Please help with coil ohms

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bridge1015

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Im sure this has been answered somewhere in this forum, but i just can't find it. Could someone please explain the difference in the coil ohms? Simple terms- I'm fairly new to this. I'm using a 1300mah spinner, but have a mvp2 on the way.(no idea if this makes a difference). What are the pros and cons of the lower and higher ohms? does it make a difference in battery life, flavor, or cloud? is one better than the other in certain tanks?
 

Katya

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Yup, it has been asked--and I have an answer ready. :D

Disclaimer: This is the most simplistic explanation and is addressed to new vapers or vapers who are happy within the recommended "just right" power zone (4.5-8 watts) and use stock coils.

Ohm's Law as it pertains to vaping is really not that complicated--and it's very useful when you want to know what you're doing.

Voltage and wattage are often misunderstood by new vapers. Wattage is the power (heat, sweet spot) that your PV (battery and atomizer) generates. Wattage = Voltage (of your battery) squared divided by Resistance (Ω) of your atomizer [P=V[SUP]2[/SUP]/R]. If you're not good at math, don't worry, use this easy calculator:

Online Conversion - Ohm's Law Calculator

Of course, if you own a VW (variable wattage) device, you don't really need this calculator because your device will do the math for you.

The wattage you want, especially at the beginning of your vaping career, should be somewhere between 4.5 and 8.5 Watts. Anything lower than 4.5 watts may not vaporize your juice properly and will not produce enough warmth and vapor. Anything above 8.5 watts increases the risk of burning the filler in your cartomizers (if you're using them) and even some juices, especially the delicate ones.

There are, of course, other variables, like eliquid and JDD (juice delivery devices) that you're using on your batteries. Seven watts on a filler type cartomizer may feel different than the same 7 watts on a fillerless clearomizer or a dripping atomizer. The same is true for different eliquids; tobaccos, chocolate and coffees generally require more wattage (heat), while fruit and other delicate flavors do better with less heat. Everyone's sweet spot is different--those are just very general guidelines.

If you are using dual coil atomizers, things get a bit more confusing. Dual coil atties consist of two coils configured in parallel, which means that a 2.1Ω atty is really two 4.2Ω coils--so you have to calculate your wattage based on the 4.2Ω number--not 2.1Ω--roughly. Dual coil atties require more wattage than singles, but not quite twice as much. They produce more vapor due to increased surface. I usually increase the power (wattage) by 30-50% when using dual coils; for example, if I like 6 watts with a single coil atty, I start at 8-9 watts with a dual coil atty. That's just my preference--YMMV. When in doubt--start low and adjust up as needed.

If you are interested in high wattage vaping, that's a different conversation altogether--and not my area of expertise. :)

Experiment and you'll find your own bliss in no time!

The chart below is a good guide to safe vaping, even though some think it's a bit conservative.

e-cigarette-volts-ohms-watts.png
 
if you're using variable voltage, it doesn't matter much because you can choose the heat (wattage) output you want. With fixed voltage, a lower ohm will give more heat, and more vapor. Too much (or too low ohm), and it will dry out and burn. Not enough heat (too high an ohm), and you will have low vapor production and will be more likely to get a flooding (gurgling, juice spray etc)
 

kenskog

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"Stay out of red because its dangerous" - Yes, its up there with landmines, ...... and russian roulette - stay in the green to avid the unspeakable brutality of potentially odd tasting juice or dry hits that lurks in the red. Its a miracle I survived running 1,5ohm Vivi Nova heads at 4,8 volts on Spinners, thats over 15 watts, when I first started vaping. - With little to none problems.

Just play around with the volt/watts until you find the right spot for your setup, that spot isnt necessarily in the 5-8 watts range. For me with my current liquids on my current gear, it's 22 watts.
 

GeorgeWachsmuth

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I beg your pardon????

Like I said--it'a great guide for the beginners, albeit a bit conservative.

5-8 watts is still the recommended wattage for ALL stock single coils.

Totally agree.....its been this way for almost everyone I know. In the 1.8 to 2.4 ohm single coil clearomizer sense. Your advice is a good start. If you start rolling your own...wicking your own. (which is disqualified by your "beginner") statement..all bets are off.. :)
 

Katya

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OK I understand that I have to adjust my voltage based on the coil ohms, but what is the reason for buying a 1.5 ohm as opposed to a 2.4ohm coil? I'm just confused when I buy replacement heads.

Different ohm coils are useful for people who use non-variable voltage batteries. For instance, classic eGo (Joyetech) batteries are regulated at 3.3-3.4v, so 1.5, 1.8Ω coils will work best. Than there are unregulated eGo-class batteries which run at 3.7v; in that case, anything between 1.8 and 2.5Ω would be acceptable. And then there is the eGo-C upgrade battery, which can be used either in regulated (3.4v) or unregulated (3.7v) mode.

So, it's good to have different resistance coils if you own a non-vv battery. For vv batteries, any resistance coil will work fine as you can adjust the voltage (thus wattage) to your liking. I like 2.2-2.4Ω coils for my vv/vw devices.
 

Katya

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Totally agree.....its been this way for almost everyone I know. In the 1.8 to 2.4 ohm single coil clearomizer sense. Your advice is a good start. If you start rolling your own...wicking your own. (which is disqualified by your "beginner") statement..all bets are off.. :)

Correct. Rebuildables are specifically designed to handle high wattages. Stock coils (single, not dual coils) are designed to work best at 4.5-8.5 watts. They just can't wick fast enough to keep the coil wet at all times at high wattages. :)
 
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Zealous

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OK I understand that I have to adjust my voltage based on the coil ohms, but what is the reason for buying a 1.5 ohm as opposed to a 2.4ohm coil? I'm just confused when I buy replacement heads.

If you're using a vw device (like MVP) it won't matter much whether you use a low ohm head or a standard. The wattage you set will still be the same no matter which you use & the device will adjust to accommodate either ohm. If you use the vv device the main difference will be the amount of volts you need to get the desired wattage you like. With a lower ohm coil you don't need as high of volts
 

Katya

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I'm still confused :) does anyone know when you buy a protank2 what are the ohms of the 2 coils that come with it? I'm nervous about trying different ones and would prefer to order what came with mine. Also is madvapes a good place to buy coils from? TIA

Hi Granny! Where did you buy your ProTank? The resistance of the coils should be clearly stated on the box and on the coils themselves. Genuine Kanger coils have the resistance rating stamped onto the coil heads, like this one:

PT3%20coil.jpg
 
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