TC beyond Ni200: Nickel Purity, Dicodes; Ti, SS, Resistherm NiFe30; Coefficient of Resistance

[TheotherSteveS]

Yeah after my Aqua SE (first authentic) I've just ordered my second (Elprinz) - I must say there's a lot to be said for everything just being right. Especially the screws. The screws is the one thing the clones never seem to get right. The screws on my Aqua SE are beautiful, huge chunky things.

I've now reached the point where I have so many rta clones (maybe 30 now) that I have more than I will ever need. So I will stop buying clones and for every 4-5 clones I would have bought, buy one authentic.

The Squape definitely looks like a great one to get authentic. which decks did you get? I saw it on Greek mods and was surprised it only came with one deck, did you have to order extra decks or did it come with some?

PS. I assume you've purchased from Crazy Wire before? If not, we can both get 15% discount for life using their Refer a Friend scheme.

I have one more RTA that I want but it isnt available yet Like the look of the Erlprinz also!

The Squape is the new Rs version that is a bit smaller but maintains a good juice capacity. It only comes with one deck sadly so I went for the W but might get the regular one also at some pint..

I dont think I have bought wire from them but will need to check. 15% discount sounds good!!

 

[Madnapali]

I feel the need to bump this.

@TheBloke - you should update your first couple posts with new information

 

[TheBloke]

I feel the need to bump this.

Thanks! I have been neglecting it the last day or so. I have some new tests/findings to post, especially as I have my Dicodes 2380 now, which I will try to do soon.

@TheBloke - you should update your first couple posts with new information

Believe me I would love nothing more. Sadly, for reasons that escape me, this forum has a two day limit on post edits. I updated my posts multiple times per day during those two days, but since then I can't do anything.

I keep meaning to post a feature request to Smokey Joe and the admins (that sounds like a band!); that's a good reminder, I will do that first of all this evening.

I find the edit limit greatly hinders the ability to keep a concise, centralised source of information - pretty much everything in those posts could now be updated with new and better information, it just can't be done

 

[Madnapali]

Thanks! I have been neglecting it the last day or so. I have some new tests/findings to post, especially as I have my Dicodes 2380 now, which I will try to do soon.



Believe me I would love nothing more. Sadly, for reasons that escape me, this forum has a two day limit on post edits. I updated my posts multiple times per day during those two days, but since then I can't do anything.

I keep meaning to post a feature request to Smokey Joe and the admins; that's a good reminder, I will do that first of all this evening.

I find the edit limit greatly hinders the ability to keep a concise, centralised source of information - pretty much everything in those posts could now be updated with new and better information, it just can't be done

Ahhhh that sucks. Honestly, your thread and a few other's I have seen really need to be rolled into a sticky. An immense number of variables going into TC and we need to keep the ones we know all together.

 

[tchavei]

Ahhhh that sucks. Honestly, your thread and a few other's I have seen really need to be rolled into a sticky. An immense number of variables going into TC and we need to keep the ones we know all together.

I think the thread should be made mandatory to read for newcomers and at the end they would need to fill out a test on the subject before being allowed to post

Regards
Tony

Sent from my keyboard through my phone or something like that.

 

[TheBloke]

Some progress with/from SXK!

Got another reply from SXK, a much more concrete reply than the first non-committal one:

1. He has now discussed my email with "my boss and our engineer", and they have promised to investigate the low resistance problems
2. He also asked me to give his engineer more details on my findings on NP adjustments and Titanium.
   1. Part of my first email was telling them that they were badly under-selling NP: that "nickel purity" was the very least use of that feature, in fact very few people (outside of China) were ever likely to need it.
   2. I told them that its far more interesting use was for non-Ni200 wires, as a linear TCR adjustment scale.
   3. I never quite understood why they didn't already understand that - it's possible that an engineer made it that flexible because he knew it would be useful, but never sold the bosses on the benefits of selling it as that.
3. Anyway, the fact that they focused on Titanium suggest to me that they're seeing what Joyetech are doing with the EVIC, and they're belatedly realising Titanium is the New Big thing; and now perhaps the bosses have realised for the first time that they already have a mod that does that - so why don't they sell it as such!
   1. In particular they want to know how I calibrated the NP scale for Titanium and what Titanium wire I am using.
4. I couldn't get back to him during their working day today, HKT, but I hope to speak to him tomorrow - he's added me on Skype so we can discuss further.
5. The potential great news here is that I will be telling them in no uncertain terms that although NP has amazing potential, it is very much sullied at the moment by low resistance - they can't sell this as a general Beyond-Ni200 wire mod without fixing that (indeed even as a general TC mod it's not being as well received as it should/could be.)
   1. Therefore if I'm right and they are now thinking of Titanium and other wires, this will be a huge incentive for them to fix the low resistance once and for all.

I hope to speak to him on Skype late tonight my time, beginning of the day their time.

 

[TheotherSteveS]

Some progress with/from SXK!

Got another reply from SXK, a much more concrete reply than the first non-committal one:

1. He has now discussed my email with "my boss and our engineer", and they have promised to investigate the low resistance problems
2. He also asked me to give his engineer more details on my findings on NP adjustments and Titanium.
   1. Part of my first email was telling them that they were badly under-selling NP: that "nickel purity" was the very least use of that feature, in fact very few people (outside of China) were ever likely to need it.
   2. I told them that its far more interesting use was for non-Ni200 wires, as a linear TCR adjustment scale.
   3. I never quite understood why they didn't already understand that - it's possible that an engineer made it that flexible because he knew it would be useful, but never sold the bosses on the benefits of selling it as that.
3. Anyway, the fact that they focused on Titanium suggest to me that they're seeing what Joyetech are doing with the EVIC, and they're belatedly realising Titanium is the New Big thing; and now perhaps the bosses have realised for the first time that they already have a mod that does that - so why don't they sell it as such!
   1. In particular they want to know how I calibrated the NP scale for Titanium and what Titanium wire I am using.
4. I couldn't get back to him during their working day today, HKT, but I hope to speak to him tomorrow - he's added me on Skype so we can discuss further.
5. The potential great news here is that I will be telling them in no uncertain terms that although NP has amazing potential, it is very much sullied at the moment by low resistance - they can't sell this as a general Beyond-Ni200 wire mod without fixing that (indeed even as a general TC mod it's not being as well received as it should/could be.)
   1. Therefore if I'm right and they are now thinking of Titanium and other wires, this will be a huge incentive for them to fix the low resistance once and for all.

I hope to speak to him on Skype late tonight my time, beginning of the day their time.

I would demand a consultancy fee if i were you...I am absolutely serious!

 

[balazsk]

Thank you @TheBloke !
If you can contact SXK could you please ask them about the firmware update? I haven't got an answer for my mail.

 

[TheotherSteveS]

Thank you @TheBloke !
If you can contact SXK could you please ask them about the firmware update? I haven't got an answer for my mail.

If they do uopdate it I doubt they will do it for devices already sold...The units are not user upgradeable as far as I know..

 

[Quantum Mech]

If they do uopdate it I doubt they will do it for devices already sold...The units are not user upgradeable as far as I know..

+1
from the pictures have seen of the boards in opened flasks there is only wiring from the usb to support charging

 

[TheBloke]

Thank you @TheBloke !
If you can contact SXK could you please ask them about the firmware update? I haven't got an answer for my mail.

Sorry, as the others said I think it will be impossible to update. The only chance is if they would be willing to replace the board or whole unit. I will ask them if they will consider that for limited quantities of users - but I imagine you would have to pay return postage at least

 

[balazsk]

I imagine you would have to pay return postage at least

If they fix the resistance measurement it's not a problem. To be honest if they solve this failure in the production I will buy a new chip or a new mod because this thing is just perfect except this single one issue.
The new Dicodes mods are great but I don't want to use a tube again. Although Dicodes plans to release a box mod in August. Unfortunately I don't have more information about it.

 

[druckle]

After setting up the SXK flask per the calculator and confirming with the water test I've been getting a consistent pleasurable experience with a Magma dripper. I'd like them to fix the resistance reading but as long as I can calibrate the specific atty-coil combination I'm using the device is working great as it is even with its low resistance readings.

Tom

Have you had a chance to explore the temperature during firing of a properly set up SXK?

Duane

 

[dr g]

Some progress with/from SXK!

Got another reply from SXK, a much more concrete reply than the first non-committal one:

1. He has now discussed my email with "my boss and our engineer", and they have promised to investigate the low resistance problems
2. He also asked me to give his engineer more details on my findings on NP adjustments and Titanium.
   1. Part of my first email was telling them that they were badly under-selling NP: that "nickel purity" was the very least use of that feature, in fact very few people (outside of China) were ever likely to need it.
   2. I told them that its far more interesting use was for non-Ni200 wires, as a linear TCR adjustment scale.
   3. I never quite understood why they didn't already understand that - it's possible that an engineer made it that flexible because he knew it would be useful, but never sold the bosses on the benefits of selling it as that.
3. Anyway, the fact that they focused on Titanium suggest to me that they're seeing what Joyetech are doing with the EVIC, and they're belatedly realising Titanium is the New Big thing; and now perhaps the bosses have realised for the first time that they already have a mod that does that - so why don't they sell it as such!
   1. In particular they want to know how I calibrated the NP scale for Titanium and what Titanium wire I am using.
4. I couldn't get back to him during their working day today, HKT, but I hope to speak to him tomorrow - he's added me on Skype so we can discuss further.
5. The potential great news here is that I will be telling them in no uncertain terms that although NP has amazing potential, it is very much sullied at the moment by low resistance - they can't sell this as a general Beyond-Ni200 wire mod without fixing that (indeed even as a general TC mod it's not being as well received as it should/could be.)
   1. Therefore if I'm right and they are now thinking of Titanium and other wires, this will be a huge incentive for them to fix the low resistance once and for all.

I hope to speak to him on Skype late tonight my time, beginning of the day their time.

The reason many of these companies and engineers don't understand things like this is because they don't vape and aren't vapers. Seriously.

 

[TheBloke]

The reason many of these companies and engineers don't understand things like this is because they don't vape and aren't vapers. Seriously.

For once, I can agree - that's a common issue in many - though by no means all - of the Chinese cloners at the moment. They're churning them out because they know they're popular, and they know they can manufacture it cheaply and with reasonable quality and so it will sell. But some of the finer points can be missed when the designers/engineers are not using the product themselves, or only using it in the briefest of tests.

It is changing and will continue to change over time, but in the meantime there's a lot of scope for interested vapers to steer the products in the right direction when they don't go there. Which is fine - when I pay $200/€200/£200 for a mod I expect it to be right first time (and even then can be disappointed); when I pay $50, there's a lot more leeway for accepting problems and trying to fix them oneself.

And conversely, of course the European and US companies are putting out stuff that's right, or at least better, first time - because they're vapers and intimately familiar with the technology and the market, and charge accordingly.

Not that high price and expert-vaper-designers guarantees reliability. A perfect example is the new, hugely expensive Dicodes 2380 mod having silly bugs in °F mode, and likewise the Evolv DNA 40 first not having °C at all and then having the "undefined temperature" bug. Both of their excuses presumably being "we're German, don't use °F / we're American, we don't use °C!" - neither of which is acceptable!

What we really need is a vaping revolution in China, then we'll see a proper flood of innovation at great prices. I heard they're talking about banning smoking in public places so perhaps that'll start the ball rolling!

 

[TheBloke]

I would demand a consultancy fee if i were you...I am absolutely serious!

I'll accept a fully working end product Though I have to admit a freebie wouldn't go amiss! Not expecting it though, their margins are pretty tight

After setting up the SXK flask per the calculator and confirming with the water test I've been getting a consistent pleasurable experience with a Magma dripper. I'd like them to fix the resistance reading but as long as I can calibrate the specific atty-coil combination I'm using the device is working great as it is even with its low resistance readings.

Great stuff. It's actually only really a big problem with Ni200, both because the starting resistances are low enough that the % inaccuracy is disproportionately large (a vast 40% for a 0.10Ω coil) and because the TCR of Ni200 is high enough that the required offset takes the appropriate counteracting setting off the end of the NP100 scale.

With Resistherm, Titanium and Stainless Steel it's always possible to find the right value to counteract, so yeah it's no big deal for those of us in the know on how to fix it.

Have you had a chance to explore the temperature during firing of a properly set up SXK?

Duane

Not yet! I came close to probing a Ti coil last night but I couldn't quite get the probe to fit inside the coil without shorting it - I nearly did a reading then it slipped slightly, shorted the coil, and melted it (the coil, not the probe, thankfully! )

That was at 3.0mm, I reckon a 3.5mm or even 3.2mm will be perfect for getting the probe right up close to the coil without touching any part of it.

I will try again tonight hopefully.

 

[TheotherSteveS]

I'll accept a fully working end product Though I have to admit a freebie wouldn't go amiss! Not expecting it though, their margins are pretty tight



Great stuff. It's actually only really a big problem with Ni200, both because the starting resistances are low enough that the % inaccuracy is disproportionately large (a vast 40% for a 0.10Ω coil) and because the TCR of Ni200 is high enough that the required offset takes the appropriate counteracting setting off the end of the NP100 scale.

With Resistherm, Titanium and Stainless Steel it's always possible to find the right value to counteract, so yeah it's no big deal for those of us in the know on how to fix it.



Not yet! I came close to probing a Ti coil last night but I couldn't quite get the probe to fit inside the coil without shorting it - I nearly did a reading then it slipped slightly, shorted the coil, and melted it (the coil, not the probe, thankfully! )

That was at 3.0mm, I reckon a 3.5mm or even 3.2mm will be perfect for getting the probe right up close to the coil without touching any part of it.

I will try again tonight hopefully.

Careful with that dicodes Eugene!! One for the pink floyd fans there...

 

[TheBloke]

haha yeah. I was using the SXK - flatter more stable base and worth a lot less

 

[TheotherSteveS]

I never doubted it!!

 

[druckle]

I'll accept a fully working end product Though I have to admit a freebie wouldn't go amiss! Not expecting it though, their margins are pretty tight



Great stuff. It's actually only really a big problem with Ni200, both because the starting resistances are low enough that the % inaccuracy is disproportionately large (a vast 40% for a 0.10Ω coil) and because the TCR of Ni200 is high enough that the required offset takes the appropriate counteracting setting off the end of the NP100 scale.

With Resistherm, Titanium and Stainless Steel it's always possible to find the right value to counteract, so yeah it's no big deal for those of us in the know on how to fix it.



Not yet! I came close to probing a Ti coil last night but I couldn't quite get the probe to fit inside the coil without shorting it - I nearly did a reading then it slipped slightly, shorted the coil, and melted it (the coil, not the probe, thankfully! )

That was at 3.0mm, I reckon a 3.5mm or even 3.2mm will be perfect for getting the probe right up close to the coil without touching any part of it.

I will try again tonight hopefully.

Tom
Do you still have some silica wick around...maybe a quick wrap around the probe to hold it in place?
Duane