VV Gripper by SmokTech Review

The device is a plastic box (with a rubberized finish) VVmod, similar in functionality with the Lavatube with some improvements.

1 Packaging
Decent box with a short user manual that has some mistakes -explained later.

2 Electronics
Different from Lavatube (LT from now on): ON/OFF button 5 clicks activation during a 3 seconds window. Probably this is a better pocket protection than the long press in LT (v1). Different in feel than the ego batteries because the 5 clicks must be very fast (I have the impression that the time to do the clicks is more like 2 seconds). The display shows ON and OFF - nice feature.

The + and – buttons increment and decrement the voltage by 0.1V from 3V to 6V and back similar to LT. Different is the fact you can hold the buttons and it varies the voltage up or down without the need to click for very increment/decrement (similar to the adjustments for electronic clocks) – nice feature. By pressing both buttons it does not lock the voltage, a feature that anyway I did not use in LT. The display as with the LT goes off after 3-4 seconds. If you need to recheck the preset voltage you have to press either one of the +or – buttons this action will also have the unwanted effect of increasing/decreasing the voltage by 0.1V.

The display is LCD white digits on dark blue background with a white border – nicer and more visible than the LT.
Pressing the ON/OFF button once (with the device ON) the display shows the resistance of the vaping element (cartos, etc) for about 3 –4 seconds followed by the voltage of the battery for another 3 seconds. The ohm symbol for resistance and V for battery voltage are also displayed with small fonts at the right of the value.
The fire button, located on top is somehow similar to the LT, about the same size but travel distance seems slightly longer. It is also a click style button. When you fire a blue LED illuminates the ON/OFF button (There is no choice in disabling it).

The reverse battery protection works.
The low battery protection kicks at 3.4 V a little too soon in my opinion (and slightly sooner than the LT). It is said that this feature prolongs the overall battery life. The display shows LO-V.
Low Resistance indicator – for output resistance below 1.2 ohm by pressing the ON/OFF button the display shows LOW Ohm (from the user manual – not verified because the smallest carto I have has 1.25 Ohm). I actually think that probably for any resistance smaller than 1.2 Ohm the short circuit protection kicks in and acts accordingly.
Short-circuit indicator works – the device does not fire and displays LO Ohm (and not as stated in the user manual).

 

3 Batteries
According to the user manual PROTECTED 18650 batteries are to be used. This is a change from LT and Provari both recommending IMR unprotected. I used the AW IMR 1600mah (unprotected) which fit (65mm long) and work without problem. The AW 3100mah protected that I have does not fit (68mm long).

4 Design
The body is molded plastic, could be thicker but is not very thin either. With battery inside is lighter than the LT, which I like.
The with is probably 8-10mm wider than was necessary to fit the internals.

The battery slot accessible from the bottom of the device has a spring on the + side (???) and the access door is thin plastic with plastic locking, probably the first thing to break in this device (looking at the pictures of the previous gripper – not vv – seemed much better, similar to LT). Again Chinese designers do not get the fact that the relief spot for the gas to escape in case of battery explosion is placed on the + side. The batteries should go with the minus up. Also the vent hole should face the + side. There is no vent hole with this device and probably not necessary with a plastic body.
There is a louvered vent on the side, I suspect made to prevent the overheating of the electronics.

The 510 connector is according to madvapes SS. Maybe it is. It does not have a drip well which is not ok for the so often leaking attys.
The rubberized body looks good, feels good in hand but in case of a leak harder to clean (compared to a metal body)
.
The fire button, because of the hollow plastic body that acts like a resonance box, clicks too loud. I like the clicking buttons with shorter travel and less noise – ego style- but that is me.

I had a serious leak from a tank and I have the feeling that liquid gets into the device either through the presumed sealed 510 connector or in between the two halves of the molded body. Maybe it was a wrong impression, others might confirm this or not. Anyway the body does not seem to have a good sealing which is quite bad.

 

5 Ergonomics
For people using self made or bought box style vaping devices this is probably progress. I do not like big diameter tube style devices (I never liked the LT).
I find the button placement on top not ergonomic. If used as intended with 4 fingers gripping in the specially made indents on the side, the finger pressing the fire button has to make a little bit of yoga. I ended using just 3 fingers on the bottom indents, the small finger placed under the device, this arrangement elevates a little bit the top, making the pressing of the fire button more natural.
The best spot for the fire button for this form factor is in the first top finger indent, handgun style, but they did otherwise. Also the top fire button placement might also allow leaks into the device (the button does not seem to be very well sealed either).

6 Measurements
I verified the resistance indication with a German made multimeter and is quite close.
1.25 Ohm Displayed value 1.2 Ohm
1.43 Ohm Displayed value 1.4 Ohm
3.03 Ohm Displayed value 2.9 Ohm

I verified the preset voltage (without load) and my multimeter shows close values for the entire 3-6V range.
I verified the actual voltage with a battery charged at 4V (almost full) with a 1.4 Ohm load and a 3.0 Ohm load. The current limitation starts at 4.2 V for the 1.4 Ohm load. For the higher load I see no limitation under 5.5V.
I also verified the actual voltage with a battery charged at 3.6V (almost empty) with a 1.4 Ohm load. The current limitation starts at 4.1V.
As a reminder the voltage out is PWM and the correct value should be measured with an oscilloscope (that I do not have) not with a voltmeter.
The results are:

Displayed (V): 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Actual (No Load) (V): 3.15 3.56 4.05 4.12 4.22 4.5 4.96 5.44 5.90
Actual (1.4 Ohm Load) (4V Bat): 2.90 3.40 3.84 3.95 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.04 4.04
Actual (1.4 Ohm Load) (3.6V Bat): 2.90 3.37 3.75 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.80
Actual (3.0 Ohm Load) (4V Bat): 2.93 3.41 3.89 3.97 4.12 4.37 4.9 5.35 5.65
Anyway in spite of the accuracy of my multimeter the maximum Voltage for a load of 1.4 Ohm is around 4.1 V. That means the device has a current limit of around 2.7 - 3A (depending on the battery status) and not 4A as the manufacturer specifies. This still means a maximum power of a little over 10W which I find plenty.
PS I can not edit the table in my post to align the collums. It is a little difficult to read. Copy and paste in a word processor and you will be able better read it.

 

7 What to buy
As others have said countless times, use AW batteries (in spite of the company not having a web site , being easy to fake – AW is written on a stupid sticker - and the only battery explosion documented that I am aware of being an AW IMR).

Anyway do not buy this in a kit or batteries and charger from madvapes. For charger look for XTAR WP2 – very good (charging curve almost perfect) and decently priced (US $17.95 on eBay from US dealer). Also avoid the ridiculously priced but famed Pila, overheating, with a substandard PCB design and soldering of components inside. Never charge batteries while driving (both XTAR and Pila allow this with an optional cable– imagine the effect of an explosion in a small space at high speed).

8 Where to buy
Madvapes $59.99
Mountain Oak Vapors $54.99
China $27 (in 200 pcs qty)

 

9 Final thoughts
I like the electronics. I think this is the best affordable commercial device on the market right now. (Do not get me started on Provari or Darwin). If you prefer LT form factor wait for v3. It is using a single battery not a stackable configuration. It is using replaceable batteries that you charge outside the device. You do not need to Morse code the menu because they made a $2 economy using a cheap processor, they did not.

I am not mad about the ergonomics (see above) but I prefer it to the LT. It looks cheap compared to the Provari (and it is by 2/3) but not compared to the original LT or Darwin.

The absence of seals (in case my observation is correct) might be a problem with liquid leaks.
If you lose it you cry less. If you break the plastic you have a fully featured board inside that is better than other solutions (TI mods or similar) for building your own mod. I have a broken top LT and removing the circuit and using it proved to be changeling.

10 A word of caution
I tried to cover all the aspects that I could think of, expressing my opinion and I do not endorse or recommend the product. You decide.
I spent the time making this review for your info and I have no additional undisclosed things to speak about. I am not going to answer all kind of questions. Those of you having additional meaningful info, measurements, etc you are welcome to let us know.