trouble with mechs and RDAs.

[Ryan Kelly]

i don't know whats going on with all my gear but lately my mods and RDAs have not been performing in a satisfying way. i used to enjoy vaping my RDAs so much but i have been having issues with them lately. i have an hcigar turtleship clone, an hcigar omega clone and a tobeco TOBH clone. they all used to work great. not so much anymore. now whenever i vape i get hot spots on the side of my mod. a small area of the mod will get scorching hot within seconds of hitting the fire button. ontop of that my RDAs have not been working the same. they taste burnt and after a couple hits i get a burning/tingling sensation on my tongue. i tried rebuilding them and reworking them but that did not solve the problem. also i don't know how to describe this but the feeling i get while taking a hit is different. usually i can feel the heat of the vapor filling up my lungs and throat but now i don't. the vapor is somewhat cold going down which is weird because i am pushing over 100 watts. I'm really disappointed that all my gear decided to crap out at once. can anyone think of what might be causing these issues? when i get hot spots and hot buttons on my mod it makes me think i have a short but i don't think i do. I'm getting a solid reading on my ohm meter.

 

[Blackboar]

If you can, post some pics of your mod, atty, and build. Point out the parts that are overheating. Also, pics of the contacts on your mod and atty.

Does this happen only at specific ohm loads, or is it consistent no matter what resistance you build to?

Check for any damage to the battery itself.

 

[MrPlink]

You build to 100w but can't trouble shoot a mech?

I know that isn't what you want to hear but I think you need to either REALLY educate yourself or give up the ghost and pick up an MVP kit or something.

 

[Ryan Kelly]

i know you are not meaning to be offensive or anything but i really hate when people say stuff like this. like i know what i am doing i know how to be safe and AM safe and i know A LOT about mechs. i don't think someone should be told not to use a mech just because they can't figure out every single problem they occur. I'm sure when you first got into mechs and droppers you ran into problems that you turned to ECF/the internet to troubleshoot. i know the limits of my batteries, i know how to maintain the components of my mechs and droppers, i know how to build, i know how to use ohms law, i know how to test for shorts, i know everything i need to know about mechs at this point. now i ran into trouble and can't figure out how to deal with it so i nicely asked the vaping community on ECF. just because i ran into a problem and don't know how to instantly fix it doesn't mean i should just toss out 200 dollars of gear and buy a 15 watt MVP for 40 bucks. if i don't know every single in and out of a car engine does that mean i should trade my car in for a scooter?

 

[MrPlink]

I was gonna write a really snarky response and tell you to skip the scooter and get a bus pass but lets try to be constructive here.

Lets start with some basics and use a little deduction

First, do both mods exhibit this behavior?

Have you tried the TOBH with a different mod?

Do you have a different Atty you can test YOUR mods with? If you did, did they exhibit the same behavior

— the switch! Everything nice and clean and where it should be? Is the switch getting really hot too or is it elsewhere?

— batteries. Sure they are good?
No torn covers etc etc.

— cleanliness is next to
something or other.. Are all your threads and contact points as clean as they can be?

— Atty. 100 percent sure your build is solid? Coils secured well and not grounding out? Insulator intact and no potential issues with the positive post and 510 positive pin looks good?

Let's start there

 

[Ryan Kelly]

I was gonna write a really snarky response and tell you to skip the scooter and get a bus pass but lets try to be constructive here.

Lets start with some basics and use a little deduction

First, do both mods exhibit this behavior?

Have you tried the TOBH with a different mod?

Do you have a different Atty you can test YOUR mods with? If you did, did they exhibit the same behavior

— the switch! Everything nice and clean and where it should be? Is the switch getting really hot too or is it elsewhere?

— batteries. Sure they are good?
No torn covers etc etc.

— cleanliness is next to
something or other.. Are all your threads and contact points as clean as they can be?

— Atty. 100 percent sure your build is solid? Coils secured well and not grounding out? Insulator intact and no potential issues with the positive post and 510 positive pin looks good?

Let's start there

sorry i kind of flew off the wagon there. i know you weren't trying to be rude. so i only ave one mod at the moment because the 510 on my stingray got pushed in too far and no longer functions (crappy voltage meter). both attys exhibit the same behavior. i recently spent over an hour cleaning my turtleship so i don't think it has to do with grime or dirt or anything. i polished all the the contacts and threads again the other day to be sure. as for heat, the switch gets really hot really fast but i also experience hot spots on the 18350 tube. like 90% of the tube will be normal temperature but then one tiny spot probably only a couple mm in size gets super hot and stings my hand. this doesn't happen on every hit but when it does i have to set my mod down and let it cool. as for the build i am sure it is solid. I'm using 22 gauge so i have no fear of snipping the leads and have tightened the connections down as tight as i can get them. the insulator seems in tact and again this is happening with both of my attys so i doubt both the insulators crapped out at the same exact time. as for my batteries everything seems to check out. they are authentic sony VTC5s. the wrappers are in tact. the only thing that makes me scratch my head about my batteries is that they all seem to have built up a very tiny tiny black spot (maybe 1 mm in diameter) right in the center of the bottom contact but i have noticed this long before i had the heat issues we are discussing so i don't think thats the problem. sorry for a wall of text. if you don't feel like reading its cool. and again i didn't mean to snap on you before its just that i feel confident in ym knowledge of mechs. i went through the checklist that you just provided on my own and none of it seemed to apply so i turned to ECF.

 

[JoeMySwords]

sorry i kind of flew off the wagon there. i know you weren't trying to be rude. so i only ave one mod at the moment because the 510 on my stingray got pushed in too far and no longer functions (crappy voltage meter). both attys exhibit the same behavior. i recently spent over an hour cleaning my turtleship so i don't think it has to do with grime or dirt or anything. i polished all the the contacts and threads again the other day to be sure. as for heat, the switch gets really hot really fast but i also experience hot spots on the 18350 tube. like 90% of the tube will be normal temperature but then one tiny spot probably only a couple mm in size gets super hot and stings my hand. this doesn't happen on every hit but when it does i have to set my mod down and let it cool. as for the build i am sure it is solid. I'm using 22 gauge so i have no fear of snipping the leads and have tightened the connections down as tight as i can get them. the insulator seems in tact and again this is happening with both of my attys so i doubt both the insulators crapped out at the same exact time. as for my batteries everything seems to check out. they are authentic sony VTC5s. the wrappers are in tact. the only thing that makes me scratch my head about my batteries is that they all seem to have built up a very tiny tiny black spot (maybe 1 mm in diameter) right in the center of the bottom contact but i have noticed this long before i had the heat issues we are discussing so i don't think thats the problem. sorry for a wall of text. if you don't feel like reading its cool. and again i didn't mean to snap on you before its just that i feel confident in ym knowledge of mechs. i went through the checklist that you just provided on my own and none of it seemed to apply so i turned to ECF.

Well, first off, that black spot is from microarcing because the bottom pin isn't completely level, the black spots can also increase voltage drop. To remedy this, use a small flat head and scrape off the residue on the battery. Then get some very fine grit sandpaper (I used 2000 grit wet/dry), set it flat on a table, remove the delrin insulator on the switch so that the firing pin is the highest point, and GENTLY sand it. Make sure that the pin is level with the table to ensure that the firing pin is sanded down to be completely flat. This problem happens to many who use clones, and this usually solves that issue. It did for me. If that solves some of the issues with the coldness of the hit and some of the burnt taste, then great. As for the burnt taste and all that, honestly, is sounds as though the insulator may be scorched, or that some part of the coil is touching the wall/base. The easiest way to identify whether or not that's the issue is to put a different atty on your mod and vape it. It sounds very unlikely that they would both become burnt at the same time, but it is possible. If another dripper works perfectly fine, it sounds like the insulator would be the problem. Let me know how all this works for you.

 

[JoeMySwords]

sorry i kind of flew off the wagon there. i know you weren't trying to be rude. so i only ave one mod at the moment because the 510 on my stingray got pushed in too far and no longer functions (crappy voltage meter). both attys exhibit the same behavior. i recently spent over an hour cleaning my turtleship so i don't think it has to do with grime or dirt or anything. i polished all the the contacts and threads again the other day to be sure. as for heat, the switch gets really hot really fast but i also experience hot spots on the 18350 tube. like 90% of the tube will be normal temperature but then one tiny spot probably only a couple mm in size gets super hot and stings my hand. this doesn't happen on every hit but when it does i have to set my mod down and let it cool. as for the build i am sure it is solid. I'm using 22 gauge so i have no fear of snipping the leads and have tightened the connections down as tight as i can get them. the insulator seems in tact and again this is happening with both of my attys so i doubt both the insulators crapped out at the same exact time. as for my batteries everything seems to check out. they are authentic sony VTC5s. the wrappers are in tact. the only thing that makes me scratch my head about my batteries is that they all seem to have built up a very tiny tiny black spot (maybe 1 mm in diameter) right in the center of the bottom contact but i have noticed this long before i had the heat issues we are discussing so i don't think thats the problem. sorry for a wall of text. if you don't feel like reading its cool. and again i didn't mean to snap on you before its just that i feel confident in ym knowledge of mechs. i went through the checklist that you just provided on my own and none of it seemed to apply so i turned to ECF.

Well, first off, that black spot is from microarcing because the bottom pin isn't completely level, the black spots can also increase voltage drop. To remedy this, use a small flat head and scrape off the residue on the battery. Then get some very fine grit sandpaper (I used 2000 grit wet/dry), set it flat on a table, remove the delrin insulator on the switch so that the firing pin is the highest point, and GENTLY sand it. Make sure that the pin is level with the table to ensure that the firing pin is sanded down to be completely flat. This problem happens to many who use clones, and this usually solves that issue. It did for me. If that solves some of the issues with the coldness of the hit and some of the burnt taste, then great. As for the burnt taste and all that, honestly, is sounds as though the insulator may be scorched, or that some part of the coil is touching the wall/base. The easiest way to identify whether or not that's the issue is to put a different atty on your mod and vape it. It sounds very unlikely that they would both become burnt at the same time, but it is possible. If another dripper works perfectly fine, it sounds like the insulator would be the problem. Let me know how all this works for you.

Actually, lemme add something here. If your mod gets hot and the switch gets burning hot, there's a short somewhere in the mod. This may be due to a tear in the battery wrapping, or the 510 on your atty making contact with the pin (again, insulators), or it may have something to do with the delrin insulator in the switch or top connection of the mod. First, CLOSELY inspect the battery. Make sure there are NO scratches or tears ANYWHERE on the casing. If the battery's fine, check the switch and top connection of the mod, make sure the delrin there is 100% intact. If both that and the battery are fine, then the most likely culprit is the atty itself, Because there really isn't anything else it could be. Unscrew the bottom post and check the insulators, and if you can't, like I said try using a different atty that hasn't given you problems, like a friend's or maybe one at a B&M. One of these has to be the issue here. Post back when you've flattened out your firing pin and checked all those areas I suggested. Good luck.

 

[Ryan Kelly]

ok so i sanded down my switch and got the black stuff off my battery. when i build to about .3 i have no problems but i don't have the heat and vapor production i want. so i took the .3 build out and after sanding and cleaning did a .19 build. same problem. super hot spots and a burning taste on my tongue. both insulators seem to be in tact on my RDAs so i just can't seem to understand what is happening.

 

[anumber1]

ok so i sanded down my switch and got the black stuff off my battery. when i build to about .3 i have no problems but i don't have the heat and vapor production i want. so i took the .3 build out and after sanding and cleaning did a .19 build. same problem. super hot spots and a burning taste on my tongue. both insulators seem to be in tact on my RDAs so i just can't seem to understand what is happening.

You are finding the high resistance points of your mod. It is that simple.

Perhaps some conductive paste on the threads for your hotspots on the tube.

Make sure everything that connects is doing so in the most conductive fashion possible.

A .19 build may be more than your mod is capable of?

Running an extreme build like .19 is going to involve fitting all parts of your mod, it's switch and the connection to your atty in a precise fashion. Just screwing it together isn't working.

 

[JoeMySwords]

ok so i sanded down my switch and got the black stuff off my battery. when i build to about .3 i have no problems but i don't have the heat and vapor production i want. so i took the .3 build out and after sanding and cleaning did a .19 build. same problem. super hot spots and a burning taste on my tongue. both insulators seem to be in tact on my RDAs so i just can't seem to understand what is happening.

Interesting, the insulators on both are still intact? In that case, try these three tests, one of these has to be the issue.

1)Get some conductive paste on the threads, you'd wanna find noalox. Get some, use a tiny amount for each of the metal threads, it doesn't take much to coat all of them. just put a tiny dot on one part of the threads, then screw it together then apart to distribute it. If no change, go to test 2.

2)Use the same atty on a different mod, this may be an issue caused by an issue with the mod itself, regardless of whether or not you used noalox. See if that solves any issues. If that still doesn't work, test 3.

3)Try a different atty that you haven't experienced this problem with, both on your mod and the one you use in test 2.

LMK when you finish these three things.

You are finding the high resistance points of your mod. It is that simple.

Perhaps some conductive paste on the threads for your hotspots on the tube.

Make sure everything that connects is doing so in the most conductive fashion possible.

A .19 build may be more than your mod is capable of?

Running an extreme build like .19 is going to involve fitting all parts of your mod, it's switch and the connection to your atty in a precise fashion. Just screwing it together isn't working.

Also what I was going to say, thank you for that addition.

 

[Ryan Kelly]

so just an update. i completely disassembled my TOBH atty, polished the copper 510 pin, polished the screws, soaked the deck and warm water and let it air dry, did the same worth my omega clone, and everything seems to be working in tip top shape again. have a .19 build in my TOBH and i am no longer getting a burnt feeling on my tongue and am enjoying the vape again. just wanted to say thanks to joemyswords and apologize again for flipping out earlier haha. thanks guys.

 

[Kracker]

I had the same thing happen with my Chi clone. It drove me nuckin futs for 2 days. Sanding the contacts fixed the problem for a couple of days then it came back. It's still sitting on the shelf. I forgot all about it till seeing this.....GOOD THREAD !!

 

[JoeMySwords]

so just an update. i completely disassembled my TOBH atty, polished the copper 510 pin, polished the screws, soaked the deck and warm water and let it air dry, did the same worth my omega clone, and everything seems to be working in tip top shape again. have a .19 build in my TOBH and i am no longer getting a burnt feeling on my tongue and am enjoying the vape again. just wanted to say thanks to joemyswords and apologize again for flipping out earlier haha. thanks guys.

Hey, I'm glad you finally figured out the root of the problem, hopefully after this thread if something happens like that again you can more easily pinpoint the problem. Happy vaping!

 

[Asbestos4004]

Everything makes sense except for your broken stingray. Its a floating 510, no? Can't just push it back up?

 

[Ryan Kelly]

Everything makes sense except for your broken stingray. Its a floating 510, no? Can't just push it back up?

there is a thin piece of black delrin that kept the 510 pin tight in the top cap. that piece of black delrin got damaged so now the 510 pin just falls in and out at will and i can't get it to make connection with my attys even if i assemble the whole mod with a battery

 

[VapingTurtle]

I was going to suggest putting some Noalox on your lips where they make contact with your drip tip, but........

 

[Kracker]

I was going to suggest putting some Noalox on your lips where they make contact with your drip tip, but........

Why, can your lips cause voltage drop ?