Smoktech ZMax Owners - Pics., Tips, Tricks and Quirks

[Wally Sparks]

some of the flat top IMR 18350's in the AAV batch are a little longer than others, so they are pulling them from the included with purchase category. with the original cap to be safe only use one single IMR 18650 battery. stacking will require the extension cap that will be released later this month Thanks

 

[Wally Sparks]

via All About Vapor website

Features:

ZMAX is a Variable Voltage and Variable Wattage device

Zmax can be adjusted from 3.0 - 6.0V volts in 0.1 volt increments

Zmax can adjust power from 3.0 - 15 watts in 0.1 watt increments

Built-in three digit display allows you to visually adjust your voltage, LED blue display

Zmax can use one IMR 18650 Battery with existing battery cap.

Zmax can use a pair of IMR 18350's with extension battery cap.

Zmax has battery reverse connect protection

Zmax PCB allows 5 Amperage output limit

Zmax button never gets stuck there's a 360° turn around

ZMAX comes with a 6 month manufactory warranty

Menu:

1. Uu- Voltage up
2. Ud- Voltage down
3. So- Standby / on/off
4. Uc- Battery voltage check
5. Ds- Display change / Resistance Ω/Voltage output/Voltage under load 'live'
6. Lo- LED on/off
7. Up- Voltage power (Wattage setting)
Po- Constant power operation
Uo- Constant voltage operation

Error codes :

LOR---Lower resistance indication; If the resistance is below 1.2ohm,the display will show "Low Load".

LOU---Lower voltage indication. If one 18650 battery voltage is below 3.4V or 2 18350 batteries Superposition voltage is below 6.4v,the display will show "Low Voltage".

WSC---Short circuit indication. If cartomizer/atomizer output port short-circuit, the display will show "Warning Short Circuit".

Low Battery Indicator --- When the battery gets low the red lighted pushbutton will slowly flash indicating that your battery is low.

 

[Wally Sparks]

NEW ZMAX!! Using a AW IMR 18650 1600mah battery @ 13 watts with a smok tech 2.5ohm dual coil vaping Killer RY4. LOVE VAPING!!

 

[Madriz]

NEW ZMAX!! Using a AW IMR 18650 1600mah battery @ 13 watts with a smok tech 2.5ohm dual coil vaping Killer RY4. LOVE VAPING!!
View attachment 134126

That is a thing of beauty!!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Morandir835]

Been watching this thread but keeping quiet... Won't make any comment on the performance of the zmax until the released version arrives at my door in the next few days, but just wanted to chime in on something. Where the vmax was more like a buzz pro and provari having a child with a higher amp limit, see the zmax as if the Darwin and Provari had a child with a higher amp limit/wattage. Not a fanboy of any pv, see them for their faults and triumphs. Like the vmax a lot (vaping it as I type), hasn't replaced the Provari though as my work mod though because simply put it couldn't handle the abuse and doesn't last as long (not to mention prefer carrying around one extra batt to get through the day at work instead of two). Even if the zmax has better accuracy than the vmax, not to mention the added vw feature, the durability will still be a key deciding factor for a carry all for some. It's not a knock on it, the Darwin wasn't in the same ballpark as the Provari in the abuse factor department either. To my knowledge no one has created the prefect pv, if they have we all would be vaping it and they could charge whatever they wanted and no one would care. The important factor is if it's perfect for the user. Will make my judgments on the zmax the same way do every pv, does it deliver as promised, and if not how far off. Price to performance ratio comes into play as always with any mod. For $100+ it either better have a high output, be accurate, or built like a tank. If it can do well on two out of the three, then it's a winner at that price point. The major complaint with the Darwin was the durability and wattage limit with dual coils, but it was completely accurate. With the Provari the only complaint that has ever been mentioned is the amp limit (version one more than two, but 3.5a is lower than the 4.2-4.4a seen in every vmax I've tested). The vmax was the accuracy (the high voltage spikes with the pwm being part of that) and durability. If the zmax can be more accurate with the same durability and output, it's worth the price. If it ends up being able to come closer to the reported 5a limit (4.6+), or be more durable then it's potentially the best price to performance ratio for those not needing an armored pv. In other words it's potentially a less expensive easier to get version of the Darwin....

Sorry for the rant.

 

[zenoth]

Can't wait to has Zmax, the wattage setting interests me, and I really want to try it out with out hunting down a darwin (don't like the form factor).

update, just ordered the zmax chrome a few hours ago, should be here friday woot woot

 

[VaporHead512]

Day 2 impressions of the ZMax:


It's growing on me. Definitely. It's not cool that the shop gave me batteries that didn't fit, but I'm only mildly irritated about that compared to yesterday. That, also, is not the Zmax's fault. AAV be good people from my experience so I'm confident the next time I go in they'll resolve that for me some way. Plus I'm one of the first people to get this mod so I should have at least half expected minor hiccups. They do need to keep 18650 batteries in constant stock though. All of this stuff is useless without batteries.

On to the specifics. I got my 3.5ml tank, a 2.5ohm cartomizer, and filled them up with my primo. Let the tank full of juice sit overnight. Both batteries now fully charged and placed into the Provari and Zmax. Set both to 4.5v (Sorry I haven't yet figured out how to do the VW settings, hopefully I'll get that figured out today).

Now let me vape each for a second.....


Right off the bat, the Zmax hits harder, quicker and produced more vapor. The Provari tasted better, but not by a lot. Mmmmmm, Primo.

MOAR

Ok. The Blue LED's. I have blue LED on both devices. I was skeptical about the zmax LED from the pictures I've seen but apparently a lot of folks have problems photographing a lit LED. It's gorgeous. It really is. I like that the button is right next to the LED. The button is clicky. Some will find that essential. I don't.

Aesthetics. The Zmax, in my opinion, is beautiful. I love chrome. I love blue lights. The fact that this thing looks so good is one of the reasons why I'm going to keep it. The markings are not that different from my Provari v2. It stands taller than the Provari, which does not bother me. I have a blue light in the corner of my living room, and it is reflecting off the Zmax from every angle. That is nice.

There's not a lot of information about the safety of the Zmax that I know of. I know the provari has quite a few safety features and I like that. Hopefully the Zmax does as well.


My dogs are begging me to take them out so I'll try to wrap this up.

At $125, my only gripes are:

1, the warranty, which is a max of 6 months, whereas my Provari has a max of 2 years. I don't know if AAV can repair the ZMax or if I would have to send it to China, or if AAV would just replace it. I don't know yet.

2, the stability. See video below. This might not mean a lot to some people so I am not making this video public but you can see it here. I don't like the idea of publicly posting a video to youtube that can sway buyers one way or the other without providing some context.





I'm going to go ahead and keep the Zmax. I'm happy. I wanted a good backup incase anything happened to my other device, now I have one. And I was able to support my local B&M in the process. I just hope that B&M feels the same way about their customers as I do about them.

 

[dwcraig1]

So Zmax should be able to still function well in California during earth quakes I guess.

 

[VaporHead512]

 

[skipdashu]

So how much does the optional end cap cost?

The wholesale was around 3.90USD.

 

[skipdashu]

Let me help you all with 1 more thing free of charge......lol

STOP CRANKING DOWN YOUR ATTY'S and CARTO'S ON ANY DEVICE !!!!!!!

Your not suppose to in the 1st place !! YOU are your own worse enemy in this case. 99% of issue is "USER ERROR". You should ONLY screw your atty's down till you feel resistance.....then maybe at most a 16th of a turn further. I've NEVER had 1 issue with even 1 of my devices with the threads, positive pole, pole gasket etc... if you have it's because "YOUR" CRANKING YOUR ATTY DOWN WAY TOO MUCH WAY TOO FAR !!!
These are ecigs not freakin' galvanized 3/4" nuts and bolts.

I can only hope EVERY vaper alive reads this at some point. Take care. And STOP screwin' your crap down so hard....Jeese.

Pay attention... I've managed to screw up three 510 connections on various mods from 'crankin' 'er down'... till I managed to align 3 brain cells and figure it out.

 

[skipdashu]

It scares me to think that the cap is sooo close to bottoming out. I will be checking just how much room is left as I screw it down. I am more interested with using 18650s with the Z as I have 4 of them 18650 2250 mah Panny hybrids

That's what I've been using since last Friday (CGRs) with good results.



First two pics are with the CGR18650CH-2250 which fits well and is a superb 18650 IMR type also. The 'golden flame' Trustfire (3rd pic, just for a visual) was way too long but you could, barely, get the standard cap to thread (last pic). Two AW 18350s are even longer.

PS: My point being that the cap it's shipped with is designed for an IMR 18650 ONLY!

 

[skipdashu]

Is the zmax for sale somewhere? I have looked its not even on smoketechs site.

I posted a link to AAV last weekend.

 

[skipdashu]

deleted.....

 

[skipdashu]

Been watching this thread but keeping quiet... ... version of the Darwin....

Yea, but you're scarin' me with that avatar. Isn't that official outfit of the 'Order of Provari'? ;-)

 

[phil71185]

Wow with all this info I am being pushed into purchasing another pv

 

[skipdashu]

Wow with all this info I am being pushed into purchasing another pv

Very ambigious... "another" meaning additional or "another" meaning different?

Assuming 'different'... Why because folks are trying to force using the wrong battery with the wrong end cap? That's hardly the devices fault. The cap it's shipped with is clearly to be used with an IMR 18650 (probably a flat top would be better).

PS: Frankly if you're not vaping at > 12.5 watts the 18350 option holds no value and probably results in shorter run times.

PPS: Just wait for my "nightstick" tube option to run two CGRs in it! ;-)

 

[Morandir835]

No skipdashu (guessing sir) it's a pic of one of the greatest living musical artists today Ihsahn. Though being that his previous band was Emperor.....

Don't have any problems admitting I love the provari, but again when you've had one that was abused in every way that finally died by being ran over by a truck (survived the car running over it though) hard not to love it. Right now vaping a king diamond shorty (kr808 batt), a vmax with a tank, and a yj lt with a i06 atty though. So again, how can it be said I'm a fanboy?

 

[Optimo]

30% failure rate apparently - also check the Vmax thread to see how many people had 2 go south on them.

Boohoo...cry me a river then get a new one through warranty.

 

[dwcraig1]

USPS tracking originally said that my mini DID KO and Zmax would arrive today but then updated to tomorrow, not that bad I guess.