Help w/ Protank2 microcoils+cotton wick

[Jonathan Tittle]

I'm at 1.4 set at 3.6. How do you know the watts? Is it something I have to set? I'm using zmax, I've only been vaping a couple months now and I'm 1 week into rebuilds

One great reference:

Ohm's Law Calculator

1.4 ohms @ 3.6v = ~9.25w



If you look at the link below, there's a guide on how to use voltage / wattage on the ZMax. You'll see a header titled "Instructions" that'll help you set things as needed .

Zmax by Sigelei - Variable Voltage, Variable Power - Advanced Personal Vaporizer - Glossy and brushed stainless

 

[Stan d]

The 1/16" allen key fits into the tank slits perfectly, so I keep it through the coil during the rebuild. Once the leads are down the center, I bend one of them off and over the edge and install the grommet on the one that's straight. Once the grommet is in, I bend the other over the grommet. Once the center pin is in, I twist the leads until they "snap" off.

Only once the entire head is rebuilt do I remove the allen key, slowly. I say slowly as I wrap mine *super* tight, so there's actually some friction when I pull the key out; not much, but resistance is there.

Leaving the key in while doing the rebuild keeps the coil in place, as does bending the leads as you install each piece.

I can't believe I didn't think of that, that's gonna make things a lot easier. I feel like an idiot

 

[Stan d]

One great reference:

Ohm's Law Calculator

1.4 ohms @ 3.6v = ~9.25w



If you look at the link below, there's a guide on how to use voltage / wattage on the ZMax. You'll see a header titled "Instructions" that'll help you set things as needed .

Zmax by Sigelei - Variable Voltage, Variable Power - Advanced Personal Vaporizer - Glossy and brushed stainless

Thank you very much for the link. Is that the only reason for the variable voltage settings? Are those settings that I should strictly follow? And what would I be affecting if I had the volts set higher than what's recommended for my current resistance level?

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

I can't believe I didn't think of that, that's gonna make things a lot easier. I feel like an idiot

We all have to start somewhere . Nobody's an idiot for asking or wanting to learn. I've overlooked quite a bit in frustration, so I can relate quite a bit!

Thank you very much for the link. Is that the only reason for the variable voltage settings? Are those settings that I should strictly follow? And what would I be affecting if I had the volts set higher than what's recommended for my current resistance level?

Variable Voltage is more set it and forget it. When you set your mod to say, 10w (which is what I vape at, using cotton), the device will do it's absolute best to ensure that you're getting 10w 100% of the time using whatever resources the battery you're using has available. With variable voltage, you have to do a little number crunching and compare the ohms of your coil to the recommended voltage. I prefer VW over VV as it's easier and I don't have to concern myself with doing number crunching on the go.

There's a good overview of VV versus VW here:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...e-voltage-vs-variable-wattage-better-why.html


For simplicity, Variable Wattage just works better and it's more consistent. I can slap a 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4 ohm coil in the Protank, or whatever resistance I'd like (1.3 ohm being the lowest for the SVD, and it's probably around the same for the ZMax) and I still get a very consistent pleasing vape. If I switch to voltage, being off by .4 ohm's, .5 ohm's or whatever variable in the coil can result in a burnt or very unpleasing vape, thus, not as consistent.

Some people sweat by VV, I prefer VW - If I wanted to worry about voltage, I'd go with a mech mod and call it a day .

 

[Scarey]

If you tuck the wick into the cup, you're essentially cutting off the airflow coming in through the base or, at the very least, you're going to restrict it. This will build up excess pressure and will lead to leaking or flooding. There's no need to block airflow.

I did the exact same thing when I built my first Protank II micro coil. You don't need any more cotton than a standard wick length. As with all wicks, the juice viscosity is going to determine how fast or slow it wicks into the cotton however, how tight the cotton is will also affect the juice flow as it vaporizes on the coil.

If you twist the cotton too much, you'll end up burning it as it'll be too tight (I did the same), so when you twist it through, make sure you twist it in the opposite direction to unwind it before you prime it with juice and vape.

As for the coil itself, none of the wires should be loose, so if even one isn't touching, you risk a hot spot which is going to end up frying the cotton or causing the coil to heat up too slow. Your voltage/wattage also plays a factor here. Cotton burns 50x faster than silica, so it only takes one dry hit and it's gone. Start low and increase to hit your sweet spot. You can also move up, but once you burn it, there's no going down - you have to replace the cotton and start over.

The cotton should be fluffy, not stiff/solid or rigid. You should also be able to easily pull the cotton from the coil. If you have to tug at it, or if the coil is moving with you when you pull the wick out, it's in there too tight. This is where using a smaller piece of cotton and twisting it through and then untwisting it to allow it to spread out works best.


This is based off my own experience. I use a 1/16" allen wrench to wrap my coils - works the same as a drill bit, I just like having the L shape to hang on to when I'm wrapping. Fits nicely in my hand and I can hold the L plus the lead and wrap super-tight. I've used 28 G and 30G, just depends on how many wraps I want at the time and I've never had issues with cotton. I have however, had issues with the Peaches and Cream yarn as of late. It doesn't like some flavors, so to speak, and leads to burning, so I'm back to cotton balls.

The airflow on a protank has absolutely nothing to do with the inside of the tank. It all comes from the 2 small holes at the top of the 510 connector. You could literally fill the entire inside of the tank with cotton(were it possible to screw in like that.) and not obstruct the airflow...

 

[Stan d]

The airflow on a protank has absolutely nothing to do with the inside of the tank. It all comes from the 2 small holes at the top of the 510 connector. You could literally fill the entire inside of the tank with cotton(were it possible to screw in like that.) and not obstruct the airflow...

I took out the tucked cotton and I no longer have an airflow problem

 

[Stan d]

We all have to start somewhere . Nobody's an idiot for asking or wanting to learn. I've overlooked quite a bit in frustration, so I can relate quite a bit!



Variable Voltage is more set it and forget it. When you set your mod to say, 10w (which is what I vape at, using cotton), the device will do it's absolute best to ensure that you're getting 10w 100% of the time using whatever resources the battery you're using has available. With variable voltage, you have to do a little number crunching and compare the ohms of your coil to the recommended voltage. I prefer VW over VV as it's easier and I don't have to concern myself with doing number crunching on the go.

There's a good overview of VV versus VW here:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...e-voltage-vs-variable-wattage-better-why.html


For simplicity, Variable Wattage just works better and it's more consistent. I can slap a 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4 ohm coil in the Protank, or whatever resistance I'd like (1.3 ohm being the lowest for the SVD, and it's probably around the same for the ZMax) and I still get a very consistent pleasing vape. If I switch to voltage, being off by .4 ohm's, .5 ohm's or whatever variable in the coil can result in a burnt or very unpleasing vape, thus, not as consistent.

Some people sweat by VV, I prefer VW - If I wanted to worry about voltage, I'd go with a mech mod and call it a day .

Thank you tactical, I went from not enjoying my vaping to loving it. I now have 5 kanger evods that give me amazing throat hit and a descent amount of vapor but the protank 2 is being severely outperformed by the evods. I must still have the cotton a little to tight inside the coil.

 

[fatboy1]

What kind of tank is that? I have Kanger/Protanks/II's and they don't look like that at all.

 

[Prolikethis]

This is a great thread. I have learned more in 5 minutes then i could of learned rebuilding 5 more pt heads. Thanks!

 

[Stan d]

This is a great thread. I have learned more in 5 minutes then i could of learned rebuilding 5 more pt heads. Thanks!

I agree, there is so much to learn and I'm gonna be a pro in no time thanks to some of the great members here who seem to offer so much good advice based off their experiences. They have saved me so much frustration. I was ready to go back to analogs until I stumbled upon this forum. I'm glad I found it and I now have enough skills to make sure sure all my vaping is enjoyable

 

[wolfenstien]

This is an educational thread. love the Vid Candie made. I need to get me some 30 and build my heads... maybe thats why I am getting a burnt taste all the time is cause of the silica wick.

 

[Enoch777]

Leaving the key in while doing the rebuild keeps the coil in place, as does bending the leads as you install each piece.

I do this as well, and I consider it an instrumental part of the process in rebuilding a Protank Head.

This is an educational thread. love the Vid Candie made. I need to get me some 30 and build my heads... maybe thats why I am getting a burnt taste all the time is cause of the silica wick.

Not likely, the stock head wick quite nicely. What blend of liquid are you getting burnt hits on? Protanks really shine with thinner liquids, so either get a higher PG blend or put a drop or two of distilled ionized water per tank to thin the VG out.

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

The airflow on a protank has absolutely nothing to do with the inside of the tank. It all comes from the 2 small holes at the top of the 510 connector. You could literally fill the entire inside of the tank with cotton(were it possible to screw in like that.) and not obstruct the airflow...

Airflow does come indeed come in from the base of the tank / top of the 510 connector however. based on my experience across the 12 or so tanks I have on me right now and numerous coil rebuilds across each, more than I can count right now, filling the well or "drip" area does create un-needed pressure which acts an an airflow deterrent; I've tried it as it was suggested to me when I first started rebuilding for the Protank.

I've wrapped not only cotton & yarn, but silica as well and regardless of medium, the extra pressure always leads to leaking when you extend outside of the normal areas where wick should be. Cotton is too absorbent to really drip on it's own, unless you're using 100% PG and then I could potentially understand leakage, but not with 70/30 or lower.

The coil heads for the tank were never designed to wrap medium around. It may work as a short-term solution, but if I have to fill my tank at the 1/2 or 1/3 mark to keep it running as a result (i.e. prevent leaking, gurgling etc), then it's not a viable solution and I'd not have invested my time or money into the tank .

Again, this is based on my experience. It's obvious if we took 20-30 people and had them all rebuild the Protank heads, we'd probably get a skew of results, as is evident by the number of threads on the Protank/Protank II here on ECF. It varies as we don't all vape the same way and there's no true right or wrong way to do it.

The method in a previous reply to the OP works for me and seems to be working for him right now .

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

Thank you tactical, I went from not enjoying my vaping to loving it. I now have 5 kanger evods that give me amazing throat hit and a descent amount of vapor but the protank 2 is being severely outperformed by the evods. I must still have the cotton a little to tight inside the coil.

No problem - glad I could help . Love the Protank; more so when I build the coils. The default work, but I've always had to vape higher than 50/50 using silica, which is why I moved to cotton. I now vape 60/40 & 70/30 for the most part (PG/VG), but the cotton just works better and keeps the flavor longer, for me.

This is a great thread. I have learned more in 5 minutes then i could of learned rebuilding 5 more pt heads. Thanks!

ECF is a valuable tool! We get to connect with so many others and with varying experience levels, there's always someone available to help out!

This is an educational thread. love the Vid Candie made. I need to get me some 30 and build my heads... maybe thats why I am getting a burnt taste all the time is cause of the silica wick.

If you're using a higher VG juice, it's most likely due to vaping too often, thus the wick can't keep up with what's being vaporized. Silica works, but I prefer cotton because it tends to wick better and wick faster. The strands in silica simply don't hold enough juice for me and that's why I moved to using cotton balls.

I do this as well, and I consider it an instrumental part of the process in rebuilding a Protank Head

I've found it's the best way to keep things centered. My first rebuild I didn't keep it in and the coil moved all over the place when I began twisting the leads off, similar to what the OP was mentioning. I just so happened to have that 1/16" key because I work on AR-15's in my day job, so I have to have a complete set of keys on-hand at all times.

 

[mekc57]

I've found it's the best way to keep things centered. My first rebuild I didn't keep it in and the coil moved all over the place when I began twisting the leads off, similar to what the OP was mentioning. I just so happened to have that 1/16" key because I work on AR-15's in my day job, so I have to have a complete set of keys on-hand at all times.

Thats funny! The only one I could find in the house was the one I use for my M1A sights

 

[mekc57]

This thread is great!!!!
I've been trying to wrap coils for my protank and Tatroe tank with out any luck till I found this thread.
I just wrapped two micro coils with organic cotton wick I got from High Desert Vapes and there working great!
I used 28g kanthal 12/11 wrap and there both at 1.7ohms. No shorts, flooding or burning and there vaping like a charm!!!!

Thanks for all the good advice!!!!!

 

[Chas F.]

If you tuck the wick into the cup, you're essentially cutting off the airflow coming in through the base or, at the very least, you're going to restrict it. This will build up excess pressure and will lead to leaking or flooding. There's no need to block airflow.

I did the exact same thing when I built my first Protank II micro coil. You don't need any more cotton than a standard wick length. As with all wicks, the juice viscosity is going to determine how fast or slow it wicks into the cotton however, how tight the cotton is will also affect the juice flow as it vaporizes on the coil.

If you twist the cotton too much, you'll end up burning it as it'll be too tight (I did the same), so when you twist it through, make sure you twist it in the opposite direction to unwind it before you prime it with juice and vape.

As for the coil itself, none of the wires should be loose, so if even one isn't touching, you risk a hot spot which is going to end up frying the cotton or causing the coil to heat up too slow. Your voltage/wattage also plays a factor here. Cotton burns 50x faster than silica, so it only takes one dry hit and it's gone. Start low and increase to hit your sweet spot. You can also move up, but once you burn it, there's no going down - you have to replace the cotton and start over.

The cotton should be fluffy, not stiff/solid or rigid. You should also be able to easily pull the cotton from the coil. If you have to tug at it, or if the coil is moving with you when you pull the wick out, it's in there too tight. This is where using a smaller piece of cotton and twisting it through and then untwisting it to allow it to spread out works best.


This is based off my own experience. I use a 1/16" allen wrench to wrap my coils - works the same as a drill bit, I just like having the L shape to hang on to when I'm wrapping. Fits nicely in my hand and I can hold the L plus the lead and wrap super-tight. I've used 28 G and 30G, just depends on how many wraps I want at the time and I've never had issues with cotton. I have however, had issues with the Peaches and Cream yarn as of late. It doesn't like some flavors, so to speak, and leads to burning, so I'm back to cotton balls.

This^^. Make sure you have very little bulging where the wick exits the coil.

Edit: I always boil my cotton and in my limited experience, cotton balls taste a heck of a lot better than anything else I've tried, including Peaches & Cream yarn.

 

[mace bewley]

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[Stan d]

Does it make sense that some of my tanks work better on my ego batteries than they do on my vmax? My protank leaks, seems to be coming out the inside of the pin and I can't seem to figure out why. And my final ? Is, what is the difference between having a coil at 2 ohms vs say 1.4 ohms?

 

[Enoch777]

Does it make sense that some of my tanks work better on my ego batteries than they do on my vmax? My protank leaks, seems to be coming out the inside of the pin and I can't seem to figure out why. And my final ? Is, what is the difference between having a coil at 2 ohms vs say 1.4 ohms?

eGos run at around 3.4-3.7 volts. Let's say it's 3.6, roughly full charge.

3.6v x 3.6v / 1.4Ω = 9.25 Watts

3.6v x 3.6v / 2.0Ω = 6.48 Watts

As you can obviously tell, the higher your Ω(Ohms) of the coil you put on your eGo, the lower your wattage will be. That means less vapor.

It's very easy to set your Variable Wattage/Voltage lower than the coil would run on a standard eGo, and as such, you might notice an increase in flavor/vapor when using said coil/tank on the eGo. Other factors could include airflow, battery connection, etc

Vape well, vape often