Working with 24AWG KA1

[Kazuko]

Hi everyone,

I'm really new to making my own coils, I got my RDA two days ago, and so far tried 3 different builds.
I'm somewhat a cloud chaser (not for competition, really just for fun), so I've tried to builds that I expected to hugely differ, cloud-wise, but I think I'm doing it wrong, 'cause I've got quite the same results with all those builds...

I'm only using the 24AWG KA1 that came with the Coil Master kit for now, I don't want to rush into clapton, alien, or exotic wires for now, I'd like to experiment with simple stuff first.
Note sure it's worth mentioning, but I use an Eleaf iStick Melo, with a Dead Rabbit SQ RDA, and all I build is contact coils.

My first build was a simple 7 (half) wraps 3mm ID, reading at 0.67 on my mod, and I ran it at 32W. Vapor was decent and thick.

My second build was a parallel 7 (half) wraps 3mm ID, reading at 0.26 (I kinda rushed when I mounted it so the legs didn't stuck with the other wraps). I ran it at 42W 'cause I had lots of spit-backs at 50W, and I think I under-wicked it 'cause I got dry hits when chain vaping, but didn't when I let it rest between each puffs. The ramp-up was slow as f though, so letting the wicks get wet meant letting the coil get cold. I expected the vapor production to be insane, but it really wasn't, it was quite the same as the previous build.

Since I had similar vape and dry hits, I decided to go back to a simpler build, but with a lower resistance.
So, my third and last build is a simple 5 (half) wraps 2.5mm ID, reading at 0.38, and so far it's my favorite. I have more flavor than with the other builds (though I put this one a little closer to the deck, I think the other builds were too high up). The amount of cotton seems fine, when I drip it well I can get 5 good minutes of chain vaping without feeling the wick getting dry.
The amount of vapor seems at least on par with the other builds, as well.
I run it in bypass mode (for fun, I think I can evaluate my build's efficiency better my mimicking a mech mod), atm it pushes 43W.
According to steam engine, the heat flux at this wattage is purely insane (500mW/mm2), but I don't feel the vapor being insanely warm...

I think I'm doing something wrong, not sure if it's because my coils aren't perfectly shaped, or if it's the wicking, I don't know, but I can't feel or see significant differences in vapor production. The only real change between each build is the ramp-up time : this last build takes little to no time to vape, and it's really pleasant, I only purge the first puff I take when I go on a break, so obviously less condensation around the airflow holes (also cools down very quickly, so the mod doesn't get hot when chain-vaping, that was an issue with the parallel build)

 

[NatashaTMT]

This is definitely not my area of expertise! I’ve only been using an RDA for a few months and then mostly only for flavor testing. If it were me, I’d focus on getting down the basics first. Then, when I felt confident in my skills, I’d try to perfect my "cloud chasing" coils. I do know that coil position is of extreme importance for flavor and I’d imagine for clouds also. You want your coil(s) to be as closely centered as possible between the air holes. Someone posted a video on here a week or so ago where you can see what goes on inside your RDA while it’s being used. It’s actually pretty neat and might help you. I’ll see if I can’t find it.

 

[NatashaTMT]

Got it...
Twisted Messes airflow video

 

[Don29palms]

Ok let's make a list of what's going wrong in order
1) the DR sq is NOT a cloud RDA.
2) single coil is not for cloud chasing at all.
3) the mod you have is not for cloud chasing at all.
4) you don't have enough watts for cloud chasing.
Here's what you can do to get the the best with with what you have.
1) make a coil with 3 half wraps 3mm id spaced coil. A better coil would be a 3mm id 5 half wrap parallel coil if you can make one.
2) your cotton should fill the coil with a little bit of resistance. Don't twist the whole wick. Just twist the end to get it through the coil.
3) on that RDA the coil need to be pulled out as close to the airflow as possible without hitting the top cap.
4) the coil has to be low enough so you can see the top 1/3 of the coil through the airflow. Airflow should be hitting the coil at 2 o'clock.
5) run it at 60 watts and keep the coil saturated.
If you really want to get some clouds you need a dual coil RDA and more wattage but a dual coil RDA is more important. There are some good clones at www.fasttech.com. Apocalypse, Goon 1.5 or TM 24 PRO are just a few. With dual coils you can run 2 3mm id, 5 half wraps at 60 watts and get nice clouds with good flavor.

 

[Kazuko]

Thanks!

I thought 3 half wraps wouldn't be enough surface area, so I kinda focused on more wraps, but the parallel single coil didn't work so well, so I'll definitely try that!

I actually wanted a 22mm RDA (more than that will overhand on my mod), easy enough to build on, that's why I went for a single coil, and the DR SQ was available at the B&M near home.
I'm also trying to cut out expenses as much as possible (my gf freaked out when I bought the tools, battery, charger, and RDA, understandably 'cause we're not that wealthy at all). I know another RDA, especially a clone, won't be expensive, since I have all the tools and materials I need, but still, I'll wait a few months before buying one.
I also know my mod isn't fit for cloud chasing, as 60W is not a lot, but then again, mods are expensive. I'm not really confident enough to switch to a mech mod, so I'd go for a dual battery regulated mod, I've got my eyes on some of them, but even from FastTech, that's a budget I can't really afford atm...

I'm not sure I understand when you stay the airflow should be hitting the coil at 2 o'clock. Do you mean the sides of the top? Also, the SQ has angled airflow, so I'm not sure what the actual trajectory is. If I look straight through the airflow (not considering the angle), I see the middle/top of my coil, and if I look at the airflow's angle, I see the posts, below the coil. I'm trying to get the coil lower and lower, but I'm also always afraid that it's too low at that it'll eventually touch the posts and cause a short. I'll try and find more build & wicking videos specifically for this RDA (I've seen a lot of them but on other RDAs, trying to get the basics right)

 

[stols001]

The position of your coil should be a 2 o'clock I think is what is meant. Fair disclosure, I don't have this setup but reading through it seems as though you are perhaps looking for more "clouds" from this atomizer than you may realistically get. But, practice is helpful and there really isn't a "bad" rebuildable to start with. I think you are doing well in trying some different resistance coils, and at some point you may want to try an exotic coil for flavor (lots of times, starting exotics using premade coils can be an easy way to get things working better. Since exotic coils have more mass, they may require more wattage to heat up, but they also have more surface area for clouds//flavor. If you find yourself unsatisfied with your builds, you may also want to think about different wire gauges too, generally, they can also affect clouds/flavor production and etc.

Best of luck, it sounds like you are somewhat in the middle camp, and yes if you are targeting lower resistances, you may want to invest in a dual battery mod at some point. It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest, or tremendous at temperature control or anything but it will give you more wattage options and better battery life, etc.

Best of luck with your experiments.

Anna

 

[Don29palms]

Thanks!

I thought 3 half wraps wouldn't be enough surface area, so I kinda focused on more wraps, but the parallel single coil didn't work so well, so I'll definitely try that!

I actually wanted a 22mm RDA (more than that will overhand on my mod), easy enough to build on, that's why I went for a single coil, and the DR SQ was available at the B&M near home.
I'm also trying to cut out expenses as much as possible (my gf freaked out when I bought the tools, battery, charger, and RDA, understandably 'cause we're not that wealthy at all). I know another RDA, especially a clone, won't be expensive, since I have all the tools and materials I need, but still, I'll wait a few months before buying one.
I also know my mod isn't fit for cloud chasing, as 60W is not a lot, but then again, mods are expensive. I'm not really confident enough to switch to a mech mod, so I'd go for a dual battery regulated mod, I've got my eyes on some of them, but even from FastTech, that's a budget I can't really afford atm...

I'm not sure I understand when you stay the airflow should be hitting the coil at 2 o'clock. Do you mean the sides of the top? Also, the SQ has angled airflow, so I'm not sure what the actual trajectory is. If I look straight through the airflow (not considering the angle), I see the middle/top of my coil, and if I look at the airflow's angle, I see the posts, below the coil. I'm trying to get the coil lower and lower, but I'm also always afraid that it's too low at that it'll eventually touch the posts and cause a short. I'll try and find more build & wicking videos specifically for this RDA (I've seen a lot of them but on other RDAs, trying to get the basics right)

Yes you want the airflow to hit top side of the coil. The airflow on the DR SQ come in and down at an angle.

One of the mods I use quite a bit when I go out is the Eleaf iStick 100 that I got for $12.99. It's a 100 watt dual 18650 mod. I found it on You searched for Eleaf istick 100 - Cheap Vaping Deals. Look there. Closing it out for $9.99.

 

[Kazuko]

Here's what you can do to get the the best with with what you have.
1) make a coil with 3 half wraps 3mm id spaced coil. A better coil would be a 3mm id 5 half wrap parallel coil if you can make one.
[...]
5) run it at 60 watts and keep the coil saturated.

According to steam engine, this means the heat flux will be 1100mW/mm2... Isn't this too high?

Edit: Ok I've seen your edit, sorry for the hasty reply! I'll try the parallel 5 half wraps, the heat capacity isn't even that high :O thanks for that other suggestion! Would a contact coil be ok for that build ? I'm not really good at shaping my coils yet, even contacts, so I'm not sure I wanna try spaced yet...

 

[Kazuko]

Yes you want the airflow to hit top side of the coil. The airflow on the DR SQ come in and down at an angle.

One of the mods I use quite a bit when I go out is the Eleaf iStick 100 that I got for $12.99. It's a 100 watt dual 18650 mod. I found it on You searched for Eleaf istick 100 - Cheap Vaping Deals. Look there. Closing it out for $9.99.

This deal seems to be sold out, but I've seen a few other deals that are really interesting, thanks for the link!

 

[Kazuko]

So, I've built a parallel single coil, 5 wraps 3mm ID, mod reading 0.23, set quite high. Wicked kinda scottish, painted it nice and easy, and so far so good! Nice vapor, awesome flavor, and no dry-hits after 25 puffs or so (not chained). Thanks a lot @Don29palms !