Well I got my first mod, a Bolt from Madvapes.
First of all, I think you have to look at the Bolt as a kit. Right out of the box, it doesn't give you a huge advantage over a decent ego battery. My ego-style batteries come off the charger at 4.1 volts and I typically recharge them by the time they get down to 3.4v. The Bolt is about the same. And my ego batteries seem so far to tolerate current loads of up to 2 amps. Same for the Bolt.
There are some posts and videos on how to rewire the Bolt. Basic soldering skills are required... very basic. I have a couple of things to add --
1. Get a solder remover. I use a spring-load vacuum device. Makes re-soldering a lot easier.
2. Replace the gasket in the 510 connector while you're in there. It's not necessary to change the connector, which would be a PIA because it's press-fit, grounded to the case.
3. You can stuff 20g wire in there, with a sufficient amount of cursing.
5. Make sure you remove the post from the disc where the battery goes, the disc melts.
6. I like using a glue gun better than epoxy when you're putting the thing back together. So you can take it apart again later. (Put a cup of water in the microwave for three minutes, plunk the head into the water, a few seconds later the glue melts. If you're quick, you can get it all cleaned out for another round of modding the mod).
Fresh out of the box, the threads on the 510 connector are a little rough. Don't use too much force to screw the atomizer on, you'll trash the insulators and get a short. In fact you might want to use an old cartridge to buff up the threads until it goes on without any force. Then toss the cartridge.
Speaking of shorts, get a protected battery. And a decent (eg Xtar) charger.
This is a great platform for a kick. The kick works fine with an AW IMR18350 battery. I like the kick better than a vv mod because
a) The kick regulates wattage, not volts. Wattage is the key variable in the vaping experience. (And I don't mind messing around with a screwdriver).
b) If the electronics crap out, just remove them and go back to using the thing like a flashlight.
Thus, with a little work, but not too much money, you get the best of both worlds. I have an array of dripping atomizers of varying resistance, and some nifty Empire drip shields and tips. Makes it look like a rocket ship. And I have a nice carto-tank that I can fine-tune with the kick. With enough tube extensions I can kick an 18650 battery. (With enough tube extensions, I could make the thing six feet long. Heh! It would be like smoking an oboe!)
And that's why I'm glad I got mine from Madvapes. Cuz they have the parts. Just go ahead and order an extra button, two extensions, and some insulator grommets up front.
Yeah. Someday I'm buying American steel. Maybe an Empire cuz I love those guys. (I guess that would be American aluminum...) But for something I can take down to the lab to work on, I just don't think you can beat that Bolt.
First of all, I think you have to look at the Bolt as a kit. Right out of the box, it doesn't give you a huge advantage over a decent ego battery. My ego-style batteries come off the charger at 4.1 volts and I typically recharge them by the time they get down to 3.4v. The Bolt is about the same. And my ego batteries seem so far to tolerate current loads of up to 2 amps. Same for the Bolt.
There are some posts and videos on how to rewire the Bolt. Basic soldering skills are required... very basic. I have a couple of things to add --
1. Get a solder remover. I use a spring-load vacuum device. Makes re-soldering a lot easier.
2. Replace the gasket in the 510 connector while you're in there. It's not necessary to change the connector, which would be a PIA because it's press-fit, grounded to the case.
3. You can stuff 20g wire in there, with a sufficient amount of cursing.
5. Make sure you remove the post from the disc where the battery goes, the disc melts.
6. I like using a glue gun better than epoxy when you're putting the thing back together. So you can take it apart again later. (Put a cup of water in the microwave for three minutes, plunk the head into the water, a few seconds later the glue melts. If you're quick, you can get it all cleaned out for another round of modding the mod).
Fresh out of the box, the threads on the 510 connector are a little rough. Don't use too much force to screw the atomizer on, you'll trash the insulators and get a short. In fact you might want to use an old cartridge to buff up the threads until it goes on without any force. Then toss the cartridge.
Speaking of shorts, get a protected battery. And a decent (eg Xtar) charger.
This is a great platform for a kick. The kick works fine with an AW IMR18350 battery. I like the kick better than a vv mod because
a) The kick regulates wattage, not volts. Wattage is the key variable in the vaping experience. (And I don't mind messing around with a screwdriver).
b) If the electronics crap out, just remove them and go back to using the thing like a flashlight.
Thus, with a little work, but not too much money, you get the best of both worlds. I have an array of dripping atomizers of varying resistance, and some nifty Empire drip shields and tips. Makes it look like a rocket ship. And I have a nice carto-tank that I can fine-tune with the kick. With enough tube extensions I can kick an 18650 battery. (With enough tube extensions, I could make the thing six feet long. Heh! It would be like smoking an oboe!)
And that's why I'm glad I got mine from Madvapes. Cuz they have the parts. Just go ahead and order an extra button, two extensions, and some insulator grommets up front.
Yeah. Someday I'm buying American steel. Maybe an Empire cuz I love those guys. (I guess that would be American aluminum...) But for something I can take down to the lab to work on, I just don't think you can beat that Bolt.
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