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The last time we looked at a product from Smoant it was a disaster. The Smoant Knight V1. The Knight V1 was incredibly heavy, cumbersome to use, especially manipulating the tank. We were not looking forward to reviewing another Smoant product until the company understood that product weight is of vital concern to users. Today I can happily say that the Smoant Battlestar 200W TC Box Mod has shown that not only can Smoant make a lightweight product, they can make a great product. I’ve had a blast using this powerful, yet compact, dual 18650 box mod. For $44.95 at Element Vape, this is a fantastic value. Bravo Smoant! I knew you could do it.
About Smoant Battlestar 200W TC Box Mod
The Smoant Battlestar 200W TC Box Mod is a high-performance zinc-alloy box mod with a wattage range of 1W to 200W, versatility, i.e., full temperature control suite plus variable wattage, resistance ‘read and lock’, manual TCR, firmware upgradable, and a wicked coil resistance range.
The Smoant Battlestar features a unique, compact chassis shape. The backside of the Battlestar is flat, the two sides curve in to create a narrow faceplate configured with a sizable firing button, a good size OLED display, a + and – adjustment bar (sometimes referred to as a rocker switch), and the USB charge/upgrade port at the bottom of the device. The size of the Battlestar is 40mm by 34mm by 83.5mm, or 5.10 inches tall, 2.44 inches across the back, and 2.7 inches deep.
The color I chose to pick up was a bronze blue with a pure black battery cover. The battery cover itself is large, and wraps around the sides of the Battlestar making for an easy grip to release the 4-magnet cover, and a series of vent holes running down on both sides. (the bottom of the Battlestar also has a line of venting holes). Other colors are available, including:
- White
- Silver
- Black
- Copper
- Orange
- Yellow
- Blue
- Red
- Bronze Blue (my color)
The Usual Suspects
I urge you to read the specs and feature list at the end of this review. There are simply too many to talk about here, but they are worth knowing about. As with most modern mods, the Smoant Battlestar features all the protection and safety features.
Although my own opinion that Temperature Control is on the wane, the Smoant Battlestar has an accurate temperature control suite that features the usual suspects of heating materials; Ni200 Pure Nickel, Ti Titanium, and three types of Stainless Steels, 304, and 316, and 316L.
If that’s not enough, the Smoant Battlestar has a three-memory TCR mode that allows for the accurate use of some unusual materials, including gold, silver and copper. (I’m not kidding) These adjustments of the TCR are made in the device itself, no need for complicated software like eScribe/Evolv. The Battlestar manual includes terrific starting points for TCR adjustments for all the supporting heating elements.
The Smoant Battlestar is powered by dual hi-amp (25A+) 18650 batteries (not included) that are easily inserted after releasing the battery cover. The four-magnet battery door provides a very secure ‘fix’ to the Battlestar body, yet by gripping the two sides and pulling back equally the door comes off without a hitch. Interestingly, inside the goodie box within the Battlestar product box is an extra 4 magnets. I’ve been beating on my Battlestar for a month and I’ve seen no movement or malfunction of the default magnets. Perhaps I will down the road. After all, why include extra magnets if Smoant doesn’t think you’ll need them at some point?
The large OLED display features a usual three-column horizontal arrangement, giving the user feedback for Ohms Resistance, the Output Voltage, the Output Wattage, the Output Temperature, and an Icon Battery Life Indicator (1 icon for both batteries). The display is larger than most, save for the Evolv DNA displays and the Joyetech/WISMEC super-large displays. The characters on the display are bright, crisp, and sharp. I would put this display up against the Evolv DNA display anytime. Not that it would win any contest between them, but it’s just a good.
The Battlestar is fired by pressing the oversized firing button. The adjustment bar under the display allows users to adjust the device easily. Getting into the menu system is a breeze.
Quick Start Menu Operation CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The Smoant Battlestar is a 5-click on/off device. Just for fun, once you have your Battlestar up and running, with an atomizer attached, shut it off with the 5-clicks and turn it back on. You’ll see a cute startup screen with the ant mascot and the Smoant name in script revealed character by character. It’s a nice touch.
If the user removes an atomizer to replace a coil, or any reason, the Battlestar will prompt you with a “New Coil?” screen. The adjustment bar moves the checkmark, so choose the right prompt then press the fire button lightly.
Getting further into the menu the user clicks the fire button 3 times. The first thing the user sees is the current setting, VW or NI. Clicking left or right with the adjustment bar gets you to each of the modes available. Choose the one you want, then click the fire button lightly to lock it in.
The manual included in the package is excellently written and easy to follow. I suggest that if you intend to use the Battlestar in any other mode than variable wattage, you keep the manual handy. The Battlestar’s chipset is remarkable, and the manual will make sure the user doesn’t make bad choices.
Bottom Line
While the Smoant Battlestar is only a dual-18650 platform, the fact that it can achieve 200W is surprising. Kudos to Smoant for engineering a chipset to accomplish that 200W and all the other features.
Battery life is about the same as other dual 18650 box mods, I use Sony VTC6 batteries and the Battlestar seems to like them.
Handling the Battlestar is ultra-comfortable. The smooth finish, not a glossy finish, provides a good grip, and an appealing aesthetic. Fire button is smooth, with a good amount of ‘give’, or tactile feedback.
I stayed with a Blue SMOK Baby Beast I picked up at Vapor Authority, and the colors are 99% identical to each other. The Baby Beast looks good on it, but then again, any tank up to 30-32mm is going to fit nicely, with no overhang. The spring-loaded center pin (gold plated) in the stainless steel 510-connector makes sure the user gets a flush fit, and a secure connection to the power underneath.
I like this box mod, and I plan to keep it in my rotation until the eventual point in time comes when the eight devices I use all the time are slowly replaced by newer gear. Right now, those eight devices are as follows, in no ‘particular’ order are:
1 – SMOK GX350
4 – SMOK H Priv Pro
5 – Smoant Battlestar
6 – VGOD Pro 150W
7 – SMOK G Priv Pro
The Sub-Ohm Tanks I am currently using, in no particular order, as of March 2017 are:
4 – eLeaf Melo 300
5 – SMOK TFV12 Cloud Beast King
SMOANT BATTLESTAR 200W TC BOX MOD GRADE: A
John Manzione
Smoant Battlestar Features:
- 200W Maximum Output Wattage
- Little to No Firing Delay
- 1 to 200W
- High Performance Output
- 0.5 to 8.4V
- 0.1 to 5.0Ω Atomizer Resistance Range
- Temperature Control Suite
- 304
- 316
- 317
- Temperature Coefficient of Resistivity
- Ni200 Nickel Support
- Titanium Support
- Stainless Steel Support
- TCR Functionality
- Resistance Read and Lock
- Three Setting Memory Bank
- 0.1 to 1.3Ω Atomizer Resistance Range
- 200 to 600 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Quad Magnetic Back Battery Access Door
- Uses Two hi-amp 18650 Batteries
- Gold Plated Contacts
- Three Button Control
- Adjustment Bar (sometimes referred to as a rocker switch)
- OLED Display
- Three Column Display
- Atomizer Resistance
- Output Voltage
- Battery Life Indicator
- Output Wattage
- Output Temperature
- Micro USB Charge and Update Port
- Zinc Alloy Chassis
- Stainless Steel 510 Connection
- Spring Loaded Gold Plated Connection
- Reverse Battery/Low Resistance/Low Input Voltage/Short Circuit/Overheating Protection
- Smoant Battlestar Dimensions:
- 40mm by 34mm by 83.5mm
SMOANT BATTLESTAR PACKAGE CONTENTS:
- One Smoant Battlestar 200W Box Mod
- Four Extra Magnets
- USB Charging/DATA Cable
- User Manual
