Hello….is there anybody in there? Don’t mind me I’m just feeling a little silly this morning as I start my latest review. I thought a Pink Floyd reference might be fun. I always struggle with how to begin a review so try to think of different things to start out with instead of the same old boring stuff. Ok, now let’s move on to the important stuff. I was sent the BP Mods Pioneer V1.5 RTA from Dovpo in order to provide what I hope is a fair, honest, and informative review. The Pioneer V1.5 is a 22mm diameter 3.2ml rta that uses a single coil and is bottom airflow. The tank includes 5 different airflow pins as well as optional positive deck post and chimney depending on whether you want to use DL or MTL. It can be slightly complicated with all these different parts but hopefully I can explain it to you well enough. I really don’t have any experience with products from the BP Mods side but this looks like a really nice tank. I’ll show you some promotional information and give my thoughts and experience with the tank in hopes that you decide if you would like to try one yourself.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
1* BP MODS Pioneer V1.5 RTA (With MTL Chimney and 0.8mm Airflow Pin)
1* Tobacco & DL Chimney
1* DL Drip Tip
1* Post Screws (Slot & Phillip's M2.5 X 2.5)
1* DL Positive Contact
1* DL Positive Post (Airflow 4.0mm)
1* Gasket (For Tank)
1* Gasket (For Top Cap Slider)
1* O-ring (18*1mm)
1* O-ring (8.5*1mm)
1* O-ring (6*1mm)
1* Airflow Pins (1.0/1.2/1.5/2.0/2.9mm)
1* BP MODS Single Coil #2 (28Ga Ni70, MTL)
1* BP MODS Single Coil #2 (28Ga A1 * 2 +40Ga Ni80, RDL)
1* BP MODS Single Coil #3 (26Ga A1 * 2 +40Ga Ni80, DL)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Diameter: 22mm
Capacity: 3.2ml
Coil: Rebuildable single coil
Deck Design: Two post
Airflow: Bottom airflow
Airflow Pins: 1.0/1.2/1.5/2.0/2.9 (All included)
Vaping Supports: DL/RDL/MTL
Color: DLC Eclipse, SS
FEATURES:
1. 22 diameter, easy rebuilding
2. 3.2ml e-juice capacity
3. 5 airflow pins (1.0/1.2/1.5/2.0/2.9)
4. Supports DL/RDL/MTL vaping
5. Slide-open top cap with locking system
6. Removable evaporation space compressor
7. Two different chimneys for flavor adjustment
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
I don’t really have any experience with BP Mods devices so was rather excited to get an opportunity to test out the Pioneer V1.5 RTA. The packaging on the Pioneer is nice. Rather than being printed on the outside of the box, there is a band around the box that is slid off to reveal the two part orange box containing the Pioneer. The front of band has the BP Mods and Pioneer V1.5 name. In a circular pattern around the outside edge are words stating it is a specially designed RTA for MTL, RDL, and DL. On the back side of the band is a list of contents, authenticity code, the color of the device, and Dovpo company information. I wanted to mention that the website and a couple others I’ve looked at don’t mention different color options for this rta. I thought I had seen a picture one time of a black one but didn’t see anything on the Dovpo website. I asked Dorothy the Dovpo rep and she said that there is one other color called DLC and it is black.
Once the top of the box is removed then the Pioneer rta and the spare chimney is visible as well as a rectangular box labeled as an accessory pack. There are a lot of accessories with this one. They include five different 510 airflow center pins besides the .8mm pin that comes already installed in the rta. They include 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, and 2.9mm. Also included is a second chimney with a stepped design that is supposed to be good for NET tobacco flavors, three different coils, a DL post with 4mm airflow, DL drip tip, DL positive post, spare o rings and spare gaskets for the fill port, spare grub screws, and spare tank gaskets. With all of these accessories, I was surprised there weren’t cotton threads.
You might be tired of hearing this but always clean your tanks before the first use in case there is residual machine oil or foreign material left in them. The Pioneer is pretty easily broken down except for the chimney which requires a screwdriver to remove. Honestly, a warm soapy bath should be good enough without removing the chimney.
I guess I’ll start at the top and work my way down on this one. Starting out, the tank comes pre-installed with the MTL drip tip but also includes a DTL tip also. However, you have to use the same tip base and the plastic tips screw onto the stainless steel base. You could also just switch out the tip for your own 510 tip.
The entire top cap will unscrew if you want to remove it for cleaning but a simple slight turn to loosen it is enough to allow you to slide the top cap open for filling. Underneath the top cap is the serial number of the tank on the tank section and the bottom side of the cap has “Designed by” and a little face underneath indicating it was designed by Bruce. The single liquid fill hole is plenty big to fit most bottles. I personally use mostly 10 and 50ml bottles but this one is big enough that you can fill with a glass dropper since there isn’t a gasket covering the fill port.
Once the top cap is fully unscrewed and removed then the sliding mechanism with the gasket underneath is visible. The slide can be removed if you like while changing chimneys and there are spare gaskets included with the tank if you ever need to change it.
You can see in the picture below that there are two Philips head screws that hold the chimney to the top cap. They are easy to remove but there is not any kind of detent underneath when installing a chimney so it can be a little difficult to align the chimney while installing the first screw. Once the first is installed then it’s not difficult to get the second one aligned.
You might be wondering why I mentioned changing the chimney. Well there is a standard or MTL chimney already installed on the tank and a .8mm 510 airflow pin installed. There is a second chimney in the package that instead of being smooth has a couple steps in it. The stepped chimney is recommended for DTL and NET tobacco flavors. I just so happened to be testing out a NET mix I was working on and had tried it in a couple different tanks so immediately wanted to change the chimney for DTL on my NET mix. Also when changing to DTL with the stepped chimney you want to remove the pre-installed 510 airflow pin and remove the positive post from the deck. There is a DTL positive post included in the kit that needs to be used along with a stubby 510 pin. When changing pins you want to make sure to keep track of the insulator that slides over the pin and make sure it is installed with the new pin. If you prefer MTL vaping then you can leave in the pre-installed positive deck post and just change out the airflow pin that meets your desired airflow. There are .8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.9mm 510 pins included for use with the MTL chimney.
The tank section on the Pioneer is made of PCTG. I personally prefer glass tank sections but don’t really have a problem with it. You may want to stay away from any tank cracker liquids though.
In the picture below you can see the spare positive deck post and stubby 510 pin that are used when switching to a DTL setup. There is not a grub screw pre-installed in the post so you will either need to take the one out of the original post or get one of the spares from the accessory bag. I just got one of the spares. I would recommend installing the screw before mounting the post. I think it’s much easier that way myself. Once installed, the post has a fixed 4.0mm airflow opening.
The build deck for the Pioneer is a simple two post single coil deck. They are solid posts with a hole in the center so you can easily insert your coil legs. It does help to pre-bend the coil legs some before inserting the coil. The coil openings aren’t huge but plenty big enough for the included coils.
You can see in the picture below that there is a removable evaporation space compressor. According to BP Mods, the compressor is best installed for tobacco and tobacco mixtures and removed for vanilla, custards, butterscotch, and buttermilk type flavors. I did not remove it during my testing since I chose to use a NET tobacco mixture for testing the Pioneer.
I briefly used the Pioneer in MTL but I’m not a huge MTL user so pretty quickly switched to the DTL setup with the spare positive post and the larger of the two included coils. The coil was a little tight going in initially but like I said, bend the legs a little and then you can get the coil in place easily. The wicking holes on each side are fairly large for a smaller deck like this so when using a 2.5mm coil it doesn’t take much combing of the wick tails before inserting them. As with any rta, you don’t want them crammed full. I didn’t really notice until I took a look at the picture below but think that I forgot to burn in the coil before wicking it. Beginner mistake on my part. It’s always a good idea to burn in the coil to work out any hot spots.
There are two different types of airflow control built into the base of the deck. One is a single long slotted hole that is fully adjustable for DTL and also a series of incremental holes that can be adjusted for MTL. All of this on top of the different airflow pins included with the tank.
I almost forgot to mention that when you loosen the top cap to slide the top so you can refill the tank there is a single tiny dot or indentation in the side of the tank to let you know which side to push on to open it for filling.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The BP Mods Pioneer V1.5 RTA may seem a little intimidating at first with all of the different ways you can set it up. Either in MTL mode with one of the six airflow pins or in DTL with a different positive post that allows a 4.0mm airflow opening and a stepped chimney that for some reason provides better flavor with DTL and NET tobacco mixes. On top of all that there are two different types of airflow control built into the base. If you can’t find an airflow setting on this rta that you like then you’re not trying with all of these different options.
As I mentioned, I ever so briefly tried it with the pre-installed MTL chimney in MTL mode and the flavor was good but I did end up switching out to the 2.0mm pin for a looser MTL. I knew I wanted to try a NET mix I have been working on so installed the spare chimney and positive post with the stubby 510 pin. Just a reminder, don’t forget to install the insulator when changing pins. This setup is where the Pioneer really shined for me. I like it with the larger included coil and the slotted airflow wide open. It might be strange but I kept the MTL drip tip on it and really liked it like this. It was a somewhat restricted DL and was just a great fit for me. The airflow on this tank is super smooth and the flavor production using it in DL mode was fantastic with a generous amount of vapor.
So would I recommend this tank for you? Absolutely! Whether you’re a MTL vaper or a DL vaper then I think this one can fit your needs. It’s not a tank that you’re going to run at 60 watts with a ton of airflow but it does a really nice RDL and provides great flavor. Also, it’s probably not a good fit if you like to run big chunky coils. For me though it was a great fit and I absolutely plan on getting at least one or two more.
I’d like to thank Dovpo and Dorothy for sending the BP Mods Pioneer V1.5 RTA for this review. It has been a real pleasure. Thanks also to the readers that take the time to make it to the end of my reviews. Below is a link to the website if you would like to see for yourself.
Pioneer V1.5 RTA – DOVPO Official
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
1* BP MODS Pioneer V1.5 RTA (With MTL Chimney and 0.8mm Airflow Pin)
1* Tobacco & DL Chimney
1* DL Drip Tip
1* Post Screws (Slot & Phillip's M2.5 X 2.5)
1* DL Positive Contact
1* DL Positive Post (Airflow 4.0mm)
1* Gasket (For Tank)
1* Gasket (For Top Cap Slider)
1* O-ring (18*1mm)
1* O-ring (8.5*1mm)
1* O-ring (6*1mm)
1* Airflow Pins (1.0/1.2/1.5/2.0/2.9mm)
1* BP MODS Single Coil #2 (28Ga Ni70, MTL)
1* BP MODS Single Coil #2 (28Ga A1 * 2 +40Ga Ni80, RDL)
1* BP MODS Single Coil #3 (26Ga A1 * 2 +40Ga Ni80, DL)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Diameter: 22mm
Capacity: 3.2ml
Coil: Rebuildable single coil
Deck Design: Two post
Airflow: Bottom airflow
Airflow Pins: 1.0/1.2/1.5/2.0/2.9 (All included)
Vaping Supports: DL/RDL/MTL
Color: DLC Eclipse, SS
FEATURES:
1. 22 diameter, easy rebuilding
2. 3.2ml e-juice capacity
3. 5 airflow pins (1.0/1.2/1.5/2.0/2.9)
4. Supports DL/RDL/MTL vaping
5. Slide-open top cap with locking system
6. Removable evaporation space compressor
7. Two different chimneys for flavor adjustment
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
I don’t really have any experience with BP Mods devices so was rather excited to get an opportunity to test out the Pioneer V1.5 RTA. The packaging on the Pioneer is nice. Rather than being printed on the outside of the box, there is a band around the box that is slid off to reveal the two part orange box containing the Pioneer. The front of band has the BP Mods and Pioneer V1.5 name. In a circular pattern around the outside edge are words stating it is a specially designed RTA for MTL, RDL, and DL. On the back side of the band is a list of contents, authenticity code, the color of the device, and Dovpo company information. I wanted to mention that the website and a couple others I’ve looked at don’t mention different color options for this rta. I thought I had seen a picture one time of a black one but didn’t see anything on the Dovpo website. I asked Dorothy the Dovpo rep and she said that there is one other color called DLC and it is black.
Once the top of the box is removed then the Pioneer rta and the spare chimney is visible as well as a rectangular box labeled as an accessory pack. There are a lot of accessories with this one. They include five different 510 airflow center pins besides the .8mm pin that comes already installed in the rta. They include 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, and 2.9mm. Also included is a second chimney with a stepped design that is supposed to be good for NET tobacco flavors, three different coils, a DL post with 4mm airflow, DL drip tip, DL positive post, spare o rings and spare gaskets for the fill port, spare grub screws, and spare tank gaskets. With all of these accessories, I was surprised there weren’t cotton threads.
You might be tired of hearing this but always clean your tanks before the first use in case there is residual machine oil or foreign material left in them. The Pioneer is pretty easily broken down except for the chimney which requires a screwdriver to remove. Honestly, a warm soapy bath should be good enough without removing the chimney.
I guess I’ll start at the top and work my way down on this one. Starting out, the tank comes pre-installed with the MTL drip tip but also includes a DTL tip also. However, you have to use the same tip base and the plastic tips screw onto the stainless steel base. You could also just switch out the tip for your own 510 tip.
The entire top cap will unscrew if you want to remove it for cleaning but a simple slight turn to loosen it is enough to allow you to slide the top cap open for filling. Underneath the top cap is the serial number of the tank on the tank section and the bottom side of the cap has “Designed by” and a little face underneath indicating it was designed by Bruce. The single liquid fill hole is plenty big to fit most bottles. I personally use mostly 10 and 50ml bottles but this one is big enough that you can fill with a glass dropper since there isn’t a gasket covering the fill port.
Once the top cap is fully unscrewed and removed then the sliding mechanism with the gasket underneath is visible. The slide can be removed if you like while changing chimneys and there are spare gaskets included with the tank if you ever need to change it.
You can see in the picture below that there are two Philips head screws that hold the chimney to the top cap. They are easy to remove but there is not any kind of detent underneath when installing a chimney so it can be a little difficult to align the chimney while installing the first screw. Once the first is installed then it’s not difficult to get the second one aligned.
You might be wondering why I mentioned changing the chimney. Well there is a standard or MTL chimney already installed on the tank and a .8mm 510 airflow pin installed. There is a second chimney in the package that instead of being smooth has a couple steps in it. The stepped chimney is recommended for DTL and NET tobacco flavors. I just so happened to be testing out a NET mix I was working on and had tried it in a couple different tanks so immediately wanted to change the chimney for DTL on my NET mix. Also when changing to DTL with the stepped chimney you want to remove the pre-installed 510 airflow pin and remove the positive post from the deck. There is a DTL positive post included in the kit that needs to be used along with a stubby 510 pin. When changing pins you want to make sure to keep track of the insulator that slides over the pin and make sure it is installed with the new pin. If you prefer MTL vaping then you can leave in the pre-installed positive deck post and just change out the airflow pin that meets your desired airflow. There are .8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.9mm 510 pins included for use with the MTL chimney.
The tank section on the Pioneer is made of PCTG. I personally prefer glass tank sections but don’t really have a problem with it. You may want to stay away from any tank cracker liquids though.
In the picture below you can see the spare positive deck post and stubby 510 pin that are used when switching to a DTL setup. There is not a grub screw pre-installed in the post so you will either need to take the one out of the original post or get one of the spares from the accessory bag. I just got one of the spares. I would recommend installing the screw before mounting the post. I think it’s much easier that way myself. Once installed, the post has a fixed 4.0mm airflow opening.
The build deck for the Pioneer is a simple two post single coil deck. They are solid posts with a hole in the center so you can easily insert your coil legs. It does help to pre-bend the coil legs some before inserting the coil. The coil openings aren’t huge but plenty big enough for the included coils.
You can see in the picture below that there is a removable evaporation space compressor. According to BP Mods, the compressor is best installed for tobacco and tobacco mixtures and removed for vanilla, custards, butterscotch, and buttermilk type flavors. I did not remove it during my testing since I chose to use a NET tobacco mixture for testing the Pioneer.
I briefly used the Pioneer in MTL but I’m not a huge MTL user so pretty quickly switched to the DTL setup with the spare positive post and the larger of the two included coils. The coil was a little tight going in initially but like I said, bend the legs a little and then you can get the coil in place easily. The wicking holes on each side are fairly large for a smaller deck like this so when using a 2.5mm coil it doesn’t take much combing of the wick tails before inserting them. As with any rta, you don’t want them crammed full. I didn’t really notice until I took a look at the picture below but think that I forgot to burn in the coil before wicking it. Beginner mistake on my part. It’s always a good idea to burn in the coil to work out any hot spots.
There are two different types of airflow control built into the base of the deck. One is a single long slotted hole that is fully adjustable for DTL and also a series of incremental holes that can be adjusted for MTL. All of this on top of the different airflow pins included with the tank.
I almost forgot to mention that when you loosen the top cap to slide the top so you can refill the tank there is a single tiny dot or indentation in the side of the tank to let you know which side to push on to open it for filling.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The BP Mods Pioneer V1.5 RTA may seem a little intimidating at first with all of the different ways you can set it up. Either in MTL mode with one of the six airflow pins or in DTL with a different positive post that allows a 4.0mm airflow opening and a stepped chimney that for some reason provides better flavor with DTL and NET tobacco mixes. On top of all that there are two different types of airflow control built into the base. If you can’t find an airflow setting on this rta that you like then you’re not trying with all of these different options.
As I mentioned, I ever so briefly tried it with the pre-installed MTL chimney in MTL mode and the flavor was good but I did end up switching out to the 2.0mm pin for a looser MTL. I knew I wanted to try a NET mix I have been working on so installed the spare chimney and positive post with the stubby 510 pin. Just a reminder, don’t forget to install the insulator when changing pins. This setup is where the Pioneer really shined for me. I like it with the larger included coil and the slotted airflow wide open. It might be strange but I kept the MTL drip tip on it and really liked it like this. It was a somewhat restricted DL and was just a great fit for me. The airflow on this tank is super smooth and the flavor production using it in DL mode was fantastic with a generous amount of vapor.
So would I recommend this tank for you? Absolutely! Whether you’re a MTL vaper or a DL vaper then I think this one can fit your needs. It’s not a tank that you’re going to run at 60 watts with a ton of airflow but it does a really nice RDL and provides great flavor. Also, it’s probably not a good fit if you like to run big chunky coils. For me though it was a great fit and I absolutely plan on getting at least one or two more.
I’d like to thank Dovpo and Dorothy for sending the BP Mods Pioneer V1.5 RTA for this review. It has been a real pleasure. Thanks also to the readers that take the time to make it to the end of my reviews. Below is a link to the website if you would like to see for yourself.
Pioneer V1.5 RTA – DOVPO Official
