Ares, new MTL RTA designed by Phil Busardo and Dimitirs Agrafiotis

[Nailz]

I got busy and forgot to answer you ricks, Sorry about that. Well, best as I can remember, Kat and DPL read that I was considering getting a kayfun V3 mini due to what Brewdawg had posted about the V3 mini had such a good throat Hit, so they just each sent a V3 Plus to me. That was a Super thing for them to do BTW. I got them both in my mail on the same day. After researching how to work with it, as I had never had a kayfun before I had to learn about it (but Kat already had a build in hers so I just used that), I filled it with juice and really liked it, Better TH than my Berserker. I think I am hooked now. I know, it seems like I'm regressing in my taste for Older vape gear. Guess it's partly because I am Truly a MTL'er, and the KayFun still works Great for that. The KayFun might be Old News to most of you, and it is Old by vape standards, but, I now wish I had got into KayFuns way before this. I now have the V3 "Plus" and the V3 "mini" and really like the vape experience I am getting from them. I have (8) or (9) Lemo V1's but could never get the draw as tight as I wanted (everything else about the Lemo V1 I really liked though), close, but not like these KayFuns. Surprises me also ricks. Weird.

If you like the kayfun V3, should try the kayfun prime, a lot easier airflow and a really good vape, mine has not left my side since I 1st got it when they 1st came out, I keep trying the new tanks as they come out, but the prime still stays in rotation

Staying on subject I swapped the orings on my leaky Ares, hoping it would solve the leaking, but it did not, still leaks the same, but was worth a try I guess

 

[stols001]

I get my Ares today... maybe? My mail should be here already but I bet my mailman is hung over.... I don't have an original Prime, but I do like it more than earlier iterations of the Kayfuns and the airflow is better. I really hope I feel well enough to build it. Kid came to watch an epic Superbowl win, and left me with his cold. Sigh. Oh well, at least this time around I didn't make a preemptive "Bronchitis/pneumonia" doctor's appointment ahead of time. I hope it passes as quickly as my FIRST vape-only cold

Anna

 

[skyboxer1968]

I think I'll run a Clapton in my Ares from now on. Vapor had always been fine for me but I found the flavor and throat hit to be less than I hoped for and expected. I pulled a stainless Clapton from my Goblin mini v3 that I haven't used in months. I believe it's 316L, 32 around a single 28, 2mm. 0.5 ohms. Running TC like usual but had to boost the watts up to 29.
It's pretty much all I could ask for now, albeit a bit heavy. Never had a leak, rarely gurgles, never gone dry or cool on me, no whistling. I've had quite a few builds and wicks in it, trying to find the most it will do. I've not yet thinned the wick too much so I don't know where that point is yet. Since I've had no leaks or popping, I've been running rayon rather than cotton.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[ricks]

Trying one of the coils that came with the tank. I was using a 2.5mm 28g SS coil before. What do you use?

 

[skyboxer1968]

Trying one of the coils that came with the tank. I was using a 2.5mm 28g SS coil before. What do you use?

I use either 26g 316L or 28g 317L, depending on what I'm putting the tank on. My 26g could almost always come out at 0.5 ohm, which is too warm for stick batteries or mechs. The 28g comes out at 0.8 or so, which is much better for that. For TC applications I like the 26g for durability.
I got some 316L Clapton wire in the mail today. 2 28g cores with a 38g wrap. It's kinda of flattish so I was careful not to twist it when I made the coil. 2.5mm this time and it's a lot warmer. I have the temp set at 380 instead of 490.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
Okay the warmer temp was because the Jac didn't see the new resistance. Once I forced that, it's business as usual.

 

[stols001]

My Ares, set up!

I like it so far, it's very similar (to me) to the Siren V2, although I think so far I prefer the Siren V2. Like the Zenith, I find it to be a very well constructed, nicely styled and pleasant RTA, and I'm sure I will get more flavor as I experiment with builds.... I'm sure I'll find the "right juice" for it as well, but my early impressions are favorable. Nothing earth shattering, but something I will definitely use, and enjoy using.

IDK why I am so partial to the Siren V2, perhaps it was the because it was the first RTA I had major success with running, but it's kind of my "gold standard." Will have to see how the Ares progresses, but no leaking or condensation yet.... I like it, very cute little tank. 1.0 SS coil, rayon wick.

Anna

 

[sk25411]

Something has shifted with one of my Ares. My beloved black one, which ran the “best” of my 3, has turned different.

Suddenly, after cleaning, and letting dry for 12 hours, the airflow is now SUPER LOOSE. I mean, I feel like I’m sucking through a straw on the smallest hole. Which was NOT the case before, and is NOT the case with my other 2 Ares running.

I have no idea what could have changed. The airflow ring spins MUCH freer than before. The vape is awful, and not even worth filling. It’s completely air at this point and I’m not sure what to do. I guess I will empty and clean again.

 

[Kusie]

Hmmm. Maybe something happened when you opened the Ares. I mean every time I open it I have to turn the airflow ring first until it stops turning until I can start unscrewing the base unit, creating quite a bit of force to the airflow ring mechanism. Maybe something snapped or broke inside? If so, it would probably be unrepairable.

I used my Ares with heavily mixed feelings in the past weeks. My first silver version was exchanged because of leaking top cap and I got a black one wich was perfect the first few days. But every time I rewick there are problems beginning to show after a few days. There are two major problems I have:

- leaking through the airholes: no matter what I do and how I wick, after a few days it starts to leak though the airholes down on my mod. Seems those two liquid barriers don´t do much, since I read of the same problem in the Siren2 thread. The common aswer to this is: take more wick... but I´ve tried all, much and less wick, no difference.
- reflow problems: yes, reflow problems. I mean how can a Genesis style atomizer even have reflow problems and generate dry hits? It happened with rayon and cotton, and I don´t understand why. There is nothing that could block the juice flow with the wick ends haking down in the juice, so it must be a pressure problem?

I rewicked again this morning with a 3mm ID coil, normally prefer 2-2.5 mm ID but maybe the contruction needs that extra 0.5 mm for additional juice flow though the wick - I don´t know.

I just start to HATE atomizers that are so sensible to only work if the comination of coil and wick parameters is absolutely 100% exact. I just ordered two more doggy 2K16s, the most reliable and absolutely forgiving (as far as bulding and wicking is concerned) MTL atomizer I own. Will probably get rid of everything that annoys me (inlcuding the Ares) and stay with the "dogs".

K.

 

[sk25411]

Been using multiple ares since release, and honestly, I’ve never had a single dry hit on any of them. Using 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm ID, tons of different wicking tactics and spacing of coil, and not a single one. That’s weird that you get them!

The one time I had leaking through the airflow was when my coil was too close to the diffuser. A strand of cotton, or something, must have stuck itself near the diffuser causing the leaking. I rewicked and moved my coil up a tad, and have never had the problem again.

I soaked my black one last night, and let it dry out till now. I will check it out in a little bit, put some new orings on, and try again today.

 

[stols001]

No dry hits or leaking here, and the Ares is growing on me It's not a super "thirsty' tank either, much like the Zenith. I think when I get the right juice in it, I'm going to like it a lot.

I have to say, I know the Ares was riddled with issues enough in the beginning that I was hesitant, and I'm glad I went ahead anyway. It's a neat little tank. Not noisy or a whistler, either. 2.0 MM coil and rayon for wicking. I really felt like I underwicked it a bit, but maybe not as it is function fine, and I would have seen weeping/seeping by now.... Me and this style of deck just are a match made in heaven, I guess.

Anna

 

[sk25411]

Ok, so cleaned everything real good. The airflow ring itself isn’t as loose anymore. Put some new Orings in to see if it would help as well.

The draw has definitely changed. It’s still looser than my other ones. However, now there is ZERO whistle on any airflow settings. My other 2 that I am running have always had a slight whistle to them. It’s tolerable, because I like the draw on the small single hole.

Now my black one has a looser draw, and no whistle.... nothing has changed, same coil and wicking setup. New orings all around, 510 is tight, same drip tip (even tried a new one).

I have no idea what’s going on. I hate the inconsistency. I’m pushing myself towards buying a Kayfun Prime at this point.

 

[stols001]

I'm liking the airflow on the smaller hole. No whistling, but it does tighten up the draw quite a bit. Again, like the Zenith, this one produces some nice clouds and flavor without being "thirsty." I am really warming up to mine.... No leaks, no condensation, although I do agree the AFC ring is pretty tight. I actually find it easier to move when off the mod, so I can get a good grip on it.

Anna

 

[RamAir02]

I'm having a lot of trouble as of today with my Ares MTL RTA. It's been working great for the few weeks I've had it... until today.

First of all, the bottom gold connector screw spins freely. I'm not sure if this was the case before or if something broke, but I think it's related to my main problem.

I'm getting no connection at all. I've tried the atty on my Smok AL85 as well as two other box mods. It just says no coil. I've replaced the coils too, but same result. "NO COIL"

I really don't know how to diagnose this problem. Between the bottom gold screw spinning freely and no obvious way to remove the AFC ring, it seems the atty can't really be taken apart to see what's going on.

Any suggestions? Has anyone else run into this problem? And how about that gold connector screw on the bottom... does yours spin?

Thanks!

Just a small update. I got in touch with both George at Innokin and Phil Busardo about my issue. Phil was super apologetic and seemed frustrated about the QC issues with the Ares tank, but was glad that Innokin has been doing the right thing to keep their customers happy. George is sending out a replacement Ares tank to me and I was impressed with the turnaround on his response to my outreach, as well as the customer service. George asked for my receipt, series number, delivery address and a short video showing the issue. Once I provided that information, he got right back to me and said the service center will be sending me a new one.

I'm still not sure what happened to my Ares tank, but somehow the gold bottom pin broke off internally and was no longer making a connection. That's why it is spinning freely. I'm excited to get the new one and am hopeful I won't run into any other issues!

 

[Brewdawg1181]

I can't even grasp the concept of vaping just one thing. That's gotta bite.

Nah, DP - vaping just one thing doesn't bite so much. But I know what you mean. What does bite is that I can't seem to take advantage of the newer ones with shiny bells & whistles like everyone else. Even then, I'd probably just switch to the new one and stick with it until the next great thing came along. Guess I'm just a one woman/one tank kinda guy!

Boring... Life's too short to stay with one... type of tank or mod

I know what you mean, too Ricks. But I guess I get my variety thru making all my flavored juices. Like most here, I kind of got into the hobby side of this - checking out all the latest stuff, and all that, and it is fun. But I really buy relatively few...only a couple of Nautilus 2's, then 2 KM3's, a K5, Prime, and now Ares since April - each one to "fix" something the last one didn't do.

While I get how people get into this, buying so much stuff, it's still kind of surprising in a way. I mean, you think about smoking, and the last thing people wanted was variety. Whatever you smoked, other brands just wouldn't do it for you if you had to bum one...god forbid a menthol. Although we'd definitely take them in a pinch. I guess almost 45 years of smoking, and I'm just still about that throat hit, and want that consistency of smoking. And I'd be happier if I found that "unicorn" perfect tank, so I didn't have to keep shopping.

While I really love vaping, and am so thankful it's made it so easy to quit, for me- it's still a habit I'd rather not have. It would be nice to leave the house without worrying about making sure I have everything to supply my habit!

 

[DPLongo22]

Nah, DP - vaping just one thing doesn't bite so much. But I know what you mean. What does bite is that I can't seem to take advantage of the newer ones with shiny bells & whistles like everyone else. Even then, I'd probably just switch to the new one and stick with it until the next great thing came along. Guess I'm just a one woman/one tank kinda guy!

Or, you could be like me and just vape a bunch of ancient stuff. Half of what I hit daily doesn't even have Variable WATTAGE (just voltage).

To paraphrase a catchy little song, I like the old stuff better than the new stuff.

 

[Brewdawg1181]

I actually find it easier to move when off the mod, so I can get a good grip on it.
Anna

My airflow ring isn't that tight, but like you, I back it off the mod. In fact, it won't move when it's fully screwed onto the mod. I have to back it off 1/2 turn, then slide the ring with a thumbnail.

Are you really running a 0.16 ohm coil on it, like in the pic? I thought you were around a 1 ohm kind of girl?

 

[stols001]

Nope, I think the reading was off in the pic, because I didn't have the tank screwed all the way on. It's currently reading 0.77, was going for my usual 1.0 SS coil, I guess I undershot a bit. Going to give TC a whirl in a bit. Still vaping great though. Got the airflow where I think I like it most....

Anna

 

[skyboxer1968]

Ok, so cleaned everything real good. The airflow ring itself isn’t as loose anymore. Put some new Orings in to see if it would help as well.

The draw has definitely changed. It’s still looser than my other ones. However, now there is ZERO whistle on any airflow settings. My other 2 that I am running have always had a slight whistle to them. It’s tolerable, because I like the draw on the small single hole.

Now my black one has a looser draw, and no whistle.... nothing has changed, same coil and wicking setup. New orings all around, 510 is tight, same drip tip (even tried a new one).

I have no idea what’s going on. I hate the inconsistency. I’m pushing myself towards buying a Kayfun Prime at this point.

This is probably just in my head, but the draw feels tighter if I uncover the small hole using the slot rather than the single hole on the AFC. I would have been happier with a Allen screw AFC on both the Ares and Beserker.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Brewdawg1181]

Nope, I think the reading was off in the pic, because I didn't have the tank screwed all the way on. It's currently reading 0.77, was going for my usual 1.0 SS coil, I guess I undershot a bit. Going to give TC a whirl in a bit. Still vaping great though. Got the airflow where I think I like it most....

Anna

Well, that explains it! I used to always shoot for 1.0+, I guess because that's what I started at. But I've kind of learned that I like a little less, around the .77 you're getting. A little quicker ramp up, and it kind of helps for me.
What mod is that? Looks small for dual battery, and I like small mods for pocketability. But maybe they're not 18650's? Pretty nice sized display, too.

 

[Cirus]

Update: I cleaned/blew out mine, took off the diffuser, and put the tank band/protector that came with it around the top cap, noticed the airflow ring moved much smoother and the vape was much smoother, and the horrid noise disappeared. Put on the diffuser and took off the tank band/protector and after an hour the noise returned ever so slightly. Noise got a little bit worse so I tilted and blew to get the most condensation I have ever gotten out of any tank after 2 hours of vaping. Noise was still annoying. Why is the airflow and rings changing on these? Half of me wants to break this thing apart and see how these things are made. Can't deal with the inconsistencies. Can't know what it's going to do next build.

Innokin: After providing them with all the info they asked for they wanted me to go through Vapor Authority for the return. Contacted VA and they wanted me to follow their policy. I informed both I would not be paying for anything. Innokin said they would send a new tank and VA offered to provide a return label. Customer service has been great with both so far.

Hopefully the new tank is good.