RDA coil build help!

[Thenewmrsk]

Hi,
I am VERY new to atomizers, I’ve only had mine for about a week. Someone else built it for me and it is way too strong. I cough like crazy every time I use it. I have a Colonial mod that uses an 18650 battery, with the Mutation X rda (clone). I’m not understanding the resistance, ohms, coil wraps, etc. I have tried to research as much as I can, but am not understanding it. I’d quite honestly like to take the easy way out and buy pre-made coils, but even at that, I have no idea what to buyWhat would be the least strong coil to start out with? If anyone can help me, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Kaezziel]

Even before buying pre-built coils (not worth it IMO), you should read up on a few things.
The link in my signature titled "Bad's Awesome Blog" is chock full of good information that can get you started on what you need to know. Start with battery safety, then Ohm's Law. Then he has a few posts in there about rebuildables... when it comes to any rebuildable atomizer, knowledge is your best friend.
You will also need a meter that can read voltage and resistance... this is a huge key to your own personal safety and should not be bypassed.

Read through the stuff in that link, then let me know if you have any specific questions or need further clarification... that is THE best suggestion that I can make for you.

Oh!! And welcome to the forum!! You'll find that for the most part we're all pretty friendly here and love to help people out on their vaping journey... though some of us are kinda smart***ed about it!

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here!

Until you have educated yourself on battery safety, ohm's law, amp draw, etc. you should not begin rebuilding and using a mech mod. You are now 100% in control of your own safety (and others around you). Make sure you purchase an ohm reader and a voltmeter or DMM so you can measure your builds, check for shorts and measure the remaining charge on your batteries.

I highly recommend you spend some time with Baditude (one of our resident battery experts) and visit his blogs. Baditudes Blogs. The blogs regarding mods and rebuildables are listed below:

BATTERIES

9. Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?
* Another essential read to understand which batteries are safe to use in mechanical and regulated mods. Includes a frequently updated list of recommended safe-chemistry, high-drain batteries with their specifications.

17. Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised
* A cautionary blog that reveals that the purple Efest batteries may not have the specifications advertised. Also includes a commentary on "continuous discharge ratings" vs "pulse discharge ratings" of battery specs.

OHM'S LAW

14. Ohm's Law for Dummies (Vapers)
* My attempt at explaining Ohm's Law in layman terms and how it relates to vaping.

16. Explain it to the Dumb Noob: Ohm's Law Calculations
* As simple as it is to use, some people have a tough time grasping the concept. Warning: Includes graphic photos of mod explosions.

MODS & REBUILDABLES

7. Information Resources for Your First RBA
* An essential read and reference guide for someone new to rebuilding coils. Includes a multitude of useful links on battery safety, mod safety, coil meters, coil building, and the differences in the three types of RBA's.

15. Inexpensive Mechanical Mod and RDA Setup
* A response to the frequently asked question on how to get into rebuildable atomizers with a mechanical mod inexpensively. Includes a list of commonly used tools and supplies for rebuilding and where to find them.

BATTERIES - WHERE TO BUY

Only buy batteries from a reputable supplier (not ebay or Amazon) as there are many counterfeit batteries being sold. Here are several reputable battery suppliers in the US.

* RTD Vapor
* Illumination Supply
* Lighthound
* Orbtronics

 

[Susan~S]

Sorry! Duplicate post

 

[Thenewmrsk]

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to respond!! I appreciate the help!!

 

[Kaezziel]

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to respond!! I appreciate the help!!

Let me know if that link helps or not... if you need more info, I'd be happy to walk you through a bit further.

 

[wshanncap]

Coil building is fun and saves a bundle once you get the hang of it. I use a multimeter to get an idea of the resistance before I even put the coil in the deck. That way I know if I need more or less wraps and can adjust before calling the coil ready to install. Then I double check the resistance after the coil is installed. Some of this is a matter of preference but the lower the resistance the hotter the coil. And some gear won't work as well with low resistance. I used to keep my coils at around 1.5 ohms. But now I vape at around 0.8 ohms. Just remember safety is a factor the lower the resistance. 24 gauge Kanthal (what I used to learn with) is a heavyish gauge but 7 wraps around a 3/16th drill will give you something roughly around 1.0 ohm. The higher the gauge number = smaller wire, higher resistance, and fewer wraps.
Here are a few links I use often for the safety part.
Hope this helps.
Ohm's Law Calculator
Battery mAh & C Rating = amp Calculator
Battery Amp Limit Chart - imavape.com

 

[Foggyroomz]

if you are choking and coughing it is probably because you aren't used to the density and amount of vapor that you are getting off the new set up and seeing that nobody really asked what are you transitioning to the RDA system from? Another question is what are the mixture levels on the juice that you are trying to use in your dripper? These all play a factor as well because if you are trying to drip the same juice you have used in a tank system on like an ego-spinner it is going to be extremely harsh and a rather unpleasant experience regardless of the build on your RDA.

 

[Necrotic]

Basic rule of ohms for coils. More wraps = higher ohms. Higher gauge kanthal = higher ohms. Lower gauge = lower ohms. Lower ohms on a mechanical mod means more wattage output. If you're using a 0.5 ohm RDA on a mechanical with a fresh charge, in theory you should receive 35.28 watts (this is without factoring in voltage drop). Batteries are a MAJOR factor in what you're building. The best batteries out there are the Sony VTC series of batteries but there are many counterfeits of them as well. Other good batteries are the Efest "35"amp 2500 mah battery which is a rewrapped LGHE2 battery, the efest 30 amp 2100 mah (a rewrapped sony vtc4). The best places to buy batteries were provided above. Best of luck on the vaping journey! As a recommendation I'd recommend using 28 gauge kanthal with around 6 wraps would probably put you at around 0.5 ohms on a dual coil. Another important thing is to make sure you have a multimeter. This is a MUST HAVE For anybody who does rebuildables.

Edit: The coughing could be how you are inhaling. If you are mouth to lung inhaling it causes you to cough. Tip is to just straight lung inhale

 

[Thenewmrsk]

Thank you SOOOO much!! You have all been such a big help! Apparently I bought some really crappy batteries, which are not helping this process. I've been noticing that my coils get build up on them pretty fast, is this normal? Or could it be due to the crappy batteries? The coils and cotton get very dark and I get a burnt taste within a day, sometimes less. I have some new batteries on the way and am hoping they will help this issue?
What is the normal need to clean the coils and change the cotton?

Sorry for asking so many questions!!

 

[ProjektMayhem]

The batteries don't have anything to do with how fast the coils gunk up. That's power and juice. Darker and sweeter juices will gunk up a coil in no time. 30 amp batteries are the way to go with mechanical mods if you can find them. I change my cotton and dry burn the coils everyday and build new coils once a week or so.

 

[Kaezziel]

The build-up on the coils is likely due to whatever juice you are using. Sweet and dark juices tend to gunk up fairly quickly.
Typically you would just pull the wicks out and "dry burn" the coils (fire them with no wick installed).

On the other hand, I use rayon for my wicks and 9 out of 10 times, I just rinse them under the sink and let it sit to dry out. Re-juice it afterwards and go back to vaping.

Do not be sorry for asking questions... how do you think we all learned the things we know? We asked questions...

 

[bullet08]

few things. 1. if you treat battery wrong, it can vent on you, and in bad situation, i will blow up. 2. you need to understand the relationship between current, resistance, and the battery. 3. they sound like something that we don't want to learn back in high school physics, but for vaping mech mod.. it's important. and it's not very hard to understand.

most battery will have max cont. drain rate at something like 20 A. some have it at 30 A. with your battery V and your coil resistance, it will determine if you are going to pull current of 20 A or even near that. once you build a coil, you want to test it to see what resistance it has. if you have .4 ohm or higher 20 A battery should be fine. if any lower resistance, you want Sony VTC4 or 5.

 

[Thenewmrsk]

Thanks so much everyone! You've all been SO helpful!

 

[Kaezziel]

Thanks so much everyone! You've all been SO helpful!

Any time, Mrs. K! I hope that everything is working out for you today!