lacking flavor with a7

[Yemrot]

so im still a litte new to the rba world but i have an a7 ive been using for a couple of days on my reo grand and am a bit dissapointed.
i built a 1.7ohm coil with 30g wire and a 2.5mm wick, seems to vape ok but i dont get much flavor at all. It was my understanding that with attys there is more flavor than cartos. being a carto user since i started vaping i thought it was time to try something new. ive read a lot of people talk about the hornet rba as well. it it worth 3 times the price of the a7? i guess what im getting at is, is my flavor lacking due to a cheap rba, or operator error?

 

[super_X_drifter]

Probably not the RBA. Air plays a significant role as do factors like coil diameter. I am not familiar with the A7, but I know with the hornet, the relationship of the airhole to the coil will change the characteristics of the vape.

It had recently been agreed that small diameter coils with more tightly spaced (touching) windings result in an increase in flavor by all that have tried it. I did, but I vape unflavored. I can tell you that it was much brighter and smoky tasting!

Experiment with different setups and don't give up. From all reports, the a7 vapes as good as any RBA out there if set up correctly.

Do you run a center or side coil?

 

[nerak]

I have a few A7's. The flavor is there and it is fantastic.

I build a coil over the center feed hole. I use bamboo, or cotton wicking. 32g Kanthal. My coils meter from 1.2 to 2.5 ohms. Lower on the Grand and higher on the VV Woodvil and VV Grand.

Keep trying, you can get great flavor and vapor from the low priced A7.

 

[Yemrot]

i went with the coil over the center hole as well, ive only built a few so im sure its a learning curve thing. the wick im using is the twine style. maybe ill try the cotton and wind a little tighter next time

 

[manglepup]

Wash it all out, don't put too much cotton inside the coil, and make sure you let it soak for a minute or two after a new setup. +

What Ohms are you coils? What size kanthal you using?

I got my A7 yesterday, have it on a Reo Grand, and I've been loving it. It took me a while to secure the center post (necessary because it wobbles, and if it touches the side while in your grand you'll get a short and fry your bottom spring). It also took me a bit to get the coil I wanted. I'm at 1.8ohm for the coil built with kanthal 30g and using cotton from a cotton ball.

 

[JC Okie]

so im still a litte new to the rba world but i have an a7 ive been using for a couple of days on my reo grand and am a bit dissapointed.
i built a 1.7ohm coil with 30g wire and a 2.5mm wick, seems to vape ok but i dont get much flavor at all. It was my understanding that with attys there is more flavor than cartos. being a carto user since i started vaping i thought it was time to try something new. ive read a lot of people talk about the hornet rba as well. it it worth 3 times the price of the a7? i guess what im getting at is, is my flavor lacking due to a cheap rba, or operator error?

Yemrot, I don't use an A7 but I've read many, many posts about how they are just drenched in some kind of machine oil. You need to take it all apart and boil it clean. What you're calling no flavor might just be your flavor mixing with the machine oil and therefore not tasting like you expect it to taste. Did you clean your A7 when you got it?

 

[Yemrot]

Wash it all out, don't put too much cotton inside the coil, and make sure you let it soak for a minute or two after a new setup. +

What Ohms are you coils? What size kanthal you using?

I got my A7 yesterday, have it on a Reo Grand, and I've been loving it. It took me a while to secure the center post (necessary because it wobbles, and if it touches the side while in your grand you'll get a short and fry your bottom spring). It also took me a bit to get the coil I wanted. I'm at 1.8ohm for the coil built with kanthal 30g and using cotton from a cotton ball.

using a 1.7ohm coil and 30g wire

 

[Yemrot]

@JC no i didnt! hopefully that is my issue, thanks for the tips everyone!

 

[Yemrot]

the other issue i had was, since this rba draws air from the bottom, i couldnt get any air if i used the o ring between the atty and the reo. is this normal and am i risking a short by not using the o ring?

 

[Sterno]

no as long as your center pin is flush with the threads you should be fine no oring is needed

 

[supertrunker]

A nice simple method is one that Commie has a picture reference of someplace - that i cannot now ofc find!! But in essence you wrap a lot of coil - i made one yesterday with 10 wraps of 32 AWG kanthal on a darning pin, (was 1.9 Ohms) and torch it when it's all very close together and nice looking.

Then take some more wire and use it as a loop to pull your wick thru the coil you just made. Sit it nice and neatly over the airhole of the A7. I don't use an o-ring on my Grand - just the A7. I use cotton wick so it does not last very long and i cannot dry burn it - but when it tastes ugh!! after about a week - i can just thread another thru the coil already in the A7, after then dry burning it to get any crud off.

T

 

[Yemrot]

A nice simple method is one that Commie has a picture reference of someplace - that i cannot now ofc find!! But in essence you wrap a lot of coil - i made one yesterday with 10 wraps of 32 AWG kanthal on a darning pin, (was 1.9 Ohms) and torch it when it's all very close together and nice looking.

Then take some more wire and use it as a loop to pull your wick thru the coil you just made. Sit it nice and neatly over the airhole of the A7. I don't use an o-ring on my Grand - just the A7. I use cotton wick so it does not last very long and i cannot dry burn it - but when it tastes ugh!! after about a week - i can just thread another thru the coil already in the A7, after then dry burning it to get any crud off.

T

so you actually put the cotton THROUGH the coil? the video i watched said just to put it up against the coil. i got it burning much better now with the cotton over the thread style, but the flavor still isnt as good as a carto. i even took it all apart and boiled it for a few minutes. i made the coil with 30g kanthal with just 5 loops around a jewelers screwdriver. maybe the coils are to big?
as frustrated as i am with having issues, i have to admit im realy having fun tinkering with all this stuff

 

[super_X_drifter]

Thru the coil indeed. Here is a picture to give you an idea of what an intense flavor producing setup looks like before trimming the wick to tuck it down in the bowl....

 

[harley05]

I'm using my A7 on a std Grand. Ohmed out at 1.6. 32G and 4 strands of bamboo threaded through the coil. You may have your coil too tight and that may be affecting the wicks ability to actually wick. Try loosening up that coil a bit. I also have around 2 inch tails hanging down into the bowl. With the bamboo, I find the coil doesnt gunk up at all. I'm using Heathers menthol ice 50/50 and I'm getting the most amazing flavor and vapor. If you would post close up pics, we may be able to better help you. And thank you Karen (nerak) for sending me that bamboo. I'm thinking of trying belly lint next!!

 

[nerak]

I'm using my A7 on a std Grand. Ohmed out at 1.6. 32G and 4 strands of bamboo threaded through the coil. You may have your coil too tight and that may be affecting the wicks ability to actually wick. Try loosening up that coil a bit. I also have around 2 inch tails hanging down into the bowl. With the bamboo, I find the coil doesnt gunk up at all. I'm using Heathers menthol ice 50/50 and I'm getting the most amazing flavor and vapor. If you would post close up pics, we may be able to better help you. And thank you Karen (nerak) for sending me that bamboo. I'm thinking of trying belly lint next!!

Well Ed, you will have to get that for yourself! Not sending belly lint to ya! LOL!

 

[Yemrot]

used cotton from a q-tip for wick. i tucked it evenly around in the bowl. it vapes really good but the flavor just isnt there..

 

[nerak]

used cotton from a q-tip for wick. i tucked it evenly around in the bowl. it vapes really good but the flavor just isnt there..
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Hard to see those little pics but try moving your coil away (UP) from the hole a little bit more. Try clipping a little from the ends of your wick. Make it a tad shorter.

 

[Sterno]

ive never thought that cotton produces better flavor than a good quality silica

 

[jeapa]

used cotton from a q-tip for wick. i tucked it evenly around in the bowl. it vapes really good but the flavor just isnt there..
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I think it may be the q-tip cotton. I tried that with my first coil on my ERA and it tasted really bad. Try some cotton from a cotton ball, use organic if you can find it. With my juice the cotton wicks only last about 10 hours then the taste goes down. It is so easy to change out I put a fresh wick in twice a day.

 

[Dougiestyle]

I love the flavor on my A7. It's my exclusive BF atty. I use Nextel ceramic strands. I tried cotton (twine) and it gave some off, organic flavor.