Help from sub-ohm vets

[razor4432]

I just picked up a Kamry K101 mechanical last night and set up a .9/1 ohm coil using 400 ss mesh and 30 gauge kanthal on my AGA-T+. It's 3 or 4 wraps. Experiencing a little problem with only being able to take a 3 second hit and then getting the bad metal taste. Would it be best to go to 28 gauge so I can do more wraps and hopefully not run the wick dry so fast? The wick is darn near solid with a hole just tiny enough that I can fit a needle (tiny needle) down into it. I did a few hits just by dripping some liquid onto the coil/wick and it was bliss, vapor and flavor was excellent

Would really appreciate your input on the wonderful world of sub-ohm vaping and what I should try to make it a successful venture

 

[pdib]

Oho, a mystery!

Here's a coupla thoughts. I used to enjoy a .6-.8Ω vape with AGA-T2 . . . . WITH drilled out/oversized wick holes, ONLY 500 mesh (solid, 5-7" of it) and 25, 26 & 27g wire. My wicks would never be choked by the wick hole (slidey fit ok, but not squeezy tight). And, of course, I could hold the fire button down with my mod vertical until I started getting return smoke signals from the nearby foothills. I wouldn't change any of those specs without loosing the edge needed for .6Ω. . . . .8Ω is a little more forgiving.

BTW: you're not doing 100% VG, are you?

 

[wyetterp]

I like 28g for mech's myself. The flavor is just better for me. Sounds to me that your wick just isn't wicking good enough for your style of vape. Give a short wick a try. Just roll a slightly hollow wick & only let it go in the tank just below the deck. Like only a mill or 2. I think you'll be surprised by the results. Surprisingly, you don't have to do a big tilt either. Works great even with a almost empty tank.

Nothing to lose by trying, except a little mesh.

Oh, also if you don't feel like ordering new kanthal right now, just twist your 30. Should work a lot better on that mech.

 

[varivapr]

I like 28g for mech's myself. The flavor is just better for me. Sounds to me that your wick just isn't wicking good enough for your style of vape. Give a short wick a try. Just roll a slightly hollow wick & only let it go in the tank just below the deck. Like only a mill or 2. I think you'll be surprised by the results. Surprisingly, you don't have to do a big tilt either. Works great even with a almost empty tank.

Nothing to lose by trying, except a little mesh.

Oh, also if you don't feel like ordering new kanthal right now, just twist your 30. Should work a lot better on that mech.

I agree. try making a new wick. its just not keeping up nd shorty work well

 

[vapdivrr]

although it could be the wick it could also be a hot spot. now that your doing these coils that use a lot of power it is a little more tricky to get the wiring just right, and any small issues are magnified with sub-1 coils. no doubt you should be running at least 29g, 28g is the norm. very rarely do I go under 1-ohm with 30g wire, it just is to thin and has a little to much resistance for that much power. none the less you should be able to get the 30g to work. I had always used 500 mesh with these builds but wouldn't think 400 would be to much difference, and because you said your wick is pretty solid I doubt the wick is the issue. how solid is your wick? what length did you start out with before rolling? when I did sub-1 coils. I also used solid wicks, about 4 in of mesh, and never had issues. check for hot legs on the coil, this is best done with no juice to the wick. so just drain tank and fire up the mod, do you see all coils firing evenly and no one coil really brighter then the others, and no hot legs. the leg from the last wrap going to the pp should stop glowing before it hits the connection, almost as it looses connection from the wick it should stop glowing, same with the neg connection. also having to tight of a coil or to loose of a coil will affect it as well. imo, most of the time its these issues rather then a bad wick. with a wick I have always had better results with a gap between the wick & wick hole, rather then the wick being snug on the walls.

 

[razor4432]

Thanks for the replies. Wick is 1.5x3" and using a 50/50 mix. Wick slide nice and easy into the wick hole.

I will give the 30 gauge a little more playing around tonight and run to the B&M tomorrow and pick up some 28 gauge. I did set up with a dry tank an wick, although I think I did have the top coil wrapped a tad too tight. Even so, the coil glowed pretty even, center a touch brighter which is where during a burn with juice the coil started glowing.

Appreciate the feedback, going to try some of these out and hopefully be brewing a thunderstorm in my room tonight lol.

Also, do you prefer using an oxidized or un-oxidized wick? Was using and oxidized one and thinking about trying the pulse method on an un-oxidized wick.

 

[vapdivrr]

Thanks for the replies. Wick is 1.5x3" and using a 50/50 mix. Wick slide nice and easy into the wick hole.

I will give the 30 gauge a little more playing around tonight and run to the B&M tomorrow and pick up some 28 gauge. I did set up with a dry tank an wick, although I think I did have the top coil wrapped a tad too tight. Even so, the coil glowed pretty even, center a touch brighter which is where during a burn with juice the coil started glowing.

Appreciate the feedback, going to try some of these out and hopefully be brewing a thunderstorm in my room tonight lol.

Also, do you prefer using an oxidized or un-oxidized wick? Was using and oxidized one and thinking about trying the pulse method on an un-oxidized wick.

although I don't actually vape ss mesh anymore, (porous ceramic is better imo), when I did, I only oxidized my wicks with a torch, but now this pulse method is replacing the old torching thing and imo is much better. just recently I had to see what the difference was, so I just rolled up some mesh(slight torch on mesh before rolling, just to possibly remove any contaminates) slide it into device, wrapped a coil and with my mechanical mod I pulsed and in like 1 minute it was done. so much easier to do this, and probably a lot better for the vape as well. its funny how things progress.

 

[razor4432]

Yes it is. And I had success doing the pulse method on an un-oxidized wick this afternoon after work. Took my time to wrap an evenly spaced coil and started with quick bursts and slowly started lengthening the pulse and the coil started glowing all even. No hot pp leg and no hot spots. This time I did 4 wraps with the 30g and on my Provari it is showing 1 ohm Using a 50/50 MBV Pear that I really wasn't to fond of at first, it really isn't that bad. Maybe it is my mind thinking this but from what I've read about the RBA's they really do bring out the true flavor. Still want to pick up some 28gauge at some point so I can do more wraps to keep a lower ohm but for now I'll keep rolling with the 30 gauge until it's gone. Going to drill the air hole on the AGA out a little tomorrow, the standard one is a little to small now

Happy Vaping Y'all

 

[vapdivrr]

Yes it is. And I had success doing the pulse method on an un-oxidized wick this afternoon after work. Took my time to wrap an evenly spaced coil and started with quick bursts and slowly started lengthening the pulse and the coil started glowing all even. No hot pp leg and no hot spots. This time I did 4 wraps with the 30g and on my Provari it is showing 1 ohm Using a 50/50 MBV Pear that I really wasn't to fond of at first, it really isn't that bad. Maybe it is my mind thinking this but from what I've read about the RBA's they really do bring out the true flavor. Still want to pick up some 28gauge at some point so I can do more wraps to keep a lower ohm but for now I'll keep rolling with the 30 gauge until it's gone. Going to drill the air hole on the AGA out a little tomorrow, the standard one is a little to small now

Happy Vaping Y'all

if your after a little more powerful vape on the provari v-2 up the resistance just a little. at 1.3Ω you will get the maximum wattage of around 14 to 15 watts. at 1Ω your wattage is maxed out at 11.75. not saying its better but its something to try out if you want. is your provari a v-2? if a v-1 it will be different. or are you just using the provari to check resistance? then using the mechanical mod to vape, which is even better.