As cannabis legalization continues to take root in North America and throughout the world, concentrates are becoming more accessible to the masses. Once typically reserved for cannabis veterans who were seeking a more potent high, dabbing concentrates from a contemporary dab rig could come off as too hard-core for canna-curious newcomers.
To some, the traditional dabbing process may seem slightly daunting and time-consuming, but the emergence of electronic dab rigs, also known as e-rigs, have made concentrate consumption easier and less intimidating. One of the most popular devices to surface on the e-rig market is the Focus V Carta, released on Feb. 15, 2019.
Constantly compared to the Puffco Peak, which is another highly coveted electronic vaporizer, the Focus V Carta has positioned itself as a smaller and less expensive option for newcomers and experienced consumers alike who want an easier, more approachable way to dab concentrates.
What is the Focus V Carta?
The Focus V Carta is an e-rig that aims to reinvent the way that concentrates are consumed. It’s compact, portable, sleek, and allows consumers to enjoy temperature-controlled and water filtered concentrate vapors.
Designed for dabbing on the go, the Focus V Carta, shown at left, comes with a carb cap, dab tools, a USB charger, alcohol wipes, and a carrying case.
Sporting a white and dark grey body, the Focus V Carta offers a slew of tech-minded features, such as Bluetooth functionality and haptic feedback, which helps guide the user as they turn on the device or cycle through the temperature settings. The Focus V Carta is programmed with four preset temperatures:
- 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius)
- 630 degrees Fahrenheit (332 degrees Celsius)
- 770 degrees Fahrenheit (410 degrees Celsius)
- 842 degrees Fahrenheit (450 degrees Celsius)
Like the Puffco Peak, the Focus V Carta utilizes a single button to power the device and also cycle between different temperature settings settings. While the Carta is technically designed to be a hybrid vaporizer, compatible with both concentrate and flower, it seems to be better suited for dabbing. The atomizer attachment for flower must be purchased separately and costs $30.
The design of the Focus V Carta is quite simple and can be broken into three main parts. There’s the base, which holds the rechargeable 18350 batteries and features the power button and four LED lights. The glass attachment holds the water filtration system, and can easily be attached or removed from the base. Lastly, there’s the atomizer and heating chamber, which is where the dab is placed and heated up.
The atomizer and the heating chamber, one of three main parts of the Focus V Carta electronic rig, is where dabs are placed and heated.
With the Focus V Carta, users can seamlessly switch between a titanium or quartz banger, depending on their personal preference. The quartz insert is designed for flavor while the titanium chamber is better at keeping the set temperature. There’s also a carb cap that can be tethered around the atomizer, making it easy to retain heat in the chamber while the dab is vaporized. Equipped with a USB-C cable, the Carta can be fully charged in just under an hour and will last around 30 hits before it needs to be recharged.
Aside from the device itself, the following accessories and parts come packaged inside of the compact travel case:
- Borosilicate carb cap and tether
- Titanium and quartz buckets
- Wax chamber
- USB charging cable
- Two-18350 Batteries
- Silicone dab container
- Dab tool
- Alcohol wipes
How Do You Use the Focus V Carta?
Using the Focus V Carta is pretty simple, so simple that the manufacturer was able to squeeze the entire instructional guide onto a small foldable pamphlet that comes in the travel case. Here’s the gist of that step-by-step guide:
- Install the two 18350 batteries into the battery case located at the bottom of the Focus V Carta.
- Before you can use the Focus V Carta, the first step of the process is to charge the device using the USB-C charging cable. The Carta will take roughly two hours to fully charge. Once the device is ready for use, the LED lights will stop flashing.
- Fill the glass attachment with water until the water just about reaches the very top of the percolator. Be careful not to overfill the device with water.
- The next step is to load the bucket inside of the atomizer with your concentrate of choice. Take the dab tool that comes with the device and scoop out a dab. Gently placing it at the bottom of the chamber so that it’s properly vaporized. Alternatively, if you want to take the traditional dab rig approach, you can heat up the device first and then insert the dab while taking a draw from the mouthpiece.
- Turn on the device by clicking it five times and cycle through the preset temperature settings with each subsequent click.
- Once you select the temperature, sit back for about eight to 10 seconds while the atomizer heats up. The lights will flash blue while the Focus V Carta is heating up, and turn green and start vibrating when the temperature is reached, indicating that it’s time to take your dab.
- While inhaling through the mouthpiece, place the attachable carb cap over the chamber to retain heat and maximize the dab.