Table of Contents
The Matrix v3 Mech-Mod
Introduction
In the three plus years that I have been vaping, I have never once made it a secret that I prefer advanced personal vaporizers over mechanical mods. The bells and whistles of an APV have always been a weakness of mine. That’s until recent events changed my outlook quite a bit. Through my position with Spinfuel, I have had more opportunities to work with mechanical mods then ever before.
I’ve had the pleasure to use the Youde Udt-v10 and fell in love with its compact size. The SMOKTech Magneto has also become a favorite of mine as well. Both of these devices opened my eyes to the world of mechanical mods. The simplicity of the mechanical mod is one of its most endearing features.
The GS Matrix III
The above brings me to the review that I’m writing today. Our friends over at Stratomyst LLC contacted me about doing a review on a mechanical mod that they currently stock, the GS Matrix 3 ($34.95). Since I prefer to review an item with an unbiased opinion, I had to fight the urge to search the Internet for information on this mod. With the blizzard we had, the wait for the package to arrive seemed to last forever. It was the most agonizing three days while I stalked the USPS website (yeah, you know what I’m talking about).
The pain and suffering I endured from knowing that vape mail was on its way, yet still just out of reach is the worst feeling ever. All right, I’m getting just a wee bit off track here. So after what felt like an eternity of waiting the package was finally in my eager little hands. I took out my trusty pocketknife and started slicing into the tape holding the package together. Inside the ‘now open’ package were two items, both of which were inside their own bubble-wrap packaging.
I set one of the items to the side so that I may ship it off to Cam for review (look for that review coming soon as well). I opened the bubble-wrap bag containing a metal box marked GS Matrix 3 Telescope and admired it in awe. It’s shiny, it’s gorgeous and it begs for a fresh battery and my RBA of choice, the Kayfun Lite by SvoëMesto.
The GS Matrix III comes in a beautiful metal tin. It reminds me of a smaller version of the tin you find Altoids mints in (on a side note, I wonder if this tin could be modded? A DNA30 chip maybe?) Inside the tin I find the GS Matrix III sitting securely on a piece of golden satin, calling me, begging me, to remove it from its secure bed of satin. The GS Matrix 3 is so secure in its tin that even shaking it did not make it move. (This is always a plus in my book because I know there’s no chance of it being damaged during shipping) The next thing I notice is the compact size of the device itself. Measuring in at a little over two and a half inches this device is an absolutely tiny mod.
Details Details
The GS Matrix III is a stainless steel telescoping mechanical mod. The top cap is 510-threaded and features a deep drip well to catch excess juice should your atomizer of choice decide to leak. However, like most mech mods, it is not threaded for ego devices and will need a 510-to-ego adapter if you would like to use an ego style atomizer. The top cap has a tapered edge with tear drop designs in it and it reminds me quite a bit of the ProVape ProVari top cap.
Next thing that I noticed is how well the machining is on the body of the device. The body seems to be clean cut with groves running the length of it and the word Matrix 3 engraved into it. I also noticed that the manufacture included two vent holes in the body for safety in the event that a battery should fail and vent. Ideally I would prefer these to not be where my hand is, but I do understand that the design of the GS Matrix 3 limits the areas to place the vent holes.
Continuing on the next thing that I noticed; the tapered bottom cap with the same teardrop design on it. On the underside of the bottom cap is a recessed button. The button seems to be of the spring loaded type with a firm yet forgiving spring. As I stated earlier, the GS Matrix 3 is a telescoping mod. To extend it from 18350 mode to 18650 all one must do is twist the bottom half of the mod.
Specs:
Fully mechanical telescoping mod
Fits 18350, 18490/18500, and 18659 batteries (flat top) Diameter: 24mm Length: 67mm Material: Stainless Steel Conforms to: CE, RoHS, FCC, and TUVAll the specifications in the world are fine, but don’t mean much without a real world performance review. With that being said, let’s touch on how the GS Matrix III performed in its everyday use.
Real World
As I do with all devices I am reviewing, I topped it of with my go-to RBA, the SvoëMesto Kayfun Lite. As the GS Matrix 3 is a mechanical mod, I built a 0.9-ohm coil for the Kayfun. This allowed me to experience huge vapor clouds and huge flavor that I desire for my personal vaping. I filled the Kayfun Lite with my DIY black licorice and headed out the door to my other job. Since I am allowed to vape at work, I set the GS Matrix III in 18650-mode. The first thing that I noticed is that this mechanical mod is extremely light. The Kayfun lite makes it very top heavy. This is not a major issue with me as I have become very aware of where I set my mods down. If you are one who places your mods in a stand that is not deep welled, it could very well tip over if you’re using a top-heavy atomizer like my Kayfun. Another feature that I noticed while at work was the placement of the firing button. On the GS Matrix III the button is recessed on the bottom cap. This took me a bit to get used to but once I did it became second nature.
Using an 18650 sized battery I can get a few good hours of vaping before the power diminishes below my standards for an acceptable vape. Taking a spare battery with me to work solved any power issues I may have. Even in the extended 18650 mode, I feel the mod is small enough not to draw attention to it. If you’re really concerned about being discrete, you can also run it in 18350 mode for an extremely stealth vape. This compact mode will diminish battery time but does make the mod very discrete. (An 18350 battery is rated at 800mAh, so it will last an average Vaper 2, maybe 3 hours tops) When I take it out shopping with me I put the GS Matrix III in 18350 mode. This allowed me to palm the device and not make a total scene that I was using it. A huge advantage to the GS Matrix III in 18350 mode is that you can slip it into your front pants pocket without it looking (too) odd, though you might get a certain look now and then.
Safety…Always
One thing that I would like to touch on is the safety feature built into the mod. Since the GS Matrix 3 is a mechanical mod there is very few safety features that can be built in. One of the most important safety features on any mode is the ability to vent any gases that could build up in the case if a battery fails, the vent holes in the Matrix III should vent well. These vent holes keep the mod from becoming a bomb in your hand. One other safety feature I feel needs to be mentioned is the recessed firing button. Whether this was intended as a safety feature or not, I feel it acts as one. This feature allows you to place the GS Matrix III in your pocket without the concern of it firing unintentionally.
Pros:
Lightweight Telescoping from 18350 – 18650 Well machined, smooth threads Safety features Price point: $34.95 at time of writing at Stratomyst.com Tin storage container $34.95 priceCons:
510-connector only Spring loaded switch (I’ll state this as a con because there are better method than using springs, such as magnets.)The GS Matrix III preformed well above my expectations for a mechanical mod. I believe it is suited for the user looking to get into mechanicals as well as the advanced user looking to add a telescoping mechanical mod to their arsenal of vaping devices. Whether or not it is for stealth vaping or all day vaping, the GS Matrix III is designed to handle both. I know I will be adding it to my day-to-day rotation of mods that I use. In fact, the GS Matrix 3 has had a hand in helping improve my view on mechanical devices. And for a selling price of just $34.95 it is very affordable.
As with all devices that you are intending to be use with a rebuildable atomizer, I like to remind our readers of safety precautions that should be used. Most users use mechanicals for rebuildable atomizers or to use sub-ohm coils. Please make sure to test all coils with an ohmmeter or a protected mod. Use batteries rated for high drain if using sub-ohm coils. In-line fuses may be purchased to help protect it from shorting a battery.
Steven Kaderabek
