AGA-T+, I'm irritated, what the hell? (VAMO Qs as well)

[boshans]

The coils look good to me assuming that's 32awg. The wick looks good also.

The heating wire looks kinda shiny, did you flame it before coiling? If not, hold it ever so carefully over a lighter down the length to get it to turn dull orange 2 or 3 times. It'll turn blueish grey. Kanthal tastes like poop if you don't burn it clean.

Also make sure your wick is nice and clean going in before the coil and wrap the coil with clean hands to not impart any finger gunk. I personally go straight from flame to metal dish, then from metal dish to the rba with a clean pair of hemostats and try to never touch the wick.

If you get a lot of hotspots and the coil wont pulse out very well I've found starting with a watered wick into torch worked pretty well. You'll see big orange plumes as the water burns off that I can only assume is a decent layer of insulation forming. Take dry wick, make wet, torch.

One last tip if you do like using Stainless, wire rope is pretty much easymode as far as wicks go. Get 316 Stainless 7x7 3/32nd from wherever you can find it (Not Galvanized). Cut to 1.5", Torch, Quench, Torch, let air cool. Make a small diaper out of 1cmx2cm or so stainless mesh, wrap a tip to make a stainless q-tip basically. Get it wet, torch it and air cool one more time. Coil goes onto mesh.

Yea I totally did that torching and wetting method this time when I made my wick, and it looks, and I guess works(didn't put juice in yet but not nearly as bad hot spots and everything lights up), a lot better. Did that three times then I put unflavored VG on it and lit it on fire 3 times again...Definitely wasn't oxidizing the mesh nearly enough the time I did it before this, my last mesh was still blue, not black like I am assuming it is supposed to be. Kept getting hot spots and atomizer short warnings on my evic with the blue one.

I dunno who that post was directed to lol but I did torch my wire also, it is a bluish tint like you said but the camera I guess can't pick that up...it is 32awg also...I think the ohms read to like 1.8 or 2.0 or something like that.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

I'm having a horse.... of a time getting the hotspot from the top of the wick to the positive post to go away. Threw the wick away and went for another shot with a much thicker and better fitting wick. This is proving to be an annoyance, but I'm determined to get this.

One last tip if you do like using Stainless, wire rope is pretty much easymode as far as wicks go. Get 316 Stainless 7x7 3/32nd from wherever you can find it (Not Galvanized). Cut to 1.5", Torch, Quench, Torch, let air cool. Make a small diaper out of 1cmx2cm or so stainless mesh, wrap a tip to make a stainless q-tip basically. Get it wet, torch it and air cool one more time. Coil goes onto mesh.

Not sure what this means. Read it 6 times.

 

[entropy1049]

Two big things for me on the road to success were:

1) A dry wick and tank (I mean no juice here...) is MUCH easier to troubleshoot than a Filled tank. That path leads to madness.

2) If you can pulse the coil to the point that it doesn't part, it's WAY easier to adjust the coils to eliminate hot spots when they're glowing. So keep the fire button going and start poking and prodding coil turns. You'll see immediately when you've hit pay-dirt.

A great resource by eHuman is here: E-Cigarette Forum - eHuman - Blogs

 

[Satava]

If with the most recent setup you're still having hotleg issues and things like bad flavor etc, try this.

Loosen the positive nut a tiny bit, pull back on the wick gently to loosen the positive leg of the coil, then hold it in place while tightening the nut.
That top leg will glow if you have stress on it, which happens easily on the AGA due to how the top nut tightens down.

Another way you can do it is if you have 2 pairs of needle-nose. Hold the bottom nut, tighten the top, then rotate the whole thing back toward the wick to take strain off the coil, then nudge the slack out of the top leg with a safety pin pushing it up against the wick.

Also make sure your air hole is perfectly lined up with the coil.

 

[boshans]

Isnt the coil supposed to glow from the top of the wick to the positive post? at least with no juice in it? mine did, now i have it filled and its not...thats ok right? also what is removing the fill screw and keeping it out supposed to do? i had mine in, removed it because i saw that most people do...i dont know if i notice a difference to be honest...does it matter which screw you remove? i have two extra, i removed the one to the right of the post where you are suppsoed to hook up the negative wire for a silica wick, left the one to the left of that in.

also my ohms keep changing for some reason...first put it on it said 1.8 ohms, chain vaped for a bit, put it back on, and now it is reading 2.4 all the time......? does it just have to break in before it reads a stable reading? i just started vaping it really.

im also thinking of putting a second wick of cotton in another hole with another coil. so basically two wicks, one mesh one cotton, and two coils...think this would do anything? would it make more vapor? should i not use two dfferent wicks? like should i use two mesh wicks, and not a mesh and cotton one?

and sigh i drilled out the air hole way to big, used a 1/16th drill bit, smallest one i had, thought it would be fine since some people said they liked it lol...i guess it isn't bad, just weird, no resistance at all. harder to take longer pulls.

 

[cghildreth]

Two big things for me on the road to success were:

1) A dry wick and tank (I mean no juice here...) is MUCH easier to troubleshoot than a Filled tank. That path leads to madness.

2) If you can pulse the coil to the point that it doesn't part, it's WAY easier to adjust the coils to eliminate hot spots when they're glowing. So keep the fire button going and start poking and prodding coil turns. You'll see immediately when you've hit pay-dirt.

A great resource by eHuman is here: E-Cigarette Forum - eHuman - Blogs

+1 eHuman's blog really is quite a good guide for beginners. Stick with it - learning to build great wicks and coils is not easy, but it is totally worth it. If you can find a local vaper that will sit down with you and teach you, this is probably going to be the easiest way to learn. Vaping meet-up groups are springing up all over the place. B&M vape shops may also be a good source for folks that can teach you. Failing someone to teach you in person, watch videos, read blogs, look VERY closely at pictures of good coils, and be prepared to spend several hours popping coils, fiddling with coils, rolling and re-rolling wicks, and otherwise experimenting. More than likely, the first successful wick and coil setup that you make will not be a terribly good one, but it will work and it will be one of the better vapes you have had. As you continue to experiment, it will become much easier to make good coils quickly, and you'll eventually find that clearos, carto-tanks, and all of the other stuff out there just doesn't cut it anymore. As my woodshop teacher in highschool used to tell me: stick-to-it-iveness is key.

 

[cghildreth]

Isnt the coil supposed to glow from the top of the wick to the positive post? at least with no juice in it? mine did, now i have it filled and its not...thats ok right? also what is removing the fill screw and keeping it out supposed to do? i had mine in, removed it because i saw that most people do...i dont know if i notice a difference to be honest...does it matter which screw you remove? i have two extra, i removed the one to the right of the post where you are suppsoed to hook up the negative wire for a silica wick, left the one to the left of that in.

also my ohms keep changing for some reason...first put it on it said 1.8 ohms, chain vaped for a bit, put it back on, and now it is reading 2.4 all the time......? does it just have to break in before it reads a stable reading? i just started vaping it really.

im also thinking of putting a second wick of cotton in another hole with another coil. so basically two wicks, one mesh one cotton, and two coils...think this would do anything? would it make more vapor? should i not use two dfferent wicks? like should i use two mesh wicks, and not a mesh and cotton one?

and sigh i drilled out the air hole way to big, used a 1/16th drill bit, smallest one i had, thought it would be fine since some people said they liked it lol...i guess it isn't bad, just weird, no resistance at all. harder to take longer pulls.

Here's some pics of my setup of an AGA-T on a Vamo.



I drill all of my AGA's out to 1/16 for better vapor production. The more air you drag across the heated coil, the more vapor you will get. You'll get used to the pull.

With regard to changing ohms, there are generally two causes. The first is a short between the coil and the mesh at some point that has oxidized itself and is no longer shorting. This sounds like what you experienced. The other is when the resistance is jumping around constantly - this is usually a sign of a poor connection, often at the top post positive connection.

As far as two wicks and coils, stick to the one for now. To run two coils properly takes a lot of skill - your coils need to be the exact same length or one runs hotter than the other and the vape sucks. Also, since the Vamo has an amp limiting circuit, each of the two coils would need to be insanely high resistance to avoid triggering the amp limiter and your vape would suffer.

On my Vamo, I'm using a 6/7 wrap of 30g kanthal that ohms out at 1.7 ohms according the Vamo. I vape it at 5.2 volts and get pretty damn decent vapor production and flavor. I like my mech mods better because I can use SLR coils, but again, I would advise that you wait to experiment with SLR until you are comfortable with and skilled at wrapping coils on your AGA/Vamo combo.

YMMV.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

+1 eHuman's blog really is quite a good guide for beginners. Stick with it - learning to build great wicks and coils is not easy, but it is totally worth it. If you can find a local vaper that will sit down with you and teach you, this is probably going to be the easiest way to learn. Vaping meet-up groups are springing up all over the place. B&M vape shops may also be a good source for folks that can teach you. Failing someone to teach you in person, watch videos, read blogs, look VERY closely at pictures of good coils, and be prepared to spend several hours popping coils, fiddling with coils, rolling and re-rolling wicks, and otherwise experimenting. More than likely, the first successful wick and coil setup that you make will not be a terribly good one, but it will work and it will be one of the better vapes you have had. As you continue to experiment, it will become much easier to make good coils quickly, and you'll eventually find that clearos, carto-tanks, and all of the other stuff out there just doesn't cut it anymore. As my woodshop teacher in highschool used to tell me: stick-to-it-iveness is key.

I love posters like you. This is the probably the most motivational, positive and intelligently worded post I've read in a long time.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

Making some progress.

I picked up a 3/32 drill bit today, so I have something that fits a little bit better into my AGA, though I wish this thing was just a tad bit bigger. A step between 3/32 and 1/8 would be wonderful. I re rolled a wick as per human's guidelines, folded over the end. I'm seeing zero change in my resistance with or without the wick in my coils. Now, I'm reading at 2 ohms, and I'm assuming at 2 Ohms I have too much resistance, I have an ever so SLIGHT hot spot near the top, not from the wick to the post, but on the half way point of the first coil going down. It's is VERY slight and I'm having one hell of a time getting it out. I'd like some feedback on whether or not I should reduce the resistance with one less coil, or if I should work off of this 2 ohm coil and try to get the burnt taste to go away.

 

[Rule62]

Making some progress.

I picked up a 3/32 drill bit today, so I have something that fits a little bit better into my AGA, though I wish this thing was just a tad bit bigger. A step between 3/32 and 1/8 would be wonderful. I re rolled a wick as per human's guidelines, folded over the end. I'm seeing zero change in my resistance with or without the wick in my coils. Now, I'm reading at 2 ohms, and I'm assuming at 2 Ohms I have too much resistance, I have an ever so SLIGHT hot spot near the top, not from the wick to the post, but on the half way point of the first coil going down. It's is VERY slight and I'm having one hell of a time getting it out. I'd like some feedback on whether or not I should reduce the resistance with one less coil, or if I should work off of this 2 ohm coil and try to get the burnt taste to go away.

A 7/64 drill bit will work well in the AGA-T. It's in between 3/32 and 1/8. Your local hardware store should have one. For a Vamo, a 2 ohm coil will work well. Personally, I like my coil a little lower, but 2 ohms will be fine. As long as you have it set up, and you're close to getting the hot spots worked out, I'd stick with it.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

Removed a coil, screwed up the whole thing, next try inc!

Done for the evening. I've been at it for about 2 hours. I'll find a 7/64 tomorrow and resume work from there.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

Went back for an attack yesterday, made a decent coil, was vaping, but unfortunately no where near as good as my cheap cartomizer. Unfortunately, for me to actually understand this, I need to understand more about electricity and why the coil is heating up the way it does.

This unfortunately probably was one of the biggest wastes of $130 I've made in a long time.

 

[Chikenbok]

Went back for an attack yesterday, made a decent coil, was vaping, but unfortunately no where near as good as my cheap cartomizer. Unfortunately, for me to actually understand this, I need to understand more about electricity and why the coil is heating up the way it does.

This unfortunately probably was one of the biggest wastes of $130 I've made in a long time.

Don't give up! You really have to keep on trying - the learning curve is INCREDIBLY steep but once you get it, it will all make sense (you've got my word - whatever that might stand for). I'm really new to RBAs but have been working with small electronics for most of my life. I spent the entire first 24 hours popping coils back and forth, making crap wicks, etc. You have to really be patient. I don't coil outside of the tank, I don't do anything fancy with wrapping paper, pumping, etc. I do it like good ole Zen does it on youtube. Patience, Patience, Patience, Practice, Practice.

If you really hit that 'goodness' you won't think you've wasted a dollar. In fact, a good setup will cost you around 50 cents to rebuild the entire thing.

Edit: I have tried some testing with wrapping the coil with the wick outside of the tank but I think its much easier once installed so you can rotate the atomizer rather than coil itself (they do get kind of angry sometimes) - its much more stable and you have something large and circular to rotate rather than trying to move very small fine gauge wire.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

Don't give up! You really have to keep on trying - the learning curve is INCREDIBLY steep but once you get it, it will all make sense (you've got my word - whatever that might stand for). I'm really new to RBAs but have been working with small electronics for most of my life. I spent the entire first 24 hours popping coils back and forth, making crap wicks, etc. You have to really be patient. I don't coil outside of the tank, I don't do anything fancy with wrapping paper, pumping, etc. I do it like good ole Zen does it on youtube. Patience, Patience, Patience, Practice, Practice.

If you really hit that 'goodness' you won't think you've wasted a dollar. In fact, a good setup will cost you around 50 cents to rebuild the entire thing.

I've wrapped about 25-30 coils and rolled about 5 wicks. This final wick isn't causing any shorts and is incredibly smooth and uniform.

My problem lies solely in the coils. I'm stumped beyond belief. I'm so overwhelmed I'm ready to throw the thing into the river. I know eHuman recommends wrapping the coil directly onto the wick, but I cannot for the life of me do this. Everytime I wrap a coil onto the wick, the piece of crap heats up too much and pops at the top of the wick. With the current wick I have, the 7/64 bit causes too muchroom between the wick and the coil, the 3/32 wraps it tightly, but not too tightly. I'm still getting next to no vapor in comparison to my cheap carto, and getting a burnt taste around 3.5-3.6 volts. Anything less gives little to no vapor and no flavor.

 

[Chikenbok]

Some other pros might wanna chime in but if you're getting your coils to work well but your vape isn't coming through as you'd like - it might be the wick rather than the coils that's causing the problem. Perhaps the mesh is too tightly wound? Perhaps its too snug in the hole for the atty. Some other pros might wanna chime in and help here - I'm still fairly new to this.

 

[Dana G Birrell]

I just wrapped a 28g coil instead of a 32g. I'm getting pretty good heat, had little issues with a top coil to post hot spot, was illiminated quickly center is heating up slightly before bot/top, but not much more, and it's pretty wide spread. the 32g has 8/9 coil wrap, none touching. At around 4.8-5 volts it's vaping a little bit better without any burnt taste. The vapor is thick enough to blow rings, but only about two (if this gives any better ideas as to how much). More voltage seems to, oddly enough produce less vapor. I think I might need to work out the coil a bit more to get more even heating.

E1: Bottom coil will not heat at ALL!

E2: Worked out the heat a bit. 1.7 Ohms resistance. Beautiful taste. Decent vape. Vaping at around 5 volts, though it's not vaping like a truck like I've seen in some videos. When I twist the wick, there is some resistance, but not enough to make twisting it difficult. Is it bad the AGA-T is getting hot as hell?

 

[TheSystemHasFailed]

Keep at it, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT throw that fine genny in the river!

I personally wanted to hunt down all the folk that praised this process, with the SS or the genny's in general. Stuck with it, gained a bit more understanding of the oxidation process. Became more proficient, and now think I'm cool. Well, I AM cool, but so is the mastery of the SS/genny set up...

 

[Dana G Birrell]

Keep at it, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT throw that fine genny in the river!

I personally wanted to hunt down all the folk that praised this process, with the SS or the genny's in general. Stuck with it, gained a bit more understanding of the oxidation process. Became more proficient, and now think I'm cool. Well, I AM cool, but so is the mastery of the SS/genny set up...

So you're saying my problems are likely due to bad oxidization?

I'd kill for someone who lives in Columbs, OH to meet up with me and give me some in person tips.

 

[TheSystemHasFailed]

I'm not saying build an uneven, cruddy coil, as the shape does influence current flow/vape. So the coil IS just as important, but uber easy...
And yes, more than likely, there is a small short. So it IS oxidation issues.

I just set up an AGI with silica and ribbon, for drip mode. There never are hot spots because the wick doesn't conduct.
Torch it in a gas stove or an actual torch. No lighters. Torch the heck out of the top half...coil it. Just enough so the coil touches the SS and holds shape, do not bite into the mesh/over-tighten wrap. Now...take this coiled wick, and burn that top half/coiled wick 5 solid times. Get it good and red, and sustain the burn.

Now, wire it down, (I know, easier said than done) and fire slow and low. You want to push oxidation to any spots revealed in the install.

Keep at it!

 

[SteveW]

Yep silica will not conduct or you could also try the porous ceramic FC2000 wicks. They are incredibly good .