VapeCige VTBox200 V2

The VTBox200 "V2" a heavy duty box mod featuring the latest DNA 200 chip by Evolv. Check out our review to find out more.

by VapeMaster
Nov 11, 2015

Share on:

VTBox200 “V2” by VapeCige

The VTBox 200 is a 200W device that features a genuine Evolv DNA 200 chip. This chip is the most advanced one currently on the market and is intended to offer a massive amount of customization for users. The first VTBox200 had a few problems that will be detailed below but it is important to note that this new version loosely dubbed the “V2” has had all of the previous issues rectified.

VTBox200 “V2” features

1.0-200W box mod.
Features newest Evolv DNA 200 chip. (Firmware upgradeable)
Temperature control: 200-600°F.
Temperature control in Ni200/Ti.
Brass spring loaded pin.
OLED screen .91” by Evolv.
Detachable magnetic back cover.
Atty lock function in temperature control mode.
No glue inside.
Fully charged only need 3 hours when input current is 1A.
C-frame design, with ultra-light aluminium cover.
1800 mAh LiPo battery.

What’s in the box?

1x VTBox 200 box mod.
1x 1800 mAh LiPo battery.
1x Micro USB cable.
User Manual.

VTBox200 V1 problems

The first VTBox200 that Vape Cige released had some serious problems. Firstly the 510 connector had a very shallow pin which led to a noticeable gap between atomizers and the mod. Secondly there was not enough glue used on the 510 connector resulting in connections breaking away from the unit. In addition there was also a problem with swollen LiPo packs preventing the battery compartment lid from fitting properly. LiPo cells were also delivered in a dangerously discharged state rendering the mod unable to be charged and used. Finally the wiring from the LiPo pack used a male rather than a female connector. Version 1.0 is recognisable as using a black and red colour scheme

VTBox200 “V2” looks and build quality

It’s a real shame the initial release was so flawed and that people ended up buying it because Version 2.0 has corrected all of the above problems. Sporting a new white and black paint job the VTBox200 is one hefty piece of kit. It has a considerable weight to it much like the Snow Wolf but in comparison the VTBox200 is slightly heavier and bulkier.

The finish is really nice and the coating is very much like car body paint. It is logo heavy, sporting a large “VTBox200” tag on both side panels. In addition on the rear of the device is the manufacturer’s name “Vape Cige”. I think the device would look more aesthetically pleasing if the logos weren’t there but their presence doesn’t especially bother me.

The top of the device features a brass 510 spring loaded pin and all of my atomizers fitted without issues and sat flush with the device. Part of the 510 connector has a circular depression and this is designed to catch any juice that may leak from your atomizer and prevent it from running into your 510 pin. It’s a useful feature to have because the last thing you want is your expensive mod ruined by a particularly leaky dripper.

The mod features five angular venting slits on each side panel. These vents are very large so should provide excellent cooling. The only problem they represent is that they could easily allow water to get in there so don’t go using this mod in the rain. However considering the weight of this device I really don’t think it’s something you would want to take out and about with you.

One side panel features the battery compartment lid which is held on by four magnets. The lid itself is held on well enough but there is some slight wobble to it that is noticeable at times. The compartment includes the pre-fitted LiPo battery and it really is quite tightly fitted in there. In my opinion it seems a bit too tightly packed considering that batteries do tend to expand. Maybe it’s not a big deal since I’ve had no problems when using the device.

The VTBox200 display is excellent being both bright and sufficiently large. It features all the typical information you can expect such as resistance, voltage, wattage and temperature. In addition it also displays battery life.

Featuring a genuine Evolv DNA 200 chipset this device is fully compatible with the Escribe software should you wish to make use of it. It would be extremely long winded to describe everything you can potentially do with this software and to begin with I wasn't that interested in using it. However over time I have started to appreciate just what you can mess with and I have started to tweak things even though I swore I wouldn't. Any DNA 200 device has customization galore so if you are enjoy playing with settings then you are going to love it! With the software, you can set heating curves, set discharge rates, set different profiles for how you vape. You can even change the fonts and templates for the display. It is extremely customizable!

Evolv do have an online training simulator that you can make use of to learn everything you need to:
http://www.evolvapor.com/guide/story.html

Do keep in mind that most of this customization is aimed at people that enjoy modifying how their device works so if that holds little interest for you then you can happily skip a lot of it. After setting it up correctly and creating a few named profiles for your specific tanks and drippers you can then just use the device for hassle free vaping but you will be missing out on options that may be of value to you. The fact that you can set up to eight different profiles which retain your settings in memory is brilliant! Feel free to go and set up one for your dripper with a Kanthal build that you like to vape at 35W and another for a tank that uses Ni200 coils that you enjoy vaping at 40W at a temperature of 240°C then swap between profiles with a few clicks of the buttons. While it does take a little time to set up it saves on a great deal of hassle when you want to quickly swap your atomizers around.

The device features three buttons and all of them feel solid and are thankfully rattle free. The fire button has an especially nice feel to it and it is very responsive.

Getting started with a DNA 200 device

We will be posting up a DNA 200 user guide very soon which will cover all of the various technical information. So make sure to look out for that when it goes live. In addition we will also be sharing our opinions on whether you really need a DNA 200 or not.

VTBox200 “V2” basic operating procedure

The manual isn’t what you would call extensive but it does explain the most common functions well.

Pressing the fire button five times locks/unlocks the device.
Stealth Mode: While locked hold down the fire button and the minus button for five seconds.
Holding down the plus and minus buttons for two seconds will place the device in “Power Lock” mode
Resistance Lock: The DNA 200 relies on the cold resistance of the atomizer to measure temperature accurately. If the connection is not stable or you find the measurement resistance drifts with time it may be desirable to lock the wattage. To do so first lock the device then hold down the fire button and plus button together for two seconds.
Max Temperature Adjust: Lock the device then hold the plus and minus buttons down for two seconds. Once this mode is entered the plus and minus buttons are used to change temperature before finally confirming it with the fire button.

VTBox200 “V2” performance

One thing that has to be said of the Evolv chip is that it is extremely accurate. It consistently detects the correct resistance and this makes it invaluable to anyone who wants to use temperature control where absolute accuracy is essential. I have tried this device with a large number of my tanks and drippers. In wattage mode I have got a consistently good vape and the device is highly responsive. I do honestly feel that I get a smoother vape with this device and I attribute that to the highly advanced Evolv chip.

The really awesome thing about this device is that you just need to screw an atomizer on and you can happily vape away. There are no cumbersome menus to navigate to select the right mode before you can vape because the chip simply detects what you are using and away you go! It will still of course ask you the typical “New Coil up. Same down” message when you fit a new atomizer but it does this to provide an accurate reading. You also need to keep in mind that the device does go into standby and will ask you if you have changed the atomizer before letting you vape. It isn’t a problem because all it requires is a single click.

I used the Freemax Starre Pro on this device since it was fitted with a Ni200 coil. Upon confirming it was a new atomizer I could happily vape away. To change the maximum temperature you have to first lock the device and hold the plus and minus buttons before adjusting the temperature to suit. The device does include resistance lock which is always a great feature to have. In addition the power can also be locked.

Temperature control with this particular device is excellent and there is none of that inconsistency you might get with other mods. You will find there is no weird ramp up time either and what you set is what you get every single time. In fact it is so quick that upon pressing the fire button it will probably make you jump at just how responsive it is!

Now because this is an Evolv chip that is being used you won’t see any of that Watts is shown as Joules nonsense that every other manufacturers chip has to display (Thanks to Evolv) when you are using temperature control.

In terms of battery life if I vape at 14-18W which is typical for the majority of my tanks then I get at least two full days of heavy vaping out of the VTbox200 which is pretty much exactly the same as my dual 18650 devices. When I set up the device in eScribe it told me I would get 19.8 hours out of the battery on a full charge but how fast it drains will still be determined by the wattage you vape at and how often you use it.

I have used this device at higher wattage and I did go up to 120W with the Uwell Crown. Of course this kind of wattage results in much faster battery drain and a session of very heavy vaping reduced the battery to 50% in a short period of time. Considering the fact that you can use this device at 200W I personally do wonder what would be the point since you might get 30 minutes use at that wattage before you drain the battery. It is important to note that the VTBox200 does give you 200 Watts of actual power. This is not like the Snow Wolf which pulse fires once it reaches 151W, so caution is advised.

Personally I am not comfortable vaping at 200W but by the same token there will be loads of people out there that crank up the wattage in a Star Trek Khan inspired frenzy likely yelling “Full power. Damn you!” I am joking of course but the truth is there are plenty of vaper’s who enjoy running their atomizers at very high wattages and those users will likely get a great deal of enjoyment out of the VTBox200.

I must point out to you that charging the device takes considerable time. I charged it via the included USB cable and it took roughly 6-6.5 hours to charge. It was suggested to me by junglist that I charge the device via my phone charger. I would say it took approximately 3-3.5 hours to charge, so definitely faster.

Conclusion

Unlike the problematic V1 the VTBox200 “V2” has had all of its problems remedied. It is a solid and durable device and as stated it features the most advanced chip currently being sold on the market. The device performs exceptionally well as you would expect but the level of customization on offer means it will only appeal to certain users who are willing to tweak the settings to get the most out of it. Having said that I didn't really think I would enjoy it but it has certainly grown on me the more I have used it. The DNA 200 chip is totally awesome and while eScribe might look really boring to a casual glance, in actual practice it is both easy to use and kind of fun.

The only real disadvantages of this device are its size and weight which means this is something of a “keep at home” mod but the build quality is very good so I think it could definitely take a few knocks. One major benefit is that the device can be charged up via the USB cable which means you don’t need extra batteries or a charger.

Of course a consideration is the price which is over £100. Keep in mind that what you are really paying the most for is the actual Evolv chip which isn’t cheap. The fact that the device itself is well made and robust is really just a nice bonus!

This new and updated VTbox200 is a great device that does everything it claims so if you are after a DNA 200 this might be well worth picking up.

Thanks to Gearbest for sending this in for review - you can check it out on their site here - Original VapeCige VTBox200 200W TC VV / VW Mod.