Smoktech Vmax Owners - tips, tricks and quirks

[Freddie]

I left tge door wide open for that 1 lol. I'm debating between a Provari, VMax or chrome l-tube. Just looking for something a little more stout than the ego twist.

I do not take anything away from all three devices! To each his own, but like some of us here who have either vaped on all three or own all three can CONFIRM that the VMAX has the most power! IMO the Provari is well manufactured, but like the VMAX and LT, the Provari does have its mechanical issues also! Provari owners may beg to differ, but the PROOF is in their own SUB FORUM from firing problems, code errors, etc...! DO NOT get me wrong the Provari is a beautiful device and well made, but it does have its PROBLEMS, just like ANY other PV's on the vaping Market period! The VMAX IMO, is in a totally different ball game in reference to its power and performance! It is HANDS DOWN IMO, the most powerful VV tube mod on the market! I hope this helps?!

 

[Freddie]

Well that's where I'm headed when I run out, are they available in standard and Xl?

Yes they SURE are!

 

[Freddie]

@ kurtus...My brotha, I will GUARANTEE when you convert over to the Boge 801 Fusions you will NOT go back to the 510' unless the Fusions are sold out!

 

[fuzzione]

No, I'M going to be notified first from the ebay guy...he promised....lol.

Honestly kurtus the Kanthal seems as rare to find in Toronto as warmth was in my ex-wife's heart. Got lucky however. Jim, the manufacturer of the DID's, got wind of my Kanthal situation from reading my post on the DID thread. He pm'd me, unsolicited, advising he had taken the liberty of mailing me more wire and also offered some tips on getting the DID to work right. I just love it when people treat their customers this way.

But sorry, no real leads for Kanthal.

So where the heck did you find that kanthal, I am going to be notified first when the infamous eBay seller gets is in stock but I want to get a jump on it if u know of another source? Great tip on the mesh touching the bottom of the tank cause I know base on logic I would have done that. Pm me on that kanthal if u can help, thx and enjoy your retreat bud!!

 

[Errol]

Poor 510 socket on Vmax
Being that the end cap and the 510 connection are one piece it looked like this could be a problem down the road, all other aspects of this mod seem reasonable and it works really well, I am by no means trying to knock the product as I pretty much am neglecting all my other mods. If you have the socket a little over sized and cartomizer a little undersized problems with the threading are likely sooner or later so I have added a shorty 510 to 510 adapter that I can change out if some how the connector get stripped,

A one piece end cap and threads are an advantage IMO, very little chance of juice leaking into the electronics. A friend of mine had to do an alcohol flush on his provari to bring it back to life after a tank failure. Putting a 510 extension on any pv to protect the threads seems like a good idea to me.

Errol

 

[kurtus]

No, I'M going to be notified first from the ebay guy...he promised....lol.

Honestly kurtus the Kanthal seems as rare to find in Toronto as warmth was in my ex-wife's heart. Got lucky however. Jim, the manufacturer of the DID's, got wind of my Kanthal situation from reading my post on the DID thread. He pm'd me, unsolicited, advising he had taken the liberty of mailing me more wire and also offered some tips on getting the DID to work right. I just love it when people treat their customers this way.

But sorry, no real leads for Kanthal.

Haha looks like mr eBay has a way with words and treats everyone the same, I don't feel so special anymore......


Nice on the cs with Jim, that's wicked.

 

[Errol]

I cruised over to the new Electronic Stix store and came home with a black vmax, and a couple sets of AW's for it. Waiting for them to charge now. They have to unit for $90 currently. Funny thing is that I only went in to re-up on the delicious key lime juice they have and saw they had dropped the price from that stupid MSRP SMOK wanted. I'm really hoping the QC on these is better than on the ovale v8 I just got. That thing is finicky and doesn't please me...

Was a tad disappointed in the ovale v8 myself. Looked like it would be hand friendly, not so. Getting my batteries in was troublesome, getting them out more so I suspect, though like the LT I enjoy the ease of setting the voltage.

Errol

 

[buffaloguy]

I think you are looking for wire like this:
McMaster-Carr

Or this:
NiChrome 60 Wire

Ive never rebuilt an atty but just trying to help with info I had bookmarked.

Im going to be ordering my vmax from CCV. Taking my credit from the LT 1.5 I returned into account. Ive already sent it back the tube but the rest of the kit went back yesterday. so hopefully the end of next week Ill have a new vmax. Its been crummy only having to use egos for the last month, but Im making do.

 

[Errol]

I think for the money the vmax or iTube is a great purchase to start cause it offers more power than any other vv device than I'm aware of plus all the features of a provari. Just get one and you will be a happy camper I promise, I just got a stainless vmax that is slick looking in the pictures of it, 95 shipped to my door, not happening with a provari

Is the iTube a vmax using a different name to get past the MSRP?

Errol

 

[kurtus]

Is the iTube a vmax using a different name to get past the MSRP?

Errol

That's what I get out of it, it's identical but might have something to do with region too

 

[pwyll]

iTube is the name used by the company that has exclusive distribution rights in the Philippines. They are rebranded by Smok especially for that distributor...

 

[Jimi D.]

I just got my Vmax a couple of days ago, and enjoying the hell out of it! No problems whatsoever. Threads are smooth. I have V1, and hits hard!!!!

 

[fuzzione]

Report on the V2 Carto punch and carto tool from Phiniac, together with the 801 Boge Fusion XL carto (2.9ohm Single Coil).

I'm sipping Scotch and blasting the top of my head off with the vmax at this very moment in a lakeside retreat so all is pretty good right now. All of the above items perform well. The carto punch works like a knife through butter on the Boges, leaving a clean hole with very minimal deformation that does not affect the inner o-ring seals in my ST 6ml tank. It it just plain works with ease and convenience.

The carto tool is pretty cool too; you don't really need it but it also works flawlessly so you may as well throw that in your cart for the $4 if you're buying something from Phiniac anyway.

The Fusion 801's are vaping like a steam generator at a 4.3v setting on the vmax, just like VAPNJ350 and Freddie said they would. Thanks again for the recommendation guys. Great taste from my favourite tobacco juice and thick clouds...ca'ln balrkrely swe whiti ima typinjg.

Their look is very strange however on the vmax as they require an 801-510 adapter that creates a giraffe look I'm not quite sure I'll get used to. Perhaps more Scotch is necessary. I don't think I'll be showing off the vmax like this in public but in the privacy of your own home where performance is the priority, I don't think I mind it. (sip, sip), yup. Starting to look better already.

So J, Freddie, what where the recommended hole configurations for the Fusions again? I've only got 1 bottom hole on it right now and after a few dry-pull primes it seems to be performing well.

 

[Errol]

iTube is the name used by the company that has exclusive distribution rights in the Philippines. They are rebranded by Smok especially for that distributor...

That's interesting to know. Are they keeping the price up on them?

Errol

 

[neeceann]

So happy with max that i sold my chrome vtube i got 2 weeks ago. Now i'm waiting on my vivi nova tank and some gooey better cake juice. This will make me feel complete. I haven't even touched my other devices since max arrived.

 

[Lethalp]

Ok guys I am continuing having this issue with it not coming back on when I change the batteries?? Kurt I think suggested cleaning the cap and something about steel wool? Uh.....could someone explain that a bit more? This thing is clean as a whistle, it's only two days old, so what would I be cleaning? Lol . Also I can't screw the bottom cap on all the way when I do get it to come on, is that ok? It makes me nervouse to stand it up, I am afraid it will shut off.

Also when mine does come on it resets to 3.5, I thought it was 5v? And one other thing I am sometimes getting a 99 code? I looked st the measly lil manual and it doesn't say a thing bout that. I think once I figure out how the ins and outs of this lil monster max we will get along beautifully, just having a few bumps in the road.

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am a lone female vaper, with a non vaping hub, so u guys are all I got! :/

 

[Errol]

I'll post later when I have more time about stacked batteries and the VMAX's well thought out safety features but for now I'll leave you all with some "food for thought" ......We've been stacking batteries for decades....whens the last time you bought a flashlight with 1 single battery. 90% of all flashlights produced have a 2-D cell "stacked" setup....right? And they have little to no electronic safety protection. Being in the career field Im in I really think that from day 1 stacking batteries in the vaping community have had a huge misconception. Theirs some good info out there,....BUT theirs A LOT a really bad false info out there also that I've personally read on the ecf. ....Take care everyone ....J

I think the problems started with the higher amperage, higher voltage 3.7v vs 1.5v, and the witches brew that goes into making the NiMh Batteries, personally think any one of them has a failure potential.

I certainly agree their has been way too much misinformation spread about stacked batteries. From what I gather about the only difference between stacked and single is you double your chance of one going bad though I suppose in a stacked configuration the first one to go could cause the second one to follow though that is pure speculation. Have never heard of a two battery box mod having problems and they are essentially the same as stacked batteries.

Certainly welcome a more enlightened opinion.

Errol

 

[buffaloguy]

Well granted that I dont have one yet not being able to screw on the bottom cap all the way would signify either improper sized batteries (too big) ... OR you may mean that you need to leave the cap loose cause when its screwed all the way down it gets no power or errors out. That would tell me that there may be a loose connection somewhere on the inside. Look in the tube and give it a shake. if any of the contacts the batteries normally touch are moving around that may be your culprit cause I assume they shouldnt move.

Just guesses. But food for thought.

 

[pwyll]

Ok guys I am continuing having this issue with it not coming back on when I change the batteries?? Kurt I think suggested cleaning the cap and something about steel wool? Uh.....could someone explain that a bit more? This thing is clean as a whistle, it's only two days old, so what would I be cleaning? Lol . Also I can't screw the bottom cap on all the way when I do get it to come on, is that ok? It makes me nervouse to stand it up, I am afraid it will shut off.

Also when mine does come on it resets to 3.5, I thought it was 5v? And one other thing I am sometimes getting a 99 code? I looked st the measly lil manual and it doesn't say a thing bout that. I think once I figure out how the ins and outs of this lil monster max we will get along beautifully, just having a few bumps in the road.

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am a lone female vaper, with a non vaping hub, so u guys are all I got! :/

What batteries are you using? It can be finicky about batteries--I have some 16340s that are too long. If the batteries don't fit you will get odd electrical behaviour--defaulting to 3.5 indicates a problem of some kind since the v1's default to 5v and the v2's default to 3v.

In my VMax the AW IMR 18350's work consistently, every time. The 16340's that fit (cap screwed on all the way, no rattling) worked most of the time, but were inconsistent. The batteries that were too long (cap didn't screw on all the way) made the unit behave as you describe (although it still defaulted to 3.0 volts).

 

[pwyll]

That's interesting to know. Are they keeping the price up on them?

Errol

I have no idea. I have just read a post at another forum (there's too many for me to keep up with ) where someone either asked when Smok was going to make the VMax available in the Philipines or were pointing out that the Itube seemed to be a copy of it and a Smok representative explained that the Philipine distributor has exclusive rights (evidently in place for years) to distribute Smok products under their own brand and no one else is allowed distribute Smok products within the Philipines. It's basically a licensing agreement, so the distributor should be able to set their own prices at whatever they want in the first place.

I'll see if I can find the original post and either quote it here or find out more...