Hey guys, Sneaky Pete here and today I want to show you the Terp Timer from Octave. When I first received it I wasn't sure if something like this might be total overkill as I tend to use electronic rigs more than bangers. But after using it for the first time I realized it almost entirely eliminates the guesswork from concentrate usage and it’s a product that any concentrate user, regardless of their experience level, can benefit from.
The Terp Timer is a wireless thermometer that you put under your banger to measure the temperature and alert you when your banger is at your preset temperature. It's a super simple idea, but it stops you from over or under-heating your dab, meaning you’ll always dab at the temperature you desire, rather than just your best estimate.
DESIGN
Feels like a solid and high-quality product
The Terp Timer has an octagonal design that kind of tapers towards the bottom and is cut at an angle on the top. The one I received has a glossy black finish, it’s about 3.5” tall at the highest point and it’s got some heft to it, weighing in just over 300g. It feels like a really solid and high-quality product. On the front of the device is the power button and three buttons below the display for adjusting the settings. Above the display is the temperature sensor as well as the optional laser that you can use to help align the Terp Timer’s position.
On the bottom it has a built-in magnet to help it cling sturdily to a metal surface. If your banger set up doesn't allow this to be set up under it you can always stick it to something metal and get the temperature that way, or it can be a good option if you want to store it somewhere. The magnet is fully embossed, so it won't scratch surfaces you stick it to and it's a cool thing for them to include on the design.
BATTERY LIFE
Most users will get about two or three months of use from one charge
The Terp Timer is charged via micro USB and it has a 1000mAh battery, so once it’s charged, it should last at least a month, but probably more like two to three months for most users. My battery level hasn’t decreased by even a single bar since it was charged and I’ve been using it quite a bit. When it’s charging the light on the front will display a red breathing pattern, and change to blue when it’s fully charged. To help prolong the battery-life it has an auto shut off timer, so after 20 minutes of inactivity it will turn itself off, an excellent addition in my mind.
HOW TO SET UP THE TERP TIMER
Four settings to adjust
To turn the Terp Timer on you'll need to hold the power button on the front for three seconds until you see the screen illuminate and display your current settings. To turn it off just hold that same button for three seconds. There are three things you're going to want to set up and one more that you should know about, but will probably never need to adjust. To adjust any of the settings, first press the ‘set’ button to switch between the categories, then you can use either the left or the right button to alter them.
The first thing you should adjust is the audio, and this is really my only complaint about this device. Rather than one or two beeps to let you know that it's at temperature, it beeps an excessive five times and you can't adjust the volume or the amount of times that it beeps. It's a little obnoxious, especially as it beeps when you first put the Terp Timer under the banger and then again when it's ready, so I have the audio on mine turned off and it works great like that. Regardless of whether the audio is on or off the screen also changes to green when it has reached the preset temperature, this is a completely sufficient amount of notification for me.
The next thing you're going to adjust is turning the laser on or off, having it turned on is probably handy when you’re first getting a feel for the device, just make sure you don’t point it at your eye. Personally, I turned it off as I found it super easy to set up visually and the temperature will also reflect your proper positioning.
The next setting is your preset temperature, I like to set it to Fahrenheit because that’s what I'm familiar with, but if you prefer Celsius just press both the ‘plus’ and ‘minus’ buttons at the same time to switch back and forth.
The final setting, which you most likely won’t ever need to change, is an emissivity setting which you can access by holding the ‘set’ button for three seconds. You can set this between 10 and 100, but Octave strongly recommends to leave it at E095, which is the default quartz banger setting.
HOW TO USE THE TERP TIMER
Overheat and wait for it to cool to the preset temperature
When you're ready for your dab, you're going to heat up your banger like you normally would. A lot of people recommend heating it for around 45 seconds, but it really depends on your torch. You’ll want to make sure you heat it over the preset temperature so the whole banger will be thoroughly heated, otherwise there won't be enough residual heat to maintain your preset temperature throughout the entire dab. You may need to experiment a little with how far you go over the preset temperature while heating, as different bangers retain heat at varying levels of efficiency.
The Terp Timer sits about two inches under my banger, Octave recommends four inches for optimal operation, but you’d need quite a tall set-up for that, it seems to work perfectly fine at the two inches I have though. After you’ve heated your banger, place the timer underneath, and wait for the banger to cool to your preset temperature, when you hear the beep or see the screen color change you can start your hit. Just go ahead and do your dab like normal.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A helpful product that I think any concentrate user will appreciate
The Octave Terp Timer is a really well-made product that does a single job very well. I'm impressed with both the build quality and function, and I think it has a tasteful design that will look good with any vape station.
I wish it was about a half inch shorter, to give it some more space under the banger on most of my rigs, but it doesn’t seem to affect the function having it closer than recommended anyway. It would be a lot nicer if the beep sound was just a single beep or a quick double beep, if it was I would definitely leave it turned on, but the five beeps that happen twice during each session is just overkill unless you're in a loud environment.
After the first use it was immediately a game changer for me, I can't see myself doing a traditional dab without using it, it's super helpful to know what temperature your banger is actually at. It also makes me think I'll use a traditional banger more often in the future as it really does help to dial it in perfectly, you're not going to get dabs that are way too hot, which is a common problem I run into because I use smaller dabs.
Overall, I think if you like to use concentrate, or especially if you want to start using it, this would be a helpful product that I think anyone will appreciate, regardless of their experience level.
Thanks so much for reading and watching guys, I really appreciate it.
KIG KIS