First impressions of the Vamo

[shaike]

I have 2 vamos, i use one with the 18650 and one 18350. The only issue i have experienced is the centre pin which gets depressed into the washer when connecting a tank too tightly, which wont fire up. I have read that this often occur with the kanger pro tank.

 

[Elantis]

I received the Vamo from VaporBreak also, ordered the SS version, and luckily didn't experience the same problems as the op did. I do have the depressed center pin which it seems like I have to fiddle with from time to time.

Overall - it seems to be working well despite it's cheap price. But it seems from some of the reviews I have been one of the lucky ones. I did recently purchased a 22mm IBTanked for it and in the future will probably only use it in the 18350 mode. The 18650 is definately to long and heavy for me.

 

[nahoku]

I received the Vamo from VaporBreak also, ordered the SS version, and luckily didn't experience the same problems as the op did. I do have the depressed center pin which it seems like I have to fiddle with from time to time.

Overall - it seems to be working well despite it's cheap price. But it seems from some of the reviews I have been one of the lucky ones. I did recently purchased a 22mm IBTanked for it and in the future will probably only use it in the 18350 mode. The 18650 is definately to long and heavy for me.

Given the shear amount of Vamos sold, I don't think getting a bad one is the "norm". Some people will experience some problems, but because there are so many Vamos sold, you'll hear more complaints about it. I don't think you were "one of the lucky ones"... I think the others were just unlucky. That said, all three of my Vamos were received just fine with no defects, albeit from different US vendors.

 

[garyd]

Your beef should be with Vapor Break rather than your VAMO. They obviously don't weed out QC problems before shipping and are difficult to work with for exchanges or refunds.

My chrome VAMO came from Vapor Beast and my stainless steel one from Health Cabin. Neither have any of the QC issues you describe and both have been working flawlessly since I got them in December.

My threads work perfectly and my juice devices are perfectly straight when attached. The oHm readings are always the same or within .1 of my cartomizer/atomizer meter.

My buttons do not rattle and have the expected clicky feel to them. They make a barely detectable clicky noise when pressed—nothing that could be described as a metal sound or anything else out the ordinary.

The juice well isn't an issue confined to the VAMO. Fold a paper towel over the end of a toothpick or a tiny flat head eyeglass type screwdriver to clean up the last of the residual spilled juice.

The unexpected power problem can be a problem in AVG mode even if the VAMO is reading the ohms of the juice delivery device correctly. This is true for any PV run in AVG mode. Press and hold down either the "+" or "-" buttons for 10 seconds. Reading the mode changes it so if the screen reads NO1 (AVG mode) it was previously in NO2 (RMS mode). If that is the case change it back by holding down the "+" or "-" buttons for 10 seconds. Otherwise, leave it in NO2 (RMS mode.

Also, it is possible that using incorrect batteries could be causing issues although I wouldn't think that they would cause the erratic oHm readings. Use IMR 18650 or 18350. Panasonic hybrid CGR18650CHs also work very well and are highly regarded in the vaping community. These batteries will provide adequate power for the VAMO to operate correctly.

Shoot a video of your VAMO showing the issues you have with it and send a copy to Vapor Break. Ask for a refund or replacement. If they don't give you a refund or shipping notice for a replacement within a week file a claim with PayPal. Don't put up with any stall tactics.



Please do not put Health Cabin in the same category as a sleazy vendor like Vapor Break. Health Cabin is a well-regarded ECF vendor with very good customer service. They also have an ECF forum where someone can post if an issue slips through the cracks. Health Cabin were the ones who first identified a problem with the high resistance spring on the first stainless steel VAMO. They put up a big warning on the front page of their website and sent replacement springs free of charge.

peraspera, thank you, sleazy, that's the word I was looking for! You are one in the know for sure.

 

[garyd]

I have 2 vamos, i use one with the 18650 and one 18350. The only issue i have experienced is the centre pin which gets depressed into the washer when connecting a tank too tightly, which wont fire up. I have read that this often occur with the kanger pro tank.

You are right, also the vivi novas are notorious for pushing that center pin down. This has been beat to death but I'll say it once again, DO NOT overtighten, torque down, pile drive your head onto any device, you just want to make a connection with the pin, don't leave it loose or wobbly though, just a little common sense, many that are new will overtighten their head/atty and it will be nothing but problems if you do this in the long or short run. Just a little friendly advice.

 

[garyd]

Just wanted to say one more thing with all due respect to OP. Some that are new to this thing we call vaping make mistakes in the beginning, hey it's just what happens, no biggie, I know I did and more than a few. The Vamo is a great device for the money if you get one that's good from the chineese factory where it was made, will it last forever, not by a longshot because of the quality issues, if it last a couple months on a daily basis you got your moneys worth. I would not recommend vaporsnake though as it's touch and go with their service and product, use them long enough and you will get burned. To OP, pony up and get a provari, not a fan boy btw, you won't be disappointed, you get what you pay for as they say, in the long run the provari is quite cheap actually, made in USA, and if necessary repaired in USA quite reasonably, if taken care of these devices will last you many years, jmo of course, do the research. Alright enough, thanks for listening.

 

[themyst]

Shrug, other than the crooked LCD screen and buttons (would take me a few minutes to fix by straightening the PCB) my vamo is working great. No threading issues, and the resistance reading will read high after screwing in initially, but will settle down to what it should be after a few seconds. All my tanks are reading within 0.1ohm of what they're supposed to be.

 

[peraspera]

To OP, pony up and get a provari, not a fan boy btw, you won't be disappointed, you get what you pay for as they say, in the long run the provari is quite cheap actually, made in USA, and if necessary repaired in USA quite reasonably, if taken care of these devices will last you many years, jmo of course, do the research.

I would strongly suggest that anyone considering a Provari first try variable voltage mode on their VAMO to see if being stuck with only VV is a good fit for their vaping needs. Since using VW I find myself getting increasingly annoyed with fiddling with VV on my Twists. There will be no more VV only devices in my vaping future.

The inexpensive price of the VAMO gives one the luxury of waiting patiently for a screened VW device that has exceptional build quality and, hopefully, a fast menu system like the VAMO. Experienced vapers will know if the Provari tradeoff between accepting old technology for good build quality is a good one. New vapers with VAMOs might do better prioritizing their time and money into finding their perfect juice delivery device which is where the vaping rubber really meets the road.

 

[vap0rator]

I just received my Vamo last week and have been very happy with it. Yes it is a little heavy, but I have an ego for when I'm out on the town. I have a little hard time getting used to filling my tank and tend to get some juice in the well, and it seems difficult to clean. All in all I'm very happy with it. Glad I don't have the issues you have with the resistance reading, that would make having vv/vw useless. Sorry for your experience. It is for sure defective when you got it, especially with the misaligned threading. Sounds almost like it had a tank on it and was dropped.

 

[lulu836]

**Off Topic**

[rant]

I have to vent somewhere so here goes. What a super stupid thing I did. I received today from China a Nitecore 2-slot charger for my batteries that I will use if the Vamo ever gets here. Seven days in transit. The chargers are for sale FOR LESS at Amazon. I am a dumb, stupid idiot!! Perhaps I'm too stupid to vape after all.

[/rant]

 

[peraspera]

There is a v2 Nitecore that fixes some sort of problem that I can't recall. When I bought my Nitecore I didn't see anything on Amazon listed as a v2 so I took the safe route of buying from Orbtronics.

 

[entropy1049]

You are right, also the vivi novas are notorious for pushing that center pin down. This has been beat to death but I'll say it once again, DO NOT overtighten, torque down, pile drive your head onto any device, you just want to make a connection with the pin, don't leave it loose or wobbly though, just a little common sense, many that are new will overtighten their head/atty and it will be nothing but problems if you do this in the long or short run. Just a little friendly advice.

I have a fried Vamo to attest to this. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/412803-i-loved-my-vamo-but.html"]http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/412803-i-loved-my-vamo-but.html"]http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/412803-i-loved-my-vamo-but.html