Help? Yes! | Parameters- contacts, VDrop, Locking ring

[alljokingaside]

Ugh. So, I've been going back and forth deciding between mechs. This is my first, hence all considerations are conceptual. Since I'm waiting on a refund from FT to ship/process, it'll be a few weeks I imagine before I make a decision, which does NOT help. Could use input

Right now, I've slimmed the clone list from FT to: gp paps, astro, atom, launcher v2. While other mods looks fantastic (ie Nemesis, 4nine, etc), I've excluded them from consideration for one reason or another (reasons of which I've excluded to keep this post, you know, readable).

The parameters are durability, portability, contact points material, voltage drop, and aesthetics (hence no stingray x. Some ppl love it, but it's not for me)
==

1) Contacts

While I know that copper contact points (ie the Launcher V2s contacts) are a lot better than brass, I also know it require a lot more upkeep and ***is softer, hence can deform easier. I see this playing into the longevity of the mod (and contact area, too). I don't plan on developing a collection (at least, not now) so I'd like the mod I get to last a while.

I was wondering your experience w/ copper contacts and their longevity.(And if there was a huge difference in upkeep between the two)

2) Voltage drop,

"Hard-hitting"-ness aside, it seems that a higher voltage drop (say .2 vs .6 V) would equate to less efficiency => shorter battery life, functionally-speaking. (Since power's proportial to amperage w/ volts held constant.) I could see this getting annoying, both practically and conceptually. (From what I've been reading, The Astro/Atom drops significantly when you get decrease coil resistance, relative to the Launcher V2 and probably the paps. The gp paps clone too below .5 ohms which'd lead me to believe that the spring/switch is another point of V drop [before "fixing" the spring])

Does the voltage drop (eg a difference of .4 V) between mods make a huge difference practically-speaking w/r/t batteries/performance (ie time between swapping out batteries to get the desired wattage)?

3) Recessed switch vs locking ring-

I'm planning on carrying it around and think that having a locking ring would help secure the pipe from accidental button presses (eg rubbing against a book, a key, etc). This is pretty much the only thing that's stopping me from getting the gp paps clone (and considering the Launcher V2 clone) - since the switch is apparently shallow (ie "like a touch screen") AND since the locking ring apparently gets stuck easily and soundly (and there is apparently no fix recorded on the interwebs. I'd rather not walk around with plumes of vapor and/or fire wafting from either my pockets or satchel. (This has happened once in chem class many a year ago. Not fun)

Was wondering if this is a valid concern w/r/t both the paps and the launcher v2.

Really appreciate your input. Thanks! As a plus, your input gets you a free entry in a raffle, the prize being a free can of Coke!
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Tangent: I was researching gp paps springs and came across :http://www.vapourart.com/bg/product/gp-hot-spring-set. Is the "hot button/spring" built into the design?

 

[Bad Ninja]

I have the GP, astro, and launcher v2 clones.
The launcher is the better built mod.
Copper contacts don't require any more maintenance, and copper isn't that soft.
It won't wear out. A few seconds rubbing them with a pencil eraser to clean them once a month will keep them
Like new.
The GP is very nice too. Totally different mod. One piece, brass and solid.
Both are "hard hitters" with very low v drop.

 

[alljokingaside]

Thanks. Last thing- W/r/t the Launcher/Paps clone, how...delicate (?) is the button? Like, does it require a good amount of pressure to engage? I'm kinda paranoid about having it accidentally hit when I'm carrying them around.

It might seem like a silly question, but I've had incidents, the first in Chem class in college, where things like matches, etc....combust while I was carrying them around (pocket/bag). While seeing other people's reactions to your smoking pants was great, having to put it out wasn't.

 

[Thrasher]

Heard great things about the gp clone waiting on one now. Many say its one of the best mods fastech sells.

But I do own a brass nemesis from ft for about a year now and still use it everyday and in my opinion it's been one of the best mechs I have owned clone or authentic.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Thanks. Last thing- W/r/t the Launcher/Paps clone, how...delicate (?) is the button? Like, does it require a good amount of pressure to engage? I'm kinda paranoid about having it accidentally hit when I'm carrying them around.

It might seem like a silly question, but I've had incidents, the first in Chem class in college, where things like matches, etc....combust while I was carrying them around (pocket/bag). While seeing other people's reactions to your smoking pants was great, having to put it out wasn't.

The throw is short but it takes a little pressure.
It has a lock ring.

Heard great things about the gp clone waiting on one now. Many say its one of the best mods fastech sells.

But I do own a brass nemesis from ft for about a year now and still use it everyday and in my opinion it's been one of the best mechs I have owned clone or authentic.

It's nice but not even close to the best/nicest mech sold on FastTech.

 

[Fattlestar]

The throw is short but it takes a little pressure.
It has a lock ring.






It's nice but not even close to the best/nicest mech sold on FastTech.

Could you list, in order of best to worst, the fasttech clones you have personally used or purchased?

 

[Bad Ninja]

Best is subjective. Fast tech sells several versions of each mod, from different manufacturers.
But as far a build quality, a few do stand out.
I have about 60 mods, most from FT so honestly it would take forever to make a list.
Example: the Launcher v2 is built much better than most authentic mods.


If you find a mod you like on FT, check the reviews AND the discussions on the product page.
The members at FT post a ton of useful information.
You can also find GOOD breakdown pics, of almost every item listed, in their forums.

If you have a specific mod in mind, I'll b happy to tell ya what I think.

 

[Fattlestar]

Best is subjective. Fast tech sells several versions of each mod, from different manufacturers.
But as far a build quality, a few do stand out.
I have about 60 mods, most from FT so honestly it would take forever to make a list.
Example: the Launcher v2 is built much better than most authentic mods.


If you find a mod you like on FT, check the reviews AND the discussions on the product page.
The members at FT post a ton of useful information.
You can also find GOOD breakdown pics, of almost every item listed, in their forums.

If you have a specific mod in mind, I'll b happy to tell ya what I think.

Well, best is subjective to a point - we aren't talking about e-juice here, we're talking about mods and functionality - if it were looks in question, then I'd agree fully. I'm just trying to suss out the most worthy "out of box" mechs that require little to no modification on the user end to function properly from the crop at fasttech, as I'd like to purchase multiple mods, not just one.

Still, I do think it would be a worthy cause to rank your purchases, in a blog post here at ECF perhaps. Would be excellent information, getting thoughts about multiple mods from a single user (as opposed to the muddy waters that the reviews and discussions at FT end up being).

EDIT: Even a top five would be helpful

 

[Bad Ninja]

Well, best is subjective to a point - we aren't talking about e-juice here, we're talking about mods and functionality - if it were looks in question, then I'd agree fully. I'm just trying to suss out the most worthy "out of box" mechs that require little to no modification on the user end to function properly from the crop at fasttech, as I'd like to purchase multiple mods, not just one.

Still, I do think it would be a worthy cause to rank your purchases, in a blog post here at ECF perhaps. Would be excellent information, getting thoughts about multiple mods from a single user (as opposed to the muddy waters that the reviews and discussions at FT end up being).

EDIT: Even a top five would be helpful

Here's my favorites from my collection in no particular order:
1.King II knurled ( brass or stainless)
One of the best mods I own. Never had a single problem with any king. Ever.
I have 4 knurled kings. Probably my personal favorite.
2. Silver dog hybrid
Just a fantastic, well made device.

3.nemesis (yeah I know)
All 3 versions. There's a reason they are so popular.

4. Vapelyfe LE set (copper, made by Tesla)
Phenomenal mod. Built right, solid copper, hits like a mad pimp.

5. GP brass
Very nice device. With a few mods to switch, throw almost vanishes.

6.Emma (copper)
A beautiful mod. Stunning execution. Flawless performance.

7. GUS (SS) not even close to 1:1. Still a great mod that hits hard and has one of the lightest buttons of any mod I've tried.

 

[edyle]

.............

The parameters are durability, portability, contact points material, voltage drop, and aesthetics (hence no stingray x. Some ppl love it, but it's not for me)
==

....

A couple things you should be mindfull of:

1: Threading.
If you get mods with the same threading, they if you have a problem with 1 topcap or bottom cap, you might just be able to swap the cap from another mod.
Two popular threads seems to m20x1 and m20x1.
I dislike the nemesis and stingray because they seem to use different threads in different places.

2: Top switch versus bottom switch:
There are very few mods with a top switch; I bought a poldiac from fasttech and was confident enough about it to lend it somebody just starting out;
The reason I mention topswitch has nothing to do with aesthetics, btw, it's to do with safety.
[The poldiac also doesn't have the typical 510 interface either, so you don't get the typical 510 depressed pin problem; it's more like a 'hybrid' top but instead of the topper contacting the battery, it contact's onto a centerpin from the switch]

3: Telescopic (for bottom switched mechs)
If you buy a bottom switched mech (most mechs are bottom switched), one problem you get is that there is no spring pushing up on the battery, and instead you either have to make adjustments to screws, or you live a bit of battery rattle and when you push up on the bottom switch you actually lift the battery upward to contact the top pin - which isn't so bad electrically because it means your positive is often not connected, but on the other hand you get wear and tear on the battery labelling which can lead to a tear on the battery wrapper leading to a shortout on the side.