Anthony Vapes: Wismec Luxotic NC Kit Tech Review

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Anthony_Vapes

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Hi All, Anthony Vapes back here with my review of Wismec Luxotic NC Kit. Please see bottom for disclaimers and links

Introduction:
The Wismec Luxotic NC Kit is the latest kit from Wismec and despite the name it’s not a sqounk mod like the original luxotic mod was. The “NC” in the name stands for Noisy Cricket and it’s actually the follow up mod to the Noisy Cricket series of mods. The kit comes included with the Guillotine V2 rda. It’s available in 2 colors Red Resin, and Green Resin, both with a SS body in the middle.

Manufacturer's Specs: Mod
  • Dimensions - 96.2mm by 54.5mm by 26.6mm
  • Dual High-Amp 20700 Batteries - (Batteries Sold Separate)
  • Optional Dual High-Amp 18650 Batteries
  • Maximum Wattage Output: 250W
  • Voltage Output Range: 1.3-5.3V (also listed as 1-8V)
  • Two Output Mode - Series & Parallel
  • PCB Circuit Board
  • Adjustable Voltage Controller
  • Single Button Operation - Firing Mechanism
  • Bottom-Loaded Sliding Battery Door
  • Short Circuit Protection
  • Low Voltage Protection
  • Temperature Protection
  • Atomizer Protection
  • 510 Connection
Manufacturer's Specs: RDA
  • 24mm Base Diameter
  • Optional 25.5mm Ring Base (included)
  • 6mm Deep Juice Well
  • Superior Stainless Steel Construction
  • Horizontal Two-Post Build Deck
  • Top Secured via Hex Screws
  • Single or Dual Coil Configuration
  • Dual Slotted Airflow Control - Side or Bottom
  • 810 Resin Wide Bore Drip Tip
  • Optional 810 ULTEM Drip Tip
  • Squonk-Ready Bottom-Feeding 510 Pin
  • Spring-Loaded 510 Contact Pin
Included in box:
  • 1 x Wismec Luxotic NC Box Mod
  • 1 x Wismec Guillotine V2 RDA
  • 1 x 0.28ohm Clapton Prebuilt Coils
  • 1 x 18650 Battery Sleeve
  • 1 x ULTEM Drip Tip
  • 1 x Spare Parts
Picture Album


Luxotic NC Mod
Initial Impressions and features

When I first got this Mod, I really liked the looks of it. The resin is beautiful but i’m not a huge fan of the silver metal in the middle. Still even with that, I think it looks great. It’s a fairly large mod as you’d expect from a dual 20700 mod and it comes with 18650 adapters as well. It’s a simple mod with a switch to change from series to parallel mode on the top and a dial to adjust the power output which only works in some cases i’ll explain in the performance section. The included RDA looked nice as well. I love the drip tip that matches the mod, it’s a bottom or side airflow (i’ll explain later) RDA with a clamp system. The box is interesting, it was packed as if 2 mods were made to be in it but one slot was empty. I also didn’t get any accessories or anything, only a small bag with 1 cotton pad in it, the RDA, the RDA beauty ring, and the Mod, and battery adapters. Overall really liked this from the start.

Performance
It seems like a basic mod and it is in a sense, but not fully. There is a switch on the top to change from series to parallel. There is also a hidden mode i found about thanks to chasing raptures review. Not sure how he found it but it’s not listed anywhere in the manual or on their site but it was a great catch for sure. I would have missed it so kudos to him. Sadly though he didn’t quite understand how the mod functions and gave out some incorrect info but i’ll explain that now. The mod has 3 modes, parallel (switch to the left), Series (switch to the right), and unadjustable series (switch to the right and with the mod off hold the fire button for 5 seconds until the light blinks) realistically though, there is no reason to use this mode. Your better off just using regular series mode with the dial turned all the way up.

For my testing I used the Ijoy 5 leg 20700 batteries and since the dial isn’t marked I tested the max and min settings in each mode, In Parallel mode and Series Unregulated mode, the dial doesn't do anything. It only works in Series Mode.

With a .12 ohm coil Parallel mode output was 3.471 volts 100 watts. In Series mode Max output was 240 watts and 5.365 volts For minimum I could get a value due to the poor output. The mod uses PWM but is really inconsistent and doesn't do it well. Even worse than the ijoy capo i tested so i can't place a value on it. In Series Unregulated Mode, the mod refused to fire due to safety protections. With a .16 ohm build in parallel mode I got 3.567 and 80 watts. In series mode I got 5.996 Volts and 225 Watts with the dial turned up. I can’t assign a low value again due to the inconsistent output. In Series unregulated mode I got the same value as series mode. With a .2 ohm coil Parallel mode gave me 3.682 Volts and 68 watts. Series Mode gave me 6.417V and 206 Watts on the high side and again can’t assign a value to the low side. Series unregulated gave me the same as series turned all the way up. With a .51 ohm coil, Parallel was 3.787 volts and 28 watts. Series Mode was 7.258 Volts on the high side and again, no low side number could be assigned. Series Unregulated gave me the same as series.

The mod listed specs are interesting. They list a 250 watt max, I did get 240 in my testing so i say it’s a good rating for it. I could have reached 250 watts possible had i tried a .11 or .1 ohm build on it. For voltage They list 1-5.3 in the manual but on their site now list 1-8. I can't vouch for the low side because output is all over the place but on the high side the 8V seems accurate but need above a .51 ohm build to achieve it. There is no listed Amp rating but the 45 i got is right in line with the top 20700 mods and above average for a dual battery mod in general.

Ok so what does all this mean? I’m not doing a TLDR since I think it’s important to read the whole thing to understand how the mod works, but i’ll explain things in layman terms. 1st off there is literally no reason to use series unregulated mode period. There is no benefit. It’s the same as using series mode with the dial turned all the way up. This makes me think that it was an early idea by wismec and something changed which is why they left this mode out of the manual and off their site. Now that brings us to series and parallel modes. Parallel mode works excellent and as expected. Series Mode works good until you try and lower the output. It’s not bad if you lower it a little, but still inconsistent, it gets really bad the lower you go to a shaky inconsistent output. I wouldn’t recommend using it as a VV mod at all, but it’s decent if the dial is at least halfway, less than that gets pretty bad.

As far as the information from the other reviewer about it being unsafe and don’t build below .28 that’s incorrect. Even though there isn’t a reason to use the mode, it’s not truly like a mech as you can tell since it refused to fire my .12 ohm build in that mode. It was out of the safety limits still present on the mod. Still with that said, if you are going to build a .2ohm or lower in that mode it’s a 200 watt vape which wouldn’t be pleasurable to most vapers. It’s important we get things correct especially when reviewing “gray area” mods like this as we have enough confusion. There isn’t anything unsafe about this mod and my batteries never got hot during any of this testing either, but the mod itself does get quite hot at high wattages especially the metal part of the body in the middle.

Other Usage Notes
The mod uses a 5 click on and off. It’s nice to have an easy way to turn it off for sure. There is an LED light on top above the switch. The light stays on when firing it’s white in parallel mode and red in series mode. It blinks when you turn the device on or off. It also blinks for error messages when the protections kick in. There is no battery indicator. The battery tray is a bottom fed style that clips into place and fully removable like the squid DB and minikin boost kodama. Personally I don’t like that style, but objectively it is pretty easy to get on and off and works well. The switch on top is easy to slide back and forth to change from parallel to series mode. The fire button is a rectangle with the jaybo logo and has a lot of button rattle. The dial is easy to grip and adjust.

As far as looks go all the mods have a silver frame in the middle and bottom. Maybe in the future they will offer more colors? That would be nice. The rest of the mod is resin with colors of red and green options. Branding is barely there. Just the jaybo logo on the fire button. The rest is on the bottom of the battery door.

The listed safety features are as follows, 10 seconds cutoff, Short Circuit Protection, Over discharge protection (battery below 3.3V won’t fire), Overheat Protection on the chip, out of resistance range protection (.1 hom to 3 ohm). They don’t list reverse battery protection and i didn’t personally check it to play it safe so be careful when loading batteries. They both go in positive side up

Guillotine V2 RDA
Looks and Design

When I first got this RDA i felt it was pretty plain. It’s a standard silver (only color option i see) RDA that looks like most on the market. They included a resin 810 tip to match the mod which looks great. The RDA itself is plain except for a jaybo logo engraved into it. The main feature of the RDA is the ability to change the airflow. It’s a bottom air RDA however if you want side air, you can flip the cap upside down and use it as a side air RDA which is adjustable as well. The jaybo logo will be upside down though. Personally i preferred it with the bottom airflow so it’s kind of a useless feature in my opinion.

Build Deck and Wicking (pics above)
Let’s talk about the build deck now. It’s made for Dual coils and uses a clamp system that is under 2 hex grub screws each. Closest comparison i could think of would be the SOI subzero x RDA deck combined with the mad dog RDA deck. Due to the deck design you do need to install both coils at the same time, and it’s not a fun or easy deck to build on in my opinion. Not only that but while the post screws themselves are good quality, the post threading is not really. This led to issues with me being able to properly secure all the leads in place with a solid connection. Often times i had to come close to stripping the screws to get it tight enough. It’s an outdated designed deck of below average quality in my opinion.

Wicking is pretty easy as well, just drop it down the sides into the juice well which is nice and deep. It’s an RDA so no tips or tricks needed.

Performance
Performance wise, I used it as a dual coil RDA only as intended. I ran 3 builds in this. The 2 above, and one more simple round wire. All Builds 3mm ID. There is room to go bigger as well, but not really needed. Could likely squeeze up to a 4mm ID coil in it, however I felt 3mm was more then big enough for it. Overall the flavor was really good. It’s the one redeeming quality on this RDA. I really enjoyed the flavor and vape i got from it. And it didn’t need a massive build either

Overall Impressions, Details, and Extras
It’s a side or bottom airflow RDA and the AFC is smooth, It’s adjustable easily on the mod as well as off because you spin the whole top cap for the bottom or if you choose side it’s a standard spin the top ring of the top cap but this one isn’t too tight like many RDAs like that. The air holes are built into the deck to come up from under the coils with 2 smallish holes but definitely a full DTL vape. It comes with a standard 810 tip to match the mod that is friction fit. While the tip is nice it doesn't fit in very well and comes out way too easily. All friction fit 810 tips don’t fit well in this RDA. TFV8 style tips with the o-rings however fit nicely.

The quality is not so good except for the o-rings which feels like the right size. Easy to get the top on or off and spin it to adjust air, but not loose at all. It’s a 24mm diameter so should not overhang on any mod really, but also includes a beauty ring that is a little over 25mm. The juice well is also quite deep so over dripping shouldn't be an issue for most. I also experienced no issue with whistling or loud airflow either. It’s a pretty quiet RDA.

Overall Impressions
Overall i’m not a huge fan of the RDA. the flavor is great, but the build quality is what i’d expect from a sub 10 dollar clone RDA, the negative isn’t loose like the tobhino but is still screwed in and not milled in and i know that’s a pet peeve for some people. The drip tip is almost unusable as it pops off way too easily. The build deck is not close to as good as most RDAs that came out in the past year. It feels outdated and cheap before it even came out.

Pros: Mod
  • Beautiful Resin Design
  • works well in parallel mode
  • has protections
  • accurately rated
  • takes 20700 or 18650 batteries
Pros: RDA
  • Great Flavor
  • 810 tip to match mod
  • deep juice well
  • bottom or side airflow option from flipping the top cap upside down
  • included beauty ring
Cons: Mod
  • Hidden series unregulated mode useless
  • does a poor job with PWM when you lower the dial in series mode
  • fire button rattle
  • the bottom resin panel has play and sticks out from the rest of the frame
  • only 2 color options
  • body gets hot with chain vaping or high watt vaping
Cons: RDA
  • Build Quality
  • Build Deck
  • Clamp system doesn't make great connection with leads
  • Included 810 tip is too loose (needs oring tip not friction fit)
  • negative post not milled into deck
  • 1 color option
Conclusion
So with all that said, do I recommend this kit or not? I don’t like to do a hard yes or no, the RDA however is a hard no. the flavor is great, but it’s a poor quality , poor build deck, outdated design with an airflow gimmick that wasn’t needed. The mod is a bit tricky. It works great if you want to use it for parallel mode or series mode turned all the way up, but doesn't function well when you run it in series and dial down the voltage. It works wat worse then all the VV mods i’ve tested and used in the past so while it does have it’s good points, it has way too many bad points for me to put my name on personally so i’m leaning towards the no as well. Some may find it useful as a nice looking parallel mode mod and i can see that, but mods need to do what they promise to get my OK personally. I won’t be adding either to my sheet.

This is Anthony Vapes just keeping it honest, hopefully you all can say the same and i’ll catch you on my next review.

Product Disclaimer
This product was sent to me from Wismec

Review Disclaimer
I review products for what they are with no account of where it comes from or who makes it. The test results are the results for what is in my hand. Due to possible QC difference your experience may vary. There is no way for myself or anyone to predict if a device will last 6 months, 1 year, 5 years etc. Any manufactured item from cars to phones to computers to mods have a possibility of arriving DOA or having a small percent failure rate. There is no way to predict this or quantify this. That’s why warranties and lemon laws exist. I can only review what I have in my hand for better or for worse. Contrary to popular belief, there is no special review samples of higher quality. Most of the time personally i get retail versions, the few times i’ve gotten early releases they are usually worse than the final retail version.

Reviewer Disclaimer
I decided to add this disclaimer in as i feel it’s important for people to know their source of the review. I’ve been vaping since late 2011. I’ve vaped all the styles from MTL to RLH to DTL. tanks, RTAs, RDAs, you name it. I do prefer the DTL and RLH style over MTL personally. My main focus from an atomizer is flavor. For mods i’ve used mechs and regulated mods. I’m an avid temp control vaper but enjoy power mode as well and the occasion mech useage for nostalgia. I’ve been doing reviews since late 2016. As of Jan 2018 I’ve done over 100 written reviews and done over 150 video reviews on my channel, Although i’ve taken a break from videos in the past few months to focus on written reviews.

I spend a lot of time helping vapers on forums as well and try to answer all the questions and comments on my reviews. I’m not an “out of the box” reviewer. I do my best to be thorough at all times. All mods get tested with an oscilloscope and stress tested. At times if needed i’ll disassemble them as well. Rebuildables get multiple builds in them. Tanks i use all coils until the die or a minimum of 2 weeks if they don’t die sooner. I do this for the community to help people find good products and avoid bad ones. In my opinion a reviewer works for the community and nobody else. It’s our job to inform vapers of issues and not be advertisers as well as provide constructive criticism from a place of knowledge back to companies with these reviews so they can improve and make better products in the future.

Recommendations and Past Review Links
written reviews list here

Youtube Channel here

Spreadhseet of Recommendations here

Best of 2017 list here
 
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Anthony_Vapes

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Thank you very much again for this thorough review. It's a pleasure to read as always.

But I've got a question.
I know it's not stated in the specs, but do 21700s like the 30/40T or Golisi fit?
thanks!

and no a 21700 battery won't fit. 20700 batteries just make it in there
 
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