Hello forum,
So I'm new to dna chip based mods myself, and picked up a wismec dna200 TC box mod to play with and for the longest time my juices just tasted foul, or didn't taste the way I knew that they should. I would get "temperature protected" almost immediately on the mods oled screen with the mod set to 5watts and nearly no vapor production, and I knew something was just not right. It didn't make sense that the coil could be THAT hot and not producing vapor... After a serious amount of experimentation, and playing around with everything, I finally got it all sorted out, and I just wanted to start a thread to help out anyone that might be in the same situation.
From the get-go I knew that I should be able to configure things like temperature settings and ohms locking from the device itself, but couldn't figure out how, or find anyone mentioning a reference for this, so let me clear this up. The official guide for the dna 200 device can be found at the following URL and this guide explains how to access all of the functions of the device via button press combinations from the device itself, and it's a mandatory read pretty much: http://www.evolvapor.com/datasheet/dna200.pdf
After reading the official evolv DNA 200 tutorial your next step is going to be to plug your DNA 200 device into your computer via it's included USB cable, and to download and install the escribe software. The latest version of the escribe software can be found at the following URL along with an interactive tutorial and demo on how to use the escribe software: EScribe Software Download and Tutorial - DNA 200 Early Adopters Forum (I highly suggest you use the interactive tutorial/demo).
After installing the escribe software and reviewing the interactive demo , you are going to want to grab a copy of the latest device profile from your mods manufacturer, in my case that is wismec, so I went to wismec's website for this. Somewhere on the mod page for your device manufacturer's website you should find a downloadable ".ecig" type file that contains the correct escribe settings for your device. Download this file to a known directory on your hard drive, open escribe with your device connected via USB, go to FILE > OPEN inside the escribe software, select the .ecig file you downloaded earlier and hit ok, then hit "upload settings to device" to upload the latest manufacturer settings to your device. (To confirm that the mod manufacturers .ecig profile settings were applied, you can go to the "mod" tab page in escribe and click the "manufacturer settings" button, and examine this page. If it shows the information for the mod you are good).
GOTCHA #1: Even after uploading the device manufacturers .ecig file settings to your device, you will not be able to use any coil or wire material except for nickel. If you want to use stainless steel, titanium, or any other coil material, you will need to import these into escribe in the format of .CSV files. You can sometimes find the .CSV file for your wire material at the wire manufacturers website, but more often than not, you will need to download this file from steam-engine. To do this, go to the following website, select the wire you wish to use in the bottom pane, and then click on "download CSV" and save this CSV file somewhere on your hard disk you will remember: Wire wizard (The wire gauge and wrap settings do not matter for this, and will not effect the information contained in the CSV file, this was confusing for me at first).
Next, open escribe with your device connected, click on the "materials" tab up top (NOT the coil materials drop down under the general tab), beneath the list of "available materials" there is a tiny Floppy Disk icon, click on this icon, and navigate to the steam-engine .CSV file you downloaded earlier, and click open. You will now see your material listed under "Available Materials"(this means it is available to escribe, but is not on the device itself). Next you will need to highlight your material under available materials, and press the green "right arrow" to move your imported material into the "materials on device" pane. After doing this, you still neeed to press the "upload settings to device" button. Your device should now contain the neccesary information to use these materials, but I would suggest further reading to set up a profile specific to that material. (NOTE: you can only upload 8 materials to the device at any one given time).
Next return to the general tab and create a profile for the material/atomizer you wish to use. I am using 316 Stainless Steel so I named my profile SS316.75PH. (The 75PH stands for the pre-heat wattage setting). You will most likely want to lower the preheat from 200 watts to something more reasonable, as this can sometimes burn the cotton on prebuilt coil heads. I use about 1 1/3rd times the wattage I run that coil at, so if I run that particular coil at 30 watts, I will use a preheat setting of 75 watts. If you find your device spitting a nasty hit of dry cotton smoke at you for a split second before calming down and producing much less vapor, it's because you have no set up the preheat wattage correctly. After setting up the profile the way you like, hit the "upload to device" button, and go to "FILE>SAVE to SAVE your .ecig file on your hard drive should you ever need a backup later. You can now enter "Power Locked" mode and use the + and - buttons to select your created profile, and the fire button to activate it.
GOTCHA #2: One of the first things that really confused me was the difference between "power lock" mode and "button lock" mode(That is before I found the official evolv guide) -- if you are trying to change to a new profile and can't figure it out, it's because you are putting the device into "button lock" mode by pressing the fire button 5 times quickly -- this is wrong. To select a new profile you need to put the device into "power lock" mode by holding the up and down or + and - buttons at the same time for 3 seconds, then let go. Once in this mode use the + and - buttons to select the profile you want to use and hit the fire button to lock that profile in. (If you have not created any profiles yet, you will see the default ones, which are set up for nickel only). Once a profile is selected with the fire button, I am not sure if you are supposed to exit power lock mode, but I do, so I can further change the wattage, I believe the profile stays selected.
I hope this helps someone out.
Inshort: If your dna 200 mod is not working the way you think it should, it's probably because you are trying to use a coil material other than nickel, and have not set it up.
So I'm new to dna chip based mods myself, and picked up a wismec dna200 TC box mod to play with and for the longest time my juices just tasted foul, or didn't taste the way I knew that they should. I would get "temperature protected" almost immediately on the mods oled screen with the mod set to 5watts and nearly no vapor production, and I knew something was just not right. It didn't make sense that the coil could be THAT hot and not producing vapor... After a serious amount of experimentation, and playing around with everything, I finally got it all sorted out, and I just wanted to start a thread to help out anyone that might be in the same situation.
From the get-go I knew that I should be able to configure things like temperature settings and ohms locking from the device itself, but couldn't figure out how, or find anyone mentioning a reference for this, so let me clear this up. The official guide for the dna 200 device can be found at the following URL and this guide explains how to access all of the functions of the device via button press combinations from the device itself, and it's a mandatory read pretty much: http://www.evolvapor.com/datasheet/dna200.pdf
After reading the official evolv DNA 200 tutorial your next step is going to be to plug your DNA 200 device into your computer via it's included USB cable, and to download and install the escribe software. The latest version of the escribe software can be found at the following URL along with an interactive tutorial and demo on how to use the escribe software: EScribe Software Download and Tutorial - DNA 200 Early Adopters Forum (I highly suggest you use the interactive tutorial/demo).
After installing the escribe software and reviewing the interactive demo , you are going to want to grab a copy of the latest device profile from your mods manufacturer, in my case that is wismec, so I went to wismec's website for this. Somewhere on the mod page for your device manufacturer's website you should find a downloadable ".ecig" type file that contains the correct escribe settings for your device. Download this file to a known directory on your hard drive, open escribe with your device connected via USB, go to FILE > OPEN inside the escribe software, select the .ecig file you downloaded earlier and hit ok, then hit "upload settings to device" to upload the latest manufacturer settings to your device. (To confirm that the mod manufacturers .ecig profile settings were applied, you can go to the "mod" tab page in escribe and click the "manufacturer settings" button, and examine this page. If it shows the information for the mod you are good).
GOTCHA #1: Even after uploading the device manufacturers .ecig file settings to your device, you will not be able to use any coil or wire material except for nickel. If you want to use stainless steel, titanium, or any other coil material, you will need to import these into escribe in the format of .CSV files. You can sometimes find the .CSV file for your wire material at the wire manufacturers website, but more often than not, you will need to download this file from steam-engine. To do this, go to the following website, select the wire you wish to use in the bottom pane, and then click on "download CSV" and save this CSV file somewhere on your hard disk you will remember: Wire wizard (The wire gauge and wrap settings do not matter for this, and will not effect the information contained in the CSV file, this was confusing for me at first).
Next, open escribe with your device connected, click on the "materials" tab up top (NOT the coil materials drop down under the general tab), beneath the list of "available materials" there is a tiny Floppy Disk icon, click on this icon, and navigate to the steam-engine .CSV file you downloaded earlier, and click open. You will now see your material listed under "Available Materials"(this means it is available to escribe, but is not on the device itself). Next you will need to highlight your material under available materials, and press the green "right arrow" to move your imported material into the "materials on device" pane. After doing this, you still neeed to press the "upload settings to device" button. Your device should now contain the neccesary information to use these materials, but I would suggest further reading to set up a profile specific to that material. (NOTE: you can only upload 8 materials to the device at any one given time).
Next return to the general tab and create a profile for the material/atomizer you wish to use. I am using 316 Stainless Steel so I named my profile SS316.75PH. (The 75PH stands for the pre-heat wattage setting). You will most likely want to lower the preheat from 200 watts to something more reasonable, as this can sometimes burn the cotton on prebuilt coil heads. I use about 1 1/3rd times the wattage I run that coil at, so if I run that particular coil at 30 watts, I will use a preheat setting of 75 watts. If you find your device spitting a nasty hit of dry cotton smoke at you for a split second before calming down and producing much less vapor, it's because you have no set up the preheat wattage correctly. After setting up the profile the way you like, hit the "upload to device" button, and go to "FILE>SAVE to SAVE your .ecig file on your hard drive should you ever need a backup later. You can now enter "Power Locked" mode and use the + and - buttons to select your created profile, and the fire button to activate it.
GOTCHA #2: One of the first things that really confused me was the difference between "power lock" mode and "button lock" mode(That is before I found the official evolv guide) -- if you are trying to change to a new profile and can't figure it out, it's because you are putting the device into "button lock" mode by pressing the fire button 5 times quickly -- this is wrong. To select a new profile you need to put the device into "power lock" mode by holding the up and down or + and - buttons at the same time for 3 seconds, then let go. Once in this mode use the + and - buttons to select the profile you want to use and hit the fire button to lock that profile in. (If you have not created any profiles yet, you will see the default ones, which are set up for nickel only). Once a profile is selected with the fire button, I am not sure if you are supposed to exit power lock mode, but I do, so I can further change the wattage, I believe the profile stays selected.
I hope this helps someone out.
Inshort: If your dna 200 mod is not working the way you think it should, it's probably because you are trying to use a coil material other than nickel, and have not set it up.
