Supplied by Source More for review purpose.
https://www.sourcemore.com/vandy-vape-pulse-v2-box-mod.html
$37.86 using the voucher code: VVP
I have been lucky enough to review the latest release of the Vandy Vape Pulse V2 Squonk Mod. I'm already a fan of the series ever since the original mech Pulse, though I did wonder if it actually needed another version, and it’s a yes from me and clearly the best regulated Pulse yet. Ergonomics, colour screen, 21700 battery capacity and the new filling system are some of the winning features.
***NOTE***
There were reports of the initial batch having a fault with the fire button sticking, the latest batch have had this issue fixed and mine was totally tried and tested without issue. I’m not sure if all older models were recalled but it is worth asking your chosen supplier, Source More do have the latest fixed batch though and this review model is the latest batch.
This will not affect my review as the issue was resolved long before I received it, if you were unlucky enough to receive an older version then Vandy Vape or your supplier should replace it.
Vandy Vape Pulse V2 95W Mod Details:
- Compatible with single 21700/20700/18650 battery
- PCBA waterproof design for easy removement of e-juice stain and dust
- Features refined shape and ergonomics
- Adopts type-C fast charging port
- Monitored by an upgraded Vandy Vape chip with 95W max power
- Supports 6 functions: Power Mode, Bypass Mode, Voltage Mode, TC-NI Mode, TC-SS Mode and TC-TI Mode
- Provides 6 protections: Short Circuit Protection, Over-heating Protection, Low Battery Warning, Open Circuit Protection, 10 Seconds Cut-off, Overcurrent Protection
- Leakproof squonk system and bottom fill bottle keeping it directly in line with 510
Specifications
- Size 82.3 x 28.4 x 54.7mm
- Power Range 5 - 95W
- Operating Voltage 3.2 - 4.2V
- Output Voltage 0.5 - 6.0V
- Max Output Current Protection <34A
- Coil Resistance 0.05 - 3Ohm
The very welcome addition of the 21700 battery capacity is a huge pro as I can now get more bang for longer. As much as I enjoyed the original Pulse, the battery life was an issue, but thankfully it should now last longer.
Unboxing and Contents
The Pulse 2 is nicely packaged and comes with a few accessories along with a mysterious metal tool which I can only assume is for removing the bottle, though it is also a handy size for picking a dogs nose.
You get a spare silicone bottle inner, sadly not a complete one but with its assembly, it wouldn’t be as handy as ordinary bottles as it needs to be completely empty when swapping over. You also get an 18650 battery adaptor if you don’t own a 20700 or 21700 battery, but I highly recommend you purchase one to get the best out of this mod. There is also a usb-C cable, but it’s really short! (a microlength usb-C cable, as it were). There is also a shitload of pamphlets including instructions for the Vandy Vape App. There is one spare I would have liked to have been included, the bottom cap, as you could easily drop and lose it while out and about.
The kit includes:
- 1*Pulse II Mod
- 2*Instruction manual
- 1*Warranty card
- 1*QC Type-C usb cable
- 1*Proper user guidance
- 1*18650 battery adaptor
- 2*Squeeze bottle
As with all previous Pulse mods there are plenty of colour options and interchangeable panels which should be available to buy separately.
First impressions
From the first moment I picked up the Pulse 2, I was impressed. They have nailed the ergonomics of the mod, every edge has been smoothed, and they have managed to keep the size down despite adding a full colour and more advanced chipset. With the 21700 battery capacity, the thickness hasn’t been affected too much either.
I went for the silver carbon fibre option, and I was really pleased to see that it is metallic which looks so much better than the Pulse 80 panels. There’s a subtle curve to the panels that gives it a little more style too.
Popping a 21700 battery in, I was impressed how bright and clear the screen was, and the control buttons have a nice feel to them too.
Looks and Design
On first glance, it’s similar to the Pulse 80 and Pulse X, but a closer look you can see a major evolution to pretty much everything. There are so many new features to the Pulse V2 which I could immediately tell that this is the ultimate Pulse and worth the V2 title.
The chassis is the traditional all plastic, and this time round, it has been made water resistant and leak-proof. Both side panels are removable, one to access the battery and the other to aid pushing it out. This also makes fitting alternative panel colours possible.
The whole thing is so lightweight and compact yet really solid and of a high quality construction. The magnetic panels fit securely and there is no play or rattle to them.
The battery markings are clearly printed, and fitting a 21700 battery is simple without too much resistance in the top sprung contact yet the battery feels very securely held in place.
The spring loaded 510 connector is flush and secure, and you can fit up to 25mm atomisers on without overhang, 24mm looks perfect.
The all new bottom filling bottle system is something I like a lot, and it works a charm, you simply hold the Pulse V2 upside down and unscrew the cap to fill the bottle. In practice, this method is really easy and mess free, it’s not perfect as you have to be careful not to lose the bottom screw cap. A tip I found was to pop the cap onto the magnetic part of the side panel (just under the RDA area) which held it nicely while I filed it up.
I’m just so impressed with the design of the Pulse V2. It’s rare to find a mod where you cannot find a fault with the design, I cannot see any cut corners or ‘that will do’ philosophy, Vandy Vape have pretty much improved everything so this is truly a Version 2 and a worthy upgrade.
Menu and Navigation
I found there was no need to RTFM (Read The F**king Manual) as the menu and navigation were pretty easy to suss out on your own by dabbling and pressing combinations of buttons. I was pleased how much common sense each option was. I like the way they kept the main modes in a simple top level (3 x Fire) scroll navigation while keeping the deeper, less used functions within its own sub menu.
- 5 x Fire = Turns Mod On/Off.
- 3 x Fire = Mode change (Up/Down button to navigate modes – Fire to confirm).
- Hold Fire & Up = Lock adjustments.
- Hold Fire & Down = Flips screen upside down (F**k knows why that’s needed? Aussie vapers?).
- 4 x Fire = Adjust Preheat in Variable Wattage Mode.
- 4 x Fire = Adjust wattage in TC Mode.
- Hold Up & Down keys together = Enters main options menu.
- Hold Fire Up & Down together = Screen On/Off.
- 2 x Click Up/Down keys = Measure new Ohm’s coil and resets ARR
The on screen display is crisp & bright and holds all the information you need, you can adjust the brightness which is ideal, full brightness works a charm in outdoor daylight and you can tone it down to preserve more battery life for indoors.
The SETTINGS menu has some really cool functions to customise your vape. A natty feature I liked was the FIR, turning this on/off changes the locking function to either lock adjustments only or to lock all including firing. Also you can select which options appear in your quick menu (3 x FIRE) by turning them on/off, which I found superb.
Another cool feature is the ARR (Auto Resistance Renew) which needs to be turned on in the settings menu. Basically this reads the Ohms (Ω) of the coil and sets your wattage for you, and I found this to be pretty accurate with the coils I tried. It’s similar to how BYPASS works.
Vandy Vape APP
The app didn’t particularly interest me as the menu system is superb and quick, but for the sake of the review, I thought I should at least install it and check it out. Installing it on Android is straight forward, but IOS turned out to be quite a pain in the ass though I found a video on YouTube that guided me through so got it installed.
Once I got it up and running, I was pretty impressed with it, especially in TC (temperature control) mode as it is super easy to tweak and refine a new coil setup, and the Bluetooth connection is very fast. You can adjust normal power VW, but there’s no real point to doing that. You can create custom power curves, which is far easier in the app than doing those manually.
A cool feature that took me by surprise was the ‘Find my mod’ function. Pressing this locates the mod if you’ve misplaced it somewhere local, I pressed it and was greeted by a binging sound coming from the mod and the screen flashing. I was like “that’s cool!” and I tried to see what distance I could get it to work at. It picked it up in most places in my house, upstairs to downstairs. I’ve only had a few occasions when I have actually misplaced my vape, and this feature would have been handy, but in reality I doubt I will ever use it again.
Vandy Vape have actually done a great job with the app, and it functions well, handy for custom power curves or playing around in temp control, but it’s one of those things that I doubt the majority of vapers will actually use beyond the novelty. However, there does appear to be an unused update theme function in the app which will make updating the firmware wirelessly very handy. Also there’s the promise of updated themes, and I’m half hoping for some cool DNA colour style themes. Now that would make me use the app more.
Performance
There’s not a lot to discuss in this section that hasn’t been covered in the previous sections, but the mod performed exactly as you would expect. In VW (variable wattage) mode, I found it hit perfectly, and the preheat settings work well from DL to MTL. I really love TC (temp control) on this mod, it works really well and is easy to adjust the temperature and wattage. Once I found my sweet spot, I had no issues at all and zero dry hits even when pushing it to extremes. If TC Mode is a big mystery to you, I really suggest you check it out as it really is perfect for squonking and a lot easier than you would imagine and NO DRY HITS. Pop along to the forum if you need any help or advice.
https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/forums/
Squonking wise, the bottle system really works well. I’ve had no leaks at all, and I’m enjoying the filling method far more than previous Pulse versions. The squonk bottle window in the panel is just large enough for thumb squeezing and has no hard edges. It is recessed enough that accidental squonking is not an issue.
Compared to Pulse Original
I still use and love the original Pulse which was mechanical (mech), so naturally put off a lot of users that weren’t familiar with Ohm’s Law or were concerned about vaping safety. Vandy Vape later started releasing versions of the safer, regulated versions which has led to the Pulse V2. Obviously the V2 has far more going for it compared to the original, and is safer for new users. Though the original wasn’t perfect, it held a charm and was a nice lightweight pocket friendly squonk mod. I can’t compare them like for like, but Vandy Vape have kept the form factor faithfully and have evolved the series into what I see as the ultimate Pulse. I have a Pulse 80, but it will simply be replaced by the V2 and now seems like a bit of a dog in comparison. I will, however, keep using the mech Pulse for ease, but the V2 will get equal use for RDAs that benefit from a more customised vape (TC etc.).
I’ve mainly included it to show just what an amazing job Vandy Vape have done to include so much into the V2 for not much extra size, pretty impressive all in all.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a pocket friendly, feature packed single 21700 battery squonk mod, then the Pulse V2 should be high on your list. There’s little to nothing not to like about it. I’m coming up to the pro and cons, and so far I cannot think of anything I would change on it, and that speaks volumes.
Personally I love that it has an all plastic chassis which is one of the only things I can think of that might put some people off. It doesn’t offer that high end look and feel to it, but then it doesn’t pretend to either. In the hand, it is one of the most lightweight and comfortable squonk mods I own and is likely to be my go to pocket mod for out and about, especially now that it can hold a 21700 battery.
Pros
- A lot of features in a compact form.
- Superb menu system.
- Lightweight and pocket friendly.
- 21700 battery capacity.
- Solid construction.
- Innovative bottom filling system.
- Phone/Tablet App that actually works well.
- USB-C
- Feels comfortable in the hand.
Cons
- Nothing
- Nada
- Zilch
- Zip
- Not a sausage
Nope, I’m genuinely stumped, a rare ‘No Cons’ review!
Final Thoughts and Score
The Pulse V2 is one of those upgrades worthy of a V2 status, pretty much everything has been upgraded with some innovations included to produce the best single cell Pulse mod yet.
Score: 9.5/10
Squonking ain’t dead – there’s still a strong 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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