It's time for a DNA 200. But which one..?

[Ben85]

I have decided that it is time to get a dna 200 and have narrowed my choices down to the Lavabox, the efusion and the VT200.

I appreciate that function wise they will all be the same as they have the same chip, but has anyone out there handled all 3 and can comment on their thoughts about build quality and how they fit in the hand? Some comparison pics would be handy as well if anyone has seen any?

I am really torn between these 3 and I keep fluctuating between them all, so any help would be appreciated.

 

[retird]

You might want to go to youtube and find reviews on these (and others you have discounted). You will see how they fit in the hand (and more) that way also.

 

[jstrong]

How come Vaporshark DNA200 and the Reuleaux are not on your list? The Vaporshark is the smallest and feels good in the hand plus you get the zip charging while the Reuleaux has 3 18650's and a good form factor as well. I had 2 of the HCigar VT200 they crapped out on me. I have seen several of the VT200's fail. The Lavabox has never appealed to me because of the plastic screen covering the front. It is a scratch magnet. The Efusion looks cool but you have to remove the carbon fiber to service the battery which doesn't appeal to me. I guess it all comes down to what you need or are looking for in a mod.

 

[phephner]

You might find this to be an interesting read?
Do you really want a DNA 200 or did you just fall into the hype? - a shamelessjames buyers guide. • /r/electronic_cigarette

 

[Ben85]

I have not put the VS on the list as it is about £50 more here than the others, and I already have the rDNA40 so I want a bit of a change.

The reuleaux was on my list, but it's so chunky that I think it will get left at home.

The 3 I listed are all similarly priced, and all seem reasonably pocket friendly.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

From Left to Right: Hotcig DX200, Hcigar VT200, and Volcano Lavabox

Here's a picture of 2 out of the 3 you are interested in. Sorry I don't have the Efusiin so I can't comment on that one. The VT200 is a bit thinner and has a bit more battery life. Even though it's advertised as a 1300mah Lipo, in reality most people are getting between 1000-1100mah. It's a tough call as to which one you will like best. I like the VT200 just the slightest bit better because of battery life, thinner, and the Lavabox has a tinted front faceplate which makes the display a tad darker. Might not matter for most people, but my old eyes appreciate the brighter display on the VT200.

Cheers,
Steve

PS I really like my DNA200 mods, haven't really used anything else since getting them.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Here's one more picture with an IPV3 Li added to the mix for a size comparison.

L to R Lavabox, IPV3 Li (dual 18650), VT200, and DX200

Cheers,
Steve

PS. I forgot to mention, the Lavabox has the rubber grip which I also like. Really a tough call between it and the VT200

 

[AnsonJames]

I've been using the VT200 all week, the chip is going to be pretty amazing in anything that it's been put into really.
The VT200 is a classy little mod which is nice to hold and looks pretty decent - in my opinion anyway.

I love it as much as I did my Provaris back in the day.

 

[Ben85]

Thanks for the comments and the pics. I don't think I'll be disappointed with whatever I choose.

 

[Jeremy Schreiber]

Thanks for the comments and the pics. I don't think I'll be disappointed with whatever I choose.

Absolutely agree that you will be happy with whichever you choose. You are going to get a wide variety of opinions based largely on what other people own. Go for what appeals to you.

 

[sofarsogood]

It appears to me that the dna 200 will fire 1.5 ohm coils in TC mode. I want that. I also want the data collection. But I want all that in a compact mod that holds 2 replacable cells. I never go above 30 max watts so I'll go to the software and set a hard limit of 40 max watts then use 2 3000 mah batteries. The combination of high ohm coil and 6,000 mah will be a lot of endurance for field trips. Is anybody putting the dna200 chip in the form factor I'm looking for?

 

[Wingsfan0310]

It appears to me that the dna 200 will fire 1.5 ohm coils in TC mode. I want that. I also want the data collection. But I want all that in a compact mod that holds 2 replacable cells. I never go above 30 max watts so I'll go to the software and set a hard limit of 40 max watts then use 2 3000 mah batteries. The combination of high ohm coil and 6,000 mah will be a lot of endurance for field trips. Is anybody putting the dna200 chip in the form factor I'm looking for?

The only dual 18650 DNA200 Mod that I know of atm is The Boxer. With only 2 batteries the DNA200 is limited to 133 watts. I'm also not so sure it will fire in TC over 1 ohm. I don't see that being a problem since you will be using either Ni200, Ti1, or SS for TC. With those wires, a 1.5 ohm coil would be massive. My normal TC builds run anywhere from .06-.08 for Ni200 (that's a dual coil, so single would be double) to .2-.25 for Ti1 and SS (double that for a single coil build). Kanthal doesn't work in TC.

PS Hcigar is supposed to be coming out with a dual 18650 DNA200 mod (VT133) somewhere around the beginning of February that should be less expensive than the Boxer (my guess is it will be around $150). One other thing, with the DNA200 mods, the batteries are wired in series. The mah doesn't add the voltage does, so it would technically be 7.4v - 3000mah (same amount of watt hours either way)

Cheers,
Steve

 

[sofarsogood]

The only dual 18650 DNA200 Mod that I know of atm is The Boxer. With only 2 batteries the DNA200 is limited to 133 watts. I'm also not so sure it will fire in TC over 1 ohm. I don't see that being a problem since you will be using either Ni200, Ti1, or SS for TC. With those wires, a 1.5 ohm coil would be massive. My normal TC builds run anywhere from .06-.08 for Ni200 (that's a dual coil, so single would be double) to .2-.25 for Ti1 and SS (double that for a single coil build). Kanthal doesn't work in TC.

Thanks for the feedback. The boxer is not a "compact" mod. It's the same size as the 3 cell wismec device, may be a bit less weight. From what I could see on the evolve website the board will fire a 1.5 ohm coil in TC mode but limits the power that can be applied. And you're right it would be a series setup. I imagine paralell is a little safer and easier on the batteries and it would produce all the watts I'm looking for. I've been thinking more and more about assembling my own device. I wonder if the dan200 cares whether the batteries are series or paralell. May be there is 2 cell mod out there where I could just swap the board.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

The way the board is set up now, the batteries need to be wired in series (no boost, only buck). It can run up to 200 watts with 3 batteries in series (11.1 nominal voltage) or with 2 batteries in series (7.4v nominal). Maybe in the future they will come out with a version that would run off 1 battery (3.7v nominal), or multiple in parallel (3.7v) but as of now it won't work like that. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Cheers,
Steve

Edit Here's the link to the thread on the VT133, it's built more like a standard dual 18650 mod. Probably more what you are looking for

 

[Jeremy Schreiber]

Thanks for the feedback. The boxer is not a "compact" mod. It's the same size as the 3 cell wismec device, may be a bit less weight. From what I could see on the evolve website the board will fire a 1.5 ohm coil in TC mode but limits the power that can be applied. And you're right it would be a series setup. I imagine paralell is a little safer and easier on the batteries and it would produce all the watts I'm looking for. I've been thinking more and more about assembling my own device. I wonder if the dan200 cares whether the batteries are series or paralell. May be there is 2 cell mod out there where I could just swap the board.

I can assure you the Boxer (133/dual 18650) is a noticeable amount smaller than the Reuleaux DNA200 from having both. The weight difference is night and day. I love both equally. See the picture I posted above. Is it a huge difference? No, but both the Reuleaux and the Boxer are smaller than they appear in the pictures. I would have to check the dimensions, but the Boxer is the essentially the same height as an IPV D2 (3in vs 3.17) and width (1.5 to 1.63) and the main difference is the thickness. What one considers "compact" is subjective. I would definitely count is as compact, but that is in contrast to the Opus, Reuleaux, and IPV4.

Edit: sorry, I didn't mean to get off topic. My point is that all the DNA devices are roughly the same size - some smaller than others (with the exception of those with the large, large LiPo batteries) and personal preference on things like aesthetics come into play to differentiate them.

 

[sofarsogood]

The way the board is set up now, the batteries need to be wired in series (no boost, only buck). It can run up to 200 watts with 3 batteries in series (11.1 nominal voltage) or with 2 batteries in series (7.4v nominal). Maybe in the future they will come out with a version that would run off 1 battery (3.7v nominal), or multiple in parallel (3.7v) but as of now it won't work like that. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Cheers,
Steve

Edit Here's the link to the thread on the VT133, it's built more like a standard dual 18650 mod. Probably more what you are looking for

Thanks. I wonder what it would take for evolve to upgrade the dna40 to have escribe functionality. Call it the DNA50. May be someday when we all grow up.

 

[Tom Forde]

I can assure you the Boxer (133/dual 18650) is a noticeable amount smaller than the Reuleaux DNA200 from having both. The weight difference is night and day. I love both equally. See the picture I posted above. Is it a huge difference? No, but both the Reuleaux and the Boxer are smaller than they appear in the pictures. I would have to check the dimensions, but the Boxer is the essentially the same height as an IPV D2 (3in vs 3.17) and width (1.5 to 1.63) and the main difference is the thickness. What one considers "compact" is subjective. I would definitely count is as compact, but that is in contrast to the Opus, Reuleaux, and IPV4.

Edit: sorry, I didn't mean to get off topic. My point is that all the DNA devices are roughly the same size - some smaller than others (with the exception of those with the large, large LiPo batteries) and personal preference on things like aesthetics come into play to differentiate them.

They make a Boxer with a LiPo as well that's smaller than the dual 18650 version, no? I forget which one is bigger/smaller in size. I personally have a Reuleaux and am not bothered by the size/weight. It's my favorite mod.

But since size matters here, the efusion DNA 200 is a large square, I say go with the Lava Box DNA 200 & an extra LiPo pack or two. They're only 900mAh so at $169 retail + $23 for an extra LiPo pack, you're at $193 + shipping if charged any. Brings you up to around the same price as the Vaporshark DNA 200, but neither
Include a 2.1A wall brick in the box. I like the looks of the Lava Box, & as for the plastic screen cover, atleast it'll scratch BEFORE cracking like a glass screen would in case you drop it.

 

[Souljah96786]

I'd go with the vapor shark. I love mine.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tmcguffie]

I'd go with the vapor shark. I love mine.

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I would totally agree, I love my rdna 40, nice feel in the hand and still giving going strong, so I had to go for the VS dna200, running it with a squape and a titanium build, great vape

 

[Ben85]

Thanks for the suggestions on the VS, but like I said I want a change so have ruled that out.

Think I will settle on either a VT200 or the Lavabox in the end, but both are with compromise. Maybe I should just wait to see what comes up next, but with legislation coming in, I do feel the need to choose soon.