Nov
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It’s been almost one year since a new mech-mod project was quietly announced; a year that saw 2 major Atmizone projects go all the way from start to finish: the Bug and the Bayou. At a time when the Roller had started to prove itself as one of the most influential top-firing mod designs, Team Atmizone was already laying down the foundations of a new design paradigm:
The Uni-tube.
Faithful to the “form follows function” principle, uni-tube mods are the result of a systematic design process: All functional elements of uni-tube devices have been dictated by fundamental usability and performance requirements, with the aesthetic elements occurring almost naturally.
Usability Considerations
A device used every day is a well-being tool that must be intuitive and self-explanatory. Its division into parts should be primarily defined by usability and necessity, not by considerations related to manufacturing process costs or engineering complexity. The purpose and function of each component must be evident by intuition – if a component serves multiple functions, these functions should not be detrimental to each other. A mod must be able to follow its owner everywhere – it must be robust, lightweight and portable.
Performance Considerations
A mod’s purpose is to transfer electric power efficiently and consistently. More parts always translate into higher complexity, more electrical contacts, less efficient operation and increased maintenance requirements. Top/side-firing mod designs consist of more parts on average and, in general, demand more attention and maintenance. Uni-tube mods have fewer parts to maintain, and no parts that can be disassembled by accident. Their assembly is almost completely independent from performance – as a result, uni-tubes perform more consistently without special care, while bottlenecks can be identified intuitively.
Form
The aesthetic qualities of uni-tube mods are a natural result of the usability and performance requirements outlined previously: A uni-tube is, essentially, a single tube without any redundant, vertically arranged parts. The one ostensibly purely aesthetic element of the design – the vertical stripes carved on the front and back of the tube – serve the ergonomics of the device, since they i) provide an intuitive means of tactile orientation when handling the mod, and ii) shave off a few grams of weight. The carved form of the button is also serving the button’s own functional requirements, since it provides clear visual and tactile clues about the lock state of the switch.
The resulting form is long-lasting and gives the impression of an industrial tool, since it is devoid of any purely ornamental elements.
Outcome
A year ago, we started with what was then a 16340 mod project, but ended up with much more than that: A new design paradigm for top-firing mods. Today, as the project completes its course, the first mod to embrace the new design will be a 16340 device, after all: The Guppy, a niche device, unique in every way.
The Guppy is a high-performance, robust, mini mech-mod made to bring out the most of high-drain, low-internal-resistance 16340 batteries. Very close to 18350s in absolute performance, 16340 batteries are ideal for use with 510d-type cartomizers and traditional wick-wire rebuildable atomizers, including 510d-style rebuildables. With a usable resistance range between 1.0-2.0 Ohms, these atomizer types are ideal for use with high-drain 16340 batteries, which can vaporize about 1.0-1.5ml of juice before the vapor stats to weaken. Enough for a night out if you are a heavy vaper, and more than enough for everyone else. Small enough to fit in pockets, multiple 16340 batteries can be carried around with ease, so, unless you are a SLR vaper, the Guppy might turn out to be much more than just a cute mod for a stylish night out. Paired with the Bayou, our innovative same-diameter 510d-type tank, the Guppy makes one of the most complete, compact, identifiable kits for vaping a 510d carto or 510d-style rebuildable.
As battery chemistries improve, new 16340 cells may soon become usable with sub-ohm resistances, which means that the Guppy is not just a tiny, but also a future-proof mech mod. The Lab, an even more advanced uni-tube for 18500 batteries is also on the way, so stay tuned!
Just got the guppy a few days ago and am waiting on batteries and cartos for it but in the meantime I want to know: can the guppy support DC clearomizers? This is probably a dumb question but i like knowing absolutely everythink before i toy with things.
If you can thread it on a 510 connector (even using an adapter) and your 16340 batteries can handle its resistance, then, yes!
Thanks fir the guppy creation , excellent MOD!
Plz could you tell me which kind of atomizer can I adapt to my Guppy.
I ‘m only Vaping with the aerotank but I’m looking for another different Ato with +\- 19 mm of diameter.
I sow a lot of different with you picture but I don’t know them!
Many thank and Regards
Hi Frederic,
It is hard to recommend a particular one but there are quite a few rebuildable atomizers under 20mm that look good on the Guppy. Its a very subjective choice though. The best choice in terms of looks and weight is to get a bayou tank and pair it with a mini rebuildable. All of them provide decent flavour, vapour and hit for their size.
Would love to see an 18350 version of the Lab with available tube extensions.
We are seriously thinking about this one!
Anxiously awaiting the release of the lab! For now I will be using my rollers to hold me off until then 🙂
Will the 18500 support a Kick? I hope so! The 18500 has enough juice for it.
It will be possible to use a Kick with 18350 batteries, or with an 18500 battery + extension!
Happy vaping, looking and touching here too. Love the Guppy & Bayou!! 🙂
And a big wish for the upcoming 1800 uni-tube, PLEASE make it Kick-able with an 490 or 500!
Love my Guppy-Bayou-Diver combo!
Vapes and looks the business!
Hi Guys!
I am eagerly awaiting the Guppy to come available again. I already have a shopping cart filled waiting to check out if I can add the Guppy! 🙂
This is my first mech-mod so this is probably a stupid question but… the Guppy is unprotected and so are the advised AW IMR batts. How do you keep the battery from discharging too much? Or in other words, how do you know it has reached the point to charge it again?
Thank you Manu!
That’s pretty clear, even for a newbie. 🙂
Hey Fog,
If the battery needs charging, the vapour will be weak / non-existent. There’s no good vapour production below 3.4 volts, so it’s pretty much impossible to over-discharge a battery.
> Enough for a night out if you are a heavy vaper
… No? I sometimes vape away 3ml on a long night out 😀 Oh well, not using 1ohm+ atties anyway, can’t wait for the 18650 version of this to complement my Dingo 😀
Since the production of the 18500 uni-tube has only just started, it’s hard to make any promises. Once the 18500 uni-tube appears here, you’ll know that the release is close.
@Manu thanks. Any hint on time with the 18500 one so I can get my finances in order for it. Or just some time next year is you best guestimate?
No, the best 16340s produced at the moment are more or less similar to their 18350/14500 counterparts, so they can’t handle more than 5A.
This means that the Guppy is only OK for resistances down to 1 Ohm. Of course, batteries are constantly improving, but 20A with a 16340 won’t be happening anytime soon.
As a rough guide, if you want to go up to 10A then you should switch to 18500s. More than that and you’re stuck with 18650s.
18500s have the best performance / size ratio for loads between 4A to 10A. Up to 4A, 16340s provide very good performance at a much tinier size.
The next uni-tube in line is a 18500 one, extendable to fit 18650 batteries, so if you do sub-ohm resistances, that’s the one for you.
@cwagner you are right waiting for the 18650 version too. @Manu are there 20a batteries for 16340 now. I subohm and keep my roller in 18650 mode because I can only find batteries that size that can handle that. Are there new batteries where I can get the same performance out of small batteries?
You have a point there, but still, I find that throwing 2 16340s in the pocket and holding a Guppy is so much more convenient than lugging around a 18500/650 Dingo!