Some questions about "Cisco" LR306 atomizers.

[johnnydotexe]

About a year ago I did a trade that resulted in owning a "Cisco" LR306 1.5ohm atomizer that I de-bridged/de-wicked and used for dripping every once in a while to test liquids for the first month or so of owning it. Some time later I ended up with a Reo Mini and have been using that atty on it. That atty is still running strong today. It vapes as well as it did the day I got it and still works/looks new. I vape on it daily as it is part of my main setup and absolutely love it. I will never go back to any other atty, carto, or tank as long as I have this bad boy.

My questions are...

1. I see many places offering "Cisco" or "Cisco Spec" LR306 atties. Is it safe to assume that all these atties are in fact not the same and built by different companies?

2. Is there one main/legit "Cisco" atty which would make all others nothing more than knock-offs? If so, where could one find the real-deal "Cisco" atty?

3. Is there a way to find out which one I have?

The only other experience I have with other similar atties is with the one madvapes sells. I bought two and gave one to my father and kept the other as a spare for myself that I had to give to him today because his literally came apart as he pulled the drip-tip off. This problem got me thinking about which LR306 atties I should be buying and which I should be avoiding because I really like mine and love the fact that it has lasted a year and is still functioning perfectly.

ETA: If anyone is wondering how/why this atty has lasted so long, or how I'm taking care of it to keep it working....

I never clean it with any alcohol or other products. In fact I don't even clean it at all unless I'm switching liquid flavors which isn't often. For cleaning I just rinse it very well with super hot water, blow through it until all the water is gone, then do 2-3 quick dry burns. That's it. I have never seen the coil get gunked up.

As for how I use it I just make sure it's always semi-flooded on my Reo mini. I try to keep the liquid level high enough to where the bowl on my mod is almost full as this gives me the best vape. I check this level constantly and use a transparent drip-tip which helps me monitor that level. I never run that level too low. Sometimes this method does result in a little overflow down the side of the mod or a little liquid getting sucked up when I vape but I enjoy a good, hard-hitting cloud of vapor which I can only get when there's a generous amount of liquid in there. I believe this to be the main reason why this atty is lasting so long because all that liquid is keeping that coil from overheating.

The liquids I use are generally 50/50/18mg and are either clear or at most halfway between clear and dark. I never go with a VG amount higher than 50/50 and actually prefer a PG-heavier ratio of 70/30-80/20 if I can get it. I believe this to be the other main reason for the extended lifetime of the atty because darker and/or VG-heavy liquids tend to gunk up coils and reduce their effectiveness and lifetime.

 

[misplacedsooner]

i love cisco attys too. this is where i get the real mccoy
Atomizers - Cisco Spec 1.5ohm Low Resistance Atomizers - Avid Vaper

i really like the 357 but they are pricey but the vape is out of this world. your doing good keeping them wet, i fried mine just tonight after i blew it out and popped it back on my reo...thought i squonked enough but i know after the taste i got i didnt...then nothing.

 

[johnnydotexe]

i love cisco attys too. this is where i get the real mccoy
Atomizers - Cisco Spec 1.5ohm Low Resistance Atomizers - Avid Vaper

i really like the 357 but they are pricey but the vape is out of this world. your doing good keeping them wet, i fried mine just tonight after i blew it out and popped it back on my reo...thought i squonked enough but i know after the taste i got i didnt...then nothing.

That's the first place I found when doing some google searches and I was hoping someone could confirm, so thanks for that one. I'll order a few and check 'em out.

Those 357s are new to me and they are quite expensive. I'll do a little more research on those and maybe grab one if they're that awesome.

 

[washvap]

1. I see many places offering "Cisco" or "Cisco Spec" LR306 atties. Is it safe to assume that all these atties are in fact not the same and built by different companies?

Cisco sells his atties exclusively on his website now from what I've heard:

Avid Vaper : Personal Vaporizers and Accessories

2. Is there one main/legit "Cisco" atty which would make all others nothing more than knock-offs? If so, where could one find the real-deal "Cisco" atty?

Cisco atties are pretty distinct. Since they have Cisco right on the connection of the atty along with the ohm rating and type. On his 510's they also have a bronze colored "LR" along with ohm rating.

You did the right thing with maintenance since that's what keeps an atty going the longest. Although, flooding generally reduces it's lifespan. Glad that hasn't happened to you though. Personally, I treat bottom feeding like I do dripping. Which gives me the best vape.

I feed it every 5 hits and put in the mininum juice that it needs to keep going. Getting the most vapor, flavor, and TH with every hit. When I flood my atty I notice a decrease in three of those factors. Plus, I like my catch cup dry all of the time.

 

[washvap]

Another well known atty distributor is IKV. They also have great cartos as well:

IkenVape Store

 

[johnnydotexe]

I may have over-exaggerated when I said I keep it flooded. Basically I like the catch cup to be a little below the level mark and vape on that until it runs a little low, then give the bottle a press to refill it. I'm at a desk most of the week and don't really carry my Reo around so spills or a wet pocket aren't anything for me to worry about. Because of the added fluid I'm able to take longer drags and get quite a big hit out of it.

When I first got this Reo my method was similar to yours where I vaped with the minimum amount of fluid. Over time I added more fluid to the method, little by little, to get where I'm at now. My current method seems to produce the best vapor, the best flavor, and the right temperature.

The atty I'm using has none of the markings you've explained and the guy I got it from never told me where he purchased it. I also never got a tube with it. Is it uncommon for an atty to last this long? I'm seeing people bragging that theirs lasted 1-2 months.

 

[six]

Your questions about where to get them have been answered, so I won't get in to that.

Realistically, I don't think you can expect to always get an atty that lasts and performs the way that one has no matter who makes them or where you get them. I have a couple of what I like to call "golden attys" on PVs around here. There's a non-descript (I don't know who made it and don't remember where I bought it) 3.0 ohm 510 atty on one of my 5.0v mods that has been on that mod since maybe last may, and all it has ever gotten is the occasional blow out and a couple of quick dry burns. I have a cisco 1.8 ohm 510 that's been on one of my 3.7v tube mods since probably July and the same thing for maintenance...

But - well, I don't know how many attys I've killed in much shorter amounts of time. I popped a 2.0 ohm Cisco 306 yesterday that I've only been using for two weeks - but then there's the Cisco 1.8 ohm 306 I put on my REO when I really feel the need (a couple of hours a day pretty much every day) that has been going for three months and really hasn't had much maintenance besides a couple of vodka soaks.

I am incredibly fond of cisco attys. One of the big selling points for me is the fact that they ship without primer so i don't have to clean them before using them. I just can't say that I would seriously expect one to last any longer than some other brand. Now and again you'll get an unkillable atty - and now and again you'll pop a coil in a day or two.

 

[washvap]

Don't even worry about it. Everyone has a method that works for them and it's good to hear that you found your sweet spot. I just carried away sometimes and just go on and on about what works best for me LOL There are a lot of other REOnauts that feed the same way that you do. They like it borderline flooded which give them the flavor and everything else that they want.

Anyways, yeah it's pretty uncommon for an atty to last that long. Although, I have heard of a few that have had their atties last for anywhere from 6 months to a year. Sometimes we all get lucky with certain atomizers. Generally they last 3 weeks to a month. If the person doesn't maintain them then they can last as little as a day. Although, with some atties. It's hard to tell how long they will last.

 

[johnnydotexe]

I'll pick up a few of those atties from avidvapor and try them out, but I'll keep my "golden atty" on my Reo as long as it wants to keep working for me.

The funny part is I got this atty used and alcohol cleaned from the guy and I did a vodka + hot water rinse when I received it to make double sure it was clean. It was the only used anything(other than a mod) that I've ever received since I prefer to keep things new and sterile. So this atty is actually over a year old with at least 8+ months of daily/heavy use.

 

[misplacedsooner]

ive been pretty lucky with most of my attys as far as lasting. the 357 is the only one that has given me fits for several reasons... top reason being frying them,lol. they need a break in period and will spit hot juice into your mouth at first or if flooded. its kind of a fine line in keeping them good and wet vs not getting juiced,lol

 

[ukeman]

the guy you got it from should see this ... or not...

I'll pick up a few of those atties from avidvapor and try them out, but I'll keep my "golden atty" on my Reo as long as it wants to keep working for me.

The funny part is I got this atty used and alcohol cleaned from the guy and I did a vodka + hot water rinse when I received it to make double sure it was clean. It was the only used anything(other than a mod) that I've ever received since I prefer to keep things new and sterile. So this atty is actually over a year old with at least 8+ months of daily/heavy use.

I got my first HH357 1.5 510 yesterday; really really like the flavor there. On the Reo Mini it just doesn't seem to get enough voltage. I have a couple new AW IMR 14500's and still I just had to put it on my Provari and the best vape comes at only 3.4v. If I go 3.5v I can taste a slight burn in my juice.

A Cisco 1.7 901 worked great on the Mini...flavor and vapor great... and after a week it started losing flavor and vapor so I put it to the Provari at higher voltage... like 3.8v.
*I put a used LR 1.7 DSE 901 back on the Mini for now and the vapor is still huge... flavor is not bad.

I figure I'm still just breaking in the 357 and it might level off and go back on the Mini, but hell, I don't know...maybe there are differences between one 357 and another... * it sure doesn't vape like a 1.5 that I've ever used; it's like no TH to speak of ...most 1.5's have been too hot for me. This is a good thing as I don't care for TH much.

sorry to hijack the thread, but now i'm interested in Avid's 1.5 306 Cisco's ... and all this talk about atomizers is interesting to me at this stage in the game.

 

[misplacedsooner]

im interested in trying one of those 901 lr attys. i have a little mod i bought a few months back that ive never used. it came with a 901 but i think its shot when i got it. this mod only has 901 and 801 end caps. plus i bought a 24k plated drip tip that is a bit too tight for 510s but fits the 901 perfect.

 

[ukeman]

DSE SR 901 has been my favorite atty for almost a year now... I liked them so much i bought dozens of them for my Vari from Vapor Kings.Lately I went back to the Reo and LR's. The DSE LR 1.7's are a great atty especially for the money.
But the Cisco 1.8 LR 901 is a sweet beast as far as that goes too.
Never liked the feel of an 801... too airy and the mouthpiece is huge.
510 and 901 atty barrels should be the same but of course specs vary.

Darn I'm getting hooked on the HH357s though... and I haven't tried my HH357 901 yet either...

im interested in trying one of those 901 lr attys. i have a little mod i bought a few months back that ive never used. it came with a 901 but i think its shot when i got it. this mod only has 901 and 801 end caps. plus i bought a 24k plated drip tip that is a bit too tight for 510s but fits the 901 perfect.

 

[johnnydotexe]

Figured I'd bump this up with some bad news...

My golden atty died tonight. Earlier today I noticed that the middle of the coil was looking a little dark and gunked up from a new liquid I was trying. This liquid was a dark orange and 50/50...much darker/thicker than my usual stuff. I cleaned everything out and did my usual 2-3 quick dry burns. The last burn must have over-heated a brittle part of the coil where it attaches to the wire and it died.

That atty lasted for at least 1 year and ran like a champ right up until tonight. It will be missed. :'(

 

[six]

My golden atty died tonight. (

I am sorry to hear that (insert either the sound of taps from a trumpet or amazing grace on the bagpipes here depending on your background).

The good news is that you can try out some new attys. A couple were mentioned in this thread and specifically, the hh.357 is an impressive atty. I got to try an i06 a few days ago that one of my buddies is using. It was also excellent.

And, even if you stay with the normal price range attys, you're still going to be really happy with a fresh cisco 306 to replace the 306 that died.

 

[ukeman]

wow, so much has happened since i last posted; killed 2 hh357's my usual, even with a pal reporting up to 7 - 8 months on his - i believe he got them just when they first came out, 2 weeks for me, on any atty that i really like and us a LOT.
the longest I can get an atty to last, and really like is the i06.... maybe a month or even 6 weeks.
i06 is a darned good atty too imo. After going through these HH357's i've got a whole new appreciation for it.
I am sad that Isaac is having troubles because i felt i could always go back and get more at Ikenvape. Looks like he may not be able to reopen soon though.

btw I am really enjoying a Better Life 3 hole 510 from ValueVapor ... lucky for me it is a 1.7 Ohm, and works perfectly on a 3.7 mod, although even if it came at 2.0 to 2.5 as advertised, I could use it on a VV.
I picked up a Better Life 1.5 too but haven't tried it (not a 3 hole one).... it has a metal disk over the coil, with 3 holes for improved dripping... not sure what makes it so good, but it's a dandy.
I also got an Aero LR 1.5 from Avid... it's another dandy, and vapes smooth and not too hot on a 3.7 as well.
Lots happening in the atomizer department these days... seemingly just small tweaks on the same system, but imo it makes a big difference.

I am sorry to hear that (insert either the sound of taps from a trumpet or amazing grace on the bagpipes here depending on your background).

The good news is that you can try out some new attys. A couple were mentioned in this thread and specifically, the hh.357 is an impressive atty. I got to try an i06 a few days ago that one of my buddies is using. It was also excellent.

And, even if you stay with the normal price range attys, you're still going to be really happy with a fresh cisco 306 to replace the 306 that died.