BLOG – Page 18 – E-Cigs Advice

JoyeTech have come up with some game-changing designs over the last few years, but apart from the eGo series I can’t think of one that’s been as popular as the VTC Mini. As the name suggests it’s a smaller version of the VTC, with all the same features built in. It has some of the best temperature control options you’ll find anywhere and can put out 75 watts of power, which is more than enough for most people. My opinion is that this is one of the best compact mods you can get. PACKAGING & DESIGN The VTC Mini comes in a sturdy cardboard box, with the mod nestling in the usual foam cutout. Under the foam there’s a well presented user manual and a USB charging cable. It’s also available as a kit together with the eGo One tank or the newer Tron. As far as the design goes this is a pretty conventional-looking device. It’s a rectangular box with rounded-off edges for comfort. The main case is a single piece of alloy, with a satin finish that doesn’t take fingerprints; the back is held in place with magnets, and pulls off to reveal the battery compartment. On the front is a very nicely laid out control panel – one of the best I’ve seen, in fact. Up top is a big fire button, and at the bottom are the up and down buttons and the micro USB port. In between the top and bottom buttons is a large OLED screen. The buttons are plastic but a lot of thought has gone into them. The fire button is slightly domed, which makes it easier to press, but it’s mounted at the bottom of a recess in the case and works really well. It barely projects from the front of the mod, so you're much less likely to get activate it by accident. The up and down buttons are also in a cutout, so they’re protected too. All the buttons have a nice positive click. I’d have liked to have seen metal buttons, but the plastic ones still work very well and keeps the cost to the end user lower. The 510 connector has steel threads and a gold-plated copper center pin. It is spring loaded, which should ensure a good connection, but the connector is a little bit shallow. Some atomizers with longer threads don't sit perfectly flush on top of the mod, which can be a bit annoying, especially if you have an OCD for this. There are airflow channels cut into the mod for atomizers that take in air through the connector. I’m not sure how worthwhile this is these days, really. Overall the VTC Mini is a simple, well-made device that looks and feels extremely good. KIT CONTENTS 1 x Joyetech eVic-VTC Mini MOD (Battery not Included) 1 x Micro USB cable 1 x User manual SPECIFICATIONS Battery Size: 22.20 x 38.20 x 82.00mm Output mode: VT-Ti/VT-Ni/VW/Bypass mode Output wattage: 1-75W Resistance range: 0.05 - 1.0ohm for VT mode Temperature range: 100 - 315℃ / 200 - 600℉ FUNCTIONALITY The eVic VTC Mini is one of the easiest mini mods I've used. Many of the functions are pretty conventional. For instance, five clicks of the fire button turns it on and off; three clicks takes you to the menu to change change modes. You have a choice to use the bypass mode, which basically turns it into a mech mod, but we don't recommend using this mode unless you know exactly what you're doing. You've also got variable wattage, TCR or three temperature control modes – nickel, titanium or SS316 stainless steel. You use the up button to scroll through the modes, then hit fire once to select the one you want. Not overly complicated at all. TCR is a new mode that JoyeTech have come up with, and it’s a useful bit of future proofing. It stands for Temperature Coefficient of Resistance, which is a characteristic of the different metals used to make TC coils. TC works by the mod sensing changes in coil resistance, which that lets it work out the temperature.You can read more about how temperature control works here. The first TC mods used nickel coils; when titanium, then steel, ones appeared those devices couldn’t use them because the metals have a different TCR. If a new coil material comes out you can use it on the VTC Mini even though it doesn’t have a mode set up for it. All you need to do is find out the TCR, which you can get from here, and programme it into the device. You can store three different values; after that’s set up you can adjust the temperature as normal. There are a couple of other button functions. Holding the fire and down buttons together puts the VTC Mini in stealth mode, turning off the screen. And you can hold the up and down together to lock the mod, so you won’t accidentally knock your settings off. In TC mode you can set the maximum initial wattage; press fire three times, then the down button. The displayed wattage will start to flash, and can be adjusted with the up button. As usual, press fire to confirm the setting. I’m not sure why you’d need to do this, but you can if you want to. All the usual protections are there – reverse polarity, short circuit, excess temperature and low voltage. On top of all of this you can even update the firmware. It basically has all the features you’d expect in a high end mod, without costing all that much, which is why it's one of my favorite mini mods. OLED DISPLAY I have no complaints with the VTC Mini’s screen. It’s very large, clear and bright – one of the best I’ve seen on a mod. It also isn’t too deeply recessed inside the case, so it’s easy to see from a slight angle as well. On some devices you have to look pretty much straight on or bits of the screen are hidden by the casing; that’s not a problem here. How the screen is laid out depends on what firmware version you have (it can be updated from the JoyeTech website), and some versions are easier to read than others. There’s certainly plenty of information available. The text appears horizontally, so the screen doesn’t need to be flipped. It has enough space to show the mode the device is in, puff count and duration as well as the usual resistance, voltage, power and temperature. I’d be really happy if all my mods had a display this good. BATTERY DETAILS The VTC Mini is powered by a single removable 18650 battery, which you'll need to buy separately; you’ll need to get one that can deliver at least 25 amps of continuous current. Fitting the battery is easy; just pull off the magnetic cover to open the compartment, then pop it in. There are large, clear markings to show which way up it goes (and reverse polarity protection to avoid frying anything if you still get it wrong). You can charge it through the micro USB port on the front of the mod, and it has pass-through charging so you can keep using it while charging. However, I would recommend getting an external charger, which will charge your 18650's faster and safer. It's also worth having a spare battery so you always have a charged battery to use. DISLIKES Plastic buttons look slightly out of place LIKES Rock solid build quality Excellent screen Removable battery Upgradeable firmware SHOULD YOU GET THE EVIC VTC MINI? This is a great little device that fully deserves its popularity. It looks good, only let down slightly by the plastic buttons. It feels very well made, and people who’ve dropped them report that they survive pretty well. It has all the features you’d want and the TCR mode means it should be able to use practically any new TC coil material that comes out. JoyeTech have come up with a real winner here, and it doesn’t cost a fortune either. You can find one for not much over £45, and even after you’ve added a decent battery it’s a bargain at that price. Unless you’re looking for a 250W mega cloud machine this is one of the best options out there.