*GEM: A new RTA by MarkBugs

[Unior]

I have been running this same build on a SX Mini M class the last week and its been performing incredible. For the most part the coils are not really spaced and some are touching however its working just fine.

I pulled my old ni coil out it was spaced & maybe it was touching the cup. Anyway I did a 7 wrap on my coiler & put it in. No spacing. Came out to 0.086. After initial reading & then filling up tank the resistance is all over the place 0.055, 0.082, .114. I ended up set resistance at0.072 & fired it up but temp was only hitting 64-80f! Going to redo coil again. Anybody have anything else I should check? Clean contacts? Does it make a difference how far 510 pin is screwed in? Within a couple of turns?

 

[TX Foilhead]

Yes, and I'm going to guess that the pin can move a bit as you open and close it. Mine was fine for about 5 tanks and then it started to work intermittently. It was fine for the first pull, then wouldn't fire unless I sat it down for a couple of minutes. Once I figured out that it was adjustable I turned it out a little and haven't had an issue since.

 

[TheotherSteveS]

for some reason, the 510 connection is a bit flaky. I can get a significant change in measured resistance with half a turn on the screw. Also, best to clean the screw regularly as it seems to gunk up a bit down there and that doesnt help!

 

[h00ligan]

Just did a 2.5mm 7 wraps of 28g ni200 & it came out to be 0.082 on SXMM. All I can say is that I may keep the GEM for awhile . I had my doubts after my first 26g coil. Like mentioned earlier airflow was diminished as well as dry hits. But this ni coil is putting out good vapor & superb flavor. Can't wait to try some 28g kanthal & Ti I have on the way. I also used less wick in this one. Thanks for all of the tips guys the only thing that I am not completely happy with right now is that temp jumps around a good bit. Meaning one hit I take it will go up to 350f max but I can take another & it will hit the desired 420f.

I spoke to soon. Well my nickel build crapped out after a couple of hours. Was working great & I set it down for an hour came back & set resistance again & it was all over the place. Went from 0.082 to 0.121. I know screws are really tight so not sure about the problem.

Hang in there. It's a build issue. Which temp control mod are you using. ?

I finally had to return my dna200 mod as it just won't work properly. And the mod maker basically can't find a reason why not could Evolv. However to have things fluctuating that far there are two possible fixes.


Lock the resistance

Find the bad connection.

At least in the short term if you get s good read at room temp with the combo just lock it up.


Can the gem hybrid to any other mod outside the wizard? I'd be interested in buying the mod if it had either a lower price or s more modern chipset. The price for the DNA 40 at this point is too high for me personally. Has anyone found a good mod with a more modern chipset that pairs well with the gem size and color? It's pretty small To be lumped on top of a box mod. Though of all the ones I have it looks he part most on the boxer mod.

Also is there any tip or trick to removing the 21mm/22mm beauty ring? I need to change them but with no in irking and very little place to grip I can't get the one off to put the other on

Finally there are two more adaptive rings. They aren't threaded - what are these for? Hybrid mode I assume but I don't see where or how.

Thanks for all the I put and help!

 

[Yozhik]

Hang in there. It's a build issue. Which temp control mod are you using. ?

I finally had to return my dna200 mod as it just won't work properly. And the mod maker basically can't find a reason why not could Evolv. However to have things fluctuating that far there are two possible fixes.


Lock the resistance

Find the bad connection.

At least in the short term if you get s good read at room temp with the combo just lock it up.


Can the gem hybrid to any other mod outside the wizard? I'd be interested in buying the mod if it had either a lower price or s more modern chipset. The price for the DNA 40 at this point is too high for me personally. Has anyone found a good mod with a more modern chipset that pairs well with the gem size and color? It's pretty small To be lumped on top of a box mod. Though of all the ones I have it looks he part most on the boxer mod.

Also is there any tip or trick to removing the 21mm/22mm beauty ring? I need to change them but with no in irking and very little place to grip I can't get the one off to put the other on

Finally there are two more adaptive rings. They aren't threaded - what are these for? Hybrid mode I assume but I don't see where or how.

Thanks for all the I put and help!

If you're looking at getting a different DNA 200, maybe the Boxer DNA 133 dual 18650 might interest you. I have the LiPo version, but would rather have the 133W since that better suits me. Chip works fine on mine, though I was annoyed to find there is no preheat function in power mode today. Blame that on Evolv.

A DNA 40 btw is more than adequate for handling the Gem, except it might not do as well with some of the non-nickel coils people are experimenting with these days. Another popular TC tube mode is the Dicodes. It has the world's most confusing menu system, but it's TC has gotten very good reviews. Otherwise, you could look at some of the cheap and compact box mods such as the iStick 40W, IPV d2, etc.

Anyway, back to your Gem questions. I have no problem with the beauty rings, but I find a towel helps to get a grip on the atomizer base components when they get stuck, so I'd recommend giving that a try. As to what comes with the Gem, here's the list:

- two glass tanks
- one stainless steel tank
- hybrid base (with the silver plated small pin)
- 510 base (with the silver plated larger pin)
- 21 mm ring (for 510 base)
- 22 mm ring (for 510 base)
- one deck
- one dry burn threaded ring

 

[Dudditz]

Hang in there. It's a build issue. Which temp control mod are you using. ?

Can the gem hybrid to any other mod outside the wizard? I'd be interested in buying the mod if it had either a lower price or s more modern chipset. The price for the DNA 40 at this point is too high for me personally. Has anyone found a good mod with a more modern chipset that pairs well with the gem size and color? It's pretty small To be lumped on top of a box mod. Though of all the ones I have it looks he part most on the boxer mod.

Thanks for all the I put and help!

Looks are certainly subjective however I can confirm the Gem performs amazing on the SX Mini M Class and in my opinion looks fabulous on it. I am having great results with TC using 28 gauge 2.5 mm 8 wrap touching coils using tempered NI200.

 

[Yozhik]

Looks are certainly subjective however I can confirm the Gem performs amazing on the SX Mini M Class and in my opinion looks fabulous on it. I am having great results with TC using 28 gauge 2.5 mm 8 wrap touching coils using tempered NI200.

Quite agree. The WAE II and SXM are the only mods I use with my Gem.

 

[Matthee]

Looks are certainly subjective however I can confirm the Gem performs amazing on the SX Mini M Class and in my opinion looks fabulous on it. I am having great results with TC using 28 gauge 2.5 mm 8 wrap touching coils using tempered NI200.

Quite agree too. Even better with the SS tank. I have done Ni, Ti and Kanthal with success in the GEM.

 

[qorax]

^Lookin' very pretty there @Matthee !

 

[h00ligan]

Thanks all. I have a boxer 350 chipset already in addition to the dna200 mod that's being returned.

I can't bring myself to pay twice the price of a DNA 200 mod for a DNA 40. While the 49 is certainly capable it's not anywhere near as feature rich as the 200. As for power being enough - no doubt. However it also can't be programmed to use other tc materials.

For me I think I may just end up using the gem with kanthal or just on the istick 40 (which works fine for basic temp control)until a single 18650 dna200 mod comes out. If it ever does. The gem is such a nice tiny tank I'd like to find a tiny mod to pair with it


Thanks for he info on what comes new with the gem. Has anyone , or mark bugs, detailed the o ring sizes? I can particularly see that center o ring going straight down a drain one night when I'm not paying attention. It's relatively loose. I wouldn't mod. Assembling not my own k ring replacement kit to keep in the MarkBugs box - since it didn't come with one. Given how much it came with in surprised it didn't include additional deck screws and a pack of o rings.

I'm stuff going now with the second build after having a wick master build the first time. Now it's not keeping up. Of course I can let down air in and t wicks right up again but I honk maybe I went too thin on the cotton


Finally fir tempered nickel - does that allow contact coils to work properly? I'm ising Youde nickel right now spaced six wraps. I'd forger to make contact coils but with nickel they seem unreliable. Are you tempering it yourself or buying it? I don't know much about what tempered wire is compared to regular

I got my surgery date. I'm glad I got this before I go in. / about 4.5 weeks to go. :/

 

[TheotherSteveS]

@h00ligan

here are the oring sizes..all are Interior diameter x thickness:

-------------------------------------------------------------

Tip: 6mmx1mm
Center filling deck: 6mmx1mm
Filling holes: 3mmx1mm
Afc ring: piece of an 1.5mm thick oring (I use 1.6mm as its a bit tighter!!)


Tank and deck rings

-8mm x 1mm Bottm of the deck
-13mm x 1mm Seals the deck
-15mm x 1mm Tank

Replacement glass tubes from IBTanked. The size is 20x1.2x25.52 mm.

ps. If i forget, good luck with surgery and a fast recovery!!!!

 

[Unior]

After a lot of trial & error I finally have the GEM performing. What seemed to make a big difference was unscrewing 510 & cleaning it really well. Right now I'm running ni200 5/6 wraps on 2.5mm bit. 0.067 is what it is reading on my SXM. When you get it right on this thing it it is such a smooth & flavorful vape.

 

[h00ligan]

Thanks Other Steve. You'll always be JustSteve to me!

I'm having some issues wicking still. I can't believe I nailed it the first time with 90/10 juice and now I can't get it to pump,vapor reliably. Of course two things affect it. How full the tank is has a huge impact. And then of course I can release the pressure and let some air in the push the juice into the coil.

I feel like I may be over thinking the wicking. The first time I made a tight fit on a 2.5mm coil, cut it to the ends then thinned the top a bit.

Even thinner juice is inconsistent. Shown by the temp control trademark of weak vapor production.

I'll take a picture tomorrow and perhaps sm,e here can evaluate.

Thanks again othersteve that's really nice if you to post. Thanks also for the well wishes. I'm gong to start with multilevel fusion assuming the brain surgery test results aren't critical. Get out of pain first and deal with the rest short,y there after. Fusing c5-7. That's what 6'5" gets ya

It's a horrible picture but here she is on a boxer

I'll post a glamor shot later on!

Edit

Looking at I tanked, what do they have the tank listed under? The dimensions are great but I can't get a hit searching with them? Or is it a custom cut job?

Will mark bugs offer tanks for sale separately?

Also. Deck screws? Of all things the deck screws seem he most likely for me to need replacing. I'm sure we could sub them with something but why wouldn't he make those available? If he's sourcing them anyway? It would be nice it see him just sell a maintenance pack with all 'consumables or losables' at a reasonable price. I was surprised no extra deck screws came with it.

 

[raitizz]

Looks are certainly subjective however I can confirm the Gem performs amazing on the SX Mini M Class and in my opinion looks fabulous on it. I am having great results with TC using 28 gauge 2.5 mm 8 wrap touching coils using tempered NI200.

Hot-spots on those Ni200 touching, or you don't know cuz you don't burn them? Planning to do the same build, therefore asking.

R

 

[TheotherSteveS]

Thanks Other Steve. You'll always be JustSteve to me!

I'm having some issues wicking still. I can't believe I nailed it the first time with 90/10 juice and now I can't get it to pump,vapor reliably. Of course two things affect it. How full the tank is has a huge impact. And then of course I can release the pressure and let some air in the push the juice into the coil.

I feel like I may be over thinking the wicking. The first time I made a tight fit on a 2.5mm coil, cut it to the ends then thinned the top a bit.

Even thinner juice is inconsistent. Shown by the temp control trademark of weak vapor production.

I'll take a picture tomorrow and perhaps sm,e here can evaluate.

Thanks again othersteve that's really nice if you to post. Thanks also for the well wishes. I'm gong to start with multilevel fusion assuming the brain surgery test results aren't critical. Get out of pain first and deal with the rest short,y there after. Fusing c5-7. That's what 6'5" gets ya

It's a horrible picture but here she is on a boxer

I'll post a glamor shot later on!

Edit

Looking at I tanked, what do they have the tank listed under? The dimensions are great but I can't get a hit searching with them? Or is it a custom cut job?

Will mark bugs offer tanks for sale separately?

Also. Deck screws? Of all things the deck screws seem he most likely for me to need replacing. I'm sure we could sub them with something but why wouldn't he make those available? If he's sourcing them anyway? It would be nice it see him just sell a maintenance pack with all 'consumables or losables' at a reasonable price. I was surprised no extra deck screws came with it.

hey there! Looks nice on the boxer!

the tanks are a custom job so I guess you might have to email with a specific requirement. I cant remeber who posted that originally. I havent ordered anything from them.

MB will, at some point, be offering spares on the web site but the workshop etc has just moved location so I guess other things have priority. It is a bit crap that no spares were supplied )as many have already noted).

 

[TheotherSteveS]

Hot-spots on those Ni200 touching, or you don't know cuz you don't burn them? Planning to do the same build, therefore asking.

R

if it was hot-spotting significantly, that constiututes a micro short and the res would be all over the place. @qorax routinely uses touching Ni coils and he gets it to work fine, but then he is
possessed of a magical touch with these things. Atty's just love him and give in to his every whim! lol!

 

[Freedom2Vape]

I use contact Ni coils primarily, although not on the Gem (Merkava and a few RDAs) and haven't had any issues. The Ni seems to have a taste on the Gem, for me ... which is strange as I don't notice it on the other RTAs?

 

[qorax]

if it was hot-spotting significantly, that constiututes a micro short and the res would be all over the place. @qorax routinely uses touching Ni coils and he gets it to work fine, but then he is
possessed of a magical touch with these things. Atty's just love him and give in to his every whim! lol!

LOL indeed

Btw the issue with me is, even if I make spaced Ni coils - the moment I insert a piece of rayon they get compacted. I have tried spacing them out, just a tad, post wick insertion, and have found it really doesn't make any difference to the vape quality / performance. Thus I don't care for contact or spaced in my Ni setups.

Btw2, I actually don't prefer TC setups - and usually am vaping with regular kanthal / nichrome builds.

 

[Dudditz]

Hot-spots on those Ni200 touching, or you don't know cuz you don't burn them? Planning to do the same build, therefore asking.

R

No hot spot issues. Out of 6 of these coils I only had one that had some res issues and instead of playing with it I just ripped it out and put a new one in and everything was good. Sometimes I think its easier to just make new coils rather than spending to much time trying to make an existing problematic coil work.

 

[h00ligan]

I'm going to try a contact in coil and see what happens. My temp has to be up VERY high when using the gem to get anywhere near proper vapor. So I'm guessing it's wicking. I may try rayon too though I typically find rayon super bland.

Here is the build not wicking properly. It is spaced believe it or not. Just barely. One too many wraps (7). Even when I pulled the deck the wick was dry ish on one side.

Here's a 30 gauge build I'm going to try now. I trimmed down the top of the cotton a bit. It was quit thick.

This requires 500F is on a DNA 200 mod to
Produce decent vapor even with a fresh wick and no wicking issue.


Have you all noticed the gem takes higher temps to be comparable to other atomizers? What would cause that?