I just received my Big Brother v.2 the morning of the 14th of March, and I must say, what a nice job Ken does.
It came in the familiar small Priority Mail box, well packed, along with the 2-place multi-charger, 4 batteries, standard 510 atomizer and drip tip that comes with the "kit".
Very small, but solid, box mod, my first. It feels good and substantial in the hand, although after several hours with it, I wish it could get bigger when I take it out of my pocket, then shrink when I put it back in my pocket. It just seems almost too small in my hand, but is just right to drop in my shirt pocket.
Externally, the box is just that, a black molded plastic box. One end has the standard sealed female 510 atomizer connection, and an adjustment thumb wheel. On the narrow side, just under the voltage adjustment thumb wheel, is the push button fire switch. The switch feels solid, if a bit stiff. On the large side that is the cover, there is a hole with a bright object embedded near the top. It looks to me like a Buckyball magnet that secures the top edge of the cover. (I do know it will turn on my Droid X to the car dock setting when I drop them in a pocket together!) The other end of the cover is secured by a plastic tab that goes into the bottom of the box. I'm not sure how well this would stand up to rough treatment, but I don't intend--*knock on wood*--to be treating it roughly. In the brief instruction sheet Ken packs along, he warns against letting juice get inside the box, as it may ruin the switch. I seem to have very little leakage thus far in my vaping career, so hopefully that will be a non-issue for me.
Internally, the "works" are packed into a tiny space at the top of the box, with the fire switch, adjustment thumbwheel, and 510 connector. There is also a slide switch inside for killing power completely, and I'm sure I'll be using it from time to time.
I went to this VV mod from my Riva and eGo-T, and I'm glad I did. Actually, at this point I wish I'd skipped the Riva and eGo-T, (the batteries at least), and started with VV from the beginning.
I do like using the -T atomizer and tank on the mod. I thought the eGo-T was a great vape. Now I realize it really is, with a VV mod dialed to the right voltage. (4.0-4.2V, that is, with my 2.2-2.3Ω standard -T atomizer and my current flavor. About 7.1-7.8W.)
Talk about warm, juicy and LOTS of vapor! I had not been getting lots of vapor before. I knew it was not a lot, as I'd seen many videos, and my vapor production was nothing like those. To tell the truth, it really didn't and doesn't bother me much, I guess I can see why some people like a lot, but I just want to know it's working, and a medium/small amount of vapor does that for me, so I don't think I'm going to worry about it. I don't feel the need to create a cloud bank every time I take a hit. Speaking of hit, the throat hit is quite pronounced comparatively, more than I really care for, to tell the truth. But I have the feeling I'll get used to it, as well as getting used to the clouds.
The only cons to this mod are the adjustment wheel and the "fire" switch, and both are fairly minor.
I find the adjustment wheel far too easy to turn, or to accidentally move. I'm undecided if I'm going to try to put a shim under the wheel to try to "stiffen" the adjustment. Probably not, but I may get adventurous after I make myself a mod. Also, the voltage adjustment is, to me, backward. When I first got it, I assumed that the adjustment was low at full counter-clockwise, and high at full clockwise. It is exactly opposite. A minor thing, but it confused the heck out of me until I grabbed a meter to find out what was going on. I thought my carefully modded atomizer was ruined, but it was just me putting about 18W to my poor juice. Gak. Talk about a nasty burned taste!
The "fire" switch is fine as far as function, but the little button cap is a hard piece of plastic, and the edges are square, and it seems to poke my finger uncomfortably. I think I can deal with it, but I'm going to see about making a much larger aluminum button that will fit over it. Much bigger, and nicely rounded. At the very least, I could round off the edges of the existing cap.
I still plan to use the eGo-T kit from time to time, but this box will definitely be my main vape. The eGo/Riva batteries just can't produce enough wattage out of the coil to get that nice warmth I'm now enjoying. Even with the LR atomizers, it's still only pushing about 6W, and now that I know better, that just isn't enough.
Right after I got it, I modded one of my eGo-T atomizers so it can screw down on the mod. This involves cutting through the outer stainless steel cone, and the brass inner sleeve of the atomizer, right at the point where the 510 connector goes into the upper part of the atomizer. Then a thin bead of epoxy to hold the two together, as they fall apart when you cut it that way. This is not a recommended mod for those who complain about having to "fiddle" with the eGo-T in the first place.
I like the shorter length, and I don't need an adapter this way. It will look a bit "unfinished" if I stick it back on an eGo or Riva battery, but such is life.
I'm definitely planning on doing some dripping into some standard 510 atomizers, as I've got a bunch, with my drip tips, but I've got pool tournaments for the next two weeks, and besides playing, I'm a referee, so between work during the day, and playing/refereeing at night, I'm not going to have much chance to play with my new toy. I'm just going to vape like a fiend during the pool tournaments.
I really hope the management of the venue for the tournaments does not have a problem with me vaping, as I don't want to stealth for the next two weeks, I want to advertise, and get lots of people asking me questions. There is a relatively large percentage of people in the pool leagues who smoke, and I'd like to spread the word.
In summary, Ken's Box Mod, Big Brother v.2 is a solid, small, substantial PV, that should be able to work with almost any atomizer or cartomizer that you care to use.
Pros:
The thumb wheel adjustment is, to me, backward. I expected it to work like most adjustment knobs, and increase as it's turned clockwise. This is not really a con, just something to be aware of.
After only the best part of a day of use, this box mod is definitely head and shoulders, torso, waist and knees above my previous PV, the eGo-T and Riva. Compared to my very first PV, an E-Health Cigarette, it's not even in the same league. With the -T atomizer, or, I'm sure, with a standard atomizer and drip tip, this mod can be most things to most people.
Being able to dial in the voltage is not to be despised.
It came in the familiar small Priority Mail box, well packed, along with the 2-place multi-charger, 4 batteries, standard 510 atomizer and drip tip that comes with the "kit".
Very small, but solid, box mod, my first. It feels good and substantial in the hand, although after several hours with it, I wish it could get bigger when I take it out of my pocket, then shrink when I put it back in my pocket. It just seems almost too small in my hand, but is just right to drop in my shirt pocket.
Externally, the box is just that, a black molded plastic box. One end has the standard sealed female 510 atomizer connection, and an adjustment thumb wheel. On the narrow side, just under the voltage adjustment thumb wheel, is the push button fire switch. The switch feels solid, if a bit stiff. On the large side that is the cover, there is a hole with a bright object embedded near the top. It looks to me like a Buckyball magnet that secures the top edge of the cover. (I do know it will turn on my Droid X to the car dock setting when I drop them in a pocket together!) The other end of the cover is secured by a plastic tab that goes into the bottom of the box. I'm not sure how well this would stand up to rough treatment, but I don't intend--*knock on wood*--to be treating it roughly. In the brief instruction sheet Ken packs along, he warns against letting juice get inside the box, as it may ruin the switch. I seem to have very little leakage thus far in my vaping career, so hopefully that will be a non-issue for me.
Internally, the "works" are packed into a tiny space at the top of the box, with the fire switch, adjustment thumbwheel, and 510 connector. There is also a slide switch inside for killing power completely, and I'm sure I'll be using it from time to time.
I went to this VV mod from my Riva and eGo-T, and I'm glad I did. Actually, at this point I wish I'd skipped the Riva and eGo-T, (the batteries at least), and started with VV from the beginning.
I do like using the -T atomizer and tank on the mod. I thought the eGo-T was a great vape. Now I realize it really is, with a VV mod dialed to the right voltage. (4.0-4.2V, that is, with my 2.2-2.3Ω standard -T atomizer and my current flavor. About 7.1-7.8W.)
Talk about warm, juicy and LOTS of vapor! I had not been getting lots of vapor before. I knew it was not a lot, as I'd seen many videos, and my vapor production was nothing like those. To tell the truth, it really didn't and doesn't bother me much, I guess I can see why some people like a lot, but I just want to know it's working, and a medium/small amount of vapor does that for me, so I don't think I'm going to worry about it. I don't feel the need to create a cloud bank every time I take a hit. Speaking of hit, the throat hit is quite pronounced comparatively, more than I really care for, to tell the truth. But I have the feeling I'll get used to it, as well as getting used to the clouds.
The only cons to this mod are the adjustment wheel and the "fire" switch, and both are fairly minor.
I find the adjustment wheel far too easy to turn, or to accidentally move. I'm undecided if I'm going to try to put a shim under the wheel to try to "stiffen" the adjustment. Probably not, but I may get adventurous after I make myself a mod. Also, the voltage adjustment is, to me, backward. When I first got it, I assumed that the adjustment was low at full counter-clockwise, and high at full clockwise. It is exactly opposite. A minor thing, but it confused the heck out of me until I grabbed a meter to find out what was going on. I thought my carefully modded atomizer was ruined, but it was just me putting about 18W to my poor juice. Gak. Talk about a nasty burned taste!
The "fire" switch is fine as far as function, but the little button cap is a hard piece of plastic, and the edges are square, and it seems to poke my finger uncomfortably. I think I can deal with it, but I'm going to see about making a much larger aluminum button that will fit over it. Much bigger, and nicely rounded. At the very least, I could round off the edges of the existing cap.
I still plan to use the eGo-T kit from time to time, but this box will definitely be my main vape. The eGo/Riva batteries just can't produce enough wattage out of the coil to get that nice warmth I'm now enjoying. Even with the LR atomizers, it's still only pushing about 6W, and now that I know better, that just isn't enough.
Right after I got it, I modded one of my eGo-T atomizers so it can screw down on the mod. This involves cutting through the outer stainless steel cone, and the brass inner sleeve of the atomizer, right at the point where the 510 connector goes into the upper part of the atomizer. Then a thin bead of epoxy to hold the two together, as they fall apart when you cut it that way. This is not a recommended mod for those who complain about having to "fiddle" with the eGo-T in the first place.
I like the shorter length, and I don't need an adapter this way. It will look a bit "unfinished" if I stick it back on an eGo or Riva battery, but such is life.I'm definitely planning on doing some dripping into some standard 510 atomizers, as I've got a bunch, with my drip tips, but I've got pool tournaments for the next two weeks, and besides playing, I'm a referee, so between work during the day, and playing/refereeing at night, I'm not going to have much chance to play with my new toy. I'm just going to vape like a fiend during the pool tournaments.
I really hope the management of the venue for the tournaments does not have a problem with me vaping, as I don't want to stealth for the next two weeks, I want to advertise, and get lots of people asking me questions. There is a relatively large percentage of people in the pool leagues who smoke, and I'd like to spread the word.
In summary, Ken's Box Mod, Big Brother v.2 is a solid, small, substantial PV, that should be able to work with almost any atomizer or cartomizer that you care to use.
Pros:
- Small.
- Solid-feeling.
- Thoughtfully and well constructed.
- Easy voltage adjustment.
- Common batteries that should last a good long time.
- Puts a "beginner" fixed voltage battery to shame.
- Small. Seems just a tad small in my hand. (I was torn about putting this in the cons. It really isn't too small.)
- Easy voltage adjustment. Too easy, that is. A stiffer adjustment wheel would be great.
- Fire button is a bit small, stiff, and poke-y. Swap the stiffness with the thumb wheel, and both of these cons go away.
The thumb wheel adjustment is, to me, backward. I expected it to work like most adjustment knobs, and increase as it's turned clockwise. This is not really a con, just something to be aware of.
After only the best part of a day of use, this box mod is definitely head and shoulders, torso, waist and knees above my previous PV, the eGo-T and Riva. Compared to my very first PV, an E-Health Cigarette, it's not even in the same league. With the -T atomizer, or, I'm sure, with a standard atomizer and drip tip, this mod can be most things to most people.
Being able to dial in the voltage is not to be despised.
