Tag: Vapecon Manila 2015

Vaping Diaries #353: Madz Modz Interview

One of the highlights of my March trip to the Philippines was meeting Madz Modz owner Eddie Amado. He’s one of the pioneers of the Filipino vaping scene and has made some truly beautiful mechanical mods. Back in 2013, the Madz Modz Nzonic was one of the most sought after mechs in the game. It offered a brilliant combination of performance, versatility, and style (love the Filipino sun juice well!). In the interview below, Eddie talks a bit about Madz Modz’s history, as well as a few recent products.

Eddie spoke about the performance of the Nzonic. At the time, it was one of the hardest hitting mechs available. The performance was especially impressive when you consider that it’s a telescoping device (more connections lead to more opportunities for voltage loss). The stainless steel Nzonic outperformed many single-tube brass mods that were available at the time.

Inspired by his wife’s lipstick, the Madz Modz Arama has a unique locking mechanism that’s built into the switch. Whereas many mechanical mods leave an unsightly gap in the locking area, you won’t be able to tell whether the Arama is locked or unlocked with the naked eye. Similarly novel is the Madz Modz Royale. This mech has a firing switch that’s built into the mod, so there are less parts to clean. Since there are less parts to clean, the Royale will perform more consistently in the long run.

As for future products, Eddie has been toying with Yihi SX350 chips and is planning to make a box mod. With a glut of C-frame devices already available, he won’t be adding another one. Expect another uniquely stylish Madz Modz vaping product, but this time in box mod form. I hope that Eddie uses the Filipino flourishes that made the Nzonic so aesthetically appealing.

To get to know one of the true innovators in the vaping world, watch my chat with Madz Modz Eddie Amado below.

Vaping Diaries #309: Whom Box Interview (VapeCon Manila)

As a longtime fan of Wu Tang House of Mods, I was excited to meet company owner Euclid Franco at VapeCon Manila 2015 and see his DNA40 Whom Box in person. It was excellent learning that Euclid is a fun guy to spend time with — always a bonus when someone that makes some of your favorite products is a cool cat. As for the Whom Box, it’s absolutely gorgeous and stands out from the glut of DNA40 C-frame mods on the market.

The Whom Box is made from stabilized wood, with stainless steel accents. The artwork is laser engraved and the contacts are silver plated for maximum conductivity. Instead of a C-frame, the Whom Box uses steel doors on either side to house 18650 batteries. While it’s certainly larger than many C-frame box mods on the market, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the Whom Box felt in my hands (which aren’t particularly big). It’s a beautiful mod and exactly the type of product I’ve come to expect from Wu Tang House of Mods — great looks and atypical features.

In addition to talking about the Whom Box, Euclid spoke about other upcoming boxes he’s working on. To follow up on this beauty, he’s currently working on 26650 boxes. The next Whom Box mods will be available with SX350 chips and DNA40 chips. While the yields on DNA40 have certainly improved, there are many people on the market that are still skittish on the regulated vaping chip and others that simply prefer Yihi’s SX350. It’s great to see Wu Tang House of Mods offering both options to its customers. Personally, I’ve been happier with the SX350 mods I own than the DNA40 mods. The thought of a 26650 SX350 Whom Box totally works for me.

Anyway, check out my chat with Euclid below to learn more about the gorgeous and unique Whom Box by Wu Tang House of Mods.

Vaping Diaries #298: Ripple Works Modulo Interview (VapeCon Manila)

There were a ton of box mods on display at VapeCon Manila 2015 and the most unique box mod I saw was the Modulo from Ripple Works. A modular box mod, the Modulo can accommodate dual-18350 or dual-18650 batteries. The battery receptacles can be hot swapped, allowing for some nice versatility. In 18350 mode, the mod measures 65mm high, for a nice and powerful stealth setup. When maximum power and battery life is needed, the Modulo measures 95mm high. While the modular aspect of the Modulo is its most obviously unique feature, I loved its simple and elegant style. Ripple Works co-owner Bong Lising spent some time with me at the show to tell me about the Modulo.

The Modulo’s body is made from T6 aluminum, with delrin inserts that aid in heat dissipation. All the contacts are gold plated, allowing for excellent conductivity and corrosion resistance. The contacts are adjustable, allowing the use of nipple-top and flat-top batteries. Lastly, the firing button is insulated and Bong guaranteed that it won’t accidentally shock anyone.

One of the advantages of the Modulo’s design is that it’s expandable. Bong promised some unique add-ons for the device in the future. While he wouldn’t say exactly what they would be, I’m going to guess that a phone charging module will be released. That seems to be an easy module to make and one that many vapers would find useful. My “wish” module for the Modulo is an SX350 add-on. While I love my mechs, I’ve been vaping mostly regulated devices in 2015 and I’d love to see what Ripple Works can do with the SX350 chipset.

As I mentioned in the intro, VapeCon Manila 2015 was pretty much box mod heaven. I saw loads of cool boxes, but the one I wanted the most was the Modulo. The features are unique, cool, and versatile. The aesthetics very much appeal to me. And it appears to be a well-crafted device. The Modulo is hitting shelves in small quantities now and I hope I can get my hands on one. In Internet speak, “Want!!!”

Vaping Diaries #297: Psywar Fabrications Interview (VapeCon Manila)

Psywar Fabrications is known for its aggressive products — both in terms of style and how they vape. I’ve covered the company’s Onslaught atomizer in the past and still use it today. At VapeCon Manila 2015, Psywar Fabrications was showing off four new products. The company’s arsenal at the show was comprised of the Assault and Fierce box mods, as well as the Onslaught H21 atomizer and Purge red copper tube mod. Psywar Fabrications designer Manuel Torrejon and marketing consultant Dave Arenaje walked me through the products.

Let’s start with the box mods. The Fierce box mod is made from ironwood and accommodates two 18650 batteries. The bottom caps are easily adjustable with fingers, allowing the mod to use both flat-top and nipple-top batteries. The Assault box mod has the burly looks people expect from Psywar Fabrications. It uses a single 26650 battery and includes an adapter for an 18650 battery. The top of the box has a cutaway for an atomizer.

The Purge tube mod is made from red copper and features some beautiful engravings. According to Manuel, each tube takes two hours to engrave, making the Purge difficult to make.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Onslaught H21. A “Onslaught Mini” of sorts, the H21 has a smaller designer for improved flavor. The air holes have also been modified for what should be a superior vaping experience. Under the cap, the posts have been improved. After using the Onslaught for several months, I really like the way it vapes and am looking forward to seeing how Psywar Fabrications improved on the design with the H21. Hopefully the quality control issues I had with my unit were addressed too.

Check out my chat with Manuel Torrejon and Dave Arenaje for more details on these Psywar Fabrications products and to see them up close.

Vaping Diaries #296: Highwind Innovative Designs Interview (VapeCon Manila)

As I was walking through VapeCon Manila 2015, Highwind Innovative Designs’ booth caught my eye with a pair of atomizers — the Diferion and Ruzgar. Company designer Rey Panaligan walked me through the features of these atomizers. First up is the Diferion. This rebuildable dripper uses a unique four-post setup and handles airflow in an atypical matter. While flavor fiends should love the way this RDA vapes, cloud chasers will be surprised by the maximum airflow. For an atomizer designed with flavor in mind, the Highwind Innovative Designs Diferion has a lot of cloud potential.

One of the best looking rebuildable tank atomizers (RTAs) that I’ve ever seen, Highwind Innovative Designs’ Ruzgar stands out with its handsome style. It uses a quartz glass tank, allowing vapers to enjoy any type of juice. According to Rey, the Ruzgar uses a leak-proof design and won’t suffer from the spills many RTAs suffer from. Covering it all up is a metal sleeve that gives the Ruzgar a classy appearance.

In an industry filled with many “me too” and copycat products, it was cool to see some unique atomizers from Highwind Innovative Designs. I was very impressed by the looks of the Diferion and Ruzgar, and intrigued by the potential of their respective designs. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on these atomizers to see if they work as excellently as I think they will. Check out my chat below with Rey for more details on these Highwind Innovative Designs atomizers.

Vaping Diaries #294: Vicious Ant JC Reyes Interview (VapeCon Manila)

It was a pleasure checking out Vicious Ant’s new products at VapeCon Manila 2015. Vicious Ant has been one of the most popular Filipino vaping companies in America for quite some time. With products like the Prodigy atomizer, VariAnt box mod, and Goliath RDA. It’s easy to understand why.

First up, JC showed me the Prodigy, which is a hybrid atomizer specifically designed for the Phenom mod. In addition to its distinct looks, the Prodigy has a swiveling top cap, that allows for easy dripping. Instead of taking off a top cap or drip tip to refill, a simple swivel will do. This is particularly useful in crowded situations where you might lose a top cap or drip tip (i.e. being drunk in a busy bar). As a vaper that’s clumsy, I thought the Prodigy’s top cap design was brilliant, though I wish the atomizer came with standard 510 threading.

For vapers that like insane power, the VariAnt is one of the best box mods around. This bad boy can hit up to 350 watts. While I rarely venture beyond 40 watts, several of minds cloud-blowing friends love hitting triple-digit wattages. The VariAnt is perfect for fogging up a room.

An ideal complement to the VariaAnt or any 26650 mod is the Goliath RDA. This large atomizer accommodates up to eight coils, allowing vapers to create some insane builds. It looks perfect on the VariAnt, but also looks great on 26650 tube mods.

During the interview, JC mentioned the possibility of a DNA40 add-on for the Phenom. That product has been released since the interview and is called the Phenom Evolution. You can learn more about it, as well as the Prodigy, VariAnt, and Goliath in the VapeCon Manila 2015 video interview below.

Vaping Diaries #293: VapeHead Origins Chinen Aguna Interview (VapeCon Manila)

VapeHead Origins had a pair of awesome products on display at VapeCon Manila 2015 — the VHO Quad Box Mod and Mini Haze atomizer. In the interview below, VapeHead Origins’ Chinen Aguna walked me through both products. First, let’s talk about the Quad Box, which is one of the slickest box mods I’ve ever seen. Available in black and silver, the Quad is made from hard aluminum and features copper contacts. Compared to most box mods on the market, VHO’s device is svelte and sleek. On paper, the materials the Quad is made from should translate to fantastic performance if the workmanship is point. I’m anxious to get one in my hands so that I can find out for myself.

On the atomizer side, VapeHead Origins was showing off the Mini Haze RDA. The original Haze was prized by cloud blowers. The newer and smaller model offers better flavor, but can still produce some sizable clouds. VapeHead Origins also implemented some improvements from the original, which Chinen detailed in the interview. Also available in black and silver, the Mini Haze comes with a standard cap for flavor chasers and a competition cap for cloud blowers.

Looking back at my VapeCon Manila 2015 experience, the VapeHead Origins booth was the first one I hit up. I was excited to see the Quad Box and Mini Haze in person. After checking them out, I was sold. Unfortunately, I got so busy with interviews that I became really tired and forgot to pick these products up. I’m still kicking myself for not taking advantage of the great prices at VapeCon Manila.

Anyway, check out my chat with Chinen to learn more about these sweet VapeHead Origins products.

Vaping Diaries #291: Ghetto Inc Customs Christopher Malolos Interview (Vapecon Manila)

At Vapecon Manila 2015, I caught up with Ghetto Inc Customs owner Chrisopher Malolos to talk about the Supremo 26650 mod, APO v2 atomizer, Buhawi atomizer, and more. A lot of people know Malalos as the designer for the original APO atomizer. The new and upcoming Ghetto Inc Customs products he showed me will certainly take the company to new heights.

As a Filipino-American, the Supremo 26650 has become my favorite mod of its size. The tri-tone copper, brass, and steel look makes it easy to match the Supremo with other hardware, while the Filipino map engraving is totally boss. The contacts are silver plated for optimum performance. The mod looks great and hits hard — I couldn’t ask for anything more (except, perhaps, a special edition model with my face and logo on it).

As a flavor chaser, I was greatly interested in Ghetto Inc Custom’s Buhawi atomizer. This atty handles airflow in a unique manner, with top airflow holes that channel the air to the side of the body. In its default mode, it’s a compelling option for vapers that prefer flavor over vapor. That said, if you’re looking for more vapor, it comes with a competition-style cap with much larger air holes.

Lastly, Malolos showed me Ghetto Inc Custom’s APO v2 atomizer. It looks like a very versatile atomizer that should be available at an affordable price. During the interview, Malolos said that when you see the price of the APO v2, you won’t want to buy a clone. I can’t wait to see what the final price will be.

For more details on these products and to see them, be sure to watch the video interview below.