Getting into RDA's

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hexagondun

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Hello Everyone,

First post here. I've found an old phoenix rebuildable atomizer clone and would like to try my hand at wrapping my own coil and using cotton for the first time. If all goes well, I plan to pick up one of the newer ones and go to town. A few preliminary questions though:

Firstly, I understand that the larger the wire, the less resistance, so it seems that if I'd like to have a low resistance build --not sub-ohm, mind you; I'll be sticking between 1 and 1.8 ohms-- I'd need a thicker gauge wire. I know also that the fewer wraps, the lower the resistance, which makes sense. So, with 28 gauge kanthal, what's a ballpark re the number of wraps to achieve a 1-1.2 ohm resistance?

Also, what else is kanthal wire used for other than vaping? I'm just curious as to whether or not I'd be able to find it locally at a brick and mortar hardware or electronics store.

Lastly, does anyone have any experience using cotton in a phoenix rba? No reason I can't do that, right?

Thanks in advance.
 
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super_X_drifter

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Hello Everyone,

First post here. I've found an old phoenix rebuildable atomizer clone and would like to try my hand at wrapping my own coil and using cotton for the first time. If all goes well, I plan to pick up one of the newer ones and go to town. A few preliminary questions though:

Firstly, I understand that the larger the wire, the less resistance, so it seems that if I'd like to have a low resistance build --not sub-ohm, mind you; I'll be sticking between 1 and 1.8 ohms-- I'd need a thicker gauge wire. I know also that the fewer wraps, the lower the resistance, which makes sense. So, with 28 gauge kanthal, what's a ballpark re the number of wraps to achieve a 1-1.2 ohm resistance?

Also, what else is kanthal wire used for other than vaping? I'm just curious as to whether or not I'd be able to find it locally at a brick and mortar hardware or electronics store.

Lastly, does anyone have any experience using cotton in a phoenix rba? No reason I can't do that, right?

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like your on the right track. What diameter you plan to wrap you coils would be key to establishing how many wraps you will want to start with to hot your resistance.

In this example, using 4 of the more common gauges for micro coils, these resistance readings were taken from coils wrapped around a 1.5mm diameter rod (just ever so slightly smaller than 1/16"). So 10 wraps should be the perfect starting point for you if you use something about 1/16" to wrap around:)

vYccdni.jpg


I have read that Kanthal is also used in things like toasters as the heating element. Unfortunately hardware stores don't carry it.

But it's readily available at Temco industrial online.

The cotton should work excellent :)
 

hexagondun

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Hey everyone! I just rebuilt a ~1ohm coil with a cotton wick on my kayfun lite clone and also a 1 ohm coil on my old phoenix rebuildable atomizer. Both came out great, heated up from the insider out, the cotton is amazing. I'm gonna hold off on using the kayfun until my nemesis arrives sometime in the coming weeks. I need to start getting some really good juice-- im done with hardware expenses for a while now that I have a bunch of organic cotton balls and 28 gauge kanthal on the way :vapor:

my one concern with the phoenix (if anyone here even remembers those now archaic things :)): there doesn't seem to be anyway to line up the air flow hole with the coil as the design is such that the top chimney threads right onto the deck-- no o-rings! what's that all about? I have a trident on the way, so no worries in a bit...

Pics of my very first successful builds attached! :laugh:

kayfun coil side.jpg
kayfun wicked side.jpg
kayfun wicked top.jpg
phoenix rda wicked top.jpg

the last one is the old phoenix. now i need an ohm meter to get an exact reading and when my nemesis clone arrives next week ill be good to go!!!:)
 

super_X_drifter

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Hey everyone! I just rebuilt a ~1ohm coil with a cotton wick on my kayfun lite clone and also a 1 ohm coil on my old phoenix rebuildable atomizer. Both came out great, heated up from the insider out, the cotton is amazing. I'm gonna hold off on using the kayfun until my nemesis arrives sometime in the coming weeks. I need to start getting some really good juice-- im done with hardware expenses for a while now that I have a bunch of organic cotton balls and 28 gauge kanthal on the way :vapor:

my one concern with the phoenix (if anyone here even remembers those now archaic things :)): there doesn't seem to be anyway to line up the air flow hole with the coil as the design is such that the top chimney threads right onto the deck-- no o-rings! what's that all about? I have a trident on the way, so no worries in a bit...

Pics of my very first successful builds attached! :laugh:

View attachment 319073
View attachment 319074
View attachment 319075
View attachment 319076

the last one is the old phoenix. now i need an ohm meter to get an exact reading and when my nemesis clone arrives next week ill be good to go!!!:)

I believe the Phoenix prefers a 'Z' coil (perpendicular to the posts) like this:
fsFTHRe.jpg

Here's a vid I just made of a build in an atty with a similar post relationship. The airhole in the cap of this RBA hits the coil at about 2:00 and it is perfect :)
http://youtu.be/UpfRB8i_NgI

Your builds look solid too :)
 

Spacedoutart

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Oct 19, 2012
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Ah yes. The old Phoenix. I still have one kicking in a drawer somewhere. Oh that air hole. It was never lined up with a coil. There is a way to do it though.... Once the cap is screwed on tightly, you have to grab the outside cover and start wiggling back and forth. Which takes alot of work not to have it start jumping over the threads. As you wiggle it the cap will slowly free itself from the threaded portion. (the threads for the top cap are just press fitted into the cap. Once you finally got them apart you can line it back up with the coil and wiggle it back together in the correct position....
 
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