What am I doing wrong?!

[Bubba Gump]

I just blew through two more 901 atomizers tonight which brings the total now up to 5 since Thursday, when I first got the prodigy. I have been following steves directions to keep it well lubed and am not holding the button for more than three seconds at a time(short seconds not real seconds, more like just a quick count to 3). The longest life that I got out of any of them was about 30 hrs which was the one that I received with the prodigy.
Can someone help me out? what am I doing wrong? Is anybody else having problems like this? I am starting to worry that the 5v vape is not worth all the trouble, seems the 901s cant hold up to that kind of power. I'm just speculating so if you know better, correct me if I'm wrong.
I see that PS is now offering the 18650 3.7v setup. I think that would be the way for me to go, but not really feeling like paying the extra $ for the new switch. Is there a way to easily remove the resistor from the switch that I already have? Or...if you read this Steve, could I trade my switch in for the one that is resistorless?
I'm getting a little frustrated. Yes the vape is great and tastes great but its not working for me for some reason.

 

[Antebellum]

Hi, Bubba - I don't have any 901 parts, but maybe you should try modifying your technique slightly. Since heat murders atomizers quickly (and carbon fouling kills them slowly), we need to work to keep the atomizers cool.

One way to do this is keep them wet. The other is to allow them to cool somewhat instead of hot-boxing them. I'm sort of lousy at this because I do like to chain-vape. Anyway, I keep two or three atomizers loaded and ready, and if I think one is becoming too hot, I rotate to another one.

The technique part, though, is something like - draw in, press the switch, vape, release the switch, continue to vape until the vapor is gone. This lets airflow help keep the atomizer cool.

You can estimate the internal temperature by feeling of the base of the atomizer. If it's too hot to touch, it's probably roasting your juice on the atomizer coil.

On the other hand, if you get a good vape and the barrel remains cool, you have been nice to your atomizer. In return, it will either love you for it or fail in an inexplicable manner. Let those inexplicable failures be on them. Just make sure that your technique is as favorable as possible to benefit the atomizer so the failure is not on you.

 

[Bubba Gump]

Well I'll give it another go once I get some more atomizers in. For now I have to switch back to my old battery, cant risk burning another out. Honestly tough, it seems a bit much to have to babysit the atomizer so much but I guess that is the sacrifice one must make to get the 5v vape. I guess it just takes some getting used to. Kinda hard to just sit back and relax though while having to worry about these things. I'm pretty sure I will be looking into reconfiguring into 3.7v vape.

 

[Flitzanu]

i think people are forgetting that most of the normal type ecigs had battery cutoff times that kept people from inhaling for over x amount of seconds, and some that would cutoff if used more than x times too quickly, and most of this was to save your equipment.

when using it, make it a point to touch the atty and see how hot it is. if it's too hot to touch, you're burning it up. take a few puffs, 4 or 5 maybe, then let it sit for 15 or 20 seconds, take a few more. if you're constantly hitting it over and over and over, then it will burn up, simple as that.

and prodigy aside, if you chain vape a 3.7v device you can ruin the atty too, but you'll do just do it slower.

sorry to hear about your atty losses. just take it easy on the atomizers, they aren't indestructible, unfortunately.

 

[andel11]

i think people are forgetting that most of the normal type ecigs had battery cutoff times that kept people from inhaling for over x amount of seconds, and some that would cutoff if used more than x times too quickly, and most of this was to save your equipment.

when using it, make it a point to touch the atty and see how hot it is. if it's too hot to touch, you're burning it up. take a few puffs, 4 or 5 maybe, then let it sit for 15 or 20 seconds, take a few more. if you're constantly hitting it over and over and over, then it will burn up, simple as that.

and prodigy aside, if you chain vape a 3.7v device you can ruin the atty too, but you'll do just do it slower.

sorry to hear about your atty losses. just take it easy on the atomizers, they aren't indestructible, unfortunately.

I have lost 2 901's in less than a minute the first with no more than 5 seconds on the button, the second brand new atomizer with less than 3 seconds. Yes for a lot of the ecigs there is a cutoff point so that you don't ruin the atomizer, BUT 3 seconds, their is no ecig I have come across that cuts off after a 3 second draw as well as gets that hot after only 3 seconds. I am not having the same problem with the 801 adaptor and atomizers.

 

[trollmonger]

Hmm never tried a 901 but was messing around with my 801 because the draw got really hard so i let it drain and blew it out with a air hose at work At first that didn't work to well and since i knew that most of the liquid was out of the chamber i hit the button while looking inside and that thing got bright orange within two seconds I did that a few more times thinking i would clean it out good and get a better draw... helped a little but ended up blowing the air where the black rings cover the draw holes and that finally freed it up. Anywho i didn't fry the atty but i can sure see how a dry chamber could because by adding a couple drops she wouldn't get orange at all but dry it was bright enough to make you squint looking at it 8-o. I am quessing you really got to soak them 901's especially at first but who knows are 901's blowing on the pd or pt ? or both?

 

[Flitzanu]

no, normal ecigs do not have a cutoff of 3 seconds, but none of those ecigs run at 5v either. that's a big difference between under 3.7v and 5v on an atty. that's why they get hotter faster...more voltage.

 

[Momof3]

I don't know about removing the resistor Bubba, but you can get the batts and use them now to get an idea if that's what you want. I've used 18650s in mine with 901s attys off and on for a couple weeks now. I just swap out once a day to keep in the upper topped up range.

No way would I give up the 5V option now without a fight, but maybe that's just me.

 

[andel11]

Hmm never tried a 901 but was messing around with my 801 because the draw got really hard so i let it drain and blew it out with a air hose at work At first that didn't work to well and since i knew that most of the liquid was out of the chamber i hit the button while looking inside and that thing got bright orange within two seconds I did that a few more times thinking i would clean it out good and get a better draw... helped a little but ended up blowing the air where the black rings cover the draw holes and that finally freed it up. Anywho i didn't fry the atty but i can sure see how a dry chamber could because by adding a couple drops she wouldn't get orange at all but dry it was bright enough to make you squint looking at it 8-o. I am quessing you really got to soak them 901's especially at first but who knows are 901's blowing on the pd or pt ? or both?

I had no problem with the 901 on my PT. I don't know why thats the case vs the Prodigy.