From Mailbox to Trash Can: DovPo Mini E-LVT

As some one who spends a lot of time outdoors for both work and play, I was really looking forward to receiving the new DovPo Mini E-LTV, which was originally advertised as being water, dust and shock proof. Frankly I was looking to get a HeatVape Invader Mini 50w, as it really is water resistant (venting is cleverly hid under the silicon case and thru the buttons I believe), more watts and temp control too. However, a local vendor found a friend who happened to have the DovPo, and at only 1,600 Thb -- same price as an Istick 30w -- I thought I'd give it a try.

However, having checked out the reviews more closely after ordering, I did become aware that the 1st edition of this Mini 2 was quickly discontinued and a revised version came out very soon, with the main change being the inclusion of venting on the battery cap -- which of course makes the device lose any water resistant rating it did have. Subsequent advertising from the manufacturer did not make any mention of it being water resistant, nor did the manual that came with the device -- covered their rears on that real quick.



After opening and taking out the DovPo I was surprised/impressed how heavy and sturdy looking it was, and really liked the camo design as well, it looks really cool and would certainly be a conversation piece.


I charged up the Sony VCT4 that I ordered with it and fired her up. No problem with this process, though I did note how hard you had to press any of the buttons to make them work; esp. with the firing button if you didn't press and hold it exactly in the middle, it would not fire or stop firing. It has kind of an auto lock with the Up/Down buttons -- unlike my Isticks you have to press the fire button to bring up the screen before adjusting wattage.

The LED readout is exceedingly, if not annoyingly bright; outside in the bright daylight this is useful but in a semi-dark room it almost hurts your eyes; I suspect it could be used as a light if the power goes out...

Charging is via a 510 screw top charger, which is just so old style and rather inconvenient to be taking off your atty all the time -- as long as they already messed up the water resistance with the battery cap, they should have just gone ahead and added USB charging, but I reckon they didn't want that extra cost in manufacturing process.

After using it a bit in the office I soon concluded it wasn't really ideal as an all-day device, given the weight lifting it (an Istick 30w feels like a feather in comparison) and also the strength needed to press/hold the firing button. At the same time I wondered if I'd really want to take it outside for an adventure, where I usually try to travel light as possible for MTB'ing etc., esp. given that it wasn't even waterproof! And if you're worried about losing your mod in the drink, neither this or the Heatvape will help out, they're not buoyant and will sink faster than a rock (probably knocking out a fish or two on the way down).

But the final straw was the top cap -- every time I unscrewed an atty (without even putting them on tightly), this would come loose from the mod body and I had to hold it just to keep it from screwing off. Then the last time it got stuck to my Subtank mini and I just couldn't get it off with my fingers, no matter how hard I tried. I finally had to use 2 pliers to get them apart, risking damaging both.

During this process I got a little pissed off and tossed the DovPo itself onto my (hard wood) floor. I emphasize that I tossed it and did not throw it down with force. After picking it up, the mod would not turn back on at all! I tried many times, taking the battery in/out, trying another battery etc. No go, it was dead -- so much for the device's "shock resistance"! As a side note I'm confident that my Istick 50's or 30's, with or without the silicon cases would have probably survived such a tossing OK. Indeed, with their silicon cases these devices seem just as 'outdoor proof' as the DovPo, but at a fraction of the weight! (even compared to the Istick50 with its 2 batteries).

So after repeated unsuccessful attempts to get it turn back on, I took it up to our 3rd floor rooftop terrace and threw it down to our concrete driveway (with no battery) just to say *uck you and goodbye...(it mostly stayed together though the battery cap broke off).

Felt bad about losing money on the device but at least it wasn't too much (and I certainly don't blame the vendor). In summary I'm quite surprised and disappointed that after the relative success of the (larger) DovPo E-LTV, they didn't put more thought and quality control into the Mini.

Anyway after tossing the DovPo, to make myself feel better I immediately ordered a new IPV Mini 2 70W should be here on Monday; really hoping I don't have to throw it off my rooftop

 

Lol, bummer

 

No worries, we've all had our share of lemons and it surely won't be the last. Look forward to any review of the Heatvape (though as mentioned am really wondering how practical it is to be carrying these heavy suckers around on adventures -- and raise your hand if you've ever had a mod run over by a car before....

**Updated**

Hey @Scratchy if you want to maybe open up and play around with this hand grenade (maybe the chip is salvageable??) let me know and I'll bring it to our next mini-vape meet.

 

Thanks, Nanook and sorry to hear about the disappointment with the device! Last week was super-busy so hope I can catch up with you sometime this week! I'll let you know

 

Sorry to hear that, I got a DovPo GX200 and I was very impressed with the quality.