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Well, just when my SRT was really "dialed in" and working great I broke it! Sigh. I was in a hurry and held the bottom base with the tank and attempted to twist the top plate off. Bad idea! MAKE SURE you turn the tank with the top plate! I separated the metal post from the top plate, which also caused the wires to get twisted. I can fix it, but ordered two more SRTs for possible future screwups. 
Update: The Hyper SRT II that I purchased for my father failed today. I assumed that enlarging the holes for wicks was the reason mine had failed. But after comparing our broken SRTs, we came to the conclusion that heat is was the issue. His separated in the same place as mine in even though he was careful not to make the same mistake I had made. Over time the heat weakens the polypropolene just under the top plate at the center post. Neither one of us are chain-vapers. A real shame this is a problem, since it's the best vape I've experienced with this type of RBA.
Since I liked the quality of the vape and since I wanted to see if I had just caught somebody in China having a bad day, I decided to buy another. But this time I didn't go with gotvapes.com, but discountvapers.com. They didn't have the Hyper SRT II, but the (almost) identical SmokTech "R" tank. I compared them in detail and found some interesting things, which I will post when I get more time. So many RBAs so little time
Since I liked the quality of the vape and since I wanted to see if I had just caught somebody in China having a bad day, I decided to buy another. But this time I didn't go with gotvapes.com, but discountvapers.com. They didn't have the Hyper SRT II, but the (almost) identical SmokTech "R" tank. I compared them in detail and found some interesting things, which I will post when I get more time. So many RBAs so little time
Thanks for the update. That polypropylene was a big concern for me. Other than that, I like the overall design.
Looks like I'll probably wait and see if they improve this model at some point.
Please do report if you find that DV's 'R' Tank is an improvement on this one.
Looks like I'll probably wait and see if they improve this model at some point.
Please do report if you find that DV's 'R' Tank is an improvement on this one.
After vaping on my vivis for four days waiting on replacement RBAs I've come to the realization that I can no longer just vape on them. The SRT spoiled me. When I bought the replacement "R" I also bought two other AGA RBAs. I've only had them a few days. They vape great, but still don't quite match the SRT or the "R" in terms of flavor... yet!(?) The "R" is smoother than the SRT: It is slightly more constricted than the SRT (maybe by 10 percent). The polypropolene is stiffer than the SRT. The tooling of the metal looks to be of better quality. Oddly, the chome cap and tips are absolutely identical. The springs on the "R" have one more wrap than the SRT. This does two things I'm aware off: fewer wraps make the spring stiffer, which may hold the coil wire better, but they will wear out sooner. I have detailed macros comparing the two. Just need to get them online when time allows. Pretty busy here. Oh And so far I'm really happy with the "R". It's very quiet due to better tooling compared to the SRT. The flavor is as good as the SRT so far. My SRT lasted 15 days. Let's see how many this one lasts... heh
The "R" is smoother than the SRT: It is slightly more constricted than the SRT (maybe by 10 percent). The polypropolene is stiffer than the SRT. The tooling of the metal looks to be of better quality. Oddly, the chome cap and tips are absolutely identical. The springs on the "R" have one more wrap than the SRT. This does two things I'm aware off: fewer wraps make the spring stiffer, which may hold the coil wire better, but they will wear out sooner. I have detailed macros comparing the two. Just need to get them online when time allows. Pretty busy here. Oh And so far I'm really happy with the "R". It's very quiet due to better tooling compared to the SRT. The flavor is as good as the SRT so far. My SRT lasted 15 days. Let's see how many this one lasts... heh
Update: The Hyper SRT II that I purchased for my father failed today. I assumed that enlarging the holes for wicks was the reason mine had failed. But after comparing our broken SRTs, we came to the conclusion that heat is was the issue. His separated in the same place as mine in even though he was careful not to make the same mistake I had made. Over time the heat weakens the polypropolene just under the top plate at the center post. Neither one of us are chain-vapers. A real shame this is a problem, since it's the best vape I've experienced with this type of RBA.
Since I liked the quality of the vape and since I wanted to see if I had just caught somebody in China having a bad day, I decided to buy another. But this time I didn't go with gotvapes.com, but discountvapers.com. They didn't have the Hyper SRT II, but the (almost) identical SmokTech "R" Tank. I compared them in detail and found some interesting things, which I will post when I get more time. So many RBAs so little time
I have been using one for about a week and love it modded.Hits were a little dry after 4 or 5 hits chain vaping when stock..I had been rebuilding vivi novas dealing with the flooding issue they have.I kept looking for something better and found these and was really impressed with it so I bought 4 more.they work pretty good straight out of the box,no flooding,good taste,not a to stiff or to airy draw,only complaint was that if you take 4 or 5 vapes in a row next vape would be a little dry.the stock wick holes are 5/64th I drilled them to 3/32 and added a stainless steel wick and 32gauge kanthal wire wrapped to 2.8ohms.now it vapes so much better it about blows the back of my head off there's so much vaper.I got mine from gotvapes listed as Hyper SRT 4ml capacity after reading your posts I looked at discountvapers and they are listed as R tank and in the description it says 2.2ml capacity, madvapes also has them as R tank at 2.2ml capacity.I find the 2.2ml capacity is more accurate.Looking forward to your next post on these, pics would be great.
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My father vaped it straight out of the box and reported he was pleased with it, but later switched to cotton (we avoid silica wicks).
I've since contacted gotvapes and will know more tomorrow I suppose.Since I've only had a few of them they could just be from a "bad batch"... We'll see.
Thanks for chiming in on your SS setup! If yours last more than a week of daily use, then the SRTs I have must have a manufacturing defect. Although I find SS interesting as a wicking material, it's not my medium of choice. (check out the "ScubaQ" fused quartz glass tube system if you're interested- pretty cool, but risky imo). I prefer to stick with something that a most people are comfortable working with like cotton.
I noticed that as well with the capacities, but hadn't yet verified the exact amount, which I will if I do get another SRT. The "R" and the SRT look identical, but there are subtle differences. The capacity looks to be the same.
The coil positioning is pretty close to where I typically keep mine. The "sweet spot" for my builds seems to be where the top of the coil is level with the top of post or a bit higher. Tends to vary from coil to coil.
I've since come to realize that I prefer the air intake to be bottom-fed like the vivis, the SRT and the "R" tanks. The AGA hole-in-cap is a really good vape, but the air is much cooler; very noticable in winter
I'll get those pics up when I can. Other personal issues have been cutting into my time. :/
My father vaped it straight out of the box and reported he was pleased with it, but later switched to cotton (we avoid silica wicks).
I've since contacted gotvapes and will know more tomorrow I suppose.Since I've only had a few of them they could just be from a "bad batch"... We'll see.
Thanks for chiming in on your SS setup! If yours last more than a week of daily use, then the SRTs I have must have a manufacturing defect. Although I find SS interesting as a wicking material, it's not my medium of choice. (check out the "ScubaQ" fused quartz glass tube system if you're interested- pretty cool, but risky imo). I prefer to stick with something that a most people are comfortable working with like cotton.
I noticed that as well with the capacities, but hadn't yet verified the exact amount, which I will if I do get another SRT. The "R" and the SRT look identical, but there are subtle differences. The capacity looks to be the same.
The coil positioning is pretty close to where I typically keep mine. The "sweet spot" for my builds seems to be where the top of the coil is level with the top of post or a bit higher. Tends to vary from coil to coil.
I've since come to realize that I prefer the air intake to be bottom-fed like the vivis, the SRT and the "R" tanks. The AGA hole-in-cap is a really good vape, but the air is much cooler; very noticable in winter
I'll get those pics up when I can. Other personal issues have been cutting into my time. :/
I read a little a few weeks ago and watched some youtube vids on the glass tube but seems a little bit of a pain in the but it takes a couple of seconds for it to heat up and cool down.someone also brought up the possibility of it shattering in the winter if it was cold and then heated quickly,not sure if that would happen bu it's something a person would have to consider.I think the next wick I'm going to try is the bamboo yarn,I have been hearing a lot about it lately so I might give it a try.I'll let you know whether or not I have any issues with my R tank(aka Hyper srt)I had kinda wondered if the SRT stood for SMOK TECH R TANK,I'm going to get one from madvapes and see if I can tell any difference from the gotvapes one, even though the ones I got from gotvapes came in a box that says Smok tech R tank.
I've made a few wicks with pyrex and fused quartz glass with success. I used cotton wicking, not SS mesh. Vaped really great, but the pyrex started developing hairlines which is too dangerous and tedious to be viable in my opinion. The fused quartz is tougher, but what I have is a bit too thick and is slow to heat like you said. I agree with you with the abbreviation. I haven't posted the pics now because I want to see what gotvapes has to say. I'd rather upload pictures of two new units instead of one broken and one new. Not really fair. I'm beginning to think I may have gotten a few bad units and want to be fair about it. The only real difference that is apparent after about a week of vaping on the "R" is that the draw is slightly tighter. Not much, but it's there.
The bamboo is the most impressive wicking material I've used to date. But it has this earthy taste that put me off. I really tried to like it.. I boiled my thread at least 6 times but that taste just made me sick. Come to find out that Menthol and peppermint are two flavors that make the taste "funky" and those just happen to be the flavors I use when I want a flavored vape
I've made a few wicks with pyrex and fused quartz glass with success. I used cotton wicking, not SS mesh. Vaped really great, but the pyrex started developing hairlines which is too dangerous and tedious to be viable in my opinion. The fused quartz is tougher, but what I have is a bit too thick and is slow to heat like you said. I agree with you with the abbreviation. I haven't posted the pics now because I want to see what gotvapes has to say. I'd rather upload pictures of two new units instead of one broken and one new. Not really fair. I'm beginning to think I may have gotten a few bad units and want to be fair about it. The only real difference that is apparent after about a week of vaping on the "R" is that the draw is slightly tighter. Not much, but it's there.
The bamboo is the most impressive wicking material I've used to date. But it has this earthy taste that put me off. I really tried to like it.. I boiled my thread at least 6 times but that taste just made me sick. Come to find out that Menthol and peppermint are two flavors that make the taste "funky" and those just happen to be the flavors I use when I want a flavored vape
thanks for the heads up on the bamboo having funky taste ,may just stick with SS mesh since it seems to work good for me.
SS sounds to be the best in flavor/wicking as far as I can tell. I've never used it, nor shall I until I find a way to carbonize/oxidize it without having to take a torch to it. (Hence my cotton obsession)
heh.. double post.. see next post for descriptions of the pics
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I was hoping to get a replacement Hyper SRT II from gotvapes.com, but they eventually got back to me saying they don't exchange RBAs after 24hrs which is on their disclaimer. Since I have no intentions of buying another Hyper SRT II, I'll post comparison pics of the broken Hyper SRT and the Smoktech "R" tanks, side-by-side. The "R" is on the left and the SRT on the right:
The grip pressed into the SRT isn't even and almost smooth on one side. Also the air hole looks unfinished compared to the "R".
View attachment 162179
The beveled edge of the air hole on the SRT(left) was made by me in an attempt to lower the noise made when drawing, which didn't help much.
View attachment 162180
I flipped this one since to keep the SRT on the left. You can see the lack of a finish bevel (like the bottom) which I think is what made it louder when drawing air. I placed the post into position to take this picture which is where the plastic failed (down where you see the black wire).
View attachment 162181
oops. SRT is on the RIGHT on this one. Notice the springs. There seem to be less winds that the "R", and the uneven mount retainers.
View attachment 162182
Here you can see the air hole of the "R" and the SRT. The SRT looked just like the "R" before I had beveled it.
View attachment 162183
Again, the "R" has a slightly tighter draw, and is much quieter than the SRT. I'll keep vaping on the "R" and see if it lasts longer than the SRT. I've since bored out the holes to the same diameter as I did with the SRT to be fair. The coil that I'm using is the SAME coil that I had in the SRT. Fourteen days is the magic number
This is my first attempt at uploading pics. I think they are good enough to get the basic idea. Next time I'll store the pics on another site and link to them.
The grip pressed into the SRT isn't even and almost smooth on one side. Also the air hole looks unfinished compared to the "R".
View attachment 162179
The beveled edge of the air hole on the SRT(left) was made by me in an attempt to lower the noise made when drawing, which didn't help much.
View attachment 162180
I flipped this one since to keep the SRT on the left. You can see the lack of a finish bevel (like the bottom) which I think is what made it louder when drawing air. I placed the post into position to take this picture which is where the plastic failed (down where you see the black wire).
View attachment 162181
oops. SRT is on the RIGHT on this one. Notice the springs. There seem to be less winds that the "R", and the uneven mount retainers.
View attachment 162182
Here you can see the air hole of the "R" and the SRT. The SRT looked just like the "R" before I had beveled it.
View attachment 162183
Again, the "R" has a slightly tighter draw, and is much quieter than the SRT. I'll keep vaping on the "R" and see if it lasts longer than the SRT. I've since bored out the holes to the same diameter as I did with the SRT to be fair. The coil that I'm using is the SAME coil that I had in the SRT. Fourteen days is the magic number
This is my first attempt at uploading pics. I think they are good enough to get the basic idea. Next time I'll store the pics on another site and link to them.
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Thanks for the pics Jazzy,I can see there are some minor differences in the two.My first SRT is still going so far with no problems yet.Hope I don't since I have 5 of them now.My wife has been using one for a few days now and she likes it better than anything else she has used.I'm going to pick 1 up from madvapes and see if it is the same as the gotvapes or if it looks more like the dicountvapers.from the pics on madvapes sight I think it's look more like the R pics you posted
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I'd have to agree with your wife on the taste. It's a great vape, but I'm getting the same taste from the "R" just with a slightly tighter draw. But my AGAs are keeping me quite happy, and I don't have to worry if I drop it, which is a big plus for me My only beef is the SRT is not worth 20 dollars if it won't last longer than 14 days. I noticed the price has dropped to around 16 dollars, so my guess is a lot of ppl are having issues. I sincerly hope the two I bought were just from a bad batch and yours last years
My only beef is the SRT is not worth 20 dollars if it won't last longer than 14 days. I noticed the price has dropped to around 16 dollars, so my guess is a lot of ppl are having issues. I sincerly hope the two I bought were just from a bad batch and yours last years I have been looking at the AGA-T and thought about picking 1 up from okcvapes this weekend.I watched some youtube videos on them last night going to check out a few more tonight and see if I really want to get one.my last rebuild-able before the SRT was a DID and I wasn't very happy with it.I think if they just put a metal top cap on the SRT they would be much better.
I believe the original "R"s had a metal top plate, but they were "failed" by PBusardo. I like the AGA-T, it's a smooth vape, but I find that the side-draw air hole is not my thing so much.
I found this yesterday and ordered one. It has all the features of the SRT that I liked, plus the durability of a true RBA. It's pricey though, and definitely not a beginner RBA: Oh, and it's a clone of the "Ody" as the "old timers" call 'em:
Terminator R/A Tank- Large- IN STOCK!
It's designed for use with silica, so I have my work cut out for me
UPDATE: Just found out that the "Ody" (Odysseus) is still in production and the company/person that makes them is still making them! If I could have found the original Ody I would have bought from that company. Sigh, what's done is done.
Here's the original manufacturer's official US distributor and link:
http://www.cloudsofvapor.com/store/111-the-gg/128-odysseus-iatty-2.html
I found this yesterday and ordered one. It has all the features of the SRT that I liked, plus the durability of a true RBA. It's pricey though, and definitely not a beginner RBA: Oh, and it's a clone of the "Ody" as the "old timers" call 'em:
Terminator R/A Tank- Large- IN STOCK!
It's designed for use with silica, so I have my work cut out for me
UPDATE: Just found out that the "Ody" (Odysseus) is still in production and the company/person that makes them is still making them! If I could have found the original Ody I would have bought from that company. Sigh, what's done is done.
Here's the original manufacturer's official US distributor and link:
http://www.cloudsofvapor.com/store/111-the-gg/128-odysseus-iatty-2.html
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Off topic, but I drilled a second wick hole in my AGA-T so I can more easily double wick. Oh man.. I forgot how tough stainless steel is! I Curse those cheap, bottom air fed Vivi Novas! They started this search for *the* vape... heh
UPDATE:
My SmokTech "R" is still going with no issues so far. I handed it off to my father since He likes the bottom-fed airflow type RBAs and ease of use. Since I now have the "Terminator, there's NO REASON to continue vaping on the "R", other than the longevity test
First things first: The "R" is a great vape for the money, and I highly recommend it as a first "foray" into the world of RBAs. The learning curve is minimal compared to others I've tried, and you can't beat the price. It's easy to modify (within obvious limits). Downside: It is not a tough RBA. You have to handle it with care.
I have found "the One" for me. This Odysseus clone is bottom-fed and built to last. It has most of the oddities/problems that the original "Ody" had, but hands down, worth the cost and the additional work involved in wicking and maintenance. I am certain that the Ody was the inspiration for most all the Vivis and Smoktech "R"s and SRTs. If you're not afraid of learning and you have some patience, the Terminator R/A (and the Terminator-C) is the "next step" in this type of RBA.
The *only* RBA I can possibly think of that *might* be better Than the Ody or the Terminator is the Ithaka, which incorporates the bottom-air fed method, but won't be available until March.... IF you have the money....
If you are interested in the Ithaka, Be sure to check out Imeo's videos. This has to be the most advanced unit I've ever seen. It's being developed improved every day, so be sure to see all of them. There are links in the GG forums or a search will get you there too.
The only place in the USA to buy the Ithaka when it becomes available:
http://www.cloudsofvapor.com/store/127-new-at-cov/1685-ithaka.html
I have the Terminator R/A (large) and have ordered the Terminator-C. The difference is the "C" variant holds more fluid and you can see your fluid levels. (very irritating to burn a cotton wick because it vaped dry.)
The Terminator-C: (The R/A is not available at the time of this entry):
Terminator-C R/A Tank
I am in no way affiliated with any of the sites linked above. I am merely a customer sharing my experience with other ECF members.
My SmokTech "R" is still going with no issues so far. I handed it off to my father since He likes the bottom-fed airflow type RBAs and ease of use. Since I now have the "Terminator, there's NO REASON to continue vaping on the "R", other than the longevity test
First things first: The "R" is a great vape for the money, and I highly recommend it as a first "foray" into the world of RBAs. The learning curve is minimal compared to others I've tried, and you can't beat the price. It's easy to modify (within obvious limits). Downside: It is not a tough RBA. You have to handle it with care.
I have found "the One" for me. This Odysseus clone is bottom-fed and built to last. It has most of the oddities/problems that the original "Ody" had, but hands down, worth the cost and the additional work involved in wicking and maintenance. I am certain that the Ody was the inspiration for most all the Vivis and Smoktech "R"s and SRTs. If you're not afraid of learning and you have some patience, the Terminator R/A (and the Terminator-C) is the "next step" in this type of RBA.
The *only* RBA I can possibly think of that *might* be better Than the Ody or the Terminator is the Ithaka, which incorporates the bottom-air fed method, but won't be available until March.... IF you have the money....
If you are interested in the Ithaka, Be sure to check out Imeo's videos. This has to be the most advanced unit I've ever seen. It's being developed improved every day, so be sure to see all of them. There are links in the GG forums or a search will get you there too.
The only place in the USA to buy the Ithaka when it becomes available:
http://www.cloudsofvapor.com/store/127-new-at-cov/1685-ithaka.html
I have the Terminator R/A (large) and have ordered the Terminator-C. The difference is the "C" variant holds more fluid and you can see your fluid levels. (very irritating to burn a cotton wick because it vaped dry.)
The Terminator-C: (The R/A is not available at the time of this entry):
Terminator-C R/A Tank
I am in no way affiliated with any of the sites linked above. I am merely a customer sharing my experience with other ECF members.
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