No idea what "bucking capability" is but I do know that each thing they add would increase a) the cost and b) possibly the size (if they'd need bigger chips, etc.)
As it is now, the iStick can jump through more hoops than I am interested in. If the price went to $70 so it could include sub-oHm, bucking capability and whatnot, I and a lot of people who just want something small and lightweight with great battery life wouldn't buy it.
But, if this design has any legs (and I think it will), similar, more expensive, sticks that can do everything except change the wick on your tank for you, will no doubt hit the proverbial shelves soon.
Hey, Poeia. The only obvious mods on the market that have true electrical bucking capability are the OKR-T/RAPTOR types. They actually reduce the battery's voltage. The rest of the mods that are able to apparently reduce voltage below that of the battery's native charge utilize pulse-width-modulation or "PWM".
TECHIE WARNING! May be boring to some...
When bucking, excess voltage is converted into heat at the chipset. PWM is much more electrically efficient than true bucking. These PWM-type mods include Innokin's products, Provaris, VAMOS, twists/spinners, etc. PWM devices
boost the battery's voltage (usually to the maximum voltage offered by the device, but sometimes higher) and pulse that voltage several times per second (33x per sec, on up) to imitate true bucking capability. This is what the iStick does. Some devices; like the Provari, iTaste vv3 & MVP; use further circuitry to make the output smooth (non-pulsed) like true DC current. The real discussion here is what "formula" the circuitry uses for it's PWM output, voltage average (Vavg) or voltage root-mean-square (Vrms). While mathematically accurate, Vavg creates much more heat at the coil than constant DC voltage. Vrms, on the other hand, better approximates the heat creation of constant DC voltage. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, it's simply a matter of software or how the chipset was programmed.
We won't know for certain until someone like Mr. Busardo does a full test. But it APPEARS that the iStick is using the Vavg formula. This would explain why some users are experiencing a much hotter vape (sometimes to point of dry-hitting or burning), especially at lower voltages/watts. If this proves to be true, the Eleaf engineers missed the boat and chose wrongly. It was shown two years ago that Vrms is FAR superior than Vavg for our purpose. To me, this makes the iStick a complete failure from an
engineering standpoint; sad for such a, otherwise,
stellar device. It would have
cost no more time or money to utilize Vrms instead of Vavg.
Does this mean it is not
the PERFECT device for many people? Not at all.
Some will enjoy the iStick immensely and defend it to their graves. This will not negate the fact that it is still an engineering failure. So close but yet so far. Buyer beware... The good news? Eleaf could choose to utilize Vrms for future runs, at little or no additional cost (to them or us), and silence the techno-snobs like myself. Anyone up for an iStick v1.5? I'll take at least two!
This is simply my opinion. I could be wrong.
~Alden
