I received "The Buzz" about 5 hours ago and this is my first impression review. As a rule, I think it is best in most cases to wait a week or 2 but as there are few reviews on this "emerging technology" device and a good deal of interest, I think this makes a good exception to that rule. I will take a page from the Grimm Green book and post a final review later.
Vitals:
Mod Name - The Buzz
Vendor link -
http://www.notcigs.com/
Price - $114.95
Batteries - 2 X cr123 size 3.7V
http://www.notcigs.com/index.php?pa...&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
Supported Atomizers - choice of 901 or 801 sitting, and purchase and adapter for 510 ($3.95)
Appearance:
The majority of effort and R&D seem have gone into the performance and function more than the design. This is not one of those "gorgeous" mods but it is not ugly. It is a simple and pragmatic design. It is a 4 3/8" long tube with flat end caps that are 1 1/8" in diameter. The construction seems solid, not indestructible as the Silver Bullet but appears to be built to last and sustain reasonable drops. The body features a spill reservoir around the atty and vent holes in the lower part of the body in the event of a battery rupture. The body also has 3 grip rings scored into the exterior. Visible on the outside of the body is a small LED indicator, a very small and responsive button, phillips head screw used to hold internal components and a small vent hole that allows access to the main star of this mod the potentiometer. The placement of the button is at the top of the mod and comfortable using both an index finger or my preference, my thumb.
Features:
Safety is a priority with this mod, which is key as it requires stacking batteries. The circuitry within the device features five Way Protection against shorts, unsafe temperatures, reverse polarity, excessive current drain, over discharged batteries. It is nice to know you can use unprotected batteries although I would NEVER use anything besides protected batteries.
The flagship feature of this mod is the potentiometer. A potentiometer allows you to adjust the regulated voltage to whatever you wish in a range between 3.7V and 6.0. The Stacked batteries deliver a native 7.4 V (8.2 fully charged) and that voltage is controlled to only deliver the voltage the user desires. The voltage is changed by using a small blade screwdriver (provided with the base modeal) to turn the head of the potentiometer. The basic rule is 1 turn = .2 volts. These are NOT staged presets but you can change the voltage by at least .1 volts. You will want to have a multimeter (inexpensive) device to tune the MOD. It does come set at 4.5 V and you can guesstimate it without a voltmeter. You will need to buy a cord to attach your multimeter to the atomizer but thankfully it is very reasonably priced at $4.95 and available at the vendors site as are the batteries, chargers and adapters.
Opinion:
Now that all the details are out of the way, I can get to the fun stuff, my opinion of the device. The appearance is o.k. and the construction is at the very least, solid. I would have preferred a native 501 device as the adapter adds about 1/4" to the atty but it will be manageable. There are a few exposed but recessed construction screws that would have been nice to be capped or hidden but it really is not a big deal. I did not buy this mod for its beauty, after all, how smart are the prettiest girls anyways? (This does NOT apply to my wife or the lovely ladies that frequent Vapor Talk Forums) :innocent: This mod's brains far surpasses its beauty.
What I did buy this device for fully delivers the promise. I started out with some low charged batteries while I waited for my new ones to charge and it delivered a 4.5 right away and the entire time until the low batter indicator came on! This, for me is HUGE!! I quickly put the device on my multimeter and to my glee, as I turned the screw head, the voltage started changing. I was convinced I would like 4.2V the best but indeed the standard 4.5 was excellent for me. I have put other atties on both 901 and 801s and I was able to turn up the voltage to compensate for the higher resistance of these atomizers to produce a similar output wattage to my 510. Sure enough, the matching worked!(using a great calculator tool
Ohm's and Joule's Law Calculator)
My biggest gripe with e-cigs and every mod I have seen to date is the battery performance. I really like a fully charged 3.7 battery when it is at 4.2 but within the first hour, I can feel it diminishing. By hour 4, I am looking for a freshly charged 18650 battery to get back to 4.2v or putting on a LR atty to get the power back. Who cares if the battery will last me 18 hours if I am not enjoying the output? I have been vaping constantly for about 5 hours now and the performance has been startling consistent. Not only do I have the perfect voltage for my taste but the device is delivering it with every inhale for 5 hours. As this is a new device, I am, of course, measuring it every 15 minutes and the s.o.b. doesn't change. This is the performance I was seeking and the consistency I demanded. 5 hours is admittedly not a great sample but it has been extremely encouraging.
Summary
When you consider this mod is among the first if not the first of its kind, it is remarkably mature and well thought out. I am convinced that this is the future of mods. Anyone who creates a new mod that does not have the ability to ascertain the performance and MAINTAIN the performance will just simply not be as good as this device. This includes the fanciest $150.00 to $200.00 mods. I am sure future revisions of this device and will have a sleeker look and likely a built in voltage readout and surely native 510. Buying this version of The Buzz allows you to be one of the first to jump the fence into the land of consistent performance. In a few years, we will probably look back at this mod as primitive compared to the 2013 models but I will fondly recall the night I was one of the first to enjoy a truly consistent and personalized vaping experience.
I can not close this without mentioning the service I received. The vendor was responsive and surprised me by shipping the day I ordered. I am thrilled to have this today and the little touches really remind me that this is the best part of the e-cig/mod industry and that is access to the people at the top. Someday, I fear we will not be rubbing elbows with the Christophers, Parkers, Buzz, Peter from Decadent Vapors, Jasons from electronicstix as we do today. Enjoy it while we can.
"the Buzz" - First Impression - Vapor Talk E Cig Forum
Not very scientific but it worked for me 
