Since I have seen little to no mention of these on the forum, I figured I'd give a brief overview of the 508 models from DSE. I placed an order for a few different versions purely out of curiosity. I like the idea of cheap disposables to give to people who are curious about ecigs. The Q 510 disposable was a pretty good deal for $10, but the cheapest 508 costs half that, and since it uses a cartomizer, it's even easier for a newbie to use.
They have a few different bundles available. I went with a 5-pack of disposables (called a 568C)for $25, the 2-pack of extra-long disposables (called a 568A) for $12, and the 508 portable starter pack for $13. All exhibited the same low-level of build quality that you'd expect from such cheap gear, but with the exception of one dried-up carto, they all worked.
All used auto batteries (the only type available), and they all seem to be suction-activated instead of sound-activated. This should mean less accidental firing. All batteries were black with red LEDs which faded in and out when activated and deactivated, respectively. Because they were suction-activated batts, I was unable to get them to fire with a multimeter hooked up to them, so I don't know the exact voltage. They didn't seem as warm as my 3.7V bartleby, so I suspect they're closer to the 3.2V 510 batts.
The short disposable batteries looked identical to the starter pack battery, and they were able to be recharged with the USB charger included with the starter pack. The LED blinked when it was plugged in, and went out when charged, just as the starter pack battery did. I suspect they are actually the same model. I have no idea how many recharges you might expect out of them, but since they do have charging protection circuitry, I would have to guess at least a few. None died during my limited testing.
The longer disposable batteries look identical to the others, except for being longer (obviously). They also acted as expected when attached to the USB charger. I suspect all these batteries would work with any KR808 charger, but I don't have one to test with. All the 508 batteries I got were totally compatible with regular KR808 cartos, and vise-versa.
The cartos were pre-filled with a variety of liquid flavors. DSE allows you to select your preferences when you order, as well as the color of the cartos. The cartos themselves were also cheaply made. The connectors had that powdery, whitish look that cheap, unfinished aluminum alloys have, and they felt "rough" when screwing them on to the batteries. Only the starter pack cartos had silicone caps, and even then only had them on one end. This is probably why one of the disposable cartos was completely dry.
The one major problem that plagued all the units was an unusually hard draw. The air holes in the side of the battery connector are really small, and just don't allow enough air through. I remedied this on one unit by drilling out the three holes with a 1/16 drill bit. This was actually a bit too much, and now the draw is uncomfortably weak. I may try drilling out just one hole on another and see if that's just right.
All in all, I think these units have some potential. At $5 a piece for the single disposables, I wouldn't mind just giving a few away. What I would do though is drill out the air hole to allow it to draw properly, and probably rinse out the cheap Chinese juice and refill it with some decent stuff. With those two modifications, I think one of these 508s would give someone a decent feel for what vaping is like. If they were interested, you could then sell them the starter pack, which would give them a total of two batteries, 5 cartos and a charger. That should be a good start for anybody. It would be nice if a US supplier would pick these up for distribution so that we could get them without having to pay the large shipping charge from China, or wait the 2-3 weeks my order took to arrive. If that supplier wanted to "re-manufacture" the batteries to draw correctly, all the better. With a large enough order, I suspect you could get proper starter kits (2 batteries, a charger and several cartos) and sell them for $20 at a comfortable profit. I can only hope someone steals this idea
They have a few different bundles available. I went with a 5-pack of disposables (called a 568C)for $25, the 2-pack of extra-long disposables (called a 568A) for $12, and the 508 portable starter pack for $13. All exhibited the same low-level of build quality that you'd expect from such cheap gear, but with the exception of one dried-up carto, they all worked.
All used auto batteries (the only type available), and they all seem to be suction-activated instead of sound-activated. This should mean less accidental firing. All batteries were black with red LEDs which faded in and out when activated and deactivated, respectively. Because they were suction-activated batts, I was unable to get them to fire with a multimeter hooked up to them, so I don't know the exact voltage. They didn't seem as warm as my 3.7V bartleby, so I suspect they're closer to the 3.2V 510 batts.
The short disposable batteries looked identical to the starter pack battery, and they were able to be recharged with the USB charger included with the starter pack. The LED blinked when it was plugged in, and went out when charged, just as the starter pack battery did. I suspect they are actually the same model. I have no idea how many recharges you might expect out of them, but since they do have charging protection circuitry, I would have to guess at least a few. None died during my limited testing.
The longer disposable batteries look identical to the others, except for being longer (obviously). They also acted as expected when attached to the USB charger. I suspect all these batteries would work with any KR808 charger, but I don't have one to test with. All the 508 batteries I got were totally compatible with regular KR808 cartos, and vise-versa.
The cartos were pre-filled with a variety of liquid flavors. DSE allows you to select your preferences when you order, as well as the color of the cartos. The cartos themselves were also cheaply made. The connectors had that powdery, whitish look that cheap, unfinished aluminum alloys have, and they felt "rough" when screwing them on to the batteries. Only the starter pack cartos had silicone caps, and even then only had them on one end. This is probably why one of the disposable cartos was completely dry.
The one major problem that plagued all the units was an unusually hard draw. The air holes in the side of the battery connector are really small, and just don't allow enough air through. I remedied this on one unit by drilling out the three holes with a 1/16 drill bit. This was actually a bit too much, and now the draw is uncomfortably weak. I may try drilling out just one hole on another and see if that's just right.
All in all, I think these units have some potential. At $5 a piece for the single disposables, I wouldn't mind just giving a few away. What I would do though is drill out the air hole to allow it to draw properly, and probably rinse out the cheap Chinese juice and refill it with some decent stuff. With those two modifications, I think one of these 508s would give someone a decent feel for what vaping is like. If they were interested, you could then sell them the starter pack, which would give them a total of two batteries, 5 cartos and a charger. That should be a good start for anybody. It would be nice if a US supplier would pick these up for distribution so that we could get them without having to pay the large shipping charge from China, or wait the 2-3 weeks my order took to arrive. If that supplier wanted to "re-manufacture" the batteries to draw correctly, all the better. With a large enough order, I suspect you could get proper starter kits (2 batteries, a charger and several cartos) and sell them for $20 at a comfortable profit. I can only hope someone steals this idea
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