Vandy Vape Pulse AIO Kit
Vandy Vape still have their finger on the pulse with their new Pulse AIO Kit
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by Si Davies
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Stock Coil Pod
So the stock coils to start with. First I tried the 0.6ohm in the vain hope it would do a borderline MTL. It was simply too much power and heat for MTL. I did manage to close off the airflow ring to get a reasonable draw, but it was far too hard to adjust once fitted. So to set it up to RDL/DL draw, I had to remove the pod to adjust the airflow which was a faff, but the better news is that this coil gives a rather decent RDL vape, the draw is smooth, the flavour is good, and I found 25 Watts gave a warm vape.
So with the conclusion that the provided pod and coils were aimed at DL users, I moved on to the 0.3ohm VCC30 (30-45 watts). At the low end, it was similar to the 0.4ohm, but approaching 40 watts it really came alive for flavour. The airflow was pretty good fully open, slightly restrictive but still what I class as a DL draw, you can close it off to RDL.
Overall this pod performed well for RDL/DL. It’s a pity it didn’t do MTL so well, but there are coil options (0.9ohm &1.2ohm) available. it was a shame they didn’t include an MTL option though.
Using the coils at the lower end, I did notice some flooding, and a little seeped down into the airflow ring but none reached the bed so far.
RBA Pod
Again I tried the RBA with an MTL build, in hindsight I know a 3mm or even a 3.5mm diameter coil would have wicked better but I just went for it as I was more interested in the airflow. I was actually pleasantly surprised as I got a pretty good MTL draw, and flavour was superb at 12 watts. The airflow control ring was fiddly though as again, it looked more suitable for RDL/DL with one airflow hole and a threaded ring that was very hard to see adjustment, so it is another one that had to be adjusted outside the mod. My wicking was too small so eventually I was flooding the deck but I’m putting that down to user error, and I know the next build will be better.
The included coils were 0.4ohms and clearly aimed at DL users with large 4mm diameter Ni80 coils but I didn’t test those. Judging by the way the MTL build performed, I can see it doing equally well. The build deck is just superb with the airflow designed to wrap air all around the coil, and it is one of the easiest decks to work on for coil fitting/tweaking and wicking.
That design flaw with the base seal kinda ruins it, but as long as you only fill it up once fitted into the mod, you should have no problems.
As far as vaping with the device, I enjoyed the experience. The fully loaded weight with the battery and full tank came out around 180g and it felt good with it. The fire button lends itself more towards thumb firing, but you can flip it round for index finger firing although that feels a little awkward. The fire button always seemed easy to find due to the metal outer ring feeling tactile.
Despite the frosted design, you can’t read the screen through the panel. At best, you can make out the battery bar.
Battery life wasn’t as good as I expected for some reason, it could have been down to me messing around with the controls and menus a lot though, but a 21700 should last most of the day. The charging is a little slow (1 Amp), but I charge separately anyway and carry a spare so battery life was never an issue.
I haven’t tried TC mode yet, but Vandy Vape have always been pretty good at it in their other devices, so I will pop in a suitable build at some point.
Customisation
Part of the Billet Box scenes appeal is the customisation options to make your BB unique and to add style. Vandy Vape have adopted this trend and have released optional bits n bobs to customise including panels, control panel, and fire button, along with coloured screws. I wasn’t sent any so I couldn’t check those out, but I will likely look into buying some and I will probably 3D print my own panels too.
I did fully strip down all the plates and button from it, and it’s very easy to do, but there’s a lot of tiny screws so make sure you do it over a tray or something as it’s very easy to drop and loose screws. It will only take you a few minutes to swap over parts.
Overall I do like the PULSE AIO, and it fits well into my Boro tank devices, but this is the only one that takes a 21700. It doesn’t quite have that Billet Box luxury feel though, due mainly to the plastic construction and it being slightly wider in your grip, but depending on what boro/tank/pod you choose, they will all vape pretty much identically so it’s just another delivery device as far as that goes.
Conclusion
As an AIO (All In One) device, it might come across as a bit of a faff for new users as it’s not as simple as the current gen of pods or pod mods, but for me all that fiddling and fitting is part of the charm of these devices, and the variety of vape you can get by swapping tanks gives it great versatility.
There’s a couple of niggles, but I feel Vandy Vape and Tony B did a great job of taking the best elements of the BB and refining them to bring it up to date. The plastic construction is either a plus or negative depending on your tastes, but for me the Pulse AIO firmly belongs in the Pulse family even though it’s not a squonker.
(Here it is next to the original Pulse BF)
Pros
- Very generous bundle
- Stock coil and RBA pods included
- 18650/20700/21700 options
- Clever little multi-tool
- Ideal bundle for DL/RDL vapers
- Frosted versions give good e-liquid visibility
- RBA building and wicking is a dream
- Customisable
- Lightweight
- Wide variety of 3rd party pods/boros and tanks available
- Good functionality and easy navigation
Cons
- MTL users have generally been ignored
- RBA base gasket is defective
- Drip-tip doesn’t match
- AFC rings are hard to adjust once fitted
Final Thoughts
Putting Billet Box comparisons aside and judging it as its own AIO, I think the PULSE AIO is a great little kit. The design is current gen and is very easy to navigate. There’s room for improvement but nothing deal breaking for me, and I’m very happy to have it in my collection.
If you don’t like playing around and prefer simplicity, then this kit might not be for you, but I think you’re missing out on an interesting side to vaping. There’s a reason the original Billet Box has remained popular as it’s almost a hobby in itself.
Score: 8.5/10 – Vandy Vape still have their finger on the Pulse
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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