Anyone here used fasttech.
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By rights, yes, duty is paid on anything over £135 (if I remember) and there is a scale, VAT is paid on items over £20 @ 20%, of course FT always lie about the cost on the declaration form, so normally no one pays, but if HMRC decided to open a package and check they might well decide it is worth a lot more and charge, it's one of the reasons I don't like buying hardware from the USA, they always put the correct amount on the form = ....ered
That's a bit high on the resistance to be honest. Ideally, you want between 1.4 and 2.0 ohms.
Are you doing micro coils Carl or just standard coils ??
The NON means, either the resistance is way too low, or more likely, a connection issue. If you try measuring the resistance without an atty on the mod, you'll get a NON reading. First check that the Kayfun base is connecting properly with the mod. If the connection is ok, then the coil is probably shorting out against the base. If the coil is touching one of the posts, that will cause problems.
Best thing to do is get a 2mm drillbit, wrap about 6 to 8 wraps of wire around it. Leave the legs sticking out on opposite sides of the coil. Squeeze the coil wraps together with tweezers. Then with the coil in the tweezers, torch the coil til it glows red - this will set the coil in place with all the wraps touching. Put the coil back on the drillbit, with the coil legs on the bottom of the driilbit. Fit the coil on the Kayfun base, having the coil legs at the bottom, means you will have a 1mm gap between the airhole in the base and the bottom of the coil. Pop in your cotton wick and trim it, so it sticks out of the sides of the coil by about 1cm maximum. Wet your fingers and stick the cotton wick tails to the side of the base, just above the juice channels. If the wick is too long it will choke the wick channels giving a dry hit. Fit the chimney piece, check the resistance then drip some liquid on the coil and wick and do a test fire.
Don't have the cotton too tight in the coil. You should be able to pull the cotton through the wick without the cotton bunching up. But it needs just enough cotton to hold in place without it falling out of the wick.
Hope that makes sense
Ian
Sorry for the delay in replying, I had friends round last night to play tabletop D&D, am I just cementing my stereotype here
All good advice mate, I did most of it and I've kinda figured out where I went wrong.
The guy on the youtube video recommended 9 turns of 20AWG kanthal, I didn't have any so used 9 turns of 32AWG kanthal without thinking. I only have a 'get started rebuilding coils' kit £10 from ebay
I think that explains the 4.1ohms, I think I should have only used 5 or 6 coils with that size wire.He used a 3/32" drillbit, I didn't have one so used a 3/32" allen key instead and didn't wrap the coil very well so it took a lot of squashing and got a bit bent. The guy on the video did make a point about not shorting the contacts with the coil so I made sure they didn't.
My first indication that I'd done something wrong came when I did the dry burn and the coil didn't really glow, just got quite hot. Then I think I cut the wick off a bit short but the build does actually just about work and it was my first attempt
There is definitely a connection problem somewhere, a bit of wiggling, screwing and unscrewing will usually get it to work on the MVP2 but almost never on the vv3 and the multimeter always shows a connection even if the resistance is on the high side.
I will definitely have another go, the guys on youtube make it look easy and I'm sure it is with a little practice and of course any tips or tricks are always welcome.
Thanks again
Carl
By rights, yes, duty is paid on anything over £135 (if I remember) and there is a scale, VAT is paid on items over £20 @ 20%, of course FT always lie about the cost on the declaration form, so normally no one pays, but if HMRC decided to open a package and check they might well decide it is worth a lot more and charge, it's one of the reasons I don't like buying hardware from the USA, they always put the correct amount on the form = ....ered
That's exactly what I meant! Thanks Bob
The order I have in mind would be perhaps $80.
That's exactly what I meant! Thanks Bob
Should be no problem, I've had a couple just over the $100 mark, but it is always best to split them into smaller say $30-$50 if you can, less likely to attract the attention of the "Gestapo" sorry meant Border Control, and make sure you pick China Post (have to click on advanced or other options) for it to show.
Also good idea to put things together like those that say "Ships in 5 days" and those that are "in stock"
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Wow, 2 parcels arrived LHR one dispatched on 15/04 and the other 29/04, the first one I had put a query on it as I had received 3 sent after it, so will have to let FT know it isn't lost, probably have to wait until Monday before they are delivered though.
My arthritis came along with psoriasis after a nasty shock I had back in the 70's ...never goes away!
Doubly awkward having it in my thumbs/wrists as I need to hold & manipulate a brush for long hours every day. Never mind, it could be worse!
I just tried holding it with thumb and forefinger ...seemed OK ..I'll try it for longer!
Sounds good! Is there any particular reason they do the glass ones dual coil?
So, it's a chimney! Something else new I've learned!
I've noticed on Evods, that the ones with a Kanger stamp have the long one, the ones without a stamp have short, and the longer ones won't fit into the ones with a short one ......what's the difference?
Yep it's the bit where the vapour comes from when you vape, so they class it as a chimney. To be honest coil heads can be a bit of a gamble, a lot of the time it's just a case of try it and see. A lot depends on the quality obviously, but sometimes you can get a cheap one that works perfectly. I'd go with the longer chimney ones if you can get them to fit, I always had a better experience with them.
By rights, yes, duty is paid on anything over £135 (if I remember) and there is a scale, VAT is paid on items over £20 @ 20%, of course FT always lie about the cost on the declaration form, so normally no one pays, but if HMRC decided to open a package and check they might well decide it is worth a lot more and charge, it's one of the reasons I don't like buying hardware from the USA, they always put the correct amount on the form = ....ered
Guess I've been pretty lucky so far, with FT I've never paid duty, they always value the packages at $10 or less. Plus with the supplies from the US, only 2 have put the correct value. Nicoticket, Reo, Alice in Vapeland and Bullboxmods all massaged the figures. Only Vapage and Zeus juice put the right amount. Out of over 12 US orders, I think I've paid duty 3 times.
Ian
Sorry for the delay in replying, I had friends round last night to play tabletop D&D, am I just cementing my stereotype here
All good advice mate, I did most of it and I've kinda figured out where I went wrong.
The guy on the youtube video recommended 9 turns of 20AWG kanthal, I didn't have any so used 9 turns of 32AWG kanthal without thinking. I only have a 'get started rebuilding coils' kit £10 from ebay
He used a 3/32" drillbit, I didn't have one so used a 3/32" allen key instead and didn't wrap the coil very well so it took a lot of squashing and got a bit bent. The guy on the video did make a point about not shorting the contacts with the coil so I made sure they didn't.
My first indication that I'd done something wrong came when I did the dry burn and the coil didn't really glow, just got quite hot. Then I think I cut the wick off a bit short but the build does actually just about work and it was my first attempt
There is definitely a connection problem somewhere, a bit of wiggling, screwing and unscrewing will usually get it to work on the MVP2 but almost never on the vv3 and the multimeter always shows a connection even if the resistance is on the high side.
I will definitely have another go, the guys on youtube make it look easy and I'm sure it is with a little practice and of course any tips or tricks are always welcome.
Thanks again
Carl
Not a problem Carl. I used to play a bit of Dungeons and Dragons myself years ago. The Dungeon master used to make up his own games, he was pretty good at it too, he was pretty lenient with us though - I never lost a character in 12 months of play
If I remember right, I had a female thief that was a sex maniac, a warrior that was tougher than Chuck Norris and a wizard that would give Gandalf a run for his money 32 gauge wire is a bit thin to be honest, if you get a chance to pick up some 30g you'll find it a lot easier to work with. The thicker wire keeps it's shape better, plus it will help to lower the resistance. The allen key won't really give you a uniform shape mate, you really need something circular, so that the wick will touch the inside of the coil at all points - it really needs to be as perfect a circle as you can get it.
The coil should start glowing red within a couple of seconds of pressing the fire button, it should glow red from the middle first then radiate outwards.
Just keep practicing Carl, it does get a lot easier the more you do it mate
That's exactly what I meant! Thanks Bob
I'd say split the order in half Trisha, the most I order in one parcel is $50 max.
Just popped my FT cherry today, about $75... currently showing as 1 shipment by Singapore Post with the latest ship date being the 23rd, but a couple of different ETAs listed. No idea how to interpret that! Heppy to just see what happens this time round, but if I become a regular I'll need to make sure I optimise it for cheapness
Didn't they change it to anything over £15?
It's the £8+ handling charges I object to the most!
Didn't they change it to anything over £15?
It's the £8+ handling charges I object to the most!
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You mean put the 'in stock' in one order, the 5 days ones in another?
OK, I'll do two orders and have a look for the China Post!
Nice new photo on your avatar by the way!
You have, out of 3 hardware orders, I've paid VAT twice, but so far have got away with the juices I have got from both Nicoticket & Strix Elixirs and everything from FT, so I suppose i can't complain
You mean put the 'in stock' in one order, the 5 days ones in another?
OK, I'll do two orders and have a look for the China Post!
Nice new photo on your avatar by the way!
Spot on, and keep an eye on them, if an item goes to restocking and all the rest are ready to ship , you will probably have to wait longer, you can if you want then cancel that item, take the certificate offered, then press reorder and pay with the certificate, that way the ready to ship items get sent out, and you have a new order for the odd item.
Thought it was time for a change, that other one was a very old one, when I was short sighted and had to wear glasses all the time, now I'm long sighted and only need them for close up work.
Just popped my FT cherry today, about $75... currently showing as 1 shipment by Singapore Post with the latest ship date being the 23rd, but a couple of different ETAs listed. No idea how to interpret that! Heppy to just see what happens this time round, but if I become a regular I'll need to make sure I optimise it for cheapness
Didn't they change it to anything over £15?
It's the £8+ handling charges I object to the most!
You'll be ok with FT, out of 20+ orders I've never paid any extras. Take no notice of the ETA's, sometimes they'll go into re-stocking when FT get too many orders for that particular line and their suppliers can't cope with the demand. Best idea, order it and forget about it until it drops through the letterbox
You mean put the 'in stock' in one order, the 5 days ones in another?
OK, I'll do two orders and have a look for the China Post!
Nice new photo on your avatar by the way!
That's the idea Trisha, that's how I place my orders.
Guess I've been lucky Bob. I usually factor in VAT when I order, so if I don't pay it I see it as a bonus
Think I'll have to get some sleep now anyway, I'm knackered.
Terry, will probably appear as soon as I log off
Night all.
Terry, will probably appear as soon as I log off
Night all.
Just popped my FT cherry today, about $75... currently showing as 1 shipment by Singapore Post with the latest ship date being the 23rd, but a couple of different ETAs listed. No idea how to interpret that! Heppy to just see what happens this time round, but if I become a regular I'll need to make sure I optimise it for cheapness
Didn't they change it to anything over £15
It's the £8+ handling charges I object to the most!
Could well be, I think I may have been thinking of $20, it's not so much the handling charge, it's the way the Royal Mail won't deliver it until you've paid, FedEx deliver it and bill you afterwards, much better, £8 is a bit much though, should be say 10% of the amount they had to pay on our behalf.
Think I'll have to get some sleep now anyway, I'm knackered.
Terry, will probably appear as soon as I log off
Night all.
Mwahahaha
Same as ian says bob, between us i bet we have had around 30 or 40 orders from F/T. I have never paid any duty on any of mine, I think they find a way round it by ticking GIFT, on the postage label.
Sounds a bit complicated if something's out of stock! I'll 'play it by ear' and see how it goes though
It's a good photo!
I think that's how I'll probably do it if that happens!You'll be ok with FT, out of 20+ orders I've never paid any extras. Take no notice of the ETA's, sometimes they'll go into re-stocking when FT get too many orders for that particular line and their suppliers can't cope with the demand. Best idea, order it and forget about it until it drops through the letterbox
OK, I'll do that!
Yes, I think £15 is the limit, and if it's even slightly over, you pay on it all. The only time I had something from the US that UPS delivered, they charged £11 for the handling charge! Could be more now as it was a few years back.
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