dust, dirt, eliquid, oils, etc. that you may get on the device.
- I did notice the first time I opened the battery door, it felt a bit gritty. A quick wipe down of the threads both on the door and and the housing, rectified this and using it has been smooth ever since.
- As with most mods on the market, I do wish there was a third button at the bottom to use with the menu system instead of having to use the fire button. I think this would be better than using the fire button on the mod every time you select something, or advance down the menu.
- Despite the fact that they use the same chip set (AS-100), one notable difference between the Aegis Squonk and the Aegis Solo is that on the Solo the bottom buttons are Up and Down instead of Left and Right as they are on the Aegis Squonk. Personally I think the Up and Down are just a bit more intuitive when adjusting numbers, although I had no problems using Left and Right on the Aegis Squonk. On the other hand the Left and Right style buttons might be more intuitive when changing from one mode to the other. Also, having it left and Right might also allow the mod to be a bit shorter. So I am not sure which, if either, would be the absolute "best".
Should YOU get the Aegis Squonk Kit?
If you primarily vape from the comfort of your easy chair, and like to change flavors a lot, then this might not be the mod for you. However, if you are into single flavor squonking and work in an environment where you could easily damage, drop, or break your mod; if you are looking for a squonker you can safely take to the pool, beach, or even the bath without worry of water, sand, or dust hurting your mod; or you are always on the go and frequently drop things, then I think you owe it to yourself to give this mod a try. I think you will be impressed by the quality of the device and the peace of mind you get, knowing what you have in your hand is an Aegis.
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