The 'Lon, NextGen, and other stuff

[Annie56]

Got my bags of Christmas goodies from FT and VR the other day. Ordered four 'Lons from VR--two copper and two stainless steel. I ruined one copper (why i always buy more than one) copper center tube was jammed onto the base all wonky, and after i got out the needle nose pliers--it was good and gouged and unusable--'cept for spare parts lol.
Super easy to build on. 4 winds of 32g kanthal. 50mm 200 mesh.
I learned something, on the ecf genny forums, and on the NextGen tutorial. About the 'L' wick. So i gave this a go on the 'Lons.
50mm by 18 mm (same as NG). I cut out a section from the corner--6mm by 25. I dont know if i did this right, but i rolled from the short end to the long end. So i wound up with a solid wick that extends up thru the deck where i wound the coil. The bottom that sits in the juice tank is a hollow straw. Since it is so easy to attach the leads, i attached the neg lead, spun the atty slowly clockwise, tidy up the wraps, attach the top lead. The wick HAS to be shorter than the top post. The worst thing about the 'Lon is putting the cap on. I janked up two builds putting that cap on. Tightish draw--but the flavour is magnificent. 1.8Ω.
NextGen the same build. 4 winds w 32gkan. But i attached the top lead with the brass nut. Spun the atty. Attached the bottom leg. The first time i built this, i tried the mesh that came with the atty. With 30g kan. I made a stove...
I used 18mm (has to be precise). Rolled enough 200 mesh to fit nice but loose in the wick hole. Just a rectangle--not an 'L'.Used the little steel? rod enclosed w the kit to roll the mesh. Think i used ~40mm. Mesh has to meet the brass nut. This build pulsed out nice from the getgo--and has been the bee's knees for four days!!. When i clean my tank--i am going to replace the glass section w the steel ring. My rainbow sat22 came too. Ill do those in the spring. And my Dome clones. Excitement!! Gonna do a dual coil-dual u wick on that one--that build is on my bucket list!!

Happy Holidays!!

 

[Annie56]

Well after screwing up the 'Lon clone builds about a half-a-dozen times--by either putting the atty on a mod or trying to get the top cap on--i gave up on them. Sooo easy to build on--but you gotta have a surgeon's steady hands--or prior experience working in a nuclear power plant to actually operate and vape the damn things. The Sat22s turned out really nice!! 5 winds of 32 kanthal on those. Great flavour!!

Tried my dual u-wick Dome clone build. Left the wick insulators in the holes. Shouldn't have done that. Had a build ohming out to 0.6 or 0.7. 4 winds of 30kanthal Started to pulse it out and everything was hunky-dorey....then my mod got hot and i could see a spark at the deck. My center post insulator melted. So did my wick insulators. IF i ever try a dual again on the Dome--i may see if a DID insulator will work as a center post insulator. But i dont care so much at this point...im just happy i didnt get hurt.
Fired up the DID. I went thru my mesh supply--and found one last piece of the COARSE 200 mesh that i like--but can no longer find. 50mm by 30mm. Cut out a rectangle, and rolled from the cut-out side to the intact side--giving me a solid portion to wrap the coil, and leaving a straw in the juice. Very simple 4 wrap with 28kanthal. Attached the wire to the deck, and spun the atty slowly, and locked the top lead with the jam nuts (thinking of changing my ecf handle to 'JamNut')
Guessing ~1.0Ω--just organised all my supplies and don't feel like digging out my multimeter. I'm reallly liking the SamBuca Almond Delight in this build on the DID. 80%vg. It is a clear eliquid--like the Pina Colada. And it isn't a coil trasher. I woulda prolly loaded up the DID with Ry4--but i wasted all my juice on my failed attempts at vaping the 'Lons. A pic of my lovely build on the Dome before it all went to hell-in-a-handbasket.

 

[cooper99]

The NextGen's are my current favorites, I own 3 and have two more on the way. All are from FT. Leak-proof, relatively small and have decent juice capacity. Compared to the other gennies in my collection these are the easiest to build and get going. Minimal fiddling required to get a nice even glow on the coils. My preferred non TC build is twisted 32 gauge kanthal, 4 wraps on well-torched 400 mesh. Comes out at around 1-1.2 Ω's. Really dense, moist, tasty vapor. I'm also running one with Ti on a TC mod and enjoying that as well. I've also used Ni200 ribbon wire and that works for me also.

I usually clean them every two weeks or so by running the coil and mesh part under hot water and brushing with an old toothbrush. Kinda depends on the juices I'm using as to how often the cleaning is needed. No more cotton, rayon and changing coils for me. I've run some for a month without any maintenance required.

And did I mention the price on these? A little more than a pack of smokes. I know they're clones but trying to get hold of an authentic is not for me. I also see that VapeWare has come out with another genny, the Nextiny and I'm intrigued by this one too. Looks like another winner, just hoping FT will carry them as well.

Each vaper has their own preferences when it comes to what satisfies them and for me the NextGen more than meets my requirements and keeps me very happy. Seriously, what's not to like? And season greetings to you too!

 

[yourgurnard]

I like those FT Nextgens too. They don't get on well with my gunky diy NET juices, but are great for out & about/driving, filled with Hangsen tobaccos.

 

[Annie56]

I like the Nextgen. I did a basic four wrap 32kan on it, starting from the brass nut down to the neg screw. I realised that with the NG--i have to change how i vape. I never realised that i was a MTL vaper until the NG. My fav juice is a Ry4--and it just trashes the bejeezus out of all my builds. And I know it isn't just my ?questionable builds. I picked up a couple of Piculisis that were marked way down. These things were pre-coiled--prolly at the factory in Romania--where they are made by a watchmaker. With 34kan (they are really tiny). These coils fired up perfectly right out of the box, and i have been taking them out on ego batteries. The one loaded up with Ry4 gets gunked up pretty good. I just pluck off the DSE 901 tank, rinse it off in the sink, dry burn it and brush off the gunk and it's good as new. The Pics really motivated me to get back to using 32 when i am able to--on thinner wicks (think the Chid or Aga T). Because the flavor of the Ry4 is so nice in the Pic. If the build is good, this Ry4 tastes really complex and nice--almost floral--with a carameley finish. My Dids are coiled with 28g, and this gauge seems to heat them up fine, and not too much!!

 

[Snugglepooter]

So I am gathering that a #26 coil would act as too much of a heat sink?

 

[yourgurnard]

I'm using 26 or 28G on mine.......
(It's My NETs that have blackened the centre pin/nut beyond refurb!!!)

...Actually, 'Product Request' time at FT...replacement centre pin/510 assemblies!!!
I could have spare pins wicked/coiled & lined up for rotation!

 

[Annie56]

(Thats a cool offer from FT!!May have to look into that Yourgurnard!!)
I have tried so many different kanthal wires and 28gNichrome80(ran too hottt!!)
I am by no means an expert. But the things that i have learned are:
If i have a clear juice--i can build with more variety and mix it up alittle--ribbon wire, different gauges, dual coils etc. The builds will give different flavours to the clear juices, but they won't cook them.

Ribbon kanthal is pretty nice to wrap. But i still haven't figured out how to attach the top lead without having a 'bump' or 'kink' where the coil meets the wick.

If i have a big wick hole, like the standard DID or Aga TD or Dome (w/o wick insulators)--a 28g or lower can turn out really nice. If the wick hole is small, like the Aga T, or Chid, or Sat22, i think maybe 30 or 32 would avoid dry hits and shorts and cooking the juice--esp the rich syrupey ones. The NG i stuck w 32 because 30 seemed to run way too hot. And because the wick and coil are wrapped on the center post pin. When i put juice in that little tray at the base, the build went dry. I knew then that i would have to wrap it w 32. At least with my skill sets lol.

The wick size rule is broken on the Kracken. I'm not sure--correct me if im wrong--but i think that even tho a dual coil setup ohms out lower--the coils dont get as hot. Heat is spread out--reducing the chance for dry hits.

I run everything on mech mods. The Tesla Sub Ohm box--i believe--is two 18650 with an ego switch. It pushes out more power than my Poldiacs 18650. Its awesome--because after i pulse out and fix up the builds on the Astro clone, i put the atty on a fully charged Tesla. Pulse out and prod the coil a bit more. Results have been life-changing!!

Would love to try a VV or Provari--but i deal with error messages all day at work lol!!

I believe that for a mech mod setup--26 would be too heavy handed for the Sat22. But i know nothing about TC or VV/VW or anything. So that build mite work with your mods, Snugglepooter!!

 

[Snugglepooter]

I'm running my Sat on either a Coolfire IV or an old IPV mini (40W). I did a quick wash and rebuild last night with 4/5 wrap #28 (about 1Ω), and a #500 'wick-in-wick' semi-hollow at 15W. I'm liking it better so far, no need to tilt and no nasty burn/gunk flavor (yet).

My ADV is a super sweet NET that was gunking my first genny attempts beyond usability after 5mls or so. We'll see how this new build turns out. I'd like to get a day or two out of a build before my vape tastes like the floor in a gas station bathroom.

SO I ask myself why I have set down my rayon-wicked ErlK Clone (best vape I've ever had) and started mucking about with Gennies. It's all about the technical exercise, I guess.

 

[yourgurnard]

(Thats a cool offer from FT!!May have to look into that Yourgurnard!!)

Hope You have n't gone mad looking on FT for 'em Annie:- They don't sell them...hence Me thinking about using their 'Product Request' feature....I want some!

 

[yourgurnard]

My ADV is a super sweet NET that was gunking my first genny attempts beyond usability after 5mls or so.

This is interesting; I ONLY vape diy NETs (& some Hangsen..) which was what started Me using mesh!..I'd be happy with 5ml. tho'!!!

 

[Annie56]

question? is there any way to plug up the extra hole on the Sat? And be able to have the cap sit flush on the atty?Mine floods.

 

[Annie56]

I cant shop online for anything at the moment...just as well. My debit card got stolen somehow...then used in Canada. OT..but check your bank transactions. Every day!!I'm gonna get my affairs and pswd squared away w Paypal before i buy anymore items.

Only experience i have had w bottom coil atties was with Evods and Protanks. Screwed around w them alot. Learned that i hate silica. Cotton is better. But mesh gennies are my favs. Plus theyre fun.

Bummed about my Sat and Lon clone. Both are so easy to set up. But that Sat is unvapeable with the flooding. And the Lon top cap is really fiddly.

Temp control looks intriguing. Someday when i get done researching it--i may give it a go. If i pull the trigger on anything else--it will prolly be some sort of VV/VW mod. But rite now i have plenty of bright shinys to play with!!

 

[TKS]

Got two NextGens here with how pleased I was with the first, but I sure do miss the infinitely easier maintenance with a normal genny, to truly clean this (if your not cleaning them after every tank or using unflavored juice) you have to uncoil it and clean the wick under water. That's prolly the only downside.

I've seen the Nextiny but the capacity would be too low for me (far too spoiled with the NextGens. But with a tighter barrel for a more reduced chamber, and that conical base so juice or condensation fall back down into the hole, it really is making me want to pull the trigger on them or at least trade a nextgen for one. I wish they made that base for the NextGen ugh.

 

[Vaslovik]

So I am gathering that a #26 coil would act as too much of a heat sink?

I use nothing but 26 kanthal, in a 6/5 wrap at .7 ohm over 400 mesh, and no problems with it at all.

 

[Annie56]

I think Snugglepooter is referring to his Sat. They have pretty small wick holes. If he tried to put a 0.7Ω coil in there, he would have to tilt like mad.
The Sat build deck is really small, and you have to fit the oval-shaped chamber reducer in the cap-over your build. There's not alot of room to play before you run the risk of shorting out the coil onto the top cap

 

[Annie56]

Got two NextGens here with how pleased I was with the first, but I sure do miss the infinitely easier maintenance with a normal genny, to truly clean this (if your not cleaning them after every tank or using unflavored juice) you have to uncoil it and clean the wick under water. That's prolly the only downside.

I've seen the Nextiny but the capacity would be too low for me (far too spoiled with the NextGens. But with a tighter barrel for a more reduced chamber, and that conical base so juice or condensation fall back down into the hole, it really is making me want to pull the trigger on them or at least trade a nextgen for one. I wish they made that base for the NextGen ugh.

I've been using my NGs with the steel tank options as my to-go rigs (snow belt...). I really like them on my Tesla Sub mods. My coils are prolly 1-1.5Ω. 4/3 30g kan. They last me for about three days before the vape tastes 'off'. So--yeah--i gotta dump the tanks. But i just do a rinse of everything--dry burn the coil, prime with juice and im good to go.

Something i noticed when making new wicks for them. I would roll a 'L' wick 18mm tall that fit really loose in the hole. Make the coil, pulse it and make it nice--wouldn't wick when i tested it with some juice in the little tray. I finally decided to try trimming off some of the WIDTH--so i'm running 40-45mm of 200 mesh instead of 50mm. Wicks amazing again!!