DID clone set up suggestions

[Dac311]

I'm looking to get into a rebuildable setup. My setup now is an X2 with various clearos. I'm thinking about getting a provape 1 and some sort of DID clone. Any suggestions on which DID clone? Or should I just wait it out and pick up a hybrid when I can? I'm not thinking I want a provari as I have a vv gripper and I don't care for it.

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to Assorted PV Topics - Rebuildable Atomizer Systems

 

[j4mmin42]

I would say skip the Provape and it's circuitry, and go all-mechanical. Maybe something like an Silver Bullet. It just means there's less things to go wrong.

Skipping over VV entirely is an option- in fact, I spend the vast majority of my vape time on mechanical setups, including hybrids. VV devices don't always get along well with Genesis mods and rba's

The DiD clone is a GREAT option for a starter RBA! I liked the DV version, but he no longer sells the true DID clone (only the chitty Chobra clone). The MOV Gen-1 is expensive for a DiD clone, but comes pre-drilled with a wider air hole and a clear tank, IIRC. COV has the cheapest that I know of, at $12.

Edit: I did some research, and yeah, the Provape has a lot of things that would help make it idiot-proof, but would hinder anyone trying to build their own coils: Stuff like auto-shut-off, amp-limiting, 4 types of protection circuitry...it's an OCD person's wet-dream, but in the real world I would end up taking it out back and you-know-what, lol.

 

[Dac311]

So would you recommend not spending a ton on a hybrid and trying out a DID clone first? Or going full out and picking up a Hybrid. As far as vv goes, does the provari do a better job at it than other devices? The gripper just always seemed to have an off taste. No matter how high or low I set it.

 

[Dac311]

I was looking at getting the telescope. But I just don't know if I can get over the how much you can see the battery inside through the venting.

 

[sawlight]

I'm looking into RBA's myself, my theory is to stay cheap right now. It's not for everyone, and not everyone can do it! So I will offer two completely differing suggestions, please bear with me on this thought process!
Get a Bolt or something similar, and a DID clone and try it. Cheap, easy no fuss, nothing to limit the experience and you can re-coup your money, or use it for something else or as a back up in future if it doesn't work out.
Go all out, get an IHybrid or Zenesis and see how you like it, if you don't you will get most of your money back as these don't seem to loose much in the used market.
If kept cheap it's a nice backup, and we all need a backup, or several! Going full bore, you start with the best of the best and it works great, or you just can't make it work. I don't mean that to be insulting, but as I said, some can't, some can and I've no idea yet if I can even do it! That's the reason I'm going cheap, if I can't make it work, it can sit and I can play with it some time in the future if I desire and not feel bad about it.
Just my thoughts on it.

 

[j4mmin42]

Well, these are all great questions, and this is getting into the "two schools of thought" on how to vape RBA's.

first off, yes, if I were completely new to rebuildables, I would buy a clone and either a cheap mechanical mod + multimeter, or a VV device that does resistance readings like the V2 lavatubes, vamo, etc. If you go the hybrid route, be prepared to stick with it, and make sure you have a multimeter handy to check resistance between the posts.

Second question, the Provari used to be the un-questionable king of VV. Nowadays, things like the Sigeli Zmax variable-wattage devices, and others like the Vamo, are giving it a run for its money. The gripper and other VV's from the past were tuned differently, so their actual voltage is much higher than what you see on the screen.

So, back to the two schools of thought: One is, using mechanical mods with low-resistance coil setups to achieve higher wattage. The benefits of this are that you don't get a ton of error messages on your device because there's no circuitry, and arguably, everything will last longer because there's no circuitry to fry. The negatives: if you go this route, there's a higher chance of batt failure due to unseen shorts, or other problems. It hasn't happened to me, but it CAN happen.

The second school of thought is using a VV device, with a higher-resistance coil, and setting it at high voltage/wattage. This can be a great option because you can dial in your vape without removing coil wraps, etc, and you MAY be able to skip the multimeter if your device has resistance checking capability. The negatives are that it can be a real pain to get your VV device to fire the atomizer, due to micro-shorts or other anomalies in the current flow. Provaris in particular are very finicky, and if they detect anything- and I mean, even if they think it's too cloudy outside, or if they're just having an off-day- they will throw error after error message, and will refuse to fire your device. Technically though, VV devices are a bit safer to use, but such a giant pain in the ... that I won't use them unless I absolutely have to.

Whew. Lots of info, let us know how it goes!

 

[j4mmin42]

I'm looking into RBA's myself, my theory is to stay cheap right now. It's not for everyone, and not everyone can do it! So I will offer two completely differing suggestions, please bear with me on this thought process!
Get a Bolt or something similar, and a DID clone and try it. Cheap, easy no fuss, nothing to limit the experience and you can re-coup your money, or use it for something else or as a back up in future if it doesn't work out.
Go all out, get an IHybrid or Zenesis and see how you like it, if you don't you will get most of your money back as these don't seem to loose much in the used market.
If kept cheap it's a nice backup, and we all need a backup, or several! Going full bore, you start with the best of the best and it works great, or you just can't make it work. I don't mean that to be insulting, but as I said, some can't, some can and I've no idea yet if I can even do it! That's the reason I'm going cheap, if I can't make it work, it can sit and I can play with it some time in the future if I desire and not feel bad about it.
Just my thoughts on it.

I agree completely with all of this. Buying a hybrid isn't a risk at all, unless you plan on breaking it, because they can be sold for profit (if you're into that kind of thing), even when used. The Bolt is my stand-by, coil-building-machine of a mod. Definitely worth its weight in eliquid.