* gently wipes your tears away with a kleenex(tm) * Don't go getting all weepy. I like a $10 Goon clone too. Know that I'm as real as real gets.
Well yes, the regulated squonk mods are damned expensive. I got two different CopperVape mechanical mods for each less than $40, though. I don't mind the bit of extra learning curve needed using mechanical mods, or understanding a need to be cautious & responsible in using them.
I did recently have a minor uh-oh with one, in that I inadvertently vented a battery. I took a bit to reflect on why that happened. Concluded it was due to me "gorilla grip" tightening the battery cap, learned to not do that now and am fine. Fortunate no one or no thing was hurt from the venting.
My point is mechanical mods are talked up as being horrendously scary beasts, yes they can be if allowed to be. More oft than not though, mechanical mods are fine if common sense is applied. Also, mechanical mods offer a lower end "entry fee" into squonking which defeats any real notion of elitism.
Yeah, I've got 2 tube mechs, and with a Kick, they're ok, I'm really not afraid of them... but it's so low-tech, any little thing, like too loose a connection *somewhere*, and it won't vape -- so you have to take it all apart and put it back together, and usually then it works. Usually.
So I definitely prefer my semi-vast herd of regulated mods.
Got a dozen of 'em now, if you don't count the 3 starter vv3's -- my son wants to give those a try, but I think he'll come to discover how frustrating 800mAh is... and he may want more than 11w, too; he doesn't have asthma!
If all this FDA shit hadn't hit the fan when it did, I might have fallen headfirst into the squonk rabbithole... but I decided to just double down a bit more on tech that I like which works well for me, while snagging another liter of nic, gallon of PG, and quart of VG, and a lot of flavors, some of which I still haven't tried.
If some sanity appears in the vape-politics venue, then maybe later I can investigate squonking.
Andria