Today’s review is dedicated to one of the latest devices from the famous Chinese company Smoant — the Cylon TC 218W box mod.
The Smoant company is poorly represented on the domestic market, which is rather strange, given the good devices produced by the Chinese manufacturer. At least, the experience of using the previous products left purely positive impressions not only for me. Yes, when looking at almost all the devices of this company, a persistent feeling does not leave “I’ve seen something similar somewhere”, but many Chinese developments are guilty of this. So it is with the culprit of today’s review, which, although “reminds me of something”, but not so much that I can openly scream “Plagiarism!”. Remember the mods and atomizers of the company under the general name Battlestar? The manufacturer again decided to return to the universe of “Battlestar Galactica” and presented us with a representative of the “Unit of the cybernetic life form” – Cylon.
Smoant Cylon TC 218 packaging
The device is sold in a thick white cardboard box, sealed with two seals along the edges. On the front side of the package, in addition to the name of the mod and the manufacturer’s logo, there is an interface resembling a speedometer; there is also a round sticker indicating the color of the device, in my case it is Black. buy vape nz On the back side, the delivery set, the manufacturer’s details, a sticker with an originality check on the Smoant website are listed, but the device’s characteristics are not indicated anywhere.
Smoant Cylon TC 218 package
Smoant Cylon Mod box mod
Charging and software update cable
User manual
Warranty card
The delivery set of the box mod does not please with variety, there is only the device itself and a cord for charging from a network device, and a bunch of (optional) waste paper in Chinese and English. But the instructions have colorful and clear illustrations.
Structurally, the box mod is a classic dual-battery battery pack with a centrally located connector. There are a huge number of similar devices with a similar design and the same screen location (the box reminded me most of all of the YIHI SXmini G Class 200W and Sigelei Vfeng-S 230W). But, as a rule, they “please” with the Fire button located in the middle above the screen, while the Smonat Cylon TC 218 in this regard offers a classic solution – on one of the ends. If you are right-handed, your index finger rests on it when the screen is turned towards you. The device has a matte black coating with a slight mother-of-pearl shine; after two weeks of daily use, no abrasions or scratches appeared anywhere, in general, it looks quite durable. On the side opposite the screen, there is a round, voluminous decorative insert with a white and blue pattern that shimmers in the light. The ends of the case are covered with leather inserts (not just any leather, but high quality leather – as stated on the Smoant website), hardly genuine, but looking pretty decent and, most importantly, having an asymmetrical “crocodile” texture pattern (in the original “Galaxy” script, the ancestors of the Cylons are reptiles).
The manufacturer produces only two variants of Smoant Cylon – Black, i.e. black (as in the review) and Tarnish, with brown leather inserts. There is a “kit” delivery option with a Battlestar Sub-Ohm Tank of the corresponding color, an atomizer for use with replaceable evaporators. In some stores, you can find a pre-order (the status has not changed for several months) a creepy monster in the style of Iron Man in Red + Gold coloring, existing only in renders and crooked photoshopped images.
Smoant Cylon TC 218 Specifications
Dimensions: 47mm * 32mm * 90mm
Materials: zinc alloy and leather
Weight: 194g (286.5g)
Powered by two 18650 batteries
Powered by Ant218 V2 chip
Screen: color TFT 1.35″ (3.429cm)
Output power: 1 – 218W
Operating modes: variable wattage / adjustable variable wattage schedule / temperature control (nickel, titanium, stainless steel) / TCS / adjustable temperature control schedule
Resistance support:
0.05 – 2.0 Ohm in temperature control modes
0.1 – 5.0 Ohm in variable wattage modes
Temperature adjustment: 100 – 315°C / 200 – 600°F
Two different interfaces to choose from
Firmware update
Protection against:
incorrect battery installation
overheating
low voltage
overload
short circuit
cutoff 10s
Colors: Black, Tarnish
What catches the eye is the huge number of mounting screws all over the device’s body, only on the upper part there are as many as seven pieces for a T6 screwdriver – four around and three on the connector itself. The connector platform with three radial cuts has a diameter of 26 mm, but the dimensions of the case will allow you to screw almost any monster here – up to ∅31-32 mm, the thickness of the case allows it. The positive contact is spring-loaded, the stroke is not bad, but the Battle Deck with a huge pin will not sit down completely, other atomizers are screwed without a gap and the risk of scratching the painted part of the box mod.
Impressions and conclusions
Comparison of Smoant Cylon 218W with 18650 batteriesThe Smoant Cylon box mod was in active use for more than two weeks, the device was mercilessly exploited and left only positive impressions. There are only two complaints about the Cylon: a slightly dangling Fire button and resistance support (in variwatts) only from 0.1 Ohm. The manufacturer presented a new product with an updated proprietary chip Ant218 V2, i.e. its recent development. Why the lower threshold bar in the new board was not lowered, I do not understand, perhaps this will be solved with a new firmware. Or maybe not. The missing ventilation holes in the case can also be attributed to the disadvantages, especially if you use the mod at high powers, which it directly calls for. Well, the considerable weight (almost 300g) and solid dimensions may not appeal to everyone, competitors have much more compact devices with no less power.
Fitting the atomizer to the Smoant Cylon 218W connectorThe device is perfectly assembled and glued (if we talk about the pads), it looks “expensive and rich” in real life. Honestly, I don’t know how genuine the “leather” on the inserts is, but during use it has not peeled off or frayed anywhere, it sits like “native”, glued very neatly, much better than it was on the Charon TC 218. I felt sorry to pick it to check, the box looks too good. Yes, it has a fairly deep texture that can get clogged with dirt and dust, but it also adds tenacity to the device and some “warmth” and softness when gripping. In general, despite the dimensions and weight, the device is very pleasant to hold in the hand, the large wide Fire with instant response adds convenience in use, and the lack of a lock for the adjustment buttons is compensated by their small size and tightness of pressing – I have never accidentally knocked anything off. The central location of the connector is purely an amateur’s matter (as is a similar look with many unnecessary decorative elements and screws throughout the case), but in this case, such a placement of the connector allows you to easily install atomizers right up to the edges of the case, i.e. up to 32 mm (31 mm before rounding).
Liked:
Excellent assembly
Appearance
Instant response (the manufacturer claims an incredible 0.015s)
Atomizers fit up to ∅32mm
Good screen
High charging current (up to 1.3A)
Disliked:
Quite large for 18650
Resistance support in variable wattage mode only from 0.1 Ohm
