Questions about Phoenix use and where to buy wicking material

[Nepherael]

Hi guys, I just bought a couple Phoenix rebuildables and I had a couple questions. I can't seem to get the flavor out of it that I normally get from my juice. I'm vaping tasty vapor cyo straight strawberry so it's a light fruity flavor. Any suggestions on how to get the flavor up? I'm using the coil that came preinstalled so maybe if I made my next one loose it would help, or maybe I'm missing something. I'm getting decent vapor but the flavor just isn't there

Also where can I buy wicking material (I think silica is what I want)? I can find the thick stuff (I think 3mm) but I'd really like to find some thinner stuff (1-2mm but i think 1 is what I want) so I can use multiple wicks in a coil. I hope my terminology is correct. Would you guys recommend using multiple wicks? Also, is there any special resistive wire I should get? I think madvapes sells it so that's what I was gonna buy but I'm new at this. I haven't done much with atties, just built vv circuits and feeding systems.

 

[Nepherael]

Also, as I'm new to this rebuildable atty thing and I'm starting to use an itaste battery for going out instead of my Ali'i (for being a little more low profile) are there other rebuildables you would suggest? Are there ones that are better than others?

I don't know anything about tanks either (I've seen people mention them as if in the same category as rebuildable attys). As far as I know they're cartomizers with liquid reservoirs around them but I've been off the forum for a long time and I know there's been a lot of advances.

 

[spraintz]

I would bet that you will have far better taste and performance on that Phoenix once you replace the coil. Mine and many others "stock" coil have been would a lil too tight or have a "hot spot" on coil legs or something. IMO there is no way that a pre-made coil will fit everyone's taste but there lies they beauty of the rebuildable, make how you like it. My phoenix tastes awesome with all my flavors (I use primarily fruit flavors)


The Phoenix is more of a "dripping" atomizer although it can hold quite a few drops.

As far as tanks go, there are the classic cartomizer tanks, and then there are "rebuildable tank atomizers"

A rebuildable tank atomizer is a bit more advanced for a rebuildable but still uses the basics learned with the Phoenix. many of the higher end tank atomizers utilize a vertical stainless steel mesh wick. These types of wicks can be a lil tedious to learn but once you do, flavor, vapor and overall performance is vastly improved.

Couple of examples of rebuildable tanks atomizers:

The DID
Cobra
bliSS
Z-Atty
Penelope

and my personal favorite so far, the G-Tank-US

Some of these are kinda pricey but well worth it. There are also some less expensive variations of the above out there that work very nicely as well.

 

[Nepherael]

Thank you so much for all the info.

I'm definitely interested in a tank atty now. How's the upkeep on them? I know for a phoenix I can buy wick and wire but for a rebuildable tank is it the same? I'm gonna check out clouds of vapor (one of my main vendors) and see if they have that same one you mentioned

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[Nepherael]

I'm searching all over and can't find where to buy this g tank. Even if it is good I'm not too into stuff that's difficult to get these days. What would the next best be?

 

[tobarger]

I'm searching all over and can't find where to buy this g tank. Even if it is good I'm not too into stuff that's difficult to get these days. What would the next best be?

I hear ya
Unfortunately theres alot of that going around
I don't see even one of those RA/Tanks listed that are not pretty much Classified only items

 

[spraintz]

The G-Tank is kinda a custom piece sold in a co-op. Although not readily available from retailers they do come up on the classifieds pretty often. I got mine and my buddy's from the classifieds very quickly and easily.

The biggest advantages in the G-Tank, IMO, are these:

bang for the buck. It comes with so many options: 3ml tank and cover, 5ml tank and cover, dripping adapter, eGo tank adapter......that's a lot of precisely machined steel for the price

durability. this is the strongest, most well built piece I have seen. it is a tank!!

design. the design of this atomizer trumps all in my mind. it is a bottom coil/top tank. i have no worries with wicking against gravity or having to tip the atty to keep the wick wet.

All the different atomizers have their lil issues and things to over-come yet they are all great. I got the bliSS well after I had the G-Tank and it is amazing. They each have their good point but the G-Tank is still my "go to" atty.

here are some ones that are retail available, current availability varies but you can get em:

Elite Vaporworks The bliSS Rebuildable Atomizer - Stainless - Rebuildable Atomizers and Supplies

The "DID"

https://houseofhybrids.3dcartstores.com/Z-Atty_c_9.html
these are about to be available through more retailers

Cobra Atomisers
these are about to be available through more retailers as well

The Griffin - Rebuildable Atomizer Tank
a cheaper version for just starting out. these just came out and were really popular but stock should show up soon

http://www.dfwvapor.com/ratank-rebuildable.html
pretty cool and popular for starting out

 

[Nepherael]

Thank you so much for all the great help.

A tank atty will be on the back burner for a bit I think (my Phoenix was $15 as opposed to the proce tags on these) but I'm excited to maybe put up a classified for a trade sometime soon here. Maybe someone wants a bunch of stuff they can part out for more than their tank cost

 

[Nepherael]

The last thing I need is where to buy wicking material and wire

Large amounts at once

 

[spraintz]

Right on man. The phoenix is a great way to start and actually is a really really good atomizer. I have the G-Tank , the bliSS and the DiD knock-off aka the DuD and I still use my Phoenix all the time.

when those DuD's came out they sold quickly, I would expect the price to settle in at around $20 - $25 at most places. It's a lil cheaper built but has all the performance of some of the expensive stuff without the buyers remorse Definitely worth a look once you get ready to check them out.

Keep an eye on those classified or post a wanted ad, you will be amazed at what you can find.

here are mine.....sorry like to show off

 

[Nepherael]

Nah it's all good. I dig it! Back when I was buying stuff the thing to show off was your reo grand or Ali'i (hence my Ali'i lol). Now there's been so many advances since I stopped and started back up again.

Hopefully I can get this down. I just built and tossed 2 coils, using a third right now that seems alright but it has a really weird taste and I don't know why. It isn't the plastic posts but it does taste maybe a bit plasticy or chemically, not sure.

 

[Nepherael]

Maybe it would be better if I saved the phoenix for things like atomic cinnacide (strong flavors). I seem to have trouble getting my strawberry to taste right.

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[spraintz]

I had all I ever thought I needed for over 2 years when I was using my Prodigy V3 and 510 atty's as I had kinda left the forums and didn't really need anything else................. come back to it a few months ago and now I have a Provari, a Legacy mini, and I'm a rebuilding S.O.B. ..............dangit all this new stuff is just so cool!!!

Another suggestion for a cheap rebuildable tank style:
Smoktech Vivi Tank (Genesis like) - $14.99 : Stormys Vapor Cellar, Electronic Cigarettes & More

I'm a lil hesitant to suggest it as it seems that it needs some tweaking to get just right but for $15 it seems well worth it to mess around with. I almost got one and then got persuaded by the purdy steel of the bliSS

I never experienced the weird taste but you aren't the first that has come across it. it might be worth giving it an alcohol bath and then a boil just to rule out any strange residue. Also, any rebuildable coil will need some time to "break-in" and become "seasoned". Taste and vapor during this time can be off until it gets there. Break-in is usually pretty quick for me but I am one chain-vapin dude.....

 

[Nepherael]

I'm a steam train with the stuff. So bad I have to cut the nic amount like crazy. I take it back. After an hour it's perfect. I'm getting decent flavor, awesome vapor, and it is much better than the stock coil. Looks like I'm happy. Thanks for all the help. I just gotta find me a place selling long strands of wick. I'm thinking 1.5-2mm. Then some nichrome wire (at least I think that's what I'm supposed to use) because I'm gonna go through a lot of it making my coil exactly the way I want.

I'm gonna look into what you mentioned. I'm pretty psyched to get this working well. I love my Ali'i but I'm gonna save a lot of money running a Phoenix on an itaste battery.

The thing about this hobby is I want every new toy that comes out. Lol it sucks though cause the best toys are expensive as hell

 

[spraintz]

PnJ Resources, LLC : Providing Safer Solutions for the nichrome wire. 100ft for $8.50......... that's like 400 coils ;-)

 

[Razloz]

If you chain vape like I do you're definitely gonna want a lot of wick in your phoenix. I've found about 6mm to be just right with silica, though I've gone back to 100% unbleached cotton (taking threads out of a cut of muslin I picked up for $2 for half a yard at a local fabric shop). Cotton is just much easier for me to work with and I've only gone through a 3 inch square cut of it, so it'll last forever or just about. Cotton also has a much better flavor to me probably because of how it wicks. I got my silica wick from the house of vapor, comes in 0.6mm and 0.8mm, and it's cheap. I got little flavor and that "dry atty" burning taste before I upped it to 3mm. Then noticed with how I vape (5 volts at 3 ohms) it wasn't wicking enough so doubled it up to 6mm. Went back to cotton because it's so much easier to tuck into the cup in the phoenix, and because it delivers the flavor better, at least IMHO. As far as wiring goes I've been using a bit I picked up at madvapes and the house of vapor but I'm gonna be getting some off amazon in a week or two. The one I have my eye on is a spool of about 780 feet 30 AWG nichrome for about $20 (if I remember right). I don't really recommend the house of vapor for wire since they don't put it on any type of spool, it's just in a baggy so gets tangled. However, it is cheap so if you wanna get your feet wet it's a good starting point.

 

[Nepherael]

Wow thank you. First off, if you're getting 700+ feet of nichrome for $20 I'll give you $10 shipped for ten feet or so.

So how do I know if I got the right stuff if I get cotton thread from somewhere? I'm scared of getting something that isn't safe to heat.

Thanks for all the tips. The coil I just made I think is with 3mm cotton (I bought a bunch of premade from nhaler and rewound it so I think it's 3mm cotton. I still don't know how much wick to cut off and one guy said to leave one end of the wick toward the drip end but iono) and it's working great so I may stick with thicker wick

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[Razloz]

I dunno I just went in and asked the old ladies working there if they had any unbleached 100% cotton and they pointed me to the right stuff. Muslin is just the way it's threaded. I'm using about 80 threads pulled off per wick which is a little tedious but one 3 inch square has like 6000 threads or something crazy like that so I don't mind. A lot of people have been using #4/0 cotton wicks off like ebay and amazon and stuff like that. But this is just so much cheaper and it's been working great for me for the past month or so. As long as it's 100% pure cotton and unbleached/dyed you should be fine. A quick boil/dry just to be on the safe side and you're good to go. BTW cotton wicks sooo much faster and better than silica that 3mm is plenty in most cases. Just make sure you don't have any hot spots because it will burn. I've been playing around with a couple different ways of putting the coil assembly in there and so far I'm liking the horizontal method (just finished it about 5 min ago). I've noticed that the more wick you have in there the less juice it'll hold since it's all absorbed by the wick. Having just enough touching the bottom of the cup is plenty but will leak if you lay it on it's side. If you completely fill the cup with wick you can lay it on it's side without leaking but you gotta drip more often. With this setup I have right now it's a horizontal coil with just a bit of wick touching the bottom then about a half inch coming out of the top that I bent and tucked down into the cup. Working good so far but gotta really stress test it for an hour or so to see what's good with it. Since this is a dripping atty a horizontal coil just makes sense.

 

[Nepherael]

Nice I guess there's a lot I need to learn about these. Lol I thought I knew it all back when I was building my own bottom feeding evercools. I don't even know how else you would put the coil besides horizontally XD

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[Nepherael]

You guys know a modder that would trade any good tank atty for mod parts you think? I have well over a hundred bucks in VV chips and the pieces to wire them up along with atty connectors and stuff. I also have $150 in tasty vapor juice. I wonder if there's anyone that would make a trade for stuff like that though.

I think later this week I'll put up a trade ad looking for a g tank or something and post all that stuff along with my older ego style stuff and see if anyone wants it. Might get lucky