Wick on A7 RBA

[Commie]

Hi there! I'm having some weird stuff going on with my wick on A7.

The coil is pretty small and tight -- 8 wraps of 30ga kanthal, norizontal just above the air pipe. Comes out at about 1.5-1.6 ohm. For wick, I unbraided and boiled some cotton yarn, and now I use 2 strands of that pulled through the coil. About 1 inch of the wick is left on each side of the coil, and then tucked into the atty to soak up extra juice and act as a carto filler.

For the first few hours it tastes amazing. After that, the wick starts turning black under the coil, and starts losing taste. After another few hours, I can taste some slightly burny flavor. After a day or so, it's not usable and I have to replace the wick.

Anything you could suggest me to do to prolong the life of the wick? I think I keep it pretty saturated, not sure why it still burns

 

[Ictinike]

Too high a voltage? You could still get it hot enough that it's not vaporizing but rather cooking it.

Try taking down the voltage/wattage and if by chance that's where you want to be and have done it before, I still think it's cooking it not vaporizing it so much.

Some mind and others don't silica and you won't have that issue with it. I don't mind it but if I can make it out of SS mesh if possible and if not maybe a hybrid between mesh and wick (cotton/silica).

I have not re-coiled an A7 as of yet and still working off the original silica wick/coil from the purchase and the other is still wrapped.

 

[Commie]

Hmm, well, I re-measured my resistance and it came out at 1.2 ohm. So what you're saying is making perfect sense.

Now I just need to find higher resistance wire, I don't think I could fit more than 8 loops of 30g kanthal between the posts of A7

 

[dwcraig1]

my suggestion, make your coil pretty fat, about 3.5 mm ID and fit into it what ever amount of cotton that fits with out being squeezed in the slightest bit.

Here is a link to how I build most all coils that are not Gen's: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ip-tricks-quirks-post8171981.html#post8171981

What I'm thinking here about your problem is either your coil is too tight on the wick and strangling it or just too small for that amount of heat. It's either not wicking well or not wicking enough

 

[dwcraig1]

That's 13 - 14 watts on fully charged battery with a mechanical mod, pretty serious vape, something like I do, it can work if you build the coil big enough, just make sure it isn't sitting on the air tube.
I put one end of wick down into the cup and the other pointing up

 

[dwcraig1]

I really like to be able to comment on this with experience, but I had not set up my A-7 with cotton before, so I did.
This is 28 gauge Kanthal with two strands of Peaches and Cream cotton yarn @ 1.2 ohms and was used with a new full charged AW 18490 battery.
This is only after two fillings but the only way to burn it it to let it get dry and continue to use it.
If it appears that there are coils touching, well they are not.
I'm getting ready to move away from silica in my Terminators so this was good practice. When I get home I think I'll lift that coil up a little in the center

 

[JD1]

..........Anything you could suggest me to do to prolong the life of the wick? I think I keep it pretty saturated, not sure why it still burns

There's some good info on cotton in the 'different cotton' thread. Hope this helps. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...nt-cottons-different-wicks-5.html#post8189335

 

[Thompson]

That's 13 - 14 watts on fully charged battery with a mechanical mod, pretty serious vape, something like I do, it can work if you build the coil big enough, just make sure it isn't sitting on the air tube.
I put one end of wick down into the cup and the other pointing up

Just curious, whats pointing the wick up for?

I've just put both ends of mine into the basin (saw thats how the original coil/wick were setup, which I removed immediately) and its worked great.

Been running AL's Bamboo #10 & Kanthal-A1 32awg coming in around 2Ω

 

[dwcraig1]

Just curious, whats pointing the wick up for?

I've just put both ends of mine into the basin (saw thats how the original coil/wick were setup, which I removed immediately) and its worked great.

Been running AL's Bamboo #10 & Kanthal-A1 32awg coming in around 2Ω

I learned that from Optimo, there isn't much room in the cup for it and it still holds a lot of juice, actually lets you put in more

 

[Commie]

I really like to be able to comment on this with experience, but I had not set up my A-7 with cotton before, so I did.
This is 28 gauge Kanthal with two strands of Peaches and Cream cotton yarn @ 1.2 ohms and was used with a new full charged AW 18490 battery.
This is only after two fillings but the only way to burn it it to let it get dry and continue to use it.
If it appears that there are coils touching, well they are not.
I'm getting ready to move away from silica in my Terminators so this was good practice. When I get home I think I'll lift that coil up a little in the center View attachment 167415

Thank you, I'll have to try this setup tonight. I preferred skinnier wicks as they seem to "lag" less. As in, the thicker the wick, the longer is that initial pause while it warms up before it starts producing its regular vape. Just like a solid 3mm SS wick takes a good few seconds to warm all the way through

 

[dwcraig1]

Thank you, I'll have to try this setup tonight. I preferred skinnier wicks as they seem to "lag" less. As in, the thicker the wick, the longer is that initial pause while it warms up before it starts producing its regular vape. Just like a solid 3mm SS wick takes a good few seconds to warm all the way through

Then try same wick style with 32 gauge.
I guess I should ask, what device are you powering this up with?

 

[Commie]

Then try same wick style with 32 gauge.
I guess I should ask, what device are you powering this up with?

Doh. I should have mentioned it from the start. Reo Grand -- mechanical 18650 IMR.

32 gauge does better, but in a moment of madness, as I ran out of 32ga wire, I ordered a 100' spool of 30ga

I should have a few things to try from this thread. Now just have to wait for the stupid work to be done so I can go home and tinker

 

[dwcraig1]

.8 ohms should give you the quicker response, any thing lower than that starts getting kind of scary battery wise
That's 16-17 watts area, it's about where I run my Gens.
I just bought a Smok Telescope last week for this super LR stuff

 

[dwcraig1]

This wick setup remaining so clean is just amazing to me, this is after about 6ml of fairly dark juice.
I haven't tried this in my Terminator as yet but I don't think it will run as clean but that's my plan.
I'd have more juice run through it normally but I just can't handle the extreme performance of this A-7.
Just look how clean that coil is, this is cotton yarn so no dry burn has been done.

 

[jazzbo]

It also helps to wick the juice that condensates on the walls of the tube back down to the coil....