SM V3 Semovar VS Provari

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Phone Guy

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Unfortunately, merely young at heart. Unfortunately, too old to learn. Fortunately never had to live with a micro build. Maybe things are different in Texas. The ladies have smaller expectations, perhaps. Or maybe you live in a part of Texas where it gets cold.


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I'll shut up now :eek:
(That was f'in funny BTW)
 

Miata GT

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Hey Phone Guy! Where are you? If you manage to get your red plastic installed, in sticker mode it will look like this:
View attachment 316903
But, it will not work. Trust me.

Mmmm, sticker and Red purdy bits!

image.jpg
 

ethermion

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Jan 23, 2014
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Well, thanks for that Miata man. You motivated me to get mine up and running. The missing ingredient was a sober moment, and a calm temperament.

photo(11).jpg

I like the idea, but am still dissatisfied with the execution. The button and display are in the wrong place, so I have to remove the battery, remove two screws, remove the base, loosen one screw, turn a ring, re-tighten the screw, replace the base, install the two screws for the base, then *carefully* replace the battery - watching out for shorts such that I might have done something wrong.

I am getting .5 to .6 volt drops, a bit more than in deal-doh mode. I work from home, with a fist full of batteries, so not a deal breaker, but definitely an annoyance.

And, just did a quick test, trying to remove the battery tube does again loosen the mount on the base, so I will be back again in break it down mode.

It needs a good scrub, some noalox (or whatever that stuff is for electrical conductivity), and definitely some loctite.

I think it was the founder of Tektronix that said that a connector is a point of failure between two pieces of perfectly working equipment. This sticker base, with all of its parts and such, did not get that memo.

And the battery tube and the control head tilt toward each other. A bit.

I am going to keep it, but I am having a hard time explaining why.
 

ethermion

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Kept using the sticker - did nothing but fire it. Voltage drop over 1V. E5 codes on a 4.1V battery. Removed the sticker, semo reports 0.1V drop.

So, the sticker now looks like this:
photo(12).jpg

And it will stay that way until I can get to the hardware store. Not sure what I think about loctite on threads, as the threads are flowing some of the electricity.

I do have ideas for re-assembly to hopefully help the situation, lots of parts are adjustable in how they mate up.

But for what I paid, it should have been rock solid, delivered by a drunk buxom blonde.

Not giving up, but I have other things to do in life before I get back to it.
 

ethermion

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I received my extended kit from Cloud 9 Vaping this morning.
Another one of my impulse buys.
It is now in the classifieds. :(

The extended kit is the semovar, battery tubes and the hybrid adapter. I have all of that and more, and would expect you to be very happy. It is currently my favorite rig. I have been fussing about an un-necessary accessory that few of us have.

If you unload it on the classifieds, you are only going to make someone else very happy.
 

ZeroOhm

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Kept using the sticker - did nothing but fire it. Voltage drop over 1V. E5 codes on a 4.1V battery. Removed the sticker, semo reports 0.1V drop.

So, the sticker now looks like this:
View attachment 317507

And it will stay that way until I can get to the hardware store. Not sure what I think about loctite on threads, as the threads are flowing some of the electricity.

I do have ideas for re-assembly to hopefully help the situation, lots of parts are adjustable in how they mate up.

But for what I paid, it should have been rock solid, delivered by a drunk buxom blonde.

Not giving up, but I have other things to do in life before I get back to it.

I feel for you man, i agree should work out the box i didn't want to wait or pay retail from SM and even the 2nd user unit i got works:( The VD is a prb especially with the Semo's battery cut off at 3.5-3.6v .6v drop dead, can't vape in no time and i agree normally i am seeing .1v VD on both my units in tube mode.

The window/trigger button alignment was out on mine but each one is threaded differently so if I align it on one it would be out for the other.

I don't have time right now with life and heading back tonight hope you get it sorted can't suggest anything other than check everything is seated and true when reassembling.

Vape on!
 

BILLB OKC

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The extended kit is the semovar, battery tubes and the hybrid adapter. I have all of that and more, and would expect you to be very happy. It is currently my favorite rig. I have been fussing about an un-necessary accessory that few of us have.

If you unload it on the classifieds, you are only going to make someone else very happy.


tis sold ....... nothing to see here
 

ethermion

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The window/trigger button alignment was out on mine but each one is threaded differently so if I align it on one it would be out for the other.

Vape on!

It took me a moment to catch what you were saying here, but yes, I got you. The sticker is the redheaded step-child. Happy with everything else. Errr, except for the bender I just got that has not a chance of mating with my KFL+V2.

I think, such that I know anything, that one problem is the positive path is really only through those two screws on the positive bracket. They don't make good contact. They are taper head screws, but no taper cut in the bracket hole. Cannot screw them flush. And, if the insulators were more thin, one might be able to have contact from the battery post, and the control head post directly on the positive bracket. We are only talking 4 volts here, the insulators could probably be just a piece of paper or locks of hair from a virgin. Well, at least the bottom insulators. The top ones seem structural - keeping the posts centered.

Well, at least the trusty old Semo has reverse battery protection. Swapping the battery in the sticker, positive goes down, folks. Goofed that, and got the you screwed up display. Flipped back and all good. Had it been a Provari, or a DNA, I would be printing a shipping label.
 

Phone Guy

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Sorry BillB didn't like the semovar. I bought mine in the classifieds with the 650 tube and hybrid connector only and really like it. Waiting on a 350 tube and some red accents :)

I do see voltage drop across all my batteries in the semovar, even in my Sony vtc4 which are currently the newest technology batteries I have in my collection. I also have a DNA20 Futura device which does not show voltage drop on screen the same way the semovar does, but I feel they perform about the same battery wise. Which is to say I feel the DNA20 suffers from the same voltage drop as the semovar, but it's not as easy to check on the Futura (DNA20) as it is on the semovar.

My point is vaping at higher wattage just eats thru batteries - period. I don't think the mod device matters much on voltage drop or voltage life. Seems to be like vaping at 15 watts on either DNA20 or semovar nivel yields the same battery time, voltage drop, vaping time on a given battery.

That's my non scientific opinion :)
 
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ethermion

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Here is a battery report I posted on a different thread.
Battery report:

I put in a Panasonic 3400mah NCR18650B in my Semovar on Wednesday at 5 in the morning.
Batttery is about 4 months old, and well used.
Nivel Chip 1.4, firmware 1.80.
Display intensity set to 2.
Button LED set to ON.
Battery cap inverted with spring pointing out.
Vaped all Wednesday at 12W
Vaped Thursday a.m. at 12W, then toggled down to 10W, then 8W for the rest of the day.
Vaped this morning (Friday) 5am to 8am.
Dead battery. Removed battery, re-inserted, got one vape. Dead battery.
Vape timer says 58 minutes of vape.
xTar VP1 reports 3.4V on dead battery.
Battery readings during this time showed 0.2V to 0.5V difference between unloaded and loaded.
No battery re-insertions other than noted above at the very end.
No errors, though I cannot see the window when I vape. It may have been throwing errors, but I noticed nothing from the vape quality.

I never got that far with my eVic, and my eVic was always at 8-9W.

I am very happy with my Semovar battery life. And I am going to stop neurosing about battery voltages. If I swap in a new battery every morning with my breakfast beer, life will be good.

And this is my somewhat scientific opinion. And the voltage drop seems to be a perfect example the hazard of introducing features for which nobody asked. If nobody could see, nobody would worry - unless they had a sticker...
 
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ethermion

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Nice pictures. Double nice job on getting both mods lit up for the shot. Not sure I could manage that.
Indeed the 350 tube is darker. So, you are not brushed/semi-polished/epsilon. You are also not polished/shiny-fingerprint-magnet/delta. Of the other three choices, I have no idea.

Maybe after some time in your grubby hands, the difference will fade.

Actually, I think it would be much less noticeable with yellow windows. At least it looks better than my sticker.

We can ponder options when the new end caps come out...


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Thunderball

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Etermion..... you make reading a couple weeks of Semo/Sticker posts entertaining. You have also talked me out of getting a Sticker..(thank You)

I dont know much about voltage drops, but I use both Semos in Volts not Watts due to battery life.....or so Im told. Im still enjoying my Semo's.

The Provari's are on deck and only used to Drip new DIY flavors.

Bill's Majic Vapor: Tried the Taifun with a cotton build yesterday. It would have to be drilled out to have the same nice big draw of a fasttech sold Kayfun 3.1 (best air draw of all clones and originals).... But the Taifun is a nice topper. Dont know why they made it 23mm though. Kinda strange.

Heres saying hi to everyone.... Ive been on here less and less as its getting warmer and Im getting back into real "life stuff"... Boating, riding the scooter, etc..
 

ethermion

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Back to the sticker. Decided against loctite - as it is not electrically conductive unless you get the epoxy version. Decided against noalox, as it is indicated for aluminum.

Decided to just give the sticker a good clean, using CRC Lectra-Motive. Removes grease, no residue.
photo(14).jpg

.2 to .3V drops under load. About 1 hour into it. As you can (kind of) see in the pic, the air intake for the KFL+V2 is directly above the screen. When I grab it with my massive paws, err, average sized hands, I block the air intake. How to get that to point to the battery tube? Something else to fuss with.

Might be progress, might not, but doing the best with what I have on hand.

More later. Other ideas, eagerly welcome. Really.
 

ethermion

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Etermion..... you make reading a couple weeks of Semo/Sticker posts entertaining. You have also talked me out of getting a Sticker..(thank You)

I dont know much about voltage drops, but I use both Semos in Volts not Watts due to battery life.....or so Im told. Im still enjoying my Semo's.

I am currently trying to not hate my sticker. It reeks of the cleaner, which is non-toxic unless you live in California (not quite true, but it reeks). If you found my posts entertaining, maybe during a scooter ride you can find the pig. He seemed to be on a real name basis with you. He needs to share sticker wisdom.

Cripes sakes. Here I am again looking to a pig for advice.

While I believe that volts mode saves battery life, I doubt it is much or even measurable by you. Put her in watts mode, and feed her more manly batteries if necessary. Or, at least, run watts mode and give us a report.

Still enjoying my Semo too. No regrets there. Still drinking the Magic Bill kool-aid that a full up KF 4 is coming. I'll be getting one of those too.

Cheers,

-e
 

ethermion

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...the bit at the bottom that connects is called a sticker. ....
In this mode you need button top batteries

??? !!! I do not own any button top batteries! I earlier noticed that the battery post is bigger than the flat top connector on my battery. I crushed battery tops trying to torque things down, 'cause that is what I do. Where do you get this information?

Blasting batteries, Batman! This sticker stuff gets stickier by the moment!
 
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