Dave, out of curiosity, how did you up the heat output? Was it a change in design? Resistor? Dog chow?
Yes, yes and maybe.
In all seriousness it was a bit of a combination. Grab a drink and hold on the answer might be a bit long...
> First off I've been slowly moving standard production UDs (vs custom ones) over to our custom stainless steel heater cartridges instead of the typical resistor. I've been gradually making this change the past 2-3 months with this month being the first that all new standard pieces (non-AirCore, non-blowout priced Dogs) have been built using them. The cartridges heat more aggressively, are also much more durable and theoretically more reliable (only time will tell) too. They also allow me to seal the base of the cores even better and without the use of RTV silicone previously employed for that purpose. The only major downside is they cost me 10x the price of the resistor assembly.
> Second I've also evolved the core design over the past few months as well. I shaved off a bit of mass which raises over all operating temp and reduces heat up time. I also reduced the metal-on-wood contact between the core and the wooden body by 60-70% which has similar effects to the reduction in mass and also provides better protection to the UDs wooden body. This has allowed me to discontinue the use of the ceramic insulation previously employed, all without a loss of performance or longevity.
> Third given the improvements above resulted in a leaner, more efficient Dog I was able to cut back the Dog Chow (power) by almost a full volt. This let me source a smaller, more reliable and efficient power supply vs the old huge bricks. The only downside here is the new power supplies cost me 2x the price as the old large bricks.
The current cartridge has different kinds of leads than before but are otherwise physically and functionally the same as when I originally announced them for use in custom Dogs a year or two back in this post:
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/underdog-vaporizer.4214/page-285#post-492823
Thanks for all the info. You are a true testament to customer service both here and on reddit. It's really refreshing. I just have a few more questions.
What enables increased performance out of the NonGs? It is possible to get a shorty gong instead of a regular one included with purchase?
Lastly, do you have a favourite wood you've worked with lately?
Thank you, we really are happy to be of service.. it's what we're here for.
The NonGs perform better because the bowl size is smaller so the heat is more concentrated so you'll get 1-2 (most users) super potent hits out of the tiny load then blow it out and repeat as needed. A modern vaporizer powered iteration of a one hitter if you will. The GonGs have a larger bowl so hold a larger load and provide for multiple hit capacity and the option for stirring between hits but have more diffused heating. The NonGs design allows for a slightly more airtight connection to the core too which is a part of their power I forgot to mention above. The GonGs have an intentional, slightly loose around the core design so as to prevent sticking and breakage but this adds to their diffused heating.
I don't think the website will allow a substitution of a Shorty GonG instead of a full length as the shorties usually cost us a couple extra bucks but mention it to Underdogette in your messages and see what she can do. She's friendly and almost never bites.
Favorite wood.. whew.. tough one. I have something like 100+ species of wood in stock so I work with different ones constantly and my favorite changes every time I pick up a pretty piece lol. They've been custom Dogs and haven't made it to the website (or here) but I've really been enjoying some high end pieces in Olive, Pistache and Spalted Alanthus. Less high end pieces I've really been digging some Bocote, Spalted Tamarind and Spalted Hackberry. You can find pictures of some of those buried in this thread, on our website
(see 'All Vapes') and maybe on our facebook/Pinterest/etc.