vv gripper type mod help
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I also enjoy the form factor of the "gripper" shaped box mods. I use a Provari in ext. cap mode primarily for use at home. For out-and-about outside of the home I was using the V.V. Gripper. It was much more compact and lighter than the Provari and fit easily in a front shirt pocket or coat pocket. I carried it everywhere....that is until the three control buttons on the front collapsed into the body this past weekend.
And this after only owning it for 7 weeks. It was still under it's 60 day Mad Vapes warranty by a few days, so I will be getting a replacement after I send this one in, but I no longer trust this device for day in and day out use. As I said, I love the form factor and design, but the quality of parts used and the way it is manufactured leaves much to be desired.
Positives: As I said, the ergonomic design of this device is near ideal. The overall size is great, being about the size of a pack of analogs it fit easily in a front shirt of side coat pocket. I used it to vape in the cinema as it hides easily within a cupped hand. It's extremely light. The rubberized coating feels nice and not slippery. The LED screen is clear, bright, and very legible. The 18650 AW imr nipple top battery would last all day and more, and it happended to be the same battery the extended Provari uses, which was convenient for me. I paid $50 for mine which included a 60 day warranty. I believe they now sell for $30.
Cons: The top post connect was slightly wobbly from the beginning, and slowly progressed to be more so. The fire button would sometimes stick and provide a false fire. The power up and power down buttons are rather small and sometimes unresponsive to pressure...which probably was the reason they fell into the mod. Normal pressure with a finger tip got no response, so I used something handy like a pen to press the button, and that is when all three buttons fell into the mod.
I knew going in that the battery door was poorly designed, but I was careful and didn't really have an issue with that. I also knew that the device hits 0.5v to 1.0v higher than the setting you set, so I compensated with a lesser voltage setting compared to what my Provari would use. The plastic body has a seam that runs the entire circumference of the mod. Every time I accidentally dropped the Gripper on the ground, I feared the whole device would be filleted wide open. Juice drippings might also get into the seam if you spring a leak on your juice carrying device.
I was relatively happy with my Gripper as long as it worked, but I would never buy another nor can I recommend one to anybody.
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I knew I still needed an out-and-about mod, so I did more research. I decided to go with an Ovale / Segelei V8 Incremental Segelei V8 Incremental VV Body - Black Rubberized. It seems to be extremely similar to the Gripper in style and function, but without the notorious poor workmanship and known design flaws of the Gripper. The particular device sold now by DV is the most recent upgrade version and sells for $29.
The only con that I can see so far with this device, and I have yet to receive it, is that it requires two 18350 imr nipple tipped batteries in pararell http://www.rtdvapor.com/online-store/batteries/aw-imr-18350-3-7v-55-detail, instead of a single battery. I got the Ovale V8 leather pouch/lanyard Ovale V8 Leather Pouch, as I plan to hide the mod inside my shirt and stealth vape at a Muse concert next month.
There's an active thread on these here where the overall response is quite positive, which makes me feel confident going with this device: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/variable-voltage-apv-discussion/302456-ovale-v8-vv-discussion.html
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Depending upon how much you are willing to spend and wait for a device to be released, Smoktech appears to be about to launch a sort of upgrade to the V.V. Gripper with the Groove. It looks like it may be designed to be more durable, and will have both VV and VW. It will not use replaceable, rechargeable batteries, but will have an internal battery to be recharged like a phone or I-pod. No price confirmed yet, but likely will be about $80. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/variable-voltage-apv-discussion/369258-smoktech-groove-vv-vw-mod-just-vaporware.html
And this after only owning it for 7 weeks. It was still under it's 60 day Mad Vapes warranty by a few days, so I will be getting a replacement after I send this one in, but I no longer trust this device for day in and day out use. As I said, I love the form factor and design, but the quality of parts used and the way it is manufactured leaves much to be desired.
Positives: As I said, the ergonomic design of this device is near ideal. The overall size is great, being about the size of a pack of analogs it fit easily in a front shirt of side coat pocket. I used it to vape in the cinema as it hides easily within a cupped hand. It's extremely light. The rubberized coating feels nice and not slippery. The LED screen is clear, bright, and very legible. The 18650 AW imr nipple top battery would last all day and more, and it happended to be the same battery the extended Provari uses, which was convenient for me. I paid $50 for mine which included a 60 day warranty. I believe they now sell for $30.
Cons: The top post connect was slightly wobbly from the beginning, and slowly progressed to be more so. The fire button would sometimes stick and provide a false fire. The power up and power down buttons are rather small and sometimes unresponsive to pressure...which probably was the reason they fell into the mod. Normal pressure with a finger tip got no response, so I used something handy like a pen to press the button, and that is when all three buttons fell into the mod.
I knew going in that the battery door was poorly designed, but I was careful and didn't really have an issue with that. I also knew that the device hits 0.5v to 1.0v higher than the setting you set, so I compensated with a lesser voltage setting compared to what my Provari would use. The plastic body has a seam that runs the entire circumference of the mod. Every time I accidentally dropped the Gripper on the ground, I feared the whole device would be filleted wide open. Juice drippings might also get into the seam if you spring a leak on your juice carrying device.
I was relatively happy with my Gripper as long as it worked, but I would never buy another nor can I recommend one to anybody.
____________________
I knew I still needed an out-and-about mod, so I did more research. I decided to go with an Ovale / Segelei V8 Incremental Segelei V8 Incremental VV Body - Black Rubberized. It seems to be extremely similar to the Gripper in style and function, but without the notorious poor workmanship and known design flaws of the Gripper. The particular device sold now by DV is the most recent upgrade version and sells for $29.
The only con that I can see so far with this device, and I have yet to receive it, is that it requires two 18350 imr nipple tipped batteries in pararell http://www.rtdvapor.com/online-store/batteries/aw-imr-18350-3-7v-55-detail, instead of a single battery. I got the Ovale V8 leather pouch/lanyard Ovale V8 Leather Pouch, as I plan to hide the mod inside my shirt and stealth vape at a Muse concert next month.
There's an active thread on these here where the overall response is quite positive, which makes me feel confident going with this device: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/variable-voltage-apv-discussion/302456-ovale-v8-vv-discussion.html
______
Depending upon how much you are willing to spend and wait for a device to be released, Smoktech appears to be about to launch a sort of upgrade to the V.V. Gripper with the Groove. It looks like it may be designed to be more durable, and will have both VV and VW. It will not use replaceable, rechargeable batteries, but will have an internal battery to be recharged like a phone or I-pod. No price confirmed yet, but likely will be about $80. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/variable-voltage-apv-discussion/369258-smoktech-groove-vv-vw-mod-just-vaporware.html
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I'm 98% certain that the 700 mah AW brand with the nipple top that I linked to does fit. The others I can't vouch for. I do know inside the battery area where the positive end goes, there are two "spacers" that the nipple fits into. I'm not sure if the "bubble" tops fit. I do know that the flat head variety will not make contact where it needs to.
As I said earlier, I just ordered mine and have yet to receive it. I did inquire in the above thread about what batteries would work and was assured by current users that the battery that I provided in the link would work.
As I said earlier, I just ordered mine and have yet to receive it. I did inquire in the above thread about what batteries would work and was assured by current users that the battery that I provided in the link would work.
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