As a general note: for most, if not all digital vaporizers, the temperature listed on the display is very unlikely to be the actual temperature at, on, or within the loaded herbs. In regards to vaporization, the critical metric is the temperature at the surface of the herb. Since the specific heat of air is extremely low, measuring the temperature even a few cm away can easily result in differences as much as 50 deg C. To really know how hot the herb is getting in the microscopic spaces on and in between the ground particles generally requires either a very small thermocouple or infrared optical techniques and very careful procedure.
In regards to the Extreme, we actually purchased one of these units recently and explicitly tested to see how accurate the readout was in our Lab. The working parts of an Extreme consists of a heating unit base which has a ground glass coupling to a glass herb chamber. We know from physical inspection that whatever is used as a temperature measurement device *must* be in the base itself -- not in the herb chamber -- because there is no wire or optical path from the herb chamber back to the base. We therefore tested in two stages: 1) measuring the actual temperature immediately where the hot air stream exits the heating unit base and comparing that with value on the digital display, and 2) measuring the temperature immediately at the loaded herbs.
In regards to our methodology, we would assemble and place a K type thermocouples into the various measurement positions, turn the unit on, set it to the desired temperature and air flow rate, and then wait 15 minutes for the unit to fully and completely equalize thermally. Each time we experimented with a different temperature or fan setting, we would again wait an additional 15 minutes for equalization. It is therefore very certain that the results obtained are accurate and reflecting the real "best possible case" operating conditions in the Extreme system.
It is our observation, as a direct result of these experiments, that real temperature emitted by the Extreme heating unit is generally about 30 deg C cooler than the indicated Extreme readout, and that the temperature at the herb itself (another few cm farther away along the air path) is another 30 deg C or so cooler than that. Further, given that the ground glass parts have a relatively high thermal mass and that
most users are only likely to wait 2 to 5 minutes before using, the actual temperature at the loaded herbs is very likely to be even lower than would be expected from looking at the Extreme digital readout -- at least 50 deg C and likely as much as 100 deg C cooler. Furthermore, while the digital display and the internal heat within the unit itself are fairly responsive to requested changes in the temp setting, coming into stability within 15 or seconds, the actual rate of temperature change at the loaded herb takes MUCH longer -- at least 2 minutes later.
However, it is important to note that these systematic differences in temperature are not due to any particular failing of the Extreme system -- it is an inherently difficult problem, having to do with the bare physics of devices of this type. For example, even if the hot air path to the herb were completely insulated, the temperature loss would still be very significant -- at least 60 deg C. (We tried this also). Altering the system further so as to measure the real temperature at the herb definitely helps, yet even that is not a real solution since now the real thermal mass effects are fully evident and the overall system performance is glacially slow -- taking dozens of minutes to respond to adjustments. This pattern is evident, for example, with the Purple Days device where it is expected that it will take a *long* time for operating temperature to be reached, and once there, for the device to be left operating more or less indefinitely so as to be ready whenever it is needed.
As such, if you are expecting a realistic answer of how the operating temperature of LB compares to that of the Extreme, you need to be aware that the "indicated temp" display is of very little relevance in regards to the actual operating vaporization conditions of the device. In terms of real temperatures, the Extreme *does* implement real vaporization -- it just does so at a generally overall lower temperature than is indicated on the display -- usually at least 50 deg C cooler, and perhaps sometimes as much as 100 deg C cooler, depending on timing, ambient conditions and settings.
Really, the discriminating vaporizer purchaser needs to understand that the presence of a "digital display" is much more significant from a marketing and sales point of view than it is from a user/functional one. It is the connotation of "digital displays are more accurate/precise" that makes units sell, not the actual real functional performance or correctness -- something much harder to measure and understand. For vaporizers, as with most home appliances, "good enough" really is enough for most people -- everything else is a sales tactic.
-- Magic-Flight
