aga-t 2 / + Almost no flavor at all

[discooby]

Just got my first rba (aga-t 2/+) and did my first coil and ss wick (400, tight / solid roll). I tried the “no oxidize ss wick method) and worked out all hot spots. Problem is my juice tastes really muted. Almost no flavor at all compared to my vivi nova mini’s. I’m getting good vapor, I can really feel the nic (way more than the nova’s) but there’s not much flavor at all compared to the nova’s.

~Do solid wicks mute the flavor or does my new wick just need to break in?
~Also, the draw on it is really airy for me (stock) – maybe this has something to do with it? It seems the air hole in the top cap is pretty high up and wou ld work better if it was lower…??

Any thoughts?

(details if it’s important…)
rba: aga-t2+ on a vamo
Coil: 6 wraps a-1 kanthal 30 awg – 1.9 ohms on vamo (Petar K method)
Wick: 400 ss 45mm x 45mm (approx.) – rolled tight (no center hole) and fits loose in the wick hole. I did not oxidize the wick (because of this thread)

After I wrapped the coil I did about 3 short pulses and then 3 longer pulses. All coils lit evenly. I then installed the wick and worked out all the hotspots and did 3 long pulses (my wick oxidation I guess?). Dripped some juice on the coil / wick and pulsed several times (repeated the dripping / pulse about 3 times) – no hot spots so I filled the tank and put the cap on. I just check my ohms again and upon each check it’s changing from 2 up to 2.4… after a puff it went up to 5 then back down to 1.9…w.t f?? I'm vaping at 8 watts

EDIT: Flavor, Flavor, Flavor – where IS the Flavor??
Last night I got really frustrated and ended up taking the wick out and oxidizing it. There was maybe a slight 1.28769% improvement – obviously not much at all. I also notice the top cap gets hot quick (this could be a short or hotspot issue BUT I’d like to keep this thread about the FLAVOR issue if possible). Flavor, I want ‘some’ Flavor! But I do appreciate everyone else’s posts about the shorting / resistance issue – Cheers!

 

[tattooed]

Anytime you see ohms jumping like that you most likely have a short. Rework the coils until you get a steady reading.

Just my experience. I'm not sure why it can be working one second and then get the same result as you but it happens to me every other tank or so, push the coils around a bit and I'm back in business.


Edit- btw, my setup is exactly the same as yours, everything aside from device, I'm using a Provari. Same rba, same wire, same wraps.

 

[palmmute]

I posted the same exact thing in the huge AGA thread last night. I hope we can find a solution!

 

[alanyourmouth]

I'm getting this too with my AGA-T..

 

[CountSmackula]

RE: ohms jumping around - Make sure that your positive post nuts are cranked down tight!

And yeah, it can take anywhere from a half to full tank to break-in your wick depending on the juice (pg/vg ratio, fruit vs tobacco flavors, etc)

 

[FogHawg]

I'm an RBA noob too, w/just over a week under my belt, so take this for what it's worth. My AGA T2's have been developing hotspots after performing great for a while too. Empty the tank, dry pulse, adj coils, & I'm off again. Repeat. After a while they seem to settle in so I figured maybe it was my noob set-ups or just the nature of the beast. Now I'm not so sure. I recieved a ZAP yesterday & came w/a wick/coil installed. After tweeking out a couple hotspots & burning a couple drops of juice on the coils I filled the tank & fired it up. I haven't had to touch it since. *takes a loooong pull* Yep, still vaping like a champ. Now I don't know if the unstable coils I had before were from my noob set-ups or if it was the T2. This definitely needs further experimenting, so I'm gonna tear down the ZAP & do a set up on it to find out. It's just running real good & I hate messing w/it is all...but then, my T2's are kicking good right now. Ok, BBL.

 

[Scoop224]

I set up my T2's the exact same way I set that ZAP up and they've all been pretty much set & forget so I think it's probably not the device differences. If it helps, I watched JunkyRock13's video tutorial on the AGA and picked up most of my technique from him. It's on youtube, take a look, it helped me immensely!

 

[FogHawg]

I have a lot to learn so I'm thinking it's prolly something I'm (not?) doing as well. I have one of my set-ups on it now (didn't try a straw wick this time to keep it similar to my T2 set-up) & it's kickin like a mule. (I love this thing) It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts. Thanks Scoop, I'm gonna check out that video right now...

 

[FogHawg]

Great video. I had actually seen that one before but was a good refresher to watch it again. I was using the DBM at first but changed methods before really giving it a chance I guess. I can definitely see where it'd work good w/a straw wick for sure & I'm gonna try that next. I'm really having a blast w/this stuff. There's so much cool equipment & so many different ways to use it.

 

[vapdivrr]

any difference in flavor with or without fill plug? as for resistance jumping, most of the time it is a loose connection at positive post, make sure they are snizentiet.

 

[discooby]

any difference in flavor with or without fill plug? as for resistance jumping, most of the time it is a loose connection at positive post, make sure they are snizentiet.

I’ve left the fill screw in as there doesn’t seem to be any wicking issues – I’m getting good throat hits, decent vapor (about the same with my vivi nova minis) but no flavor. I did try it with the fill screw out but no change in flavor.

As far as the resistance jumping (I read one of your posts in another thread – thanks) I think it’s the center positive post being screwed down too tight and the bottom of the post not making enough contact with the Vamo. In the next week or so I’ll be ordering a large piece of mesh and then fiddle with the center post.

This leads me to now wonder if the size of mesh I used (45mm x 45mm) could be muting the flavor? Maybe if I used a 45mm x 76mm (1.5 inch x 3 inch) size and roll it really tight, maybe that might improve the flavor?

If I vape around 7 watts I get some flavor but still nowhere near the flavor from the mini’s – bummer!

Good news is I can now use up some of my ‘un-vapable / gross’ juices – it’s like vaping nic-water!

 

[CountSmackula]

I use 45mm x 70mm #500 mesh. #325 didn't cut it for me. #400 was okay. I vape mostly fruit flavors, some mints, and coffee in the morning. No tobacco flavors... so YMMV.

 

[discooby]

I tried some sweet flavors first, then moved on to a coffee and now a tobacco – same thing. There can only be two issues to this, the wick and/or the coil (or 3, the really airy draw???). I plan on getting some 500 (using 400 right now) but can’t see that affecting the flavor; just better wicking. But the size of the wick? Maybe? In a week or two I’ll have the #500 and use a 45x70mm piece (I know that’s going to be a tough roll-to-fit ).

 

[CountSmackula]

It is a tight fit. I lightly torch my mesh & before I start rolling it, I 'strip' it under a metal ruler (kinda like curling a ribbon on the edge of scissors). Then I fold the 1st mm or 2 over, so there is no frayed edge to create shorts or hot spots. I finger roll it as tight as I can, torch it lightly again and then roll it even tighter against my wooden desk. (Remember to only roll it the direction of the edge or it'll never get tight.) Once it's tight as I can manage, it drops right into the wick hole with a tiny bit of room around the edge.

Have you given the wick enough time to season? Say... a tankful?

p.s. If you think the AGA is airy, you may want to stay away from high end RBAs. The AGA is a tight draw compared to them.

 

[Trick]

I've found the AGA's air hole to be incredibly inconsistent. Some are as airy as my Z-Atty's, and some are tight as a Cobra.

 

[discooby]

Have you given the wick enough time to season? Say... a tankful?

p.s. If you think the AGA is airy, you may want to stay away from high end RBAs. The AGA is a tight draw compared to them.

Thanks for tips;
I’ve run about a tank and a half through it now – still extremely light on all the flavors I've tried. I am definitely getting the nic. Not sure what else to do except try the #500 at 45x70mm. I did vary the air flow using my thumb to get a tighter draw but that didn’t improve the flavor - I did get a massive throat hit though! I even bumped up the watts to 9.5 - that was just too hot and was starting to get a burnt flavor.

I've found the AGA's air hole to be incredibly inconsistent. Some are as airy as my Z-Atty's, and some are tight as a Cobra.

I just read that the DT might affect the draw; I’m using a plastic tip off one of my nova’s (I’m so cheap). I just ordered some #500 and I’ll look for a ss drip tip next – though I can’t imagine the dt making any difference.

I really like this aga-t+ except for the flavor - Bummer, but thanks for the feedback

 

[CountSmackula]

You could always stick some of your mesh trimmings into the drip tip to narrow the hole before spending any cash on new ones & finding out they don't do it for you.

 

[CountSmackula]

Oh, since you went the unoxidized method, did you wash / boil your mesh beforehand? Maybe there's residual manufacturing oils mucking up the taste?

 

[discooby]

Thanks CountSmackula for sticking in and trying to help me with this; I appreciate it.

You could always stick some of your mesh trimmings into the drip tip to narrow the hole before spending any cash on new ones & finding out they don't do it for you.

That got me thinking and now I’m sticking my tongue into the drip tip to plug up some of the draw… I’ll have to work on that… (just had a P Busardo moment )

Oh, since you went the unoxidized method, did you wash / boil your mesh beforehand? Maybe there's residual manufacturing oils mucking up the taste?

I soaked the mesh in some hot soapy water for an hour then boiled it for about 5 minutes, then rinsed. I soaked the aga-t2 in the same warm soapy water and rinsed really well – I boiled the cap but not the rest of the aga-t2 (I didn’t want to take off the O-rings).

Out of frustration I went and oxidized the wick but that didn’t help. I even dripped some strong grape e-juice right on the coil / wick but still no flavor.

After a lot more reading on the forum here I remembered the aga-t2 came with a small piece of 32 awg nichrome and decided to try the Petar K Method with a Hybrid Wick using the 32 as the coil. I washed everything and filled with new juice. The first thing I noticed was I could actually smell the juice (flavor) in the vapor; but flavor (taste) is still missing - it’s probably just working the rest of the water out… I hope.

With the new coil I’m at 2.6ohms and reduced the voltage to around 4 (6 watts) – 4.5V (8 watts) seemed too hot.

Maybe the 30awg a-1 kanthal was too much for the Vamo? I don’t know. I ordered 100’ of 32awg and will work on a 1.8ohm coil when it comes in; I’ll also try using a larger piece of #500 when that comes in.

If this fails then maybe it’s just the aga-t2? Or maybe I’m one of the few with “sensitive taste buds” and a Genesis style just won’t work for me? I don’t know
– but, I’ll find out; Cheers

 

[vapdivrr]

the vamo can definatly handle the 30g wire. the 30g is better in every aspect then the 32g. with all these trys, have you hand wrapped the wick or used a drill bit?