In this review, I will tell you about the limited version of the box mod from Lost Vape called CENTAURUS M200 “Ble Bear”.
A small holiday for fans of classic vaping among the dominance of pods, disposables and saline liquids – a review of a powerful mod for two 18650 batteries! With interesting management solutions and somewhat controversial functionality.
Packaging and equipment
The CENTAURUS M200 mod can be sold either as a kit together with the Centaurus Sub Ohm Tank, or as a separate device. In the second case, the packaging will be made of thick cardboard and also in two parts. The outer shell can be removed like the lid of a box of matches; it will contain an image of the device in the current color and many accompanying inscriptions. australian vaping On the sides there is a list of the main features, and on the reverse side the delivery kit, warnings, manufacturer’s address, certificate icons and a sticker with an authentication code.
The second, main, box is already more presentable and even with a luxury style design. It, at least in my case, has a deep and rich texture, gold embossed logo and doors that open in different directions.
Review of the CENTAURUS M200 mod from Lost Vape – delivery kit
Inside there will be a rather modest kit: the mod itself in a bag, a box with an extremely short USB Type-C charging cable, instructions in several languages, a warranty card and an insert leaflet describing the two most important functions of the mod, which for some reason were missed in main manual.
Constructive
I don’t even know what to say about the design in general – it’s a classic box with slightly rounded edges made of aluminum alloy. There are covers attached to the sides with magnets, a 510 connector on the top end, a screen and controls on one of the thin side edges, and all other sides are completely empty.
The variety of color options doesn’t let us down either; here, anyone will definitely find a device that fully satisfies their aesthetic needs:
six options with thin stripes with strict inscriptions;
four options with smooth sides and silk-screened logos;
four options with engraving and three-dimensional design;
two “limited editions” with paint splatters, produced in the amount of 8888 pieces each;
two variations from some fashionable and widely known designers in narrow circles – BLE BEAR (presented in this review) and the acidic MUKLAY.
On the packaging, Lost Vape specifically notes the presence of replaceable panels, but I haven’t seen them on sale yet. All hope lies in folk art and modders, fortunately, they are absolutely flat in shape, held on by magnets, and you can put anything here, from carbon fiber to stabilized wood or even records covered with leather.
I won’t say anything directly about the design of the lids in the BLE BEAR version. Designer KOKO SARANG from Indonesia came up with this, and who am I to judge the creator’s vision.
But let’s move on to a closer look at the mod and start from the bottom. Here we see a completely flat surface, and there are no legs or protrusions. This means that over time the coating will inevitably wear off and become scratched. At home, this can be treated by gluing a transparent film, or at least a piece of tape. Two recesses in the case are immediately noticeable, which will make it convenient to remove the side covers.
Absolutely all the controls are located on the side: at the very bottom is the charging connector, above is the power slider, the screen and the main encoder, combined with a button and indicator light.
The top edge is notable for the presence of a 510 connector. The latter is made of steel and mounted precisely in the center with precision. Moreover, it forms a flat plane with the body. The accuracy of the fit is undoubtedly a plus, but raising it slightly would allow us to get rid of the concentric scratches on the paint that atomizers inevitably leave.
Lost Vape engineers say that you can screw anything with a seat diameter of up to 26 millimeters here. This is partly true, the width of the mod is exactly 26 millimeters, but with a tank or drip diameter of more than 23 millimeters, there will already be a noticeable overhang over the slightly rounded edges of the side covers.
Interface and control
I’ll start with the most interesting technical and certainly useful innovation: a mechanical switch. Yes, it’s that simple; to turn the device on or off, you no longer need to tap the button. Just move the slider to the side and that’s it. Turning on takes about a second, of course, all settings are saved. Simple, clear, convenient, reliable.
Review of the CENTAURUS M200 mod from Lost Vape – controls
The second governing body also has innovations, but is somewhat more controversial. The Fire button, power control and battery charge indication were combined in one place.
The central part is pressed like a regular button, there are no special features here. Around the button is an insert made of matte white plastic, behind it are several LEDs that indicate in color the battery charge level with each press:
Red – 0-20%
White – 20-40%
Blue – 40-60%
Green – 60-80%
Purple – 80-100%
On the one hand, this is clearly overkill, because there is a screen. But on the other hand, it’s convenient – you don’t need to peer at the screen and you can roughly understand how much charge is left.
Then the features of controlling that same wheel begin. The fact is that when you scroll it, the power changes. And scrolling from a minimum of 5 watts to a maximum of 200 takes a decent amount of time. Fortunately, from 5 to 40 the changes are 1 Watt, from 40 to 100 – 2 Watts, and from 100 to 200 – 5 Watts.
Pressing the button three times puts the mod into lock mode. The Fire button continues to work as normal, and the wheel turns into a spinner, i.e. It spins, but there is no change in power.
If you press the button five times, the mod will switch from basic mode to DIY mode, intended for use with RDAs and RBAs. The interface color changes from blue to red, individual positions on the screen shift, but essentially nothing else happens. I didn’t notice any new features or features in this mode.
Interestingly, the puff counter is also reset. To do this, when the mod is turned off, hold down the Fire button and, without releasing it, turn on the device.
Additionally, I’ll tell you about the supported resistance. According to the instructions, the minimum value is 0.08 Ohm, but at values up to 0.1 Ohm the operation is unstable, and a short circuit message still appears on the screen periodically. With resistances above 0.1 Ohm, no such problems were noticed.
Detailed inspection
As I wrote above, the covers are held on by magnets, a pair for each. Surprisingly, complete doors, at least in my case, stay in place like a glove and have such minimal backlash that it can, in principle, be neglected.
Review of the CENTAURUS M200 mod from Lost Vape – installing batteries
The batteries are installed in the cradle with different sides: the right side is up, the left side is down. The cans rest on two spring-loaded contacts on top, and on a simple metal plate with protrusions on the bottom. For easy removal, a small ribbon with the signed name of the manufacturer – Lost Vape – is built into the case.
Review of the CENTAURUS M200 mod from Lost Vape – charging process
The mod confidently takes 2 Amps from the charger and transfers them to the batteries. Faster charging speeds can be achieved by using an external charger.
Total
Review of the CENTAURUS M200 mod from Lost Vape – size comparison
My impressions are mixed. I’m very pleased with the classic form factor, yet 21650/21700 batteries haven’t really taken off in vaping, but 18650 is a time-tested classic. Excellent steel 510 connector, 200 watts of power and well-installed side covers without gaps. Special respect and respect for the quick start system, it has never been so simple and convenient, I simply have never come across such solutions before.
The screen is normal, moderately bright, a little blind in the sun, but you can’t watch movies on it, so it’ll do. But two operating modes are clearly not a fully implemented feature. It’s not for nothing that the instructions don’t say a word about this. I think they wanted to do something more, but either they didn’t have time or it didn’t work out.
The most controversial part of the mod is the button combined with an encoder wheel. Yes, they solved the problem of randomly changing power by locking it by pressing it three times, but it’s still not very convenient. Two simple buttons “+” and “-” would be no worse, and the dimensions of the device would be a little smaller. Perhaps you will like this innovation more, but I will remain unconvinced.
Unstable operation at resistances up to 0.1 Ohm. In this case, I won’t be too indignant either; not everyone needs such an extreme, and in fact, almost no one. For extremely low windings, you need not a board, but mechanics.
