damit! (can I say that here?), I'm getting confused again. More questions...

[pizza2me]

Definitely digging this rba stuff and read to make some larger orders of wick and wire. A couple of questions. I'm currently using a provari (haven't gotten to the "get a mech phase yet").

1) I'm doing pretty good with 30g kanthal (3/4 wrap for 1.3'ish). Should I try 28g first? I've heard thicker wire will last longer, etc... And I've heard lower resistance heats up faster (of course) and I'm thinking more wick coverage is good.

2) I've been seeing "ribbon" mentioned. Is this better? The same? Or different strokes for different folks.

3) whatever I have at home, for mesh I'm going to get (I think its 400) I've never had a problem with wicking.

Ok. I might as well keep going. Somebody should really make a Q & A or rba FAQ sticky. These basic questions are asked all the time. We noobs just have trouble finding them when we need them so we ask again. Just a simple, no chit-chat basic questions sticky.

4) is a little "hot leg" ok? Or do you want the total legs not glowing when dry?

5) I've heard of "flushing" While in RBA. I emptied tank. Ran it under water. Shook. Emptied. Dry burned. Readjusted if necessary. Is this good?

Chit! Of course when go to write this I forget the other questions I have. So I'll be back!!!!

Somebody please think about the "RBA Just the Facts Sticky"

Thanks again to all!!! Everybody here is so awesomely helpful. And I haven't touched a carto in weeks!!! Got my wife converted to (although she won't build them yet) and I have 3 more RSSTs on the way.

 

[pdib]

On the mesh, its when you get below 1Ω that wicking becomes an issue/artform. Depending on where you see yourself going (I guess, "beyond Provari"), 500 is a safer bet. Unless, that is, you do 100% VG. (I do 50/50, and found that the 500 performed much better. 400 did not cut it on my .6-.8Ω Genny builds)

28 is great. You have a narrow margin of usefulness on the Provari; but if you're into 6,7 or 8 wraps on thick wicks, you can squeeze it. Don't forget, many wraps will increase heat-up time. In your shoes, I'd be looking at densely spaced wraps for quicker response time. Really, 30 g is great for your device. (29 is nice)

Yes, I rinse a "built" atty under the tap, blow it out, dry it by glowing coils, and proceed to vape.

No little hot leg. Well, "ok" if you like the taste.

 

[pizza2me]

pdib! One of the pros!! (like I said, I've read a LOT. Just didn't save it)

I'll go with 500 mesh. None of my mixes go under 70%pg and stick with 30g wire, densly spaced (something I haven't been doing). And not even a little hot leg. (drats! ) Actually that's a good answer because probably explains why when I have it at the higher end of my voltage swings during the day, I sometimes get "that" taste and have to crank it down.

Thanks!

Any comments on the ribbon? I assume it means its flat instead of round like wire. I think I read that folks say it works better (more contact?) but is harder to work with. I think I'll stick with the wire unless I hear otherwise.

 

[Statistic]

Ribbon is fun stuff to experiment with, in my experience. It heats up evenly (when it's not shorting on itself) and super fast and vapes pretty great. It is not hard to work with but is a bit more challenging than round wire.

I haven't done enough playing with it to consider the following a good generalized statement but it has been my experience so far:

Vaping with ribbon has provided me a super smooth vape. So smooth in fact that I usually don't know how big a hit I've taken until I exhale it. I very much prefer vaping with round wire because of the rumble I get during the pull. It's not like the crackle from a carto on a regulated mod, more like a deep, low rumble. Let's compare a cartomizer on a VAMO to the exhaust sound of a Honda Civic.. in that case I'd compare the rumble of a 26g .6ohm coil on a mech to V8 muscle car

For me the rumble is a very enjoyable effect of vaping with low gauge round wire and is the reason why, for now, I prefer round wire over ribbon.

 

[pizza2me]

Interesting. Thanks stat! I think I'll stick with awg (is that right name for round?)

Here's another for y'all. I've seen folks putting things inside ss wick. Like silicon, cotton, others? Why? Just for improved wicking?

OK. Another one... I just flushed and dry burned my coil. Then adjusted the coils so they are denser as pdib suggested (and neater).
Ohms was 1.3 before. Now it's 1.5. Any guesses why?

 

[Statistic]

You may have a screw loose (literally, not metaphorically )

 

[pizza2me]

You may have a screw loose (literally, not metaphorically )

I definitely do! now I'll check the wire. Thanks!

OK. Two more

Now it's gurgling. What causes that? It's vaping decent, but not as good as before probably due to loose connection

I've read there should be a certain amount of wick ABOVE the top coil. Is that important? If so how much?

 

[wyetterp]

I like 29g for my provari. 4/5 wrap puts me 1.2-1.4ohm. Heats up really fast. 28, for me, tended to be a struggle with the prov. Not to mention when the coils mysteriously move when your not paying attention.

 

[pizza2me]

I've noticed that with the coils! Didn't notice if they've moved but it seems like i have to adjust more than what I think others have. Thought it was me. Anybody know if it may be because we're vv and changing it a lot? Doesn't make sense but I haven't seen this mentioned before.

I ordered 50 ft of 30g today. Anybody think 29 would make that much of a difference? I'm getting 1.5ish with a 4/3 wrap. Clouds enough for me but î would prefer 1.2ish. I just answered my own question. 29 would probably nudge it down just right.

 

[supertrunker]

Nobody i talked to thought ribbon was any better at all than usual wire, and many thought it was harder to wrap coils of the resistance they wanted and hard to get into posts, under screws etc.

Give it a try and see what you think!

I use 32g but i'm worn out after 2 wraps so it's a 2/3 for me.

T

 

[vapdivrr]

Interesting. Thanks stat! I think I'll stick with awg (is that right name for round?)

Here's another for y'all. I've seen folks putting things inside ss wick. Like silicon, cotton, others? Why? Just for improved wicking?

OK. Another one... I just flushed and dry burned my coil. Then adjusted the coils so they are denser as pdib suggested (and neater).
Ohms was 1.3 before. Now it's 1.5. Any guesses why?

your resistance might of lowered due to the fact that you have a tiny bit more wire between the posts now. if you used the same wire as before, and you scrunched the coils together (to get them closer) the amount of wire looped around after the pp connection is probably been decreased, thus increasing the resistance. just a guess

 

[vapdivrr]

I've noticed that with the coils! Didn't notice if they've moved but it seems like i have to adjust more than what I think others have. Thought it was me. Anybody know if it may be because we're vv and changing it a lot? Doesn't make sense but I haven't seen this mentioned before.

I ordered 50 ft of 30g today. Anybody think 29 would make that much of a difference? I'm getting 1.5ish with a 4/3 wrap. Clouds enough for me but î would prefer 1.2ish. I just answered my own question. 29 would probably nudge it down just right.

are you asking that by changing the voltage with the electronics in a vv device that this might make the wires move? never thought about that one but I would have to say no. after an initial build the wires will expand & contract, this will sometimes require some little tweeks to get the tension correct again, but after a couple of tanks the wires should stay stable, this is more so with a thicker wire. imo a thicker wire is more stable. a mechanical mod changes voltages as well, so if the wires move in a vv device they should do this in a mechanical mod as well. still I don't believe this to be true.

 

[pdib]

I like 29g for my provari. 4/5 wrap puts me 1.2-1.4ohm. Heats up really fast. 28, for me, tended to be a struggle with the prov. Not to mention when the coils mysteriously move when your not paying attention.

I've noticed that with the coils! Didn't notice if they've moved but it seems like i have to adjust more than what I think others have. Thought it was me. Anybody know if it may be because we're vv and changing it a lot? Doesn't make sense but I haven't seen this mentioned before.

I ordered 50 ft of 30g today. Anybody think 29 would make that much of a difference? I'm getting 1.5ish with a 4/3 wrap. Clouds enough for me but î would prefer 1.2ish. I just answered my own question. 29 would probably nudge it down just right.

I don't know if you folks are referring to the AGAs propensity to have the entire center shaft spin when you screw it down onto a 510 connection; but if you are, there you go.

 

[pizza2me]

I'm using a RSST and I didn't disconnect the coil. Just got it glowing and rearranged. Removing hot spots shouldn't change the resistance, right? I got rid of the little hot leg. I think divrr got it. I've been playing a lot with new builds and it is probably just doing the initial expanding/contracting and settling. So they're not moving, just settling.

I think I'll skip the ribbon for now.

I built two new wicks and coils last night. I put a piece of silica in the center of a solid ss wick. Why do folks do the silica or other things inside? I just thought I'd try it. But, I built two beautiful coils! No little hot legs and the coils as close together as possible. Vaping like a champ so far!

Which brings me to another question. Breaking in.... Is it breaking in the wick? The coil? Both?

 

[pdib]

Well, the hot leg probably entailed some amount of current grounding into your wick. This would be another path for the current: more path (bigger roads) = less resistance (smoother/faster traffic). So, not being any kind of educated fool, I would guess that your resistance would rise a bit, when the electrical current is restricted to it's designed path.

 

[RIMP]

I'm sticking with carto's

 

[pizza2me]

Heya rimp!!! That's what I always said too. Until I saw cheap, $30, and easy. And this part is fun too. Its not as bad as it sounds. Building your own creation that works is awesomely cool! And maybe never buying a delivery device again is REALLY cool. And the vape. Wow! I'm still at the point where I carry a carto tank in my pocket but whether I take a hit off it, I go meh, and put it right back.

How about the gurgling folks? Boiling like gurgling not frying. One of mine id's gurgling and the other isn't. Both hitting great! Just curious if somebody knows why.

 

[pdib]

Like "popping" gurgling? I've had that with either; some water/moisture left in the wick after cleaning, mixing with e-liquid, and basically "boiling" off the wick . . . or wick structure sometimes there is a micro-pocket where liquid is vaporizing in larger bursts (or space btwn wick and wire). I ignore it.

 

[vapdivrr]

I have heard the gurgling think before as well and like pdib said once it was after a clean, so it was a water issue. another time it was due to the fact that the wick was pretty small in the wick hole( a big gap around the wick) as I was tilting it it was leaking out from the wick hole and then moved close to the air hole.

 

[Statistic]

Ribbon is fun stuff to experiment with, in my experience. It heats up evenly (when it's not shorting on itself) and super fast and vapes pretty great. It is not hard to work with but is a bit more challenging than round wire.

I haven't done enough playing with it to consider the following a good generalized statement but it has been my experience so far:

Vaping with ribbon has provided me a super smooth vape. So smooth in fact that I usually don't know how big a hit I've taken until I exhale it. I very much prefer vaping with round wire because of the rumble I get during the pull. It's not like the crackle from a carto on a regulated mod, more like a deep, low rumble. Let's compare a cartomizer on a VAMO to the exhaust sound of a Honda Civic.. in that case I'd compare the rumble of a 26g .6ohm coil on a mech to V8 muscle car

For me the rumble is a very enjoyable effect of vaping with low gauge round wire and is the reason why, for now, I prefer round wire over ribbon.

Interesting. Thanks stat! I think I'll stick with awg (is that right name for round?)

Here's another for y'all. I've seen folks putting things inside ss wick. Like silicon, cotton, others? Why? Just for improved wicking?

OK. Another one... I just flushed and dry burned my coil. Then adjusted the coils so they are denser as pdib suggested (and neater).
Ohms was 1.3 before. Now it's 1.5. Any guesses why?

Hmm.. well this is why I said that shouldn't be taken as a good general statement.. I wrapped up two more 26g coils last night and neither of them do the rumble thing I've come to enjoy so much

Time for some experimentation. I MUST discover what it is that causes the rumble! I suspect it may have to do with how very tightly coiled that last one was.. we'll see (I hope)