Here is my review of the M402/3 Smart PCC kit. I won the Smart PCC kit from myPVshop.com in a draw (thank you, thank you!!), but there were no strings attached about a positive review. So here is my honest opinion about this device.
Overall, I give the machine two thumbs-up, and I give myPVshop 3 thumbs up. I say this not because I won a draw with them but because every order Ive placed with them (and there have been many) has been promptly and correctly dispatched. The models Ive tried from them have also been excellent. Ive tried the 510, the penstyle, and now the mini. Each has its use. The M40x in the white and tan with orange LED is the best for a night out when you want to blend in with smokers (and not have a million strangers asking to try it). It is a nice little pv that looks very much like an analogue. I have a 510 PCC but the M402/3 smart PCC is now my favorite PCC. Heres why.
The M402/3 Smart PCC has two really nice features that the 510 PCC doesnt (at least, the one I have doesnt).
1) If you press the button on the front, it will show you how much of a charge is left on the PCC. This way you wont leave the house thinking that you are covered when you arent.
2) The M402/3 Smart PCC has space for holding an assembled e-cig as well as spaces for the charging battery and the cartridges. This is great for those situations when it is inconvenient to put together an e-cig. Maybe Im uncoordinated, but I find it a challenge to hold my backpack in one hand, hold the PCC in the other, and then try to find a way to screw an atomizer onto a battery while walking, and I wouldnt want to try any of this while driving. With this PCC it is as easy as pulling a cigarette out of a pack (and you dont have to look for a lighter).
Another nice feature of the M402/3 Smart PCC is that it doesnt charge the battery unless you want it to. To charge a battery you need to hold down the button on the front for several seconds. It stops charging when the battery is charged (I havent tested the 510 PCC enough to say whether or not it keeps charging when the battery is charged but I think it doesnt.)
In terms of looks, it is a nice looking unit. Whether or not it is nicer than the others is purely an aesthetic matter, so I wont say more about that. It is a bit wider than the 510 PCC but shorter. It is also very sturdy. If you use cartridges, you can easily fit all you need for a night out into this PCC (unless you are a mad vapor), which fits easily into a jacket pocket or a small purse. That is a great thing.
Im not a power vapor, so I cant speak to whether or not the PCC can keep up with heavy vaping. It certainly does the job of supplying me with fresh batteries whenever I need them, but some of the heavier vapors would need to put this to the test to check the limits of the PCC.
My PCC came with two foam inserts, one designed for automatic batteries and the other for manual. Ive chosen the manual, so I use the automatic foam insert as a way of propping up my atomizers when Im draining them. It works great for that.
I have two suggestions for the manufacturers for the next version.
1) The 403 is a short little battery and it is challenging to screw it into the PCC. My fingers kept rubbing against the side support for the lid while screwing the battery in. It is doable but a little awkward. Perhaps a lower profile for the side support would solve this problem.
2) Part of the point of a PCC is to allow vapors to charge on the go. The other benefit is that it can reduce the paraphernalia one has to carry around in order to vape. This brings me to my issue with the M402/3 Smart PCC. I really like to dip with the M40x series. It eliminates the need to use a paper clip to remove the cartridge for filling, and going cartridge-free just tastes better to me. This means that the spaces for the cartridges in the PCC are useless to me and I still have to carry that contact lens case around. It strikes me as possible for someone to make a smaller version of a contact lens case that would fit in the PCC (out of material that wont leach into the liquid), as well as the foam cut-outs to cradle that mini contact lens case. Something would also need to be done to ensure that no liquid gets into the charger. This is something Id be willing to pay for, so if anyone makes it, please let me know.
All in all, I highly recommend this PCC, especially for 402 batteries.
Overall, I give the machine two thumbs-up, and I give myPVshop 3 thumbs up. I say this not because I won a draw with them but because every order Ive placed with them (and there have been many) has been promptly and correctly dispatched. The models Ive tried from them have also been excellent. Ive tried the 510, the penstyle, and now the mini. Each has its use. The M40x in the white and tan with orange LED is the best for a night out when you want to blend in with smokers (and not have a million strangers asking to try it). It is a nice little pv that looks very much like an analogue. I have a 510 PCC but the M402/3 smart PCC is now my favorite PCC. Heres why.
The M402/3 Smart PCC has two really nice features that the 510 PCC doesnt (at least, the one I have doesnt).
1) If you press the button on the front, it will show you how much of a charge is left on the PCC. This way you wont leave the house thinking that you are covered when you arent.
2) The M402/3 Smart PCC has space for holding an assembled e-cig as well as spaces for the charging battery and the cartridges. This is great for those situations when it is inconvenient to put together an e-cig. Maybe Im uncoordinated, but I find it a challenge to hold my backpack in one hand, hold the PCC in the other, and then try to find a way to screw an atomizer onto a battery while walking, and I wouldnt want to try any of this while driving. With this PCC it is as easy as pulling a cigarette out of a pack (and you dont have to look for a lighter).
Another nice feature of the M402/3 Smart PCC is that it doesnt charge the battery unless you want it to. To charge a battery you need to hold down the button on the front for several seconds. It stops charging when the battery is charged (I havent tested the 510 PCC enough to say whether or not it keeps charging when the battery is charged but I think it doesnt.)
In terms of looks, it is a nice looking unit. Whether or not it is nicer than the others is purely an aesthetic matter, so I wont say more about that. It is a bit wider than the 510 PCC but shorter. It is also very sturdy. If you use cartridges, you can easily fit all you need for a night out into this PCC (unless you are a mad vapor), which fits easily into a jacket pocket or a small purse. That is a great thing.
Im not a power vapor, so I cant speak to whether or not the PCC can keep up with heavy vaping. It certainly does the job of supplying me with fresh batteries whenever I need them, but some of the heavier vapors would need to put this to the test to check the limits of the PCC.
My PCC came with two foam inserts, one designed for automatic batteries and the other for manual. Ive chosen the manual, so I use the automatic foam insert as a way of propping up my atomizers when Im draining them. It works great for that.
I have two suggestions for the manufacturers for the next version.
1) The 403 is a short little battery and it is challenging to screw it into the PCC. My fingers kept rubbing against the side support for the lid while screwing the battery in. It is doable but a little awkward. Perhaps a lower profile for the side support would solve this problem.
2) Part of the point of a PCC is to allow vapors to charge on the go. The other benefit is that it can reduce the paraphernalia one has to carry around in order to vape. This brings me to my issue with the M402/3 Smart PCC. I really like to dip with the M40x series. It eliminates the need to use a paper clip to remove the cartridge for filling, and going cartridge-free just tastes better to me. This means that the spaces for the cartridges in the PCC are useless to me and I still have to carry that contact lens case around. It strikes me as possible for someone to make a smaller version of a contact lens case that would fit in the PCC (out of material that wont leach into the liquid), as well as the foam cut-outs to cradle that mini contact lens case. Something would also need to be done to ensure that no liquid gets into the charger. This is something Id be willing to pay for, so if anyone makes it, please let me know.
All in all, I highly recommend this PCC, especially for 402 batteries.
