ARE YOU SAYING WTF TO TCR?
Hey everyone! I’m digging through a breathtaking pile of emails following the return from our China trip and the email I’ve answered the most are those around questions about new firmwares that support TCR values for your mods.
So rather than continuing answering more emails with the same information, let me see if I can help here.
First, what does TCR stand for? It’s the Temperature Coefficient of Resistance. It’s basically a number that describes how the resistance of a material (in our case, the wire we use to build or the wire contained in coil heads) changes as it’s temperature changes.
Yeah, we’ve managed to make temperature control as complex as possible, I understand, so let’s ignore the tech and see what the number really does.
In a nutshell, the value allows you to tune your mod to be as accurate in temperature control as possible when using materials not inherently supported by your device.
You see your mod or device is tuned for specific alloys when it comes to temperature control. So on your screen you may see a setting for SS. That’s stainless steel right? Simple as that right? Well, if you’re using a stainless steel temperature control coil from the SAME manufacturer as your mod then yes, it’s probably that simple, but if you’re not… then no, not really.
This is what I mean when I say, “inherently supported by your device”. So on your screen you may see just SS, TI, and NI, but in reality, it’s tuned for (for example) :
- SS = SS 316
- TI = TI1
- NI = NI200
There are many different versions or alloys of metals. This trips temperature control up, but it can solved by the implementation of a TCR value.
The big offender here and a good metal to look at for example is stainless steel. There are many different alloys:
- 302
- 304
- 316
- 316L
- 317L
- 430
- Etc.
So when you see SS on your device, it’s typically “tuned” for the same SS alloy used by that manufacturer’s coil heads. So you put a Kanger SS TC coil head on your Kanger device set for SS and you’re good to go, no worries about the alloy or TCR value.
BUT… what if you’re using a material that the device is NOT tuned for? Let’s say the SS setting on your device is actually tuned for 316 SS, but you’re using a 304 SS in your rebuildable dripper or tank. Or what if you want to use another manufacturer’s tank on your device and they use 316L in their heads. Can you still get temperature control as accurately as possible even though your device doesn’t inherently support the material you’re using. YES… this is where the TCR value comes in.
The TCR value allows you to tune your device for the material you’re using even though that material may not be inherently supported under the material settings to get temperature control as accurate as possible.
So your device has settings for SS, TI, & NI. And you know the SS setting is tuned for 316 SS, but you want to use 316L SS. You would use the TCR setting NOT the SS setting, and enter the TCR value for 316L SS.
Another example is TI. Most devices are tuned for TI1, but you want to use TI2 or perhaps another TI on the market such as Sweet Spot’s. You would not use the TI setting, but rather the TCR setting and dial in the TCR value for the type of TI you are using.
How do you know what your device is tuned for? Watch reviews, ask your vendor, take a look at the manufacturers website.
Side note: Seeing just SS on your screen is unacceptable at this point IMHO. I’m pushing hard for the screen to display the actual alloy that the device is tuned for (how the SX-Mini ML Class does things) AND for that information to be clearly defined in the manual as well. So, for example, on your screen you should not just see SS, you should see SS316. Knowledge is power. 🙂
Where do you get the TCR values? You’re going to find a lot of information in forums from people who have fine tuned TCR values. You can also ask your TC wire vendor. At this point they SHOULD know what the TCR values should be for their wires.
Side note: Here too we should have the alloy listed on the tank and tank coil packaging. I even think a suggested TCR value should come with temperature control coils and wire and perhaps even a link back to a .csv file for the DNA-200 crowd.
However, one of the best places to start is the Steam Engine Wire Wizard page. This is an excellent source for not only TRC values, but also for .csv files used by the DNA-200 board.
Hope some of this helps. Feel free to send questions if you still have them!
THE KANGER TOPBOX MINI KIT
A PBusardo Review – The Kanger Topbox
In this video we take a look at the Kanger Topbox Platinum Edition, and potentially clear up some confusion.
At the end, I do something I don’t typically do, give you some initial impressions on the Altus. It’s more of a “heads up” for the Mouth-To-Lung crowd ready to dish out $100 for this device.
The Links:
Kanger
My Vapor Store
Origin Vape – Supplying vendor for the Altus
The Video:
The Photos:
A QUESTION TO DAVID FROM GUOVAPE REGARDING THE ALTUS
I was playing devil’s advocate a bit today and posed a question to David from Guo Vape regarding the Altus. He’s been very forthright in answering my questions, which I certainly appreciate, and has allowed me to share this with you.
I invite you to draw your own conclusions…
Hate to play devil’s advocate David, but how is it that you can claim it’s safer without MSDS sheets, inhalations studies, and side by side comparisons between this and how we vape today.
I ask, because people will ask me.
I know you continue to speak about “pharmaceutical companies for medical applications” but that’s not our application. For example, in the medical world there are titanium implants, but we don’t want to over heat titanium wire in our application and breath it in.
David’s Response…
Hi Phil,
I respect you more because you do that. I mention pharmaceutical companies because
they are using it in medical applications.
I believe that it really doesn’t take testing for people to understand why we say what
we say.All coils oxidize and degrade at a lower temperature than our material, which is
formed at over 2000C. At that temperature, all impurities are burnt off. The
tungsten is completely sealed off inside in a thin layer in the very middle, which
is protected by ~0.5 mm of high quality ceramic on each side. Anything below that
temperature will not even damage the surface, because tungsten has even a higher
melting point at 3422C. Tests were done with this technology in which 100C to 400C
transitions were achieved in 2 seconds and the part held for hundreds of thousands
of cycles. Now our CVU design is more robust than this part that I’m talking about.You can’t say that about coils. Steel melts at 1510C, nickel at 1455C, and titanium
at 1668C. This means they oxidize at much lower temperatures. People are smoking in
rust and have been doing it for years and are ok with it. Finally we have something
far superior. I don’t need tests to tell me these things, because I know the
stringent process in which the CVU is made and the common data available to all of
us about coils.Sometimes, I understand and explain things at a theoretical level (still based on
facts I know), so I seem to be making claims to people. Having said that, we care
about our customers and their concern is my concern. That’s why I chose to disclose
so much information, even if by doing so I am diminishing our business returns in
the future. That’s ok with us, because money is not everything. We are dealing with
people’s lives here.Best regards,
David Guo
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DIMITRIS & TSFA
The Tennessee Smoke Free Association with financial assistance from SEVIA Chinese Manufacturers and TSFA members is proud to announce our study on evaluation of, consistency in nicotine delivery from the liquid to the aerosol of electronic cigarettes atomizers has been accepted for publication with exceptional results.
The study can be found HERE.
CONCLUSIONS:
Electronic cigarettes that use tank-type atomizers appear to deliver nicotine in more consistent quantities (within the acceptable limits for medicinal nebulizers and similar to the nicotine inhaler) than electronic cigarettes that use cartomizers.
This is a result from our first trip to China where we asked for help on supporting scientific evidence on ecigs and delivery of nicotine.
We are proud this has been accepted for publication on Addiction magazine and of the wonderful results.
This shows and supports that the 2007 grandfather date would put us back to a time when the equipment and nicotine delivery was not as consistent as it is now.
With this trip we hope to continue the relationship and channeling of funds in the upcoming battle we have with the FDA. We need their continued support and funding for both scientific research and potential litigation.
THE ALTUS TANK – HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT IT? :-)
Yes, I know about this tank (oh do I know about this tank!!).
Yes, I have them coming in for review (and some abuse ).
Who am I working with?
Directly with GUO Vape, Origin Vape, and The Steamery (also sending me one).
Here’s some additional information that’s been supplied to me:
The CVU chip technology uses a high thermo-conductive ceramic that conducts heat as fast as aluminum. Its surface will not oxidize or degrade with regular use, and this technology is used by pharmaceutical companies for medical applications. Tests have been performed such that 200C temperature gradient was taken every 30 seconds and the part held for 1 million cycles.
In the middle of the high thermo conductive ceramic is a tungsten trace. Both the ceramic and the tungsten has the same coefficient of thermal expansion, so that the material will not crack under pressure and stress in quick temperature changes, such as 0C to 1000C in a few seconds. The tungsten trace and ceramic are chemically fused together. It is a true coiless design. You may inform the public that if they use the beta value for tungsten in their mods they can get it to work. Otherwise, I have been using the setting for nickel in my mods. (I believe he’s speaking about temperature control and TCR values here.)
We believe that the CVU chip, if used regularly (following the instruction manual) and not abused, can last for years. We provide a limited 1 year warranty as a result of our confidence in our product.
- CVU surface is a hard, safe, non-oxidizing ceramic that conducts heat faster than some metals
- As a result it distributes the heat more evenly
- When cotton is wrapped correctly around it and soaks in ejuice, vapor forms from the cotton surface
- This effect is similar to boiling water, in which the energy is used up as latent heat during phase transition
- This ensures minimum or close to minimum vaporization temperature without temperature control
- This is why you get a more layered flavor in which you can taste the nuances of the juice
- Contrary to coiled systems where some micro droplets of liquid is pressurized (along with vaporized cloud) into your mouth, the CVU system does not splash (or rarely does). This is why some coiled tanks produces strong flavor, because they are in fact pressurizing micro droplets of liquid into your mouth.
- A benefit of the CVU system, from our experience, is that next morning you won’t have a dry throat because the vapor is not as irritating as that produced by coiled systems
- You get consistent flavor over long durations before having to switch cotton, unlike some coiled system that taste differently the next day
- When cotton turns color, it is the juice drying up on the surface of the chip, which the cotton helps to filter out from going into your lungs
- It is not cotton burning, as it is very difficult to burn cotton unless you’re dry burning it
- Cotton turns darker faster with darker colored juices because extra ingredients dry up over time
- The chip can be rinsed and wiped with towels, paper towels, etc.
- Dry burning it may decrease the life span of the chip, because the chip ramps up very hot very quickly. If it glows red, it’s at ~600 C, if it glows yellow, it’s close to 1500C. The time difference to ramp from red to yellow could be as faster than 1 second.
- Although the technology is fine under 1000C, we don’t recommend dry burning it because it will reach above 1500C very quickly.
Altus CVU Explanation & Material Information:
THE GG TILEMAHOS V2 PLUS “SPRINGOMIZER” RTA
A PBusardo Review – The GG Tilemahos “Springomizer” RTA
In this video we first discuss a revolutionary new device, the Temperature Control Identification System or “TCIS”. A method of accurately measuring the coil temperature in your atomizer when using temperature control.
I’ll then give you an update on the Russian V3.0 and let you know why the review is on hold… again.
Finally we take a full look at the GG Tilemahos V2 Plus and the new “Springomizer” build deck.
Now… to Phil & Simon… MESSAGE HEARD!!
You see, Phil and Simon contacted me and pointed out something with the last “I READ THE DESCRIPTION” hidden contest.
They both do what I recommend in the first place… to watch the videos here and not YouTube as you get all of the information, the video itself, the post review follow-ups, the photos, and the slides all in one place.
So they both missed the contest as I’m sure others did as well, because the contest was contained in the YouTube description and not here.
So to make up for it, here is another hidden contest not found in the video.
In this contest you can win a Arctic ADT-210TC and an assortment of tanks. What do you have to do?
- Send an email to contest@tasteyourjuice.com
- In the Subject line of the email put:
First name Last name – I FOLLOW TYJ
- Please remember to substitute your REAL first name and last name. If I don’t mention this… well… you know. 🙂
- Get your entries in by 1/13/16 11:59 EST.
- DO NOT mention this contest in the YouTube comments!! Let’s keep the odds good for those who actually follow the site.
This will be called the “Phil & Simon” contest. 🙂
The Post Review Follow-up:
- 1/10/16 – You will be able to purchase the Tilemahos V2 Plus with the updated “Springomizer” build deck at the end of January.
The Links:
GG Store
The Video:
The Photos:
A NEW STATEMENT FROM VAPORESSO…
Here’s the latest statement from Vaporesso on their coil safety. I’ll continue to provide both sides of the story as the information comes into me.
Here are the links contained in the document:
http://www.vaporesso.com/news/shownews.php?lang=en&id=12
http://www.vaporesso.com/news/shownews.php?lang=en&id=9
http://www.vaporesso.com/news/shownews.php?lang=en&id=10
STATEMENT
VAPORESSO TARGET CERAMIC COILS – POTENTIAL ISSUE
Looks like the cat is out of the bag, so lets address it.
From that I understand Grimm issued a warning about these coils in a VLOG.
I’ve actually known about the POTENTIAL issue for some time after the review was complete. As a matter of fact, the vendor who told me to take a serious look at the coils due to their performance, is the same vendor who later told me about the potential issue. Ugh!!
I’m not one to raise concerns and create scares without proof, so I’ve been waiting to issue an official warning until the vendor finished their testing and had the scientific proof to back up the claim and the issue.
The manufacturer is telling me the coils are safe, the vendor is telling me there is a potential issue.
The vendor in question would like to remain nameless at this point, but they’ve been known to do independent testing on the things they sell in the past. I’m sure they will come forward soon enough. They’re in the process of further and independently testing the coils including inhalation tests. The issue is with Magnesium Oxide (and potentially something else) and the vendor has informed me that the results should be available next week.
So what have I been doing behind the scenes?
- I’ve been pushing that vendor for results as hard as possible so I can issue the warning should it become required.
- Any other manufacturers who have approached me with ceramic coils have been asked to provide MSDS sheets and inhalation tests.
I will keep you informed as I get more information and post any results I get.
In the meantime, if you don’t feel comfortable using them… DON’T!!
I do have an official (and unsatisfying) response from Vaporesso.
We proudly present Target 75VTC, an electronic cigarette kit designed for everybody.
By everybody, we mean people who enjoyed vaping, who currently enjoy vaping, and who will enjoy vaping. The concept underlying Target 75VTC is to become a universally accepted device with its specialty that distinguishes itself from other vaporizers. To achieve this goal, design and vaporization process are heavily focused area where we search for improvements.
In a market where box mod and pen-shaped batteries are predominant, Target 75VTC challenges the current standard and seeks to redefine the shape and size with an ergonomically designed battery that fits both right-handed and left-handed users. The battery surface is painted or polished to exhibit bright and delightful color with smooth texture.
The tank combines the bottom vertical coil structure with ceramic core to address the concern of toxic chemicals from burnt cottons. The material used leads to longer coil life cycle with the ability to clean up burnt flavor when e-liquid runs out. The unique structural change eliminates the spitting problem that most tanks has. The final product for our consumers is consistent aroma of e-liquid in a more enjoyable vapor inhaling process.
This new ceramic material used to fuse with metallic coils has been repeatedly tested out of safety concern. The material has been approved as safe for use and certified with a Material Safety Data Sheet authored by an independent third party.
Since the beginning of Target kit sale, we have received a lot of support and approval from our partners and customers. We want to seize this opportunity and express our gratefulness through the never overly used, thank you.
THE YIHI SX-MINI ML CLASS… WELL… ALMOST
A PBusardo Review… Almost – The Yihi SX-Mini ML Class
Well, we ALMOST got to review the SX-Mini ML Class.
This is a real bummer and a time killer for me. After about a weeks worth of use, and two nights of testing, the device decided to fail mid review and put itself into an unusable state.
I’ll save the data and what I have recorded. Once the issue is identified, a solution presented, and a replacement unit received, we’ll move forward with the review.
For now, I have no choice but to give the device an overall thumbs down.
In case you’re wondering what I was doing when it put itself into this state, I was trying to show you another bug I found with the device. When setting a memory location’s wattage and adjusting the wattage up, the device would adjust up and stop when it hit a wattage it could no longer handle for the attached resistance. So the up button no longer worked. That’s fine, however, the down button ALSO stopped working, forcing you to press the fire button to exit the ADJ screen. Note that I did this SEVERAL times the night before without issue, but this time it decided to fail.
The Links:
Yihi SX-Mini Page
Varitube
The Video:
The Photos:
THERE HE IS!!
For all of you hoping that Aaron Henry fell off the side of the planet with the idea of a re-draw in the future, sorry… no such luck. 🙂
Aaron has come forward to claim his prize and I have validated his email.
Thank you so much for doing the contest. I plan on sharing the gift with family and friends, so you’ll be making a lot of people happy.
Aaron, congratulations to you!! I’ll get this packed up in and in the mail just as soon as I can. I hope you, your family and friends enjoy the contents and use them in good health.
Store
