Howdy Troopers,
Been quiet over here but it doesn't mean I've been sleeping. I've been working HARD to get some good quality, American made product out the door.
I'm proud to announce that the first round of my development is finally in motion and will be coming SOON. The Link System.
The Link System is a Zen2 spec device line up. I have borrowed, quite heavily, from the Zen mans designs and used the Z2 thread spec. What this means, is all the parts I bring to the table will be completely compatible with all of the current Zen 2 line up. I am duplicating a few of the existing parts with some minor aesthetic and material changes as well as introducing a new product for the Z2 line up.
Prior to launching the Link system I will be releasing a special Z2 switch in a limited run. This will be an exact copy of the current Z2 switch with an Aluminum housing, stainless steel button, gold plated contact screw and work only with the Z2 devices. it is not backwards compatible. The aluminum housing will come in three finishes, Blue anodized, Black anodized, and raw aluminum. If you're lookin for a spare switch, I'll have em in a couple of weeks. They'll be priced at $45 dollars. This is a limited run and will not be put into full production so, snatch em up.
Following is a full break down of my launch plans, parts, and retail prices. I anticipate having these available for pre-order sometime in late August or Early September with parts shipping out to you within 2 weeks of the pre-sale.
The main change I'm making to the current Z2 parts that I've duplicated is the Brass. My battery tubes will be all brass and the plunger portion of the switch will be all brass. All my contact screws and posts will be gold plated and all my individual parts, down to the screws being used in the switch and 510 head will be compatible with the current Zen2 line. Not to mention the fact that the switches, heads, and battery tubes are machined with the Z2 thread so all the whole parts will be cross compatible with all Z2 products.
[h=3]Parts ListParts list + retail pricing:[/h]Link zSwitch: $70 - Brass button, stainless switch housing, 24k gold plated contact screw (Gold over Nickel, over Copper, over Stainless steel). Z2 thread. Compatible with all Zen 2 devices.
Link zSwitch Collectors Edition (CE): $80 - This is the same as the above switch, however the stainless switch housing will be Gunmetal nano coated. This is a vapor deposition coating process. This finish is SUPER durable and a sharp gunmetal gray.
Link z65T: $42 - All brass 18650 length battery tube. Z2 compatible across the board, machined Monkey logo on the body.
Link z49T: $40 - All brass 18490 length battery tube. Z2 compatible across the board, machined Monkey logo on the body.
Link z35T: $38 - All brass 18350 length battery tube. Z2 compatible across the board, machined Monkey logo on the body.
Link z510H: $30 - Stainless Steel 510 head. Gold plated center pin.
Link z510H Collectors Edition: $40 - Stainless Steel 510 head with Gunmetal nano coating.
Link zRDAH: $90 - Stainless Steel Z2 Rebuildable Dripper. Deck and Top cap are all stainless steel, all contact points are gold plated. 1/16th air hole, vertical coil design. 2 ground posts which enable potential dual and quad coil set ups. Internal structure modeled after the Zenesis RBA. Completely compatable with all Z2 devices. Multiple Top cap options will be available after initial release. Including different number of holes and sized holes. (Ill be making a separate post on this specifically)
Link zRDAH Collectors Edition: $110 - Same stats as above but the top cap and deck will be gunmetal nano coated. This will still have the gold contact points.
[h=3]Design Notes[/h]Regarding the blatant rip off of the design. I work closely with Zen, all of what Im doing has been run through him and hes fully aware that I am taking his dimensions, specs, etc, and completely copying it. This fell into the realm of if it aint broke, dont fix it. The deck and top design of the Zenesis RBA are great, its a real solid performer Im making modifications to turn it into a dripper, but I saw no reason to modify it completely just to be different in this situation. This also means, due to my choice, that those folks who have existing Zen 2 devices will be able to use the dripper and it will look like it belongs on the device. Im even going so far as to have the same machined finish on the top caps and the same hole placement as the Zenesis RBA. The top caps from my RDA line will be compatible with Zenesis RBAs. The other parts, like the battery tubes, 510 head, and switch same situation, I want my system to work with his system, more importantly, I wanted supporting products for my RDA. I cant get official Zen products because ENS has the exclusive on that but I can get permission to rip off Zen
So I decided to take the specs down to the micron and make aesthetic and material changes to differentiate myself a little bit. This also means current Z2 owners who might want a brass tube or switch, can come pick one of those up from me in the future to go with their device and not have to buy a whole new PV.
The 510 head: This will be virtually identical to the Z2 510 head. Head over to ENS to see what it looks like. I will be adding knurling to the side of the 510 head for functional reasons, its a beast to take off and put on without something to grip it. It also ties in nicely with the knurling on the switch.
The Bodies: All the bodies are going to match the length of the current Z2 body lengths.
The switch: Right now there is a little design flux on the switch. the part you actually press with your finger will be brass, the knurled body will be stainless. The shape of the button itself may not match the Z2 design exactly, Im debating flattening it out and putting a very light radius on the edge. Its not fully decided but it wont effect the price.
Gold Plating: The gold plating has been questioned quite a bit. Gold performs better than silver in a long term situation so thats what is being used. The contact points that get plated start out as stainless parts. They are then passivated, plated in copper, the copper is plated with nickel, and the nickel is then plated with 5 microns of 24k gold. The stainless core has 0 effect on the conductivity. This thing is conducting like a solid gold contact, the amount of surface area available and gold plating completely removes the contact points as potential bottlenecks. Brass cores would not perform differently at all and would actually prove to be less durable in the long run. This device is built to last.
[h=3]Launch Plans[/h]I am currently planning the initial launch around whole devices. Each device will have 1 head, 1 switch and 1 battery tube. The price will be easy to determine, just take the price of the head, tube, and switch and add em up
These are the SKUs I plan to do on the initial launch and how many will be available on day 1. My follow up order will be RAPID. As in, there will be more parts made than I will be launching with but due to the funding situation, Im not getting all of it on day one. The Collectors Edition parts will ONLY be available on launch day.
15x Link zL510 : 510 head, 18650 battery tube, Switch.
10x Link zM510: 510 head, 18490 tube, switch.
10x Link zS510: 510 head, 18350 tube, switch.
15x Link zLRDA: RDA head, 18650 tube, switch.
10x Link zMRDA: RDA head, 18490 tube, switch.
10x Link zSRDA: RDA head, 18350 tube, switch.
15x CE Link zL510: CE 510 head, 18650 battery tube, CE Swtich, CE Drip tip (custom brass tip from captivape)
10x CE Link zM510: You should be able to fill in the blanks at this point.
10x CE Link zS510:
15x CE Link zLRDA: CE RDA head, 18650 battery tube, CE switch, CE Drip tip.
10x CE Link zMRDA:
10x CE Link zSRDA:
10x Barrel of Monkeys collection: CE RDA Head, CE 510 head, 18650 battery tube, 18350 battery tube, 18490 battery tube, 1x CE switch and a CE Drip tip. Comes with a special display stand.
[FONT=OpenSansRegular, Tahoma, sans-serif]For the above SKUs if you want to know the price, just look at the price list above, add up the cost for each item in the SKU and you've got your price. I dont have the costs on the drip tip yet so the CE will be a little more than what youre seeing when you add up the parts (since I dont have the price yet [/FONT]
[FONT=OpenSansRegular, Tahoma, sans-serif] ). The Barrel of Monkeys collection will have an additional 15 bucks added to accommodate the stand Ill be putting with it.[/FONT]
Post initial launch I will be making all the individual parts available by themselves. The Collectors edition parts will only be available on Launch day however.
And now please take a moment and take this 1 question survey
Im using this to gauge demand and interest, if I see a big enough skew in numbers here from what Im expecting, I might be able to shift the numbers above. realistically, a lot of people say theyll buy something in the pre-launch but when it comes to putting money on the table things happen so Im taking a lot of the data from this survey with a grain of salt, but it will at least give me the trend on what you guys are most interested in with the stuff.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LCSD9B8
Been quiet over here but it doesn't mean I've been sleeping. I've been working HARD to get some good quality, American made product out the door.
I'm proud to announce that the first round of my development is finally in motion and will be coming SOON. The Link System.
The Link System is a Zen2 spec device line up. I have borrowed, quite heavily, from the Zen mans designs and used the Z2 thread spec. What this means, is all the parts I bring to the table will be completely compatible with all of the current Zen 2 line up. I am duplicating a few of the existing parts with some minor aesthetic and material changes as well as introducing a new product for the Z2 line up.
Prior to launching the Link system I will be releasing a special Z2 switch in a limited run. This will be an exact copy of the current Z2 switch with an Aluminum housing, stainless steel button, gold plated contact screw and work only with the Z2 devices. it is not backwards compatible. The aluminum housing will come in three finishes, Blue anodized, Black anodized, and raw aluminum. If you're lookin for a spare switch, I'll have em in a couple of weeks. They'll be priced at $45 dollars. This is a limited run and will not be put into full production so, snatch em up.
Following is a full break down of my launch plans, parts, and retail prices. I anticipate having these available for pre-order sometime in late August or Early September with parts shipping out to you within 2 weeks of the pre-sale.
The main change I'm making to the current Z2 parts that I've duplicated is the Brass. My battery tubes will be all brass and the plunger portion of the switch will be all brass. All my contact screws and posts will be gold plated and all my individual parts, down to the screws being used in the switch and 510 head will be compatible with the current Zen2 line. Not to mention the fact that the switches, heads, and battery tubes are machined with the Z2 thread so all the whole parts will be cross compatible with all Z2 products.
[h=3]Parts ListParts list + retail pricing:[/h]Link zSwitch: $70 - Brass button, stainless switch housing, 24k gold plated contact screw (Gold over Nickel, over Copper, over Stainless steel). Z2 thread. Compatible with all Zen 2 devices.
Link zSwitch Collectors Edition (CE): $80 - This is the same as the above switch, however the stainless switch housing will be Gunmetal nano coated. This is a vapor deposition coating process. This finish is SUPER durable and a sharp gunmetal gray.
Link z65T: $42 - All brass 18650 length battery tube. Z2 compatible across the board, machined Monkey logo on the body.
Link z49T: $40 - All brass 18490 length battery tube. Z2 compatible across the board, machined Monkey logo on the body.
Link z35T: $38 - All brass 18350 length battery tube. Z2 compatible across the board, machined Monkey logo on the body.
Link z510H: $30 - Stainless Steel 510 head. Gold plated center pin.
Link z510H Collectors Edition: $40 - Stainless Steel 510 head with Gunmetal nano coating.
Link zRDAH: $90 - Stainless Steel Z2 Rebuildable Dripper. Deck and Top cap are all stainless steel, all contact points are gold plated. 1/16th air hole, vertical coil design. 2 ground posts which enable potential dual and quad coil set ups. Internal structure modeled after the Zenesis RBA. Completely compatable with all Z2 devices. Multiple Top cap options will be available after initial release. Including different number of holes and sized holes. (Ill be making a separate post on this specifically)
Link zRDAH Collectors Edition: $110 - Same stats as above but the top cap and deck will be gunmetal nano coated. This will still have the gold contact points.
[h=3]Design Notes[/h]Regarding the blatant rip off of the design. I work closely with Zen, all of what Im doing has been run through him and hes fully aware that I am taking his dimensions, specs, etc, and completely copying it. This fell into the realm of if it aint broke, dont fix it. The deck and top design of the Zenesis RBA are great, its a real solid performer Im making modifications to turn it into a dripper, but I saw no reason to modify it completely just to be different in this situation. This also means, due to my choice, that those folks who have existing Zen 2 devices will be able to use the dripper and it will look like it belongs on the device. Im even going so far as to have the same machined finish on the top caps and the same hole placement as the Zenesis RBA. The top caps from my RDA line will be compatible with Zenesis RBAs. The other parts, like the battery tubes, 510 head, and switch same situation, I want my system to work with his system, more importantly, I wanted supporting products for my RDA. I cant get official Zen products because ENS has the exclusive on that but I can get permission to rip off Zen
The 510 head: This will be virtually identical to the Z2 510 head. Head over to ENS to see what it looks like. I will be adding knurling to the side of the 510 head for functional reasons, its a beast to take off and put on without something to grip it. It also ties in nicely with the knurling on the switch.
The Bodies: All the bodies are going to match the length of the current Z2 body lengths.
The switch: Right now there is a little design flux on the switch. the part you actually press with your finger will be brass, the knurled body will be stainless. The shape of the button itself may not match the Z2 design exactly, Im debating flattening it out and putting a very light radius on the edge. Its not fully decided but it wont effect the price.
Gold Plating: The gold plating has been questioned quite a bit. Gold performs better than silver in a long term situation so thats what is being used. The contact points that get plated start out as stainless parts. They are then passivated, plated in copper, the copper is plated with nickel, and the nickel is then plated with 5 microns of 24k gold. The stainless core has 0 effect on the conductivity. This thing is conducting like a solid gold contact, the amount of surface area available and gold plating completely removes the contact points as potential bottlenecks. Brass cores would not perform differently at all and would actually prove to be less durable in the long run. This device is built to last.
[h=3]Launch Plans[/h]I am currently planning the initial launch around whole devices. Each device will have 1 head, 1 switch and 1 battery tube. The price will be easy to determine, just take the price of the head, tube, and switch and add em up
15x Link zL510 : 510 head, 18650 battery tube, Switch.
10x Link zM510: 510 head, 18490 tube, switch.
10x Link zS510: 510 head, 18350 tube, switch.
15x Link zLRDA: RDA head, 18650 tube, switch.
10x Link zMRDA: RDA head, 18490 tube, switch.
10x Link zSRDA: RDA head, 18350 tube, switch.
15x CE Link zL510: CE 510 head, 18650 battery tube, CE Swtich, CE Drip tip (custom brass tip from captivape)
10x CE Link zM510: You should be able to fill in the blanks at this point.
10x CE Link zS510:
15x CE Link zLRDA: CE RDA head, 18650 battery tube, CE switch, CE Drip tip.
10x CE Link zMRDA:
10x CE Link zSRDA:
10x Barrel of Monkeys collection: CE RDA Head, CE 510 head, 18650 battery tube, 18350 battery tube, 18490 battery tube, 1x CE switch and a CE Drip tip. Comes with a special display stand.
[FONT=OpenSansRegular, Tahoma, sans-serif]For the above SKUs if you want to know the price, just look at the price list above, add up the cost for each item in the SKU and you've got your price. I dont have the costs on the drip tip yet so the CE will be a little more than what youre seeing when you add up the parts (since I dont have the price yet [/FONT]
Post initial launch I will be making all the individual parts available by themselves. The Collectors edition parts will only be available on Launch day however.
And now please take a moment and take this 1 question survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LCSD9B8
