Microcoil - Confused

[CrazyIvan]

I'm totally confused about microcoils. Apparently, they are extremely popular, yet, after reasonable amount of trial and error, I have yet to find any benefit over regular builds. In addition, I cannot find any cohesive explanation on what actually makes a micro-coil work better, or even what a proper micro-coil should look like. The original thread started out with a vague remark about surface area vs coil diameter and I'm not sure I understand. I have to admit I didn't read the full 700+ pages, but skimming through, I didn't find the explanation I was looking for. Some say the coils need to touch, some say they don't, some say it needs to be small diameter and high ohms, some say low ohm and/or high diameter is ok. Others yet present their (quite purrrrty) dragon coils. I did a search for comparison of "traditional coils" to micro, but the discussion I found turned into strange analogies to HEMIs vs V6s.

My experience thus far. Wrapped a number of coils tight on a tiny drill bit using 28awg anywhere between 8 and 12 wraps, ending with resistances of 1 ohm up to 1.6 ohms. Heated, squeezed them with tweezers, they glow from the middle. Put in cotton wick and juiced. Good to go, right? I compared this side by side with an identical kayfun set up with a traditional 5/4 wrap on 2mm "figure 8" silica. Results? In my opinion, the standard build performed better overall in every trial. TH was especially better. Flavor was slightly better and VP was about same. With all the hype, I honestly expected to be blown away and was sorely disapointed again and again.

So, did I miss something? Is this more of a dripper/regulated device thing? Or perhaps this yields better results in a dual coil setup (I could see the potential benefits). Maybe it's Reo-specific?

 

[Thepinfamily]

Idk but I'd like to hear what other say.

 

[MiamiMom63]

I'm not sure how to approach your experience. It seems over analyzed somehow. To me my definition of a microcoil is 9 wraps or greater. I do 9 wraps with cotton on a small nail I have and it comes out usually to 1.9 ohms. I've only done single coil RDAs and love them. I do drip. I haven't tried it any other way. It really just depends on what you are comfortable with in building and vaping everyone likes different.

 

[quiter]

Heats up faster and more evenly from the center out this give you less hot spots and hot legs. How well it works depends a lot on the topper and airflow. They should be touching tightly and not overlapping and generally 30 gauge on a 1/16th drill bit or syringe needle something like that. When I was into sub-ohm I did as few as three wrap micro coils with 28 gauge. The biggest advantage was INSTANT vapor. 7 wrap dual coil setups are nice too. Of course with VV or VW you will not be going sub-ohm but you should still see an advantage but like I said it depends a lot on your topper.

 

[jcalis1394]

Surface area. With a micro coil, not only are you making a smaller coil, but you are making quite a couple of wraps giving it a bigger surface area regarding the wick. This essentially means more concentrated vapor, as there's much more surface area being covered and vaporized by the coil. The coils touching each other and glowing from the middle gives it a nice, even fire up for a more saturated vape as opposed to 4/3 wraps touching very little parts of the wick.

I've compared regular builds to micro/nano coils on both RDAs and Kayfuns, and to me the difference is very noticeable, specially flavor wise.

 

[JakeDGreat]

For me, main benefit would be CONSISTENCY... I could wrap an ordinary 5/4 on an 8-wick and have it wick perfect one day, then build another one with an awful dry hit and flooding the next. With a micro-coil (actually a mini, cause I do a 3mm diameter 6 wrap, 27awg Kanthal), I know what to expect and get it each time... .9 ohms, great flavor, no dry hit / flooding; each and every build...... And I think cotton wicks far better than silica... just my 2 cents.

 

[justinonymous]

Size also matters when making a micro coil.

PERSONALLY, I prefer micro coils rather than normal wraps. Why? First, I don't really like the cracking and popping that normal wraps give. I prefer the smooth stream of vapor coming from micro coils. Second, micro coils are much easier to work with using cotton (I don't like silica) when making dual coils. It's much easier to get dual microcoils to glow evenly than normal wraps because after enough practice, your coils will always be touching, or you could torch it.

EDIT: Picture stolen from Super X the micro coil master.

 

[EU6EN3]

And one benefit which no one have pointed out yet is the changing of wick.

For regular build, the wire is coil around the wick thus making the setup a one time build. But for the micro coil setup, the wick/cotton is placed after the coil is build. Which means when the wick/cotton have a burned taste, You simply remove the wick/cotton leaving the coil still attach. Do a burn out on the coil and place in new wick..

This is great for lazy bums like me.. who is not very good with small little thing and no patient at all...

 

[pdib]

So, when you're setting up an RBA, you're making a steam generator. The stored energy in the battery is turned into heat energy in the resistance wire. This heat energy is transmitted to the liquid and expressed as phase change (liquid turning into steam). The micro coil increases the efficiency of that heat energy in that the close proximity of the wraps conserves the heat rather than allowing it to dissipate into the atomizer (air) and the wet wick (heating the liquid but not turning it into steam). This is because the coils are, in effect heating each other. Secondly, resistance is increased by heat (little nuclei jiggling more make bigger targets for electrons to crash into), so the conserved heat energy compounds the resistance which further increases heat (which increases resistance, which increases heat . . .. and etc.) So, you're using the energy more efficiently and creating more heat. More heat (when applied effectively) = more steam. Nextly, the small diameter of the coil transfers the energy more efficiently to the juice. Rather than a big fat soppy wick with some heat source surrounding it (but not being able to really heat the core to phase change levels), you have a skinnier structure surrounded by the heat source. The heat energy is sufficient to vaporize a greater amount of the juice that is being exposed to any appreciable amount of heat. I would imagine that the juice in the center of a 3mm wick is being warmed but stays liquid. Also, the tube shape (effectively "solid wall") of the coil is basically a full contact situation. Everywhere (so to speak) that is "coil" is effective hot coil. (vs individual strands of coil spaced along a vast expanse of wick).

In short, it's a more efficient application of heat energy being generated. And it is being applied to a smaller dose of liquid that is in closer proximity to the wire.



Somefin' like 'at? . . . ... you wanted?



I can't tell you why you think it sucks, tho

 

[Vash]

Yeah boy ! Pdib in the house What he said ^^^

 

[suspectK]

Nice pdib.

Not sure if this it's a micro(> 18gauge diameter) or nano (<18gauge diameter)..disregard the tiny granules on the base. That is a coil on a bed of cotton... with a kink in the leg.

Edit. Picture sucks with phone app. Can click on attachment in browser.

 

[Credo]

The main benefit for me is that I like the cotton wicks.

A micro coil is really easy to build quickly.

It's also easier for me to get rigged up into the atty. I just leave it on the jig until it's positioned and tightened down as I like. Then pull through some cotton...easy as pie.

You can use one for a long time...simply change wicks out as needed.

I've gotten just as good of a vape with loosely wound regular coils, but they're not nearly as easy for me to build and position.

Sometimes I do silica or silica/mesh hybrid stuff...in which cases I just wind regular coils right on the wicks. When they don't perform as well I just wind an entirely new one. It's not nearly as easy as doing a quick micro on a 1/16 jig with cotton wick.

 

[MiamiMom63]

I've been loving the .5mm ribbon wire for my coils. The flat wire seems to cover more area and it's been working real well for me.

 

[koski88]

I love building micro coils, once you get the hang of them it becomes very easy. I use mine with cotton wick, so when my cotton gets old I just pull it out of the micro and stick another piece in there and bam you're good to go. And it does have greater vapor production IMO than a standard wrap.

 

[Phone Guy]

All my micro, macro, nano, fugly coils come out looking bad...they work of course - what's the easiest (best) method for properly wrapping said coils? My method obviously doesn't work well

ImportVapor.com

 

[suspectK]

I like to use a multimeter lead, that disconnects from wires. Something like that, or a screw driver or syringe. I know a lot of people like to just wrap and crimp coils together after the fact, but when I use a base like that, I get the most consistency out of wrapping them together.

 

[MrStik]

The benefits of micro coils to me are the following:

1. Ease of wrapping. I can wrap the same coil over and over again using a jig or a paperclip.
2. Consistency. Every coil I wrap comes out to be very close in terms of ohms.
3. Easy to wick. I have 2 options when it comes to wicking, a bed of wick is my personal favorite as I lay my coil on top of a bedding of cotton. The other option is to thread my wick into my coil. As easy as it is to wick, it is just as easy to re-wick. Burn the cotton? or the cotton getting gunky? no problem, just pull the wick out and replace.
4. Durability. I find that my coils last longer too. I just pull the wick, dry burn a few times to burn off any build up, and the coil is pretty good at that point and I just re-wick and I am ready to go.

Everyone's mileage will vary, and I prefer the micro build over the traditional coils.

 

[JD1]

I've been loving the .5mm ribbon wire for my coils. The flat wire seems to cover more area and it's been working real well for me.

I'm thinking about trying some ribbon wire but was about to order the .8 a1. Have you tried any different sizes?

 

[beazy]

My best results come from a 4/5 wrap of .8 a1 ribbon around a 1/16 ss rope with a light mesh sleeve .9 ohms or so. Much better than the 3/16 rope and 3/4 wrap at .8 ohms

 

[Phone Guy]

My best results come from a 4/5 wrap of .8 a1 ribbon around a 1/16 ss rope with a light mesh sleeve .9 ohms or so. Much better than the 3/16 rope and 3/4 wrap at .8 ohms

I'm guessing you're using the ss rope in a genesis type tank?

There is no way to use rope in a kayfun ? (Is there? )

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