Lets talk ZNA 30

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maf2k8

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So what atomizers (other than Z2 threaded ones) are able to be adjusted enough to sit flush on the ZNA? I have seen the Ithaca (way too complicated for me). Include clones if you are using one :)

I know the Russian 91% and some kayfun Lite clones have a adjustable center pin, They might sit flush on these.
 

frazz

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I know the Russian 91% and some Kayfun Lite clones have a adjustable center pin, They might sit flush on these.

Yea, I have a kayfun light clone with adjustable center pin.... even with the adjustable pin, still doesn't adjust enough to sit flush on my provari.... just wondering if we have any confirmation before I drop more cash :)
 

devauto

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Okay, so I admit it, I have not read this entire thread yet, but it seems I am the odd one out. I was lucky enough to get the ZNA Launch Day Edition. I was not going to spend so much on a DNA30 device, but it happened to coincide with my 1 year vaping anniversary and so I bought it for myself as a congratulatory gift. Sadly, so far, I don't much care for it.

It looks GORGEOUS, I absolutely love the colors (gunmetal and copper), and the shape is fantastic. That however is about the best I can say at this point. The problems start with the fact that I bought the LDE, there are no other tubes in this color, so I can't just buy the same color 18650 tube to match the original. Not to mention that even if there were other colors, I would be another $130 into it. I suppose I should have expected that, as it will keep folks from buying parts and making their own LDE, but even still, it kind of sucks. It appears my best chance is to go with a gunmetal tube and 510 connector, at which point the entire thing will be gunmetal and not nearly as nice looking (in my opinion).

Next, they chose an 18490 tube as the base, instead of a more standard 18650. With the 18490 batteries I have had to buy a bunch of them to last anywhere near as long as anything I own that uses the 18650. I can go a full day on one 18650 in my Legend, eVic, or VTR, but it takes 3 or 4 18490s to go as long. This I will chalk up to inexperience with anything other than 18650 batteries, and if that were it, I could almost live with it as a learning experience, however, read on.

The next problem I have is that the bottom battery cap, with the 18490 tube on it does not sit level with the bottom of the actual device. it is just a fraction of an inch too high, i.e. the device is slightly longer than the tube/cap, so when you set it down, it leans and does not sit flat. This too, I could almost live with as well.

I also have some issues with the button design. It seems to be far to sensitive to "bump activation". It does not take anything at all to cause this thing to fire. While I can learn to live with that, I had hoped there would be a little more resistance in the button. This is a really minor thing and I have mostly adjusted to it. The adjustment buttons are the same way, if I don't "lock" the settings, just by holding the ZNA, I find myself often hitting it at 30 watts, just from the way I hold it in my hand. I am learning to hold it slightly differently, so I will chalk this problem up to user ergonomics, likely not everyone will have this problem.

Fit and finish is 98% awesome. The ZNA loses 2% here because the tube does not thread cleanly onto the device itself. Where the battery cap threads onto the tube like butter, the same cannot be said about the actual tube to ZNA mating. The tube threads on about 3/4 of the way, then sticks and wedges a little. With a little bit of extra force (not too much though) it can be pushed past this point, and from there continues to thread cleanly. I don't know if this is a burr in the threading, or even if it is the same on all of the ZNAs. As I don't have any other tubes to test with, it may simply be my device, I just don't know.

Worst of all, the 510 connector that comes with the unit is AWFUL. I admit it, I am a tank user, Protanks, Davide's (BDC), etc. I love my tanks because they are easy to use. The problem is that with the ZNA, they don't even remotely sit flush on the top of the device. there is easily a 1/16 - 1/8 inch gap between the bottom of the tank and the top of the ZNA. Tightening it as much as I can to reduce this gap is problematic, I find myself occasionally over tightening just a little, which is enough to compress the gasket in the base of the tank and completely block all airflow. The other problem with such a large gap is that it allows a lot of flex on the tank's 510 connector, and sometimes the tank works itself loose from the top a little bit. I have not found a way to fix this yet. I suspect this problem would also occur with a KFL, Russian, or any other 510 threaded topper (in fairness, I don't have one to try yet). I am going to try a washer or a silicon gasket between the tank and the ZNA, hopefully one of these will fill the gap without killing all airflow or damaging the finish on the cap.

Now some of you may think that these are minor issues, and in most any other device, I would likely agree. However, the ZNA sells for a premium price, and the LDE is even more of a premium than the standard, so I would expect it to be perfect. As it ships with a 510 connector for compatibility, I would anticipate that it would actually be compatible out of the box, and it isn't.

So far this device seems to have all the quality of any device at half the price (or less), not the premium quality I would have expected for the cash. I absolutely hate the fact that my Chinese made VTR seems to be better built to standards than the American made ZNA that I would rather use. Don't get me wrong, the wow factor of the look is fantastic, but at the price, I expected something I could use as a daily vaping device rather than a pretty device to sit on a shelf and look great in a collection.

Maybe it's just me, but that's my first take on the ZNA. I hope Zen will come out with some parts to fix these issues, a compatible 510 connector and a slightly longer battery cap would go a long way as a start.

--------------------UPDATE---------------------

Within 30 minutes of posting this, my ZNA has started to auto adjust upwards to 30, every single time I put a battery in it. The only thing I have found that will stop it from constantly climbing is to lock the settings on the device as quick as possible. Of course as soon as I unlock it, it starts rising again... It seems that there is a problem with the button itself, even when I get it to stop rising, simple touching the side of the button causes it to start climbing again. I am at wits end with this device right now!
 
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frazz

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Jan 15, 2010
465
316
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Okay, so I admit it, I have not read this entire thread yet, but it seems I am the odd one out. I was lucky enough to get the ZNA Launch Day Edition. I was not going to spend so much on a DNA30 device, but it happened to coincide with my 1 year vaping anniversary and so I bought it for myself as a congratulatory gift. Sadly, so far, I don't much care for it.

It looks GORGEOUS, I absolutely love the colors (gunmetal and copper), and the shape is fantastic. That however is about the best I can say at this point. The problems start with the fact that I bought the LDE, there are no other tubes in this color, so I can't just buy the same color 18650 tube to match the original. Not to mention that even if there were other colors, I would be another $130 into it. I suppose I should have expected that, as it will keep folks from buying parts and making their own LDE, but even still, it kind of sucks. It appears my best chance is to go with a gunmetal tube and 510 connector, at which point the entire thing will be gunmetal and not nearly as nice looking (in my opinion).

Next, they chose an 18490 tube as the base, instead of a more standard 18650. With the 18490 batteries I have had to buy a bunch of them to last anywhere near as long as anything I own that uses the 18650. I can go a full day on one 18650 in my Legend, eVic, or VTR, but it takes 3 or 4 18490s to go as long. This I will chalk up to inexperience with anything other than 18650 batteries, and if that were it, I could almost live with it as a learning experience, however, read on.

The next problem I have is that the bottom battery cap, with the 18490 tube on it does not sit level with the bottom of the actual device. it is just a fraction of an inch too high, i.e. the device is slightly longer than the tube/cap, so when you set it down, it leans and does not sit flat. This too, I could almost live with as well.

I also have some issues with the button design. It seems to be far to sensitive to "bump activation". It does not take anything at all to cause this thing to fire. While I can learn to live with that, I had hoped there would be a little more resistance in the button. This is a really minor thing and I have mostly adjusted to it. The adjustment buttons are the same way, if I don't "lock" the settings, just by holding the ZNA, I find myself often hitting it at 30 watts, just from the way I hold it in my hand. I am learning to hold it slightly differently, so I will chalk this problem up to user ergonomics, likely not everyone will have this problem.

Fit and finish is 98% awesome. The ZNA loses 2% here because the tube does not thread cleanly onto the device itself. Where the battery cap threads onto the tube like butter, the same cannot be said about the actual tube to ZNA mating. The tube threads on about 3/4 of the way, then sticks and wedges a little. With a little bit of extra force (not too much though) it can be pushed past this point, and from there continues to thread cleanly. I don't know if this is a burr in the threading, or even if it is the same on all of the ZNAs. As I don't have any other tubes to test with, it may simply be my device, I just don't know.

Worst of all, the 510 connector that comes with the unit is AWFUL. I admit it, I am a tank user, Protanks, Davide's (BDC), etc. I love my tanks because they are easy to use. The problem is that with the ZNA, they don't even remotely sit flush on the top of the device. there is easily a 1/16 - 1/8 inch gap between the bottom of the tank and the top of the ZNA. Tightening it as much as I can to reduce this gap is problematic, I find myself occasionally over tightening just a little, which is enough to compress the gasket in the base of the tank and completely block all airflow. The other problem with such a large gap is that it allows a lot of flex on the tank's 510 connector, and sometimes the tank works itself loose from the top a little bit. I have not found a way to fix this yet. I suspect this problem would also occur with a KFL, Russian, or any other 510 threaded topper (in fairness, I don't have one to try yet). I am going to try a washer or a silicon gasket between the tank and the ZNA, hopefully one of these will fill the gap without killing all airflow or damaging the finish on the cap.

Now some of you may think that these are minor issues, and in most any other device, I would likely agree. However, the ZNA sells for a premium price, and the LDE is even more of a premium than the standard, so I would expect it to be perfect. As it ships with a 510 connector for compatibility, I would anticipate that it would actually be compatible out of the box, and it isn't.

So far this device seems to have all the quality of any device at half the price (or less), not the premium quality I would have expected for the cash. I absolutely hate the fact that my Chinese made VTR seems to be better built to standards than the American made ZNA that I would rather use. Don't get me wrong, the wow factor of the look is fantastic, but at the price, I expected something I could use as a daily vaping device rather than a pretty device to sit on a shelf and look great in a collection.

Maybe it's just me, but that's my first take on the ZNA. I hope Zen will come out with some parts to fix these issues, a compatible 510 connector and a slightly longer battery cap would go a long way as a start.

I too hope the 510 gap issue is rectified. Seems odd that so much thought went into the device and that an obvious issue such as this would not have been found and fixed in beta. I am really hoping the Z2 threading takes off and that more attys will start to come this way. Other than the Zen atomizers, the only other z2 threaded one I can find is the Link....and I don't drip. Zen if you are reading this, any comments you have would be appreciated.
 

C1utch

Full Member
Nov 26, 2012
16
2
United States
Here's a new 18650 with a new zenkote finish option.. Brushed gun metal...sexy!

a9yvygy8.jpg

Where did you buy the tube from?
 

arh32

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Aug 2, 2012
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Yea, I have a kayfun light clone with adjustable center pin.... even with the adjustable pin, still doesn't adjust enough to sit flush on my provari.... just wondering if we have any confirmation before I drop more cash :)

I hhave the russian 91 on it now and its as flush as can be!!
 

arh32

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