Have not tried to tobacco series, but knowing the folks at Schwartz, it will probably be very, very high quality juice.

Anyway, after a little over a year (one year and one month to be exact), my beloved Pico has started to go senile as well. Has begun to auto-fire randomly and no amount of disassembly and poking around the insides seem to be able to fix anything. Once it started to turn itself on and fire by itself in my pocket, I knew that it's pretty much gone already.

With that in mind, I'm currently looking for a decent mini replacement. Have my eye set on the Macro DNA75 (now that there IS an 75 version of that delicious mod), but I'm open to suggestions.

Doesn't have to be a DNA, but it must be mini sized and at least better built then the unfortunate Pico, whose insides were a funky, goopy mess when I got in to try to salvage the fire button.

Not that I'm complaining, considering the amount of abuse I gave it. Just hoping I can get something that can last me a liiiiiiiiitle bit longer than "just" a year.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 7 2017, 09:44 AM

Interesting choice. Price is quite good too, might just spring for one, as it actually fits the "throw throw inexpensive" part better than the pricier DNAs.

That said, design is a bit... gaudy, but at least it's available in Black-Red. I wonder if it's built any better than the Pico. I know a certain someone here loves Smok Mods, and if it performs anywhere near the G-Priv, it should be a cracker.

BTW, kinda funny that our sellers already have stock of the thing when GB is still in "pre-order". Mod manufacturers must really love Malaysia lol.

EDIT: Just snagged one (mod only) from Shopee, thankfully I have a bit of extra coins from my previous purchases so got a slight discount off the (already very tempting) price also.

Will report back here once it arrives.

Now, to track down that illusive black GMv3 to top it with.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 7 2017, 11:37 AM

Damn that reply was just a fee minutes late lol. Already ordered from Shopee at a slight markup.

Oh well. You win some you lose some. Thanks for the offer though.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 7 2017, 01:03 PM

andyng38 Got one I think. Try asking him.

After the slow deterioration of my beloved ADV Pico's health ( T_T ), I'm currently in a slightly skeptical mood on the subject of long-term Pico firing button durability after prolonged juice exposure (especially with a bottom feeding tube running right next to it) so I think I'll skip. Unless, you know, they improved the construction or chose another component type on the Squeeze. But knowing eLeaf, I doubt it. Also, no voltage controls and TC... coz you know, I run my drippers TC too lol.

That said, there's pretty much zero other choice in that particular niche (micro-squonkers), unless you count pricey handmade customs or old stone age mods.

Here's hoping that Smok has a squonker Baby Alien in the works, we NEED more micro-squonkers.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 8 2017, 02:38 PM

Just got my AL85 and my initial thoughts are...

... it's shit for TC. Pulsey and inconsistent AF. If it's like this then (I never thought I would be saying this) the TC on the Pico is MILES better comparatively.

Might be returning it back because of this and getting myself something better. See first how.

(Damn Maxis issue in my area causing double posts)

Anyway, after a lot of adjustments, I got the AL85 to work "closer" to how it was on the Pico. Now I'm not sure if the Pico had shit-working TC to begin with or if the AL85 is the one with shit TC.

All I know is that the AL85 reads "cold" ohms differently then the Pico and its causing all sorts of shittiness when TC-ing. When I force it to read after a short initial burst (slightly "warm"-er ohms lol) it seems to work a whole lot better (though it's still..."off" in TC compared to the Pico and even more compared to my VT133), which is pretty weird.

But really, you're not supposed to have to jump hoops to be able to use your mod correctly, right?

On the plus side, my VTC6s are here, which is really pretty fast for GB all things concerned.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 9 2017, 06:32 PM

No 2 is always YMMV. Personally I think Vaping a miniscule amount of diac occasionally (or every day even) beats inhaling millions of sure-death chemicals in Ciggies any day.

That said, for my ADV flavours I try to avoid it myself, if possible. But kalau ada apa mau buat.

Certain flavours influence throat hit (cinnamon for one, maybe tobac flavourings), and there's also "additives" that add throat hit without additional flavour (capsaicin, alcohol). Also Grade as I guess it marks "density" of Nicotine in way (with better grade Nic being more "dense").

I don't mix though so I don't know. That said, I don't buy local juices either simply as most of the local folks label 6mg on stuff that feel they have like half of that. Blegh.

For the guy looking for a small new mod, skip the Smok AL85 if you wanna do SS TC. It's broken, plain and simple. Otherwise it's a decent mod vs the Pico.

If you wanna TC and want it consistent, there's really nothing like a DNA device... especially now that I'm forced to go back to my VT133 due to my Pico being wacko now (firing button is slowly failing) and the AL85 being a total disappointment.

So much syahduz with the VT133. Mmmmm.

Unfortunately DNA75 devices (the lowest tier I can recommend) is at least 300 locally.

You can get a VT75 Nano for a shade less then 300 from GB or Vivaport on Shopee though. It's also one of the smallest DNA75 devices out there which is a nice bonus.

Hint: I'm getting one myself soon to replace the Pico so it can't be that bad.

The Pico is also really not bad, if you can stomach the 1-1.5 year lifespan under heavy use, at least in my personal experience. Problem is the insides of the Pico isn't sealed too well, so whatever gets inside slowly eats through the board and buttons.



All that aside, do understand that other than firing "power" and TC consistency, Mods do JACK SHIT to your flavour. It's more a question of settings, tanks, coils and wicks.

So there is really no such thing as "Mod A is best for creamy flavours" or stuff like that. However if there IS a mod that would be best for different firing profiles needed for different types of juice, it would be a DNA device SIMPLY because you can create unlimited different "presets" that is perfectly tailored for every juice you own.

Tanks, on the other hand, can be considered as something that might have "affinity" for different types of flavours, though most of the time even this can be mitigated with settings, coils and wicks.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 10 2017, 05:23 PM

Walauwei Dicodes.

Sorry out of my price range bro, but from what I hear on the net they do work well for what they are... At least they're better then Provape in terms of features.

That said, if you don't really TC it might not be worth the extra. Most modern Mods are "good enough" already for normal VW, non-TC operation.

Though even in pure VW DNA firing "power" and consistency STILL ranks pretty high up the list.

Also, Joyetech/Wismec/eLeaf/Avatar Mods are actually plenty good in terms of performance. It's in the longevity and durability of the build aspect that most of them are suspect.

Smok on the other hand, is a highly variable SOB. The Quantum and H-Priv was really good, even in TC. Hence I trusted them enough to get the AL85. Wrong move that was as the thing was frankly shit for TC.

Maybe, not sure. Not gonna play the roulette and get another one though, especially when ECF is telling me the bigger bro Alien is ALSO suffering from similar SS TC symptoms.

It's either going back for a return, or failing that, it's going to my VW-only dad as a birthday present (snicker).

Myself, jumping straight to a 75 Nano lol, should probably have done it in the beginning too. Thankfully prices have sunk a bit now and it's not too far above the typical mods pun nowadays. Checked out the Macro 75 on the net at it seems that the magnetic battery door is worryingly loose.

As for now, fortunately I still have my ever trusty, already jatuh a few times pun still ticking fine emergency backup: the VTC Mini... though I guess if I actually used it as often as the Pico it would probably die after a year too lol.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 11 2017, 05:06 PM

Dicodes are like the Ferrari of chipsets lol, yeah I would expect it to perform accordingly. That said, I haven't tested one myself so I will have to take your word for it.

Settings... well it's a pretty delicate subject IMHO. It's pretty subjective, and every person has their own preferences. Plus I'm not infallible either... I just like collecting info.

Also, as much as I've tested and tried a lot of stuff, at the core I'm the "1 juice 1 setup, can't be bothered" type of Vaper lol. My testing and tuning is mostly to find that "holy grail setup" in terms of performance/price/convenience and so far the DNA75 + GobMiniV3 + Dual Coil Spaced 316TC + Naked 100 Lava Flow is IT for my current DTL use.

So far.

So I might not really be useful to recommend settings really.

I can chip in some thoughts though, at least from what I've gathered from the net. Looking at your current use scenario, it looks like you prefer MTL tanks and techniques.

Maybe try a spaced single SS build if you haven't already, those are deceptively simple yet work really well to bring out flavour notes, especially with Tobac where the nuance is everything. It will gunk like nobody's business though, Tobac being what it is.

Similarly, Twisted SS, as it gives you some of the benefits of more complicated coils like Claps or Aliens (due to the increased surface area) without the extreme ramp up (and cooling) requirements.

On the down side though, you're gonna NEED a good chipset to be able to TC Twisted SS, as it can be extremely finicky with TC, even on DNA (especially 316L due to the extremely low TCR). Dicodes stuff should be up to the task IINM, though if you can find some 304 SS it would probably work better.

As for wire gauge, I use 26 or 28 I think (not sure) and I'm still on that first roll of 316L I got with my Pico last year lol. For cotton, I'm a Kendo convert and I'm well into my 3rd pack.

So yeah that's about it I guess. If you wanna know more about exotic wire builds, do buzz snake1983 as he's far more knowledgeable when it comes to Aliens and stuff.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 12 2017, 12:14 AM

Handcheck with my new Baby Nano:



Battery cap threads are ooookay thankfully, though I did lube it up with a little Noalox (still got some from my mech days).

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 12 2017, 12:52 PM

My battered and bruised GMv3. Still waiting for duke_hunt's black one to arrive in the mail.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 12 2017, 11:46 AM

Fistbump to my fellow Nano bros.

If the SMY DNA75 didn't have that "horn", or the Macro 75 didn't have problems with its weak-ass battery door magnets... I might have gotten those though.

The Nano's battery cap can be a bit of a pain nonetheless due to the soft threads and the hard-to-access flap (at least for a guy with short nails like me), even when everything else on the Nano is pretty much prefect.

Thankfully with a little Noalox on the threads and some "mods" to allow for easier flap access, it's pretty much a non-issue really.

Rocking it with my new VTC6s. Mmmmm shooo ghood.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 12 2017, 12:52 PM

If you have threading problems out of the box, no solution but to exchange for another unit until you get an unproblematic one.

If it's something that developed over time, maybe buy a new battery cap? If you're lucky, the mod side threading might be saveable.

Apparently the cap is something you just need to be careful with... there's no sure fire way of NOT developing threading issues except for being slow and not forceful. Noalox does help a lot as it keeps the threads smooth and stop the cap from seizing (aka getting stuck), which often just leads to the destruction of the threads.

But even with care and plenty of Noalox, thanks to some design guy up in HCigar who was in charge of the bloody fine threading of the cap (not sure what he was smoking really), there's still no guarantee that it will stay in working order for the lifetime of the device.

To be fair, nearly ALL the other single 18650 DNA75s all have battery compartment related "issues" too. The SMY has that "horn" (derhek?), the Macro has really weak battery door magnets while the Lava Mini AND the Switchbox has plastic (holy crap) battery doors.

It's a bloody conspiracy I tell ya!

Anyway, managed to get a two-shot of my two DNA related brothers:



Funnily enough, I just realised that now both my primary mods are from HCigar while the corresponding backups (2/3 and Evic) are both Joyetech lol.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 12 2017, 07:27 PM

That's the Cthulhu Hastur 2S, it's about the smallest velo-post, squonk capable dripper I know of that fits SS claps while not overheating too badly (like some other "mini" RDAs).

However, it's side airflow only though, and lacks those awesome small details the VeloV2 has like the indexed cap (and hence getting it off mods can be kinda a pain), but at least flavour is quite intense due to the tiny chamber - even without any bottom airflow.

Also, it kinda leaks a tad, but it's nothing worse than the VeloV2, and at least condensation wise it's not as bad.

That said, for fancy wire builds, these newer clamp post RDAs might be a better buy nowadays IMHO, as clamps look even moar foolproof than velodecks. Cthulhu has the Shuriken clamper out, both in 22 and 24mm, so you might wanna check that one out too, though airflow wise it looks to be more for cloudz than flavourz.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 13 2017, 12:39 AM

No issue bro, it was a very interesting suggestion anyway, if not for Smok messing up the TC. Funnily enough the TC was fine on the Alien's first firmware, which was weird. The Baby got the shitty "updated" firmware out of the gate, do unless Smok rolls back to the old one for the Baby as well, it's pretty much screwed for TC.

Which is a shame as design wise, it was pretty sweet IRL, and being able to use 26mm+ atties on a Pico sized mod was nice.

Sigh. Now my ADV is no longer a "baling-able" mod like my old Pico je lar, so gotta be careful a bit. Oh well, at least the TC is sublime.

And thanks for the Black GMv3, it was pretty much destiny that you had one, as everyone else in Malaysia seems to be out of stock.

gunners_my TH = throat hit. Buzz = Nicotine "high".

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 13 2017, 11:52 AM

Honestly, the battery door is pretty much the ONLY real issue with the Nano though. With a little bit of care you should be able to eke a few years of use out of it at least.

That is, if you get one with decent threads to begin with.

It's all about sacrifices unfortunately at this price point. And for me the Nano battery door is a small price to pay for everything else it's got for its size.

If you don't want to deal with the shitty threads, there always the "horn-y" SMY or the "loose" Macro (lolz), both of which might be a better fit depending on your needs.

Coz after all, a DNA is a DNA is a DNA... The only real differentiator is the casing built around it.

Here's another shot of the Nano with the newly arrived Black GMv3, courtesy of abam duke_hunt:



This post has been edited by Eiraku: Mar 14 2017, 09:58 AM