lwien said:
Hi Iwien,
In an effort to understand this better, I can provide some info based on our observations which may be helpful. The three variables that seem to be the most important in this respect are 1) the vapor path length, 2) flow organization, and 3) the vapor constitution. Any one of these or a combination could be accounting for the cough.
By design, the Launch Box has a very short vapor channel -- to my knowledge it is shortest for any vaporizer on the market. A large part of that is to ensure that there is minimum vapor condensation within the device itself. This has both the effect of requiring less device cleaning and also to ensure as much additional bio-availability as possible. Our own research has shown that most of the cooling and condensation happens within the first 3 inches of the vapor path (more than 85%, with nearly all channel materials). Therefore, when using the device native, it is possible that some of the condensation of the extracted vapors (which will occur regardless) is causing the irritation. This effect can be most easily corrected by using with a stem or whip -- which brings us to the 2nd variable: the organization of the vapor flow.
With both the Stem and the Whip, at the emission side, the vapor is constrained to follow a narrow smooth bore channel usually about 1/8 of an inch diameter and at least 1.5 inches long. Given these proportions and the slower draw rates associated with the Box, there is often a condition obtained called "laminar flow" within the stem channel (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminar_flow). The result is that a fairly well organized column of vapor emits from the stem and goes directly to the back of the throat. As this is an otherwise a rather uncommon situation biologically, the arrival of a fairly tight vapor stream in such a fairly sensitive area can also likely cause irritation and coughing. This effect can be corrected by either 1) raising the tongue to block the vapor stream in front of the stem when drawing, or 2) using a water-pipe adapter (with or without water, it has the effect of significantly widening the stream, reducing its organization).
My initial suggestion would be to try using the box with the whip attachment (or stem) and the tongue raised to dis-organize the vapor stream. If that corrects the issue (no more coughing) then we have learned something. However, if that does not correct the issue, then it could very well be the last variable which is important: the vapor constitution.
Unlike nearly all other vaporizers, the temperature of the working surfaces of the Launch Box can (and do) change *very* rapidly. The temperature inside the Box is particularly sensitive to the timing and draw rate. For example, the difference between waiting three seconds and waiting four seconds from the moment the battery is applied to the moment of first draw can easily be 80F. Similarly, the difference between drawing slowly and drawing more quickly can also make a 80F temp difference in the working parts of the Box. As such, in normal operation, the Box is going to pass over a much wider range of temperatures much more quickly than nearly any other vaporizer. Depending on your personal preferences and/or application, this is either advantageous or disadvantageous.
As you may already know, various distinct volatile components will be released in vapor form at various temperatures. Since most vaporizers have a much simpler heating cycle -- warming up gradually to some fixed temperature and then also cooling slowly, they also have a simpler and more predictable vapor constituency: the more volatile components will be released first (water, then the aromatics, and then the more energetic parts) and less volatile components later (the more sedative aspects may be released, if at all, depending on the unit set-point). However, with the Box, since it passes over a much wider range of temperatures much more quickly, the vapor constituency will be *much* more evenly mixed between less volatile components and more volatile components. The span of temperatures crossed within a single use event of the Box (one draw) is going to be very much wider and therefore the mix of what ingredients are present in the overall resulting vapor are going to be much more a function of the herb used and the specific draw technique than due to the vaporizer itself.
In some respects, having a wider temperature swing is advantageous in that it allows for a fuller sense of the actual constitution of the herb to be experienced -- it is more "truthful". There is less distortion of the taste due to some components being released at a different time than other components -- for sampling/evaluating multiple strains in one session, this would be preferred, for example. However, if only one vapor type is desired -- as for much more strict medical purposes -- then the ability to separate components may be needed. While lab gear is normally required for this, specific component separation is much more likely with a conventional desktop unit than with the Box.
If your cough is due to the presence of some of the vapor components you might not otherwise be experiencing with other vaporizers, then we would expect that it would persist even when using the draw stem with the raised tongue suggested above. In that case, the answer may be change the usage technique so as to narrow the temperature swing within the Box. In this respect, I would recommend not waiting as long from the time the battery is applied to the time the draw begins (two seconds max). I would also suggest a /slightly/ faster, lips fully coupled and continuous draw technique, rather than a slower, not quite lips sealed, or pulsed draw technique ("micro-hitting"). While the latter technique will provide "thicker" results, it is also much more likely to result in coughing -- regardless of whether there is a combustion event or not. The power supply (PA unit) set to one of the lower settings can be a great help in this respect.
Please report back and let me know if any of the above suggestions is helpful to diagnosing the cough.
-- Magic-Flight
