Category: Recent News
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Angorabbit cotton followup…what’s in the bag???
This is follow-up to my previous post about this cotton. I’ll keep this as short as I can but there is a lot to cover.
1) Tony Wang, a sales manager, and I have had a days-long email conversation. He said the regulatory compliance certificates had trade secrets and he couldn’t show them to me unless I kept them confidential. If I didn’t he said they would sue me. I asked for an NDA. He has not replied in days, even after several additional emails to him regarding this and other things described below. These documents are not secret. They are meant to be given to customs inspectors, prospective customers, etc., as proof of claimed compliance and testing.
2) Another version of Angorabbit cotton being sold at 3fvape, Fasttech, DHGate, etc., is using the Bugs Bunny character on the front and says “Made in USA” on the back. That’s IP theft and an interesting country-of-manufacture claim. No, there is no city in China named “USA”. 🙂 Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/Eyqql
3) The photos that Angorabbit, Tina Yang, and Tony Wang have posted on Facebook and Instagram, and said were the fields where their Angorabbit cotton is grown, appear as generic pictures on several China news sites in articles about the cotton harvest and market in 2016 and later. Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/ifT8E
4) The Angorabbit package claims FCC and RoHS regulatory compliance. That’s preposterous as these only apply to electronics. Lion Eco-Technology Co., Ltd (“Lion”) has no idea what these compliance marks are for, not a good sign. Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/DpXdP
5) The Angorabbit package claims CE and FDA regulations/standards compliance. You can self-certify for CE compliance, no secrets are in that document. The FDA claim was made, Lion says, because they sell medical cotton too so the FDA “approval” is also for Angorabbit cotton. Umm…no. Show us the documents or tell us the FDA file number so we can check the public database. Lion won’t tell anyone.
6) The Angorabbit package claims compliance with ISO standards. There are over 20,000 of them and very few deal with cotton. Those that do address things like cotton bale density and color fastness along with other stuff. Claiming compliance is useless unless we know which standards. Lion won’t tell anyone.
So what’s actually in the Angorabbit bag? I don’t know.
Does Lion have all those technicians and fields of cotton? Did they take seven months to develop this cotton? I don’t know.
But I do know there are a lot of things here that I don’t like. I would like to see test results for pesticides, heavy metals and bacteria (done for medical cotton) for Angorabbit cotton done by an EU or US lab. Actually, I’d love to see this for all the cotton we use.
I don’t care what batteries, mods, wire, or cotton each of us uses, we’re all adults here. But I do want us to have all the information we need to make an informed decision. I’m hoping Lion provides us with that information.
Mooch
THE ASMODUS MINI MINIKIN
A PBusardo Review – The asMODus Mini Minikin
In this video we take a full look as the asMODus Mini Minikin.
The Links:
asMODus
ElementVape
Steam Engine Wire Wizard
The Video:
*NOTE: Any use of these videos in part or in their entirety without Phil Busardo’s expressed written consent is strictly prohibited.
The Photos:
THE ASMODUS MINIKIN REBORN WITH 190W FIRMWARE – “NOT A” CONTEST WINNERS & A NEW ONE!
A PBusardo Review – asMODus Minikin Reborn with 190W Firmware + “Not A” Contest Winners & New One!
In this video we do a quick follow-up on the Aspire Speeder.
We do a full review on the asMODus Minikin Reborn with the 190W firmware.
We find out who won all the outstanding “Not A”Contests & we kick off a new one.
The Links:
Aspire
asMODus
VaporRange
Innokin
Conviction E-liquids
Halcyonvapors
Smith & Baxter
Angorabbit
Voopoo
Vaporesso
Steam Engine Wire Wizard
Post Review Follow-Up:
- 8/19/17 – I have confirmed with some brand new Sony VTC 5A batteries received from RTD Vapor. At .3 ohm with the device set to 190W, the device still reads 7.5V but I’m only seeing 6.5V on the scope.
The Video:
*NOTE: Any use of these videos in part or in their entirety without Phil Busardo’s expressed written consent is strictly prohibited.
The Photos:
B. E-Liquid
Hello everyone.
I’m writing this public announcement to let folks know that my affiliation and association with both Molecule Labs and B. E-Liquids has come to an end.
To all of you who have supported the line, carried the line, and purchased the line, my sincerest thank you!
If you are enjoying the line, please continue to do so.
As to the future of the line, I cannot speak to that nor do I have any control over it.
I’m currently seeking and cultivating other opportunities.
Who knows, I may even bring back the golf cart liquid reviews. 🙂
Thanks everyone and Vape Happy My Friends!!
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Where are these fake 25R’s being sold?
I don’t know. I received a pile of them from several awesome vapers willing to send them to me. They’ve been using these batteries for up to months and purchased them from several vendors.
These fakes are often created in one quick batch and dumped on the market. The counterfeiters then disappear before anyone finds out that the batteries are fake.
Identifying the vendors, even if I knew who they were, would be problematic because some will not have the fakes in stock anymore. Any vendors who do will hopefully remove them.
Just as additional info…
I purchased a pair of Samsung 25R’s from three vendors recently for my performance testing of the 25R (checking if there has been a performance drop over time…there hasn’t). All six batteries were genuine and performed as well or better than previous 25R’s I have tested.
These vendors were Illumn, IMRBatteries, and Liion Wholesale (in alphabetical order).
There are a large number of other vendors who stock genuine 25R’s though! Check my pinned post for a list of my trusted vendors or speak to your vendor of choice about this issue if you have any concerns.
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Fake Samsung 25R Alert
There have been some very good fake 25R’s popping up lately. Thanks to some fantastic members of this community who sent their fakes to me for testing I have some idea of what’s going on.
Most of the fakes are identical in appearance and performance to the 10A 2050mAh Samsung 22P battery. This battery is a terrible performer compared to the 25R. One fake was much worse than all the others. It might have been a lower grade 22P or damaged during use before I received it.
But I have one fake that is different from the others. It has the metal can code for, I believe, a Samsung 29E. But the top contact structure seems wrong for the 29E. I don’t know for sure what this fake actually is. It’s performance is lousy compared to the 25R though.
One HUGE problem with these fake 25R’s is that the top insulating rings are free-floating and not self-adhesive and glued down to the battery! This is the first time I have ever seen this. We can no longer say that a battery with a free-floating ring is genuine.
But here’s how to spot these fake 25R’s:
– If there are any lines radiating out from the center of the venting disk under the top contact then the battery cannot be a 25R. There are four of these lines in the fakes, spaced at 90° intervals. If you see even one though, as they are hard to spot, the battery cannot be a 25R.
– You can see the venting disk without unwrapping the battery but you’ll need a bright light source and a magnifier is very helpful.
– If you do not see any of these radial lines in the venting disk that does NOT mean that the battery is a genuine 25R. Other fakes might not have the lines.
– If there is anything other than a “5” as the second character in the uppermost four character code on the metal can, near the top, then the battery CANNOT be a genuine 25R. If it is a “2” then it’s most likely a rewrapped Samsung 22P. You can see this code through the wrap.
– If there are no codes on the metal can then it’s a fake 25R. It might still be a Samsung but someone has washed off the codes.
– The batch codes on the wrap CANNOT be used alone to detect these fakes as they might be genuine batch codes. The codes for the fakes I have are 2G22 and 2F34, located at the end of the second line of printing on the wrap.
– I want to say this again…these batch codes might be genuine and cannot be used as the only method to check for authenticity.
– There might be other batch codes being used for these fakes. Do not assume that having a batch code other than 2G22 and 2F34 means you have a genuine 25R. Check the venting disk for radial lines.
That’s all I have for now.
If you do have any fakes I recommend not using them at all. Contact the vendor you purchased them from to see what can be done.
Please do not send me pictures of your 25R’s to authenticate them. I am unable to do so via photographs.
Hoping your 25R’s are genuine!
Detecting the fakes: https://imgur.com/a/F2SzC
Discharge graphs: https://imgur.com/a/xnihF
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: I have some concerns about Angorabbit cotton, a lot of them.
But it might not be what you’re thinking, i.e., are they using chemicals to achieve the improved burn resistance they claim? I feel we won’t be able to say much about that until this cotton is analyzed by a trusted lab.
My concerns are about the regulatory compliance they claim on the packaging.
Why is that important? If those claims aren’t true then what else might not be true? How much else of what they say can we trust if they won’t even comply with the standards and regulations for such a product or they make exaggerated claims?
Over several days I tried contacting the makers of, and reps for, Angorabbit cotton via pm and email. All ignored. I then replied publicly to one of the numerous posts Tina Wang has made seeking distributors and vendors for Angorabbit cotton. She responded but after a few replies she deleted our conversation and said it should be private.
Here’s our public conversation before she deleted it: https://imgur.com/a/O8Tc3
Angorabbit cotton claims ISO, FDA, FCC, CE, and RoHS regulatory compliance by putting those marks on the package. Photos of the packaging: https://imgur.com/a/DpXdP
Tina Wang, of Lion Eco-Technology Co., Ltd. (“Lion”), the maker of Angorabbit cotton, told me that the FDA mark was put there because they also sell medical cotton that is registered/approved by the FDA.
A different reason was told to Phil Busardo though (http://www.tasteyourjuice.com/wordpress/archives/15909). Lion said to Phil…”The FDA logo is just a certification by USA government, nothing special, we just want vapers to know we are certified, not just a unauthentic brand comes out from some unauthentic somewhere.”
Angorabbit cotton does not comply with anything associated the FDA unless they filed paperwork for this particular product. They cannot use any FDA registration/review/approval for another product for this product. In a message to me Lion claimed they have this FDA paperwork but refused to send it to me citing trade secrecy concerns.
Regarding the other marks on Angorabbit packaging…
Lion told me that they put the FCC mark on the package because they previously sold electronic cigarettes. Umm…huh? That’s preposterous. The FCC’s regulations/standards are for electronic devices and I feel that cotton doesn’t quite meet that requirement. This mark is useless.
The ISO mark (International Organization for Standardization) can refer to any of over 20,000 different standards. Some are cotton-related, like cotton bale density, but most would mean nothing to us and the way we would use this cotton. Which standards do they claim compliance with? Lion refused to tell me.
The CE mark claims compliance with the standards and regulations for selling this cotton in the EU. Lion is allowed to write the compliance document themselves, i.e., they can self-certify. This is not a secret document and is made readily available by companies to show that their products are ready for sale in the EU. Lion refused to send it to me.
The RoHS mark claims that this cotton complies with the Reduction of Hazardous Substances directive to reduce the use of certain dangerous substances in products. Lion refused to send me this short document. Why would saying this cotton doesn’t have any of these dangerous substances need to stay a secret? Any company I have ever requested this document from has gladly provided it. Could it be because this also only applies to electronics?
This all bothers me….a lot.
If this is a genuine step up in cotton for vaping then why the fake compliance marks? Why the secrecy? Why not just be honest on the package, market the product well (addressing all our health concerns), and let it sell itself? We can genuinely use a burn-resistant cotton.
I don’t know if this Angorabbit cotton is safe to use or not. But I guess that’s no different from any cotton we use. I do know that Lion claims they comply with regulations and standards that can’t possibly apply to this cotton, or to cotton at all.
Lion, you said I could get a lab to test your cotton and that you are confident that the results would show your cotton is safe. I’m not the one trying to market it to this community though. 🙂
I ask you to test your own cotton. To use a well known US or EU testing company and to post the results for our community to see. This is something I am stunned you haven’t already done considering your claims and our community’s understandable concerns.
This still wouldn’t address the problems with your packaging but it would go a long way towards allaying any worries we had regarding the safety of your cotton.
Current and future vendors and distributors for this cotton…
Lion said they would share the compliance/regulatory documentation with customers. I would ask that you request the documentation for their claimed FDA, CE, and ISO regulatory compliance. Any FCC or RoHS documentation will be useless, not even applying to this product. There’s no need to ask for it.
I don’t ask for me, they don’t want me to see it claiming trade secrecy. I ask you to do this to ensure that this documentation exists and that Lion complies with the regulations and standards they claim and that do really apply to this cotton.
If Lion won’t send the documentation then what do we believe or not believe?
Can we be sure it is safe to use?
Just frustrated and sharing some thoughts.
Comment and let me know yours.
Thanks,
Mooch
FROM TONY ABBOUD / VTA – Important ECig Intelligence Survey – NEED ACTION NOW
INTELLIGENT LEADERSHIP REQUIRES INTELLIGENCE
Our friends at ECigIntelligence are conducting an important survey that will help tell the story of the diversity and strength of our vapor industry and we are asking every vapor company and vape shop to take a few mintues to complete the survey.
Surveys are only as good as those who participate and only as good as the information you provide. So, please take the time to do your part and help us create the most accurate picture of how vape shops and vape companies contribute to our economy.
Per ECigIntelligence, the specific information you provide will be kept confidential by ECigIntelligence and will not be shared with anyone. Instead, your responses will be aggregated with all the others so we can paint the overall picture and share those results with the decision makers in Washington D.C. and elswhere.
Click here or on the icon below to take the survey now!
Thank you for taking the time to participate today.
FROM TONY ABBOUD / VTA – SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO SPEAKER MARK-VIVERITO THAT YOU OPPOSE THE N.Y.C. VAPOR LICENSE MORATORIUM-FULL COUNCIL VOTE IS WEDNESDAY
WE NEED TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO SPEAKER MARK-VIVERITO THAT WE OPPOSE THE NYC LICENSING MORATORIUM
The New York City Health Committee approved the package of ordinances today to drastically restrict the use and sale of vapor products in New York City!
The full New York City Council is expected to take up the ordinances tomorrow.
The package will cap the current number of vapor retailers at 50% of the current number!
This will lead to vapor businesses being phased out over time hurting consumers, shops, and their employees.
We need your help to Send a Message to Speaker Mark-Viverito
The VAPOR INDUSTRY OPPOSES these ordinances!
Vaping is NOT smoking!
Click below to send an e-mail NOW
These ordinances could be heard on Wednesday.
FROM DOCTOR FARSALINOS – The irony of “not caring” about the effects of e-cigarettes on smoking-related cancer deaths
A paper was published yesterday in Tobacco control estimating the cancer risk potency of electronic cigarettes. In my opinion, this was a good exercise but a premature one, mainly because for some strong carcinogens (such as 1,3-butadiene, which is considered the compound with the highest contribution to cancer risk from smoking) we have no data concerning e-cigarette emissions. However, I am convinced that, even when we have data, the estimated cancer risk from e-cigarette use will be less than 1% of the respective risk from smoking.
Read the entire article HERE.
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