the Vmod

[Fernand]

Dear AG, I'm not trading barbs with you. We have a duty to new vapers to keep them safe.

The references that you seem to think show acrolein is not a risk actually show nothing of the sort. At most some say "probably", and Kanabaloo, with whom we've shared thoughts over PMs, talks about limited testing on functioning attys where the nichrome coil wire is covered in juice, so the temp does not rise much above the boiling point of the mixture, no matter what you do. Attys are pretty safe as long as the coils stay wet, and then VG is a safe "base". When sections of wire are glowing bright orange because the coils are badly wound, it is clearly very very hot. And that is an entirely different situation, one in which any chemist will say that acrolein production can be expected from any VG that is present in the mix.

I appreciate your sincere dedication to vaping and to the VMOD. But, honestly, isn't it a bad idea to tell novices that it's been shown that there can be no danger when they should be aware and checking their attys -- which is an easy and harmless thing to do? When vaping produces an acrid taste, it's wise to be on the defensive, especially when there is no plastic breaking down in the device to explain it. But if you can explain "harsh burnt taste" other than by something decomposing, I'm all ears.

 

[Fernand]

AG, question on a different topic. You said any water makes juice taste bad. Can you tell me more? I use 10% water to reduce the viscosity of all-VG liquids, and although VG is not as good a flavor "carrier" as PG, I don't use PG, as it has too many side effects for me. Is there something you've found to work better as a thinner? I can't get 90%+ alcohol in California, 150 proof has a lot of water and is hard to find anyway. The available 151 rum has a specific taste. For some reason I didn't like the taste of any of it, and water seems fine. Can you please tell me more?

 

[Fernand]

I plan to use it with my go-go tank but eventually plan to try a regular carto for the Vmod.

Can't wait to hear how well it works! Does it look like there's a way to hold a carto or atty so a hole can be punched right on the edge?

What has worked for me is to hold the carto in a small C-clamp, and use one of those (very useful) $40 Dremel drill presses

Walmart.com: Dremel Drill Press 220-01: Tools

with a titanium 1/16" drill bit near max speed. It gets through before the whole contraption heats up. With a plain steel bit it's like a caveman trying to start a fire with a noodle. I haven't drilled through a wire yet, but probably will. It's good to set the depth so you can't go any deeper than necessary. Gaskets can be made from that universal material: condom carto remnants.

 

[AlmightyGod]

I'm not telling anyone vaping is safe. You seem to be on some sort of quest to prove vaping with a VMod is less safe than other devices. I think I get it. You don't love the VMod. I have no problem with everyone having an opinion, but you are insisting your opinion is fact. The hybrid produces the same vapor as any other atomizer. The silo is made in the same factory as several other carto brands...same materials & construction...same technicians.

I have not seen a single hybrid atomizer glow like your pics, unless dry burned. So, where you blame the atty, I blame the user. You don't have enough liquid in there. Loosely wrapped coils are not the culprit.

 

[vaptamist]

I will say that I was having a little better luck with the atomizer today, but it still seems a little too touchy. I tried taking the drip tip off (so I could see the atty better), feeding the mod and then pushing the button, and one little section of the atty turned bright orange, no matter what I did as far as feeding (even feeding to the point of seeing liquid well up and push up the outside of the atty. It was always the same "piece" of the atty. Am I doing something wrong still?

edit: this was always less than a second after I pressed the button., so I wasn't letting it burn for a few seconds prior to it glowing.

 

[AlmightyGod]

If it's of great concern...take the atty off & adjust the coil with a paperclip.

 

[vaptamist]

I'm not necessarily concerned about it at this point, but I do think it's part of the reason I'm not having much luck with the atomizer (which I'd rather be using over the carto, due to the lower resistance, and the fact that I prefer atty's over carto's typically). I've got some 1.5's on the way, so I'll see if I can adjust the coil some and get it to stop (although I have no idea what I'm doing, hah!)

 

[Sense Field]

I have not seen a single hybrid atomizer glow like your pics, unless dry burned. So, where you blame the atty, I blame the user. You don't have enough liquid in there. Loosely wrapped coils are not the culprit.

Hey AG...you know I'm a fan of the hybrid..and now I'm also a daily user of the Vmod...but...I have seen loosely wrapped coils on 3 of my hybrids that glowed just like those pics. One of them was so loose that I had to throw it away, the whole coil was out of contact with the wick and it all glowed no matter how much eliquid I put in there. The other two had one wrap that would glow, I simply took some tweezers and pressed the coil tighter around the wick (2 second fix).

I do think they need to get better at wrapping the coil...but I also think this is something that can happen with any other non-cisco spec atomizer

 

[Sense Field]

I will say that I was having a little better luck with the atomizer today, but it still seems a little too touchy. I tried taking the drip tip off (so I could see the atty better), feeding the mod and then pushing the button, and one little section of the atty turned bright orange, no matter what I did as far as feeding (even feeding to the point of seeing liquid well up and push up the outside of the atty. It was always the same "piece" of the atty. Am I doing something wrong still?

edit: this was always less than a second after I pressed the button., so I wasn't letting it burn for a few seconds prior to it glowing.

Use needle tip tweezers/a pin/paper clip to push that section of coil against the wick. That will solve all of your problems.

 

[vaptamist]

OH my god. I pushed the part of the coil that was sticking out, back IN. Put it back on the vmod, and it's night and day. This completely explains why I was constantly over-feeding the mod when the atomizer was on, because I kept thinking I was feeding it wrong. I was lucky to get HALF a pull on it before getting a dry hit, and I was constantly flooding the mod and getting juice all over it and myself. It's working perfectly now, and it hits so good, tons of vapor, tons of flavor - and I can get 3 or 4 really solid pulls off of it before having to feed again (which I now know I'm doing correctly). Thanks AG and Fernand (and everyone else). I'm so happy right now

 

[vaptamist]

Use needle tip tweezers/a pin/paper clip to push that section of coil against the wick. That will solve all of your problems.

This is exactly what I did. Took 3 seconds, and now I'm in heaven. So happy right now.

edit: holy crap the atty's CHUG liquid. ahaha

 

[AlmightyGod]

Hey AG...you know I'm a fan of the hybrid..and now I'm also a daily user of the Vmod...but...I have seen loosely wrapped coils on 3 of my hybrids that glowed just like those pics. One of them was so loose that I had to throw it away, the whole coil was out of contact with the wick and it all glowed no matter how much eliquid I put in there. The other two had one wrap that would glow, I simply took some tweezers and pressed the coil tighter around the wick (2 second fix).

Thanks Sense!

Even though I vape off of three Vmods all day, I've only used a half dozen hybrid attys on them. I hadn't seen any glowing. After the post about it, I pulled off my DTs & checked & nothing.

So....if you get a glowing section...just adjust the coil slightly. I roll coils for some rebuildable atomizers, & as long as you're careful, it's easy to do.

 

[Sense Field]

edit: holy crap the atty's CHUG liquid. ahaha

The 2ohm doesn't chug liquid at all...as a matter of fact...I find it weird how little I have to feed this thing.

Thanks Sense!

Even though I vape off of three Vmods all day, I've only used a half dozen hybrid attys on them. I hadn't seen any glowing. After the post about it, I pulled off my DTs & checked & nothing.

So....if you get a glowing section...just adjust the coil slightly. I roll coils for some rebuildable atomizers, & as long as you're careful, it's easy to do.

No problem buddy...it's easy to fix if you are unlucky enough to have an issue with it. I don't think it's a rampant problem...but either way...they should probably ask their supplier to be more careful of having full contact for the whole wrap.

 

[Fernand]

So, where you blame the atty, I blame the user. You don't have enough liquid in there. Loosely wrapped coils are not the culprit.

Well, they do turn out to be the culprit, and I had to to bust my buns to even get anybody to look. Hopefully now people will check their attys. AG, in polite company I'd say an apology would be nice. Maybe you can answer my question about water in juice as a small favor instead?

 

[vikki59]

I know this isn't directly concerning a vmod, but sorta kinda since I am so here's my lil story:
I was in the process of refilling my tank, it's a bdv w/purple anodized caps, just got it this week and this was my very first time refilling it, or any tank for that matter. It came stock w/a lr 1.5 carto that I don't like and will def change out soon. Anyhow, washed out the tank and was trying to figure out how to get liquid out of carto w/o washing it. Oh yea, I remember the taryn spin. Grabbed a condom from a carto that I got in a trade w/hairball a while back. Had a removable .... plug in it so I removed it proceeded to do taryn spin and a mighty good one at that, thank you very much, LOL. After I thought I'd just about dried it out, I looked at the condom to see how full it was and to my utter surprize there was no liquid in it. Now I'm confused cuz the carto was really wet when I put it in the lanyard, looked at the carto and looks purty dry in there, looked at the condom again just a couple of tiny drops in it, that's it.. Did I spin myself into the twilight zone 8-o ?? This isn't making sense ~ and then I see it! OH SH** an itty bitty teeny weeny tiny friggin hole in the end of the condom!! !! I looked at the top half of the kitchen door which is glass, and yep lil droplets of juice all up it and down the door, on the ceiling, other side of kitchen, well you know it was just everywhere, as the carto was full when I started !!!!!! I have no idea what brand of carto that was (n really don't care ), nor did I know that some condoms have breather holes in them... So school is out for the night now, I learned my lesson well today, and homework is cleaning kitchen.

Just wanted to share my "I can't believe I just did that" moment w/my vmod family.

 

[vikki59]

Well, they do turn out to be the culprit, and I had to to bust my buns to even get anybody to look. Hopefully now people will check their attys.

 

[AlmightyGod]

Hard to apologize for something I hadn't seen happen to a hybrid before.

Water, even distilled water, makes a poor mixer for e-liquid.
It does nothing for flavor, and isn't good for atomizers.
Maybe you can find someone to mail you some PGA for mixing.
PGA will give a better TH to the juice and it takes very little to thin VG.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/sg-vapers/224803-mixing-juice-water.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/231650-vg-juice-dilution-help-request.html

 

[Fernand]

I usually put a piece of cartomizer condom in the upper left corner of the battery area by the positive terminal when I use one of the Vapage blue batteries, so that the battery is a few mm further down and then the switch takes more than a touch to engage. It also allows the "OFF" position to block it. Well, I forgot. I reassembled the VMOD and stuck it in my shirt pocket. Later I put a little video cassette in a soft plastic box in there too. Good thing it was my breast pocket. I felt a strange warmth against my body and then a heat, and then I remembered and pulled out a toasty VMOD with a toasted cartomizer. Word to the wise: it's not just theoretical.

Having fried my first, I had to put another Boge into service. I looked at my Vapage atomizers again and I can't do anything with tweezers and so on, because the loose loops are big and just pushing them down wouldn't do much. Good thing Brian is looking into it with the craftsmen who wind these. So another Boge it is.

For anybody who might try Boges, improvising the little threading side gasket at the bottom (that the Vapage cartos have) does more harm than good unless it's thinner than I can make it. It just raises the carto so the feed hole gets blinded by the carto-body gasket as it's pushed down by the cone. It works better without it, the boge threaded end is soft aluminum and the face mates leaklessly with the (stainless steel?) nest if you just tighten it.

In the studio we always used an anti-oxidant called Cramolin on patchbays and cable connectors. . There's DEOxit now, and a few others. They work wonders if you sparingly put a little on the switch's spring, the "plunger" face and both ends of the battery. If you overdo it, you'll taste it on inhales, as the air passes through there. The spring only conducts at a few spots on the plunger, and these cleaner/conductors make the connection much better. I was losing a quarter volt across the switch before. More voltage to the burner now. I had upped the nicotine from my usual 8 to 16 mg/ml for no good reason, and with now the full voltage on a fresh Boge 2 carto it's such a vapor monster that I'm feeling OD'd.

@AG thanks for the info. A small amount of water is not hurting the taste or anything at the moment. I'll try a little ethanol when I can get some 90%+. 151 Bacardi makes all juice taste Puerto Rican rummy .

 

[tearose50]

An adventurous day here --- a great new review -- hope lots get to see it.

and another bug discovered and a remedy found.

Good job vmoders.

I like when we find the remedies -- someday I'm gonna have to re-read this whole thread!

 

[Katdarling]

So this is what happens here when I'm away...

Busy day is right, Tea.

AG, no wonder most of us love the Silo cartos. I hadn't even realized that they were similar to Bloog and SI, or that they were bottom coilers! VERY cool. I'm thrilled you mentioned it because I was looking around for some bottom coil cartos just in the last couple of days. I prefer to spend my money with Vapage.

Sense, I enjoyed your video very much. Yes, the skulls are a bit odd, but hey, that bod is so timely for Halloween. I loved that you actually showed the proper feeding technique and that we now have a new VMODian verb: TAP

(Oh no. Some of our peeps here will prolly make that taap or tiap or trap, who knows...)

Fernand-o, it was good that you brought the glowing coils to everyone's attention. That's info that is important for any attys we use, be it Hybrids or other. It also can be an answer to the burnt taste question. And, as mentioned, it will cause improvements to our beloved mod.

Vikki, your taryn spin is one for the books! That was a funny story!!

ChooChoo~