Hi
@n0tu2 ,
Thanks for taking the time to ask these questions. Let me see if I can explain myself better.
I may be wrong, but if one was to have BOTH switch type options in the same unit, using it with cap-as-switch activation would give the hottest heat profile and raising the vapcap tip .5-1.0mm +/- above the cap-as-switch activation contacts and using the push button to activate the heat would be a "cooler" heating profile (not taking into consideration PWM - always on mode). I see this as a minor plus rather then a loss?
Cap-as-switch offers very repeatable, very convenient heater operation. Where it is limited a bit is in its maximum upper range: the cap-as-switch's hottest zone is defined by the fixed placement of the contacts and their position relative to the position of the bottom loop of the coil. You can't go deeper to into the coil to add more time (and heat) before the click. This isn't a big deal for some people and this behavior is probably a feature to many, but just like some us love very spicy food -
- some of us also love skating on the edge between maximum extraction and combustion.
The push button allows for a wider range of possible heating experiences. Yes, you can set it up as you describe, so that it mirrors the performance of the cap-as-switch operation.
What I like about the push button, however, is that I can set it up for an even hotter result - which is my own personal preference - and the beauty of the variable activation point is I don't have to run it that hot if I don't want to. I can lift the DV up a few millimeters for a quicker click on the first heating cycle, then bury it for a longer interval on the second. I especially like doing this with my SS tips, as they take and hold the heat better. The same aggressive heating technique with a ti tip leads to combustion. Forgive the metaphor, but for me, the push button operation is more like playing a fretless instrument or a horn: I have A LOT of control, and I can take advantage of a greater range of heating options than the cap-as-switch contacts afford. Not everyone wants that, or even cares about it, but some do. That's my own .02 cents.
As a person who has used both versions extensively for the past several months, I can sense a difference in the way these two versions operate:
- The cap-as-switch is very convenient, and I appreciate the sleek look and ease of use it provides.
- The push button version has the potential for more range, and I can use as much or as little of than range as I want, and I can even change my mind on the fly.
I think the version with both does have all of the advantages of the cap-as-switch version (although the push button breaks up the 'single hole' look), but it can't add the extra functionality that is possible with the push button version, as described above. Yes, you can set the max temp for the Cas so that it is as hot as I just described, but most won't want that 100% of the time, so it seems like a bad idea to make that the fixed position, most frequently used activation point.
That's my opinion. You certainly don't have to agree with me or value this "extra heating thing" as much as I seem to, but hopefully the above explanation of my thinking on this subject is clearer.
Does the bottom loop of the heating coil heat up the activation switch contacts as well in cap-as-switch mode?
The contacts sit below the coil. They are heated slightly by contact with the DV tip, but they sit below the coil and do not get overly hot. The contacts themselves are small, bent springs whose compression and rebound are protected by silicone bumpers. The high temp silicone prevents the DV from crushing the contacts.
Does the vapcap tip get hot enough to burn the PCB when inserted all the way down in push button only units (below the bottom coil and in the 2.0mm space/touching the board)?
There is a 19mm x 1mm high temp silicone pad that sits under the push button-only coil, with cutouts for the LEDs. This pad also has an ~8mm center cutout in it so the DV tip doesn't fully contact the silicone and make it an inadvertent heat sink while you are actively heating.
You can see it here if you look closely:
The silver pads are the pads for the contacts. Since someone will likely ask, they are 1mm below the surface of the silicone and are beyond the reach of the DV.
I think in all dual switch unit option configurations (cap-as-switch and push button) the bottom loop of the heating coil should always be configured for the most aggressive heating profile it can achieve as the default when being used in the cap-as-switch mode, so that you could always back the vapcap tip off the switch contacts and use the push button to activate the heat for a cooler profile (depending on how far you back off), no?
One size rarely fits all in the DV community, and everyone wants something different. You describe a very logical way to set this up, but the last few years of selling these heaters has shown me that everyone has a different idea of "Dynavap perfection," and it is usually different than my own. It's also typically not as hot - I like it hot, I guess.
I try to avoid default setups that are overly aggressive, as combustion just pisses people off. It still happens sometimes - I'm working with a couple of customers with this issue presently - but I try to avoid it. This is why I have added a question to the order form about default coil height and preferred heater aggression. The bottom line is that I want my users to be happy with their heaters. If they want it hot, my heaters will give them
HOT. If they want "
LESS hot, goddammit!", that's also possible. And with PWM...quite a bit more is now
also possible.
OK, that seems like a novel. Hopefully that helps explain my thinking on this. Once these are out there -
an event currently in progress! - you can get more opinions on the merits of the stuff I mentioned.