Top air RTAs

[Shawn Hoefer]

The TFV8 X-Baby Beast Brother Cousin Uncle Nephew tank with RBA.

Let's forget the ridiculous name... Call it the X-Baby. It's 24.5mm in diameter, and 59mm tall. The tank will hold 4ml of liquid. It's marketed as a subohm tank, and is one of only a handful of subohm tanks with top air (lessee... Cubis [ugh], Cleito Exo [review to follow], Joyetech Unimax [uses Cubis RBA, so also ugh], the new Ample Mace X, and I seem to remember one from OBS...). Kind of a rare breed... This one, however, is well done.

The RBA reminds me strongly of the deck on the EngineEngine V1... Simple velocity deck, but the wicking is a bit different... It wicks from the side rather than underneath. I suggest building it exactly as you would the Engine V1, but cut the wick a little shorter.




The deck will hold a 3mm fused Clapton with no issues.

As might be expected, the vapor and flavor on this are almost identical to the Engine V1. This has a slight advantage in air and vapor production due in part to the 810 size drip tip.

Since everything else is the same, the drawbacks are almost the same... Spitback and flooding if it's not properly wicked, diminished flavor if the coils are positioned too low. There's one further con to this one... Its harder to fill than the Engine. Oh... The RBA section is a separate purchase... Hate that.

If you're looking for a tank that you can build (once you've picked up the RBA), OR use drop in coils in an emergency, this one is a winner.

 

[Onirea]

@Shawn Hoefer thanks for this thread! I prefer top air RTA'S, and this is a huge help selecting a new one! For all the hard work!

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

@Shawn Hoefer thanks for this thread! I prefer top air RTA'S, and this is a huge help selecting a new one! For all the hard work!

Thanks. I ain't done, yet, either... Got four more on order and two more to write up...

Stay tuned

 

[Onirea]

Thanks. I ain't done, yet, either... Got four more on order and two more to write up...

Stay tuned

Let's see if I can keep my shinyitis under control then

 

[Eskie]

Thanks. I ain't done, yet, either... Got four more on order and two more to write up...

Stay tuned

Are we there yet???
Are we there yet???



Yes, I have the patience of a 4 year old.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

OBS Engine Nano

I honestly don't know why I am reviewing this one... I can't find it available for purchase anywhere online. I can find lots of places still listing it... As out of stock.

Sigh...

It's a 25mm diameter single coil RTA that holds 5.3ml of juice and takes 510 drip tips. Looks identical to the 1st gen Engine (and the glass is interchangeable) up until the deck is removed...

It's an offset 2-post affair with the up and down post holes staggered. You'll have to wrap counterclockwise to easily coil this one.

Once wrapped (twice, 'cause I always forget and wrap clockwise the first time), the deck will support my standard 3.5mm fused Clapton build, but it's a little tight side to side.

In the barrel are slots for air. Ok, one slot and one hole. The slot will face the front of the coil, and the hole will face the back through the posts.


Try to position the coils so that the air slots are hitting the coils dead on... It's a guessing game, to be honest.

The wick slots are a bit crowded for the amount of wick a 3.5mm coil requires, but they fit fine after a vigorous combing...


I find the air, when wide open, a but more than necessary for a single coil RTA. Fortunately, the airflow is fully adjustable, and cutting it down to about half still provides enough air for a slightly restricted lung hit.

The Vapor production and flavor are what you'd expect...

It's still a fine RTA, and if you can find one it's worth the investment. If not, the Kaees Solomon V2 and Vapefly Horus are every bit as good. In fact, when it comes to positioning your coils, those two make it easier as the air slots are built into the deck where they can be seen, not hidden in the barrel.

 

[Onirea]

The Nano is available from our Chinese friends:

100% Original OBS Engine Nano RTA Atomizer 5.3ml Engine Nano Rebuiltable Tank Atomizer Electronic Cigarette Vaporizer-in Electronic Cigarette Atomizers from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Got the Rainbow from there myself

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

The Nano is available from our Chinese friends:

100% Original OBS Engine Nano RTA Atomizer 5.3ml Engine Nano Rebuiltable Tank Atomizer Electronic Cigarette Vaporizer-in Electronic Cigarette Atomizers from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Got the Rainbow from there myself

Not entirely sure that's authentic as, to the best of my knowledge, OBS only made the Nano in black, stainless, gold, and black/gold. That said, if it works, I ain't got no issues with it...

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

What's left?

UD Athlon (RBA)
Voopoo Rimfire
Hellvape Dead Rabbit RTA
Acevape MK
QP Designs Juggerknot
OBS Engine Mini

What is not getting a post:
Joyetech Unimax. It can only be built using the Cubis RBA. I think you already know how I feel about that, but just in case, here's my brief tutorial...

Wrap round wire no larger than 24 AWG on a mandrel no larger than 3mm. 6 - 8 wraps depending on gauge.

Set wire aside.

Place RBA under scanning electron microscope to locate screws.

Remove screws.

Lose microscopic screws in carpeting.

Place RBA on hard, flat surface.

Hit with large hammer.

Place adjusted RBA in road.

Drive over it several times. I recommend a steamroller.

Place adjusted RBA in envelope and mail to Joyetech.

Use coiled wire from step one in a reasonable RBA or RTA.

Just so you don't think I'm being overly dramatic, I feel the same way about the Aspire Triton RBA, but love the Eleaf ECR and Joyetech eGo ONE CLR heads...

Thanks for reading.

 

[Letitia]

That's how I feel about the Crown rba head.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

That's how I feel about the Crown rba head.

Never had issues with the Crown. The Rafael on the other hand...

 

[Letitia]

Crown tank was good as were the coils bot the rba was a tiny nightmare.

 

[Onirea]

Not entirely sure that's authentic as, to the best of my knowledge, OBS only made the Nano in black, stainless, gold, and black/gold. That said, if it works, I ain't got no issues with it...

Just checked the security code on my box on the OBS website (directly, not with the QR code) and it comes up as authentic

 

[Eskie]

I never met am RBA I liked.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

I never met am RBA I liked.

Without RBAs, I wouldn't be here today... I started with coil head systems and was quite content. Then, I won a Kanger Subtank... It came with an RBA, so I figured I should try it. Never looked back, and never bought another tank that did not have an available RBA. As such, I like 'em... Don't use 'em often anymore, but...

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

The QP Designs Juggerknot

THIS is what the OBS Engine 2 should have been. Mostly...

It's 24mm at the base, but flares to 28mm with either of the straight tank sections (comes with Ultem and glass. Holds 4ml with straight sections), or 31mm with the fat Ultem tank section (holds 6ml. Not glass fat section). And, that's the mostly part... Not everyone will appreciate the aesthetics.

It does use press-fit 810 style drip tips.

Filling it is the same as the Engines, but it's sloped and so a little harder to grasp at times.

The deck is plenty large enough to handle my 3mm ID 6 wrap fused c laptons. Would probably handle 3.5mm round wire builds. The post holes can swallow most any build, but, coming in from the side, they will twist wire. Larger builds may leave some of the grub screw exposed and occlude some of the wick channels.


The air is channeled down the sides of the chamber and up at an angle to the coils. I like to bend/pull my coils out and over these slots.

Wicking is a breeze. Note that if a 3.5mm coil is attempted, the tails will need a serious brushing out to avoid packing the wick slots.


With my 3mm coils, a light brushing was all that was needed.

Flavor is great and vapor production is good.

So, it's easier to build than the OBS Engine 2, holds as much liquid as the Geekvape Zeus Dual with the bubble glass. Fills about as easy as any Engine. Uses a larger drip tip than the Engines. Has about the same air as the Engines... Maybe a touch less, but certainly less than the Zeus line, or the Themis.

What's not to like? The aforementioned aesthetics, and the price of the authentic which, unless you hunt and find a deal, find it used, or choose a clone, is around $75.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

It occurred to me that I STILL missed one.

The Aspire Cleito Exp with RBA.

Without pics and build, this thing kinda sucks... Not as bad as the Cubis, but it's not good.

Don't get me wrong... The RBA is decent, but it's too small for my standard build.

Also, the non-adjustable airflow is built into the plastic tank. The air is directed down the sides of the tank, and comes up under the coil. This means the flavor is good, but it also means it can leak... Liquid can pool under the coil and pass back up through the airflow if tipped.

 

[Mowgli]

This is a dual coil RTA with a cage inside the glass. Mine is all black, so it's often hard to judge liquid levels. Here it is on the Ovanty Vega...
View attachment 762189

Any problems with that Vega yet?
Jared The Vaping Goat just posted a video showing 3 potentially dangerous flaws he found when he took his apart to hopefully fix his sticky firing button.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

Any problems with that Vega yet?
Jared The Vaping Goat just posted a video showing 3 potentially dangerous flaws he found when he took his apart to hopefully fix his sticky firing button.

Not a one. Understand, though, that I have A LOT of mods, so the rotation in rather thin... None of my devices gets used heavily...

 

[Mowgli]

Not a one. Understand, though, that I have A LOT of mods, so the rotation in rather thin... None of my devices gets used heavily...

Watch the video when you get a chance but before you forget.
3 serious QC flaws including bare wiring.