Smoktech Vmax Owners - tips, tricks and quirks

Status
Not open for further replies.

rotohammer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jun 29, 2012
155
104
NJ USA
Good to know...I'll have to try some cotton. Can I just go to Walmart and get some white unbleached cotton yarn then boil it to prep it?

Sure! I just picked up some "all purpose dressing" gauze at Walgreens this morning, 100% cotton, very loose. It should be easier to roll into a wick than un-braiding the candle wick that I have now.

But, if you have a length of silica wick, try un braiding it into thinner strands, then bundling it back together, then wrap your coil around it.
 

rotohammer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jun 29, 2012
155
104
NJ USA
Sure! I just picked up some "all purpose dressing" gauze at Walgreens this morning, 100% cotton, very loose. It should be easier to roll into a wick than un-braiding the candle wick that I have now.

I love replying to myself. The gauze is easier to use. I cut a 1"x3" rectangle, rolled it to 1/8" diameter, wrapped my 3.6 ohm Nicr wire around it and a paperclip. Installed into the 5ml CE6 clearomizer. The wife unit followed along and made her own too. Took about 10 minutes of slow short draws to get it to come alive. Don't ever expect immediate satisfaction from any new wick.

I'm at 4.0v on my Vmax and pulling in the ghost!

I measure my wire on the spool with a meter, and cut it at .2ohms over my target. Then wrap it all leaving the two short leads hanging for insertion into the head unit. The CE6 is like a Stardust, just a compression fit, no need for NR wire leads.
 
Last edited:

fuzzione

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2012
1,049
1,438
GTA Ontario
My vmax will be here wednesday. This is an informative, albeit lengthy thread. How long until we get a sub-forum?

Unfortunately that won't be happening anytime soon!

BTW...Congrats and Welcome to the VMAX Family! :)

Actually, in early July I posted as follows:

I have just been informed by ECF administration that there is a strong possibility the Vmax will will get its own subforum in the near future. Certain VV Forum updates are intended and consideration is being given to providing a specific spot for the vmax. Although the timing is uncertain, as this will be undertaken as part of a larger initiative, I think it's safe to say we can all take this as a good sign.

I strongly believe that not only was the popularity of this thread instrumental for such consideration, but also the visible genuine desire of all the participants here to help one another, share information and avoid unnecessary friction. Thanks to everyone once again for contributing.

I think it will be very helpful to vmax owners, new and old alike, that the enormous amount of information compiled in this thread be better organized in its own subforum.

It is apparent the forum updates that were to be concurrent with implementation of our vmax subforum may not yet have materialized. I remain hopeful that we'll yet get the vmax subforum. It simply makes sense to do so.
 

Phoenix07013

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
May 31, 2012
288
189
41
clarkston, mi, USA
Can anyone explain why my VMax is 'resetting' my settings without removing da batts? Gettin' kinda irritating.

TIA!

Mine did that after I dropped it a few times, a couple of tears later, checked it, seems to be fine. I'm thinking the impact knocked the batteries around enough to break the circuit, so I would say check your spring at the cap
 

VapingTurtle

ECF Guru
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 26, 2011
17,702
50,237
68
The Reef just off the Florida coast
Can anyone explain why my VMax is 'resetting' my settings without removing da batts? Gettin' kinda irritating.

TIA!

Are you using nipple top or flat top batteries?

Flat top batts without a magnet added between the batts sometime have inconsistent (or, um... Iffy) conductivity between the batts.
 

AnsonJames

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 23, 2011
1,855
2,239
IRELAND
Can anyone explain why my VMax is 'resetting' my settings without removing da batts? Gettin' kinda irritating.

TIA!

I'd say a loose ground cable, if it's swimming around and making intermittent contact the Vmax will act like the batteries were taken out and put back in - which resets the voltage.
 

AnsonJames

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 23, 2011
1,855
2,239
IRELAND
The ground cable is the battery housing itself. Clean and lube the battery cap threads.

No it isn't.

The ground from the board is a fine gauge wire which is cold soldered on to the inside of the end cap which in turn is pressed on to the tube.

The solder comes loose really easily - it's happened to me and a good few others.
 
Last edited:

rotohammer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jun 29, 2012
155
104
NJ USA
No it isn't.

The ground from the board is a fine gauge wire which is cold soldered on to the inside of the end cap which in turn is pressed on to the tube.

The solder comes loose really easily - it's happened to me and a good few others.

So with the loose wire it still fires up the atomizer sometimes?
 

AnsonJames

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 23, 2011
1,855
2,239
IRELAND
It's a wire with a blob of solder on it and if it's loose it will swim about as the Vmax is picked up or put down/moved .
You'll have power when it's touching the tube, if it's lost contact from the tube and then made contact again the voltage will reset. If it's not making contact at all then obviously your unit won't work.

It's happened to me with two different Vmax's - the solder is prone to coming loose from the top cap especially if the unit gets a hard knock or is dropped - it really should be anchored properly.

If you look down the Vmax tube you'll see the wire and the solder
 

dwcraig1

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Mar 17, 2012
9,013
49,361
Imperial Beach, California
It's a wire with a blob of solder on it and if it's loose it will swim about as the Vmax is picked up or put down/moved .
You'll have power when it's touching the tube, if it's lost contact from the tube and then made contact again the voltage will reset. If it's not making contact at all then obviously your unit won't work.

It's happened to me with two different Vmax's - the solder is prone to coming loose from the top cap especially if the unit gets a hard knock or is dropped - it really should be anchored properly.

If you look down the Vmax tube you'll see the wire and the solder
I think they all have cold joints on negative, just some stick on better than others.
 

rotohammer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jun 29, 2012
155
104
NJ USA
No it isn't.

The ground from the board is a fine gauge wire which is cold soldered on to the inside of the end cap which in turn is pressed on to the tube.

So its both then, as the housing/cap is the first part of the ground wire, leading to the soldered wire, then on to the board.
 

Optimo

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 16, 2011
1,894
787
39
Virginia
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread