smok omnitester...does your's work?

[donnah]

So I've been using a provari to test all my coils. Its worked well so far since I've been using RM2s and never desired to go below .8Ω. But now I've got a dual coil bf atty. So I ordered a meter that will be able to measure the coils. I got the omnitester from rtdvapor. It doesn't read any of my attys. Not the RM2s.. not the kayfuns. The only thing it will read is an evod. When it's not reading ----- then it's acting crazy, numbers going all over the place. (spotty connection) The well looks like it's way too deep to make good enough contact to get a solid reading.

Does anyone have this particular meter? I'm thinking mine is defective. I've emailed the company and am awaiting a reply. I'm really bummed. I can't really use the atty (pdib's nuppin') because the grands are on their way to Maine for milling. But I was at least going to play with it. Now I can't and I feel like I just bought a $20 piece of junk

 

[ReigntheGamer]

I have one and it seems to work well for my builds, maybe you got a bad egg?

I got mine from vapordna.

 

[gousooners18]

I have one that I also got from vapordna and it works well. I have noticed that if it is a bit jumpy or obviously incorrect, I have to tighten my rda on a bit tighter. Maybe that will help?

 

[unsure]

I have one and it seems to work well for my builds, maybe you got a bad egg?

I got mine from Vapordna.

 

[donnah]

I've tightened them down as far as they will go. Nothing is making contact. (except the evod LOL)

well.. now the evod reads ------ too.

I haven't heard back from them yet but I'm expecting them to send me another and if they want this one back, they'll need to send return postage.

 

[Train2]

I don't have that one, but I've read other reports of them working just fine - sounds like you got one with a dud connector.
Hopefully, RTD will take care of a replacement easily...(not sure about return postage though - that's kind of non-standard).

 

[unsure]

I only use it to test Ωs and this http://www.vaporbeast.com/voltage-meter-stainless-steel.html to test voltage and drops. Checked against my fluke its more accurate on voltage.

 

[Treebeard]

So I've been using a provari to test all my coils. Its worked well so far since I've been using RM2s and never desired to go below .8Ω. But now I've got a dual coil bf atty. So I ordered a meter that will be able to measure the coils. I got the omnitester from rtdvapor. It doesn't read any of my attys. Not the RM2s.. not the kayfuns. The only thing it will read is an evod. When it's not reading ----- then it's acting crazy, numbers going all over the place. (spotty connection) The well looks like it's way too deep to make good enough contact to get a solid reading.

Does anyone have this particular meter? I'm thinking mine is defective. I've emailed the company and am awaiting a reply. I'm really bummed. I can't really use the atty (pdib's nuppin') because the grands are on their way to Maine for milling. But I was at least going to play with it. Now I can't and I feel like I just bought a $20 piece of junk

Well, they are not junk, but on the other hand, they are not the pinnacle of it's class either.

I have a similar inexpensive device. It reads most of my attys just fine but it seems that some attys have longer connections and tend to push the devices' center contact down into the insulator just enough that some attys have trouble reaching the contact. If you look down into the devices' 510 at the center contact...is it even with or slightly below the insulator? It should be slightly + raised above the insulator.

In which case, I take a tiny screwdriver (or other tiny implement that may be handy) and simply raise/pry up the center contact so that it is just above the insulator so that it will make contact with the atty in question.

 

[donnah]

Well, they are not junk, but on the other hand, they are not the pinnacle of it's class either.

I have a similar inexpensive device. It reads most of my attys just fine but it seems that some attys have longer connections and tend to push the devices' center contact down into the insulator just enough that some attys have trouble reaching the contact. If you look down into the devices' 510 at the center contact...is it even with or slightly below the insulator? It should be slightly + raised above the insulator.

In which case, I take a tiny screwdriver (or other tiny implement that may be handy) and simply raise/pry up the center contact so that it is just above the insulator so that it will make contact with the atty in question.

It's wobbly down in there and I don't even see any kind of insulator. This reminds me of back when I used egos/evods and having to pry the disk up to make contact.

 

[donnah]

Just an update... I received a response from rtdvapor.

Hi Donna,

I will have another Omnitester shipped out to you today. The center post on the connector, on the unit you have may have an issue. I am sorry you had this issue and thank you for your business!

Best regards,

Randy Davis
RTD Vapor Inc.

How awesome are these guys!

 

[nerak]

Just an update... I received a response from rtdvapor.

Hi Donna,

I will have another Omnitester shipped out to you today. The center post on the connector, on the unit you have may have an issue. I am sorry you had this issue and thank you for your business!

Best regards,

Randy Davis
RTD Vapor Inc.

How awesome are these guys!

Randy is a Reonaut too! He really does seem to offer us a good place to get stuff for our REO's! And I have always found him to be superior vendor with great customer service!

 

[Quigsworth]

So I've been using a provari to test all my coils. Its worked well so far since I've been using RM2s and never desired to go below .8Ω. But now I've got a dual coil bf atty. So I ordered a meter that will be able to measure the coils. I got the omnitester from rtdvapor. It doesn't read any of my attys. Not the RM2s.. not the kayfuns. The only thing it will read is an evod. When it's not reading ----- then it's acting crazy, numbers going all over the place. (spotty connection) The well looks like it's way too deep to make good enough contact to get a solid reading.

Does anyone have this particular meter? I'm thinking mine is defective. I've emailed the company and am awaiting a reply. I'm really bummed. I can't really use the atty (pdib's nuppin') because the grands are on their way to Maine for milling. But I was at least going to play with it. Now I can't and I feel like I just bought a $20 piece of junk

Maybe I'm missing something here but why not just buy an actual meter?...for what you paid (and pay again for post) and the waste of time you could've gone to Rat Shack and bought a decent meter that will also read voltage (plus more)...just saying...

 

[unsure]

I'd take a MM over any of these gadgets for accuracy. That said it's the convenience they provide which makes them popular .

 

[donnah]

I'd take a MM over any of these gadgets for accuracy. That said it's the convenience they provide which makes them popular .

Yep...convenience. Hindsight is 20/20

 

[supertrunker]

I think some of the little black box atty testers can read lower resistances than DMM's. Unless you buy a high end Fluke or something for $$$.

If you vape at 1.5Ω, a DMM is fine and 0.1 either way is no big deal. If you vape at 0.3Ω it is.

T

 

[Quigsworth]

I think some of the little black box atty testers can read lower resistances than DMM's. Unless you buy a high end Fluke or something for $$$.

If you vape at 1.5Ω, a DMM is fine and 0.1 either way is no big deal. If you vape at 0.3Ω it is.

T

Sadly that is typically the case...my Fluke 117 (mid to lower end model) won't even zero...it's averaging algorithm kicks in and it bounces between .1 and ,2 on a closed cct..

This is old news to most of you but with all this talk of convenient "toy" meters...the point I was trying to make is the OP mentioned he was "getting into" SO duals...things can get away from you quickly with duals, paralleling two 1 ohm coils gives you .5 total (the total will always be half of the resistance of one coil)...now depending on your kanthal, you do something that on the surface seems innocuous and drop a wrap off each and you can be in the .3 range pretty quick.

This is important because if you've historically been in the 1.5 (ish) single coil world, the garden variety budget vape shop gear (batts, especially) is fine but when you get into the .3 (and lower) world of SO'ing that's a whole new level of equipment stress (and potential danger) that peeps need to appreciate...but for what ever reason that message is getting lost somewhere...

I've read too many threads lately that state things like " I built this killer dual 18650 box mod and I'm running my "X" RDA on .2 duals" and you look at the pics and see a couple Efest's hot glued and electrical taped into a Hammond box with a 2 A momentary as a switch, no fuse, no hot springs, with the tag line "I think I wired the batts right, could someone help?"...I just have to shake my head.

Sorry for soapboxing off topic but if we keep going down this road someone is going to get seriously hurt one day...I'm not saying don't have fun, learn and push the envelope of the hobby but get the right tools, convienience should be way down the list, these things stopped being toys 14 amps ago...

I'll shut up now

 

[donnah]

I am well aware of the danger. I have no interest in .3Ω As I am getting in to dual coils, I am trying to be safe by buying what I thought was needed as opposed to winging it. I am very conscious of amp limits and such and buy accordingly. I'm not a kid chasing clouds. I thought I was buying the right tool. The multimeter I have was bought 4 years ago to test regular attys. I feel like I've been lumped into the "idiots who build super low who just want to show off" category when all I wanted to know is if this particular meter might be a lemon. It's the one Baditude recommends in his blog. In the hundreds of coil building videos I've watched, most all of them use the box meters so since I've never heard anything against them.. I figured I'd get one.

I'm not a "he". I'm a middle aged housewife who enjoys building coils and thought she was being safe.

 

[Roscoe01]

My 2c is that a specialty tool such as the omnitester Is much more suited for the job at hand than a multimeter. For example: U can tighten a bolt with a pliers but a wrench works much better!

 

[Quigsworth]

Sorry about the "he" thing...it's so hard to tell by someones avatar...mind you, by mine, you'd think I was a 4 yr old, add in my general attention span and you wouldn't be far off the mark

By your post I could certainly tell you aren't some cloud chasing mall punk, far too articulate...and the fact that you're conscious of the risks and hoping to mitigate...though I still do want to stress, even though you don't want it, .8 can turn into .3 scary fast, even if your coils are spot on, you've metered them and it's all good, that last screw tighten can drag a coil into a post (lowering your resistance as well as having coils of different values)...at the end of the day I just wish for peeps to have a good, happy and fun experience and while these tools of convenience do make it easier, I worry it makes it too easy...so many times after I done my build and it's all tightened down and screwed to the mod ready to test fire...just by taking out that meter, selecting what you want to measure and putting the probes to the posts it creates this moment of heightened attention and scrutiny where you may fine some....wow, glad I saw that, that could've been ugly..kinda thing.

I apologize, my intent was to not lump you into any "darwin Awards" category, I just used your post as a talking (ranting) point...I just worry for the peeps out there that are "winging it".

peace?

 

[donnah]

Peace.

Thank you for thinking of my safety. I've held off on dual coils because 1) I was never impressed with the dc cartos back when I was into cartos. 2) I didn't want to spend more money. 3) I've been happy with my single coil RM2s. 4) I didn't know if I wanted to undertake another learning curve.

But I've found myself kinda bored and complacent. I want to try new things (like papaw) and I'm ready to try something new. Since the nuppin is also a single coil atty, I'm going to stick with single coils first and go from there. I want to make sure (with whatever meter I use) that I know how to correctly measure my coils each and together. I have plenty of high amp batts. I've been watching my favorite peeps (SXD and Rule62) venture into dc land and.. well... I want to follow. But I wanted to do it correctly and safely, I thought a dedicated meter from a reputable dealer would be a smart tool to have.

Anyway... you're forgiven if you take my woody and convert it into one of those cool dna woodys