Four weeks ago my Innokin MVP 2.0 arrived.
VapeMail. My new Innokin MVP2
First impressions?
I like it. Yes it is big and heavy but I found it surprisingly comfortable in my hand. The packaging was great. It comes in a sturdy hard plastic case with a verification number (I checked and yes it is genuine), instructions, 2 Innokin IClear 16 clearomisers which I probably won’t use, a connector/adaptor/beauty ring and a USB connecting lead for charging other devices. Yes you can use the MVP as a recharging source for your iPhone or various other electronic do-dabs. Useful maybe and time will tell whether I actually use that feature. But anyway, I know I put the MVP’s attributes down in a previous post but here they are again. Oh and fyi my kit cost around $35.
- Variable Voltage: Voltage can be adjusted from 3.3 ~ 5.0 in 0.1 volt increments
- Variable Wattage: Wattage can be adjusted from 6.0 ~ 11.0 in 0.5 watt increments
- Ohms Meter: Reads the resistance of your atomizer
- Puff Counter: Number of puffs taken since last time the battery was turned off.
- Protections: Short Circuit/Atomizer Protection, Over-Discharge Protection
- Battery Level Indicator
- Large battery capacity: Built-in 2600mAh polymer Li-Ion rechargeable battery
- High compatibility 510 connector: Threads fit 510 atomizers and many Ego Clearomisers, iClear10, iClear16, iClear30 etc.
- ON/OFF battery switch
- 10 seconds cut-off
- Pass-through Functionality: Can be used while the battery is being charged
- Memory: Remembers last set voltage or wattage when the battery is turned off and then back on
- Built-in 3 digit display: Digital display shows Ohms meter, Voltage /Wattage setting, Puff count
- Portable power source: USB output port can be used to charge portable Mp3 players and cell phones.
Pretty impressive eh. So on with testing.
Firstly I liked the fact that it was pre-charged as that 2600 mAh bad boy would take hours to charge from flat I bet. I did put it on charge but within a couple of minutes it was topped up. Nice. I did find that the firing button is quite stiff on the MVP but that will help stop it being fired in error in your pocket or purse. You can also use the MVP as a pass-through battery, i.e. plug it in and charge whilst still using it. Very handy.
I did not have my rebuildable tank at the time so I connected up my Aspire Vivi Nova BDC to it for a try out. The MVP as mentioned above comes with a built in ohms meter and so I tried it out. It seemed to be accurate showing me 2.1 ohms which was correct for the coils in my Vivi Nova. Then the real test. I gave it a few good puffs. Fantastic. Plenty of taste and plenty of clouds, but the Vivi Nova is not what I have planned for this baby. I want more. The MVP does have a dual display which it easy to use and is explained in the booklet. It tells you ohms/watts/volts and puffs but read the booklet. It isn’t rocket science.
My new MVP with my Aspire Vivi Nova bdc unit on. Nice.
REBUILDABLE TANKS
This is a toughie. There are so many out there. I preferred to start with a tank. I am not sure dripping is for me but more on that later. After spending what seemed like an age looking at tanks I had settled for a Kayfun Lite +. The + is important. It is an upgrade on the non + in that it has variable airflow. Wassat? It means you can vary the amount of air you suck in on each puff making it either a hard or easy draw. I am told it makes a difference. We will see.
Anyway it arrived and this is it.
The Kayfun Lite + I put my own plastic drip tip on.
It came with the metal drip tip but I am not a fan of them. Too cold on the lips so I invested about $2.50 to get the green plastic one. Much more user friendly.
The Kayfun arrived in one piece but I disassembled it. This is what it looks like.
This was not actually my one but is very similar apart from the full size plastic tank part.
You will usually get a spares kit. If not then invest a few bucks in one. It contains all of those easily losable or breakable bits like o rings (washers) and those tiddly screws that I just know I will lose at some stage. If you use the plastic see through tank part it may be worth your while to get a spare too in case of breakages although I suppose you could use the metal section as a temporary fix.
The usual ones come so you can chose between a full metal tank like this.
Yes it looks good but it does mean you are guessing your juice levels so I opt for the other part that arrives with the kit. The small plastic window section.
I have actually opted to buy a large plastic center section as I still find juice quantities hard to judge in the supplied small one. Here’s a pic of all three together for comparison. (Again not my pics)
Now your Kayfun may or may not arrive ready wicked but you will need to get ready to build. There are lots of video tutorials on YouTube explaining how to do this. In my experience this is what you will need.
1) A steady hand. Those little terminals are small. I was surprised how small. They looked bigger in the YouTube vids … lol. I use a magnifying lens to help out with rebuilding. It is probably comparable to threading a needle. Some rebuildables do have easier posts. Not the Kayfun.
2) Some tools. You possibly have these already.
a) A pair of nail clippers. These are the coil builders essential. You will see all kinds of fancy cutters advertised… don’t bother. The nail clippers are perfect.
b) A gas lighter to prepare your Kanthal wire. Again, you will see all kinds of mini gas torches and again don’t bother. A simple gas lighter is fine; maybe even a candle or burner lighter.
c) A few small drill bits (3/32 seems handy) to wind your coil wire onto. Changing the amount of wraps changes the coil resistance which is very important. I have the MVP which will not sub-ohm successfully. Sub-ohm means coils built with a resistance of less than one ohm. But I do not want to sub-ohm. That is probably more for dripping. I aim to build my coils to about 1.2-1.5 ohms. I also use a blunt syringe but really any small round item will do. Even a mini screwdriver.
d) An Ohmmeter. This is vital if you intend to rebuild coils. Don’t even try it without one unless you are very confident or experienced. Luckily my MVP has one built in as have most box mods but I also have a cheap eBay meter. Only about $5 and useful for pre-assembly testing although not vital. They aren’t as hard to use as you may think either.
e) A mini screw driver. These normally come free with your tank, but if not you will probably have one lying around somewhere. They can also be used at a pinch for coil wrapping.
f) Tweezers. If you haven’t got any then they are cheap as chips on EBay. Very handy for rebuilding.
That about wraps it up tools wise although you may wish to add a pair of small pliers to hold your Kanthal wire while burning it. A rubber glove or piece of rubber shelf matting may also come in useful for gripping tank sections for unscrewing. Also make sure you have kitchen roll or toilet paper. Rebuilding can be messy.
CONSUMABLES
Next you will need your wick building materials. I started with 28 gauge Kanthal wire and 3mm silica wick which seems to be a popular choice. Consumables are a personal choice and I will be experimenting with other bits and bobs as time goes by. For example you can use different gauges of wire and wick. You can also use cotton for your wick instead but as I said it is all personal, so experiment. My initial choice above makes a good starting point though. Wick and wire is also very cheap and one of the main benefits of rebuildable coils. It costs mere pennies per coil instead of the usual $2+ a pop for stock Kanger or Aspire coils for instance. It is good fun to experiment and play about with different materials too. Currently I am using organic cotton but I am not sure about it. I may go back to the silica wick.
Silica Wick and Kanthal Wire.
Organic Cotton
Coil complete.
Organic Cotton in coil.
I am not going to get into the actual rebuilding details. There are plenty of those on YouTube. Just type in the type of tank you are rebuilding and hit search … simples.
And finally dripping atomisers or RDA’s.
I actually bought two of these. They are cheap but I am not a fan. Supposedly you will get more vape and flavour from them but you will also need to use a different type of power pack to get the full use out of them called a mod. They are not a tank so have very little storage. You need to keep topping them up as you go along. Fine if you are ok with that but I can’t be bothered to tell the truth. Too much sodding about … lol
VORTEX RDA (Dripper)
NEMESIS RDA (Dripper)
And so my voyage into the land of vaping continues. I do hope my experiences may help you as you enter this strange land.
In my next post I will be looking at another interesting and money saving side of vaping when I shall be telling you about making your own eJuice.
Toodle-Pip
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Stan M Rogers 