Hi ECF members, In this review i take a look at the Battlestar 200W TC Squonker Kit from Smoant. The Battlestar 200W TC Squonker Kit was supplied for the purpose of this review by Kristy from Smoant.
http://smoant.com/battlestar-dual-18650-...index.html
Introduction
After squonking really started to take off in the second half of 2017 many predicted that 2018 would be a year dominated by squonking devices but that didn't materialise as pod systems flooded the market instead. What we did get when it came to squonking was more quality and innovation looking for alternatives to a squeeze bottle that needed removing from the device to fill. We start 2019 with Smoant's maiden voyage into the squonking arena and do so by incorporating a squonking method in their old faithful Battlestar device. Matched with the no bells and whistles yet decent Battlestar rda the Battlestar Squonker offers a pump style action, a feature packed menu system with the Ant Chipset (a cracking chip which although i don't use temp control is known for doing temp control very well) and great ergonomics with it's slim design. So let's give the Battlestar Squonker a good look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1 x Smoant Battlestar Squonker MOD
1 x Battlestar Squonker RDA
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Spare Liquid Bottle
1 x Solid Pin
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Spare Parts
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Battlestar Squonker Kit came in the usual cardboard box packaging and on opening i was met by a very familiar looking device, it looks very much like the original Battlestar but with a very curved back. I received the Black version which comes with matching Battlestar RDA, the other colour options are Gunmetal, Gradient Blue and Yellow, all devices come with a matching RDA. The device is made from Zinc Alloy and is very good build quality, as mention it has a curved spine with rounded back edges before the sides taper inwards so the front of the device is narrow. The battlestar Squonker has been designed to waste no space making it the smallest dual battery squonker i have seen. The front of the device has a square fire button at the top then near the bottom small square navigational buttons that are nicely spaced. At the very bottom of the front we have the micro USB port and finally on the front between the fire and navigational buttons is where we find the screen housed. The sides of the device has the Battlestar indented design and the back we find the outside of the liquid tank with smoked finish but the inner pipe is clearly visible. The bottom of the device is the hatch door which has printed branding and safety stamps, moving up top we have a 510 plate with o-ring to stop any excess liquid getting on your device. We have a Gold plated floating BF 510 and then towards the back of the top we have the pump action button. Overall as mentioned the device is very good build quality and ergonomically with it's size and shape it's spot on being able to fire with the finger while squonking with the thumb or visa versa if using the opposite hand. However a couple of things to point out, first the o-ring on the 510 plate sometimes is stuck to the bottom of the RDA after removal rather than staying in place on the plate, the other is the pump action button which i can best describe by saying it's a bit like a detonator plunger is very wobbly, so not sure how it will hold up with long term use.
___________________________________________________________________
Battlestar RDA Specs and Features:
Size: 22 x 24mm
Type: Dual Coils RDA
Material: SS304/Brass
Drip tip: 810 Resin Drip Tip
Airflow control: Side Angled Airflow
Big Build Deck with 24mm Diameter
Deep Juice Well for Easy Bottom Feed
Durable 304 Stainless Steel and Brass Construction
Gold-plated Dual Post Build Deck for Easy Building
Thread: 510
Colours: Black, Gunmetal, Gradient Blue, Yellow
___________________________________________________________________
Battlestar RDA Overview
The Battlestar RDA has been around a while now and is a simple design RDA but well made with thick walls. It has a groove around the centre of the sleeve which makes it look like it may have an inner sleeve but it is just a one piece sleeve. It has dual airflow slots which are quite low which line up with angled ramps on the outside of the deck angling the airflow directly at the bottom of your installed coils. The deck again is a simple 4 post central design, so a very easy dual coil build simply unscrew and tighten your screws from above. The posts are a bit of a distance apart so your outer legs will need stretching a bit and spacing the coils will help but there really is nothing difficult about building on the 24mm deck. Wicking i just did normally lining the ends up with the outer o-ring for a cutting to length guide then tucked the ends into the wicking channels. With the Battlestar RDA coming as part of this squonking kit it has the BF pin pre-installed but you get an included solid pin along with spare o-rings, screws coils and cotton, the drip tip is a goon style fitting.
___________________________________________________________________
Battlestar Squonker Specs and Features:
Size: 87.5 x 44.5 x 40.5mm
Battery: 2x 18650 batteries (not included)
Power Range: 1W-200W
Screen: 0.96-inch OLED
Output modes: VW/VV/DVW(Wattage Curves)/Temp(Ni,Ti,SS)/TCR
Resistance Range: 0.05ohm-3.0ohm
Temperature Range: 200℉--600℉/100℃--300℃
Protection: Reverse/ Over-heating/ Low voltage/ Short-circuit / Over-time protections
Juice Capacity: 7ml
Compact TC squonker MOD with ergonomic design
Top push button squonker MOD
200W Max. output power with various powerful modes
2A QC and balanced charge
Thread: Spring loaded BF 510
Colours: Black, Gunmetal, Gradient Blue, Yellow
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Batteries
The Battlestar Squonker takes dual 18650 batteries which are fitted via the bottom hatch door which needs pulling outwards and then it lifts up. It's via the hatch door you also get access to your squonk tank but that is isolated in it's own compartment which i will explain later. The door is solid and when secured in place has no movement (battery hatch doors are getting better all the time) but yet again poor orientation labelling. Their is no orientation labelling inside the compartment and the labelling on the hatch door is tiny and Black on Black (please use White).
___________________________________________________________________
The Display
The Screen does have a slight tinted cover but the display is nice and bright and very sharp. The display is simply laid out but does give all the information you require. Top left we have the current mode, then top right we have a battery indication bar (i wish this gave 2 bars, one for each battery or even as a percentage). Next we have in large the wattage, Voltage or temperature if you are in temp control followed by the unit W, V, C or F. Next on the display we have the voltage which displays wattage when in other modes such as variable voltage and temp control, underneath the voltage we have the resistance, then underneath the resistance we have puffs then finally at the bottom of the display we have seconds vaped.
___________________________________________________________________
Navigating The Battlestar Squonker
What i like about the Battlestar squonker is it has all the features yet it's so simple to navigate the device. The device is the usual 5 clicks of the fire button to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off, once on pressing the - and + buttons together lock the navigational buttons but the device will still fire, press the 2 buttons again to unlock. To change modes is 3 clicks of the fire button which causes the current mode top left to flash, then just use the - and + buttons to change modes, the options are Variable Wattage, Variable Voltage, DVW which is your curves (when on this screen press fire and - together to allow you to adjust the curve), TC-Ni, TC-Ti, TC-SS and TCR. When you are in temp control pressing fire and + together allows you to set wattage for temp control.
___________________________________________________________________
The Squonk Tank
Rather than a soft bottle that you press the Battlestar Squonker uses a pump method for squonking allowing for a solid tank to be used for the liquid. Smoant have done a great job here as the tank is slim and curved to the contours of the device so no wasted real estate keeping the size of the device to a minimum, in fact the tank itself becomes the spine of the device. Although this is another system which allows for the filling of the tank without needing to remove it from the device which is a pro you still need to open the battery hatch door to fill it which is a con. When the battery hatch is open you can see the tank secures on the outside of the battery compartment and there is a protruding sealing section on the door so the tank is completely isolated from the batteries. On the bottom of the tank is a removable bung like what you get on pods which needs removing to fill the tank, it holds 7ml of liquid, it's a fair size port but don't rush and be prepared to just clean off any excess liquid. The tank can be removed for cleaning, replacing (you get a spare, big pro) or if you prefer to fill with the tank removed from the device. The tank has some piping that protrudes out the top of the tank that gets fed into the socket inside the device. The tank has a smoked appearance but is perfectly transparent and the whole of the tank is visible (as mentioned it actually becomes the spine of the set-up) so you can see exactly how much liquid is in the tank at all times.
___________________________________________________________________
Build Pictures:
___________________________________________________________________
Using The Kit
As usual i have to state i don't use temp control and have no access to data but simply review devices as a personal vaping experience. After saying that the Ant chip is known for doing TC well and have heard no different for this device and although i doubt the device is going to give you the full 200w with dual 18650's again Smoant devices get closer than most. The device feels great in the hand while using and fires without delay, packed with features yet simple to use a lot of people will like this device. The curves worked well and the squonking system was flawless. It's different though as unlike the press bottle method that gives quite a large amount of liquid with just one press the pump delivers the liquid in much smaller amounts, some won't like this but others especially those that tend to be over Zealous with their squonking will get on much better with this system. The RDA is simple to build on and while nothing special gives good bottom airflow flavour, if using the RDA as a squonking RDA on another squonking device it will be a real candidate for escaping e-liquid out of the airflow holes but with the Battlestar squonker you are able to micro manage your juice far better. When it comes to battery life it seems very good much more akin with recent Smoant products rather than the original Battlestar. The device supports 2A balanced charging and is fully firmware upgradeable.
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Very well designed
Good solid device
Smallest dual battery squonker i have used
One hand operation
Very ergonomic
Squonk system worked flawlessly
Squonk tank can be filled without removing from device
Squonk tank isolated from batteries
The whole of tank visible so can see your juice level at all times
Spare squonk tank
Good spares including coils and cotton
Goon fitting 810
Simple menu system
Variable voltage as well as variable wattage
Curves feature
TC (not tested)
Fires instantly
Bright, sharp well laid out display
Good battery life
2A balanced charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
Squonk button has a lot of movement
O-ring on 510 plate comes away very easily
Need to open battery hatch to fill tank
Very poor battery orientation markings
Sleeve of RDA doesn't lock
Pro for some con for others
Squonking system gives small amounts of liquid compared to usual press bottle method. There is no right or wrong they are just different. Some wont like this system while others will love being able to micro manage their liquid much better.
I would once again like to thank Kristy from Smoant for supplying the Battlestar 200W TC Squonker Kit for the purpose of this review.
http://smoant.com/battlestar-dual-18650-...index.html
___________________________________________________________________
http://smoant.com/battlestar-dual-18650-...index.html
Introduction
After squonking really started to take off in the second half of 2017 many predicted that 2018 would be a year dominated by squonking devices but that didn't materialise as pod systems flooded the market instead. What we did get when it came to squonking was more quality and innovation looking for alternatives to a squeeze bottle that needed removing from the device to fill. We start 2019 with Smoant's maiden voyage into the squonking arena and do so by incorporating a squonking method in their old faithful Battlestar device. Matched with the no bells and whistles yet decent Battlestar rda the Battlestar Squonker offers a pump style action, a feature packed menu system with the Ant Chipset (a cracking chip which although i don't use temp control is known for doing temp control very well) and great ergonomics with it's slim design. So let's give the Battlestar Squonker a good look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1 x Smoant Battlestar Squonker MOD
1 x Battlestar Squonker RDA
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Spare Liquid Bottle
1 x Solid Pin
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Spare Parts
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Battlestar Squonker Kit came in the usual cardboard box packaging and on opening i was met by a very familiar looking device, it looks very much like the original Battlestar but with a very curved back. I received the Black version which comes with matching Battlestar RDA, the other colour options are Gunmetal, Gradient Blue and Yellow, all devices come with a matching RDA. The device is made from Zinc Alloy and is very good build quality, as mention it has a curved spine with rounded back edges before the sides taper inwards so the front of the device is narrow. The battlestar Squonker has been designed to waste no space making it the smallest dual battery squonker i have seen. The front of the device has a square fire button at the top then near the bottom small square navigational buttons that are nicely spaced. At the very bottom of the front we have the micro USB port and finally on the front between the fire and navigational buttons is where we find the screen housed. The sides of the device has the Battlestar indented design and the back we find the outside of the liquid tank with smoked finish but the inner pipe is clearly visible. The bottom of the device is the hatch door which has printed branding and safety stamps, moving up top we have a 510 plate with o-ring to stop any excess liquid getting on your device. We have a Gold plated floating BF 510 and then towards the back of the top we have the pump action button. Overall as mentioned the device is very good build quality and ergonomically with it's size and shape it's spot on being able to fire with the finger while squonking with the thumb or visa versa if using the opposite hand. However a couple of things to point out, first the o-ring on the 510 plate sometimes is stuck to the bottom of the RDA after removal rather than staying in place on the plate, the other is the pump action button which i can best describe by saying it's a bit like a detonator plunger is very wobbly, so not sure how it will hold up with long term use.
___________________________________________________________________
Battlestar RDA Specs and Features:
Size: 22 x 24mm
Type: Dual Coils RDA
Material: SS304/Brass
Drip tip: 810 Resin Drip Tip
Airflow control: Side Angled Airflow
Big Build Deck with 24mm Diameter
Deep Juice Well for Easy Bottom Feed
Durable 304 Stainless Steel and Brass Construction
Gold-plated Dual Post Build Deck for Easy Building
Thread: 510
Colours: Black, Gunmetal, Gradient Blue, Yellow
___________________________________________________________________
Battlestar RDA Overview
The Battlestar RDA has been around a while now and is a simple design RDA but well made with thick walls. It has a groove around the centre of the sleeve which makes it look like it may have an inner sleeve but it is just a one piece sleeve. It has dual airflow slots which are quite low which line up with angled ramps on the outside of the deck angling the airflow directly at the bottom of your installed coils. The deck again is a simple 4 post central design, so a very easy dual coil build simply unscrew and tighten your screws from above. The posts are a bit of a distance apart so your outer legs will need stretching a bit and spacing the coils will help but there really is nothing difficult about building on the 24mm deck. Wicking i just did normally lining the ends up with the outer o-ring for a cutting to length guide then tucked the ends into the wicking channels. With the Battlestar RDA coming as part of this squonking kit it has the BF pin pre-installed but you get an included solid pin along with spare o-rings, screws coils and cotton, the drip tip is a goon style fitting.
___________________________________________________________________
Battlestar Squonker Specs and Features:
Size: 87.5 x 44.5 x 40.5mm
Battery: 2x 18650 batteries (not included)
Power Range: 1W-200W
Screen: 0.96-inch OLED
Output modes: VW/VV/DVW(Wattage Curves)/Temp(Ni,Ti,SS)/TCR
Resistance Range: 0.05ohm-3.0ohm
Temperature Range: 200℉--600℉/100℃--300℃
Protection: Reverse/ Over-heating/ Low voltage/ Short-circuit / Over-time protections
Juice Capacity: 7ml
Compact TC squonker MOD with ergonomic design
Top push button squonker MOD
200W Max. output power with various powerful modes
2A QC and balanced charge
Thread: Spring loaded BF 510
Colours: Black, Gunmetal, Gradient Blue, Yellow
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Batteries
The Battlestar Squonker takes dual 18650 batteries which are fitted via the bottom hatch door which needs pulling outwards and then it lifts up. It's via the hatch door you also get access to your squonk tank but that is isolated in it's own compartment which i will explain later. The door is solid and when secured in place has no movement (battery hatch doors are getting better all the time) but yet again poor orientation labelling. Their is no orientation labelling inside the compartment and the labelling on the hatch door is tiny and Black on Black (please use White).
___________________________________________________________________
The Display
The Screen does have a slight tinted cover but the display is nice and bright and very sharp. The display is simply laid out but does give all the information you require. Top left we have the current mode, then top right we have a battery indication bar (i wish this gave 2 bars, one for each battery or even as a percentage). Next we have in large the wattage, Voltage or temperature if you are in temp control followed by the unit W, V, C or F. Next on the display we have the voltage which displays wattage when in other modes such as variable voltage and temp control, underneath the voltage we have the resistance, then underneath the resistance we have puffs then finally at the bottom of the display we have seconds vaped.
___________________________________________________________________
Navigating The Battlestar Squonker
What i like about the Battlestar squonker is it has all the features yet it's so simple to navigate the device. The device is the usual 5 clicks of the fire button to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off, once on pressing the - and + buttons together lock the navigational buttons but the device will still fire, press the 2 buttons again to unlock. To change modes is 3 clicks of the fire button which causes the current mode top left to flash, then just use the - and + buttons to change modes, the options are Variable Wattage, Variable Voltage, DVW which is your curves (when on this screen press fire and - together to allow you to adjust the curve), TC-Ni, TC-Ti, TC-SS and TCR. When you are in temp control pressing fire and + together allows you to set wattage for temp control.
___________________________________________________________________
The Squonk Tank
Rather than a soft bottle that you press the Battlestar Squonker uses a pump method for squonking allowing for a solid tank to be used for the liquid. Smoant have done a great job here as the tank is slim and curved to the contours of the device so no wasted real estate keeping the size of the device to a minimum, in fact the tank itself becomes the spine of the device. Although this is another system which allows for the filling of the tank without needing to remove it from the device which is a pro you still need to open the battery hatch door to fill it which is a con. When the battery hatch is open you can see the tank secures on the outside of the battery compartment and there is a protruding sealing section on the door so the tank is completely isolated from the batteries. On the bottom of the tank is a removable bung like what you get on pods which needs removing to fill the tank, it holds 7ml of liquid, it's a fair size port but don't rush and be prepared to just clean off any excess liquid. The tank can be removed for cleaning, replacing (you get a spare, big pro) or if you prefer to fill with the tank removed from the device. The tank has some piping that protrudes out the top of the tank that gets fed into the socket inside the device. The tank has a smoked appearance but is perfectly transparent and the whole of the tank is visible (as mentioned it actually becomes the spine of the set-up) so you can see exactly how much liquid is in the tank at all times.
___________________________________________________________________
Build Pictures:
___________________________________________________________________
Using The Kit
As usual i have to state i don't use temp control and have no access to data but simply review devices as a personal vaping experience. After saying that the Ant chip is known for doing TC well and have heard no different for this device and although i doubt the device is going to give you the full 200w with dual 18650's again Smoant devices get closer than most. The device feels great in the hand while using and fires without delay, packed with features yet simple to use a lot of people will like this device. The curves worked well and the squonking system was flawless. It's different though as unlike the press bottle method that gives quite a large amount of liquid with just one press the pump delivers the liquid in much smaller amounts, some won't like this but others especially those that tend to be over Zealous with their squonking will get on much better with this system. The RDA is simple to build on and while nothing special gives good bottom airflow flavour, if using the RDA as a squonking RDA on another squonking device it will be a real candidate for escaping e-liquid out of the airflow holes but with the Battlestar squonker you are able to micro manage your juice far better. When it comes to battery life it seems very good much more akin with recent Smoant products rather than the original Battlestar. The device supports 2A balanced charging and is fully firmware upgradeable.
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Very well designed
Good solid device
Smallest dual battery squonker i have used
One hand operation
Very ergonomic
Squonk system worked flawlessly
Squonk tank can be filled without removing from device
Squonk tank isolated from batteries
The whole of tank visible so can see your juice level at all times
Spare squonk tank
Good spares including coils and cotton
Goon fitting 810
Simple menu system
Variable voltage as well as variable wattage
Curves feature
TC (not tested)
Fires instantly
Bright, sharp well laid out display
Good battery life
2A balanced charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
Squonk button has a lot of movement
O-ring on 510 plate comes away very easily
Need to open battery hatch to fill tank
Very poor battery orientation markings
Sleeve of RDA doesn't lock
Pro for some con for others
Squonking system gives small amounts of liquid compared to usual press bottle method. There is no right or wrong they are just different. Some wont like this system while others will love being able to micro manage their liquid much better.
I would once again like to thank Kristy from Smoant for supplying the Battlestar 200W TC Squonker Kit for the purpose of this review.
http://smoant.com/battlestar-dual-18650-...index.html
___________________________________________________________________
