My 1.8 ohm coil turned into a 5.0 ohm coil, what went wrong?

[MustangSallie]

I just got my new AGA-T2 yesterday and I ordered a pre-rolled 400 mesh wick. First two coils weren't all that successful, but the third one was a total disaster. The first coil I removed from the wick without even testing it with juice because I couldn't work out the hotspots. I managed to get a couple of pretty decent hits off the second coil vapor wise, but the flavor was pretty muted and then I started getting harsh hit after harsh hit so that one eventually got removed. For all of three coils I used 32 gauge kanthal. I followed along with a couple of videos and on the third try I ended up building a 4/3 coil that read 1.8 ohm. After a bit of prodding I managed to eliminate the hot spots, fired it up with juice and noticed that there was a lot of vapor coming off the positive post. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm guessing that's not good. I also noticed that the lead to the positive post was touching the side of the nut. So I started burning off the juice to the point where I could see the coils glow, pushed the coil lead away from the side of the nut on the positive post and tried working out the hot spots again. At some point during this process I decided to test the ohms again and my atty read 5.0 ohms.

1) is it okay to use the ohm tester on my device or should I be using a multi meter?
2) I don't have a mechanical mod, can I do a successful rebuild using a vv device?
3) what went wrong to turn my 1.8 ohm coil into a 5.0 ohm coil when I initially tested it and then started dropping to 4.9, 4.8, 4.7 etc..?
4) I've watched videos, read threads and blogs, can somebody point me to the ultimate guide of "Genesis RBAs for Dummies"?
5) is it bad that I worked on the hot spots for so long that my wick started smoking?
6) at what point do you know the wick is bad?

I'm sure there is lots more I should be asking but since I don't know what I'm doing I'm guessing I also don't know what all I should be asking.

Help... please.

 

[supertrunker]

Unoxidized SetUp - Tutorial on Vimeo

This is the Petar k method of making wicks and is one of the best for genesis type tanks. Hope it helps.

T

 

[Rule62]

I just got my new AGA-T2 yesterday and I ordered a pre-rolled 400 mesh wick. First two coils weren't all that successful, but the third one was a total disaster. The first coil I removed from the wick without even testing it with juice because I couldn't work out the hotspots. I managed to get a couple of pretty decent hits off the second coil vapor wise, but the flavor was pretty muted and then I started getting harsh hit after harsh hit so that one eventually got removed. For all of three coils I used 32 gauge kanthal. I followed along with a couple of videos and on the third try I ended up building a 4/3 coil that read 1.8 ohm. After a bit of prodding I managed to eliminate the hot spots, fired it up with juice and noticed that there was a lot of vapor coming off the positive post. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm guessing that's not good. I also noticed that the lead to the positive post was touching the side of the nut. So I started burning off the juice to the point where I could see the coils glow, pushed the coil lead away from the side of the nut on the positive post and tried working out the hot spots again. At some point during this process I decided to test the ohms again and my atty read 5.0 ohms.

1) is it okay to use the ohm tester on my device or should I be using a multi meter?
2) I don't have a mechanical mod, can I do a successful rebuild using a vv device?
3) what went wrong to turn my 1.8 ohm coil into a 5.0 ohm coil when I initially tested it and then started dropping to 4.9, 4.8, 4.7 etc..?
4) I've watched videos, read threads and blogs, can somebody point me to the ultimate guide of "Genesis RBAs for Dummies"?
5) is it bad that I worked on the hot spots for so long that my wick started smoking?
6) at what point do you know the wick is bad?

I'm sure there is lots more I should be asking but since I don't know what I'm doing I'm guessing I also don't know what all I should be asking.

Help... please.

Whenever the resistance jumps like that, chances are it's either a loose connection at either the + or - post; or, in the process of prodding your coil, the wick began touching the bottom of the tank. If you've violated the oxidation layer on the wick, enough so that the coil makes electrical contact, and the end of the wick, which is also unoxidized, contacts the metal tank bottom, the resistance reading will jump sky high.

 

[Vault]

It is a balancing act between getting the coils tight enough to make contact with the wick and not too tight they break through the oxidised layer and short.
I`m new at this as well and have had my AGA-T2 for a week now but fortunately I`m patient and a born tinkerer so have had loads of time playing.
Forgetting the coils (Kanthal 30 scortched) the main issue seems to be the delicate contact between the wick and coils.
There needs to be an insulating layer so the electricity takes the path of least resistance and heats the coils, not short to the wick.
The coils too loose....they get hot and the juice "pops"
The coils too tight...they break the fine oxidisation and short giving you higher and higher Ohm readings.

It is a bugger! The "Petar K" method means if you test the coils they are good...BUT slip a wick in there and the problems start, a previously perfect coil is now having hot-spots because it`s touching a minute part of the wick that has less resistance than another part.
Gently pull or twist the coil and you solve one spot only to create another! In the end (and I`ve got it down to a few mins) you can get the coils to glow evenly
Then you nudge the wick when fitting the cap and...urrghh! a metallic twang and you just know you`ve got to start again.

When it`s working ..it works well!! When it don`t it`s a pain!

Now because I`m running a Vamo I like to keep plus 1.3 coils and I don`t pulse (as such). I use the Petar K and make sure the coil is good (one less thing out of the equation!) then oxidise the tip of the wick and slip it in.
I work it out from there.

I like the idea of having a SS wick.I like the idea of it being un-oxidised so the wick is un-adulterated (but cleaned with Iso-alcohol first) however the two dont work on a non-mech if you can`t pulse to create the insulation layer.

I`ve just got some Ekowool (braided silica) and am playing with wrapping the coils (off the RBA) around the top of the wick with a sleeve of this to act as an insulating layer (daiper method?) leaving the rest of the SS wick el natural )
Nextel XC-116 is similar and a lot of guys use this to make a hybrid wick but I can`t find a source here in the UK so I`ve opted for the next best thing.
Alternatively as a quick try you could use the Rizla paper method of wrapping the wick with a single layer of this and dry burning off so the residue creates an insulating layer.
I`ve not tried this yet as I`m a bloody minded git and want to be able to build coils Old School before I resort to the easier option

 

[Rule62]

It is a balancing act between getting the coils tight enough to make contact with the wick and not too tight they break through the oxidised layer and short.
I`m new at this as well and have had my AGA-T2 for a week now but fortunately I`m patient and a born tinkerer so have had loads of time playing.
Forgetting the coils (Kanthal 30 scortched) the main issue seems to be the delicate contact between the wick and coils.
There needs to be an insulating layer so the electricity takes the path of least resistance and heats the coils, not short to the wick.
The coils too loose....they get hot and the juice "pops"
The coils too tight...they break the fine oxidisation and short giving you higher and higher Ohm readings.

It is a bugger! The "Petar K" method means if you test the coils they are good...BUT slip a wick in there and the problems start, a previously perfect coil is now having hot-spots because it`s touching a minute part of the wick that has less resistance than another part.
Gently pull or twist the coil and you solve one spot only to create another! In the end (and I`ve got it down to a few mins) you can get the coils to glow evenly
Then you nudge the wick when fitting the cap and...urrghh! a metallic twang and you just know you`ve got to start again.

When it`s working ..it works well!! When it don`t it`s a pain!

Now because I`m running a Vamo I like to keep plus 1.3 coils and I don`t pulse (as such). I use the Petar K and make sure the coil is good (one less thing out of the equation!) then oxidise the tip of the wick and slip it in.
I work it out from there.

I like the idea of having a SS wick.I like the idea of it being un-oxidised so the wick is un-adulterated (but cleaned with Iso-alcohol first) however the two dont work on a non-mech if you can`t pulse to create the insulation layer.

I`ve just got some Ekowool (braided silica) and am playing with wrapping the coils (off the RBA) around the top of the wick with a sleeve of this to act as an insulating layer (daiper method?) leaving the rest of the SS wick el natural )
Nextel XC-116 is similar and a lot of guys use this to make a hybrid wick but I can`t find a source here in the UK so I`ve opted for the next best thing.
Alternatively as a quick try you could use the Rizla paper method of wrapping the wick with a single layer of this and dry burning off so the residue creates an insulating layer.
I`ve not tried this yet as I`m a bloody minded git and want to be able to build coils Old School before I resort to the easier option

This is why the RSST is currently so popular, and easy to set up. It eliminates the variables of shorting against the wick hole and the tank bottom.
With other RBAs, the pulse method is difficult and time consuming, if using a vv or vw mod. It works well on mechanicals. With regulated mods, a better method is to flame oxidize, and then juice burn the ss wick, at least beneath where the coil will be, and down as far as through the wick hole.

 

[UncleChuck]

The coils too tight...they break the fine oxidisation and short giving you higher and higher Ohm readings.

the coil makes electrical contact, and the end of the wick, which is also unoxidized, contacts the metal tank bottom, the resistance reading will jump sky high.

That doesn't quite add up.

Assuming the coil is still properly connected to the posts, I don't see how it's possible for shorting against the wick to cause an INCREASE in impedance. With the wick properly oxidized, the resistance between the coil and wick is great enough that the current flows through the coil, not the wick.

If you break the oxidation layer, and the coil can pass current through the wick as well as the coil, your resistance would go DOWN, not up, because you are introducing additional pathways for the current to flow. You are decreasing the resistance, as the coil is still allowing current to flow.

Current takes the path of least resistance. If the coil shorts against the wick, and the wick is more resistive than the coil, current will still pass through the coil. I just can't figure out any way that resistance could go up due to shorting a wick.

A bad connection on the posts, or a wire that's cracked to the point of almost breaking are really the only things I could think of that would increase resistance. I've had this happen a few times, it's always been slightly loose contact of the wire against the posts.

 

[Vault]

I can see where you are coming from and I`m going at this on an intuative level rather than methodical.
Sort of "Zen and the art of Wicking"

 

[moresalt]

I agree with what Uncle Chuck said. The terms short and higher resistance just don't go together. A short ALWAYS creates a lower resistance. Back to ohm's law to figure out the resistance of a parallel circuit the formula is Rt = R1 x R2 / (R1+R2). Where Rt is the total reistance, R1 is the resistance of one path, and R2 is the resistance of the other path. So any parallel path created will always cause the resistance to decrease.

 

[Rule62]

I've had the opposite happen in the past. With a coil making electrical contact with the wick, and the unoxidized end of the wick touching the bottom of the tank, the resistance has gone up.

 

[mikewill45]

I just got my new AGA-T2 yesterday and I ordered a pre-rolled 400 mesh wick. First two coils weren't all that successful, but the third one was a total disaster. The first coil I removed from the wick without even testing it with juice because I couldn't work out the hotspots. I managed to get a couple of pretty decent hits off the second coil vapor wise, but the flavor was pretty muted and then I started getting harsh hit after harsh hit so that one eventually got removed. For all of three coils I used 32 gauge kanthal. I followed along with a couple of videos and on the third try I ended up building a 4/3 coil that read 1.8 ohm. After a bit of prodding I managed to eliminate the hot spots, fired it up with juice and noticed that there was a lot of vapor coming off the positive post. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm guessing that's not good. I also noticed that the lead to the positive post was touching the side of the nut. So I started burning off the juice to the point where I could see the coils glow, pushed the coil lead away from the side of the nut on the positive post and tried working out the hot spots again. At some point during this process I decided to test the ohms again and my atty read 5.0 ohms.

1) is it okay to use the ohm tester on my device or should I be using a multi meter?
2) I don't have a mechanical mod, can I do a successful rebuild using a vv device?
3) what went wrong to turn my 1.8 ohm coil into a 5.0 ohm coil when I initially tested it and then started dropping to 4.9, 4.8, 4.7 etc..?
4) I've watched videos, read threads and blogs, can somebody point me to the ultimate guide of "Genesis RBAs for Dummies"?
5) is it bad that I worked on the hot spots for so long that my wick started smoking?
6) at what point do you know the wick is bad?

I'm sure there is lots more I should be asking but since I don't know what I'm doing I'm guessing I also don't know what all I should be asking.

Help... please.

I've had this jumping resistance problem on my AGA-T2 as well and I'm using a ceramic wick. For me the problem has always been solved by retightening my connections. My one disappointment with the AGA-T2 has been the positive connection setup as the center post is too small in diameter and the nuts too small also. Just a little bigger and they would be easier to work with and more stable.