The perfect RBA?

[ebbrey]

Im still in the hunt for the perfect working rebuildable atomizer, and since i dont know of em all and don't own them all maybe some of you fellow ECF users knows about a RBA coming soon that sounds/are avaiable that i am unaware of. I will try to explain:

The phoenix rba is the best one so far in terms of 2 terminals no NR wire fiddeling, just make a coil wrap around and start vaping. No flooding or gurgeling since the air hole is not just the perfect size but in the perfect spot. It has a little juice well so it can hold a few minutes of vaping before adding more liquid but its close to perfect it really just lacks a tank and ofc the leaking part if its not sitting upright all the time. GP spheroid or the taifun has a filler material to feed the "phoenix style" coil but here you can end up with too much juice from the material or too little. The odysseus should be it but somehow it lacks good wicking and you have to fiddle with the juice controller all the time to get air out and juice in.. Why it doesnt preform like the penelope where it just wicks perfectly from filling until empty with the same materials i dont know, but here you dont have the same draw like the phoenix and you get different draws and easially flooding.

I want a tank, 2 terminals no filler materials no flooding and no gurgeling but still constantly wet wick until empty.

Which RBA is this?

 

[meatsneakers]

I got a DID clone in the mail a few days ago, and have been completely happy with the way it's been performing.

I use all VG and high wattage so I have trouble with SS wicks keeping up. Instead I use cotton wick with a good portion sitting in the air chamber - keeps everything wet. If it can't keep up, I tilt it so the fill hole has juice waiting to come out, cover the airhole with my finger and suck in a bit - the vacuum pulls juice in and soaks the wick.

Build quality is excellent for the money as well. I was using a Pheonix with a VapeMate and this DUD offers better flavor without the bulk. This is the first tank style atty that I've been 100% happy with. Maybe I'll spring for a real DID in the future for the SS and precision but I see no reason to at this point.

edit- some pics

 

[ebbrey]

Thank you for your reply!

Is this the one they call mini did? or did/dud?

 

[donnah]

Is that cheesecloth? where did you get it? (the rba, not the cheesecloth LOL)

 

[meatsneakers]

Yea it's the "DUD" or Chid I think they're being called in the coops. I bought mine here although they're sold out atm: http://www.discountvapers.com/griffin-rebuildable-atomizer-tank/. It's called the Griffin there.

The wick is sterile cotton from CVS. I wind the coil first then slip in some stretched out cotton. Takes a few minutes and it works great. Over in the modding forum there is a "wick safety" thread that has a ton of great info.

 

[j4mmin42]

I got one from DV and one from a co-op: the DV one with the larger air-hole works a bit better. I highly recommend this mod, and actually I found a way to use SS with Boba's on it... no cheesecloth required It took a bit of fine-tuning of the mesh, and I use no fill-hole screw. The mesh wicks better now than it did when it was brand-new.

 

[Lex0r]

Sterile cotton from CVS is awesome. I use it in my Penelope and love it. Also highly recommend Penny haha

 

[Randy C]

I got a DID clone in the mail a few days ago, and have been completely happy with the way it's been performing.

I use all VG and high wattage so I have trouble with SS wicks keeping up. Instead I use cotton wick with a good portion sitting in the air chamber - keeps everything wet. If it can't keep up, I tilt it so the fill hole has juice waiting to come out, cover the airhole with my finger and suck in a bit - the vacuum pulls juice in and soaks the wick.

Build quality is excellent for the money as well. I was using a Pheonix with a VapeMate and this DUD offers better flavor without the bulk. This is the first tank style atty that I've been 100% happy with. Maybe I'll spring for a real DID in the future for the SS and precision but I see no reason to at this point.

I agree Meat. I just go my RBA in from OKC vapes and did it EXACTLY as you did. 6 coils of 32 aw Kanthal, with CVS sterile cotton and the thing smokes like a freight train! I run it on my Provari at 3.3 Volts and the coils are holding steady at 2.2 ohms. What I like about the rolled cotton is that once juice hits it, it expands really well, so their is no air space between the coils and cotton. My recommendation for those who want to try this: roll the cotton so that it fits loose in your coils. Don't use a lot of cotton; a little bit goes a long way as it will expand, however make the wick as long as you can.

FYI...I too wanted to spring for one of the original DIDs, but after I resolved my center pin issue, I don't see a need; this thing works fine. The cheap silicone center post grommet/insulator had split apart and I couldn't tighten the RBA down on my Provari without it pushing the center pin all the way in. Not to hijack this post- just look for my other post " Quick fix for center pin issue".

 

[bivie]

I went and looked at the Phoenix after reading this. It seems it's a good one for a RBA
noob like me, right? The price is definitely right - about the price of two or three atomizers -
and rather than start of with rebuilding coils, the premade ones are much cheaper than
atties. They are about $2 at LitCigUSA. Even if I didn't want to start rebuilding yet, I
would certainly come out ahead on that over buying new atomizers. Am I right or am I
missing something?

My one other hesitation is that I like a bridgeless atomizer. I don't know that I want all
that wick in there. Am I missing something here, too?

I get closer to doing the RBA every day, but I just can't over come the objections, yet.

 

[ebbrey]

Ive decided a genesis style is going to be my next, either DID DUD or a larger one like the AC9 or Bliss. But i want some protection around a glass window so i can see how much juice is left.

One question tho to a genesis style owner: the filling hole and sometimes they are equpped with an second whick hole for dual wick. Doesnt juice leak out of these holes if you carry your PV ina bag etc?

I feel like these holes should have had some threading so you could put in a little screw or something to stop the leakage. But then i guess there is no way of getting excess juice back into the tank if it over-wicks. Saw one genesis style yesterday on youtube, think it wass the bliss that had a juice well at the top feeding back into the tank that was neat.

Anyway, does genesis styles often give you juice in mouth when you tip it to vape? Or store it lying down?

 

[meatsneakers]

I went and looked at the Phoenix after reading this. It seems it's a good one for a RBA noob like me, right?

For the price, I can't fault it. My only issue with it is that some drip tips won't fit correctly but it's a great way to get into RBA's. It costs about the same as the supplies that I used to make this: http://imgur.com/a/tnfW3 and works just as well. I used those RCA attys for about a year until I saw the Phoenix. For $7 it's a no brainer for a drip atty.

Anyway, does genesis styles often give you juice in mouth when you tip it to vape? Or store it lying down?

It depends on your PG/VG percentage. At 100% VG, I have no leakage at all. Even with some distilled water, it stays put. You can stuff a piece of cotton in the fill hole to keep it from pouring out with thin juices while still letting air in for wicking.

 

[mwa102464]

The Phoenix Doesn't even come close to the Fatty V2 or the ERA in my opinion. The real DiD with all SS parts is also excellent, and so is the Cobra.

 

[meatsneakers]

The Phoenix Doesn't even come close to the Fatty V2 or the ERA in my opinion. The real DiD with all SS parts is also excellent, and so is the Cobra.

Yep and for $70 more

 

[mwa102464]

Yep and for $70 more

YUP and worth every dam cent of it ;-)

 

[meatsneakers]

Not discounting you mwa, those are great and well made designs. The low cost of entry with the Phoenix is great for those looking to get their feet wet in the RBA world.

 

[ebbrey]

Saw a reveiew of the cobra today... intresting... tho a more protected tank in pyrex glass would be preferred

 

[ebbrey]

Someone make a cobra with pyrex tank and a holder in the top cap for a "soaking" material to stop possible leaking to go out trough the mouthpiece but still have a nice air flow through it.

 

[johnlacie]

Not discounting you mwa, those are great and well made designs. The low cost of entry with the Phoenix is great for those looking to get their feet wet in the RBA world.

I've used, tinkered, modded and built a lot with RBAs for more than a year now and I'm in the opinion that a good vape is determined more by the wick, coil, and air flow. Much of the 'high end' mods are just hype about quality and safety. I'm concerned about these as well but I don't think that a Fatty or an ERA delivers on these to justify the cost and hype compared to a Phoenix or an A7.

 

[kimbo55]

How much of a safety factor is the copper materials used in the Knock Offs?

 

[Thrasher]

How much of a safety factor is the copper materials used in the Knock Offs?

noone is sure really but many like me feel its not worth the risk of possibly vaping copper residue. as well as the high amount of chromium used to plate said copper.

and to some of the other posts.
in something like a phoenix just trim the wicks down and you have a true dripper.

and no you wont get juice in your mouth with a geni or phoenix. but they arent made to be laid down either..

while the tank is not protected the cobra does have a pyrex tube as well as being made out of implant grade titanium not steel.

the real did's rock for the all ss construction but the A7 is a sweet all steel knockoff of a phoenix.

and yes buying premade wicks is def cheaper then when you learn to make your own the taste will improve even more as well as get even cheaper still.