Stove Of The Week: Optimus Nova

The Optimus Nova is a crummy slice of junk -- or is it?  The answer:  It depends.  Buy the correct version, as well as you lot powerfulness larn a actually expert bargain on a high character expedition shape stove.  Buy the incorrect one, as well as you lot powerfulness merely larn hungry.

New postal service xviii October 2011:  Running an Optimus Nova on Canister Gas
What am I blathering about?  Optimus was bought out past times Katadyn inwards 2007.  Katadyn has sought to trim back production costs.  Katadyn started cutting corners on the Nova.  Component character as well as character command suffered.  Indeed, the problems are so bad that Katadyn has been forced to number a recollect of the Nova.  Word of the recollect as well as of the character problems has gotten around.  Now, at that spot is real lilliputian need for the Nova.  It looks similar Katadyn, inwards trying to milk the Nova cash moo-cow has strangled her instead.  It's a shame.  Optimus had a real fine stove inwards the Nova, as well as instantly Katadyn has dealt the Nova what may real good live a croak blow.  Shame on you, Katadyn!

But herein lies opportunity.  The Nova instantly has a bad reputation.  H5N1 stove alongside a bad reputation can't command much of a price.  But if you lot know what to await for, you lot tin selection upwardly a pre-Katadyn Nova, which is a real fine stove indeed, peradventure for a real expert price.  How volition you lot know the difference?  I volition larn to that, but for instantly I volition review a "real" Optimus Nova, a Nova from earlier the redesign.

First, the nova comes packaged inwards this padded pouch.
Frankly, when everything is inwards the pouch, it's a chip of a tight fit.
With care, everything tin live fitted in.  However, if ane carries the see inwards the fuel bottle rather than inwards the pouch (which is the best approach anyway), so the pouch is to a greater extent than than adequate.

The see on a Nova is made of real overnice enterprise aluminum.
One of the ways nosotros tin tell a expert Nova from a bad Nova is past times agency of the pump.  H5N1 expert Nova has a connexion made past times AB CEJN of Sweden.  The cherry-red embrace for the  connexion should tell CEJN on it.
If it doesn't tell CEJN on it, that's a bad sign.  Likewise the virile individual connexion on the fuel hose should tell CEJN.

If if doesn't tell CEJN, it's non a Nova you lot want.  Similarly, the woman individual connexion on the see should tell CEJN.
It is non critical that the red, plastic protector on the see live made past times CEJN, but it is definitely critical that the connexion on the see as well as the connexion on the fuel hose live made past times CEJN.  If it doesn't tell CEJN, don't purchase it.

While we're on the discipline of pumps, it's of import to Federal Reserve annotation that the see rotates around the connector.  When you lot desire to run the stove, rotate the fuel bottle (and thus the see every bit well) around the connexion until you lot meet the give-and-take "ON".


When you lot desire to closed the stove down, flip the bottle over such that the give-and-take "OFF" is visible.

When the see is rotated to the "OFF" position, the see volition depict air instead of fuel.  The air volition move on downwards the fuel hose merely every bit fuel would.  Running air downwards the hose, clears the hose as well as helps forestall dried fuel deposits from edifice up.  Running air downwards the hose also helps to depressurize the fuel bottle so that fuel doesn't spray everywhere when you lot opened upwardly the bottle.

Now, let's receive got a await at the stove itself.  Here it is removed from the pouch but nonetheless all folded upwardly inwards carry mode.

Unfolded, the stove looks similar this.
Now let's receive got a closer await at the valve command handle.
The valve command handgrip should tell "made inwards Sweden."  It shouldn't tell something else, including merely the give-and-take "Sweden" alone.

Very expert then, let's attach the stove to the fuel bottle as well as pump.  Note (if you lot receive got expert eyesight) that the give-and-take "ON" tin live seen on the neckband of the fuel pump.  The fuel bottle is inwards the operating position.
Now, receive got a await at that bottle.  Notice that it is an MSR bottle but that this is an Optimus stove.  This is worth noting:  Sigg, MSR, Optimus, Primus, Snow Peak, as well as Brunton fuel bottles all receive got the same thread as well as generally are interchangeable.  I tell "generally" because I receive got non been able to larn an MSR see to jibe onto a Primus bottle.  The threads are the same, but the house where the threads begin on a Primus bottle doesn't seem to function alongside an MSR pump.  So, expert news:  if you lot tin honor ane of the to a higher house brands of fuel bottles for cheap, larn for it, as well as you lot tin role it alongside stoves from that construct or whatever of the other brands.  But, lest at that spot live bad news, e'er double depository fiscal establishment check that your see fits inwards a item bottle before you lot caput out into the field.

What's that you lot say?  MSR says "use MSR bottles only?"  Well, they do, don't they?  Hmm.  Isn't interesting that when MSR starting fourth dimension started producing stoves that they didn't fifty-fifty construct their ain bottles.  What did they use?  Sigg fuel bottles (note:  fuel bottles, non drinkable bottles).  Has Sigg somehow declined inwards character since then?  Hardly.  Now inwards all fairness to MSR, at that spot were some problems inwards the past times alongside people using inexpensive imported bottles.  However, maxim "use MSR bottle only" is going a chip every bit good far.  Any quality fuel bottle from an established manufacturer should live fine so long every bit the bottle has compatible threads.

Now, let's larn to the meat of the matter:  actual use. The Nova is a winner.  It's got a real nice, powerful flame.
But at the same fourth dimension it simmers well.
Now, that's a real overnice depression flame.  The Nova (pre-Katadyn) also has an fantabulous reputation for existence able to handgrip mutual coldness conditions as well as indeed is said to live amend than the Primus Omnifuel inwards this regard.

Of course, merely every bit the proof of the pudding is inwards the eating, the proof of  a stove is inwards the cooking.  I assure you, the Optimus Nova actually cooks.

That's it for this week's stove, the Optimus Nova.  I promise you're able to tell a expert ane from a bad ane as well as that perhaps you'll honor yourself a actually expert bargain on a actually expert stove.

Thanks for joining me on some other Adventure inwards Stoving.

HJ

The Pre-Katadyn Optimus Nova
What's expert close it?
Powerful
Reliable
Stable
Efficient
Highly adjustable flame
Pump tin live rotated to purge the stove
Excellent extreme mutual coldness conditions reputation
High character CEJN connector

What's bad close it?
Expensive
H5N1 chip loud
The pouch is a chip little (minor issue)
Katadyn has instantly ruined the stove

Pre-Katadyn Optimus Nova:  Overall, highly recommended.
Katadyn Optimus Nova:  Unreliable, non recommended.

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