Smoktech Vmax Owners - tips, tricks and quirks

[Flikka]

I'm from South Africa and we use 'I reckon' a lot, now I know what Americans think it means haha.

Back to topic now sorry

 

[Swigger14]

Can you take a better picture of the threads on the vmax? I have done this bofore as well and I was able to get it out using a safety pin and spinning the broken sleeve out. Take the batteries out before trying this though just in case. It can be done as long as the sleeve is not all marred up at the top.

Thanks for responding. Unfortunately I can't get any better pictures - just tried to shoot a bunch but don't have a good enough camera to get in there. The break looks very clean - so clean that you have to look really close to see it - probably why I didn't notice. Very far down - below the third notch on the spirals. Also, right in the center I can see a kind of silvery plate - did this come off the carto? I can make it budge a bit with a thumbtack but don't want to do anything drastic.

 

[AnsonJames]

That's something like what I figured, damn. I can't really tell from looking at the VMax connector, though. Don't know what exactly I'm looking for.

Instead of threads you'll see a smooth collar.
Use a pencil with an eraser on it, force it in to the atty connection and try to twist the offending part out.The other way is to use a flat top screwdriver and a rubber band but you could damage the threads using this method.

Don't try and hack away at it, you'll make it even harder to remove if you do.

Good luck!

 

[AnsonJames]

Americans can be very peculiar and bizarre about what sort of speech they find funny. Quite the few think the phrase "I reckon" is hick, hillbilly or redneck (but they don't think the same about the "the reckoning" or "a reckoning"). I had an English teacher who marked down a paper because I used the word "commence" because, as she said, "It's something the Beverly Hillbillies would say."

Sounds like a very lousy English teacher.

 

[Optimo]

Hey guys,

Been using my VMax for a few weeks now, and loving it until I ran into a problem the other day (Friday). It was in my pocket during a movie, and when I got out, it was no longer working. I think the tank

When I connect any 510 cartos (tank, resurrector, Boge), and press the button, it doesn't activate. I get the blue button as if it's firing, but no connection, vapor, etc. The only thing I can think of is that the tank I had connected did something to the threading - when I got the tank (pic attached) it seemed like there was almost an extra part on the bottom of the carto threading.

There were no drops or anything before this happened.

Any thoughts? Am I screwed? Bummed out....

Using a Chibi tank mod with Boge 3.0s when it happened. Also attaching a photo of the VMAX and the threading, although it doesn't show very well.

View attachment 119467View attachment 119468

Dumb question but have you tried using a different set of IMR batteries? You can also pop off the top cap of the VMax and see if any wires are loose.

 

[Swigger14]

Instead of threads you'll see a smooth collar.
Use a pencil with an eraser on it, force it in to the atty connection and try to twist the offending part out.The other way is to use a flat top screwdriver and a rubber band but you could damage the threads using this method.

Don't try and hack away at it, you'll make it even harder to remove if you do.

Good luck!

Thanks, I'll give this a go. So nothing sharp directly on the connector/threading.The only problem I see at the beginning is that it might be hard getting it deep enough into the connector - it broke fairly far down past the third notch in the spiral.

 

[Modnar]

Damn it... My stainless steel Vmax seem to have died.

When I put batteries in it, the display starts blinking 123,456,789 and then it just turns off

Im guessing that means its dead right?

EDIT: I just tried a vivi nova on it, and it actually does fire (Im still worried though... It looks like its off, and why is it showing the 123, 456, 789 thing all of a sudden?)

 

[Optimo]

Damn it... My stainless steel Vmax seem to have died.

When I put batteries in it, the display starts blinking 123,456,789 and then it just turns off

Im guessing that means its dead right?

There's a solution to this problem posted earlier in the thread...forgot what it was.

 

[Swigger14]

Dumb question but have you tried using a different set of IMR batteries? You can also pop off the top cap of the VMax and see if any wires are loose.

Yup, tried all of that - but it's definitely the carto end piece that broke off inside - cant see it now. The rest of the device behaves normally - I can go through all the menu settings and stuff.

 

[AnsonJames]

Thanks, I'll give this a go. So nothing sharp directly on the connector/threading.The only problem I see at the beginning is that it might be hard getting it deep enough into the connector - it broke fairly far down past the third notch in the spiral.

Same as mine but if you can move the remnants of the outer 510 connection you'll have a better chance than me.
The eraser should be "squishy" enough to force right down into the atty connection.

I know this method has worked for some folks that have had the same problem so with a bit of luck you can save your Vmax.

 

[AnsonJames]

Damn it... My stainless steel Vmax seem to have died.

When I put batteries in it, the display starts blinking 123,456,789 and then it just turns off

Im guessing that means its dead right?

It either means you have a faulty board or you need spacers on your batteries, I presume if your batteries worked okay before then something has popped on the board.

Sorry mate.

 

[Optimo]

Damn it... My stainless steel Vmax seem to have died.

When I put batteries in it, the display starts blinking 123,456,789 and then it just turns off

Im guessing that means its dead right?

It should still be under warranty...if you can't fix it with spacers for your batts send it in....if worse comes to worst you can take the board out and wire postive and neg straight to batts and make it a mechinal 2 batt mod.

 

[Modnar]

There's a solution to this problem posted earlier in the thread...forgot what it was.

I just tried a vivi nova on it, and it actually does fire (Im still worried though... It looks like its off, and I don't understand why it is showing the 123, 456, 789 thing all of a sudden?)

 

[Swigger14]

Thanks for your help Dirk - can't get it to budge at all, though. can't get any leverage/grip on the broken off part. Does anyone know if the top catp/510 threading is replaceable on these?

 

[martinc]

mmmm....I think the horrid smell doesnt come from mu Vmax but from a suspicious battery.

Will post a pic later tonight,its gory.

 

[Modnar]

It either means you have a faulty board or you need spacers on your batteries, I presume if your batteries worked okay before then something has popped on the board.

Sorry mate.

Im using AW IMR highdrain with a top/nippel, så I don't think spacers would help

It's only 2 weeks old, so im sure I'll get a new one (I'll have to sent it back to Germany though, so it might take a while)

 

[Optimo]

I just tried a vivi nova on it, and it actually does fire (Im still worried though... It looks like its off, and I don't understand why it is showing the 123, 456, 789 thing all of a sudden?)

Were you using LR dual coils on it? I've heard in rare cases that dual's below 1.5 ohms at high voltage can put strain on it and cause boards to fry.

 

[AnsonJames]

The Chrome that I got a couple of weeks ago is displaying the level of the batteries incorrectly.
Freshly charged batteries began displaying as 7.8 volts for the pair, now they show up as 7 volts.

Checked the both pairs of the batteries on a multimeter and they're 4.20 on the money so they're not the problem.
The biggest issue is that the "lo" warning flashes and stops the Vmax from working when there's 3.8 volts left in each battery - I get about two hours of use before this happens. My V1 had button problems and now my Chrome is dying also - two for two in less than a month and a half - that's not a good record.

The cult of ProVari are waiting in wings and beckoning me over to them...

 

[AnsonJames]

Top cap does come off (easy to damage the board this way) you have to insert a long screwdriver, hold the vmax with the driver in place and hit it off a hard surface or with a hammer. In all likelihood, you'll tear the atty wires off the top cap when you do this.

An important thing to remember is that nobody sells replacement top caps and the atty connection is part of the molding.

 

[AnsonJames]

Were you using LR dual coils on it? I've heard in rare cases that dual's below 1.5 ohms at high voltage can put strain on it and cause boards to fry.

Makes the 5amp limit seem a tad pointless if that's the case.