Am I doing it right?

[MissGem]

Let me explain a bit on how temperature control works.. maybe this will give you an idea of what is going on.

Temperature control (TC) uses what's called "non resistance" wire. That's not entirely true, since there is just a slight bit of resistance in the wire, but the resistance is extremely low. TC wire, when heated, will increase it's resistance as it gets hot. It does this in a very predictable manner. So, when you first put a TC coil in, you do it when the wire is at room temperature, then set a "base" for it to measure the increase/decrease in resistance... and temperature.

Variable Wattage uses a set wattage number, and will match the volts depending on what wattage/ohms your vaping device is set at. if the wire changes ohms, it might supply more/less volts to accommodate.

Now, SS is usually intended for Temperature Control. SS usually has a low resistance, but I believe it resists more than Nickel and Titanium. The only problem with Stainless Steel, is it's a mixture of metals. There are different mixes of iron/chromium/nickel depending on the grade. So, when you say "stainless Steel", you're referring to a wide variety of mixtures, with different properties. Most vape devices have settled on the 316L form of stainless, but I have heard of other grades being used.

So, does SS work in Bypass mode? Probably.. as long as the resistance is within the non temperature range. The problem with that, is the hotter the wire gets, the more volts the device will give. It will work for fairly short bursts.. but if you were chain vaping, I dunno how well it would work. I bet it gives a pretty warm vape. For me, I prefer Kanthal...I have some Nickel and Titanium in the mail as we speak... I bought too low of a gauge nickel wire to work in my mod unless I make a huge coil. (for my dual coil tanks, I would have to have two coils, 18 wraps each in a goblin mini (which is impossible)... to reach a .05 ohm setup.)

I hope that wasn't too technical, but my idea is to inform you so you can make an educated guess as to what's going on.

Not at all, believe me, I'm a sponge right now. I'll take everything I can learn. I think I want to try kanthal next but I'll have to order it online.

 

[Forkeh]

Some wire material you can only use with temperature control. Nickel and titanium are temperature control only. DO NOT use these coils in wattage mode. You may potentially be inhaling toxic fumes if you do that. If you like wattage, use kanthal (possibly stainless steel, but be careful here as another poster explained). And be careful with your temps. Make sure to reference the guides that came with your coils and/or building wire. Not all temp control coils and wire can be fired to 500 degrees, which is what you said you were vaping at. Make sure you're stating within safe range.

One thing I can recommend, you said you've been vaping at a pretty high temp/wattage. If you like mouth to lung hits, try turning down the temp/wattage a bit (I usually vape at around 25-30 watts....don't personally like the temp control much) and really close off that air flow. A mid-range wattage/temp with a nice tight airflow will give you a really nice, thick, hit for mouth to lung. It'll do with this without the vape getting too hot too, which you said you didn't like.

Otherwise, I mean, as long as you respect the limitations of your hardware, there's really no way to do it wrong. Everyone likes a different kind of vape. Find your sweet spot and be happy.

 

[batteredwombat]

My crown with the nickel .25 dual coil head at 30w will blow some clouds and is a cooler vape as i have it set to 410F. I like to stay around 400-420f on temp to help not burning the cotton. The crown is a great direct lung hitter and as others have said open up the airflow if too hot or hitting temp control to soon. Update the firmware on your device to get SS mode and try some crown ss coils. Eventually you will get into rebuilding probably as you can tailor to your needs as others have stated. A lot of internet research is a wise action and will teach you everything you need to know i.e. building tutorials on any type of device you buy to fit your needs. If you have a paypal account and set everything up you will be able to get into the members classifieds where you will find great deals on gear. Good luck and happy vaping!