Posted in Devices Recent News

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:

Posted in Recent News

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!!

Posted in Battery Mooch Recent News

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.

Posted in Battery Mooch Recent News

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

Posted in Battery Mooch Recent News

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

Posted in Recent News

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.

Posted in Recent News

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.

  Take Action!

Posted in Recent News

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.

Posted in Recent News

NEW FROM REGULATOR WATCH – Fabulous GrimmGreen | Vaping Passion, Politics & Art of Regulation

Here’s the latest from Brent Stafford at Regulator Watch:

In the world of vaping video he is one of the most well known content creators on YouTube. He is the indomitable GrimmGreen. Since 2009, Grimm has brought passion, the most up-to-date product knowledge and a deep commitment to vaping advocacy to his audience—now totaling over 300,00 subscribers and over 50-million video views.

Join us for this special edition of RegWatch and learn how Grimm got started, what he thinks of the current state of vaping advocacy and who he thinks is ‘the enemy’ behind the war on vaping—only on RegWatch by RegulatorWatch.com.

RegulatorWatch.com – August 7, 2017.

Posted in Miscellaneous Recent News

A (NOT SO) QUICK LOOK – ANGORABBIT COTTON & ANOTHER “NOT A” CONTEST

A PBusardo Quick Look – Angorabbit Cotton & Another “Not A” Contest

In this video we take a (not so) Quick Look at Angorabbit Cotton.

The Links & Contact Information:

Angorabbit
VooPoo

Shenzhen Lion Eco-Technology Co.,Ltd.
Contact Name: Trover
Email:trover@angorabbit.com
Skype:Angorabbit Vape Cotton Supplier
Whatsapp:+8615622341211
Facebook:Angorabbit Trover

Post Video Follow-up

I asked a number of questions to Trover based on the comments I received in YouTube. I’ve posted the questions and his responses here along with photos he send me of the cotton growing environment. I appreciate him taking the time to respond to me.

1) Many people are saying in order to get this burn resistance your cotton
is treated chemically. Is that the case?

You have our samples in your hand, can you smell any chemical odor out? Because if the cotton was chemically treated, when you open the package, you can smell the chemical additives directly, or sometimes they use other scents to mask the smell of chemical additives, this is what the most of cotton supplier always did. I believe you can just smell the cotton scents in our product, as I said, it’s pure and 100% organic cotton.

2) On the back of your packaging you have an FDA logo. Why is that? What
is the purpose and meaning of that label?

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.

3) People are calling it Rayon. Is that the case?

I don’t know what some of vapers are calling this, and I don’t know what that means.

4) People are saying is has asbestos fibers. Is that the case?

Asbestos fibers??? I have no idea why they will say that, do you know what is asbestos fibers? That suppose to be tough like steel ! But you have our samples in your hands and I believe you have do a lot of test in our angorabbbit cotton, why don’t you tell me your feeling? You said it’s soft and fluffy right? Do you really believe if we adopts asbestos fibers, it will still be soft and fluffy like this? We have to say, please stop nonsensical attacking.

I would have to agree, this is cotton and not asbestos fibers or rayon. I base this comment purely on the feel of the material.

5) Can you tell me more about the process that gives it burn resistance?

I am sorry but we can not disclose the detail of process to any one, but we do have more than forty professional technology research and more than two hundred fine-tuning of parameters than other normal cotton, the excellent burn resistance is completely in the promise of health that allow vapors have the best experience with the best healthy vape cotton. I know you don’t believe this like what you said in your review video.

Now now, I did not say I don’t believe you, I just said I personally can’t make health claims for the cotton.

So I have to tell you more thing about cotton. All cotton in selling on the market are cosmetic cotton grade, that’s why it can not bear the burning test. But our cotton is specially developed for vaping, only vape cotton need the characteristic of burning resistance, that’s why we took seven months of research and development, finally we got what we want and this is our burning resistance. That’s why some vapers are doubting our cotton of burning resistance.

Angorabbit Growing Environment:

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: