Wicking troubles -Orchid v4 / RTA in general

[whosrandy]

Hey folks,

I'm no stranger to wicking RDA's. I've tried a ton of different methods and if you give me an RDA, I can build it to perfection. However, RDA's like the Orchid v4 still give me trouble.

I run dual coil .3-.4 builds, 2mm, centered. Raised off the airhole enough to prevent insulator meltage.

I've tried splitting the wick, tucking part behind the coil, and part above the juice channels. I've tried folding little bowties over the wicks, and then bowties that get stuffed underneath the coil/behind the airhole.

I've tried just about everything and no matter how I do it, 3-4 refills in, I start to get dry hit trouble. Any idea what could be causing it? It is indeed a fasttech clone but a very popular one that doesn't give many trouble.

I've read that you can tighten the chimney too much. I have 2 copies and both suffer the same ill fate. I have drilled out the airholes and increased the juice wells in one and will be testing it today after running it through a few cycles in the ultrasonic.

One thing I haven't tried, which worked well with the kayfun, was using very minimal wicking, just enough to touch the deck. I saw a picture today of such a method and my brain screamed LEAKKKKK but he claimed differently.

Any tips? Pictures are a HUGE help. If you can show me how you build your orchid, I'd love to see it! I chain vape at .3-.4 ohms and know it's possible with this RTA. HELPPPPP!

Thanks

 

[Jim Beam]

I can show you better than I can verbal tell yeah', what will help you is go to youtube
and watch their videos, that helped me when I first started.
Its easy to do, never have many issue unless I don't wick properly.
BTW never had any dry hits.

Jim

 

[duc916]

I've read that you can tighten the chimney too much

I disagree with that completely. I always said the idea of unscrewing the chimney as a form of juice flow control was ludicrous, because that has no effect whatsoever. If anything, it could induce a vacuum leak that'll have your Orchid vomiting if you lay it down. The flow is restricted by the diameter of the channels, nothing more. Drink a milkshake with a long straw, then cut it in half to make it a short straw. Would you expect any difference in resistance? No, you wouldn't. So yeah, ignore that line of thinking. That's a lazy hack with no scientific basis.

Are you vaping 100%VG? If so, you may just need to cut those juice channels even deeper. Never had trouble wicking 50/50 with an unmodified Orchid.

 

[TXBiker]

I heard the same thing about the chimney and had to laugh. I use max vg juice with one that hasn't been modded and it rocks. Never had a dry hit unless I ran it empty. It's all in the wicking with mine even my modded one.

 

[93gc40]

try thicker wire.. so that it vapes a bit cooler and/or over a greater surface area. Increase airflow. To assist in cooling the coil. Dry hit and burning are from excessive HEAT. The wick is not the only tool for cooling the coil.

 

[whosrandy]

try thicker wire.. so that it vapes a bit cooler and/or over a greater surface area. Increase airflow. To assist in cooling the coil. Dry hit and burning are from excessive HEAT. The wick is not the only tool for cooling the coil.

Thick wire vaping cooler? This is the opposite of everything I've experienced. Thicker wire, less resistance, more surface area and heat.

Is there a good spaced coil technique? I started vaping during the microcoil Era lol

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[whosrandy]

Thick wire vaping cooler? This is the opposite of everything I've experienced. Thicker wire, less resistance, more surface area and heat.

Is there a good spaced coil technique? I started vaping during the microcoil Era lol

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

And dry hits are from inefficient wicking, being unable to keep up with your preferred coil style. I'm not pushing it to the max by any means... .4, .5 builds

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Fauve]

I recently purchased the Fasttech Orchid v4, and initially had a ton of problems, mainly flooding but occasional dry hits, and after a couple of weeks I think I have finally found the right build. All of my problems were wick related, too much cotton in the wrong places, and I would still be having issues had I not read this post: My Orchid Build: FastTech Forums

Basically I had too much cotton on the deck, but I am getting a consistent nice vape now. My build is on the Orchid v4, dual 1 ohm on 28 gauge Kanthal A1 (0.5 ohm) Koh Gen Do, cut and placed as per the link above, on an unregulated mech mod, filled mainly with 50/50 juice. The Orchid is filling from the bottom with no leaks, really sweet RTA once once it starts working, I have another one on order

Hope this helps.

 

[Spidey2011]

use just enough to touch the deck, and create little "fluff balls" under the coil on each side, just above the juice channels. ive been using this method on my rta's for awhile now and have had very minimal leaking. Usually only when I break the seal to refill them.

 

[Phassat]

Thick wire vaping cooler? This is the opposite of everything I've experienced. Thicker wire, less resistance, more surface area and heat.

Is there a good spaced coil technique? I started vaping during the microcoil Era lol

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Use Kuro Coil, make a tight coil first then pull it gently until you have the perfect spaced coil

 

[Phassat]

Hey folks,

I'm no stranger to wicking RDA's. I've tried a ton of different methods and if you give me an RDA, I can build it to perfection. However, RDA's like the Orchid v4 still give me trouble.

I run dual coil .3-.4 builds, 2mm, centered. Raised off the airhole enough to prevent insulator meltage.

I've tried splitting the wick, tucking part behind the coil, and part above the juice channels. I've tried folding little bowties over the wicks, and then bowties that get stuffed underneath the coil/behind the airhole.

I've tried just about everything and no matter how I do it, 3-4 refills in, I start to get dry hit trouble. Any idea what could be causing it? It is indeed a FastTech clone but a very popular one that doesn't give many trouble.

I've read that you can tighten the chimney too much. I have 2 copies and both suffer the same ill fate. I have drilled out the airholes and increased the juice wells in one and will be testing it today after running it through a few cycles in the ultrasonic.

One thing I haven't tried, which worked well with the kayfun, was using very minimal wicking, just enough to touch the deck. I saw a picture today of such a method and my brain screamed LEAKKKKK but he claimed differently.

Any tips? Pictures are a HUGE help. If you can show me how you build your orchid, I'd love to see it! I chain vape at .3-.4 ohms and know it's possible with this RTA. HELPPPPP!

Thanks

For me the right way for Orchid v4 was to have the cotton to sit in the juice channel. I have no problem whatsoever with dry wick. Don't jam it too much though, just small number of the cotton to sit in the juice channel without blocking it fully.

I have left the Orchid because:
- it sucks up juice a lot
- leaks friendly... have it in sleep position for the whole night then you get a leak in the morning
- dual coil is bothersome and chew my vw quicker
- many better tanks now

 

[whosrandy]

Hey folks. I came up with a solution and decided to make a guide:

[Orchid, etc] Dry hits? Leaking issues? Me too! This is how I fixed them... | E-Cigarette Forum