Hi I am new to vaping and I now have a Provari with a Kanger protank. I want to get a second device and have heard the term mechanical. What exactly is a Mechanical PV and what are the benefits of having a mechanical pv? Thanks Stu
A mechanical is exactly that. No wires and no computer chip that
regulates the voltage like the one in your Provari does. ALL mechanical mods are functionally just a metal tube that holds the battery, a metal switch that completes a connection (like a light switch for example), and a threaded end for attys. This makes them extremely simple and durable. Because it is not regulated you can use any atty on it, even "SLR" (Super Low Resistance) attys, well below the 1.2 ohm thresh hold of most regulated devices.
The "downside" of a mechanical is that since it has no regulation it will send the output voltage of the battery directly to your atty (I'm taking voltage drop out of the equation for simplicity) so a fully charged battery will "hit" at around 4.2 volts and you might still be getting good vapor production out of it until it runs down to 3.6-3.8 volts. There is no way to control it other than changing batteries so most mechanical owners tend to use an atty with a specific resistance range. Others use an RBA or RDA with coils and wicks they made themselves and mechanicals and "rebuildables" compliment each other nicely.
There are additions that can be used with a "mech" like a safety fuse or a device known as the "kick" which will regulate the voltage much like your Provari does now and is adjustable by opening the tube and turning a set screw with a screwdriver. Your Provari will undoubtably work better for this purpose though already. YMMV.