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The God180 as Seen Through The Eyes of Tom McBride
I am not obsessed with finding ever more powerful vaporizers, but when I happen across a good deal, and a product that sounds like it could be interesting, I will seriously consider it. The “God180” is one such device, and one I just had to check out.
You can probably find the God180 on several vendor websites, but for me it was GearBest. A vendor that sells an iStick Mini for $23, or an IPV Mini for $62, and this God180 for $140. They offer good prices and a wicked selection of products, and not just electronic cigarettes and accessories.
GearBest sells everything, from cell phones to computers, from cameras to fishing gear, which is actually how I discovered them a few months back. I was looking for a MiniDV camcorder, the kind that uses the old MiniDV tape cassettes, for a project I am doing. I have years worth of videos that my mother gave me and I asked John to convert them to digital so I could not only watch them, I could save them and give them to my own kids when they got older and curious about our family history. (I am not the troglodyte John purports me to be) As it turns out they are impossible to find new, and on eBay used ones sell in excess of $100 and you never know if it’s going to work when you get it. In any case, while browsing the GearBest website by in August I saw that they sold electronic cigarettes and that they carried a large number of devices, both original and clones. (Which didn’t go over well with Jules)
Long story short, some time later we were invited to review any electronic cigarette from this company, and as it happened, because I had some knowledge of the website I was given the choice to pick the product we would review… so I picked God180. And now here we are.
The God180 by Simeiyue
What caught my eye about this powerful vaporizer was not that it could reach 180w, but that did so with not one, not two, but three 18650 batteries. (In order to reach the max power though the 18650 batteries have to be higher than 25amps) That’s a lot of power, and for certain vaping occasions it might just be the ‘end all be all’ vaporizer. I was intrigued, so why not review it?
Features
Before I get into the whole “do we need this kind of power” stuff, the feature set should be noted. This is not some ‘made in the basement’ device by some power hungry vaper, the God180 is loaded with well thought out safety features and with proper handling is probably as safe as anything on the market. It is very well made. The tolerance of the fitted pieces is tight and secure, always a good sign of a well-built product.
To wit:
- Power button is 5-click on/off.
- Reaching the menu takes 3-clicks (once the device is on of course)
- Clicking the “+” / “-” buttons when in standby mode and you can adjust the output wattage in just 1W increments.
Its display shows battery level, puff count, internal temperature, the atomizer resistance, the output power setting as well as the voltage setting.
With under-25amp batteries your range in wattage is 5-80W, the ‘normal mode’. To reach the ‘super mode’ of 81-180W you’ll need the higher amp batteries. - Total Output power is 5W to 180W
Resistance range: 0.5ohm to 4.0 ohm
Plus:
Short circuit protection, reverse polarity protection, high temperature and low voltage protection
Puff time protection settings: 1 – 10 seconds in all 3 wattage ranges: 5-29W, 30-79W, and 80-180W
Other niceties include:
Screen display settings of 1 to 99 minute range and a removable beauty ring that contain 4 vent holes. (More on venting later)
Notable Physical Attributes
The God180 is a big device. We’re talking 4.6” x 2.7” by 1.18” big. Without batteries is weighs just .350kg, with batteries almost twice that.
The ‘finish’ on these aluminum vaporizers is sort of a non-slip paint job with deep, gorgeous colors. The six ‘grip’ areas (for lack of better word) are ornamental only. The word God180 and the wolf head are engraved into the metal exterior.
Buying the “kit” ($140) gets you the God180 unit in your choice of 4 different colors, and a nice looking, sturdy, zipper case, with some extras, including a manual, extra screws and that ubiquitous blue screwdriver. It is definitely a nicely put together package.
Real World Usage
Even though I knew it took 3x 18650 batteries I was thrown by the sheer size of the device when it first arrived. I shouldn’t have been. There is little room wasted in the design so it’s not big for the sake of being big. It has substantial heft to it, especially with the batteries installed, but again that’s to be expected. The God180 is not a very good stealth vaporizer. (Understatement of the day).
The God180’s firing button has a nice ‘clicky’ feel to it, and its located on the side, up nearer to the top then the middle. The plus and minus adjustment buttons and the display are on the front side of the device.
The connector for tanks/clearomizers rises up from the body by way of the aforementioned ‘beauty ring’. Unscrewing the beauty ring reveals a series of 4 small vent holes underneath, and shows you that the actual threading is 510/eGo. (Though using a clearomizer on this unit strikes me as a bit strange)
Inside the device there is a foam pad that serves to hold the batteries steady so you won’t hear any rattling. Think of it as an insulator against the potential noise 3 large 18650 batteries can make when the device is rattled about. Installing the 3 batteries requires little more than slipping them into the proper slots, clearly marked with the plus and minus signs so you won’t concern yourself of the question “are they in the right way?” The battery compartment itself is also well built; the batteries snap in place and you’ll remain confident that they won’t come loose.
Venting or Lack thereof
While inspecting the God180 I couldn’t help feeling that with this much power being regulated through the electronics inside by way of the 3 powerful 18650 batteries, that a few more vent holes would might have been a good idea, so why aren’t they there? The company, Simeiyue, tells us that the use of a heat sink does away with the need of extra vent holes.
I have a very strong computer background (again, not a troglodyte) so I get the idea of using a heat sink, but in the computer industry we’re dealing with processor heat and a heat sink wrapped around the processor itself (the actual processor is quite small, the heat sink take up 99% of the size), in an electronic cigarette however the heat comes from the batteries, a chemically induced heat, so I’m not quite sure the heat sink idea works as well as a few well-placed holes to vent that heat. I will go on record though as saying that the entire time I used this device heat wasn’t an issue, even at the max power setting, in ‘God Mode’. (Actually, it’s super mode, but god mode sounds much cooler)
Limitations
The official stats say the device can’t fire any coils under .5ohms, and that didn’t sit well with me. After all, the iStick 30 can fire off .5ohm coils all day long, so if you’re stuck with the same limit of something that outputs some 150 LESS watts then what’s the point, right? Why would we need 180w? I can’t answer that because it goes to personal preference, I can only tell you my opinion.
Negative Marketing
There will be plenty of vapers in the community that will love this device. It’s not a cheap looking device and its construction is a major plus in my book. The God180, to me, is a perfect example of how marketing affects this industry in a negative way.
IPV3 or God180 – It’s The Marketing
Pioneer4You sells a lot of IPV3’s, and before that the IPV 2, and if you’ve ever seen an IPV3 in person you might agree that the device looks ‘homemade”. It works as advertised, but it doesn’t compare with the God180 in looks, construction, materials, battery compartment, and even the foam pad used to secure the batteries against rattling, as well as the circuit board and wires used to attach it all. It’s just better built, period.
Plainly speaking, the IPV3 has great marketing behind it whereas the God180 does not. Placed side by side I know that most advanced vapers would choose the God180 if the labels were stripped off both devices and they vaper didn’t know which was which. (That only works if the vaper hasn’t seen either one, but hopefully you can see my point)
If you’re looking for a vaporizer that will output this level of power I strongly advise that you consider the God180 rather than the IPV3. NO disrespect meant to Pioneer4You or the vapers that own and love their IPV3.
Changes I’d Like To See
First and foremost, either drill some vent holes or show me the documentation that says the heat sink offers the protection you need against defective batteries and/or runaway heat. Even with the heat sink I’d like to see more venting, call me cautious.
Next, for such a beautiful device I think they could have done much better with the display. Yes, the circuits are there and all the information you need is shown clearly. But from an aesthetics point of view I would love to see a nicer looking display befitting the good looks of the device itself. About a 30% larger display would make a nice size, not to mention being easier on the eyes.
Other than those two recommendations I can’t think of much else. Sure, it would be nice if the device were a bit smaller, thinner, but that might not be possible while still maintaining the safety of the device. Like I said above, there doesn’t seem to be any wasted space, it’s big because it needs to be big. Then again, I don’t design mods, I’m not an engineer, and my ego doesn’t allow me to think that I know better than the people that actually do design products like this.
Need or Want
Do you need a device that can output 180w of power? Only you can answer that. During all of 2013 and 2014 I used more RBA’s and RDA’s than anything else, but since the Atlantis, Subtank, Delta 2, and even the new MELO from eLeaf its plain to see that sub-ohm vaping has gone mainstream.
I don’t build as many RDA coils as I used to, about the only rebuildables I use today are the Kayfun 4 (a gift from Jules), and my Aries Pro, and neither one of these are used with sub-ohm builds…
Now my coil building is mostly with the Subtank rebuildable component, and when I get some, the Delta 2’s rebuildable component. To be honest I’m done with .3ohm, .2ohm coil building because I can get great flavor and ‘cloud chase’ with the best of them with an eVic Supreme and a Delta 2, or a Kanger Subtank and any 50w vaporizer… I’m not so sure running 180w is even wise anymore… for me. I still like a couple of my mechanicals, but even there things are changing. I’ve given away most of my mechs to vapers just now getting into mechanicals. Perhaps after three and a half years of vaping I’m getting more conservative about what I use and why
Conclusion
For vapers that have moved into the sub-ohm territory the God180 will allow you to get everything there is to get out of a .5ohm vape, with plenty of power left over. Going in the other direction, it will work just as well with coils up to 4ohms. I’ve no doubt that it will last for years providing a great vape every time. And the price tag, $140-$150, makes it a good value. Finally, when compared to the more popular IPV3 the God180 is a much better choice.
Vaping is a personal journey and we all make that journey on our own time and in our own way. It doesn’t matter one iota if you prefer the cig-a-like, an iTaste product, an Aspire product, a Kanger product, and so on. Whatever works for you, works, and that is all that should matter.
Recommend?
Let me put this way; if you look at the God180 as something you would love to own then I would happily recommend it. If you look at the Pioneer4you the same way, I would point you to the God180 and urge you to reconsider. Watch Smokenjoey’s review of the IPV3 to see why.
Tom McBride
