New coils for Zeus X RTA ?

[Chaosweaver]

Hello guys , i recently bought a Zeus X RTA but i'm not satisfied with the coils that come in the box. For some reason i'm not feeling the flavor of my e-liquid at all no matter what wattage i go.
What kind of clapton coils i shoud buy to have both solid clouds and flavor ? I'm totally new to the coils stuff and i don't really have a clue what to buy ...
I'm using a GeekVape Nova kit and i'm usually vaping between 55 to 65 watts.
Those are the options i have from the local store:

Edit: For some reason the images i've posted can't be opened so i'll just upload them here

 

[bombastinator]

Hello guys , i recently bought a Zeus X RTA but i'm not satisfied with the coils that come in the box. For some reason i'm not feeling the flavor of my e-liquid at all no matter what wattage i go.
What kind of clapton coils i shoud buy to have both solid clouds and flavor ? I'm totally new to the coils stuff and i don't really have a clue what to buy ...
I'm using a GeekVape Nova kit and i'm usually vaping between 55 to 65 watts.
Those are the options i have from the local store:

Edit: For some reason the images i've posted can't be opened so i'll just upload them here

You may not get a lot of replies on this one simply because it’s a hard question to answer. The thing about RTAs is they are hand wicked so your wicking and coil placement could have more to do with your issue than the coils themselves.

To make it more complicated different people like different things and “solid” is not a very effective descriptor of what you are looking for.

 

[GOMuniEsq]

About the only thing that's certain is that vapor production is proportional to surface area and power. You've got a slew of interconnected variables:

• surface area (affects vapor and flavor)
  
• metal composition of the coil (Kanthal, Ni80, SS; said to affect taste; and whether you can use temperature control)
  
• number of wires in the coil (affects surface area, mass of coil, but can get clogged up)
  
• mass of the coil (how much power is needed to heat it in a timely fashion, and also how long it needs to cool down, and warmth of vapor)
• choice of wattage/temperature (affects battery life, vapor production, warmth of vapor)
• contact vs spaced coil (affects flavor, surface area, heating/cooling, hot spots)
  
• overall resistance (gets you in the right ballpark)
  
• choice and technique of wicking (big impact on performance and flavor)

I'd be a fool to recommend anything given that most of this is subjective and since can't determine some of this stuff until after you've installed the coil on your deck.

So buy a variety of coils and experiment with building them until you find something you like. Youtube is your friend. Hopefully you have a backup vape to use during all that experimenting!

“To know a thing well, know its limits; Only when pushed beyond its tolerance will its true nature be seen.”

 

[Chaosweaver]

Seems i just have to buy few different coils and try them out. I'm just very confused right now , i've read on multiple forums how much of a flavor the Zeus provides , at the same time i've had people telling me that no matter what coils I use the device won't have impressive flavor at all ...

 

[bombastinator]

Seems i just have to buy few different coils and try them out. I'm just very confused right now , i've read on multiple forums how much of a flavor the Zeus provides , at the same time i've had people telling me that no matter what coils I use the device won't have impressive flavor at all ...

As @GOMuniEsq said there are really a bunch of variables to consider. The coil is only one of them.

Some other big ones are placement and airflow and wicking. If you do those wrong you won’t get good performance no matter what you do. On any device. Placement is about the height of the coil off the deck and how it presents to the airflow. More air is generally good. Wicking is about getting as much juice to the coil as possible in a way that it can boil it off while keeping the device from leaking. A device with a lot of heat but not a lot of juice or airflow will just burn. A device without a lot of heat but a lot of airflow will taste weak. Also there’s juice type to consider as well. Increasing VG percentage will create denser clouds and cause the juice to run more slowly. It also can create flavor changes and it produces less throat hit than PG.

 

[GOMuniEsq]

Seems i just have to buy few different coils and try them out. I'm just very confused right now , i've read on multiple forums how much of a flavor the Zeus provides , at the same time i've had people telling me that no matter what coils I use the device won't have impressive flavor at all ...

Yes lol. You can chalk up negative experiences regarding entire RTAs to people who didn't put in enough effort to get it right, as long as you've got some credible positive reports to give you hope. Mark me down as positive. The RTA's job is really pretty simple: hold your build, keep it wet, and blow air on it (and look good doing it). You can see the build that worked for me in my Zeus X on my info page.

 

[t8kiteasy]

I have a suggestion not sure how it will go but ,try using ribbon wire. When I run into a problem with flavor I fall back on ribbon . I started using it in my immortalized RDA and love it. The problem is it does not always work with every,or any one device you have unless it is meant for ribbon.

I would try SS ribbon wire it produces flavor comparable to regular SS round wire ,but a little sharper. You might even try twisting two strands together and make a set of coils that might work also?

 

[Dudeman]

If you're going to purchase coil's and don't want to spend on really good customs, get the Geekvape 2 in 1 kit #F209.
You can thank me later. I'm currently running the fused claptons 28ga*4 x 40ga and my Zeus X is chucking flavor.

 

[Beamslider]

I use a single coil in it placed diagonally across the deck. I use a hand wrapped 22 guage kanthal at 4 mm inner diameter. I get a ton of vapor and flavor out of the tank with that coil which is around .5 ohm. I have also used 22 gauge SS at around .25 ohm but preferred the Kanthal

Preferable to me over dual coil setups or single multi-wire coils.

How do you have the air holes lined up on the inner chamber. Works better if you line the holes on the inner chamber with the air intake slots on the tanks. At least for me

 

[chellie]

I use a single coil in it placed diagonally across the deck. I use a hand wrapped 22 guage kanthal at 4 mm inner diameter. I get a ton of vapor and flavor out of the tank with that coil which is around .5 ohm. I have also used 22 gauge SS at around .25 ohm but preferred the Kanthal

Preferable to me over dual coil setups or single multi-wire coils.

How do you have the air holes lined up on the inner chamber. Works better if you line the holes on the inner chamber with the air intake slots on the tanks. At least for me

Thanks. That is good info. I am now working in very high heat weather so I got the Legend and the Zeus X. Never ever used a dual coil until now. Used the ones that came with it --it is at .19. I prefer .5. And is it just OK

I do not want to hand-wrap any coils. You always have good suggestions . Do you have any to buy some premade coils that will fit well diagonally in it. I use wattage only. Thanks

 

[Beamslider]

Thanks. That is good info. I am now working in very high heat weather so I got the Legend and the Zeus X. Never ever used a dual coil until now. Used the ones that came with it --it is at .19. I prefer .5. And is it just OK

I do not want to hand-wrap any coils. You always have good suggestions . Do you have any to buy some premade coils that will fit well diagonally in it. I use wattage only. Thanks

I can understand you not wanting to wrap them yourself. It is going to be difficult to find prewrapped coils for single coil use though. The problem being that the inner diameter needs to be around 4 mm for it to work with the wick as the juice holes are quite large on the Zeus X and need to be fully filled to block leakage.

Most of the pre-coiled wires have around 2.5mm to 3mm inner diameter. It might be easy with pre-coiled wire to stay with dual and use 1 ohm coils to get the 0.5ohm you want.

Something like this would probably work for dual coil at 0.5ohm
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10028765/6298103-kanthal-a1-pre-coiled-wire-for-rba-atomizer-10

Really not at all hard to wrap them yourself though and they last for months with a burn off and rewicking.

I also tried some Stainless Clapton wire single coil in the Zeus X. It was 26AWG ss316l core wrapped with 36 AWG ss316l and it came out to just about 0.7 ohm with a 4mm core and 7 wraps. Vapes well too and has a bit more flavor than the 22 Gauge Kanthal.

 

[Beamslider]

Here a picture of the Clapton coil installed.

 

[chellie]

I can understand you not wanting to wrap them yourself. It is going to be difficult to find prewrapped coils for single coil use though. The problem being that the inner diameter needs to be around 4 mm for it to work with the wick as the juice holes are quite large on the Zeus X and need to be fully filled to block leakage.

Most of the pre-coiled wires have around 2.5mm to 3mm inner diameter. It might be easy with pre-coiled wire to stay with dual and use 1 ohm coils to get the 0.5ohm you want.

Something like this would probably work for dual coil at 0.5ohm
$1.11 Kanthal A1 Pre-coiled Wire for RBA Atomizer (10-Pack) - 26 AWG / 0.4mm dia. / 1ohm at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Really not at all hard to wrap them yourself though and they last for months with a burn off and rewicking.

I also tried some Stainless Clapton wire single coil in the Zeus X. It was 26AWG ss316l core wrapped with 36 AWG ss316l and it came out to just about 0.7 ohm with a 4mm core and 7 wraps. Vapes well too and has a bit more flavor than the 22 Gauge Kanthal.

Thanks been working like a DOG and just logged on. I have some premade two-wire fat coils at between .8 and 1 ohm that I have been using with a dual build -- getting me between .4 and .5. I do have wire -- for a tech gal -I seem to be all thumbs and my coils that I wrap looks like a third grader made them. even with the jig --lol. I will stick with the smaller dual for now.

 

[chellie]

Here a picture of the Clapton coil installed.

View attachment 829853 View attachment 829855

That's doable -- I will try when I get some off time.

 

[MacTechVpr]

About the only thing that's certain is that vapor production is proportional to surface area and power. You've got a slew of interconnected variables:

• surface area (affects vapor and flavor)
  
• metal composition of the coil (Kanthal, Ni80, SS; said to affect taste; and whether you can use temperature control)
  
• number of wires in the coil (affects surface area, mass of coil, but can get clogged up)
  
• mass of the coil (how much power is needed to heat it in a timely fashion, and also how long it needs to cool down, and warmth of vapor)
• choice of wattage/temperature (affects battery life, vapor production, warmth of vapor)
• contact vs spaced coil (affects flavor, surface area, heating/cooling, hot spots)
  
• overall resistance (gets you in the right ballpark)
  
• choice and technique of wicking (big impact on performance and flavor)

I'd be a fool to recommend anything given that most of this is subjective and since can't determine some of this stuff until after you've installed the coil on your deck.

So buy a variety of coils and experiment with building them until you find something you like. Youtube is your friend. Hopefully you have a backup vape to use during all that experimenting!

“To know a thing well, know its limits; Only when pushed beyond its tolerance will its true nature be seen.”

I really like your breakdown here and don't think I've ever seen it described it as neatly or comprehensively. Would add or eleborate on the importance of matching juice flow volume (coil Ø, wick density) as closely as possible to the above build criteria. Getting this wrong can very easily lead to the wrong conclusions regarding the real performance potential of our installation design and the device. So experiment as to the boundaries is the way towards finding an optimal center of our own. Those who assume the comfort of others' sense of performance may miss out on a lot.

Good luck.

 

[UncleEddy]

Did you find any solution in terms of flavor? I am expiriencing somewhat the same problems. I’ve tried lots of different wicking styles and I think the one I’m using now gives me the best flavor I’ve had yet.

Is there anyone who can tell me if coil placement matters in terms of flavor? For instance like placing the coils higher or lower from the deck.

 

[bombastinator]

Did you find any solution in terms of flavor? I am expiriencing somewhat the same problems. I’ve tried lots of different wicking styles and I think the one I’m using now gives me the best flavor I’ve had yet.

Is there anyone who can tell me if coil placement matters in terms of flavor? For instance like placing the coils higher or lower from the deck.

Coil placement affects airflow which can effect flavor