*GEM: A new RTA by MarkBugs
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Looks like screwing the top cap / drip tip portion on too tight causes wicking issues. If I screw it in so its just barely tight it wicks way better. Makes me wonder if it's a washer issue. Maybe something is loose
I still have to crank it up to 480 or so but its vaping a lot better without the top "over" tightened.
For others experiencing some wicking issues or low vapor production try loosening the top cap just w but and see. It's still leak proof it seems with it not as tight.
My hands at numb right now so i can't exactly tell how tight things are.
I set it so I had a vey loose grip and the. Tightened until my fingers slipped around. Feels like it should be tightened more but it's not leaking and it vapes way better.
Still set 100+ degrees higher than most other tanks I use
Top cap thing could be coincidental and the cool needed breaking in.
I still have to crank it up to 480 or so but its vaping a lot better without the top "over" tightened.
For others experiencing some wicking issues or low vapor production try loosening the top cap just w but and see. It's still leak proof it seems with it not as tight.
My hands at numb right now so i can't exactly tell how tight things are.
I set it so I had a vey loose grip and the. Tightened until my fingers slipped around. Feels like it should be tightened more but it's not leaking and it vapes way better.
Still set 100+ degrees higher than most other tanks I use
Top cap thing could be coincidental and the cool needed breaking in.
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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?
Could be the photo, but that looks like too thick of a wick. The Gem is often best when minimally wicked.
That's actually a really thin wick. Bear in mind that's thirty gauge. If it was even remotely thick it would have absolutely deformed the cool horribly. That slides through the coil with practically no resistance. Thanks for looking though. I appreciate it. Must be a photo illusion .
How tight the top cap is does seem to greatly impact wicking. I've seen this with tanks before where a terrible seal works its way in. In his case it seems preventable if just barely hand tightening.
Well, I always tighten the top cap tight, as it should be. Wicking problems start in the wick...
On a side note - has anyone disassembled (by accident or on purpose) the deck? I mean, removed the inner plastic parts etc.?
R
On a side note - has anyone disassembled (by accident or on purpose) the deck? I mean, removed the inner plastic parts etc.?
R
Well I loosened the top cap a bit & it seemed to make a slight difference in vapor production. Will have to evaluate a little more. My main issue is in temp control. When coil is attached to rebuilding base the resistance reads correctly(or what steam engine predicts. I can immediately put base in chamber & assemble GEM & resistance will read really high(actual .068 assembled .099) What has worked for me is to set at this high resistance then fire a couple of times & let sit for 15minutes. Check resistance again & it reads what it should be. Don't really know why but it has worked a couple of times for me.
That has to be a short
If you don't have the issue on the 510 adaptor then t has to be when you slid in the coil it's hitting other parts
Can it take a picture of your build? If it's not that turn it has to be a 510 issue. Which is doubt given it works out of the tank.
I really think you're going to find there is a shirt somewhere. Detailed pictures for us may help.
Wicking problems aren't always about the wick. Sometimes they're about a vacuum build up.
Still I posted a picture of my build. Any thoughts?
What do you lot use to thin out eliquid ?
The build is OK. The wick - looks like too much. Try to do it like Q does, with shoulders, and stuffing the ends into the juice channels before inserting. Works for me. I Cut the wick just 1/3mm from the deck, fluff it, and then cut the upper edges a bit. Juice it, stuff it, insert.
About thinning the liquid - I don't. I use VG50/50 to VG70/30. I assume people would use purified water, vodka or PG.
R
Thanks for the input. So when I cut that wick I used flat side scissors and cut it even with the side. The stuff going down the channels is just fluffed out straight cut. It's not making an L
I'll try reworking the wick and I will
Post pictures on how and where I cut it. Compared to a bro so wick for me this is already about 2/3 as thick and way shorter. I did effectively cut even and fluff the sides. And the diameter is no more than 2.25 mm fluffed as it slides without disturbance through a 30 gauge coil. Will try again. But how worst cut it is what I did. To get any closer to the side unwound have to cut it from the center out at an angle. It's not possible to get it cut tighter while its inserted without pushing the wick up cutting it and then lying it back down
I'll try reworking the wick and I will
Post pictures on how and where I cut it. Compared to a bro so wick for me this is already about 2/3 as thick and way shorter. I did effectively cut even and fluff the sides. And the diameter is no more than 2.25 mm fluffed as it slides without disturbance through a 30 gauge coil. Will try again. But how worst cut it is what I did. To get any closer to the side unwound have to cut it from the center out at an angle. It's not possible to get it cut tighter while its inserted without pushing the wick up cutting it and then lying it back down
Step by step:
- I use rayon and take about 5-6mm thick wick of it, roll it and make one pointy end
- put it in, pull it through the coil. It must have resistance. Pull it in, pull it back a bit and so on, so that it looks the same on both sides
- cut about 0.5mm fon the deck, straight down
- fluff both ends, see if maybe a few longer strands have come out now - cut them
- now from that bow tie you now have, cut the upper corner on both sides
- juice the wick, stuff both ends in the channels so that they don't come out of the perimeter of the deck, otherwise the rubber oring in the chimney will damage your setup. Something like this:
- insert the deck
- assemble everything, fill the tank.
That's about what I do.
See if it helps.
R
-^^
Thanks for taking he time to do that. That's what j do to build. You explained it well I wasn't folding over game material in the channels is the bottom of the bow tie and I'm trimming he corners off the top
This is wicking for 90% VG juice. Thinner juice probably needs more wick like I had before n
----
Well it looks like you were right. I used what seemed like a ridiculously small amount of wick. Like the tiny scrap Left when you pull Off some cotton to thin out another wick. It seemed so small and thin I thought for sure it wouldn't be enough. But I'm not getting dry hits. Temp
can be brought down a bit. Flavor is better. Vapor is better. It's not night and day but it's an improvement.
I'm going to post a series of photos here for anyone else having vapor production issues or any issues with temp control. I really would not have thought this little material would work. It seems almost like you could put in no wick and then this tiny bit would just mop up the bit too much. It really does just seem to guide the juice up rather than hold it.
So this is the starting piece in comparison to a strip of cotton bacon - it looks thick but it has he consistency of a man with make pattern baldness. From the top you can see right through it. It's wispy
Trimming the sides.
(Problems With tapatalk upload I'll finish this in a second)
I can't get close enough from this side so I pulled it up to trim
Looking at the final wick and trimming the top bits
Final wick
Sorry I didn't use a real cam. Kind of crap lighting and such. By hopefully that helps someone else as others have helped me. Thanks guys.
This is roughly how much wick there is in the coil. It's absolutely MINISCULE. If I wicked any other RTA this loose and thin it would dry hit like crazy. I honesty believe this thing could almost wick properly with nothing in there. That's how little is used.
Thanks for taking he time to do that. That's what j do to build. You explained it well I wasn't folding over game material in the channels is the bottom of the bow tie and I'm trimming he corners off the top
This is wicking for 90% VG juice. Thinner juice probably needs more wick like I had before n
----
Well it looks like you were right. I used what seemed like a ridiculously small amount of wick. Like the tiny scrap Left when you pull Off some cotton to thin out another wick. It seemed so small and thin I thought for sure it wouldn't be enough. But I'm not getting dry hits. Temp
can be brought down a bit. Flavor is better. Vapor is better. It's not night and day but it's an improvement.
I'm going to post a series of photos here for anyone else having vapor production issues or any issues with temp control. I really would not have thought this little material would work. It seems almost like you could put in no wick and then this tiny bit would just mop up the bit too much. It really does just seem to guide the juice up rather than hold it.
So this is the starting piece in comparison to a strip of cotton bacon - it looks thick but it has he consistency of a man with make pattern baldness. From the top you can see right through it. It's wispy
Trimming the sides.
(Problems With tapatalk upload I'll finish this in a second)
I can't get close enough from this side so I pulled it up to trim
Looking at the final wick and trimming the top bits
Final wick
Sorry I didn't use a real cam. Kind of crap lighting and such. By hopefully that helps someone else as others have helped me. Thanks guys.
This is roughly how much wick there is in the coil. It's absolutely MINISCULE. If I wicked any other RTA this loose and thin it would dry hit like crazy. I honesty believe this thing could almost wick properly with nothing in there. That's how little is used.
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-^^
Thanks for taking he time to do that. That's what j do to build. You explained it well I wasn't folding over game material in the channels is the bottom of the bow tie and I'm trimming he corners off the top
----
Well it looks like you were right. I used what seemed like a ridiculously small amount of wick. Like the tiny scrap Left when you pull Off some cotton to thin out another wick. It seemed so small and thin I thought for sure it wouldn't be enough. But I'm not getting dry hits. Temp
can be brought down a bit. Flavor is better. Vapor is better. It's not night and day but it's an improvement.
I'm going to post a series of photos here for anyone else having vapor production issues or any issues with temp control. I really would not have thought this little material would work. It seems almost like you could put in no wick and then this tiny bit would just mop up the bit too much. It really does just seem to guide the juice up rather than hold it.
So this is the starting piece in comparison to a strip of cotton bacon - it looks thick but it has he consistency of a man with make pattern baldness. From the top you can see right through it. It's wispy
Trimming the sides.
(Problems With tapatalk upload I'll finish this in a second)
I can't get close enough from this side so I pulled it up to trim
Looking at the final wick and trimming the top bits
Final wick
Sorry I didn't use a real cam. Kind of crap lighting and such. By hopefully that helps someone else as others have helped me. Thanks guys.
This is roughly how much wick there is in the cool
Ok, this could be too little wick, but then again that's cotton bacon, and you'll need a bit less of that stuff. Go for it. You can rewick later, if it doesn't work, tha GEM is cool that way
Report.
R
It's not dry hitting at 480F and the flavor is improved. I'll have to see if it floods or pools in the drip tip. It doesn't seem like it.
Any more and I'd be back to where I was before the rebuild. Which was already a tiny amount. It is shockingly little wick. I am Using 90/10 juice fwiw I probably wouldn't wick it this thin with thinner juice.
I can usually tell when something is wicked perfectly because I get an increased nicotine buzz. When something is set up PERFECTLY the vapor is so thick I guess the nicotine is more plentiful. I'm getting that here. I would guess the way I had it before would have been perfect for 60/40-70/30
The last build was probably 30% more material. The one you thought was too much wick. It isn't liked that way. I promise it was a very small amount in itself. Cotton bacon always looks like it's overstuffed cuz it's so fluffy.
Speaking of cotton bacon. I'm a huge doubter that anything designed for vapors is. And a huge doubter in more expensive cotton stuff. Japanese organic to me is just fine. That said from using a pack of cotton bacon I have to say whatever they are rebranding works very well. Using it probably adds $15 a year to my vape budget so I don't care. I can't get mini to wick worth a darn. It's terrible compared to KGD in my experience. And cotton bacon seems to be worth it. If it's unrolled cotton balls I'd like to know the brand of cotton ball to buy in bulk. I haven't found any cotton balls that work this well. With wicks his size a bag of cotton bacon will last two years.
Anyway for thick juices the minuscule amount of wicking seems to be the way to go n
Any more and I'd be back to where I was before the rebuild. Which was already a tiny amount. It is shockingly little wick. I am Using 90/10 juice fwiw I probably wouldn't wick it this thin with thinner juice.
I can usually tell when something is wicked perfectly because I get an increased nicotine buzz. When something is set up PERFECTLY the vapor is so thick I guess the nicotine is more plentiful. I'm getting that here. I would guess the way I had it before would have been perfect for 60/40-70/30
The last build was probably 30% more material. The one you thought was too much wick. It isn't liked that way. I promise it was a very small amount in itself. Cotton bacon always looks like it's overstuffed cuz it's so fluffy.
Speaking of cotton bacon. I'm a huge doubter that anything designed for vapors is. And a huge doubter in more expensive cotton stuff. Japanese organic to me is just fine. That said from using a pack of cotton bacon I have to say whatever they are rebranding works very well. Using it probably adds $15 a year to my vape budget so I don't care. I can't get mini to wick worth a darn. It's terrible compared to KGD in my experience. And cotton bacon seems to be worth it. If it's unrolled cotton balls I'd like to know the brand of cotton ball to buy in bulk. I haven't found any cotton balls that work this well. With wicks his size a bag of cotton bacon will last two years.
Anyway for thick juices the minuscule amount of wicking seems to be the way to go n
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Yes it is v2. Like I said I'm
Probably the biggest skeptic there is for wicking materials. But I used a bags worth. And bought another bag. This little wick is keeping up in the gem. I have no Doubt they are rebranding something I just don't know what. And that something works great.
Also. So I'm a pretty big istick critic but I have to say the 40 watt tc has worked flawlessly. I put it in a cup of water by mistake in my car. Slid it to the center console. I bagged it in rice for two days and it came right back. I haven't personally had issues with my two istick (I have a thirty too) it pairs really well with the gem as a small travel kit with temp control. For $30 it's hard to hate. And it looks pretty good too. Funny to have an expensive atomizer on the cheapest temp mod you can get but if it works it works.
Sorry for the bad backgrounds etc. I'm
Laid up through surgery. So my bedroom has to do. :/. As a photographer I hate that I can't take proper shots!
Clouds are now pretty great for a mouth to lung tiny atomizer with this much flavor
Probably the biggest skeptic there is for wicking materials. But I used a bags worth. And bought another bag. This little wick is keeping up in the gem. I have no Doubt they are rebranding something I just don't know what. And that something works great.
Also. So I'm a pretty big istick critic but I have to say the 40 watt tc has worked flawlessly. I put it in a cup of water by mistake in my car. Slid it to the center console. I bagged it in rice for two days and it came right back. I haven't personally had issues with my two istick (I have a thirty too) it pairs really well with the gem as a small travel kit with temp control. For $30 it's hard to hate. And it looks pretty good too. Funny to have an expensive atomizer on the cheapest temp mod you can get but if it works it works.
Sorry for the bad backgrounds etc. I'm
Laid up through surgery. So my bedroom has to do. :/. As a photographer I hate that I can't take proper shots!
Clouds are now pretty great for a mouth to lung tiny atomizer with this much flavor
Last edited:
Yes it is v2. Like I said I'm
Probably the biggest skeptic there is for wicking materials. But I used a bags worth. And bought another bag. This little wick is keeping up in the gem. I have no Doubt they are rebranding something I just don't know what. And that something works great.
Also. So I'm a pretty big istick critic but I have to say the 40 watt tc has worked flawlessly. I put it in a cup of water by mistake in my car. Slid it to the center console. I bagged it in rice for two days and it came right back. I haven't personally had issues with my two istick (I have a thirty too) it pairs really well with the gem as a small travel kit with temp control. For $30 it's hard to hate. And it looks pretty good too. Funny to have an expensive atomizer on the cheapest temp mod you can get but if it works it works.
Sorry for the bad backgrounds etc. I'm
Laid up through surgery. So my bedroom has to do. :/. As a photographer I hate that I can't take proper shots!
Clouds are now pretty great for a mouth to lung tiny atomizer with this much flavor
Cheers
R
That's nice. What mod is that the WAE? I wonder if MarkBugs are going to come out with a dna200 or other mod. I missed the sale of the pair. I thought one of them had a temp Control chip in it. DNA 40?
No, it's the Provari P3 Ti (see the engravings?
)Who knows, the modders work in mysterious ways.
R
Ah right. Thanks. I didn't have my glasses on. What does it look like with the larger beauty ring on? I like the hard stop Lines I'm just curious.
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