Voopoo Alpha Zip kit

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Tim Wiseman

Vaping Master
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Jul 29, 2017
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Bolton, England
Hi ECF members, In this review i take a look at the alpha zip kit from Voopoo. The alpha zip kit was supplied for the purpose of this review by Thea from Voopoo.

VOOPOO VAPE - Spark Your Moments - Drag|Vape wholesale|Vapour cigarettes|E cigs|E cigarettes|E cigarettes supplies|The vape of young people



Introduction

Voopoo have been very busy releasing a load of new products recently and more on the way. Here we take a look at their latest dual 18650 device the Alpha Zip which in this kit comes paired with the new Maat Sub-ohm tank. The Alpha Zip is powered by the Gene.Fit chip which we saw introduced in the Drag 2, featuring Fit mode along with a full TC suite and curves the latest device in the Alpha series seems very much like a Drag with a different skin. The Maat Tank features Middle adjustment airflow, hidden reservoir and a PNP coil-installation system, let's give the Alpha Zip Kit a look!

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In The Box



Contents:

● 1 x VOOPOO ALPHA Zip 180W Mod
● 1 x VOOPOO Maat Tank (4ml standard / 2ml TPD)
● 1 x MT-M2 0.2ohm (Pre-installed)
● 1 x MT-M1 0.13ohm
● 1 x Glass Tube (2ml)
● 5 x Sealing O-Rings
● 1 x USB Cable
● 2 x User Manuals
● 1 x GENE Chip Card
● 1 x Warranty Card

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Aesthetics and Ergonomics

The Alpha Zip Kit came in the usual cardboard packaging Voopoo products are packaged in and on opening we have the Alpha Zip device on view with the tank and all other accessories positioned in the bottom layer. All the devices come with a Silver frame and distinctive panels, I received the Glory version which has Gold coloured panels with engravings and possibly the most understated of the designs, the other versions available are Locomotive, Knight, Stars and Checkerboard. The device looks heavy and solid but while not exactly being lightweight on picking it up i was surprised by it's comfortable weight as it's not anywhere near as heavy as it looks. The panels are identical both sides and all versions somewhere on the design we have "VOOPOO" engraved. The shape is quite boxy with bevelled edging to help with ergonomics, it is helped further ergonomically by having the main face of the device which houses the screen recessed leaving the top section protruding which is where we find the fire button. The fire button is square with a large cross cutout central and protrudes only slightly but being on this protruding area and having the tactile feel of the cross is very easy to locate when feeling for it. Below the fire button is the already mentioned screen followed by good sized navigational buttons that also only protrude slightly. Finally at the bottom of the face of the device we have the micro USB port, the base has venting slots, etched branding and a visible notch for the removal of the battery panel. Up top we have a flush air fed 510 plate which while not being to one side doesn't sit exactly central, the 510 is Gold plated and spring loaded. Build quality is very good and while not the most ergonomic of shapes it actually feels quite good in the hand with the protruding firing section helping immensely.




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Maat Tank Specs and Features:

Size: 56 x 28mm(Standard) & 56 x 24.5mm(TPD)
Capacity: Standard 4ml & TPD 2ml
Coil: MT-M1 0.13ohm Single Mesh Coil(60-85W); MT-M2 0.2ohm Dual Mesh Coil (55-80W)
Material: Stainless Steel & Glass
Way to Refill: Standard: Top fill with automatic gap; TPD: Top fill with child safety lock
Middle AF design with bottom airflow make-up
PNP coil-installation system for easy replacement
Anti-leakage design of filling port
Coils burn-out prevention
Triple air holes for smooth air intake
All-new MT-M1/M2 Mesh coils
Thread: 510
Colours: Black, Silver, Rainbow



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Maat Tank Overview

I have very recently reviewed the Maat Tank so the main body of this review will be concentrating on The Alpha Zip device. The Maat tank that was included with this kit was the same Colour and came with the same 2 coil heads as the Maat tank i reviewed so i have continued testing this device over the last week with the tank i have already tested with the MT-M2 0.2ohm coil i was previously using as it was still giving great flavour which is the coil that comes pre-installed and the one i much preferred.
The Maat tank is described as a "Middle Adjustable Airflow Tank" which comes from the fact although it gives traditional bottom airflow the intake slots are raised above the base and the air is then directed a short distance down into the base to feed the coil head in the usual manner, the design from my experience of using the tank solves the leaking issues that plaque bottom airflow designs.
The Maat tank also features a very nice top-fill design which has a release button that sits flush so doubling up as a childproof feature. When pressing the button the top springs smoothly open with a slight rotation revealing the filling port. Filing can be messy with larger nozzles and chunky bottles as the proprietary sleeve drip tip gets in the way of chunky bottles and the coils chamber prevents deep insertion with nozzles that are not thin.
The standard version comes with a 4ml bubble glass installed and a 2ml straight spare while the TPD version comes with two 2ml straight glass tubes. The pre-installed coil head is the MT-M2 0.2ohm dual mesh coil rated between 55-80W, the other included coil is the MT-M1 single mesh 0.13ohm coil rated between 60-85W. Their is also a third coil head available which is the MT-M3 triple mesh 0.19ohm coil rated between 65-85W.
The Maat tank also features a PNP coil-installation system and hidden juice reservoir.



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Alpha Zip Specs and Features:

Size: 85*51.3*25.5mm
Weight: 166.5g
Material: Zinc Alloy, Stainless Steel and Plastic parts
Battery Type: 2* 18650 battery
Power: 5 – 180W
Resistance Range: 0.05-5ohm
Voltage Output: 0-7.5V
Quiescent Current: <10uA
Temperature Range: 100-315℃/200-600℉
Thread: 510 Thread
Colours: Locomotive, Knight, Glory, Stars, Checkerboard



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Fitting The Batteries

You can see which of the 2 identical panels is the removable one to install your batteries as their is a notch on the base for easy removal. Once off the battery compartment is neat and their is a battery ribbon to remove your batteries easily. Orientation is Black on Black which is a pet hate of mine and can't understand what's so difficult in having a contrast so this clearly stands out. As well as securing with magnets their is also a raised rim on the inside of the panel to stop movement once in place, when testing the panel it does give slight movement but not anything like what we see on the Drag 2 (the drags 2's biggest con) and during normal use the panel is fine (big improvement to the Drag 2).



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The Display

The Display is sharp but quite dim making viewing it outdoors an issue, it's old school only giving the information really needed. To the left of the display positioned vertically we have the 2 battery status bars, next to this is resistance top, underneath is voltage which changes to watts when in temp control and at the bottom seconds vaped. The right hand side of the screen displays wattage or temperature and mode information.



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Protections

Battery reverse protection
Timeout protection 10s
Over-temperature protection
Over-current protection
Overcharge protection
Over discharge protection
Short circuit protection
Balanced charging



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Navigating The Alpha Zip

The Alpha Zip is the usual 5 clicks of the fire button to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off. Once on navigating the device is a bit strange compared to most devices but partly because the device isn't packed with features, once you get use to it navigating is easy. If you have used the Drag 2 or Drag Mini then you will know how the device is navigated as it is the exact same system. 3 clicks of the fire button takes you to Fit mode which i will explain in a later section, a further 3 clicks takes you to where you can choose between SS, TI or NI temp control wires, a further 3 clicks takes you back to wattage. When in wattage mode pressing up and down together brings up some options which are, Wattage (takes you back to standard wattage), M1-5 takes you to the main screen in memory mode, SN (displays serial number) and Vers (gives firmware version). When in temp control pressing the up and down together gives you different options which are, TC (takes you back to the TC main screen), M1-5 (memory mode for TC), lock resistance and enter TCR value. When the memory screen is on pressing fire 4 times takes you to where you can set a custom curve, 4 presses of the fire button in temp control allows you to set wattage for temp control up to 80w. Finally their is a couple of combination button press features, first up and fire together locks and unlocks the device, when the device is locked it will not fire and down and fire together flips the screen.



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Fit Mode

Fit Mode is the feature on the device that Voopoo seem to be really pushing to the point that even the updated Gene chip has been named the Gene.Fit, it was introduced on the Drag 2 and Drag Mini and here we see the feature again on the Alpha Zip. As far as i can tell from playing around with the Fit feature it's a smart feature that reads the resistance of the coil and gives appropriate wattage, nothing new their as this feature is common to many devices. The difference with the fit feature is that you have 3 levels 1, 2 or 3 so you can get 3 different wattage's for the coil, essentially it gives you a soft, medium or hard hit so Fit Mode seems to be a combination of Smart mode (as seen on many recent devices) with different preheats or maybe even just different wattage's. When using the Fit feature you are on the fit screen where you highlight 1, 2 or 3 and vape, the device doesn't actually give you information about what wattage that is being applied it's all very mysterious which leads me to think it is what i described just soft, medium or hard preheat along with smartly giving appropriate wattage or even giving appropriate wattage and then just giving higher wattage on 3 and lower wattage on 1.
Combining smart mode and preheats (if that's actually what has been done, if you know different please spill the beans) actually isn't a bad idea and some people will like Fit mode even if the innovation is combining 2 different already common features together rather than anything actually new.



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My Experience Using The Alpha Zip Kit

I used the Alpha Zip just with the Maat Tank and with the same 0.2ohm coil head i was previously using to give some idea of coil longevity. When i did the Maat tank review people wanted to know precisely how long the coils last and after 2 weeks use the flavour has just dropped off but i am now realising that the question can't be answered other than a comparison with other coils.

Throw more abuse at me if you wish on a certain site but do you throw your coil the moment you are not getting maximum flavour? Or when the flavour drops off very noticeably? Or do you use coils until they become flavourless? Are you taking the same number of draws per day as i do? Would you be vaping at the exact same wattage as me with the coil? Do you use pre-heats or curves with a boost at the beginning of your draws? The same PG/VG ratio as me? Using coil friendly flavours? Maybe you use flavours known to be harsh on coils?

For the majority of readers and decent people the coils stand up on a par with other mesh coils which i find have better longevity than regular wire coils but they are not as impressive with longevity as coils using wood pulp or/and flax in their wicking materials such as the Freemax or Falcon coils.

The Alpha Zip performed great as you would expect from a device with the Gene chip and although i am still undecided personally about the Fit mode no doubt some people will find it useful. I don't vape using temp control or have access to data so simply review device's as i experience them. The fire button being on a protruding section and having a cross deeply cut-out is very easy to locate and has a real nice feel to it. The feel of the fire button reminds me of the Aspire Zelos, yes 2 very different devices and shaped fire buttons but it has the same cushioned silent press with short travel rather than the usual click. Although strange to begin with (not for me after using the Drag 2 and Mini) the device is simple to navigate but in my opinion would prefer a few more features around adjusting things like screen timeout and brightness. The device fires instantly on a par with the Drag 2 which really gives the game away as this is the Drag 2 as far as i can tell with both it's menu system and performance (same engine, under a different hood). Whether the device hits the full 180W i would imagine if not it will be pretty close, the device adjusts in 1W increments which most will like and the device will accommodate up to a 25mm atty but any bigger and their will start to be overhang. Most of the cons i found with the Drag 2 have been addressed on the Alpha Zip, it has a much better fitting battery panel, the 510 plate sits flush so no gaping and no button rattle whatsoever, although on the drag 2 i did need to give it a good shake to detect any. Battery life was as to be expected from a dual 18650 device and it supports on-board charging and is firmware upgradeable.



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Likes Alpha Zip

Nice build quality
Some distinctive panel designs (not going to be to everyone's liking)
Simple no fuss display
Once use to how it works easy to navigate
Fit Mode (guessing what's happening with this and not 100% sold)
Temp control (not tested)
Curves
Gene.Fit Chip
Performance for me was great
Fires and hits set wattage instantly
Fire button easy to locate and has soft cushioned feel
Adjusts in 1W increments
On-board charging
Firmware upgradeable

Likes Maat Tank

Excellent build quality
Love the push button top-fill (auto springs smoothly open)
Silky smooth airflow
Easy airflow adjustment while on device
Great flavour with all 3 coils
Replace coil in seconds even with e-liquid in the tank
Hidden juice reservoir
Airflow is silent (can only hear coil firing)
Innovation that improves a product
No leaking whatsoever


Cons Alpha Zip Device

Display dim
Nothing new (Drag 2 in a different shell)
Black on Black orientation

Cons Maat Tank

Proprietary drip tip
Drip tip gets in the way when using chubby bottles for filling
With larger nozzles time needs taking when filling to avoid it getting messy (smaller nozzles are fine)
When vaping over 70W the tank does get a bit toasty
All coils have similar ratings would like to see a couple of coils that allow for vaping under 50W



I would once again like to thank Thea from Voopoo for supplying the Alpha Zip Kit for the purpose of this review.

VOOPOO VAPE - Spark Your Moments - Drag|Vape wholesale|Vapour cigarettes|E cigs|E cigarettes|E cigarettes supplies|The vape of young people

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