Don't skip the ohm check, save your spring!

[nerak]

Yesterday I was doing my usual weekly wicking and coiling on my work REO's. I decided to replace the coils.


I have coils already made so it is easy to do. They are all the ohms I use on my regular REO's.


Sometimes I am tempted to leave my RM2 on and just put on a new coil. But I know that taking it off and putting it on my ohm tester might save me having a short.


I coiled one RM2 and checked. Perfect, 1.08 ohms. I started to remove it to put it on my REO. Then I stopped, wicked it, put a couple of drops of VG on it and screwed on the cap. Checked the ohms. .23.


What the heck? I removed the cap and checked the screws. They were tight. Checked the ohms. 1.08.


I left the meter on as I screwed the cap on. It started flashing different ohms. Finally staying at .23


I took off the drip tip, a SS. That did not make a difference.


I looked down inside with a flashlight.
On the tallest post the wire coming out the back of the hole was bent up and sticking about 1/8 inch above the post. Just enough to touch the inside of the cap.


After cutting the wire to the screw level the ohms stayed 1.08 with the cap on.


I have been using rba's for close to two years. I can count the times I have had a coil show a short on one hand.


Yesterday proved that it is worth the effort to meter the RM2 before putting on the cap AND after. It takes a couple minutes more to do, but it just might save you a spring.

 

[Doffy]

Good post nerak

 

[Fuzzy Bruce]

Cutting corners or trying to save time by skipping common sense steps may not save time,,, or springs/batteries.

 

[caup]

My biggest problem is disturbance by family, by phone, by bell, by whatever.
If you take this and add my sometimes insufficient multitasking abilities, some builds go thru with initial coil check but without final check (after cap installation).
This way, I got into trouble a few times.

 

[nerak]

My biggest problem is disturbance by family, by phone, by bell, by whatever.
If you take this and add my sometimes insufficient multitasking abilities, some builds go thru with initial coil check but without final check (after cap installation).
This way, I got into trouble a few times.

I have been guilty of coiling, reading ohms then putting it on the REO to wick. So far I have been lucky with no shorts. But yesterday it just reminded me that extra check after the cap is on is very important.

My ohm checker has save me a few springs. It is worth the effort to me.

 

[caup]

For me, RBAs and ohm meters belong together.
Using RBAs without resistance check is an absolute no-go.
At least, if you like your Reo springs...

 

[RattlerX]

I recently skipped the step you describe and yes I had to replace my first spring.....no more skipping steps for this guy.

Good post Karen

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

Excellent and timely post, Karen.

With the newer atties coming into vogue (e.g. Chalice III), we seem to have seen a rise in spring drops, many of which can be attributed to cap shorts as you describe.

Thanks for posting.

 

[CaptSteve]

Karen in this day and age of being vape hip you should consider a 0.23 ohm setup as pretty much the norm . If it ain't a short it ain't worth vaping seems to be the flavor of the month from what I read. I read so many post here on ECF of how these guys who are vaping for the past 2 months build these "sick" 0.02 ohm coils (if I ever seen a short heck this has to be it) coils and actually bring them to their mouth and inhale.
Just read a post of a guy building a 450 watt box mod using 2 18650 VTC5's who insisted that heck he's not exceeding the batteries capabilities because he's using 14 gage wire.

What hoople do is mind boggling for the sake of blowing clouds. So don't let some wimpy little short throw you off, it could well be a killer vape

 

[nerak]

It is so easy to be in a hurry and think since the ohms meter right all is good.

Most of my RM2's have one post much longer than the other. It showed me that it is very important to keep that little wire end cut short.

I will slow down from now on and check ohms before and after capping while still on my ohm meter. With coils lasting months sometimes it is easy to forget to do all the steps.

I find it easier to use my ohm meter than a multi-meter to check ohms. Plus it is a good platform for building coils.

 

[nerak]

Karen in this day and age of being vape hip you should consider a 0.23 ohm setup as pretty much the norm . If it ain't a short it ain't worth vaping seems to be the flavor of the month from what I read. I read so many post here on ECF of how these guys who are vaping for the past 2 months build these "sick" 0.02 ohm coils (if I ever seen a short heck this has to be it) coils and actually bring them to their mouth and inhale.
Just read a post of a guy building a 450 watt box mod using 2 18650 VTC5's who insisted that heck he's not exceeding the batteries capabilities because he's using 14 gage wire.

What hoople do is mind boggling for the sake of blowing clouds. So don't let some wimpy little short throw you off, it could well be a killer vape

I did think about the .23 being used by some as normal.

But I would not trust a little wire end to provide that connection! A turn of the cap and the ohms changed. Not at all stable.

If one day I want a lower ohm coil I will build it as such. And meter it before and after capping.

 

[Dougiestyle]

Had a potentially catastrophic event yesterday with a certain "...fun" thing unrelated to REOs. The positive block swiveled enough to touch the inside of the chimney. I didn't check it, and went to fire, but battery got really hot really quick. Never considered checking the RTA at the connector after assembly/fill.

Good post, Karen!

 

[danibanani]

I'm a newbie to all of this, but I didn't know I was supposed to screw the cap back on and re-check the ohms!!! I just learned something tonight. Thanks for your post.

Take care,
Dani

 

[supertrunker]

I like to make my coils in the bath. It's relaxing and cleans the atty at the same time. Perfect tension microcoil if i use the bath tap/faucet, but i don't recommend wicking it there.

T

 

[supertrunker]

BTW - and i'll be serious for just a moment - do not screw your atties down hard. If you ruin the gasket in your 510 before the new ones come out, it will not matter how many times you tested your build.

You really do have to ramp an atty down to make that happen, but some people have a gift for it.

T

 

[Train2]

SEVERAL people shorted their brandy-new Chalice III this way in the past couple weeks...

The deck is itsy-bitsy, and a post brushes right up against the wall - so if your wire stick up just a LEEEETLE bit, it'll short against the cap.

VERY good idea to double check before firing!

 

[oldbroad]

I'm a newbie to all of this, but I didn't know I was supposed to screw the cap back on and re-check the ohms!!! I just learned something tonight. Thanks for your post.

Take care,
Dani

Dani, I've been using RBA.s for ,oh, a couple of years at least and I've never checked the ohms after the cap was on and never had a short...so my question is: how do you check it.......never mind , it just came to me as I was typing...I was mentally picturing trying to look down thru the cap..then I realized that was to see the juice when I squonkhey...I'm old...gimme a break!

 

[danibanani]

Dani, I've been using RBA.s for ,oh, a couple of years at least and I've never checked the ohms after the cap was on and never had a short...so my question is: how do you check it.......never mind , it just came to me as I was typing...I was mentally picturing trying to look down thru the cap..then I realized that was to see the juice when I squonkhey...I'm old...gimme a break!

you just gave me a LOL for the night...!

 

[supertrunker]

Throw it in Clyde's coffee Kay - if it sizzles it was a decent coil. If it floated, not so good!

T

 

[ed101z]

Yesterday I was doing my usual weekly wicking and coiling on my work REO's. I decided to replace the coils.


I have coils already made so it is easy to do. They are all the ohms I use on my regular REO's.


Sometimes I am tempted to leave my RM2 on and just put on a new coil. But I know that taking it off and putting it on my ohm tester might save me having a short.


I coiled one RM2 and checked. Perfect, 1.08 ohms. I started to remove it to put it on my REO. Then I stopped, wicked it, put a couple of drops of VG on it and screwed on the cap. Checked the ohms. .23.


What the heck? I removed the cap and checked the screws. They were tight. Checked the ohms. 1.08.


I left the meter on as I screwed the cap on. It started flashing different ohms. Finally staying at .23


I took off the drip tip, a SS. That did not make a difference.


I looked down inside with a flashlight.
On the tallest post the wire coming out the back of the hole was bent up and sticking about 1/8 inch above the post. Just enough to touch the inside of the cap.


After cutting the wire to the screw level the ohms stayed 1.08 with the cap on.


I have been using RBA's for close to two years. I can count the times I have had a coil show a short on one hand.


Yesterday proved that it is worth the effort to meter the RM2 before putting on the cap AND after. It takes a couple minutes more to do, but it just might save you a spring.

Karen, this is a Great story, and reminder that anyone can make a mistake. I read so much about wire from the coil causing a short. Always a good idea to check with an ohm meter. I think it's best to snip the wire right there at the center post holes with small, sharp wire cutters. My conclusion is eliminate as much wire as you can... once you stick it through the post holes. Get as close as you possibly can to the actual center posts, even sticking the sharp tip of the cutters inside the holes. And grinding the sharp ends down on the center post screws with a dremel to make the tips smooth - to not cut the wire... really helps to keep the screws tight.