So. What's the difference between an RBA tank and a vivi nova if I'm rebuilding my wicks and coils?

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Punkonjunk

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Really, topic. I kind of want to try an RBA, but with a tank because seriously I cannot be clucked to drip.

I picked up a bunch of 8ml vivi nova tanks from fasttech, and the stock coils aren't great, the coil and the wick, regardless of the amount of torching, dry burning, boiling, alcohol soaking and etc, taste terrible. HOWEVER. When I replace it with my own coil/wicks, it's great.

I read a lot searchin' and digging around that people really love RBAs for the clean, straight flavor. I have a couple disposable drippers and even being cheap and crappy, they do give a very, very straight flavor. I'm just having trouble seeing how a rebuildable would be real different than me rebuilding my vivi.

I also can't seem to find a 6ml+ RBA tank, feel free to suggest one, if I'm convinced I'll likely pick one up to try.... but yeah, I really only like to fill like once a day. Call me lazy, I switched over from pipe smoking, gigantic batteries and simplicity are wonderful. :D
 

Myrany

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Ok I also have a fasttech vivi nova. THe heads that came with it were absolute garbage. In general the coils were wound too tight and it was choking off the wicking of the juice. Dry hit after dry hit and horrible leaking. I rebuilt them and it is going nice now.

From what I understand the RBA Tanks once you know how to work with them (SS mesh) give a much fuller and flavorful vape. I personally am not ready to mess with mesh though I have been looking into an AGA T series RBA tank with a glass tank part since I have seen some methods for building those with silica wicks. All in all the actual RBA tanks take a bit more fiddling to get right but when you do they are supposed to be outstanding.
 

Kaedinsdad

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rba like a aga t2 are great not to hard to learn how to make a ss mesh wick and wrap it. If ur wanting to go that way try the rsst has a plastic like tank and u dont have to worry about the wick touching metal in the tank. only bad part bout ginny rba is u cant really lay them on there side all the juice will leak out the fill hole
Really, topic. I kind of want to try an RBA, but with a tank because seriously I cannot be clucked to drip.

I picked up a bunch of 8ml vivi nova tanks from fasttech, and the stock coils aren't great, the coil and the wick, regardless of the amount of torching, dry burning, boiling, alcohol soaking and etc, taste terrible. HOWEVER. When I replace it with my own coil/wicks, it's great.

I read a lot searchin' and digging around that people really love RBAs for the clean, straight flavor. I have a couple disposable drippers and even being cheap and crappy, they do give a very, very straight flavor. I'm just having trouble seeing how a rebuildable would be real different than me rebuilding my vivi.

I also can't seem to find a 6ml+ RBA tank, feel free to suggest one, if I'm convinced I'll likely pick one up to try.... but yeah, I really only like to fill like once a day. Call me lazy, I switched over from pipe smoking, gigantic batteries and simplicity are wonderful. :D
 

DkGanz

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I get good flavor and some pretty decent clouds from my rebuilt and slightly modified ViviNovas. But, the fact is that they are not really designed to be customized and accommodate larger wick/coil set ups. Every time I rebuild mine I find myself saying, "If I just had a little more room!"
I've done some (doubled up 1.5mm wick with a 32g kanthal 9/10 wrap and a 1.5 mm top/flavor wick) set ups that gave totally awesome flavor and thick clouds, but they gummed up after about three tankfuls. Its just too tight of a spacing on the wraps with the little room provided. Now I stick to a 6/7 wrap which gives me the best flavor/lifespan ratio.
But if you want the best performance, you really need a device that is made to perform, an RBA.
In my opinion of course.

But I do love my Vivis! It's like turbo-charging a moped, kinda ridiculous, but still a lot of fun.
 

Punkonjunk

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But I do love my Vivis! It's like turbo-charging a moped, kinda ridiculous, but still a lot of fun.

You're talking to a guy who strapped a 125cc engine onto his honda passport. I love to tinker :)

I ended up pulling the trigger on a cheap cobra clone RBA tank on fasttech.... and an IBtanked cartotank, so I'll have everything to try.

I figure, the IBtanked gear will be cool because it's handmade and I haven't had a good experience with cartotanks (from... fasttech, blehg, hit or miss.... those tanks/cartos were a MISS) so that'll give me a good quality straight shot to trying that... and they look so good on vamos. I saw one on a vamo and had to get it.

The cheap cobra clone, I figure you can't really go wrong with fasttech, I can tinker and rebuild to get it working right. Can't really argue with 6 bucks, either :)

Oxidizing steel wicks seems like a lot of work, but I have a sneaking suspicion I can get out the ol' torch and oxidize a long piece and make it into a dozen wicks, or hell, I have a kiln for lost wax casting, bet I could drop a ton in and quench and pop them in repeatedly while I use it :)

As for wild coil setups, I would like to try doubling up the coil in the vivi as some I've seen, but yeah, it is a tiiiight spot. Seeing some videos on wild coils were amazing, and that'll be fun to try with the RBAs if I end up liking 'em.
 

DkGanz

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You're talking to a guy who strapped a 125cc engine onto his honda passport. I love to tinker :)

I ended up pulling the trigger on a cheap cobra clone RBA tank on fasttech.... and an IBtanked cartotank, so I'll have everything to try.

I figure, the IBtanked gear will be cool because it's handmade and I haven't had a good experience with cartotanks (from... fasttech, blehg, hit or miss.... those tanks/cartos were a MISS) so that'll give me a good quality straight shot to trying that... and they look so good on vamos. I saw one on a vamo and had to get it.

The cheap cobra clone, I figure you can't really go wrong with fasttech, I can tinker and rebuild to get it working right. Can't really argue with 6 bucks, either :)

Oxidizing steel wicks seems like a lot of work, but I have a sneaking suspicion I can get out the ol' torch and oxidize a long piece and make it into a dozen wicks, or hell, I have a kiln for lost wax casting, bet I could drop a ton in and quench and pop them in repeatedly while I use it :)

As for wild coil setups, I would like to try doubling up the coil in the vivi as some I've seen, but yeah, it is a tiiiight spot. Seeing some videos on wild coils were amazing, and that'll be fun to try with the RBAs if I end up liking 'em.

Speak of the devil, I too have some Fasttech mail coming! You're right, for $6 I couldn't resist the opportunity to tweak those babys into submission!
And the mesh thing ain't all that bad. It's really rather easy. I've done a lot of mine on the stovetop. It's slower but it works. The real challenge(for me at least) was the coil. The micro shorts will drive you nuts at first. But, like anything, if you keep at it you're bound to get it down in a few tries. Especially if you're a prodigious tinkerer like me!(And it sure sounds like you are)
Failure is a lesson learned, but success is sweet, thick vapor!
Good luck!
 
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