So I've vaped on bottom coil tanks pretty much always. For me other systems were undesirable because they weren't rebuildable, or in the case of RDAs the need to drip seemed like it would be too big of an inconvenience to me.
But after a while I decided I'd give an RDA a shot, found a relatively cheap one to play around with to figure out what I wanted/liked, and took the plunge. Oddly enough, I ran into problems, but not what I expected.
First off, equipment:
Smoktech winder ego batteries. 4.8 vv/12w vw ( I know, not a mech or electric mod. Never needed one. Like I said this was to experiment and play around. )
EHPro Helios RDA. ( There are so many RDAs that even after watching a fair number of reviews I couldn't tell you what makes a good or bad one. I went with one that had basic features I thought I'd like to play with. Adjustable airflow, able to hold two coils, made of stainless steel, and not too insanely big for an ego battery. )
Organic cotton wick.
28 and 30 gauge kanthal.
First coil build I tried was a 30 gauge dual micro coil wrapped around a 5/64s drill bit that came in at 1.5-1.6 ohms. Roughly 11 wraps each. I found that for some reason no matter how tight I made the airflow, I couldn't get a good hit off of them. They simply weren't getting hot enough. When dry burning them they heated evenly from the inside out, and in synch. I figured there must simply be too much wire for the ego battery to push through, removed a coil, now a single 3.0 ohm micro coil, and vapor production goes through the roof. More vapor than I ever got off a tank... but then the flavor was gone. I'm not talking diminished, I mean gone.
So first I tried different flavors, menthol flavors, ice flavors, heat flavors (like cinnamon red hots), still nothing. Tried upping the % of flavoring in the juice, nothing. Even tried an old batch of black licorice mixed at 30% flavoring, that was strong enough to make your mouth hurt after two hits, and nothing.
So then I figured the resistance was too high in the single coil. I built a 1.5 ohm coil out of 28 gauge kanthal. Hits better, more vapor, found a better position for the air control ring... still no flavor.
At this point, I'm at a loss. There is no reason I can really think of that explains the complete and total loss of flavor. I can't even taste the normal VG/Nicotine taste anymore, those are gone too. I've come to a few ideas, but none of them really sit well with me.
1. The RDA requires two coils, hence the two air holes on either side. This is why I got flavor with two coils, but never with one. Problem is this doesn't make sense. Flavor decreasing would make some sense, but not disappearing entirely.
2. Because two air holes must always be open with this RDA, the air coming in from the side opposite of the coil isn't hitting a coil, isn't being made into vapor, and therefor dilutes the flavor into nothingness. This also doesn't make sense because the amount of vapor I am getting should ensure some flavor gets through. I've even tried covering the air hole not touching a coil with my finger so air only passes through the the hole facing the coil, and drawing slowly to make sure the coil builds up heat. Nothing.
3. An ego battery cannot get the coils hot enough to produce flavor. This seems to fall flat on its face due to how much vapor I'm getting compared to my old tanks. I considered building a dual coil build lower than 1.5 ohms, maybe 1.0 ohms exactly, but I cannot find the amperage rating for any ego batteries, much less mine. I simply don't know what is safe with them and don't feel like testing it. I've done the ohms law calculations and a 1 ohm build at 4.8 volts should come in at 4.8 amps. I've thought surely even an ego battery can handle that. However I don't like the idea of the ego battery exploding in my mouth, so I won't be trying it.
Anyways this is what I've been through and what has been perplexing me. I have no clue how to fix this, and would love some advice. I'm posting it here because it seems like the best place concerning an RDA, and I ruled it out as a juice problem considering flavor is still wonderful on my bottom coil tanks using the same juice.
Any help given is greatly appreciated, and sorry for the wall of text.
But after a while I decided I'd give an RDA a shot, found a relatively cheap one to play around with to figure out what I wanted/liked, and took the plunge. Oddly enough, I ran into problems, but not what I expected.
First off, equipment:
Smoktech winder ego batteries. 4.8 vv/12w vw ( I know, not a mech or electric mod. Never needed one. Like I said this was to experiment and play around. )
EHPro Helios RDA. ( There are so many RDAs that even after watching a fair number of reviews I couldn't tell you what makes a good or bad one. I went with one that had basic features I thought I'd like to play with. Adjustable airflow, able to hold two coils, made of stainless steel, and not too insanely big for an ego battery. )
Organic cotton wick.
28 and 30 gauge kanthal.
First coil build I tried was a 30 gauge dual micro coil wrapped around a 5/64s drill bit that came in at 1.5-1.6 ohms. Roughly 11 wraps each. I found that for some reason no matter how tight I made the airflow, I couldn't get a good hit off of them. They simply weren't getting hot enough. When dry burning them they heated evenly from the inside out, and in synch. I figured there must simply be too much wire for the ego battery to push through, removed a coil, now a single 3.0 ohm micro coil, and vapor production goes through the roof. More vapor than I ever got off a tank... but then the flavor was gone. I'm not talking diminished, I mean gone.
So first I tried different flavors, menthol flavors, ice flavors, heat flavors (like cinnamon red hots), still nothing. Tried upping the % of flavoring in the juice, nothing. Even tried an old batch of black licorice mixed at 30% flavoring, that was strong enough to make your mouth hurt after two hits, and nothing.
So then I figured the resistance was too high in the single coil. I built a 1.5 ohm coil out of 28 gauge kanthal. Hits better, more vapor, found a better position for the air control ring... still no flavor.
At this point, I'm at a loss. There is no reason I can really think of that explains the complete and total loss of flavor. I can't even taste the normal VG/Nicotine taste anymore, those are gone too. I've come to a few ideas, but none of them really sit well with me.
1. The RDA requires two coils, hence the two air holes on either side. This is why I got flavor with two coils, but never with one. Problem is this doesn't make sense. Flavor decreasing would make some sense, but not disappearing entirely.
2. Because two air holes must always be open with this RDA, the air coming in from the side opposite of the coil isn't hitting a coil, isn't being made into vapor, and therefor dilutes the flavor into nothingness. This also doesn't make sense because the amount of vapor I am getting should ensure some flavor gets through. I've even tried covering the air hole not touching a coil with my finger so air only passes through the the hole facing the coil, and drawing slowly to make sure the coil builds up heat. Nothing.
3. An ego battery cannot get the coils hot enough to produce flavor. This seems to fall flat on its face due to how much vapor I'm getting compared to my old tanks. I considered building a dual coil build lower than 1.5 ohms, maybe 1.0 ohms exactly, but I cannot find the amperage rating for any ego batteries, much less mine. I simply don't know what is safe with them and don't feel like testing it. I've done the ohms law calculations and a 1 ohm build at 4.8 volts should come in at 4.8 amps. I've thought surely even an ego battery can handle that. However I don't like the idea of the ego battery exploding in my mouth, so I won't be trying it.
Anyways this is what I've been through and what has been perplexing me. I have no clue how to fix this, and would love some advice. I'm posting it here because it seems like the best place concerning an RDA, and I ruled it out as a juice problem considering flavor is still wonderful on my bottom coil tanks using the same juice.
Any help given is greatly appreciated, and sorry for the wall of text.
