Table of Contents
It was only last August when we reviewed the Therion DNA75, and although we’ve been using the new Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 for weeks, we were just not sure whether we needed a new review or just an update to the original. What it came down to was admitting that the Therion DNA 166 was more than a spike in wattage output, a good deal more. And besides, when is it ever a bad idea to publish operating instructions on an Evolv DNA box mod? Along with the Evolv Escribe software, this latest board brings a level of performance, and customization to the table that has heretofore not been available on any platform.
About the Lost Vape Therion DNA 166
While the Therion now sports more than twice the wattage output of the initial Therion, the Evolv DNA 250 board is throttled back to a manageable 166W. This throttling was performed by Evolv, not Lost Vape, and Evolv identifies this board as the DNA 167.
The reason for the new configuration is simple; while it is true that the Evolv DNA 250 was built from the ground up to work with both LiPo batteries and standard high-amp 18650 batteries, it would still require more than a dual-18650 mod can throw at it. Evolv went and created the DNA 167 for Dual 18650 box mods. Nice, right?
To keep the same look and feel of the original Therion, Lost Vape had no choice but to choose the DNA 167. Clearly, had Lost Vape been able to release the same Therion with a full-bore DNA 250 they would have done so. The good thing is, despite having to throttle back on the power output, all the other improvements to the Evolv DNA 250 board are available in the Therion DNA166 with the Evolv DNA 167 board. CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 measures 90.5mm by 54mm by 27mm, or 5.4 inches tall, 3.29 inches wide, and 1.64 inches deep. Even the SMOK TFV12 Cloud Beast King fits the diameter of the Therion (and looks good doing it!)
What Are the Improvements of the Evolv DNA 250?
A few months back I wrote a fairly definitive piece on the differences and improvement of the DNA 250 board, you can read here. – However, there are a couple I would like to reiterate below. Please note that all the new improvements of the DNA 250 board are available in the DNA 167.
2A Charging – While it is Spinfuel VAPE’s official policy to support external battery chargers, like the Nitecore D4 and i4 chargers, rather than recharging through the USB port on the device, Evolv has added 2A charging to the DNA250 board. If you’ve experienced the differences in charging 18650 batteries at .5A, 1A, and 2A, then you’ll realize how big a deal this truly is.
Charging an 18650 cell at .5A takes hours. Charging at 1A brings the recharge time down substantially, and charging an 18650 at 2A is lightning quick. Having the opportunity to charge the Therion DNA166 at 2A can, and will, come in handy. A recent experience while I was visiting a friend in Lincoln (the town at the foot of the White Mountains in New Hampshire) was all the convincing I needed to amend my stand of strict external charging.
There will be times when removing the batteries and placing them into a Nitecore isn’t practical, or possible. In my case I keep the Anker PowerDrive 2 in my car, along with a high-quality micro-USB cable (and cable for my iPhone and iPad as well), for the times when I want to keep the battery level the same as it was when I got in the car. The PowerDrive 2 is capable of 4.8A and 2.4A charging, and can recharge the dual 18650 cells in the Therion in less than an hour, with the supplied USB cable.
Reverse Battery Protection – You would think that this feature is something inherent in all modern box mods, but this protection is new to the Evolv DNA 250. Remember, the DNA 200 board was designed to be used with LiPo packs, not 18650’s. But WISMEC came along and changed the game. Now, with the DNA 250 (and the Dual-18650 DNA 167), it’s a feature of the board. CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The Lost Vape Therion DNA166 features a curved design for a comfortable but firm grip, and the attractive dark wood accents and genuine leather makes the Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 one of the most sophisticated mods on the market. When I moved into my new condo in Nashua back in December I happened to be using my Therion DNA 75 and one of the moving van helpers was a vaper and couldn’t stop commenting on the beauty and elegance of my Therion. Right before he left he asked me where I got it. When I informed him it was Element Vape, he wrote down the URL and told me he was ordering one that night.
The Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 (or DNA 75 for that matter) has a leather wrapped battery panel that is secured with a ‘magnet and a ball bearing design’ that creates a wicked strong bond between battery door and mod, but the design also assures an ultra-smooth release when replacing the dual 18650 batteries. CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The 3-button design is more angular than circular shaped buttons, and they are plenty big enough to use with ease. The raised buttons offer tremendous feedback as well. The well-known OLED Evolv DNA display sits between the fire button on top and the two adjustment buttons beneath.
The 510 threading is made with a very high grade stainless steel, and the spring-loaded 510 pin is brass, plated in nickel for the maximum conductivity ever in a Lost Vape box mod.
Basic Operations of the Evolv DNA 250 (DNA 167) Board
A DNA board does not have a shutdown method, no 3-click off/on thing. Instead, a DNA box mod goes into standby mode when left alone for several seconds. Battery drain is very, very minimal.
Temperature Protection
I wonder how many users buy a DNA box mod for Temperature Protection. I love my Evolv DNA mods, yet I never use them in TC mode. I would, probably, if Stainless Steel, Nickel, or Titanium offered the same great flavor fidelity as Kanthal and Ceramic.
The DNA, since the DNA 40 anyway, is known for its temperature protection technology, and the DNA 250, and DNA 167, directly measures and limits the temperature of the heating coil during operation. By preventing the coil from becoming too hot regardless of eliquid in the tank, wicking or airflow, a variety of bad situations can be prevented. For example, appropriate temperature settings prevents the wicking material, usually organic cotton, from being scorched. Scorched cotton ruins the taste of the juice and introduces unintended chemicals into the clouds of vapor.
Appropriate temperature settings also reduce the breakdown of flavoring and base liquid components, which could negatively impact the taste or even safety. Evolv’s Temperature Protection Technology requires a heating coil made from Nickel 200 alloy or other materials with a well-defined temperature coefficient of resistance, rather than Nickel Chromium or Kanthal alloys, and ceramic heating elements. If the temperature reaches the maximum value, the wattage applied to the atomizer coil is reduced to prevent overheating.
Please note that the temperature reading is the average temperature of the atomizer coil, and care should be taken to construct the heating coil so that the temperature is uniform, without hot or cold spots.
Because wattage, not temperature controls vapor volume, large vapor volumes can be produced without needlessly high temperatures. Temperature Protection is most useful when the atomizer begins to dry out.
In normal operation, when the device is not firing the maximum temperature setting is displayed on the screen. When the device is firing, the actual average temperature of the coil is displayed on the screen. By default, the Temperature Protection setting is 450° Fahrenheit.
To Change the Limit
1) Lock the device by pressing the Fire button five times.
2) Hold down the UP and DOWN adjust buttons for two seconds.
3) After two seconds, the maximum temperature will be displayed, and the UP and DOWN buttons should be released.
4) Use the UP and DOWN buttons to adjust the maximum temperature
5) When the display shows the desired maximum temperature, press the Fire button to exit temperature adjust mode. The maximum temperature is adjustable between 200° Fahrenheit and 600° Fahrenheit.
To disable the temperature protection entirely, adjust the limit up to 600 degrees, then press the UP button one additional time. The temperature limit will read OFF.
To switch to Celsius temperature, adjust temperature down to 200° Fahrenheit, then press the DOWN one button one additional time. The temperature will switch to reading and adjusting in Celsius.
Preheat Function
When the DNA 250, now the DNA 167, is used with a temperature sensing atomizer, an additional feature called Preheat is activated. No vapor is produced when the temperature is below the boiling point of the liquid. Preheat applies extra power until the heating coil is up to operating temperature to shorten the delay between pressing the fire button and generating vapor. Because preheat is temperature based, it will not overheat or burn the vapor.
Attaching a New Atomizer
The DNA 250 uses the resistance of the atomizer to calculate the temperature of the heating coil. It continually looks to see whether a new or changed atomizer has been connected. If you are using temperature protection, be careful to only attach new atomizers that have cooled to room temperature.
If a new atomizer is attached to a DNA 250 box mod before it has cooled down, the temperature may read and protect incorrectly until the new atomizer cools. When you connect a new atomizer, or disconnect and reconnect your existing atomizer, the DNA 250 will prompt you to confirm this change. When you fire the first time, before activating the DNA 250 will prompt “New Coil? UP YES/DOWN NO”.
When you see this prompt, if you have attached a new atomizer, press the UP button. If you have disconnected and reconnected the same atomizer, press the DOWN button.
Real World Report
CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGELike me, there are thousands of happy Lost Vape Therion DNA 75 users out there in Vapelandia. But, also like me, that 75 watts is feeling more and more restrictive every day. I’ve taken to really love my 100W+ coils for all the SMOK TFV8 and TFV12 tanks I own, as well as the recent edition of the marvelous MELO 300 Sub-Ohm Tank, and 75 watts just don’t cut it with these tanks. However, with the Lost Vape Therion DNA 167, we can use all these tanks, and others, easily and optimally. The Therion has a 27mm diameter, meaning 99% of the tanks and RDA’s on the market will fit just fine.
I’ve been a big fan of the form factor of the Lost Vape Therion (and nearly every Lost Vape mod), so I’m just as thrilled with the Lost Vape Therion DNA 166. My only complaint with the Therion, and the Triade, is the lack of replacing the battery cover when, or if, needed. The leather materials covering the battery doors are gorgeous, and it would be spectacular if we would buy other doors to customize our mods when the feeling strikes.
Silver Version – Dark Brown Leather – Black Leather – Red Ostrich – Purple Ostrich – Brown Leather, Red Leather – Coffee Leather
Black Limited Edition – Carbon Fiber
The Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 is most certainly an A+ box mod.
Grade: A+
“One of the nicest, but beautiful box mods on the market, the Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 is superb in every way. With enough power to provide an optimal vape with 99% of all Sub-Ohm tanks and RDA’s, and the meticulous workmanship put into every mod, this is one device that deserves to be called the best dual-battery DNA mod ever.”
Note: Lost Vape’s Therion uses a down throttled version of the DNA 250, the DNA 167, to accommodate the dual 18650 battery configuration.
Specifications of the Lost Vape Therion DNA 166:
- Patented Evolv DNA167 Chipset
- Dual 18650 High Amp Battery In Series Configuration (Batteries Sold Separately)
- Wattage Range: 1W – 167W
- Voltage Range: 0.2V – 6.0V
- Resistance Range:
- >0.25Ω (Kanthal)
- >0.15Ω (TC Mode)
- Temperature Range: 200°F – 600°F
- Supports Nickel, Titanium & Stainless Steel
- OLED Display
- Programmable Multicolor LED Indicator
- Die Cast Zinc Alloy Chassis Construction
- Genuine Leather Battery Door
- Wood Panel Inlay
- Upgradeable Escribe Software
- 85% Output Efficiency
- Short Circuit Protection
- Low Voltage Step Down Protection
- Micro USB Port (Firmware Updates)
- Stainless Steel 510 Threads
- Spring Loaded Nickel Plated Brass 510 Pin
Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 Box Contents:
- 1 x Therion DNA167 Mod
- 1 x Micro USB Cable
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Warranty Card
