eGrip VT

[CptJYossarian]

Just got mine the other day. Pretty upset that the rba doesn't fit stock, but I've never shied away from a challenge. Going to be drilling it out soon and make it work haha.

Otherwise, gotta say I really enjoy this unit. The chip does an excellent job just using the stock Ni200 coil. But I've always liked the eGrip, the use of Ego One coils makes it significantly better than it used to be imo. Never had the OLED regular version though, so can't speak to that, but it's leagues ahead of the original egrip.

 

[Tpat591]

Just got mine the other day. Pretty upset that the RBA doesn't fit stock, but I've never shied away from a challenge. Going to be drilling it out soon and make it work haha.

Otherwise, gotta say I really enjoy this unit. The chip does an excellent job just using the stock Ni200 coil. But I've always liked the eGrip, the use of Ego One coils makes it significantly better than it used to be imo. Never had the OLED regular version though, so can't speak to that, but it's leagues ahead of the original egrip.

Imagine it is with temp control. the CL was overpowered for stock airflow and you couldn't run ti with very much wattage without burnt hits.

How is battery life under temp control?

 

[timm]

My CLR heads arrived today.
I got a pack of both the TI and the regular kanthal coils.

Tried to fit them in the Egrip - but as @jsarangapani discovered, the chimney on the VT is too wide to fit into the top cap of the CLRs.
Given that the old RBA doesn't fit either, this was very upsetting.

However, having read @Tpat591 earlier post including "I usually knock the sleeve out of the screw cap with a #2 Phillips bit" - I tried that and voila, the CLR heads fit no problem.
Thanks for the tip Tpat591!
Probably would have attempted to drill the CLR top cap left to my own devices, but it's really easy to remove the inner ring with a bit of a thwack using the Phillips screwdriver method.

I think this redeems the VT and makes the thing a viable upgrade to the OLED CL.

I prefer both the kanthal and the TI CLR coils over the regular CL versions - and of course, they're rebuildable as well.

IMO the kanthal CLR coils give a similar vape to the original RBA - presumably without the leaking issues.

They seem to deal well with higher VG liquid too, although so do the stock CL coils tbf. The stock TI coils work fine with 100% VG liquid.

Can't comment on battery life using the temperature control as haven't found a way to comfortably mouth to lung using the stock TI coils, which is my preference (not tried the NI yet - but assume they'll be the same). However, I am liking the CLR TI coils, so maybe I'll find a setup with those that I can use day to day.
What I would say is that even with 1.8ohm coils on the original Egrip, the battery wouldn't last a whole day's steady vaping even at low wattages for me (not far off though). 1500mAh is just not enough for that. I've bought one of those 'lipstick' type power banks to use if I ever need to be out all day which doesn't add too much bulk.

@CptJYossarian - How did you get on with drilling the RBA? It looks to me that because the new chimney is longer - the end of it would be pushed too close to the actual coil of the RBA (if not actually touching it), which is very close to the top of the RBA cap. Catch 22.

One other thing I've noticed:
@jsarangapani complained about the VT being difficult to fill.
The newly designed chimney is wider at the bottom than on the old egrips and because it's also longer, now sits directly behind the large fill hole. This definitely makes it harder to fill, but is manageable and still preferable to unscrewing the bottom of a tank.

 

[defdock]

For those who own this version AND one of the older ones, did they update the airflow? And do the cl/r coils still need the supplied rubber cap?

Tempted to buy one, just to disassemble and trade the top plate/chimney tube over to my older wooden 20w.

 

[Tpat591]

For those who own this version AND one of the older ones, did they update the airflow? And do the cl/r coils still need the supplied rubber cap?

Tempted to buy one, just to disassemble and trade the top plate/chimney tube over to my older wooden 20w.

Why would you buy it to put parts in a old one? That is so wrong! Better off getting some woodgrain shelf paper & wrapping the new one with it. Maybe there is an actual aftermarket modwrap for it in woodgrain?

 

[defdock]

Why would you buy it to put parts in a old one? That is so wrong! Better off getting some woodgrain shelf paper & wrapping the new one with it. Maybe there is an actual aftermarket modwrap for it in woodgrain?

Because the oled is useless for me I have no need for tc and The oldest models with a wheel, I can operate without the screen. Plus longer battery life due to not keeping a screen lit up.

Also cause wraps are not my forte, I'd end up messing them all up trying to apply them only to still have it look ugly.

 

[Tpat591]

My CLR heads arrived today.
I got a pack of both the TI and the regular kanthal coils.

Tried to fit them in the Egrip - but as @jsarangapani discovered, the chimney on the VT is too wide to fit into the top cap of the CLRs.
Given that the old RBA doesn't fit either, this was very upsetting.

However, having read @Tpat591 earlier post including "I usually knock the sleeve out of the screw cap with a #2 Phillips bit" - I tried that and voila, the CLR heads fit no problem.
Thanks for the tip Tpat591!
Probably would have attempted to drill the CLR top cap left to my own devices, but it's really easy to remove the inner ring with a bit of a thwack using the Phillips screwdriver method.

I think this redeems the VT and makes the thing a viable upgrade to the OLED CL.

I prefer both the kanthal and the TI CLR coils over the regular CL versions - and of course, they're rebuildable as well.

IMO the kanthal CLR coils give a similar vape to the original RBA - presumably without the leaking issues.

They seem to deal well with higher VG liquid too, although so do the stock CL coils tbf. The stock TI coils work fine with 100% VG liquid.

Can't comment on battery life using the temperature control as haven't found a way to comfortably mouth to lung using the stock TI coils, which is my preference (not tried the NI yet - but assume they'll be the same). However, I am liking the CLR TI coils, so maybe I'll find a setup with those that I can use day to day.
What I would say is that even with 1.8ohm coils on the original Egrip, the battery wouldn't last a whole day's steady vaping even at low wattages for me (not far off though). 1500mAh is just not enough for that. I've bought one of those 'lipstick' type power banks to use if I ever need to be out all day which doesn't add too much bulk.

@CptJYossarian - How did you get on with drilling the RBA? It looks to me that because the new chimney is longer - the end of it would be pushed too close to the actual coil of the RBA (if not actually touching it), which is very close to the top of the RBA cap. Catch 22.

One other thing I've noticed:
@jsarangapani complained about the VT being difficult to fill.
The newly designed chimney is wider at the bottom than on the old egrips and because it's also longer, now sits directly behind the large fill hole. This definitely makes it harder to fill, but is manageable and still preferable to unscrewing the bottom of a tank.

Glad the cap sleeve trick worked for you.

Can't MTL a Ti coil? Surprises me because airflow through an OLED CL version seemed to be the bottleneck. I'm assuming this means they upgraded airflow in the VT?

Really interested if battery life under TC shortens dramatically or actually improves. I'm guessing improves because the CL was drastically overpowered for the airflow at 30w. Under TC you would only use that 30w for quick preheat and the TC should regulate it down during your hit and that could extend battery life.

 

[timm]

Because the oled is useless for me I have no need for tc and The oldest models with a wheel, I can operate without the screen. Plus longer battery life due to not keeping a screen lit up.

Also cause wraps are not my forte, I'd end up messing them all up trying to apply them only to still have it look ugly.

I doubt the LED screen affects battery life much vs the button light and battery indicator on the original Egrip. The screen is worth having if only for the more accurate battery indicator and the resistance reading.

I wouldn't assume the top plate is interchangeable between the two models. There must be some differences going on in there with the screen and the new chimney.

No - the caps are not required with the VT and CL/CLR heads.

 

[timm]

Glad the cap sleeve trick worked for you.

Can't MTL a Ti coil? Surprises me because airflow through an OLED CL version seemed to be the bottleneck. I'm assuming this means they upgraded airflow in the VT?

Really interested if battery life under TC shortens dramatically or actually improves. I'm guessing improves because the CL was drastically overpowered for the airflow at 30w. Under TC you would only use that 30w for quick preheat and the TC should regulate it down during your hit and that could extend battery life.

I think the airflow has been improved. I'll do a direct comparison between the OLED and the VT without coils in the base to be sure. The chimney is visibly wider, although we're talking 1 or 2mm here.
I would say the biggest difference in airflow comes from the coils - although if you've been using CLR heads, you already know this - unless the caps restrict the airflow. A CLR head vs an old CS head makes a huge difference to the airflow. The difference in airflow between a 1ohm CL head and a 0.5 or the NI/TI heads is also significant.

The problem with MTLing a sub ohm coil is that a sub coil is designed to have a lot of air drawn through it via a direct inhale. As soon as you start restricting the airflow to enable MTL, the vape gets very hot - so you have to turn the power down, which generally ends up with a crap vape.
When I first got my Subtank, it took me a while to figure out how to smoke it properly because I wasn't inhaling hard enough (maybe that's just me!).
Joyetech do a 0.25ohm NI coil that's for MTLing, so will have to give that a try.

RE the temperature control. It's just a simple on/off thermostat. The power is locked at 30w and the temperature control cuts the power when the required temp is reached, then turns the power back on at full blast when the coil has cooled. When you hold down the fire button, you can hear the coil cycling on and off (e.g. 1 second on 1 second off) and the screen displays 'temperature protection' when the power is being cut.

the TC should regulate it down

- I don't think it's as subtle as this, unless I've got it wrong. It's just on/off. That's not to say it won't extend battery life - the power is on for a lot less time, albeit at max wattage.

I did have it wrong! - see my reply to @Tpat591

 

[Tpat591]

I think the airflow has been improved. I'll do a direct comparison between the OLED and the VT without coils in the base to be sure. The chimney is visibly wider, although we're talking 1 or 2mm here.
I would say the biggest difference in airflow comes from the coils - although if you've been using CLR heads, you already know this - unless the caps restrict the airflow. A CLR head vs an old CS head makes a huge difference to the airflow. The difference in airflow between a 1ohm CL head and a 0.5 or the NI/TI heads is also significant.
View attachment 525401


The problem with MTLing a sub ohm coil is that a sub coil is designed to have a lot of air drawn through it via a direct inhale. As soon as you start restricting the airflow to enable MTL, the vape gets very hot - so you have to turn the power down, which generally ends up with a crap vape.
When I first got my Subtank, it took me a while to figure out how to smoke it properly because I wasn't inhaling hard enough (maybe that's just me!).
Joyetech do a 0.25ohm NI coil that's for MTLing, so will have to give that a try.

RE the temperature control. It's just a simple on/off thermostat. The power is locked at 30w and the temperature control cuts the power when the required temp is reached, then turns the power back on at full blast when the coil has cooled. When you hold down the fire button, you can hear the coil cycling on and off (e.g. 1 second on 1 second off) and the screen displays 'temperature protection' when the power is being cut.
- I don't think it's as subtle as this, unless I've got it wrong. It's just on/off. That's not to say it won't extend battery life - the power is on for a lot less time, albeit at max wattage.

Great info! I would think the real airflow restrictions in egrip would be at the air intake on base of unit regulated by the adjustment screw which seems smaller than the air orifice on the more restrictive of the CL coils. At first I thought from literature pics that they added a second intake hole but from all the videos it seems that while the hole might be slightly larger than on the CL version there is still only one intake and one air adjustment screw and that barely looks adequate for the MTL Coils above. CL coils need a lot of air to perform properly.

Sounds like the size limitations of egrip made it difficult for Joyetech to smoothly control the temperature implementation in the smaller board. What you are describing is what I refer to as a rattlesnaking TC implementation (full on-overshoot-full off rather than the smooth application of the power curve to properly maintain temperature). That is very disappointing.

 

[timm]

Great info! I would think the real airflow restrictions in egrip would be at the air intake on base of unit regulated by the adjustment screw which seems smaller than the air orifice on the more restrictive of the CL coils. At first I thought from literature pics that they added a second intake hole but from all the videos it seems that while the hole might be slightly larger than on the CL version there is still only one intake and one air adjustment screw and that barely looks adequate for the MTL Coils above. CL coils need a lot of air to perform properly.

Sounds like the size limitations of egrip made it difficult for Joyetech to smoothly control the temperature implementation in the smaller board. What you are describing is what I refer to as a rattlesnaking TC implementation (full on-overshoot-full off rather than the smooth application of the power curve to properly maintain temperature). That is very disappointing.

Got it wrong with the temperature control you'll be glad to hear!
What I didn't notice was that when you hit the fire button, the wattage changes before the "TempProtection" message is displayed (it's not that obvious if you're not looking for it - that's my excuse anyway). So for instance if I set the temperature to something low like 170C and hold down fire, the "TempProtection" message gets displayed, then when it goes off, the wattage might read 5, then the "TempProtection" kicks in, then the wattage might be 8. It's easier to read if the coil is cooler because there's longer before the coil reaches the set temperature. It seems to work a bit like the iStick as described here:
Temperature Control Vaping: Everything You Need To Know
One thing to be careful of is that sometimes it initially reads the resistance of the coil wrong. So I might put a TI coil in, the Egrip reads the resistance as being too high, then automatically switches to VW mode. This happened to me a couple of times before I realised what was going on. It can't be good firing a TI coil in VW mode.

With the airflow - you're right, the size of the airhole/screw ultimately dictates the airflow.
If you screw the base into the Egrip without a head/coil and take a drag - that is the maximum airflow you're ever going to get without modding.
Any variation on that is down to the airflow of the coil you're using.
The CL heads allow more air than the CS heads. The NI & TI coils have a better airflow than the stock CL heads (the base is more open). Take a look at photos of the cap and base of those heads to see how much more air they allow through the coil.
It's all down to personal preference really.

 

[Aelvion]

However, having read @Tpat591 earlier post including "I usually knock the sleeve out of the screw cap with a #2 Phillips bit" - I tried that and voila, the CLR heads fit no problem

Can you elaborate? Or include a picture? I can't figure out which piece you guys are removing to make these fit???

 

[timm]

Can you elaborate? Or include a picture? I can't figure out which piece you guys are removing to make these fit???

It's that inner ring in the top cap of the CLR on the left. CL is on the right for comparison.

Unscrew the top cap from the head. Put a philips screwdriver that is slightly wider than the inner ring into the top cap. Give it a whack. The inner ring should come out the bottom of the top cap.

I've also been trimming the bits of cotton wick that stick out the sides of the CLR so they're flush because it wasn't wicking particularly well (not much room in the Egrip). All is good now.

 

[flatfootandy]

How to use all Coils & RBA in the VT:
Take out vent pipe
remove sealing from lower end
carefully drill a 4mm hole from this end about 5 mm deep
break away the remaining seat of the sealing
check if the hole is deep enough to press later the top-sealing of he RBA
if so, remove the produced edges an make everything smooth
place the RBA in your Grip
place the vent pipe and screw it down until you recognice the counterpressure of the RBA-sealing

the material is chromed brass

Since this fix, i'm able to use the CS, CL and RBA, like in the first model, for changing coils i unlock the vent pipe 1-2 turns, insert my coil and lock the chimney again.

greetings from Germany

 

[Tpat591]

How to use all Coils & RBA in the VT:
Take out vent pipe
remove sealing from lower end
carefully drill a 4mm hole from this end about 5 mm deep
break away the remaining seat of the sealing
check if the hole is deep enough to press later the top-sealing of he RBA
if so, remove the produced edges an make everything smooth
place the RBA in your Grip
place the vent pipe and screw it down until you recognice the counterpressure of the RBA-sealing

the material is chromed brass

Since this fix, i'm able to use the CS, CL and RBA, like in the first model, for changing coils i unlock the vent pipe 1-2 turns, insert my coil and lock the chimney again.

greetings from Germany

Pics before & after?

 

[flatfootandy]

I'm not really familar with pics, but I will try when the tank is empty. Before will more difficult, because I'm having only one.

 

[Tpat591]

After is fine, we can compare with screen grabs from videos if needs be. Thank you for your trailblazing / modding efforts on behalf of all those who may choose to follow in your footsteps!

 

[flatfootandy]

hope it helps,

 

[Tpat591]

View attachment 532683
hope it helps,

You have a higher resolution pic?

 

[flatfootandy]

Which size will not exceed the forum?