Aspire SkyStar mod intro
The SkyStar is the latest offering from veteran mod makers Aspire. They’ve been around for a long time, and the company has taken big steps lately in improving the quality of its products. The SkyStar is Aspire’s first touch-screen mod, and it features just one button. Will it live up to the Aspire name?
Price: ~$55
Colors: Slate blue, carbon fiber black, white, woodgrain effect, and blue camo
Initial impressions and features
I was immediately impressed with the looks of the SkyStar. It seems like they followed up on the Speeder, with a symmetrical design and front-facing display. But this time around, the screen is much larger, brighter and nicer than the Speeder. And it’s a touch screen.
The SkyStar features a centered 510 pin which I personally prefer, and wish more mods utilized. Though the device is 33 mm at its widest point, it tapers up to a platform that can only support 25 mm atomizers or smaller — unless you don’t mind overhang, of course.
Testing background
I test all mods using an oscilloscope for accuracy and consistency. All testing is done using fully-charged Sony VTC5a batteries (above 4.0 V per cell). This is done in a controlled testing environment, and I’m aware of the risks involved and take appropriate precautions. I don’t recommend vapingover 150 watts on a dual-battery mod. Always use authentic 20-amp CDR or higher batteries such as the Sony VTC6 or VTC5a, or the Samsung 30Q.
Max wattage
I ran tests at resistances of 0.12, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.53 ohms.
The lowest resistance of 0.12 ohms allows me to test the maximum amperage of the mod. It capped out at 39 amps, which is about standard for a good dual battery mod like this one.
That’s a maximum output of 187 watts with an 0.12 ohm coil, which is very good for a dual-battery device. At 0.12 ohms, the mod hits on the low side of the power setting, anywhere from 1-11 watts lower. It’s much more accurate under 100 watts. This is normal behavior for most dual-battery mods at this resistance.
Most dual-battery mods get their max wattage in the 0.14 to 0.20 ohm resistance range.
For my test at 0.15 ohms, the mod maxed out at 207 watts. That’s pretty close to the promised 210 watts. It’s also extremely accurate at this resistance, never being off by more than 1 watt at settings of up to 200 watts.
At 0.20 ohms, it maxed out at 213 watts, exceeding the promised 210 watts. At the 200-watt setting, it was 6 watts high, but under 200 watts it was never off by more than 2 watts. Again, an excellent performance for a dual battery mod, and much better than most.
Max voltage
Next, I did a high resistance test at 0.53 ohms to find the max voltage output of the mod.
At 210 watts, the output was 162 watts which is 9.257 volts. That mean that the mod has a boost circuit, which is a nice plus. Many mods are buck only — meaning that the mod will reduce the voltage output to hit the wattage level you want, but can’t boost the voltage when more is needed. But we’re starting to see more mods come out with a boost circuit as well, which helps performance at higher resistances. This feature makes it one of the better mods as far as volt limits go. At this resistance, the mod remained very accurate as well. Once we get past the max, it was never off by more than 3 watts, always on the low side. That makes the SkyStar one of the most accurate mods on the market.
The Aspire SkyStar also features a wattage curve mode which they label as CPS (Custom Power Settings), that allows you to adjust the wattage output in half-second intervals. I found this mode to work extremely well in its accuracy and timing. There are also pre-heat settings in power mode to adjust ramp up which last for one second.
Aspire lists the SkyStar at 210 watts and 9 volts max output (no specs listed for amperage). In my testing, the wattage and voltage output were met and exceeded by a little, making it an accurately rated device. The amperage output is 39 which is average.
The output was smooth and consistent in my testing and the mod doesn’t get hot, only warm at high wattages — which is fine. It also reads resistances very accurately. Overall, I find this to be an excellent performer that is well above average for a dual-battery mod.
Temperature control performance
Using SS316 wire with the default SS mode, I tested eight builds ranging from round spaced to exotic single-coil and dual-coil builds. Overall, I was pretty impressed with the performance for the price point of this mod. Last year, we saw a lot of good temperature control (TC) mods that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and the Aspire SkyStar is right there with them. It’s been smooth and consistent with great ramp-up times. And there is no limit on power in TC mode, aside from the mod’s max wattage. It throttles back nicely and is never “pulsey” or completely off.
I like a warm vape, and every build I’ve used has worked well in the 400-420 F range, so it feels like it hits a little on the high side. I’d personally recommend keeping it under 440 F. It has good dry hit protection. I think most vapers will find their preferred vape in the 370-440 F range, which is a little lower than it should be, but not a big deal. It does have adjustable TCR in each mode, but it works as a percentage rather than the standard values we’re used to. I didn’t find a need to use TCR, since it performed great in the standard settings. Overall, I found it to be an excellent performer in temperature control mode.
Features and other details
This is a mod I didn’t feel the need to take apart. I’ve disassembled other Aspire mods in the past such as the Speeder, and found them all to be well built. The 510 pin is great, and gave me no issues with any atomizer. They all sat flush, and even pulling and yanking at it caused no issues. Nothing in my performance testing indicated any sort of issue, and the mod itself does a great job of staying cool during testing.
Here are some further highlights (and lowights):
- The top plate can warm up a little from heat transfer of your atomizer, if you have an atomizer that runs hot
- The silver frame on the mod is a fingerprint magnet
- There is no button rattle, and the lone (firing) button is nice and clicky
- The battery door is plastic. I would have preferred metal, but it’s not a big deal, and it makes the mod lighter. It fits nicely with no wiggle or play, and is held on by two strong magnets
- The battery sled is makes it easy to get batteries in and out without damaging wraps
- The mod can fit up to a 25 mm atomizer with no overhang
- The mod features 0.50-amp charging, but I personally never recommend charging multiple battery mods internally, so I didn’t test that out. Always use an external charger
- The touch screen is very responsive and accurate. It gave me no issues
How to use the SkyStar
The mod follows the standard five clicks to turn on and off. Three clicks of the fire button will activate stealth mode. To adjust your wattage or temp, swipe up twice on the screen to enter that setting, then adjust using the on-screen plus and minus buttons. To enter the menu, swipe down twice on the screen which brings you to a sub menu for Modes, Data, System, Time, and About. Clicking the fire button at any time takes you out of the menu.
Going into Modes gives you Watt, Voltage, Bypass, Temp control, and CPS. Temp control has defaults for Ni200, Ti, and SS316 wire, plus two memory settings for TCR. In Data, you can adjust your power mode preheat, wattage curves (CPS), TCR and power setting for TC mode.
System lets you adjust the vape time limit (up to 15 seconds), screen timeout, clock timeout, language, and brightness. The Time setting lets you adjust the clock. In About, you’ll find the firmware version, and a QR code that you can scan to access the Aspire website for additional information.
Likes
- Power performance
- Good temperature control performance
- Full power allowed in TC mode
- Easy-to-use menu system
- Accurately rated
- Good build quality
- Sleek
- simple design
- Centered 510 pin is good for up to 25 mm atomizers
- Bright screen
- Watt curve (CPS) mode
- Pre-heat option
- TCR mode
- No button rattle
- Good paint job
- Small and comfortable
- Touch screen works great
Dislikes
- Plastic battery door feels a little cheap
- Overhang with atomizers over 25 mm
Verdict
With all that said, do I recommend this mod or not? My recommendation leans heavily towards yes. I’ve always been impressed with the value Aspire offers for the price, and the SkyStar follows that trend. It gives you every mode and function any vaper could want, is very accurate, does well in TC mode — and all for an affordable price. There isn’t much not to like about this mod.
Share your thoughts, comments or questions below about the SkyStar or Aspire mods in general.
Written by: Anthony Vapes
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