Reo as my first mod?

[3mhmama]

I recently discovered how great dripping is when it comes to flavor, and given that many of the juices I like right now are 100vg, dripping is working way better for me than the nautilus tanks I was enjoying before.

But dripping can be a pain when you're out and about, so I'm intrigued by squonking. I'm also intimidated, both by the price to get something like a Reo, but mostly by the mech mod/battery thing.
I've only used regulated devices so far--first an ego twist, then an mvp 2.0, and now an istick 50.
What do I need to know and learn about to use a mech mod like the reo safely? What do I need to understand to match up batteries with the ohms of the coil builds?

Also, what has helped me kick cigs these past few months is chasing flavor, so if I save up and get a reo, what atty's would folks recommend? Currently, I've got an infinite magma clone, with an Origen v2 clone and Marquis clone on the way.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mrs C]

Reo's are a great first mech . The RM2 is one of the best flavor rba's and a very forgiving one for rda noob's with the ceramic deck. For the reo you will need a bottom feed rba. rob has several on the site to pick from and there are other's out in the wild. They are not hard to find.

The spring on the Reo is one of the simplest yet most effective safety features in the mech mod world.

Ohms law will give you an understanding of how to figure what amp limits apply to your build. There are many good sources that explain it on ECF, if you have trouble understanding it by reading Super x has a very good good vid that really simplifies it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQbWVHSiltQ.

The hardest part of starting on a Reo is picking the color.

 

[SteamStack]

To make it even easier just make your coils around 1-1.5 ohms and grab 3 aw 18650 2200mha batteries and a rba atty and your all set.

28 awg kanthal a1 seems to be the sweet spot for most.

Kogendo/non treated cotton for wick.

Grab a artistic wire setup at Michaels or amazon for making your coils.

 

[custom-classic]

Can't go wrong with a REO.

I wish I had skipped all the other junk and just got a REO in the first place..... They served me well for the last couple of years and Rob's a great guy to do business with.

 

[spacetime]

Sounds like a great choice to me. I just received mine and the only complaint is that I should have had one muuuuccchhhh sooner. Too easy to drip and drive now (Squonk and drive). I love this thing and I'm sure you will as well. Good luck on your purchase. Hopefully we'll see you around Reoville.

 

[strongdad]

For me, the reo grand lp is the way to go. I prefer drippers and the durability and reliability of a mechanical. You can buy an all stainless bottom feed pin for your origen v2 from vapingcraze.com and contact Tom from catfish atty mods about other drippers. He has marquis bottom fed atties in stock!

If you know what wattage you prefer on a regulated device you can use a calculator like Steam Engine | free vaping calculators to figure out how to make a coil or coils to reach the desired ohms/wattage on a mechanical like the reo.

 

[cadman]

Heh, if you buy a REO and put a good atomizer on it..... A good chance a REO will also be the 2nd and 3rd mod you buy...lol

I am currently using Nuppin bottom feed and Odin bottom feed atomizers. Atomizers are kinda subjective, what I like, you may not.

Batteries, I am using the AW IMR 18650 – 1600 mAh – 24 A. Haven't tried the 2200 mAh ones yet.

 

[Robinowitz]

Yes indeed! I'll second the RM2 or RM3 for flavor. I'm all about flavor and vapor production is a long second place. (Smaller chamber but with squonking it's a mute point). I've stayed with a single coil thus far over the past 2 years and am content. If you go with an RM3 and only do single coils, go with that option. The base is the same but the cap has one air hole. With both the RM2 and 3, I required more air flow so I pulled out my drill. (Just one size up from the original air hole was enough.

Might also encourage you to read about and watch videos on maintenance. You will have it for life!

 

[Raynman]

Go with the Low Profile Grand and get a Low Profile RM2. They will afford you the best options for moving on to other things. Of course those other things are Reos. It just gives the widest range of options.

 

[ancient puffer]

Just a couple of thoughts to add. The spring is your failsafe. It will collapse, breaking the circuit, in the event of a catastrophic short.

That said, all of the advice above is good, i.e., batteries that can handle the amp load you put on them (a function of the ohms of resistance in the coil you build), you can't go wrong with AW IMR 18650 1600 mAH batteries, rated at 24 amps (RTDVapor is a reliable vendor for them).

What you are "losing" with a pure mechanical mod is constant monitoring of battery voltage and checking the resistance of your coil. It's a must that you have a way to check the resistance of your coils when you build them, multimeters can be had very cheaply (Harbor Freight sells them for around $5). You will quickly get a "feel" for the battery voltage, because once it drops below about 3.7-3.9 volts, the vapor production/flavor and warmth will drop off and you'll know it's time to change batteries. How fast that happens will depend on your coil resistance and how much you vape, but I run around .6 Ω, and the AW IMR 18650's 1600 mAH last me about 9-10 hours of continuous use. Once you see how it's going, it's simple to just change the battery on a regular schedule (for me, that's start "fresh" in the morning @ 9:00 am, and put in a fresh one around 6:00 pm, although I've vaped through until 10 pm often with no problem)

It all sounds more intimidating than it really is, but with the right batteries and a multimeter, and a basic understanding of how voltage, resistance, amperage, etc. relate to each other, it's really a piece of cake.

Be aware too, that electronic devices can and DO fail, best case for them is your device quits working, worst case is dangerous. There's nothing to fail on a REO, worst case is a collapsed spring that lets you know you had a short. Find it, fix it, replace the spring, and vape on. I've been using a REO since 2011, and never collapsed a spring.

 

[Fuzzy Bruce]

If I would have seen all the Reo related youtube stuff awhile back, I would not have a drawer full of dusty mods. Save money? Probably not so much since I have five Reo Grands and nine BF atomizers all purchased within the last six months or so. I am never more than an arms length from a Reo.

 

[JamezC]

But dripping can be a pain when you're out and about, so I'm intrigued by squonking. I'm also intimidated, both by the price to get something like a Reo, but mostly by the mech mod/battery thing.
I've only used regulated devices so far--first an ego twist, then an mvp 2.0, and now an istick 50.
What do I need to know and learn about to use a mech mod like the reo safely? What do I need to understand to match up batteries with the ohms of the coil builds?

Also, what has helped me kick cigs these past few months is chasing flavor, so if I save up and get a reo, what atty's would folks recommend? Currently, I've got an infinite magma clone, with an Origen v2 clone and Marquis clone on the way.

I understand the price point, especially not knowing whether or not your going to like the device. But I can tell you, what you pay for is a well made and reliable mod made by a guy who stands behind his products, and will happily assist you and work with you if you have any problems.

Really, with mechanical mods, battery safety is key. I use AW IMR 2200 batteries, that have a 20 amp limit, meaning I'm safe (with a fresh battery at 4.2v) down to 0.3 ohms of resistance. Before you even build your RDA, think about what ohms you want to build to, then use the ohms law calculator (here:Ohms Law Calculator) and put in your desired resistance, and for the voltage, put in 4.2v (always do the calculation assuming you have a freshly charged battery). You always want to check how many amps your build is going to be pulling from a freshly charged battery, and make sure to stay under that. Always match your builds to what your batteries can handle.

As far as rda's, well, that's all left up to preference. The Origen has a bottom-feeding pin that you can change out to use with a reo. I also highly recommend checking out Catfish Atty Mods, the owner (Chowder) has a nice selection of bottom fed atties available, including the Marquis as well (last time I looked anyways).

I hoped that helped

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention, unlike vv/vw devices, mech mods require maintenance from time to time to keep them working at the top of their game. After using a mech for awhile, you may start to notice the performance dropping off a little bit. More often than not, this means you probably need to give it a thorough cleaning. It's not something that I find you have to do every day, or even every week, I clean my mods (on average) once a month and they're fine.

 

[Rat2chat2]

All I know is I thought my vaping was going great and then I used a reo. Vaping went to great to unbelievable. I haven't had the need to use anything else in almost a year and if vaping never gets any better than it is right this minute. . . I'm good. I know you have probably read a lot about them but here is a thread where people said what they liked and you might find out something you do not know.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-vaping-discussion/635010-help-why-reo.html

I just wanted to add that the reo people are second to none. The most caring (and crazy) group of people I have ever met and one I am proud to be a part of. Good luck to you at finding what makes you the happiest and smokefree. That's what it is really all about.

If you have any questions at all about the reo, come visit us in the reo lounge. Always someone there that can help you.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/reos-mods/626726-reo-lounge-part-v-1034.html

 

[3mhmama]

Just a couple of thoughts to add. The spring is your failsafe. It will collapse, breaking the circuit, in the event of a catastrophic short.

That said, all of the advice above is good, i.e., batteries that can handle the amp load you put on them (a function of the ohms of resistance in the coil you build), you can't go wrong with AW IMR 18650 1600 mAH batteries, rated at 24 amps (RTDVapor is a reliable vendor for them).

What you are "losing" with a pure mechanical mod is constant monitoring of battery voltage and checking the resistance of your coil. It's a must that you have a way to check the resistance of your coils when you build them, multimeters can be had very cheaply (Harbor Freight sells them for around $5). You will quickly get a "feel" for the battery voltage, because once it drops below about 3.7-3.9 volts, the vapor production/flavor and warmth will drop off and you'll know it's time to change batteries. How fast that happens will depend on your coil resistance and how much you vape, but I run around .6 Ω, and the AW IMR 18650's 1600 mAH last me about 9-10 hours of continuous use. Once you see how it's going, it's simple to just change the battery on a regular schedule (for me, that's start "fresh" in the morning @ 9:00 am, and put in a fresh one around 6:00 pm, although I've vaped through until 10 pm often with no problem)

It all sounds more intimidating than it really is, but with the right batteries and a multimeter, and a basic understanding of how voltage, resistance, amperage, etc. relate to each other, it's really a piece of cake.

Be aware too, that electronic devices can and DO fail, best case for them is your device quits working, worst case is dangerous. There's nothing to fail on a REO, worst case is a collapsed spring that lets you know you had a short. Find it, fix it, replace the spring, and vape on. I've been using a REO since 2011, and never collapsed a spring.

Thanks, everyone, for the info and guidance! Whenever I've tried to do some research on mech mods and battery safety, I've had flashbacks to junior high school science class when the teacher talked about electricity and currents and I zoned out, but your comments help. I'll check out that video and see if I can get myself better educated on the topic.

I don't have a formal ohm reader right now, but the stick50 does show the ohms in the attys that get attached. I've tried subohming with the Atlantis and the Subtank, but it's not necessarily my thing. I also tried a dual coil build around .4 in my Magma. Right now, I'm enjoying builds at around .9 - 1.2 ohms, and I'm under the impression (perhaps false) that's a little "safer" when it comes to battery safety? Should I get a proper ohm reader to check my builds, or will the istick suffice? And what do you do with a multimeter? How does it get used and when?

Vaping is such a slippery slope when it comes to accumulation of gear. I'm already a bit of a gearhead, and as I've learned more about vaping and what I like, it just keeps costing me more money, and the old stuff I have (which isn't even that old!) keeps accumulating!

 

[Debadoo]

Welcome 3M. Seems you don't have a lot of dollars to just get everything you need/want all at once......That's me also. But, while you gather some of the things you'll need, you can pm Redeyedancer and ask him periodically if he has any blemished mods on hand. Usually you can't even find what he considers a blemish. they run about 120.00 ish. Don't quote me on that, but cheaper than other Reos. Mechanically they are completely sound, whatever might be wrong, would be only cosmetic and like I said, probably hard to find.

You can use the Istick for now to check ohms on your builds. But you'll want a multimeter of some sort to know how many volts are left in your battery. When mine get below 3.9 I can tell and it's time for a change. I use this type of thing.
Panel Meter Mini Lithium Battery Digital Voltmeter DC 2 5V 30V Best Cheap | eBay

but you can get inexpensive digital multimeters a variety of places.

I've not used 2200 mah aw imr's, but many feel that the 1600 ones hold the first best part of the charge longer than others. Get button top from RTD as suggested. Rob says the Reo firing pin was designed for button top aw imr's, so that's good enough for me. Some folks use others, but I will be switching to just those soon as I can.

Definitely sub to super x's videos on youtube and watch a lot of em. I was nervous about my first mech, but my Reo and all the wonderful helpful people took all the scary away. lol

You'll need some deoxit gold for the contacts and the batteries. I got a cheap tube of it from amazon and just apply it with my fingers. People talked about arc'ing and I never would see any, so thought maybe I just couldn't see it.....but when the vape was off the other day, I looked, and jup I saw it. Deoxit gold stopped it though.

If you like 1 to 1.2 you might be happy with an rm2, it doesn't have enough air for me...... a couple months ago I'd have never thought that I would prefer lung inhales, but I do.

I can't imagine you not liking a Reo once you get it fine tuned, but if that should happen, you likely wouldn't have a lot of issue selling it on the classies because they really hold their value. If you buy new, it will have the new 510 and new contacts. Most of em on the classies don't have the new 510, some have the new contacts. I really like the new 510 in that it's adjustable and you can't really break it! So will be getting my mini upgraded soon as I can, and milled down to be low profile. You'll definitely want an LP mod so you can use larger atties with it.

Everyone here is so very helpful......and can answer anything you need, and if they can't, Rob can, and he is all over these threads to chime in when there is an issue. You can also pm him, and even call him if need be. So start savin those pennies!!

 

[oldbroad]

Hi 3M!!

I know the Reo seems expensive initially, i thought so,too, but the things are so simple to use and they hold their value! I was lucky in that I went from an Ego twist straight to a Reo. I was intiminated in the beginning and also thought they looked weird all squared off and such and I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that you "squonked" the juice.

But the wonderfully helpful people here got me squared away quickly, one of them even called me for guidance! The Reo is the easiest vaping mod in my experience. And Rob, the maker of these amazing mods is a hands-on, always helpful guy. Keep an eye out for the blemished mods on his site or even call him and ask that he let you know when one of them is available. ( by blemished I mean that there might be a tiny flaw in the metal body only...but get out a magnifying glass to try to find it!)

 

[d4gger]

Welcome welcome. I made a long post on multimeters and my browser decided to crash. I'll try to recreate it when I have time later.

 

[Jugband]

I threw money away over and over and over again on mods, looking for the perfect one. At the time, I think I tried everyone out there! I would watch videos, read reviews, and place my order. Most of those mistakes are long in the trash, didn't last long before they died. No they never worked well when they still did. In my search I found I loved dripping, but yes, it was a huge inconvenience unless you were sitting at home. So I started researching this mod I kept hearing so much about, "Reo!" I ordered one...then two.. Then three etc! Never used anything but since, no longer looking! Make this choice, you'll never be sorry!

 

[Joules_Verne]

Welcome 3M. You'll need some deoxit gold for the contacts and the batteries. I got a cheap tube of it from amazon and just apply it with my fingers. People talked about arc'ing and I never would see any, so thought maybe I just couldn't see it.....but when the vape was off the other day, I looked, and jup I saw it. Deoxit gold stopped it though.

!!

Deb/3M
I got a 2ml tube of Deoxit Gold also, have found a Q-tip is great for applying, a couple of drops does it and if you can set the Q-tip upright somewhere, it stays moist for couple of weeks and still leaves a visible wetting on battys, etc.
daved123

 

[3mhmama]

OK, I'm going to do it! I"m going to figure out my $ and join you all in Reoville! : )

Still need to figure out which atty to get with it though. I'd like the flexibility of being able to do a single or a dual, and I want something that's known to bring out flavor. Would you recommend something from Reo, or something from Catfish Atty? Is there a place I can see what Catfish Atty has to offer? I tried looking at the thread, but there are 600+ pages and 12,000+ posts! I couldn't make sense of the lists and what they all mean!

After I figure the atty thing out, I'll just have to make sure my wallet can handle it, and then pick out what color I want!

Thanks, everyone! You've all been so helpful!