I just picked up an aluminum silver color SmokTech off of ebay on a whim. When it powers on the screen says smok. Immediately set it to variable power mode. Very VAMO like only light weight. Easy to use. It won't fire my Fogger as it is .97 ohms but fires the nautilus just fine at 1.8 ohms. I take an APV with me everywhere, e.g. on the tractor bush hogging and just recently on a genie lift setting an antenna on a 40' tower. So the trade-off is aluminum and light weight but will scratch and dent easy because aluminum is a soft metal or go with stainless steel that is heavy but built like a tank and wont scratch or dent as easily. I have SS mods this is my first aluminum and I wanted the light weight. With that said the aluminum body on the ACE is thick so I'm not saying it will dent easily and the satin finish won't scratch as easily just that it is aluminum and aluminum is a soft metal so keep that in mind as it is a trade-off. but given the thickness and finish I think those were good design choices given the material is aluminum to reduce the risk. Only other thing I can think of to reduce the risk further would be a wrap or holster.
I was hoping for a top cap that was threaded into the control body instead of press fit like the VAMO and communicated with the seller before I bought it. I sent him this link Vamo Body Parts to look at and he assured me it didn't have one. Well...it appears to me that it does. The top cap is very shiny and the line between the satin aluminum body and the top cap is distinct, so much so that I would bet it is chrome plated brass and press fit just like the VAMO. I wouldn't know for sure unless I took it apart and I'm not going to do that until it fails. Does anyone know for sure?
He also shared this "Our only reported unit failure turned out to be caused by an atty cranked down far too tight. Once loosened, he was immediately back in business." That to me sounds like a 510 center pin that pushed in just like the VAMO. And we are on version 5 and that still hasn't been fixed. The center pin on this ACE doesn't look like it will push in from the Nautilus, it looks like it has a flange that will bottom out between insulator and top cap but I can't tell for sure only time will tell. Does anyone know for sure? FYI the rubber grommet on the bottom of the Nautilus pushes it's center pin out, kind of like spring loaded but it's not. That push is enough to push in the center pin on a VAMO over time.
The body diameter of the aluminum ACE is slightly larger than the VAMO as my VAMO leather sleeve won't fit it. It has three buttons that operate as easy and rattle just like the VAMO. It has a removable threaded collar on the top cap for large EGO attys but the collar threads and the threads on the body battery tube are not the same as the VAMO threads. An atty will screw down flush on the ACE collar which has air slots like the VAMO but doesn't leave a gap like the VAMO. The OLED display is dimmer than the VAMO and cant read it in sunlight but is great for a dark environment. There does not appear to be an RMS or peak selection and given how it vapes compared to the VAMO it is not needed. The first thing you want to do on a VAMO V5 is set it to RMS as it comes in mean mode and will give hot popping dry hits even on lowest setting for some attys.
The battery tube only accepts 18650 and I do not know if an 18350 SID tube will work on it but it probably will. Does anyone know for sure? The threads on the collar and battery tube to control section are smooth but the threads on the vented battery end cap are scratchy. The gold colored spring in the battery cap is stiff and mounts on a center post in the cap as opposed to the inside edge diameter of the cap like VAMO.
I have button top 18650s and they work with no rattle or disconnects unlike VAMO. Yes its a tight fit but there are a few millimeters between the bottom of the battery and the top of the center post in the battery cap.
Imagine an APV with a threaded top cap that can be removed and a 510 center pin that is spring loaded but bottoms out and doesn't push in, replaceable control board, easy to use 3 buttons that don't rattle when shook and rated for 1000s of clicks, and costs between a VAMO and an ACE. Well keep imagining it. The ACE gets close and I still don't know for absolute certain about the top cap and 510 center pin.
I like the aluminum ACE for it's light weight and ease of use and it vapes a Nautilus just great at 6 watts. Much like a VAMO. Assuming the controller is the same as the SID that would be expected as they are both 33Hz. Overall the aluminum ACE is a thumbs up. Just know it is aluminum, has a dim display and the buttons rattle.
With all that said My SS EVIC Supreme is my goto mod for my bush hogging genie lift lifestyle while the aluminum ACE is a great lightweight easy to use and carry mod for the home theater and VAMO still holds the best bang for the buck if you are careful not to evoke the affects of its aforementioned shortcomings but with the ACE, VAMO remains idle as a backup.
Like many others I've been through the Blus, the 808 cartomizers and the EGOs, wish I had gone straight to an 18650 APV. If as time will tell the 510 center pin doesn't push in then that by itself will be better than the VAMO and warrant the additional cost and be my recommendation for entry level vaping.
I was hoping for a top cap that was threaded into the control body instead of press fit like the VAMO and communicated with the seller before I bought it. I sent him this link Vamo Body Parts to look at and he assured me it didn't have one. Well...it appears to me that it does. The top cap is very shiny and the line between the satin aluminum body and the top cap is distinct, so much so that I would bet it is chrome plated brass and press fit just like the VAMO. I wouldn't know for sure unless I took it apart and I'm not going to do that until it fails. Does anyone know for sure?
He also shared this "Our only reported unit failure turned out to be caused by an atty cranked down far too tight. Once loosened, he was immediately back in business." That to me sounds like a 510 center pin that pushed in just like the VAMO. And we are on version 5 and that still hasn't been fixed. The center pin on this ACE doesn't look like it will push in from the Nautilus, it looks like it has a flange that will bottom out between insulator and top cap but I can't tell for sure only time will tell. Does anyone know for sure? FYI the rubber grommet on the bottom of the Nautilus pushes it's center pin out, kind of like spring loaded but it's not. That push is enough to push in the center pin on a VAMO over time.
The body diameter of the aluminum ACE is slightly larger than the VAMO as my VAMO leather sleeve won't fit it. It has three buttons that operate as easy and rattle just like the VAMO. It has a removable threaded collar on the top cap for large EGO attys but the collar threads and the threads on the body battery tube are not the same as the VAMO threads. An atty will screw down flush on the ACE collar which has air slots like the VAMO but doesn't leave a gap like the VAMO. The OLED display is dimmer than the VAMO and cant read it in sunlight but is great for a dark environment. There does not appear to be an RMS or peak selection and given how it vapes compared to the VAMO it is not needed. The first thing you want to do on a VAMO V5 is set it to RMS as it comes in mean mode and will give hot popping dry hits even on lowest setting for some attys.
The battery tube only accepts 18650 and I do not know if an 18350 SID tube will work on it but it probably will. Does anyone know for sure? The threads on the collar and battery tube to control section are smooth but the threads on the vented battery end cap are scratchy. The gold colored spring in the battery cap is stiff and mounts on a center post in the cap as opposed to the inside edge diameter of the cap like VAMO.
I have button top 18650s and they work with no rattle or disconnects unlike VAMO. Yes its a tight fit but there are a few millimeters between the bottom of the battery and the top of the center post in the battery cap.
Imagine an APV with a threaded top cap that can be removed and a 510 center pin that is spring loaded but bottoms out and doesn't push in, replaceable control board, easy to use 3 buttons that don't rattle when shook and rated for 1000s of clicks, and costs between a VAMO and an ACE. Well keep imagining it. The ACE gets close and I still don't know for absolute certain about the top cap and 510 center pin.
I like the aluminum ACE for it's light weight and ease of use and it vapes a Nautilus just great at 6 watts. Much like a VAMO. Assuming the controller is the same as the SID that would be expected as they are both 33Hz. Overall the aluminum ACE is a thumbs up. Just know it is aluminum, has a dim display and the buttons rattle.
With all that said My SS EVIC Supreme is my goto mod for my bush hogging genie lift lifestyle while the aluminum ACE is a great lightweight easy to use and carry mod for the home theater and VAMO still holds the best bang for the buck if you are careful not to evoke the affects of its aforementioned shortcomings but with the ACE, VAMO remains idle as a backup.
Like many others I've been through the Blus, the 808 cartomizers and the EGOs, wish I had gone straight to an 18650 APV. If as time will tell the 510 center pin doesn't push in then that by itself will be better than the VAMO and warrant the additional cost and be my recommendation for entry level vaping.
