Following a recommendation in What Do We Like For Dual-18650 Mods These Days?, and subsequently checking the reviews, I ordered, and received, a Vandy Vape Swell from ElementVape. (Shout-out to EV: Decent selection and pricing. Quick ship.)
This is a very nice mod. It is very light and compact. Would probably do nicely as a travelling mod. It does sit nicely in the hand. The build quality seems very good. The display is awesome, and very visible in bright light. Buttons are satisfyingly clicky. Battery life seems very good. UI is pretty user-friendly. It works great in VW mode.
I've only one nit, which is in Temp. Control mode.
They use an uncommon numbering scheme for TCR. Common recommendation for SS316L is 88-92, but TCR on this mod runs from 800-1600. And getting TCR to the number you want is a PITA, because one-click-at-a-time would take forever to get from, say, 1000 to 1100, but scroll scrolls so fast it's like playing roulette trying to come even near where you want to be. Never mind guessing what's correct for the wire you're using.
With a lot of web searching and experimenting I finally found their original default of 1300 for SS316 wasn't far off. I got much better results at more around 1350 to 1375.
At first it seemed it was simply unable to hit very hard in TC mode. I'd found one review that claimed they limit wattage to 40W in TC mode. And that sure did seem to be the case. E.g.: With a 0.3 ohm SS316L build on my Geekvape Zeus Dual: My Smok Mag P3, set to 235-245°C, produces a very good, slightly warm vape. At 250°C, long pulls will dry-hit at the end. On the Swell I can't get more than a very slightly warm vape on the same RTA, even running it up to its max temp: 315°C.
Then I re-Read The Fine Manual. All I had to do was click the Fire button four times and up the wattage available in TC mode and voilá!
Bottom line: Other than the units in which TCR is set, I give this mod a resounding thumbs up!
(N.B.: This post has been extensively changed from the original, based on subsequent experience and RTFM'ing.)
This is a very nice mod. It is very light and compact. Would probably do nicely as a travelling mod. It does sit nicely in the hand. The build quality seems very good. The display is awesome, and very visible in bright light. Buttons are satisfyingly clicky. Battery life seems very good. UI is pretty user-friendly. It works great in VW mode.
I've only one nit, which is in Temp. Control mode.
They use an uncommon numbering scheme for TCR. Common recommendation for SS316L is 88-92, but TCR on this mod runs from 800-1600. And getting TCR to the number you want is a PITA, because one-click-at-a-time would take forever to get from, say, 1000 to 1100, but scroll scrolls so fast it's like playing roulette trying to come even near where you want to be. Never mind guessing what's correct for the wire you're using.
With a lot of web searching and experimenting I finally found their original default of 1300 for SS316 wasn't far off. I got much better results at more around 1350 to 1375.
At first it seemed it was simply unable to hit very hard in TC mode. I'd found one review that claimed they limit wattage to 40W in TC mode. And that sure did seem to be the case. E.g.: With a 0.3 ohm SS316L build on my Geekvape Zeus Dual: My Smok Mag P3, set to 235-245°C, produces a very good, slightly warm vape. At 250°C, long pulls will dry-hit at the end. On the Swell I can't get more than a very slightly warm vape on the same RTA, even running it up to its max temp: 315°C.
Then I re-Read The Fine Manual. All I had to do was click the Fire button four times and up the wattage available in TC mode and voilá!
Bottom line: Other than the units in which TCR is set, I give this mod a resounding thumbs up!
(N.B.: This post has been extensively changed from the original, based on subsequent experience and RTFM'ing.)
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