Smoktech Vmax Owners - tips, tricks and quirks

[myxomatosis]

A terrible thing happened while I was driving to lunch today. I think my v1 button finally gave up. It feels like its been a little loose (like most v1s) and has been particularly quirky lately. I think it might be a bad spring or something, its required a progressively firmer press to function lately. Not super firm, but I could feel it offering less resistance when pressed. The electronics seem to be fully functional otherwise. I bought this from kayla who acquired it in a coop so i dont know much about the warranty process.

Does anyone have an insight?

I don't know if it matters but it was practically brand new when i got it from Karla. She had it for about a week.

 

[martinc]

Usually the co-op originator should have a spare or 2 in case of such event;

If its not the case,oh well...good luck

This is why I dont buy APVs in co-ops (unless its clearly stated what happends in case of warranty claim)

 

[myxomatosis]

Not sure if that's the case here or not. That's unfortunate news.

I messaged Karla though. Thanks martin.

Update: After a lot of panic and tinkering, I think I've deduced that something is wrong with the button contact and decided to share what I figured out. My MAX is back from the dead, or maybe it never died at all, but it still requires a exceptionally firm button press to fire - but hell, at this point I'm just happy it's working!



In case someone else is having the same issue, playing around with the button stress might help. In this instance, pressing down on the lower part of the button and shifting it upwards (towards the tank)simultaneously seems to allow contact. I can go through the device menus fairly smoothly as well. It feels unnatural how much pressure I need to apply, but it's not that big of a deal.

Another update: After using this technique for a few hours, the button seems to be slightly more responsive and not require to be angled when I press it. My only theory on this is that pressing it the direction (with as firmly as I've needed to) might have repositioned it slightly. It remains harder to push than it should be, but is otherwise fully functional. A character flaw I think I can live with. This thing produces more power than I'll ever need. I hope this info helps if someone else runs into the same trouble.

Vape on!

 

[rebel14]

Hi
Has any vmax owner used the vmax with a genesis style atty my vmax is the only mod that give me problems when I put a genesis atty on it . And the vmax is only set at 3 volts .i have the mk1 version but it blows my coils on genesis attys .the other mods I have are no problem.

Cheers
Steve

 

[martinc]

Oh yeah,scubagen V3,DiD,G-LV

Got to really oxydize that mesh good,any shorts will pop the coil

Coil has to be nice and loose...its what I figured;also,the shorter the lenght of wire between the in and out (wire attachment points) the less hot spots

 

[rebel14]

Hi
Does any body know if the new version vmax works at the correct voltage as my version one seems to kick out about 4. 2 when set at 3 volts.may be it has a turbo on it very powerful .

Cheers

Steve

 

[Optimo]

Hi
Does any body know if the new version vmax works at the correct voltage as my version one seems to kick out about 4. 2 when set at 3 volts.may be it has a turbo on it very powerful .

Cheers

Steve

They fixed that issue and it no longer spikes that high.... but I will say I wouldn't trade my version 1 for 10 version 2s.

 

[VAPNJ350]

A terrible thing happened while I was driving to lunch today. I think my v1 button finally gave up. It feels like its been a little loose (like most v1s) and has been particularly quirky lately. I think it might be a bad spring or something, its required a progressively firmer press to function lately. Not super firm, but I could feel it offering less resistance when pressed. The electronics seem to be fully functional otherwise. I bought this from kayla who acquired it in a coop so i dont know much about the warranty process.

Does anyone have an insight?

I don't know if it matters but it was practically brand new when i got it from Karla. She had it for about a week.

Worse case you will have to pay like $40-$80 bucks in shipping to send it directly to Smoktech for a new V2, which are much better in my opinion. Last time I shipped to ST it was $43 and some change. Not too bad if you have to pay the same for a new 1. I'd pay it. ST has a 6 month warranty on it, being it's the button thats the issue, and they know it was a issue on the V1, you'll have no problem with the warranty claim.

 

[VAPNJ350]

Hi
Does any body know if the new version vmax works at the correct voltage as my version one seems to kick out about 4. 2 when set at 3 volts.may be it has a turbo on it very powerful .

Cheers

Steve

I have 2 V1's....1 slick body chrome prototype(1st one ever made) and 1 black. Then I have 2 V2's in black also and 1 Stainless. I've put ALL 4 on my LeCroy 312-A 100mHz wavejet Oscilloscope and the ONLY difference is the V2 has been down-tuned 1.75 volts from the maxium battery voltage spike that the PWM was allowing the coil to see in the miliseconds of the PWM. All in all, I think the V2 is more consistant, stable and coil friendly. Not to mention with the added new functions with the display and 3V startup.

 

[myxomatosis]

Worse case you will have to pay like $40-$80 bucks in shipping to send it directly to Smoktech for a new V2, which are much better in my opinion. Last time I shipped to ST it was $43 and some change. Not too bad if you have to pay the same for a new 1. I'd pay it. ST has a 6 month warranty on it, being it's the button thats the issue, and they know it was a issue on the V1, you'll have no problem with the warranty claim.

Emailed! Thanks J

 

[brinks7]

Ok guys and gals I love my Vmax (V1) but having a pretty significant issue. I have Boge 3 ohm cartos and Firebird bottom coil 2.8 ohm clearos. with in 5 minutes at 3 volts it is knocking the resistance down to about 1.5 ohms and in another 3 minutes below the F1 cut off. I have wasted about 10 of each and cannot figure this out. I have ohm'd them out on a seperate meter and the vmax is accurate. so not sure what gives. I know lots of you use the same setup so wondering if I am alone or if you have any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[fuzzione]

Ok guys and gals I love my Vmax (V1) but having a pretty significant issue. I have Boge 3 ohm cartos and Firebird bottom coil 2.8 ohm clearos. with in 5 minutes at 3 volts it is knocking the resistance down to about 1.5 ohms and in another 3 minutes below the F1 cut off. I have wasted about 10 of each and cannot figure this out. I have ohm'd them out on a seperate meter and the vmax is accurate. so not sure what gives. I know lots of you use the same setup so wondering if I am alone or if you have any suggestions.

Thanks

I often get an FB supposedly 2.6-2.8o dropping as low as 2.3 but I've never had one drop below that. I'm only on my 3rd one however. Your issue has me stumped. I take it you have tried both on other devices and do not get this behaviour?

We need our resident electrical engineer. J????????????!!!

 

[martinc]

when a coil drop in res it only means it was feeble to start with;when it gains,it means a short circuit.

I dunno,I only had a monster of a luck with my shopping from canvapes,only the dreaded stone tank ever let me down (hell,I still vape on 5 months old extremevizions!) as far as atomizers are concerned...besides that,the 2 days Vmaxlessness...that is all.

 

[VAPNJ350]

This is a 1st for me.....typically over time the resistance rises in the coil due the "gunk" thats starts forming over the coil causing "more" resistance in the wire. This is why all the boxes you get say "2.8-3.0 +/- .2". .2 volts, .2 amps, .2 Ω is the excepted range of variance in the electrical field. Anything more and it's out of spec and unexceptable. This is a very weird and "off" phenomenon. Logically for this to happen something has to be happening to the coil that is taking away resistance, much like removing a coil. Every now and then you might get a carto that has a coil issue from the start ....BUT NOT WITH BOGES.....and certainly not 10 in a row. I've used BOGE cartos for about 2 years now exclusively buying 10 bricks at a time using 1-2 bricks a month and in 2 years,give or take I've got "2" bad cartos, 1 still worked fine it just didn't have the air slot cut into the bottom + pole piece, the 2nd one was user error that I burned myself. I don't know much about the firebirds but I haven't heard anything bad about them and nothing along the lines of horrid inconsistencies in coil quality. In NO WAY do I think this has ANYTHING to do with your cartos/E2's, as much as it kills me to say it but Im not going to blame something when all characteristics of this issue points to 1 thing the 2 carto types have in common......what their being used on.

I'd be lying if I didn't kinda agree with Fuzz and say I am absolutely stumped on this one. However I do love a good challenge so I will do what I can to find out what is causing this to happen. Check back here tomorrow evening and hopefully I might have a answer for you...till then use a PV that doesn't do this to your cartos. No since in killing more.

 

[dwcraig1]

I made a mistake when I examined the wrapper on carto coil, I was looking at the bottom one when I should have looked at top one. As I suspected the inside of wrapper was quite burnt.
The wrapper on bottom coil looked real good. I think I will start putting a hole in the tube for the upper coil as stated by VAPN350. Also I am curious as what the material wrapping the coil is, it appears to be cotton but also maybe a little polyester or similar. Or is it paper?

I have had similar problem with my Smoktech DC 1.5 cartos, I think V1 Max even at 3v is turning the gunk to carbon and conducting through it between the coils, they can be pretty close together so it doesn't, take much to bridge them. Just guessing but I just pulled one apart as I thought it would be the little "diaper" around coil that was was burnt and possibly conducting.

Ok guys and gals I love my Vmax (V1) but having a pretty significant issue. I have Boge 3 ohm cartos and Firebird bottom coil 2.8 ohm clearos. with in 5 minutes at 3 volts it is knocking the resistance down to about 1.5 ohms and in another 3 minutes below the F1 cut off. I have wasted about 10 of each and cannot figure this out. I have ohm'd them out on a seperate meter and the vmax is accurate. so not sure what gives. I know lots of you use the same setup so wondering if I am alone or if you have any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[buffaloguy]

My limited experience with a dct tells me the 2.5 vivi out of the box is superior. Just trying to share experience and save you some work.

Well I will scrap the idea of putting in 2.5 head and maybe get the smaller 2.5 ViVi Nova when available and do the same modification to it. The one I have is approaching performance of DCT , I can't imagine a stock one working at its best to close to this as I am heating a pretty big chunk of juice/wick. I only got 5 coils but my wick(s) are fat. This thing works way beyond well. Thanks for the info about 2.5 heads being shorter than earlier models,

 

[brinks7]

Thanks guys I know what I am describing sounds near impossible. I briefly studied electronics engineering for a year and a half in college many years ago. So I do have a pretty good understanding of electrical theory. And martin the real kicker is the stones work perfect. ( possible different awg wire in the coil.)
I just unravell the wicks and cut them short.

 

[AnsonJames]

Ok guys and gals I love my Vmax (V1) but having a pretty significant issue. I have Boge 3 ohm cartos and Firebird bottom coil 2.8 ohm clearos. with in 5 minutes at 3 volts it is knocking the resistance down to about 1.5 ohms and in another 3 minutes below the F1 cut off. I have wasted about 10 of each and cannot figure this out. I have ohm'd them out on a seperate meter and the vmax is accurate. so not sure what gives. I know lots of you use the same setup so wondering if I am alone or if you have any suggestions.

Thanks

EXACT same thing happened on my V1 (now deceased) I stupidly thought one of the coils had gone but it wouldn't do this to the resistance (Smok dual) I'd like to know what the deal is too...

 

[AnsonJames]

DaMax with Clockworks RTA

Bugger is about the same size if not a tad smaller,perfect match

Have you had much success with it so far?

I've had mine for a week and I haven't been getting much joy in the performance department - are there any tips you can give me?

 

[dwcraig1]

When my 1.5 ohm dual coil Smoktech cartos dropped below 1.3 ohm I removed the tip and cut the wire in center of filler with small scissors and continued vaping at 3 ohm on the bottom coil, no reason to throw it away when it still works.
This works for Smoktech dual coils to disable top coil. Why I was using a 1.5 DC carto on v1 Max is another story