rda coil help

[JBal4]

I have an igo-w and a couple fasttech drippers that I have had great success with .5-1.5ohm coils, but I can't seem to get my new smok caterpillar right. I am at .4 - .7ohm microcoils and tried cotton and silica but keep getting burnt hits. I am using dual coils, and have tried 28 and 30 awg wire with no good builds. I tried different positions of airholes and coils.
the chamber is much bigger than my other drippers, but the airflow is adjustable. is the chamber size the issue?

The rda has awesome features and build quality, but I can't get it to work

 

[SLIPPY_EEL]

Have you ever had it going good?

i have a Fatty i bought from fast tech that hits like a bag of crap and everyone else tells me they are good

sorry cant help you but you arent alone

 

[super_X_drifter]

WAY too much cotton. Too thick. You don't want those shoulders where it leaves the coil. It should be the same thickness and density the whole wick.

The perfect cotton wick is just thick enough to make full contact with the coil and should pull thru the coil without bunching or fraying.

Here's an example on a single coil :

Also those coils don't look micro - look to be about 5/64 or 1/8" inside diameter?

You can also try dropping the inside diameter to 1/16" and run a cotton wick of proper thickness.

If you can taste cotton your wick is too thick

 

[JBal4]

haha the cotton amount was exactly what it was! It is hitting like a champ now. I kept rolling the cotton tighter and tighter as I got frustrated with all the builds I was tring earlier, got out of work and put less cotton in the same coil and yeehaw!

Thanks super_x_drifter

 

[JBal4]

Here's an example on a single coil :

Also those coils don't look micro - look to be about 5/64 or 1/8" inside diameter?

You can also try dropping the inside diameter to 1/16" and run a cotton wick of proper thickness.

If you can taste cotton your wick is too thick

I guess I misunderstood "microcoil" i thought it just meant the coils were all touching each other. What does the different diameter of the coils do? bigger vs smaller

Also just curious what awg kanthal do you prefer?

Nice reo btw!

 

[cbabbman]

I build with 24/26/28, depending on what I want. I do micro and super nano coils (wrapped around a pin) using a KK Vapetek coil jig. The super nano's run dual coil and hit like crazy. In fact, when you fire it in my stillare with the top cap off, it swirls around the chamber... lol

Unfortunately, I've been using way too much cotton... working on my wicking now that I have the coild down...

Love this stuff..

 

[JBal4]

yea I was doing to much cotton too then superxdrift told me to cut back and havn't had a nasty hit yet. Now I just got to get some lower nic juice because it is hitting so well lol.

Do you like using the jig to do your coils? I looked at one but wasn't sure it would be useful

 

[super_X_drifter]

I guess I misunderstood "microcoil" i thought it just meant the coils were all touching each other. What does the different diameter of the coils do? bigger vs smaller

Also just curious what awg kanthal do you prefer?

Nice reo btw!

Yeah, don't feel bad. Many people misconstrue what the concept of the micro coil originated as. I blame that on the YouTube vid celebs

This is actually the first micro coil made. I called it a micro coil because it was much tinier than what I was running before I wrapped it

The wraps weren't all touching and it vaped kick ... but as it evolved, we tried allot harder to make the wraps touch or as close as possible. Now it's easy. I'll post up a couple of vids after I try to answer your questions

I have found that a diameter within a certain range provides for the best balance of performance and simplicity to consistently duplicate and wick. The correct size range was a result of the collaborative input by the many users in the big micro coil thread.

Heres a fact sheet I put together based on that input and hands on experience

We have found that the small diameter coils with touching or as close as possible wraps heat and transfer heat more efficiently.

The proper ID also allows one to maximize wrap count without increasing resistance vs "standard"coils.

Now I haven't vaped anything but proper micro coils since that first one about a year ago, but if I remember correctly, the heat and resulting vape of a 1.7ish ohm micro coil was about the same as a .9 ohm "standard" coil like these I was running before going micro :

Other benefits are easy to wick and keep clean. Many users report better flavor with micro coils also. I know my unflavored nic base tastes awesome and vapor quantity is copious and thick

My favorite gauge is 29 gayge because it puts me at my target resistance in 10 wraps.

I always shoot for 10 wraps unless I'm wrapping for my VV grand (in that initial picture) - there I aim for atleast 12 wraps or more because I can use the power to compensate for the additional wraps and negate heat up time while enjoying all that surface area

Thanks bro, love my REOs. They are all I use except for a kick AYuss bottom fed mod my friend pdib makes.

Here's them vids:
This thing is the way to go:
http://youtu.be/kNT5-s0U5jk

And here's one using tool you prolly have already.

http://youtu.be/bp8yqFojsEU

Best wrapping comes from tension. Best tension comes from leaving the wire on the spool

 

[JBal4]

awesome, thanks for all the advice! Without this forum and all the great advice from the community I don't think I would have been able to stop smoking.

LMAO when I saw what the links went to because I actually watched them before when I first started looking into rba/rda's. There are just so many different opinions and explanations about coil building it is hard to tell what is good advice and what is just random bs(the macro-nano-triceratops-coil). After hearing how much everyone loves their reo's I think I may have to save up and give one a try.

 

[super_X_drifter]

Bro, thank you. You should drop in over at the REO forum on here. It's a very friendly and vibrant place where the many REOnauts love to help and share knowledge.

Here's a link. Look forward to seeing you there :
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/reos-mods/

Oh, and new REOs come with the new sub ohm contacts

I've ordered the kits to retrofit my mech REOs. Even though I'm not into sub ohm, the mods are much more efficient with the new contacts

 

[JBal4]

Park Ave tasting amazing

 

[super_X_drifter]

View attachment 328663View attachment 328665

Park Ave tasting amazing

Bro your wick looks MUCH better. Great job

 

[Rangertrix]

WAY too much cotton. Too thick. You don't want those shoulders where it leaves the coil. It should be the same thickness and density the whole wick.

The perfect cotton wick is just thick enough to make full contact with the coil and should pull thru the coil without bunching or fraying.

Here's an example on a single coil :

Also those coils don't look micro - look to be about 5/64 or 1/8" inside diameter?

You can also try dropping the inside diameter to 1/16" and run a cotton wick of proper thickness.

If you can taste cotton your wick is too thick

When you say that if you can taste cotton, you're wick is too thick; do you mean taste cotton beyond that initial "new cotton" taste that goes away or if you taste it at all?
I too have a Caterpillar and have tried several builds and wick variations. I am currently using a dual twisted 30g 1/16th diameter setup in mine at .45ohm.
I don't really have any wicking issues with my Caterpillar, but they are really hit or miss in my Russian 91.
Been experimenting with wicking quite a bit. I thought I had it down, but now every time I think I have it.....I don't, lol.
Most recommend passing it through it with "a little resistance", some say with atty on your mod you should move wick side to side and if it tries to move your mod it's too much. Any suggestions on that front?
Also, it seems that when I cover the entire deck with cotton, as some have suggested, that I need to drip while the tails of the wick are still quite saturated. Seems like a useless waste of liquid.
What are your thoughts on the amount of wick used in an RDA?
Thanks.

 

[super_X_drifter]

When you say that if you can taste cotton, you're wick is too thick; do you mean taste cotton beyond that initial "new cotton" taste that goes away or if you taste it at all?
I too have a Caterpillar and have tried several builds and wick variations. I am currently using a dual twisted 30g 1/16th diameter setup in mine at .45ohm.
I don't really have any wicking issues with my Caterpillar, but they are really hit or miss in my Russian 91.
Been experimenting with wicking quite a bit. I thought I had it down, but now every time I think I have it.....I don't, lol.
Most recommend passing it through it with "a little resistance", some say with atty on your mod you should move wick side to side and if it tries to move your mod it's too much. Any suggestions on that front?
Also, it seems that when I cover the entire deck with cotton, as some have suggested, that I need to drip while the tails of the wick are still quite saturated. Seems like a useless waste of liquid.
What are your thoughts on the amount of wick used in an RDA?
Thanks.

Awesome questions

First, less wick length is best because it minimizes juice precooking in the atty before you actually vape it. Yes, it will mean dripping more but with a fresher more robust vape. (This is why i run only bottom fed mods - you can't beat fresh squozen juice on demand).

So I typically leave about 1/8" hanging out of each side of my coil.

Wick density / thickness is harder to explain. Here I'll try:

I always thought break in hits with cotton wicks was normal. Until I tried high end cotton and put just the right amount of cotton into my coil. No taste whatsoever. Zero even first hit. The cotton is Koh gen do Japanese organic.

But I digress to thickness / density. If you have cotton that requires twisting (CVS sterile rolled for instance) to make a wick, twist it till it's somewhat dense, but not thicker than your coil. Twist a thin point on one end to thread it thru the coil. You should feel hardly any resistance when pulling it thru but it should make complete contact with the coil inside. If it frays, or forms a shoulder, pull it out and remove some and try again.

With Koh gen do, you cut off a little strip, just loosely twist it to compact it just a hair then twist your little point on one side. Thread it thru and again, hardly any resistance but good contact. Same about shoulders and fraying.

Now trim it no more than 1/8" on each side of the coil, drip on it and vape that thing like you stole it

 

[Rangertrix]

Awesome questions

First, less wick length is best because it minimizes juice precooking in the atty before you actually vape it. Yes, it will mean dripping more but with a fresher more robust vape. (This is why i run only bottom fed mods - you can't beat fresh squozen juice on demand).

So I typically leave about 1/8" hanging out of each side of my coil.

Wick density / thickness is harder to explain. Here I'll try:

I always thought break in hits with cotton wicks was normal. Until I tried high end cotton and put just the right amount of cotton into my coil. No taste whatsoever. Zero even first hit. The cotton is Koh gen do Japanese organic.

But I digress to thickness / density. If you have cotton that requires twisting (CVS sterile rolled for instance) to make a wick, twist it till it's somewhat dense, but not thicker than your coil. Twist a thin point on one end to thread it thru the coil. You should feel hardly any resistance when pulling it thru but it should make complete contact with the coil inside. If it frays, or forms a shoulder, pull it out and remove some and try again.

With Koh gen do, you cut off a little strip, just loosely twist it to compact it just a hair then twist your little point on one side. Thread it thru and again, hardly any resistance but good contact. Same about shoulders and fraying.

Now trim it no more than 1/8" on each side of the coil, drip on it and vape that thing like you stole it

Ok, based on your recommendations, I twisted four strands of 30g, did 6 wraps on a 1/16th drill bit. Comes in at .6ohms. I wicked it with just enough length to touch the deck. I twisted four strands of 30g simply because 30g is all I have at the moment. No popping, or spitting. It's better than the dual coil builds I've tried.
OH LORD!
I have to drip a lot more often but it hits better than any configuration I have tried, and I don't feel I'm wasting a lot of liquid, unnecessarily.
I gotta get some 24 or 26 gauge kanthal.
Now if you could just fix my Russian builds, lol.
I really need a REO so I could just squonk instead of dripping!
Thanks for all of your great input!
Any links where I can order some of that particular cotton?
Thanks!

 

[super_X_drifter]

Ok, based on your recommendations, I twisted four strands of 30g, did 6 wraps on a 1/16th drill bit. Comes in at .6ohms. I wicked it with just enough length to touch the deck. I twisted four strands of 30g simply because 30g is all I have at the moment. No popping, or spitting. It's better than the dual coil builds I've tried.
OH LORD!
I have to drip a lot more often but it hits better than any configuration I have tried, and I don't feel I'm wasting a lot of liquid, unnecessarily.
I gotta get some 24 or 26 gauge kanthal.
Now if you could just fix my Russian builds, lol.
I really need a REO so I could just squonk instead of dripping!
Thanks for all of your great input!
Any links where I can order some of that particular cotton?
Thanks!

That's what I like to hear. Vulcan awesome. You're welcome.

I got my KGD cotton at sephora.com. Just search their site for Koh Gen Do cotton. You will absolutely love it. I know I do.
Here's what the back of the box says:

 

[JBal4]

i think i am gunna have to try that cotton, these cotton ball are a pain to unroll and boil over and over.

I have a dual coil setup in my igo-w that reads .86 ohm and am wondering how many amps are needed.

How are ohms calculated of a multiple coil build? I use this calculator to check the watts and amps, but am not sure of what to put in the ohms area. Should I use the end result ohms .86 or the total of both coils?

 

[SLIPPY_EEL]

arghh!!.. another double post!.. is becoming a regular thing for me

 

[SLIPPY_EEL]

you have to enter two figures to get the other two

which batteries do you use??
did your PV give you that 0.86Ω reading with both your coils mounted yeah??

i use 18650 3.7v which when charged fully are 4.2v so enter 4.2 into the volts box
if your PV gave you 0.86Ω enter that into the ohms Ω box and press the calculate button

20.5 Watts
4.2 Volts
4.88 Amps
0.86 ohms


hope that helps.. i think thats what you were asking!??

i think i am gunna have to try that cotton, these cotton ball are a pain to unroll and boil over and over.

I have a dual coil setup in my igo-w that reads .86 ohm and am wondering how many amps are needed.

How are ohms calculated of a multiple coil build? I use this calculator to check the watts and amps, but am not sure of what to put in the ohms area. Should I use the end result ohms .86 or the total of both coils?

here is another calc but with extra's >> Battery drain | Steam Engine | free vaping calculators

 

[JBal4]

the .86 ohm was from omh meter, both coils installed, pulsed, then rechecked.

Most of my batteries are efest imr of all different sizes, I also have a couple sony vtc4 30amp. After reading a post by baditude about the maxamp ratings of the efest I was going to try them out so I could run 3 rda's at once. I was also wondering so I would better know what kind of batteries I might need in the future.

The setup I was worried about was my 18500 efest with the .86 ohm setup, but with a max amp of 8.8 it is working great

Thanks Slippy_eel, I really like having a smaller dripping setup with out having to worry it will blowup

now i just need to get the patina to match up lol