Lost Vape Thelema Solo DNA100C

Features

As well as usual DNA features, such as "Replay" and "Session Mode",  DNA mods also have an amazing degree of customisation potential, with all sorts of vape functions and user-interface preferences accessible via connecting the mod to a PC and using the free Escribe desktop application.  In look & feel, Escribe is very similar to Arctic Fox "NToolBox" and both have a strikingly similar Device Monitor which displays PC-based real-time readouts of Wattage,  coil resistance, current and whatever else is desired.

Temperature controlled performance is obviously important for TC users, but in our application it's also essential for the mod to display real-time Wattage throughout a fire cycle, and also preferably calculated temperature & live coil resistance.  The Original Geekvape Mini and Solo perform this brilliantly, but the unfortunately DNA doesn't have this set up as standard. Instead it must be be configured via Escribe.

"Out Of The Box" Temp Control Configuration

I advise not using any of the "out of the box" temperature control configurations for any type of Dimitri vaping, whether emesh or sub ohm, as it's totally unsuited to our Dimitri needs. 

All standard temperature control modes are the same overly-simplistic layout of  temperature and Wattage limit.  But these are only user-set values and not continuously updated during a fire cycle.  Therefore from this screen, we're totally clueless as to what's really happening inside the atomiser. A selection of this real-time info is available by scrolling through the settings and selecting the "Diagnostics" screen.  This is better than nothing but the print is tiny, crammed in with a pile of TC-irrelevant information, and to make matters worse, the settings can only be viewed from here, not changed.

Another baffling manufacturer decision was the default-enabled pre-heat power of 75W in all temperature controlled mode profiles.  The alarming consequence of this is that irrespective of how low the user sets the Wattage limit, a full 75W will be applied to the coil until the fire cycle ends or the calculated temperature is getting close to the set value (whichever occurs first).  But of course, with ejuice-based methods the set temp may never be reached and much more power can be delivered than expected, resulting in very hot vapour, badly toasted coils, and unexpectedly intense/unplesant experiences.  With emesh the results could be unthinkable.  A slight imperfection in conducting surfaces could easily result in a continuous 75W to the mesh which may result in disintegration into a mass of molten steel and extremely unpleasant fumes.

I'm incredulous why the default Temp Control screens are made like this.  Does Evolv lack trust in their customers' ability to understand the different figures which appear on-screen?  Clearly, Geekvape didn't agree when they designed the original Aegis Solo/Mini. Unlike the standard DNA layout, its screen is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness with live readouts of all essential TC information straight out of the box.

Bespoke Dimitri Temperature Control Configuration

Fortunately, one major plus of the DNA series is its configuration flexibility.  For this it's easiest to install the free Escribe desktop app, available for Windows, Mac or Linux.  I downloaded the US version from here

Once Escribe is installed and the mod connected to the PC, the active configuration can be edited and uploaded back to the mod.  Alternatively there are read-made downloadable profiles available from various sources.

To suit the TC requirements of Temp Controlled Dimitri vaping, we are developing a simple bespoke configuration for Dimitri TC requirements. This is available for download upon the understanding that it's an incomplete and under-development project  The illustrations below are just a snapshot of how it's currently looking  (this works equally well for for both emesh and ejuice 'sub ohm' tanks).

DNA Temperature Control Performance

Maybe you've heard the long-parrotted assertions proclaiming the DNA-series temperature control performance as vastly ahead of anything else (including the original Solo).  But is this true?  Not according to r/AussieGeekvaper who has an impressive rig for testing temperature control on mods.  In a comment on this reddit post he says the <original> "geekvape aegis solo/max/nova/mini all perform at about DNA level"

In addition, during testing of the DNA100C board in the LostVape Hyperion, Aussie noted "it has a tendency to drift upwards in temperature (get hotter over time), which the DNA engineers really need to look at I think both within a puff, and across puffs/chain vapes."   The TC test results for the Original Geekvape Solo are here

Another DNA curiosity is the way it calculates the coil (or mesh) temperature.  On almost all other mods this is achieved with a TCR (Temperature Coefficient of Resistance) which assumes a linear increase in electrial resistance with temperature. However, the DNA standard TC profiles use TFR (Temperature Factor of Resistance) which attempts to construct a more real-life temperature/resistance graph.  In reality, the DNA's SS316 TFR graph equates exactly to a TCR setting of 92 at 204°C (400°F).  However the Geekvape Solo has a TCR for stainless steel of 105, so be prepared to raise the temp setting on your DNA.

TLDR - If the above sounds confusing, just be aware that if you're accustomed to the Geekvape Solo TC-SS set to 204°C,  the DNA should feel cooler on the same setting. You would theoretically need to set the DNA temperature to 226°C to achieve the same real-life temperature as a 204°C setting on the Solo.  During my limited emesh testing using the SS316 TFR, the "standard toke" tests seem generally OK at any temp in these ranges,  However, during Dimitri sessions with the DNA,  I did notice the temperature (when set my usual 200°C) felt like it could use a few more degrees, perhaps this is why.

It is possible to set up a bespoke coil material using a custom TCR, without TFR curves, and it's something else to consider for our community DNA profile to help reduce confusion.