eGo Mega Cartomizer - suddenly hard draw?

[cyberwolf]

After a day and a half worth of satisfying use, my first eGo Mega Cartomizer seemed like it might be running low on juice. Then suddenly the draw became very hard. Now after refilling, it is producing very little, albeit pretty warm, vapor. Anyone else encounter this.

 

[sanfordf]

Not yet, however after seeing Scottbee's autopsy of these cartomizers, my concern is that they don't have a ceramic cup under the coil. I would think that it would not take too much over use to melt the cup. I always have multiple units in rotation, a few hits on one, move to the next one. I always keep them wet, never vaping them dry, to avoid burning. I have been using mine since 6/30.

Link to autopsy : http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...tem-808-dpv9-smoke51-etc-121.html#post1538810

 

[sanfordf]

After a day and a half worth of satisfying use, my first eGo Mega Cartomizer seemed like it might be running low on juice. Then suddenly the draw became very hard. Now after refilling, it is producing very little, albeit pretty warm, vapor. Anyone else encounter this.

Not yet, however after seeing Scottbee's autopsy of these cartomizers, my concern is that they don't have a ceramic cup under the coil. I would think that it would not take too much over use to melt the cup. I always have multiple units in rotation, a few hits on one, move to the next one. I always keep them wet, never vaping them dry, to avoid burning. I have been using mine since 6/30.

Link to autopsy : http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...tem-808-dpv9-smoke51-etc-121.html#post1538810

Any luck cyberwolf? Any new findings? Since this is a new item, any new info would help.

 

[Scottbee]

Not yet, however after seeing Scottbee's autopsy of these cartomizers, my concern is that they don't have a ceramic cup under the coil. I would think that it would not take too much over use to melt the cup.

That would be my concern and kneejerk appraisal as well....

 

[cyberwolf]

I dissected that carto and found basically the same thing as Scottbee, although my dissection was apparently with far more blunt instruments than he used. The braiding around the coil did not appear to be burnt, but was the consistency of wax. It wouldn't take much for that to seriously impeded airflow if it got into the wrong position. The other fact that I noted was that the hole in the pot did seem a little deformed. To be fair, though, I had tried to poke a paperclip up in there, so that finding is not conclusive.

What I do know is that the hard draw was the same after I removed the battery connector. It was not until I started into the pot area with a pick that the draw went back to normal.

I just filled a second carto and the vapor on this is more of what I would expect from a 2.7ohm atty. Nice vapor, but poor throat hit. This has me wondering whether that first one may have been an overly hot one for some reason, resulting in hotter than normal throat hit and shorter than normal life. I was pretty enthused to find a carto with a huge tank on it, but these are a little too expensive to be this hit-or-miss.

 

[sanfordf]

Thanks for the post/pic cyberwolf. This may be typical of the QC on these products from China. And they are marketed as disposable. As early adopters, we are the Guinea pigs of gaging to what extent they are disposable. The price point should reflect their disposability a little better (IMO). I am still having good luck with mine, since 6/30, but I think it is more a matter of how I have trained myself to use/maintain my gear. The normal cartomizer user could be disappointed by a shorter lifespan to price ratio. Even though initially they seem to work very well.

 

[Katya]

Cyberwolf, did you use them on an eGo or a higher voltage battery?

 

[cyberwolf]

I am using these only with an eGo battery.

 

[Katya]

Cyberwolf, any updates?

 

[Lyndagayle]

I'm a disappointed with my mega cartos too. I received mine last Saturday. I got blank ones and filled them myself. Everything was great until day before yesterday when I noticed a slight chemical taste. I thought I had let it get too dry and shot some more juice in it only to find it wouldn't hold more than 1/2 ml without leaking out the battery end. It still had a funky taste and I noticed it was irritating my throat. I laid it aside to give it a chance for the liquid to really settle down and saturate the filler and tried to add more liquid. I got about another 1/2 ml in it but still got the same irritating chemical taste. I decided to blow it out as much as possible and do a refill. Maybe it just needed a fresh batch of liquid. I blew and blew on it but very little liquid came out. Certainly not what I expected with such a large capacity unit filled as full as possible. I decided not to put any more liquid in it as it would more than likely be a waste. I've never dissected anything but this just might be my first time. I agree that these are a little pricey to get less than a week's worth of vaping. It still performs like a charm as far as vapor production but I can't handle the taste and irritation it's causing. I hate it because I was in heaven with my first initial experience with these little powerhouses. Hopefully Joye will get the kinks worked out soon.

 

[Katya]

Oh, so sorry, Lynda.

Please let us know what you learn from your autopsy. I'm curious, is it a simple QC issue or a design flaw?

Of course, I agree with you. If one pays 4 bucks for a cartomizer, they better be good.

 

[cyberwolf]

I'm definitely in the disappointed column, too. The one I have on now is giving nice vapor and flavor, but no throat hit.

 

[Lyndagayle]

Okay guys, I just completed my autopsy and nothing that I can see is scorched or burned. The filler material is spotless. There is an odor at the bottom of the filler and on the coil that I would describe as a fuel like smell, kinda like charcoal starter fluid. It's not real strong but it's there and that's what I was tasting and I'm assuming was irritating my throat and the upper part of my chest. The base of the coil is plastic, just like the one posted by Cyberwolf. I have no clue what is causing this strange odor and taste. I had it filled with Malty Toffee with no other flavors added to it. When I first started using it, the flavor was much better than on my 510 atomizer and the vapor production was out of this world without having to draw as long. I was very careful to keep plenty of liquid in it because I knew that letting it get too dry would affect the lifespan. Just for the record, I was using an Ego battery.

 

[The Wiz]

Okay guys, I just completed my autopsy and nothing that I can see is scorched or burned. The filler material is spotless. There is an odor at the bottom of the filler and on the coil that I would describe as a fuel like smell, kinda like charcoal starter fluid. It's not real strong but it's there and that's what I was tasting and I'm assuming was irritating my throat and the upper part of my chest. The base of the coil is plastic, just like the one posted by Cyberwolf. I have no clue what is causing this strange odor and taste. I had it filled with Malty Toffee with no other flavors added to it. When I first started using it, the flavor was much better than on my 510 atomizer and the vapor production was out of this world without having to draw as long. I was very careful to keep plenty of liquid in it because I knew that letting it get too dry would affect the lifespan. Just for the record, I was using an Ego battery.

Lynda....I am having the exact same problems you mentioned. I was just wondering if the plactic may have melted in any way? Really surprised there was no synged areas on the filler material....That would have been my first guess. It's really strange that when I top it off(even after being fully injected with the initial 1.5ml) that it hits great flavor wise for 7 or 8 hits...and then back to the irritating taste!

For the record I am using mine at 5v....Quite the mystery here as some others have had good luck with these!

The Wiz!

 

[Lyndagayle]

I have to update the description of the smell. I used "fuel" like lighter fluid but I've kept examining and smelling and I've finally thought of a good way to describe it. It's an electrical burn smell, like when an electrical wire gets too hot and emits noxious fumes. Hubby just came home and I was showing it to him. Neither of us can find any burned plastic and the filler material is in perfect condition....no scorched spots anywhere. Maybe the wires were overheating. I noticed I could feel the heat on the outside with the very first puff and I was amazed that the draw was so much like taking a puff off of an analog. Strange. Hopefully someone who has more experience than I will be able to figure out what's going on. I think I'll order a mega atty and cart and forget about the mega cartos until they get the bugs worked out.

Yes Wiz, our problems are identical. When the bad taste started, I grabbed my syringe and topped off. It didn't hold much at all and was good for a few puffs then it was back to tasting like a chemical and burning my throat.

 

[The Wiz]

I have to update the description of the smell. I used "fuel" like lighter fluid but I've kept examining and smelling and I've finally thought of a good way to describe it. It's an electrical burn smell, like when an electrical wire gets too hot and emits noxious fumes. Hubby just came home and I was showing it to him. Neither of us can find any burned plastic and the filler material is in perfect condition....no scorched spots anywhere. Maybe the wires were overheating. I noticed I could feel the heat on the outside with the very first puff and I was amazed that the draw was so much like taking a puff off of an analog. Strange. Hopefully someone who has more experience than I will be able to figure out what's going on. I think I'll order a mega atty and cart and forget about the mega cartos until they get the bugs worked out.

Yes Wiz, our problems are identical. When the bad taste started, I grabbed my syringe and topped off. It didn't hold much at all and was good for a few puffs then it was back to tasting like a chemical and burning my throat.

I'm still on the first one....Maybe the second will be a hit instead of a miss! I really had higher hopes for these(and still do!)

The Wiz!

 

[namuch]

I've had 5 of these for about a week now. 3 of them I filled with my favorite Dekang RY4 variant, the other 2 I filled with 2 of my VaporStation favorites, which I think have a small percentage of VG in them (they are marginally thicker liquids for sure). The Dekang liquid is 100% PG, so it is as thin as they come.

The 3 with the Dekang liquid are giving me no end of trouble, they taste burnt within 5-10 drags after a fresh filling, and I have to let them sit at least 30 seconds between pulls, or they taste burnt immediately. The other 2 I am abusing to no end, and unless I take 3 or 4 very good drags in less than 30 seconds, they are hanging in quite well.

I'm hitting these on my Buzz which is dialed in at 4.85v, and I'm really blown away at how good they taste. "Almost" as good as dripping on my regular Joye 510's at the same voltage. The only difference is they are slightly drier which is normal with most cartos, but I gotta say, from flavor and vapor volume perspective, they roast every other carto I've tried, and I think I've been through every brand and style in existence in the last year

I have 5 more coming in tomorrow I hope from another vendor, and I'm gonna try some of my other liquids, including one more 100% PG liquid that I use frequently. There is a possibility that the 3 bad behaving cartos have a defect, but right now I'm suspecting that they perform better with a slightly thicker liquid.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[The Wiz]

I've had 5 of these for about a week now. 3 of them I filled with my favorite Dekang RY4 variant, the other 2 I filled with 2 of my VaporStation favorites, which I think have a small percentage of VG in them (they are marginally thicker liquids for sure). The Dekang liquid is 100% PG, so it is as thin as they come.

The 3 with the Dekang liquid are giving me no end of trouble, they taste burnt within 5-10 drags after a fresh filling, and I have to let them sit at least 30 seconds between pulls, or they taste burnt immediately. The other 2 I am abusing to no end, and unless I take 3 or 4 very good drags in less than 30 seconds, they are hanging in quite well.

I'm hitting these on my Buzz which is dialed in at 4.85v, and I'm really blown away at how good they taste. "Almost" as good as dripping on my regular Joye 510's at the same voltage. The only difference is they are slightly drier which is normal with most cartos, but I gotta say, from flavor and vapor volume perspective, they roast every other carto I've tried, and I think I've been through every brand and style in existence in the last year

I have 5 more coming in tomorrow I hope from another vendor, and I'm gonna try some of my other liquids, including one more 100% PG liquid that I use frequently. There is a possibility that the 3 bad behaving cartos have a defect, but right now I'm suspecting that they perform better with a slightly thicker liquid.

Anyone else notice this?

namuch.........I use PG based liquids 98% of the time and have not tried VG or a VG mix yet. I could see where VG may burn a bit cooler and produce more flavor.Seems to lack on throat hit for me.

I did find that mine was hitting better today after laying it down and letting it rest for awhile. I was leaving them standing up previously when not in use.Maybe that helped?

Who knows?...LOL!
The Wiz!

 

[Lyndagayle]

Two out of the five I ordered have the hot electrical taste and I was rotating them because I never stick to one flavor all day long. When you figure that factor in, that means I didn't get 3 full days of vaping out of either one. I just popped open a 3rd and took two puffs and it is performing beautifully, just like the first two. The liquid I've used in all three are 70/30 PG/VG, different flavors but same supplier. I don't think this problem has anything to do with the liquid viscosity. I truly believe it's somehow related to the circuitry, like a wire is overheating and I'm getting fumes off the wire somehow. I say this because it isn't even close to a scorched filler taste. I want this one to hang in there because I love the way they deliver full flavor and huge clouds of vapor without having to take a long puff.

 

[sanfordf]

I've had 5 of these for about a week now. 3 of them I filled with my favorite Dekang RY4 variant, the other 2 I filled with 2 of my VaporStation favorites, which I think have a small percentage of VG in them (they are marginally thicker liquids for sure). The Dekang liquid is 100% PG, so it is as thin as they come.

The 3 with the Dekang liquid are giving me no end of trouble, they taste burnt within 5-10 drags after a fresh filling, and I have to let them sit at least 30 seconds between pulls, or they taste burnt immediately. The other 2 I am abusing to no end, and unless I take 3 or 4 very good drags in less than 30 seconds, they are hanging in quite well.

I'm hitting these on my Buzz which is dialed in at 4.85v, and I'm really blown away at how good they taste. "Almost" as good as dripping on my regular Joye 510's at the same voltage. The only difference is they are slightly drier which is normal with most cartos, but I gotta say, from flavor and vapor volume perspective, they roast every other carto I've tried, and I think I've been through every brand and style in existence in the last year

I have 5 more coming in tomorrow I hope from another vendor, and I'm gonna try some of my other liquids, including one more 100% PG liquid that I use frequently. There is a possibility that the 3 bad behaving cartos have a defect, but right now I'm suspecting that they perform better with a slightly thicker liquid.

Anyone else notice this?

That might explain why I am doing okay, flavor wise with mine. I mix my own juices, predominantly with VG. The only PG is in the 100mg/ml nicotine and some of the flavorings I use.
I am also starting to get some diminished draws/airflow differences on the first two (of 5) I started using on 6/30 and 7/4. They taste good still and I refill 1ml-1.5ml, but they don't draw the same as new. I think that I am reaching the limits of their usable lifespan, which in my case is about 2 weeks so far. I have to mention that I am rotating through 10 PVs, taking a few hits (most of the time) per unit then going to the next one. I may still buy the jumbo cartomizers because if I can get 2 weeks or more out of one, it is still a good deal. I just gotta' be careful and not overheat/over use. There are still going to be QC issues with these and they are disposable. And it's probably hit and miss, how much, I don't know yet.

I also have the jumbo atomizer/carts. I have been using 1 since 6/30 as well and I think because the atomizer is sturdier, will last longer. It is still hitting strong, lots of vapor, same draw as new. I definitely will be buying more of these because they are performing well enough for me to continue buying.