Review: Orion v2 Induction Heater

DynaVap-Orion-v2

A Review of the DynaTec Orion v2 Induction Heater 

The Orion v2 is a portable induction heater that allows for flameless operation of a DynaVap thermal extraction device. This succeeds the original Orion induction heater that had huge potential but was plagues with problems relating to the battery and enclosure of the heater. 

The second iteration of the Orion is, unsurprisingly, focused on rectifying the issues present in the first version.  

So what's new with the v2?

Battery Life Decreased

The Battery capacity on the Orion v2 has actually been decreased overall, so if you were a v1 user you can expect the battery to drain a little quicker on the v2. DynaVap cite that this is in order to improve overall battery performance of the device. 

DynaVap say that you can expect 40 clicks on a full charge, although I actually managed 58 clicks when I tested it out. However I overheated the unit in the process. 

 

Thermal Protection Added 

Thermal protection has been added to the v2 in order to prevent damage from overheating by shutting off power if it gets too hot. I managed to trigger this when stress testing the device - it flashed green, blue, red and then shut down. 

I don't expect this to be a problem during normal use as it was only after about 30+ back-to-back clicks that it triggered. It's good to know that the unit has this safety protocol built-in. 

 

Heating Profile Reduced Slightly 

The heating profile has been tuned down slightly from the first model. Whilst there have been a few reports of people finding the new heating profile to be underwhelming, that has certainly not been the case for me. I have found the heating well-balanced using both titanium and stainless steel vapcaps.

The Orion v2 is consistently producing free-flowing vapor and there haven't been any accidental combusts, despite pushing the limits several seconds after the click. Admittedly the first click is more light on vapour (and packed with terpene-filled flavours) but this is no different from using a torch or other induction heater. 

Despite reducing the heat profile the Orion v2 is still a more agressive heater than the Apollo 2

Other Updates 

The Orion no longer has pass-through charging capability but does have an updated closure, improved power button and the thermal protection I mentioned earlier.

 All in all it's no surprise that this release is focused on trying to improve the reliability and consistency of the Orion.

Should you buy the Orion v2? 

The Orion v2 is an expensive accessory, there's no doubt about it. However, it is a powerful induction heater packed into a very small and portable device. To some it may feel that these updates are underwhelming or that the battery life and power shouldn't be going backwards. However I feel these are necessary changes if it gives increased longevity to the Orion v2 

Time will tell if the v2 fixes all of the shortcomings from the first version, but either way I still have faith in DynaVap to look after their customers and the Orion has quickly become my go to DynaVap heater - both at home and on the go.