Page 1 | 2
Now onto the actual testing.
Since it already had a charge right out of the box and it was set for right handed use and using it is so very, very intuitive, I filled the Vaporshark Glass BCC (basically a private labeled and somewhat modified Kanger ProTank V2 with a 1.8 ohm head installed) with a favorite 60/40 12mg Nic E-Liquid of mine, set it for 8.5 watts and hit the fire button for the first time. The result was a very bright blue light from the fire button and just what I expected, a nice warm and tasty vape with none of the “rattlesnake” hiss that you get from some VW mods. I check the resistance and it is reading at 1.8ohm, plenty of life left on the built in 1,200 mAh Li-Po battery.
And I do have to repeat myself here, this has a very nice and solid feel to it and it even has some structural elements built into the case for a better grip than some of the tube mods I have used. So I continue to vape on it until my day ends at which point, I insert the Micro USB cable into the small slot at the base of the unit opposite the controls and directly above the display, connect to a wall wart and let it charge overnight.
Next morning, I fill the tank, remove from the charger (it is indeed showing a full charge) make note of the exact time I start vaping (even before coffee) and go to my appointed task for the day. And just to be honest, I am also toting another mod with me solely as backup if needed.
The Shark fits nicely in my shirt pocket along with my cell phone which is a huge plus for me. It is easy to change the settings even while driving as the buttons are easy to feel and find. If my finger does not completely cover the fire button the bright blue light is a bit distracting.
As I go through my busy day, I keep checking the battery display along with the resistance display. Both seem to be working just fine and I never have to touch my backup mod.
When I get home, I check the resistance of the coil with multimeter. 1.8 ohms just as it should be and life left in the battery.
Day turns into evening and it is still working like a charm. I have been vaping at around 11 to -11.5 watts all day and the battery is now very low. The last sign of life leaves the battery charge indicator and no more vape is to be had for today. 11 hours and 23 minutes of warm and tasty vapor.
The next day, with a fully drained battery, I set it to charge at my desk where I can see it and mark the time when I plugged it in.
3 hours and 20 minutes later it is fully charged and ready to go.
And I repeat this process over and over again for the next 3 weeks or so. Always 10 to 12 hours of vape time depending on my mood and the settings and ALWAYS 3 hours and 20 minutes to fully charge. And you can also use it as a passthrough device as well but you will need a longer cord than the one provided (which I happened to have so I could test).
Without going into detail, I checked the safety featurs and they all perfomed flawlessly.
[Tweet “(The Vapor Shark DNA 20) has a very nice and solid feel to it -Ron”]
But having spent all of this quality time with the Shark, I did find 2 issues that should be addressed in future production runs.
Over time, the 510 connector develops a small bit of play or a wee wobble. Nothing that I think will end up failing outright but still a concern. Other than that I really like the design of the 510 connector. While it does not show up well in pictures, the connector fits in the middle of an X made of air channels so there is adequate airflow to whatever atomizer you are using.
The power button is an issue as well for me. Somehow it just is not right to have an APV constructed like this and put a brightly lit and slightly wobbly plastic fire button on the unit. While the button does indeed perform well, I would have liked to have seen a sturdy metal button in its place.
Now for some just plain NITPICKING. This part can be disregarded if you like!
I would like to see a standard “Wall Wart” and a longer charging cable included.
Sometime in the future, perhaps slightly larger model that has an access panel so the owner could swap out batteries during an all day vape meet with the atomizer set to “stun” or the full 20 watts for full effect?
In addition to the standard 120 day warranty which is many times better than one usually gets with hardware (AKA DOA only) perhaps a 1 year warranty or an option to purchase an extended warranty?
All in all, I really love this little powerhouse of a mod. Just about the best build quality I have seen, small and easy to carry and use.
The OLED display is easy to see and to read even in bright sunlight (and in my case without glasses). The built in safety features do work as promised. The integral 1,200 mAh battery will get most of us through the day just fine especially if you are near any power outlet at work, home or automobile and you use it as a passthrough. While the battery is not serviceable by the owner (and you void the warranty if you try it). Vaporshark will take your well loved device in for service and replace the battery with a new one for a meager $25. Which I consider to be quit a value as there are some similar devices out there that become an instant orphan once the batteries die.
If you have not figured it out yet, I am totally in love with the little giant that is the VaporShark DNA 20.
But what about the company that has created this for us?
When I review a product, I also like to get to know the people that are behind it and get a measure of the company as well.
When Vaporshark contacted me through my “liaison” to the company, Kinwo, it became immediately apparent to me that this is a company that will go above and beyond for their customers. They quickly respond to emails and even have their phone number posted on their website. And they will return your calls!
During one of my many emails with Kinwo regarding the creation of this product review, here is a direct quote from him.
“As for the DNA, like I’ve said before, we try not to influence reviews of our products so that it is unbiased as possible, and the integrity of our company is retained. All I can hope for is that it is positive and that the reviewer truly enjoys our product and not coached to do so. If the review is negative, we at least know what we can potentially improve on in the future. “
In conclusion, if you are wanting to purchase an extremely well made, compact and easy to use full featured DNA 20 mod from a great company that stands behind their product and will go the extra mile for their customers, look no further than the Vaporshark DNA 20 mod.
IMHO, it is well worth it!
The Vapor Shark DNA 20 has been retired in favor of the DNA 30 version which will ship around March 25, 2014 you can check that out at Vapor Shark’s website –SK Ron also tells me he might have a review of the DNA 30 in the near future to share with us as well!
