I recently found myself choosing between these two mechanical box mods. From the point of view of function, the contrast came down to switch design. Cherry Bomber uses a switch design very common in full mech boxes. If the tolerances are tight this switch can work quite well. But it has two weaknesses.
First, like switches in mech tube mods, it must carry current through the switch mechanism from a moving part to a fixed part. Some current passes through the spring itself, some where the moving pin contacts the hole it slides through. Neither are ideal ways of making electrical contact. We've all had the experience of having to wiggle a depressed tube mech button to get it to hit hard. That's why.
Second, the contact between the moving end of the switch and the 510 connector is a flat surface meeting a cylindrical surface. That makes the contact area very small. This is shy one often has to press very hard on the button to get full current.
Good tolerances and good springs can make this type of switch work very well, as many Cherry Bomber users will tell you. You can't count on that with inexpensive clones however. I have had two full mech boxes with this type of switch which I ended up replacing with wires and wired switches to get them to work well.
The main reason I ended up choosing the Dimitri was its superb switch design. No current at all passes through the switch mechanism. First weakness eliminated. And the contact point is two flat surfaces, thus passing current over a greater area. Second weakness eliminated. If it's not hitting quite right, just touch up those surfaces with some fine sandpaper.
BTW, the "full mech" designation has always seemed bogus to me. All that really matters is that the electrical current is not impeded in any way, either by the switch itself or the components connecting the switch to the battery. Massive high condutivity materials, to the point of ridiculous over engineering, and the absence of wires are the bragging points of the full mech. The contact points by contrast often remain neglected and under designed. Props go to the savvy designer of the original Dimitri for focusing on the electrical path and contact points.
I almost feel guilty for buying the clone.
First, like switches in mech tube mods, it must carry current through the switch mechanism from a moving part to a fixed part. Some current passes through the spring itself, some where the moving pin contacts the hole it slides through. Neither are ideal ways of making electrical contact. We've all had the experience of having to wiggle a depressed tube mech button to get it to hit hard. That's why.
Second, the contact between the moving end of the switch and the 510 connector is a flat surface meeting a cylindrical surface. That makes the contact area very small. This is shy one often has to press very hard on the button to get full current.
Good tolerances and good springs can make this type of switch work very well, as many Cherry Bomber users will tell you. You can't count on that with inexpensive clones however. I have had two full mech boxes with this type of switch which I ended up replacing with wires and wired switches to get them to work well.
The main reason I ended up choosing the Dimitri was its superb switch design. No current at all passes through the switch mechanism. First weakness eliminated. And the contact point is two flat surfaces, thus passing current over a greater area. Second weakness eliminated. If it's not hitting quite right, just touch up those surfaces with some fine sandpaper.
BTW, the "full mech" designation has always seemed bogus to me. All that really matters is that the electrical current is not impeded in any way, either by the switch itself or the components connecting the switch to the battery. Massive high condutivity materials, to the point of ridiculous over engineering, and the absence of wires are the bragging points of the full mech. The contact points by contrast often remain neglected and under designed. Props go to the savvy designer of the original Dimitri for focusing on the electrical path and contact points.
I almost feel guilty for buying the clone.
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