New guy RTA question

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nicobeak

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Sep 30, 2014
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I am new to this forum and new to rebuildables in general. I got an Odin rda and love it so far (until my rDNA gets here I'm just playing around with it on a zmax mini). I want to get into rtas but have no idea where to start. I am not a cloud chaser, just after the flavor really.

1) Any suggestions on starting points with rtas?

2) I really love the higher vg liquid and have trouble with it in clearos (even my nautilus mini has some trouble with a few of them), will an rta be able to handle higher vg, or will I have to be re-wicking every day?

Any info is definitely appreciated!
 

readeuler

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I am new to this forum and new to rebuildables in general. I got an Odin rda and love it so far (until my rDNA gets here I'm just playing around with it on a zmax mini). I want to get into rtas but have no idea where to start. I am not a cloud chaser, just after the flavor really.

1) Any suggestions on starting points with rtas?

2) I really love the higher vg liquid and have trouble with it in clearos (even my nautilus mini has some trouble with a few of them), will an rta be able to handle higher vg, or will I have to be re-wicking every day?

Any info is definitely appreciated!

First, welcome to ECF!

1) I think the gold standard is the Kayfun. I have an EhrPro Kayfun Lite Plus v1 clone, and like it very much. There are tons of different RTAs out there, but the Kayfun, with its single coil, is easily the most popular. Great for flavor.

2) Since starting DIY, I haven't made a liquid with less than 70% VG. I think my wicking (rayon) is by no means as good as it gets, but I've had pretty good luck so far. I'm still struggling after vaping the entire tank, I tend to get "almost dry" hits. I'm pretty sure it's just my wicking inexperience, and not the Kayfun, given that it can handle 70% for a full tank (4.5 ml) no problem. I don't think you'll need to rewick that often with rayon especially, once you get the hang of it. I'm not sure about cotton.

Once you've got some more posts, you can also post in the Rebuildable Atomizer Systems subforum. You can read it now, and it's entirely devoted to RTAs and RDAs. Happy hunting!
 

NealBJr

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Jul 27, 2013
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Well, I am a RTA user. My experience comes from using: mini protank II, CE4/CE5, Kayfun lite, Fogger V4.0, Squape(v1), and an Aga-T2+.

1) I like the squape(v1) the best, and it's the easiest to have and maintain by far. The downside is no adjustable airflow, airflow comes from the 510 screw, and it's big. the plusses are pyrex glass, 5ml of juice capacity, no tools needed to refill or rewick, I'd suggest that, but you might have a lot more support with a Kayfun at the moment.

2) I am currently vaping almost %100 VG juice. I prefer cotton with high VG, since you can lower the density of cotton. VG wicks better when the wick is not as dense, and the thickness won't let it gurgle as much. when they say less is more, that's true with VG. with PG though, I would go for quite a bit more density to hold it in and not get as much gurgling. The best way I can explain it, is if you have a mesh strainer... like a mesh sink strainer... put one drop of vegetable oil on the mesh, and it won't go through. put one drop of water on the mesh, and it will drip through. Same goes for the wicking material being suspended over the airflow.

I'm one of the few RTA users that are semi anti-kayfun. It's an ok system, but it has it's limits. There are easier tank systems out there. IF you're looking for a bottom feeding RTA and using a high VG based liquid, look for big juice wells. Also, keep in mind that some juices will crack plastics, so I tend to stick with glass only. Kayfun IS a good atomizer, it's just not the best IMO. For a dual coil, I'd recommend getting a fogger V4.1. My fogger tends to dry hit usng higher VG based liquids, but that should be fixed int he V 4.1. I'd probably start off using cotton.. only because you can manually monitor the density. Once you know the density that works best for your juice, then you can look into getting alternative wicking material. Besides, cotton is cheap... like $3.00 for a year supply of organic cotton. :)
 

ROM CGY

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Sep 28, 2014
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Calgary, AB Canada
Best advice I have on tanks would be to get one where you can adjust the airflow. Using 100% VG you may want to adjust the draw to how you vape.

Currently my "goto" tanks are my Kayfun & Taifun. I'd say the Kayfun is easier to build. Not that the Taifun is too difficult but you do have to play around with how much wick to use tailored to how you vape because there is no adjustable airflow.

Also, have a look at the Aqua, you can also adjust the rate of juice flow to the coils on it as well. Never owned one but have my eye on it for a future buy.
 

juicynoos

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Hi Nicobeak, I am fairly new to vaping like yourself but very recently got into RBA's. I bought 2 kayfun clones to see if I got on with them before shelling out big money for the originals. The better one of the 2 is Ehpro Kayfun lite + v2 and it works really great for me. I have been experimenting with different builds using cotton and silica and really am impressed with this tank. 2 weeks later I tried my first genesis RBA, the Kraken and this thing is even more fun to build with steel rope, mesh or cotton. My 2 cents is to dive in and grab all this gear and see what you like..it's a blast!
 

realsis

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Everyone has a different opinion on this but I highly recommend bottom fed tanks as opposed to the Genesis type of top fed tanks. They in my opinion are easier and give less dry hits. Also seem to have more flavor. What I recommend is purchasing a bottom fed and a top fed tank, compare for yourself and see which you perfer and like best. The style you like best can shape your future purchases. In other words if you like the bottom fed best then you will know to buy bottom fed tanks in the future or visa versa. Reason I say this is because you don't want to be stuck with several tanks you don't like. I've tried several top fed tanks with many different build and wicking styles and to me, the bottom fed is far more flavorful with less issues but you should compare for yourself and see which you perfer for yourself because everyone is different. Expirementing is part of the fun! So expirement and have fun! Then go with what you like. Best wishes.
 

nicobeak

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Sep 30, 2014
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joe, when I initially started vaping I mistook the coughing and dry mouth for a pg reaction, so I gravitated toward higher vg (came to find out vg may actually dry out more). Those problems have since subsided, but I found a few higher vg liquids that I love that are subtle yet super flavorful (if that makes sense). I don't really care for throat hit much, and while I said I am not a cloud chaser, it is very satisfying to blow out vg sized clouds. So, I am definitely open to trying more pg; lately I've just been sticking with what I have found I like initially. I have an AIV sampler coming at some point to explore.
 

realsis

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Hi, I just wasn't sure if you knew this or not but higher the vg content the faster your coils will gunk up. Since your rebuilding it won't be that big of a issue because wire is fairly inexpensive, but with premade coils this can get expensive pretty fast. With rebuilding your own coils you can pretty easily clean the gunk off by dry burning them without the wick. Just pulse the coil and it quickly burns the gunk off them and you can get more life out of your homemade coil. Hope this tip helps you out. I often clean my handmade coils this way to get the gunk off them. You will get a longer coil life this way :)
 

joesquid

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joe, when I initially started vaping I mistook the coughing and dry mouth for a pg reaction, so I gravitated toward higher vg (came to find out vg may actually dry out more). Those problems have since subsided, but I found a few higher vg liquids that I love that are subtle yet super flavorful (if that makes sense). I don't really care for throat hit much, and while I said I am not a cloud chaser, it is very satisfying to blow out vg sized clouds. So, I am definitely open to trying more pg; lately I've just been sticking with what I have found I like initially. I have an AIV sampler coming at some point to explore.

If you're happy with the juice and vapor don't change. Do you know what ratio you're using? I use 50/50 because......well, I recon because I couldn't make up my mind and just split it down the middle. I DIY my own juice so I can adjust the flavor as needed.
 
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