The e-LVT. The Really Tough but not close to being waterproof, Mod. Part 1

[p.opus]

EDIT: Do NOT try to reproduce the tests you see in this review. This device is rated for IPX-1 water resistance which is the equivalent of dripping water. Doing so will void your warranty and may cause damage and or personal injury.


The Innokin MVP 2 has been nearly universally accepted as a very well built, inexpensive, and great performing VV/VW mod. I wrote an earlier review stating that I feel that the MVP 2 is essential vape gear.

If there was one universal complaint of the MVP 2, however was the fact that it had an internal battery that you could not replace.

Recently I saw some pictures at tasteyourjuice.com of a device that looks a lot like an MVP 2.0 but has the advantage of running off of an 18650 battery. It is also touted to be drop proof, Pressure proof and waterproof. More on that later.

Here's a photo of the e-LVT and MVP2 side by side:


The e-LVT by Firestone e-cigarette company is a box mod that sports some pretty impressive numbers.

Variable Wattage: 3.0 to 15.0 watts in .5 watt increments
Variable Voltage: 3.0 to 6.0 volts in .1 volt increments
Under Voltage Protection
Over Charge Protection
510 and eGo threading.
Micro USB charging
USB device charging.
10 second auto shut off.
3 Color LED battery status.
Built in Ohm checker.
Built in LED Flashlight...yep, you heard right...a flashlight.

The first thing that impressed me was how solid this unit is. There is absolutely no button rattle what so ever. The entire unit is encased in metal and has a rubber coating to protect from dropping damage.

The 510 connector is well built and is spring loaded which should allow a wide variety of toppers to be attached.

The 18650 battery is accessed via a battery cover on the back which is held in place with an allen head screw. The device includes an allen head wrench to remove the battery.

The battery door is solid metal, and the screw holding the battery door in place is quite small. Luckily you won't have to use it often as the unit will charge the battery in place. The plus and minus terminals are easily distinguished.

Once the battery is in place, you turn it on by pushing the battery button 3 times. A three button LED will fire showing you battery status.

The fire button is conveniently located on the side and has a nice clicking feel without being too hard to operate.

To check the atomizer ohms you hold down the + and - buttons simultaneously. Keeping these held down longer will place the device in "adjustment mode". When in adjustment mode, you can press + and - to adjust your value up and down.

To "lock" the device, hold down he + and - buttons simultaneously until you see the display LOC. This locks the device and hitting plus or minus will display LOC followed by the current setting.

To view remaining battery life, hold down the + key. To turn on the flashlight (yes it has an LED flashlight too...) hold down the - key.

To switch to Variable Voltage mode, you hold the - button and Fire button simultaneously until the display reads Vo. This puts it into Variable Voltage mode and displays the set voltage.

To switch to Variable Wattage mode, you hold the + button and Fire button simultaneously until the display reads Po. This puts it into Variable Wattage mode and displays the set wattage.

So....How does it vape?

Really good. I don't have any equipment to put it on, so I have to go by my senses. Listening to the unit fire, it DOES appear to rattlesnake. I can't be sure, and I surely can't tell the difference.

So far so good...... For 90 bucks, this appears to be an MVP killer....but....not so fast......

First of all, the 18650 battery seems to drain rather quickly. Although the battery is rated I got is rated at 2000 mAh it definitely drops in power much quicker than the MVP.

It appears this is due to the charging circuit in the unit. It cuts off the charge fairly early. Which means the battery does not do a full saturation charge. While this usually is less stressful on the battery, to get a full saturation charge, it appears you will need to put it on a real smart charger. The unit only charges the battery to 4.1 volts....

The second downer is due to the design of the rubber door covering the USB ports. The "hinge" piece is located close to the micro USB port. This makes it very rather difficult to fully seat the connector. It's probably better to take this rubber piece off, but that will make it less water resistant.....More on THAT later.



Ok, so this thing isn't perfect. But these few little issues were nothing compared to what I discovered later.

Now with this device claiming water proofing and shock proofing, You know I just had to be a dumb ... and put it through some sort of torture.

There were videos of it being run over by a car, so I had to do the same thing.



The unit passed this test with flying colors. The device worked just fine. It was here, however, that I noticed that the nameplates are simply rubber pieces glued to the outside. They can be peeled off. However this does not affect the functionality of the unit.

For the second test, I wanted to test it's waterproofing. There have been videos of people putting this thing through a car wash, pouring water on it, and dunking it in a tank. And while it is rated only IPX-1, I decided to go above and beyond, so I picked the killer of many a cell phone....The I dropped it in the Toilet test.



See the air bubbles.....NOT GOOD....

I fished the unit out of the toilet and immediately opened the battery and died a little on the inside....



I shaked out a lot of water, and sadly watched as the display flickered, the ohm reader read all over the board, and the possibility of killing my nearly 100 dollar mod became reality.......

Did I fix it....Did I lose 100 bucks???? See Part 2 of this review.

 

[p.opus]

When we last left our intrepid vaper, it appears that he destroyed his indestructible mod by dunking it in the toilet.....

When dunked, air bubbles started coming out of the unit and opening the battery compartment showed plenty of standing water.

Well, I figured, if it's dead, I might as well take it apart and take a look.

I undid the 4 screws in the battery compartment and took it apart.

I found here that there is absolutely no internal membrane or anything keeping water at bay, other than the rubber outside. This is CLEARLY designed only to survive the occasional spilling drink or "splash" when out on a boat or while fishing. There was water in the 510 connection, on the circuit boards and chassis.



I carefully dried off all of the standing water inside the unit and on the connector, I carefully put the unit back together and crossed my fingers and put in the battery and .....

YEAH!!!! Success!!!! EDIT: I really have to give a thumbs up here that I was actually able to easily get inside and dry the thing off. The fact I was even able to fish it out of the toilet and get it working again says something.

The unit fired back up. I even put it on the charger and it is currently charging the battery....Of course it is on the tile floor away from anything remotely flammable at this point....

So as I learned the hard way...This unit is not designed to be "dunked" in any manner. However, the construction of the unit will keep it resistant to regular rainfall and the typical "spill" or other normal hazards, (which is what it's IPX-1 rating "says" it should be resistant of).

EDIT: As a follow up I did a spill test. Unfortunately the battery door was up. After the spill test was over and the unit was dried off, it DID work. However water did manage to seep into the battery case....So....meh. The battery door is clearly not that water resistant at all. It really needs an o ring or some sort of "sealing" mechanisim.. I dried off the inside of the battery housing, however and everything works fine.



If you want easier plugging in of the micro USB port, you can remove the rubber covering on the Ports, This will expose the ports to any "splash" but since this unit can't be dunked anyway, and since the MVP does not have any protection at all, you have to decide what you want to do.

So bottom line, if you are looking for a Mod that you can vape while swimming or diving, you won't find it here. However, this unit is solid enough and resistant enough to throw NEARLY anything you throw at it.....As long as it's not a toilet.....

I will go ahead and reply to this review giving you a better idea of it's battery life as I continue to use it.

So, is it an MVP 2 killer? Yes and No. It does have a better range of operation than the MVP2. It is roughly the same size as the MVP2. The "floating center pin" fixes some of the issues people have seen on their MVP2's. Also the use of a standard 18650 battery is a BIG plus.

On the down side, however, it is TWICE the cost of an MVP 2 and it is not widely distributed. It does appear to have PWM on the output, so that's going to turn some off. It is a smidge heaver than an MVP. Finally the whole rubber and metal aesthetic is not going to win any beauty awards. This thing screams "camping" "hiking" "construction site" and the like, not something you'd take with you on a night out.

So this tale, while nearly having a disastrous climax, does have a happy ending. I have no problems recommending this unit to anyone. Personally, I'm don't see this as a primary or regular vape. If you are normally exposed to the elements, or are out fishing or on a boat, then you should take this thing where you wouldn't DARE take something else.

I kind of compare it to using a table lamp vs a lantern. While the lantern might provide you just as much or more light, it really does look out of place in your home. The same holds true with the e-LVT. It just looks out of place when used anywhere where it is not designed to be used.

Finding one in the wild is a little tricky....

I got mine at seven bridges vapors, but they seem to be out of stock. You can contact them here and see when they get more units in stock.

http://www.sevenbridgesvapors.com/home/

 

[Nailz]

So far so good...... For 90 bucks, this appears to be an MVP killer....but....not so fast......

I don't agree it would be a MVP2 killer, even it passed all your test, because it is over twice of the price of the MVP2, I could buy 2 MVP2 for less than 1 of them.

What appeals the MVP2 to people, is the price, you can't get another mod with the features and battery for the price of the MVP2.

I do think the mod will sell well, and is a cool device, just don't think it will hurt the MVP2 sales though.

 

[p.opus]

I don't agree it would be a MVP2 killer, even it passed all your test, because it is over twice of the price of the MVP2, I could buy 2 MVP2 for less than 1 of them.

What appeals the MVP2 to people, is the price, you can't get another mod with the features and battery for the price of the MVP2.

I do think the mod will sell well, and is a cool device, just don't think it will hurt the MVP2 sales though.

I agree..

1st.... It doesn't have near the distribution of the MVP2 sales.
2nd... Only those who are worried about the removable battery might look at this.

On the positive side, the spring loaded center post does eliminate some of the issues that plagued the MVP2. But on the minus side, the built in charger does not seem to saturate the battery which will keep the battery life down.....

 

[beckdg]

dang!

failed the most important drop test... the toilette drop test.

combined with a rugged ugliness you'd expect to save it from said test and the rattlesnake, i think i'll have to pass.

thank you very much for the heads up and for going the extra mile to test it's claims.

 

[Rancor0681]

P. Opus ty for the review. I have to say imma have to stay with the mvp2. Also You really need to clean your toilet lmao!

 

[DavidAmonettNashville]

I noticed the IPS1X rating too and looked it up and noticed it was resistant only to Dripping water (vertically falling drops). Liquid ingress protection :IP Code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia please keep us posted on how it continues to vape and THX

 

[poorboy1964]

Good review you are a badazz for even trying to dunk it.

 

[p.opus]

P. Opus ty for the review. I have to say imma have to stay with the mvp2. Also You really need to clean your toilet lmao!

Dude....I know...I noticed that after I posted the pictures....kinda embarrassed....

While I don't think this will make my daily rotation. If I'm going somewhere like Disney, or the beach, camping, or on a boat, I'm taking this thing. It really is a beast.

 

[p.opus]

Good review you are a badazz for even trying to dunk it.

badazz? dumbazz maybe... But seriously. It's not rated to be dunked, and that fail should not be construed as a minus. A dunk will kill nearly any mod. The fact that I was able to dry it and bring it back to life is pretty amazing. Also, it's clear that it will easily survive any REASONABLE exposure to water (like dropping in the snow, spilling a drink on it, etc....).

 

[Capt.shay]

As reviewed it indeed is not a MVP killer. Nor am I running out to buy one.

BUT.....

As a landscaper and outdoor enthusiast who spends more time outside than in, I am also not turned off either. It appears the people who are producing this thing have put a huge amount of thought in to it and I hope they continue to refine it. The door is an obvious design flaw and the battery life thing will have to be verified and corrected. I wish it were more water resistant.

Opus, if you have a meter why don't you let the LVT get a full charge, pull the battery before use and measure its voltage. You can compare it to what you read from a battery FOC from your regular charger.

Thanks and I'll be following this one.

 

[p.opus]

As reviewed it indeed is not a MVP killer. Nor am I running out to buy one.

BUT.....

As a landscaper and outdoor enthusiast who spends more time outside than in, I am also not turned off either. It appears the people who are producing this thing have put a huge amount of thought in to it and I hope they continue to refine it. The door is an obvious design flaw and the battery life thing will have to be verified and corrected. I wish it were more water resistant.

Opus, if you have a meter why don't you let the LVT get a full charge, pull the battery before use and measure its voltage. You can compare it to what you read from a battery FOC from your regular charger.

Thanks and I'll be following this one.

I don't have a charger. This is the only mod that uses that type battery. I'm still debating getting an iTaste mini 134 or ProVari, and in that case, I will definitely be getting a REAL charger....

 

[p.opus]

Well it appears my torture testing has relegated my new mod to backup status.

The unit is not sensing my atty resistance accurately anymore. It appears to sense the atty about .5 ohms lower. This totally messes up the variable wattage feature. Maybe it will start acting better as any residual moisture inside the chassis dries out.

The 18650 just doesn't seem to have the capacity I would expect from a 2000 mAh battery. Either that, or the MVP2 is amazingly efficient with it's 2600 mAh LiPo battery.

As a final note, I'm really disappointed in the battery door. While I should not have expected the unit to survive the toilet dunk test, I really should not have had to worry about a drink spill on the unit, and even with a simulated drink spill water still appeared inside the battery compartment.

I also noticed that the 510 connector is not sealed, as a result dripping fluid can go straight into the chassis. The LED flashlight is not sealed either.

Unfortunately the marketing materials seem to indicate that this unit is much more water resistant than it actually is. This unit is dang near indestructible....except when it comes to water. Water is still the bane to any mod, and with this mod, it is no exception.

 

[Nailz]

The 18650 just doesn't seem to have the capacity I would expect from a 2000 mAh battery. Either that, or the MVP2 is amazingly efficient with it's 2600 mAh LiPo battery.

It is the MVP2 very efficient with the battery.

I recently got a sigelei zmax and 2 18650 batteries, 1 came with the zmax and is rated as a 2200mah, the other is a efest at 2000mah, neither of them last even remotely close to the MVP2, I can go 2 days without charging my MVP2, but don't even get 1 whole day with either of the loose batteries.

 

[CreepyLady]

Thanks for the review!!

I was thinking since the spill part is not a concern (its the dropping and general lack of care on my SO's behalf that has destroyed everything he has touched so far excluding an MVP2 thats lasted 5 months so far - thats a new record) that maybe I should look into this one a little as it may be better tuned in the durability spectrum for him. The firestone page certainly made me laugh and I wanted to share:

Advantage:


This is the first item for e-cigarette have waterproof function.for test can reach IPX1

Durable anti-fall ,fall from 2m high and the LVT can still working

Anti - pressure ,even a big car run over it,it can still working

I mean it should last on a construction site if "even big car run over it, it can still working" right?? Im not going to throw $90 smackers at this guy just yet, and I realy appreciate your very thorough tests on durability/water!!!

 

[Rossum]

It's amazing what you can tell about people by the pictures they post. For example, here we have undeniable proof that p.opus lives in a household with no women present:

How do I know this? No woman I've met would ever allow a toilet to get that dirty!

I also like the Chinese video of this thing being run over by an SUV.... However, one thing makes me skeptical. Watch carefully at 1:52:



Why is the guy who picks it up off the ground smoking a traditional cigarette? To me, this says he had no confidence at all that the device would still work!

 

[Nailz]

Why is the guy who picks it up off the ground smoking a traditional cigarette? To me, this says he had no confidence at all that the device would still work!

well spotted, yea don't think when your trying to promote the product you should be smoking

Also they should of done a lot higher drop test, I've dropped my MVP2 probably a dozen times at work on a concrete floor and is still working, no doubt this thing is tough, but they should of dropped it off a building, then that would of looked impressive.

 

[Ben C.]

How do I know this? No woman I've met would ever allow a toilet to get that dirty!

Dude... I'm a man and I would never allow my toilet to get that dirty! Sweet jubblies...

Last time I let a toilet go that far (further really) was in '93 when I was in college and there were 4 of us quadmates sharing a bathroom. We took turns cleaning the bathroom, but 2 of them just didn't and counted on our OCD to take over their 'duties' for them. Which it did for a long while. Finally me and the other 'cleaner' just stopped and waited to see how long it would take for one of them to clean the bowl.

It got to the point where freakin long wavy moss or sea grass or something was growing in there. Seriously Jacques Cousteu ..... It's like someone grew a Chia Pet of super fine, green hair from the bottom of the bowl and it just waved subtly in the wake of the water.

 

[Rossum]

I apologize starting the off-topic digression that Ben continued in the above post, which was absolutely freaking hilarious. My hat is off to you, sir!

 

[kathi17]

Thanks for the review and all of your testing!

I do a lot of outdoor stuff in the summer, and I'm hoping that the people who built this will continue to improve it!

Try putting your device in a jar with rice, it might help get rid of any moisture that's left.