Vamo with RSST issues, help please!

[TryinToQuit]

Hey ECF!

Grabbed a few of the RSST after some research and watching videos. Labeled as a beginner rba, I was confident.
Got them in along with some 30 kanthal and 400 SS mesh.

Every time I set up the deck the vamo reads a different ohm each time until the "Lo" error.
I must have re-done it 50 times...tighter coil, looser coil....less wraps, more wraps etc etc same result.

Say it starts at 3.0 ohm...it will barely light up, then check ohm again, 1.4 ohm...then "Lo" error. Everytime.

Any help would be really great! Thanks ECF!!

 

[toughguitar]

I've never had that problem with my RSST. Maybe your wick is not oxidized enough. I did have that problem on one of my agaT2s and could never get it setup. I bought some xs-18 sillica and used it as a sleeve over the wick where you wrap the coils. It was a bit of a pain but it solved the problem with no noticeable differences.

 

[Thrasher]

sounds like a short, on the vamo i also notice it doesnt like things screwed down real tight.

something is shorting out. maybe a loose wire somewhere. or something touching, build a coil without the wick and then check the resistance and see if it does the same thing.

sometimes it helps to tear down the atty and clean everything as there may be debris from manufacturing lodged somewhere as well as just check the atty with no coil or wick at all. elimination is key if one thing works and another doesnt you find the problem faster.

oxidation is helpful but not needed if done correctly, but if the wick is shorting from lack of oxy it drops and stays there it wouldnt drop slowly.

 

[TryinToQuit]

Thanks guys.

I hadn't thought about trying the wire without the wick. It does seem to be steady without the wick. I did use the torch method to oxidize the SS wick (bright orange)...should I not do that since this tank has the isolator?

Edit: Put the wick in with the same coil and the problem continues.

 

[holcombgl]

watch the rsst in a vamo. It is a vamo pin killer. If you tighten the rsst to tight I will push the pin under the insulator and soon every thing will read 99.9 ohms. This happened to me and others and you will have to replace the insulator under the vamo pin which is a pita to find and do. I hardly use the vamo but when this happened to me it was always because of a short in the wick because it was not oxidize good enough.

 

[Thrasher]

kinda strange as the wickhole and tank are isolated from shorting, when you roll the wick do you fold the outside edge over? so that there are not any frays sticking out?
not even sure where to start guessing with everything so isolated.
try a new wick and after oxidizing do a few juice burns and get it nice and black on the end that goes inside the coil. just making the wick glow isnt a full oxidation. it helps to put a nice layer on the wick surface.


with the problems now i wouldnt think of trying an unoxidized setup until you figure this out.

and yea again make sure its not screwed on too tight.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Hey ECF!

Grabbed a few of the RSST after some research and watching videos. Labeled as a beginner RBA, I was confident.
Got them in along with some 30 kanthal and 400 SS mesh.

Every time I set up the deck the vamo reads a different ohm each time until the "Lo" error.
I must have re-done it 50 times...tighter coil, looser coil....less wraps, more wraps etc etc same result.

Say it starts at 3.0 ohm...it will barely light up, then check ohm again, 1.4 ohm...then "Lo" error. Everytime.

Any help would be really great! Thanks ECF!!

It will do that if the wick isn't sufficiently oxidized. I can only guess that it makes electrical contact with the coil at different spots as it expands and contracts from heating it, but anyway, that is the end result. Get the wick nice and bright orange hot when you oxidize it and you should be good to go.

 

[DantesInferno]

Can try wrapping some cotton on your mesh. Will stop any shorts there. Or pick up some silica tubing. And make sure the center pin is snug.

Sent from Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk 2.

 

[rnln]

sounds like you have a short. I experienced the same couple months ago. Base on my experience, several things you can check:
- have you torch the ss mesh and dip it in water multiple times?
- Have you torch the wick (after made) and dip it in water at least twice?

 

[TryinToQuit]

I have torched the wick until every part is glowing orange....but never dunked it in water.

Edit: Everything tight, dunked the wick, put liquid one it, pre wrapped coil around screw first...seems to be better but real inconsistent firing.

 

[Mozzer]

Yah, this happened to me. It's definitely a lack of oxidization of the wick, as mentioned. It's very difficult to use the pulse method, i.e. just the battery to oxidize the wick with a regulated mod. This is due to the safety features that disable firing when there are shorts or the resistance drops below a certain level.

To further oxidize, repeat the heating of the wick and dunk 2 or 3 times. It may still be a little tricky to get all the shorts and hotspots out using a regulated mod, and you may have to fiddle with the coil, but it can be done.

It's much much easier with a mechanical mod.

 

[TryinToQuit]

Thanks guys. I did pre-order the noble 1 mod....but it looks like I need another mechanical body for these guys too..

Without going way off topic too much....Whats the "best" budget clone mechanical? (say up to 30 or so..)
I prefer bottom firing smooth tubes...

 

[holcombgl]

K100 or KTS+ is what I have after I researched. Both can be purchased from Fasttech for next to nothing. I purchased my K100 from my local store but ordered the KTS+ from fasttech.

 

[Borescoped]

Glad I found this thread, having similar issues. Tinkering with it some more.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I have to comment on the quenching in water thing. I've even seen some "how to" video's suggest this. The goal is to combine the surface of the stainless steel with the oxygen in the air, forming a layer of chromium oxide on the surface. Dipping the thing in water does nothing to make this happen. It actually can prevent it from happening if you move the wick from the relatively oxygen free environment of the torch flame to the water before the hot stainless can combine with free oxygen in the air. Come on folks, we are not trying to harden or temper the wick; we want to oxidize the crap out of it.

The chromium in stainless will passivate (get a layer of chromium oxide) at different temperatures, depending on the makeup of it, but on average and in rough numbers, 1700 degrees F. That is orange to light orange in color. Get it HOT, nice light orange at least and let it cool for a couple seconds in air. Dunking it in water doesn't do anything.

 

[Rule62]

I have to comment on the quenching in water thing. I've even seen some "how to" video's suggest this. The goal is to combine the surface of the stainless steel with the oxygen in the air, forming a layer of chromium oxide on the surface. Dipping the thing in water does nothing to make this happen. It actually can prevent it from happening if you move the wick from the relatively oxygen free environment of the torch flame to the water before the hot stainless can combine with free oxygen in the air. Come on folks, we are not trying to harden or temper the wick; we want to oxidize the crap out of it.

The chromium in stainless will passivate (get a layer of chromium oxide) at different temperatures, depending on the makeup of it, but on average and in rough numbers, 1700 degrees F. That is orange to light orange in color. Get it HOT, nice light orange at least and let it cool for a couple seconds in air. Dunking it in water doesn't do anything.

Actually, dunking the hot wick in water is counter productive. If my memory serves me, the oxidation layer continues to form as long as the temperature of the ss is above about 700 degrees F. Quenching the wick in water arrests the process. Also, quenching makes the ss mesh brittle, making it easier to damage the oxidation layer, when wrapping or adjusting the coil.

 

[Borescoped]

Took mine apart just now, washed all the parts, paying particular attention to the threaded bits. Put it all back together including my wick/coil setup, working now. I did use a flat Swiss file today on the center post because it didn't look flat.

Now, to figure out the air hole sizing.

 

[ed101z]

I have to comment on the quenching in water thing. I've even seen some "how to" video's suggest this. The goal is to combine the surface of the stainless steel with the oxygen in the air, forming a layer of chromium oxide on the surface. Dipping the thing in water does nothing to make this happen. It actually can prevent it from happening if you move the wick from the relatively oxygen free environment of the torch flame to the water before the hot stainless can combine with free oxygen in the air. Come on folks, we are not trying to harden or temper the wick; we want to oxidize the crap out of it.

The chromium in stainless will passivate (get a layer of chromium oxide) at different temperatures, depending on the makeup of it, but on average and in rough numbers, 1700 degrees F. That is orange to light orange in color. Get it HOT, nice light orange at least and let it cool for a couple seconds in air. Dunking it in water doesn't do anything.

Seen some of those 'quenching' videos too in which the user dips in cold water right after the orange glowing occurs to the SS Mesh. The user, then makes another video and says that he won't be quenching anymore because of what it does to the wick.

I'm using the AGA-T2 on a Vamo, and don't have the pin problems the thread starter is talking about. But then again, I've not tried the RSST on the Vamo either. After reading his problems with the Vamo, I'm thinking that the wick isn't oxidized enough.

Using #400 Mesh, and 32G Kanthal at 5 wraps. I torch the hell out of the wick BEFORE rolling; and AFTER rolling (3 times each). In between torches, I let it cool down to the touch before orange glowing again. After all this, I then put juice on the wick, and then burn it 'till it goes out. I get a consistent 2.0ohm reading on the Vamo ..which is what I'm looking for - for now.
I do have to 30G Kanthal as well, and plan to experiment with different ohm, and wire wraps.

I have not tried the RSST yet. May do so one day. But for now, I'm really enjoying the AGA-T2!!! It vapes like a freight train coming through town! Glad the vapor eventually evaporates because I'd probably get pulled over.

 

[DantesInferno]

Using #400 Mesh, and 32G Kanthal at 5 wraps. I torch the hell out of the wick BEFORE rolling; and AFTER rolling (3 times each). In between torches, I let it cool down to the touch before orange glowing again. After all this, I then put juice on the wick, and then burn it 'till it goes out. I get a consistent 2.0ohm reading on the Vamo ..which is what I'm looking for - for now.
I do have to 30G Kanthal as well, and plan to experiment with different ohm, and wire wraps.

Lol. Gave me flashbacks. God I hated going through all that. Way too much work. Thank goodness for ss cable and silica sleeving.



Sent from Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk 2.

 

[ed101z]

Lol. Gave me flashbacks. God I hated going through all that. Way too much work. Thank goodness for ss cable and silica sleeving.

You forgot Kanthal ribbon wire. LoL. Might as well give all this a try one day. Can you PM me some good links to buy Kanthal Ribbon Wire; SS Cable, and Silica Sleeving? Also, are there any good links on ECF about using this type of setup?