If you listen to vapers chatting you’ll soon realise that vaping has its own jargon – cartos, mods and Claptons are all unique words or have special, vape-specific meanings.
Some of the things vapers say turn out to be pretty sensible once you know what they mean, but others will always seem a bit weird.
Probably the weirdest of all is squonking.
“Squonking” is an unusual word. It sounds like the noise a startled goose might make. In fact it’s a very unusual, but also very popular, style of e-cigarette device.
Here we’ll cover all you need to know about squonkers, squonking and anything else squonk-related including:
- The Dripping Dilemma
- Anatomy of a Squonker
- How it Works
- Is it Worth Squonking?
THE DRIPPER DILEMMA
For many vapers you just can’t beat the experience of a dripping atomizer. They let you build elaborate coils that produce huge clouds and intense flavor.
The only problem with them is the actual dripping part. Because they don’t have a tank, they need to be topped up frequently – and while that’s not a big deal when you’re relaxing at home it can become a bit of a pain when you’re out.
Removing the cap, opening a bottle, dripping, closing the bottle, putting the cap back on… it can be fiddly, and it definitely isn’t something you want to do when you’re driving.
Squonkers are a way round this problem. The atomizer is a dripper, but with one small difference – there’s a way to feed more liquid into it without having to mess around with caps and bottles.
That means when liquid runs low you can quickly add more, without interrupting whatever you’re doing.
ANATOMY OF A SQUONKER
The principle behind a squonker is simple.
The mod and atomizer both have to be designed specifically for squonking. This is because some special features are required, which is all based on alterations to the 510 connector.
Starting with the atomizer, the 510 connector has a hollow center pin. This is connected to one or more holes in the center post, which lead out onto the deck.
Apart from that it’s a standard dripper, with all the usual features, so the vape is identical.
The mod also has a hollow 510 center pin, and when you screw the atomizer onto it the two hollow pins (plus a seal to prevent leaks) form a tube that runs from the body of the mod up into the atomizer deck.
Inside the mod this is connected to a flexible tube that runs to a soft bottle, which holds e-liquid.
The mod’s body has a hole – the “squonk hole” – big enough for you to reach in with a finger or thumb and squeeze the bottle.
HOW IT WORKS
When your wicks start to dry out and you want to refill the atomizer, all you have to do is squeeze the bottle. That forces liquid up the tube under pressure, into the atomizer deck, where it can soak the wicks.
Because the top holes are placed quite low to the deck, when you release the bottle any excess liquid is sucked back down the tube.
The result should be perfectly soaked wicks. The whole process is very quick and easy compared to a conventional dripper.
SO IS IT WORTH BECOMING A SQUONKER?
That depends.
If you’re not a fan of drippers then no, it’s definitely not worth getting a squonker; they’re definitely aimed at RDA fans.
If you do like drippers, it’s much more likely you’ll be tempted by one. Don’t rush out to get one right away though; there are a few things to keep in mind.
The choice of squonkers is much more limited than that for conventional mods, because they’re quite niche.
Having said that there are more than there used to be, and they aren’t all expensive, hand-made items either.
Squonkers are available with all the latest chipsets and features, too – you’re not restricted to mechs.
Because of the way they work there are some limits on how they can be made.
For example, the best materials for 510 center pins are brass and copper; these conduct electricity better than most other metals, which is especially important with a mech.
Unfortunately brass and copper also react badly to being in constant contact with e-liquid. If you make a squonker with brass or copper center pins they’ll start to corrode.
That can release metal salts into the liquid, which is probably something you want to avoid. Stick to squonkers that use stainless steel center pins.
If you like small devices, either for comfort or stealth, then squonkers probably aren’t for you.
As well as chips and batteries, the mod has to hold the liquid bottle; that means a squonker has to be larger than a conventional mod or have fewer batteries – in fact, most have a single battery, which isn’t ideal with some of the recent high-powered chips.
WANT TO TRY IT?
If you decide that you do want to give squonking a shot, it doesn’t have to cost you a lot. There are some excellent entry-level squonkers around, such as Kanger’s DripBox kit.
This includes a regulated mod that can crank out up to 60W, a 7ml liquid bottle and a rebuildable dripper.
If you don’t like making your own coils that’s not a problem, either; it comes with pre-built ones and you can get replacements pretty easily.
Many vapers who try squonkers end up using nothing else; they love the mix of big-tank convenience and dripper performance.
They’re also unique and interesting devices that can be a lot of fun to own. Next time you see somebody with one, ask if you can have a try – maybe you’ll like it enough to get one yourself.
Even if you don’t want to give it a go, at least you’ll know what squonking means the next time you hear it mentioned!
If you’d like more help and advice on squonking, feel free to drop us a comment below or check out some of the helpful squonking forums.
What’s your opinion on squonking? We’d love to hear your thoughts….