Time for discourse? IMO it's a hybrid of both.
I understand why guys think that, same as those that think radiation is a factor in Vapman. But Thermodynamics, least as I understand the rules, says that's not the way it happens.
Same as putting a temperature sensor into the load in Ascent showed it's conduction, you can do the same with Solo. Letting it idle lets heat seep into the load by conduction (the temperature in the core of the load 'recovers' between hits and
drops during the hit. Convection works the other way. The load heats up during the hit.
And, again, making vapor takes heat energy (in calories, not degrees) making the load cool as vapor evaporates (like a swamp cooler cools your house), that heat has to be replaced (calories carried into the load). To do that by convection the air coming in has to be much hotte(so it can give up energy (cooling) and still be above the magic temperature. Only in Solo and Ascent the only source of heat is at the magic temperature, the incoming air can be no hotter and once the heat starts leaving the system it has to be less. Those are the rules. Heat flows from hot to cold. To flow to something at 390F it (the air) has to be hotter......and if you want to make significant vapor, much hotter.
Consider the sources in the true convection vapes you know. The are 'glowing hot'. The sources for T1/Evolution/Cera are about 1300F (way above 400), ESV I suspect very near that. We don't have that here.
Yes, heat moves around some locally by convection (ironically using THC vapor?), but heat enters the system by conduction. Convection, like Radiation, needs a large temperature difference to make useful vapor when the time comes. The key is to 'follow the heat flow'. It (heat energy) clearly leaves as vapor. That energy can't come from incoming air that leaves they system hotter than it came in (at the magic temperature). Hitting it cools the load. More so in the center than the edge.
This is how I did the tests:
The actual temperature sensor is the bead on the fine wires above the yellow paper. The leads go up the stem to the meter. They are 'brought out' at the top by using a silicon rubber 'drip tip' as a gasket so I could hit it. A friend borrowed my rig and repeated the experiments with his Solo (and got the same results). You can position the bead in the center (like here) or against the wall. Or anywhere in between. Like with Ascent, air drawn in robs the heat from the center more (stopping production there first).
It's conduction. Both by theory and experiment I believe. 'Follow the heat flow'
@OF, if using the Solo /Air upside down (hamster mode) and only insert the stem when drawing, is that more convection?
Nope. In fact since idle convection currents flow up ('warm air rises') what little convection happens 'right side up' (where heat flows up into the load slowly) is defeated since that hot air now flows away from the load (deeper into the oven) when upside down.
I get it guys like the sound of convection over conduction (perhaps driven by the idea that convection is automatically superior) but conduction is the process in MFLB, Solo, VM and other vapes praised for their taste performance. They're designed that way, and end performance is what counts, how it happens not so much so?
Regards to all.
OF