Getting into builds

[captainhgf]

Sorry in advance for the noob questions! I'm sure everything asked here is covered somewhere, but I'm a bit overwhelmed so I thought I'd just ask.

I'm pretty new overall to vaping, so I don't expect to get into builds right away, but I'd like to learn a little more about them. The actual builds seem straightforward enough (I'm sure it's probably harder than it looks). My main questions revolve around ohms and batteries.

My main source currently is YouTube, and I'm puzzled by what type of ohms are needed. Some people will make coil at 1.3 and grumble that they were looking for something higher, while others build coils that read .8 and say they wanted something lower. What are higher/lower ohm better/worse for? Is there a standard around this? I would think high would be better for safety reasons, which leads to my next question.

I've seen charts and warnings about ohms/volts/watts/amps, but it might as well be in a foreign language. I'm not sure what I'm looking at, or how it translates into ensuring a safe setup. Do different builds require different types of batteries, or is there a "top tier" type of battery that covers all bases?

I would like to eventually get a Kayfun to use on my ProVari (or would it be better to use a mech mod? I have a Nemesis clone that "jumped" into my cart one day while getting a few other things). I currently use only AW IMR high drain batteries. I like a good amount of vapor, but I'm not aiming for cloud chasing. I just want something with good vapor production and flavor that I can use safely.

Anyone have any tips or resources that have been dumbed down and cover the basics without getting too technical or overwhelming?

 

[Cullin Kin]

All of this information can be a bit overwhelming and it's a good thing you asked before taking the plunge.

Ohms law will be your best friend when building. V=IR, V = Voltage (4.2V fixed until battery drain), I = Current in Amperes, and R = Resistance in Ohms. (Ω). Builds can range anywhere from 0.2Ω to 3.0Ω (I will not say any lower than 0.2Ω because I don't want a new builder to ever build that low).

Lets say you want to build a dual coil (parallel) setup at 0.3Ω and you want to know if you battery can handle it. Lets plug it into the formula, after rearranging once we get I = V/R. So I= 4.2V/0.3Ω = 14 Amps. You will need a battery with at least a 14A rating and I would never recommend pushing a battery to it's limit like that.

Look up a member of this forum, his tag is 'Baditude.' He has a fantastic blog post on all of this, written eloquently and in layman's terms. I'll see if I can find it for you.

Edit: Okay, here it is: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/baditude/6293-14-ohms-law-dummies.html

Another site that would behoove you to visit and play around with is: http://www.steam-engine.org/coil.asp You can see what coil characteristics are required to achieve the resistance you are looking for.

A few basics are:

1) The thicker gauge the kanthal wire, the lower the resistance.
2) The less wraps, for the coil, you do, the lower the resistance.
3) The skinnier the wrapping post you use to wrap your coils, the lower the resistance.
4) The shorter the coil leads (the distance between the RDA posts and the actual coil wraps) the lower the resistance.
5) If you build a dual coil setup in parallel, resistance is halved. (i.e. if you build a single coil at 0.8Ω and another the exact same, the resistance of the build on your RDA would be 0.4Ω)

All of these basics are true in reverse too, like the skinnier the gauge the higher the resistance, etc.

This all depends on what sort of mod you are using and you preference. Are you using a mechanical mod? Or a variable voltage/wattage device? Do you want to change the weather? Or do you want some nice clouds with some great flavor? Etc.

On mechanicals, you can build lower resistance to achieve more vapor. For example, I keep my builds between 0.24Ω-0.26Ω on my mechanical mod and RDA as that's where I like it.

On variable voltage/wattage devices you can build higher, lets say 0.6Ω, and get the same (more or less) effect by pumping up the watts or volts. Another equation comes into play here: P = I^2*R = V^2/R where P = Power and is in Watts.

It really depends on what you're looking for man. My advice would be to educate yourself before buying, but you may be the kind of person that learns by doing. Either way, it's easy to get the hang of, but imperative to understand fully.

Here's a quote from Baditude:

You can use any ohms you wish, but your batteries have to be powerful enough to fire the coils safely. The battery spec that will tell you this would be the amp rating, or continuous discharge rate.

1.0 ohm = 4.2 amp draw
0.9 ohm = 4.6 amp draw
0.8 ohm = 5.2 amp draw
0.7 ohms = 6 amp draw
0.6 ohms = 7 amp draw
0.5 ohms = 8.4 amp draw
0.4 ohms = 10.5 amp draw
0.3 ohms = 14.0 amp draw
0.2 ohms = 21.0 amp draw
0.1 ohms = 42.0 amp draw
0.0 ohm = dead short --> battery failure and thermal runaway

Notice the table above and how the lower in resistance you go the higher the amp draw from the battery. Pull more amps than the battery has and it will likely vent and go into thermal runaway. Not a good thing to happen in a metal tube mod.

View attachment 361059View attachment 361060

Always know the amp limit of your batteries. Never push your batteries harder than they are rated for. If you plan to use sub-ohm coil builds, you'll need a 30 amp continuous discharge rate battery like the Sony VTC series.

View attachment 361058 Sony VTC 30 amp battery

List of Batteries and their Amp Limits

The Safe Vaping Power Chart that you have been using is a general guideline for factory-made coils found in cartomizers and clearomizers. You can throw all of that away once you begin building your own coils with rebuildable atomizers.

I hope this post has made it easier and not so overwhelming. Good luck!

 

[Newportlocal]

A Kayfun will work just fine on your Provari. Just get an ohm meter,kanthal,and some wicking material like cotton. You just have to build above the 1.0 ohm cut off, but it will work great. Don't worry too much about the ohms/battery thing on your Provari it won't allow you to do something dangerous.Rebuilding is actually much easier than you think, and once you start doing it you will wonder why you waited so long while you are enjoying better vapor and flavor. Now, I am using a DNA 30 with my Kayfun and prefer the extra wattage, but it was all part of the journey.

 

[captainhgf]

Thanks guys! I think it's starting to make sense. Making my own coils is so tempting, but I want to make sure I have the knowledge to do it safely from the beginning. It's comforting to know the ProVari has will at least take on part of the guesswork out of it.

It's staring to looks less and less mystical and more and more fun!

 

[TyCreek]

When I started rebuilding ... and then RBA/RBDs my ProVaris became nice workbench decorations because I liked .7-.8 ohm coils. A long time later the coils I like best still end up being around that resistance. The ProVari with AW IMR batteries is a great all-in-one easy builder tool for a safe vape I'd recommend some 29 or 30gauge kanthal and KGD cotton to start building just about any atomizer. Have fun!

 

[captainhgf]

I totally forgot to ask about wire gauges, thanks! 30 sounds like it's about the mid range of the commonly used gauges, so that's probably where I'll start.

What are the advantages/disadvantages to going higher lower?

 

[TyCreek]

My short take is that thicker wire takes too long to heat up when using a ProVari. Thiner is more difficult to keep its shape when replacing wick.

 

[xyanide]

I totally forgot to ask about wire gauges, thanks! 30 sounds like it's about the mid range of the commonly used gauges, so that's probably where I'll start.

What are the advantages/disadvantages to going higher lower?

30 gauge is perfect for regulated devices in my opinion. It's thin enough to heat quickly, has enough resistance to make compact coils, is thick enough to keep its shape while you're wicking. I've been using nothing else for the past half year pretty much.

 

[classwife]

Moved to Coil Builds from Rebuildable Atomizer Systems

 

[Ladiekali]

How does the amount of cotton affect your vape, or the diameter of the coils.