In my previous post, I talked about how the search for a new electronic TED led me instead to the Dynavap M 2021 which is a non-electronic, non-battery powered TED. I was quite keen on getting another electronic TED as the convenience factor of these devices is high. However, as there were no electronic TEDs easily and quickly available at the time, I decided to purchase the Dynavap M 2021.
Still, I was not pleased with the idea of handling a butane torch to heat the device up. First of all, I am really clumsy and secondly, using a torch with the Dynavap makes the person look, to put it politely, like a junkie. After some research, I found that pairing the Dynavap with an Induction Heater (IH) will allow me to avoid using a torch. Additionally, opting for a battery-powered IH will also give the Dynavap the ability to function much like an electronic TED.
Shout out to Terpene Central who put me in touch with a custom Induction Heater maker who made me a battery-powered IH that I absolutely love. The convenience of an IH is leaps and bounds beyond a torch, especially for a session user like me who can sit with a bowl for 15 to 20 minutes.
Size & Design
Custom Induction Heaters have varying dimensions and you can even send across your own box, say one that has sentimental value to you, to have the IH internals fitted inside.
I opted for a regular plastic casing which has the dimensions 2” x 4” x 7”. The entire IH weighs just 650 grams. While the IH isn’t really pocketable, it is compact enough to carry comfortably in a small bag.
The white plastic casing was painted black by the IH maker. On my request, the maker also personalized the IH by applying a sticker with the logo of Tool, which is my favourite band ever.
The top of the IH consists of a conical glass piece to hold the Dynavap, a Dynamag (optional) to quickly cool the Dynavap down in an instant and an On/Off button to toggle heating. The glass piece and On/Off button also have LEDs to indicate when they are on.
I want to note here that my IH has an alternative design because I opted for the biggest battery size possible. Due to size constraints, the IH maker decided to place the glass piece and switch on top, whereas they would normally be placed where the Tool logo is on my IH. However, I prefer it this way as it takes up less space on my table. The IH sits nicely beside the keyboard while using my PC.
The side of the IH contains a DC charging port and a LED battery indicator.
Internals & Power
The IH uses four standard screws which makes the case easy to open. Due to not having much knowledge of electricals or electronics, I have never opened it up myself. Below is a picture of the internals sent to be by the IH maker while it was a work in progress.
The internals contain a charging circuit and a metallic coil wrapped around the glass piece, powered by a 11.1 V Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery.
Induction Heaters can either be wall-powered or battery-powered. I was clear from the beginning that I wanted a battery-powered heater as they are portable and can be used even in situations when there is no electrical outlet nearby.
I chose to go with the highest battery size available, which is 4,200 mAh. This massive battery lasts even a heavy user like me for nearly a week, or roughly 120 clicks of the Dynavap. The charging time is around 4-5 hours and a 12 V power adaptor charges the battery.
One drawback is that as the battery is LiPo instead of Li-ion, it is prone to the ‘memory effect’ wherein the battery life can reduce if proper charging practices are not followed. I always set a timer to make sure that I don’t leave it on charging longer than required. The wall charger also has an LED that indicates a full charge.
Benefits of using an Induction Heater with Dynavap
An IH is incredibly easy to use with a Dynavap compared to a torch or any other heat source, regardless of whether you are a newbie or not. All you need to do is place it in the glass piece and press the button to start heating it up.
I use the pulse heating technique (IH guide coming soon) which helps in evenly heating the bowl for better extraction. I also like to heat beyond the click for full extraction. Pulse heating helps me keep track of how much I am heating past the click as it can be difficult to do so later in the session when you are already feeling the effects of the bud.
If you are like me and like to extract a full bowl in one session, the IH is a godsend. Torches can get painful on the hands after a few minutes and you will be burning through a lot of butane in the process. You only need to use one hand with an IH and you don’t have to worry about refilling butane.
A cosmetic advantage of using an IH is that your Dynavap’s cap won’t be stained as much. A torch flame has a very high temperature which alters the cap’s colour right from the first use. In an IH, the coil causes an electromagnetic field to be generated which reacts with the Dynavap cap and heats it up. Therefore, the peak temperature of the cap is much lower than a torch and the cap’s colour does not change as quickly or dramatically. Below is a picture of a cap after a few torch sessions next to a cap with two months of IH use.
The one drawback I can think of with an IH compared to a torch is that torches provide a slightly better ability to control the temperature. An IH doesn’t really let you control which part of the cap you heat, leading to pretty much the same experience every time you use the IH.
You can still vary the temperature with an IH by controlling the time you heat past the click, but it is difficult to achieve lower temperatures this way unless you use a Low Temp Captive Cap. Another alternative is to use inserts that change how much of your cap sits inside the glass piece.
Price & Availability in India
Even though an IH undoubtedly provides a superior Dynavap experience, the biggest deterrent for getting one is the price. IHs cost more than a Dynavap M and a first-time user may not want to invest so much.
That being said, a constant question that I get from non-IH users is, “Is an IH worth it?” and my answer to this is, “Yes, if you have the budget, then go for it”. I would even suggest saving up for an IH because not only does it save you a ton of butane in the long run, the convenience of an IH is priceless.
Further, if you are considering purchasing an IH, then it might make more sense to get one custom-made rather than buy a branded IH. Branded IHs are imported from abroad and their prices increase substantially due to shipping costs and customs duties. A custom IH gives more bang for the buck.
I bought my custom IH through Terpene Central for ₹16,000. This is a steep price to pay for an accessory, however, it is cost-effective when you take the battery life into consideration.
To give you perspective, Dyanvap’s own Orion V2 induction heater costs ₹24,000 in India and is equipped with just a 1,000 mAh battery, which Dynavap claims can provide 40 clicks in one charge, much lower than the 120+ clicks that I get from my IH. The Orion is smaller and has a USB-C charging port, but these features are not worth paying 33% more in my opinion when there is a significant trade-off with the battery.
The cheapest branded IH available at the time of writing is the KoilBoi Cloud+ which costs ₹15,000 and is wall-powered, meaning it does not have a battery at all. So if you directly compare, I got a personalized IH with a 4,200 mAh battery by paying just ₹1,000 extra compared to a wall-powered branded IH.
Bear in mind that you can get a custom IH for cheaper if you choose to go the wall-powered route or opt for smaller battery size.
If you don't mind the price and are looking for a quality product, branded induction heaters such as The Ispire Wand, VHB Carbon, YLL and more are available on TerpeneCentral and TheGiggleGrass
Conclusion
It really is a no-brainer that you should get an IH if you can afford it. There are a ton of pros and no serious cons. I almost never use my torch with the Dynavap anymore because there simply isn’t any good reason to.
While there are several branded options available, a custom IH works out cheaper than branded ones when you consider the overall feature set. If you are on a set budget, you can opt for a wall-powered IH instead of a battery-powered one.
IH Care Tips
Here are some tips by the IH maker to keep the IH in good shape:
- The battery bar never shows 4 bars except for a brief period, unless fully charged and plugged in. This is because the LiPo battery is 11.1 V rather than 12.6 V like Li-ion, whereas the indicator is common.
- Once you see the last bar drop when IH is triggered, don't use it and put it on full charge. There is an LED on the wall charger which should light up red when charging and green when it's done. Reason behind that is to have the battery cycle properly ie. from 15-20% to 90-99%.
- Avoid using the IH when the battery is Low (below last bar), or when it is plugged in, as power always comes from the battery. If you load the IH beyond 15% then the battery life will degrade.
- As the battery pack is pretty big in size, it's imperative that you be a bit more cautious with it and avoid any huge drops.
- If you plan on having a party sesh marathon, then give the IH a bit of rest after 2-3 bowls for a couple of minutes. It's built to pack a lot more punch, but heat management should be a practice, as the glass piece accumulates heat over time.
- If you feel the device is abnormally overheating (wasn't used extensively but still is building up heat), then make sure you have the main rocker switch off to prevent any overheating of the battery.
- The first cold start of the Dynavap always takes more time than subsequent heating cycles.
- If you feel you want your rips a bit mellow or hotter than what the IH is currently providing, then the coils can be manually tuned as per your liking by moving them. Be careful though as it can cause injury and even be fatal if you are not careful.
Have a question that I haven’t answered in the review? Drop a comment below or DM me on Reddit!
Purchases made through links on the page may be eligible for an affiliate commission. Affiliate partners strictly do not have any editorial inputs.
Comments
Post a Comment