Starting a new coil

[Jesse James]

Hello everyone!
I was wondering... when you start a new coil should you start at lower power then work your way up or just start at the recommended wattage? I know to do it with the TFV12s, but am not sure if I should do it with EVERY other kind of coil.
Thanks-JJ

 

[the wind]

yes,can not harm a coil starting low.just go up slow and gradual.

 

[bombastinator]

My understanding is that is the preferred method. Not a cartridge guy though.

 

[Falconeer]

I have to say I don't, but then again I'm an old style higher nic Tootle Puffer, running 1.6 - 1.8 ohm coils with 16 -18 strength nic at around 8 watts.

I can see the point of it however for sub ohmers using high power.

 

[Ryedan]

Hello everyone!
I was wondering... when you start a new coil should you start at lower power then work your way up or just start at the recommended wattage? I know to do it with the TFV12s, but am not sure if I should do it with EVERY other kind of coil.
Thanks-JJ

This is how I do it. As @the wind said, you can't harm the coil (or the head) doing this. But if you start at full power and there is something wrong with the coil, the build or the head, you can be surprised.

I take a test drag at lower power and if all seems well I go up to my known good vaping wattage in a step or two. If it's a new build for me, or a new head, I take it a little slower to find a power level I'll stick with for a while.

 

[Ryedan]

I have to say I don't, but then again I'm an old style higher nic Tootle Puffer, running 1.6 - 1.8 ohm coils with 16 -18 strength nic at around 8 watts.

I can see the point of it however for sub ohmers using high power.

I'm running a 0.5 ohm SS build at 14.7 watts. I wouldn't want a dry hit with this setup any more than I would with a 60 watt setup. Dry hits are never good

 

[Hobbs]

I start with the watts or voltage that I usually vape at, or just slightly lower, and go from there. Sometimes there are slight differences in build quality or consistency of coil and wicking. I just go where the coil likes to be and works best. Takes some experience because there are variables ... airflow, fluid ratios and whatever parameters associated with the coil type, such as preheat, boost and temp control. I listen to the coil for popping or gurgling and adjust variables as needed to smooth out the vape. Sometimes a coil and wick combo just needs a little break in period and doesn't smooth out no matter what I try, until after up to a couple of ml or a tank has been vaped.

All that said, in general, I find that I vape store bought coils at a higher wattage or voltage than I do coil wick setups that I build, even when the ohms resistance is exactly the same. So to answer your question, "are every kind of coil the same?" ... no. Additionally I NEVER seem to use the recommended wattage. I'm always running much lower. But then, I vape flavorless, 18mg nic. To me, it's all about the nic delivery and in the smoothest coolest way possible with no concern whatsoever for flavor.

 

[stols001]

Yup you are doing it correctly.
Anna

 

[DaveP]

Saturating the wicking on any coil is key to a good vape. Back when I used factory coils I would pour ejuice into the little silicone condom it comes in and insert the coil into it. After it sat and absorbed juice for an hour or more, I'd fire it up and vape.

There's nothing worse than a half saturated dry coil vape.

 

[Izan]

There's nothing worse than a half saturated dry coil vape.

Sorry Op, OT.

(raises hand) I nominate the glowing kanthal / dry SS wick hit from an old school genisis atty.

Cheers
I

 

[Baditude]

It is always worthwhile to properly wick (prime) and break in a new coil. The below video tutorial is for a U-Well Crown, but the principles shown are pertinent to any coil.

 

[sonicbomb]

when you start a new coil should you start at lower power then work your way up

Ding dong, correct

 

[Jesse James]

Saturating the wicking on any coil is key to a good vape. Back when I used factory coils I would pour ejuice into the little silicone condom it comes in and insert the coil into it. After it sat and absorbed juice for an hour or more, I'd fire it up and vape.

There's nothing worse than a half saturated dry coil vape.

Back when I used factory coils I would pour ejuice into the little silicone condom it comes in and insert the coil into it. After it sat and absorbed juice for an hour or more, I'd fire it up and vape.

That’s good advice I will have to try that one.

 

[Jesse James]

Ding dong, correct

Nice GIF, bro. Lol

 

[Jesse James]

I'm running a 0.5 ohm SS build at 14.7 watts. I wouldn't want a dry hit with this setup any more than I would with a 60 watt setup. Dry hits are never good

Thanks for the reply, but I have an off topic question for you. Do you get better flavor from your .5 than you would from a .4?

 

[Izan]

Thanks for the reply, but I have an off topic question for you. Do you get better flavor from your .5 than you would from a .4?

Not @Ryedan

However, I will say "it depends."
Using a regulated device the resistance is not so important.
The mass of the coil, how it is wicked, how the airflow is adjusted, how thick the juice is , how large or small the chamber is, how long or short the vapor path is, how the user inhales, how many watts the build draws, and more will effect what each user will experience personally.

HTH
I

 

[Ryedan]

Sorry Op, OT.

(raises hand) I nominate the glowing kanthal / dry SS wick hit from an old school genisis atty.

View attachment 818769

Cheers
I

Loved my Genisis atties Izan, but they sure set the definition for 'burnt hit from hell' to a high bar . After a few of those I learned to take a short test puff every time and if that went well go ahead and do the main drag. The fact it was on a mech mod just made it that much worse.

I've been thinking of trying a Genisis again on a regulated mod and ordered a Origen Genisis V2 Mk2 from Fasttech the other day. I think I'm going to enjoy this combination

 

[bombastinator]

Loved my Genisis atties Izan, but they sure set the definition for 'burnt hit from hell' to a high bar . After a few of those I learned to take a short test puff every time and if that went well go ahead and do the main drag. The fact it was on a mech mod just made it that much worse.

I've been thinking of trying a Genisis again on a regulated mod and ordered a Origen Genisis V2 Mk2 from Fasttech the other day. I think I'm going to enjoy this combination

Genesis is still the dominant atty style in Russia I understand, and they have made some technical strides. The two I know of is adding large metal protrusions to the atomizer to reduce the effective size of the chamber, and flexible metal mesh coil material that acts a lot like exotic wire.

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for the reply, but I have an off topic question for you. Do you get better flavor from your .5 than you would from a .4?

I agree with everything @Izan said in his post on this Jesse James. Let me just add a few things about my experience with it.

I did a side by side comparison in two DoggyStyle RTA's with both on identical regulated mods. Basically vaped them side by side for a while with the same juice until I had a favorite, and it took me a few weeks to decide on a preference

Both builds use 28 gauge SS 316, 3mm inside diameter, the same wicking style and the same amount of it in the coils using Japanese cotton. The 0.5 ohm build uses 4 wraps and the 0.4 uses 3 wraps.

They are a very similar vape. The 0.5 has slightly better flavor, so a slightly different flavor profile that I prefer with the juices I use. It has slightly less TH, is slightly cooler and seems to go slightly longer between cleanings. Keep in mind though, the differences are very small for me between these two. Also keep in mind that my juices are 100% PG and very low nic or no-nic.

One other thing I want to mention is that coil material can make a huge resistance difference to identical builds using different metals. The 0.5 ohm, 28 gauge SS build with 4 wraps turns into a 0.97 ohm build using Kanthal A1. Both have the same coil surface area so they have the same heat flux. The Kanthal has a bit less heat capacity so it will heat up a bit faster, but they both heat up so fast I can't tell the difference.

I've found the only way to get to know what I like best is to vape two setups side by side for long enough so I can make up my mind on them. I keep everything the same except for the factor I'm looking at, with the caveat that sometimes a second factor can come into play. In this example with the SS 0.5 vs the 0.4 ohm builds the 0.4 ohm coil was closer in some ways to the 0.5 if I dropped the power slightly on the 0.4. But again, the differences were very small for me.

 

[Ryedan]

It is always worthwhile to properly wick (prime) and break in a new coil. The below video tutorial is for a U-Well Crown, but the principles shown are pertinent to any coil.

I totally agree with the way this guy wicks that head Baditude

It doesn't mater what style attie someone is using, heads, rebuildable tank or dripper, you have to get the wicking saturated before you hit the power button or any dry wicking material is going to overheat or seriously degrade/burn. That will at best shorten the life of the wick or at worst destroy it.