Micro coil troubles - 10 wraps, 32g kanthal, 1/16" = 6.4 ohms?!

[NatureBoy]

I'm completely baffled. Either my multimeter is junk (reads V fine), or I'm doing something wrong with my coils.
Tonight I used a 1/16" drill bit to wrap 32g kanthal, 10 wraps. The multimeter showed 6.4 ohms set on the 200 setting.

How can that be? It produces lots of vapor, and lights up fairly quickly, maybe a wee bit slow, but throat hit is good(ish), not much flavour though.

 

[Rickajho]

If it matters, I tried two different cheapo meters from HarborFreight Tools and they are total crap for reading resistance. Your real resistance is probably 4 ohms lower than what a meter like that reads - even on one that is zeroing properly. Considering they give them away for free with a coupon...

 

[Bunnykiller]

did you check your meter?? touch the leads together and see what reading you get... how old are the batteries in the meter??

 

[NatureBoy]

If it matters, I tried two different cheapo meters from HarborFreight Tools and they are total crap for reading resistance. Your real resistance is probably 4 ohms lower than what a meter like that reads - even on one that is zeroing properly. Considering they give them away for free with a coupon...

lol, that's exactly what i'm using. i hate the thought of buying another one when i have two really good ones back in canada in storage i forgot to grab when i was there over the holidays, lol.

maybe i'll spring for one of those atomizer resistance checkers.

 

[NatureBoy]

did you check your meter?? touch the leads together and see what reading you get... how old are the batteries in the meter??

oh this crappy meter doesn't even have a battery... i broke the thing open trying to see if it had one. i did forget the check the meter, i'll do that and see what i have to subtract.

 

[NatureBoy]

Ok, meter read 1.7 ohm when I touched leads together. Still doesn't seem right, even after subtracting that from 6.4

 

[bosun]

I'm using a 1/16th drill bit, 32 gauge, cotton. Five wraps will give me about 1.8 ohms resistance. Measured with a 45 year old analog meter (g), a black plastic $20.00 808/510 meter, and my Provari. One thought is that your screws holding the coil legs aren't tight?
Here is a quick chart showing the Kanthal specs (if you haven't seen it yet):

Kanthal A-1 Wire Specs: (Ohms Per Inch)
•28 AWG- 0.439 Ohms/in, 0.0508 Diameter (in.)
•30 AWG- 0.696 Ohms/in, 0.0100 Diameter (in.)
•32 AWG- 1.091 Ohms/in, 0.0080 Diameter (in.)
•33 AWG- 1.383 Ohms/in, 0.0071 Diameter (in.)
•34 AWG- 1.758 Ohms/in, 0.0063 Diameter (in.)

 

[minitater]

Yea, those HF meters are crap. Mine read 1.4-1.8 ohms with leads touched together. Opened it up and no ohm adjustment to zero. I think subtracting coil reading with what it shows shorted out may be close to actual ohms. That's why I like ohm meters built into the VV devices.

wt