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Looking to get into cloud chasing, mod/RDA suggestions?

briand

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Started vaping one day after I was off-roading with a friend, and another guy in his Jeep had a big box mod and the vape smelled like Snickerdoodle cookies. I was like holy hell that smells amazing, and he was talking to me about it (He offered to let me try it, but i'm a germaphobe and he wasn't the cleanest guy at the party lol) and I was interested. I had heard of vaping before, but only the "douchey" aspects of it, and my first few times seeing it in public really gave it a bad rep for me. (First being a guy in the checkout lane at Walmart wearing a pen style vape around his neck vaping it non-stop, blowing it right in peoples personal space, and then making sure EVERYONE around knew what he was doing and asking if they vape and why not)

Anyways, I went out and bought a pen style vape setup, some strawberry juice, it was okay, then I found some fudge, vanilla and sugar cookie juices and they tasted amazing. This thing barely put out any vape though. I soon upgraded to the Kangertech Subox Mini 50w kit. The difference was amazing, flavor was 10x stronger and the vape production was a million times better.

Id love to try an RDA setup, the cloud production looks amazing and I hear the flavor is unbeatable. Problem is, I don't know where to start! Well, I do, but I don't know whats good and whats bad. Theres a hundred thousand mods, styles, coils, etc.

Ill still use my Subox when i'm in the car or out and about, so I can leave the drip setup at home and not worry about spilling and whatnot.

I was at a local vape shop and the 3 employees were all telling me about different styles and types at the same time trying to sell me a few different $200+ kits, I didn't catch much. It was like a bad sales pitch lol. After reading some of the horror stories about mech and hybrid mods, id prefer to stay regulated though. Seems like regulated can hit the same power as a mech anyways, no?

Been reading on here for a couple of hours now, great forum, GREAT information and everyone seems to be friendly and helpful.

What mods, RDAs, batteries do you guys reccomend? I have about $100 to spend right now, I would like to keep the build around $100, if possible, otherwise ill just have to wait a bit longer. Thanks in advance for the help!
 

briand

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Nice, I plan on being out there someday, not specifically OC. This Michigan weather sucks. Been here 23 years, it just gets worse every year. Job pays too well to move right now lol
 

ej1024

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Nice, I plan on being out there someday, not specifically OC. This Michigan weather sucks. Been here 23 years, it just gets worse every year. Job pays too well to move right now lol
Nice man stay where you are bro hahaha
It's all about the money...


Vape On
 

ej1024

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Here's what I suggest you to buy...
Website VAPENW.com
Mod: cuboid 150
RDA: Sapor RDA by WOTOFO , doge 3
26g kanthal from eBay if you have an account...
Those are my personal choice, you don't have to do it, but consider it...
18650 batteries 20-25 amps you should be below $100 bucks...


Vape On
 

briand

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That mod isn't my favorite one looks wise, & im not crazy about the menu layout, seems funky to me, but thats just aesthetics. I do like the built in charging, though ill probably still end up getting a standalone charger.

That setup produces good clouds? Whats the difference having the airflow on the top vs on the bottom? Most of the RDAs ive looked at have it on the bottom. Seems like that would be more practical?
 

ej1024

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That mod isn't my favorite one looks wise, & im not crazy about the menu layout, seems funky to me, but thats just aesthetics. I do like the built in charging, though ill probably still end up getting a standalone charger.

That setup produces good clouds?
You wanna VAPE like JESUS? Lol
it's all about ur build bro,learn how to build, watch YT vids buy new batts, Ohm meter
Stand alone charger
20-25amp batts Samsung,lg Sony if u cand find em
Do you even know how to do DL HITS?
If not start with a CLEAROMIZERS/SUB OHM TANKS
crown,Arctic,herkales, and many more...



Vape On
 

ej1024

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That mod isn't my favorite one looks wise, & im not crazy about the menu layout, seems funky to me, but thats just aesthetics. I do like the built in charging, though ill probably still end up getting a standalone charger.

That setup produces good clouds? Whats the difference having the airflow on the top vs on the bottom? Most of the RDAs ive looked at have it on the bottom. Seems like that would be more practical?
Top airflow NO LEAKS
BUTTOMS AIRFLOW LEAKS..


Vape On
 

briand

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Thanks for the info man, can't wait to order a nice set up and get started. I'm gonna buy a few pre made coils to start with and see what I like then I'll start building my own.
Seems like the claptons are the most popular. I found a few pages on IG that make coils, Jesus there are some insane builds!
 

DED420

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These suggestions are based on [cost / power / ease of use], not on [style / size] (I have used all these products and can vouch for their quality/usability)

Mod: Reuleaux RX200 (TC for Ni/Ti/SS, with 3 User Adjustable TCR) plus 200W (one of the more powerful mods on the market), and with 3 LG HG2 batteries, you'll have 9000mah. The UI is very much like the iStick line-up, so it's very easy to use.

RDA: Sapor / Velocity / Twisted Messes , are all easy to build on, have great flavor and vapor production capabilities, easy to drip (chuff caps), and are affordable and readily available

(Online) You can get the Mod for like $40, any of the RDAs for like $25, 3 Batteries for like $15, and a 4-Bay charger for like $20, and I guess some building supplies, maybe another $20 (cotton, wire, etc.)

So, a little more than $100, but you'll be set for a real long time. I know full well everything in vaping is subjective and this may not be your style, but it's just a cover-all setup, so no matter what you like (TC builds, regular Kanthal builds, tanks, etc.) this mod can handle it all, and for a great price, so I always give that as an option.
 

briand

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From what I'm reading it seems as if most box mods are essentially the same, just with a different look/button set up. 150-200w seems to be the highest/most common. Is there any benefit to a 3 battery mod vs say the one you recommended? (Aside from time between having to charge?)

And back when I looked, it was only 20a batteries, are the higher amps preferred even on a regulated mod? I can see where they would help on a mechanical/hybrid.
 

briand

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These suggestions are based on [cost / power / ease of use], not on [style / size] (I have used all these products and can vouch for their quality/usability)

Mod: Reuleaux RX200 (TC for Ni/Ti/SS, with 3 User Adjustable TCR) plus 200W (one of the more powerful mods on the market), and with 3 LG HG2 batteries, you'll have 9000mah. The UI is very much like the iStick line-up, so it's very easy to use.

RDA: Sapor / Velocity / Twisted Messes , are all easy to build on, have great flavor and vapor production capabilities, easy to drip (chuff caps), and are affordable and readily available

(Online) You can get the Mod for like $40, any of the RDAs for like $25, 3 Batteries for like $15, and a 4-Bay charger for like $20, and I guess some building supplies, maybe another $20 (cotton, wire, etc.)

So, a little more than $100, but you'll be set for a real long time. I know full well everything in vaping is subjective and this may not be your style, but it's just a cover-all setup, so no matter what you like (TC builds, regular Kanthal builds, tanks, etc.) this mod can handle it all, and for a great price, so I always give that as an option.


Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out on my lunch break. I had just commented as you posted this reply, it seems like a good mod is roughly $40-$50, and then they go up over $100, but looks to do the exact same thing? That's where I get the most confused, I'm used to the "get what you pay for" motto.
 

briand

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That mod looks pretty good, I checked that one out yesterday or the day before actually. I see some sites list it as a build by "Jay Bo" and those ones are usually $50-$60 where as the ones that say "original" are $42~ but I don't see a difference...
 

DogMan

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From what I'm reading it seems as if most box mods are essentially the same, just with a different look/button set up. 150-200w seems to be the highest/most common. Is there any benefit to a 3 battery mod vs say the one you recommended? (Aside from time between having to charge?)

And back when I looked, it was only 20a batteries, are the higher amps preferred even on a regulated mod? I can see where they would help on a mechanical/hybrid.
200watts is 200watts pretty much (with a margin for error)

RDA for clouds you want:

Open airflow
Big coils. Yes claptons fit this.
High power.

Lg make 30amp batteries. But they are only 1500mah. Sony did prior to fukushima messing up their factory. Don't trust modern sony batteries

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk
 
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DED420

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Well, that used to be the case, but recently a lot of companies have stepped their game up and started producing high quality, feature packed, affordable mods, most notably Joyetech. So these past few months we've had a surplus of 150W-200W TC capable mods hitting the shelves, at prices all vapers can afford.

Having 3 batteries will obviously give you a longer running time, but will allow for more headway Amp-wise. Now alot of Regulated mods have Amp limited chips, so most mods are perfectly happy with 20A batts, but there are a few that would benefit from 30A cells.

The Reuleaux is Designed by Jaybo (he also designed the Noisy Cricket mod, the Indestructible RDA, and various other things) and is made by Wismec (a sister company to Joyetech/Eleaf if I'm not mistaken). There was a DNA200 version of the Reuleaux first, but then the RX200 came out shortly thereafter with it's own chip, and at $100 less then the DNA200 version.
 

briand

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I like that Reuleaux mod so I'll probably be ordering that. Any specific sites good for batteries? I have I think an LG he2 or something like that which my Subox came with two of and only takes one. They are 20 amp so it would be nice to buy two more matching ones to save a few bucks. Is that mod happy with 20a batteries? *Edit, just found a site that lists it as 25a or above. Ill go with some 30's, just looking for a reputable site to order from. Thanks again guys
 

DogMan

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I like that Reuleaux mod so I'll probably be ordering that. Any specific sites good for batteries? I have I think an LG he2 or something like that which my Subox came with two of and only takes one. They are 20 amp so it would be nice to buy two more matching ones to save a few bucks. Is that mod happy with 20a batteries? *Edit, just found a site that lists it as 25a or above. Ill go with some 30's, just looking for a reputable site to order from. Thanks again guys

illumn.com

buy new batteries. Series batteries need to stay married and cycled for safety
 

DED420

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I have the RX200 with 3x LG HG2 (20A/3000mah), and it works great. Takes my 0.1 ohm builds way past 100W, so yeah it should handle anything you're gonna throw on it.

A good site for batteries is Liionwholesale.com, quality batteries at affordable prices.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to recommend buying new batts. You should have 3 Brand New batteries, that you then marry together (use together/charge together) and have to be cycled through after each charge

slot 1 batt 1
slot 2 batt 2
slot 3 batt 3

charge

slot 1 batt 2
slot 2 batt 3
slot 3 batt 1

charge

slot 1 batt 3
slot 2 batt 1
slot 3 batt 2

and so on (a tad annoying, but keeps the battery discharge rates/cycles even)
 

briand

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I know what the difference is physically, but does flat top vs button top matter?

Are the LG HB6 reputable? 30a says tested and genuine on that wholesale site. Can't beat it for under $5/each
 
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DED420

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I don't have any button tops so I don't really know. I know that some mods don't take them so I would play it safe with the flat tops (all vape gear takes flat tops without issue).
I would also recommend against button tops, since I know that all the Major vaping batteries are not buttons, so who knows what the hell you'd actually be getting.
Plus I have a sneaking suspicion that button tops might rattle inside the mod since they won't rest firmly against the positive/negative terminals
 

pescadore

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Reuleaux RX200 TC would be a good choice for a mod if you don't mind the weight. Since you will be keeping the Subbox for on the go, that probably won't be an issue. I have the Reuleaux DNA 200 and it is a powerhouse and you get great battery life. It is the only mod that I can run all day on one set of batteries when I am chain vaping on weekends. I also carry a small mod for on the go and work (Evic VTC Mini). When I get home the Reuleaux comes out. I have several RDA's and the Velocity is probably my favorite. It has an easy build deck and will produce some great clouds. I won't try to comment on competition class clouds because I am not really in to that but I can fog up a room pretty quick with the Velocity. I run LG HG2's in my Reuleaux.
 

briand

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So far ordering as we speak:

Reuleaux Mod
LG HB6 (x3)
Nitecore I4 Charger
Pack of pre-made Claptons (and a few others to try and see what I like before I start until building my own)

Undecided on RDA yet
 

smacksy

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So far ordering as we speak:

Reuleaux Mod
LG HB6 (x3)
Nitecore I4 Charger
Pack of pre-made Claptons (and a few others to try and see what I like before I start until building my own)

Undecided on RDA yet
I would add the Griffin RTA to that list..
Easy to build and vapes just like a RDA, but with a tank..got two and love'um

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 

DED420

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Undecided on RDA yet

That's the hardest part really. Since alot of mods all offer the same functions now, it's easier to pick just based on personal style, but RDAs are all about function as opposed to style (a real pretty RDA could vape like shit, and vice versa) so it becomes significantly more challenging to hone in on one.

I would add the Griffin RTA to that list..
Easy to build and vapes just like a RDA, but with a tank..got two and love'um

The griffin RTA is amazing if you want a dripper like tank, and has a huge Velocity style deck to build on, SUPER EASY! (dripper coils, but without having to drip every 3-4 puffs), but if you want an actual RDA, anything designed by CompVape is great (13H9H, TwistedMesses, DoubleVision, El Cabron, etc.) or a Velocity are going to be the easiest to learn with, and still provide outstanding flavor and vapor (plus you can get really good 1:1 clones of all of them for cheap).
 

briand

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Thanks again for all the help, I really appreciate it. Bit the dust and ordered everything (almost everything)

Reuleaux RX200 Mod
Twisted Messes RDA
LG HB6 (x3) Batteries (1500mah, 30a)
Nitecore I4 Charger

Now, two more questions.

1. When going with drip builds, everyone says max VG, which im assuming means 100% VG? Most of mine are 60/40 (60% VG). Are there certain brands that are more, or something I should look for? Whats the problem with a lower VG juice in an RDA? Leaking?

2. Whats the deal with different coil metals? Kanthol, Nickel, Titanium, etc? Whats the difference?
 
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DED420

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Nice setup choices, although I would have gone with different batteries, you may end up having to charge those every night if you run higher wattage builds (4500mah, the iStick 50W had 4400mah, at 50W I had to charge her every night) but that's not that big a deal, they won't take long to charge anyways.

Whats the deal with different coil metals? Kanthol, Nickel, Titanium, etc? Whats the difference?

Well, Kanthal is used in just Power Mode, whereas Nickel and Titanium are used only in TC Mode. Since Nickel and Titanium change in resistance as they heat up in a calculable way, the mod can read the resistance change, calculate what temperature that equates to, and regulate the power to maintain the set temperature. Since Kanthals resistance doesn't really change as it heats up, the chips can't accurately calculate the difference, so it can't regulate the temp. The chips are now getting accurate enough that we can do SS (and now, apparently the hOhm Wrecker G2 can actually do Kanthal TC, wave of the future perhaps!?!?). Since juice flavors can change and evolve at different temps, TC allows you the ability to fine tune a flavor to your own taste preference.

1. When going with drip builds, everyone says max VG, which im assuming means 100% VG? Most of mine are 60/40 (60% VG). Are there certain brands that are more, or something I should look for? Whats the problem with a lower VG juice in an RDA? Leaking?

Max VG is somewhat deceptive, as any juice with a 85% or higher VG content can claim the moniker of Max VG, but any juice with a higher VG content is going to be thicker and more viscous, and therefore might not wick as well as lower VG juices, which is why wicking materials and techniques are important when building coils. There's been somewhat of a consensus that in general:
Higher PG (thinner liquid) = More Flavor / Throat Hit
Higher VG (thicker liquid) = More Vapor Production / Denser Clouds
(Although IMO, the way I vape, I see no flavor/vapor boost/loss in either, only throat hit and wicking ability)

Higher PG liquids tend to be used in tanks, for their easier wicking ability, especially in MTL style tanks.
Higher VG liquids tend to be used in RDAs for bigger, denser clouds, and won't leak quite as easily as PG because of the viscous surface tension of the liquid, but that's also what makes it wick alot slower too, which is why it can't really be used in MTL tanks, only sub-ohm tanks.

Hopefully that all makes sense :D
 

Flightmedic76

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I'm using that exact setup right now, and it performs flawlessly! I also agree on changing batteries. You can't go wrong with something like Samsung 25r's, or LG HG2's. I have both and they work well. The LG's have a tiny more juice (3000mah vs 2500).

There aren't a ton of max VG juices on the market, most run between 70-80%. I mix mine at 80 and am more than content. A lower VG also performs a little better during the winter months. VG is very thick and gets thicker when cold. High PG juices are much thinner which can be a pain in the summer, and aren't normally ideal for dripping. With proper wicking something in that 70-80% range will suit you well. I always keep the juice in a unicorn bottle and in my pocket. A big mistake some make is leaving the juice, tanks, etc in their car. It's not good for juices or batteries when the temperatures are too warm, or too cold. I know my car is rarely if ever sitting anywhere near room temperature inside when it is parked.

Good luck and enjoy your new hobby!!
 

briand

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Nice setup choices, although I would have gone with different batteries, you may end up having to charge those every night if you run higher wattage builds (4500mah, the iStick 50W had 4400mah, at 50W I had to charge her every night) but that's not that big a deal, they won't take long to charge anyways.



Well, Kanthal is used in just Power Mode, whereas Nickel and Titanium are used only in TC Mode. Since Nickel and Titanium change in resistance as they heat up in a calculable way, the mod can read the resistance change, calculate what temperature that equates to, and regulate the power to maintain the set temperature. Since Kanthals resistance doesn't really change as it heats up, the chips can't accurately calculate the difference, so it can't regulate the temp. The chips are now getting accurate enough that we can do SS (and now, apparently the hOhm Wrecker G2 can actually do Kanthal TC, wave of the future perhaps!?!?). Since juice flavors can change and evolve at different temps, TC allows you the ability to fine tune a flavor to your own taste preference.



Max VG is somewhat deceptive, as any juice with a 85% or higher VG content can claim the moniker of Max VG, but any juice with a higher VG content is going to be thicker and more viscous, and therefore might not wick as well as lower VG juices, which is why wicking materials and techniques are important when building coils. There's been somewhat of a consensus that in general:
Higher PG (thinner liquid) = More Flavor / Throat Hit
Higher VG (thicker liquid) = More Vapor Production / Denser Clouds
(Although IMO, the way I vape, I see no flavor/vapor boost/loss in either, only throat hit and wicking ability)

Higher PG liquids tend to be used in tanks, for their easier wicking ability, especially in MTL style tanks.
Higher VG liquids tend to be used in RDAs for bigger, denser clouds, and won't leak quite as easily as PG because of the viscous surface tension of the liquid, but that's also what makes it wick alot slower too, which is why it can't really be used in MTL tanks, only sub-ohm tanks.

Hopefully that all makes sense :D

All makes sense to me! And good point on the flavor/temp comparison. I noticed that with my Kanger, the more I vape on it, the flavor changes which isn't necessarily bad, but I've only ran a handful of juices through it. Im gonna have to check out some of the TC coils so I can see this things full potential. It also answered another question that I didnt want to ask, why some mods have "Resistance lock" or whatever its called. In my head im like uh, I dont think resistance changes? lol I was wrong! But then again I was only familiar with the Kanthal wire.

The mod and battery charger came yesterday in the mail! Free regular shipping, couldnt believe that, less than two days from ordering from Cali to MI. Now I have this beautiful mod here to look at and hold, but cant do anything with it! LOL

Batteries, and coils say Tuesday, but the RDA hasnt updated yet just says arrived at carrier facility or whatever, those seem to take forever when it stays on that :(

As for the battery charging, I think ill be fine with mine, i'm only home from like 3-4pm and in bed by 10 anyways, but worst case, I can just order some new batteries.

I was on the website for this mod and it said you can charge with the USB port, pro's/con's to doing that instead of the standalone charger? I plugged it into my laptop so I could get the latest firmware on it.
 

briand

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I'm using that exact setup right now, and it performs flawlessly! I also agree on changing batteries. You can't go wrong with something like Samsung 25r's, or LG HG2's. I have both and they work well. The LG's have a tiny more juice (3000mah vs 2500).

There aren't a ton of max VG juices on the market, most run between 70-80%. I mix mine at 80 and am more than content. A lower VG also performs a little better during the winter months. VG is very thick and gets thicker when cold. High PG juices are much thinner which can be a pain in the summer, and aren't normally ideal for dripping. With proper wicking something in that 70-80% range will suit you well. I always keep the juice in a unicorn bottle and in my pocket. A big mistake some make is leaving the juice, tanks, etc in their car. It's not good for juices or batteries when the temperatures are too warm, or too cold. I know my car is rarely if ever sitting anywhere near room temperature inside when it is parked.

Good luck and enjoy your new hobby!!

Thanks man! Good point about the juices getting thicker/thinner depending on the temp. I had my Kanger full of "Apple Jax" yesterday in my car on lunch break at work (about 5 degrees outside) and it tasted like banana nut bread instead of Apple Jacks cereal when cold lol
 

briand

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The crooked screen in this mod will drive me nuts. I will be popping the panel off and straightening that out. From the stuff im reading, and the video I watched, seems like theres no quality control wherever they are produced. The video I watched, the guy had to "bend" his device because it was almost smashed down where the battery door wouldnt even come off.

 

briand

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This is just the battery voltage display when the mod is off (Its just plugged into my Macbook, no batteries)
3257CCAB-3A0D-4A04-8766-D99EE2734679_zpsrxvoovac.jpg


You can see how crooked it is, but its even worse on the main display with the TC/Wattage mode.
 

DED420

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That's unfortunate, mine is perfectly level, guess I got lucky

Theres been a bunch of different mods that have had issues with charging through the USB, sometimes the overcharge protection didn't kick in and the batteries blew, other times it won't balance battery levels properly, so it's just a general rule of thumb to charge with external chargers whenever possible.

The advantage to stand alone chargers is the quality of the circuitry, designed for a specific purpose, and with built in dedundencies. Mods are relying on the chip to properly manage power, where chargers have chips and physical capacitors and whatnot working together. This also means they are capable of delivering faster recharge times than most mods USB would allow (0.5A for most mods, 0.5A,1.0A,2.0A for most chargers)
 

briand

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Makes sense, I figured it would be alright if it was a single, or maybe double battery mod, but I wouldn't try it with three.

Also saw some videos of the hidden battery voltage feature where it was reading all three batteries wrong. He had the RX200, DNA200 and a DMM to read the 3 batteries. He put them in the same order in both mods, the DNA and DMM were almost exactly the same whereas he put them in the RX and it was way off on all 3.
 

DED420

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This is where it get's a little convoluted. Some people are having issues, and others aren't. Mine hasn't given me any of these issues (not yet at least *knock on wood*) and no one else with one that I know has these issues either, but I know there's a bunch of cases of it, so it could come down to QC issues with some batches.

Another thing I've noticed is that some RX200 don't have the dimple in the left adjustment button, even though the Wismec site shows it does have it, like the DNA200 has, yet I have seen a bunch of them with and without the dimpled button (Instagram, Youtube, IRL, Websites), so maybe they changed something in the design recently that has corrected some small design flaws (crooked screen, loose battery panel, battery management, etc).

I'll note that my RX200 does not have the dimpled button, has a level screen, balances batteries properly, and has a very secure and flush battery panel. I'll also note that I upgraded the Firmware immediately after opening the box (hadn't used the mod once yet) so maybe they fixed the Battery Management issues with the update, just like it improved the menu UI (much more user friendly now).
 

briand

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Yeah I upgraded mine as well right out of the box. I believe it was on 1.08 or something, now it's 3.00. No batteries yet so I still can't use it :(
 

DED420

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Well that's good, it performs alot better after the update. They improved TC functionality, and the UI is sooo much better (used to be 4 clicks to enter the menu, and then it was terrible to read and navigate, now it's like using an iStick, so much more fluent). It's nice to know that the screen level is an easy fix, just take off the front panel and straighten it (and while you're in there, you could put a piece of transparent colored overlay over the screen to change it's color, gonna make mine green when I get some overlay). And I'm pretty sure the update helps with the battery leveling issues, so hopefully all will be well once your batteries come in ;)
 

briand

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Crossing my fingers that everything will be here tomorrow! RDA, and batteries say tomorrow, and are in town at the post office but the coils say expected delivery date tomorrow BUT still say departed usps facility in California. :(

Worst case I'll go buy some from the vape shop I guess lol. I need new juice anyways I only have Alien Piss left.
 

Flightmedic76

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Grab yourself a roll of Kanthal while you are there. It's very cheap and easy to wrap your own. The twisted messes can hold some large coils. You could just run some plain 22-24g, pre-wrapped Clapton, or even twist some wire. Their are a ton of other options as well. The peeps at the shop should be more than willing to help you do a build if you are intimidated. If nothing else it's a good tutorial on how to wrap, mount, and wick them properly if it's the first time you are trying it. Happy vaping!
 

briand

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Everything is here, I added one more wrap to these premade claptons and it fits much better now. Gonna order some kanthal and juices this payday.

I've been staring at these batteries charging for like 2.5 hours now lol one is at 2/3 lights on the gauge the other two are still only 1/3 lights on. This is TORTURE! Pure torture lol
 

briand

Member For 3 Years
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Super unhappy so far...

Everything was fine at a lower wattage, I used my Alien Piss juice which I believe is a 60/40 mix. Let it wick for a minute or so, really saturated it all. After a few small hits I was getting a metal taste. (At around 75w) Added more juice (mind you, were talking like 10+ drops when I read online most people use like 4-7?) and that helped.

Turned the wattage up to like 130ish, and its like all air and vape but no flavor. Air holes wide open, but exhaling gave me some flavor. Turned up the wattage again and then all I get it burning hot spitback, like heavy spitback. What could I be doing wrong? The juice leaked out and got into the 510 connection so it said SHORT for a while until I took it all off and cleaned it and let it sit.
 

DED420

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I've been staring at these batteries charging for like 2.5 hours now lol one is at 2/3 lights on the gauge the other two are still only 1/3 lights on. This is TORTURE! Pure torture lol

That is because the Nitecore chargers charge at 0.5A, where other charger are capable of up to 2A charging (like the LUC series of chargers). It's gonna take awhile with a Nitecore, but it's safer to charge at 0.5A than 2A.

Super unhappy so far...

Everything was fine at a lower wattage, I used my Alien Piss juice which I believe is a 60/40 mix. Let it wick for a minute or so, really saturated it all. After a few small hits I was getting a metal taste. (At around 75w) Added more juice (mind you, were talking like 10+ drops when I read online most people use like 4-7?) and that helped.

Turned the wattage up to like 130ish, and its like all air and vape but no flavor. Air holes wide open, but exhaling gave me some flavor. Turned up the wattage again and then all I get it burning hot spitback, like heavy spitback. What could I be doing wrong? The juice leaked out and got into the 510 connection so it said SHORT for a while until I took it all off and cleaned it and let it sit.

This could be down to how it's wicked. If it's wicked too much, it'll take alot of juice to saturate it, and will lack flavor. Also I have yet to have a build that I run at more than 120W, and having too much juice on your coils at that high a wattage will give you some serious spitback. Also, you could try adjusting the coils to face vertically, which will eliminate spitback going up the chuff, instead it'll come out the AFC. If you found it better at lower wattages, keep it at lower wattages, there's no reason to have it up that high.
And just a little comparison, I drip about 6-7 drops per coil in most of my builds, and will get about 4-5 good pulls before re-dripping at about 50-80W, and about 10 drops per coil for my crazier build that I run at 80W+, so power and wicking technique will affect juice consumption and wicking ability. Also for super high power builds the ID of the coils needs to be larger, or else you can't feed enough cotton and end up burning it.
 

briand

Member For 3 Years
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So I scrapped the build I had in there, I think my coil placement was the biggest problem. I cut the leads too short to where the coils were almost touching the posts and I kept dry firing them then would adjust them. Now I used two new ones and left the leads longer for more wiggle room, now the coils are pretty much straight across from eachother in the middle vs offset and stretched. I also had a shit ton of cotton stuffed in them and "forced" down under it so it was really packed which I also know was wrong. I used about half the cotton, and lightly packed the excess down under the coil and its MUCH better. I almost think I didnt use enough though.

Big big big difference, around 100w, not much (if any) spitback, vapor production is great, so is the flavor, BUT im only getting like 1 or 2 good hits (not even deep inhales) off it before im either getting burnt cotton or dry hits. Im putting a ton of juice on the coils and wicking though. Is this build just good for a few small hits before needing more juice?

It also seems like these coils take too long to heat up. I may be wrong, but its like a good 1-2 seconds before im really getting good production out of them. 1-2 seconds is alot of air to inhale before you're actually getting good vapor it seems like.

So far though im very happy now with my (we'll call trial #2) build. I think I was just expecting to be a pro right out of the box and have the setup I see the pro's doing in videos. Couldn't have figured this all out without all your help, so thanks everyone!
 

DED420

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Yeah, the hardest thing is getting wicking right, it can make or break a build. I've cut the leads too short too, so it happens, I've since learned better.
With Claptons, there's alot of metal to heat up, so it will have a noticeable ramp-up, not much can be done about that. What I find myself doing is firing it for a second before taking a hit, and by the time the mod is to my lips, the build is warmed up perfectly. Juice saturation/viscosity will also alter vape performance. A thinner liquid (higher PG) will wick more efficiently than a higher VG liquid will, allowing for more hits between drips. Also the amount of cotton will affect the vape as well. Most of my coils have a 2.5-3mm ID minimum, so it allows more cotton to be fed through the coils, in turn allowing more juice to be held. If your prebuilt coils are like most I've seen, they probably have a 2mm ID, so it won't hold as much cotton. Trial and error will fix these problems as you become more experienced at building, it took me probably about a good month before I could finally wick my builds properly the first time, every time.

Here's an example of one of my latest experiments. Takes about 2 seconds to really get going, but then hits so nice and smooth, get about a good 4 pulls before re-dripping (Velocity RDA, 3 strands 24ga, claptoned with 34ga, 4x4 bridged build, at about .31ohm at 100W). The first pic is without any ramp up, took the pic right as I fired the build. As you can see, these are fairly beefy coils, so it will hold more wick. When wicking, the cotton should have a little bit of resistance inside the coil, but not too much, and then cut the tails to about the length of the bottom of your RDA, then tuck them in under the coils, but leave a little space so airflow can hit the entire coil. Like I said, it'll be trial and error at first, but you'll get it soon enough.

IMG_20160216_194451.jpg
 
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briand

Member For 3 Years
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Wow thats a mean looking coil! I never even thought about the Clapton taking longer to ramp up, since its multiple wires. Im getting ready to head out to my vape shop to get a new juice or two, some cotton and if its fairly priced, some wire. I want to experiment with some basic coils to try. And yeah, these are I think 2mm coils so I really had to pinch the cotton tight to get it in there. I definitely am tucking too much in, if I should be cutting it to match the side of the drip well. Mines probably at least 1cm or more over on each side, whoops! Lol

If that ramp up is normal though, that eases my mind. Im just used to seeing some of the videos where they fire it and within a second its glowing completely. But those are usually unregulated/mech mods which im sure makes a huge difference, and probably getting alot more than 100ish watts. That seems to be my sweet spot right now, 100 hits perfectly.
 

DED420

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Wow thats a mean looking coil! I never even thought about the Clapton taking longer to ramp up, since its multiple wires. Im getting ready to head out to my vape shop to get a new juice or two, some cotton and if its fairly priced, some wire. I want to experiment with some basic coils to try. And yeah, these are I think 2mm coils so I really had to pinch the cotton tight to get it in there. I definitely am tucking too much in, if I should be cutting it to match the side of the drip well. Mines probably at least 1cm or more over on each side, whoops! Lol
If that ramp up is normal though, that eases my mind. Im just used to seeing some of the videos where they fire it and within a second its glowing completely. But those are usually unregulated/mech mods which im sure makes a huge difference, and probably getting alot more than 100ish watts. That seems to be my sweet spot right now, 100 hits perfectly.

Thanks, It took a few tries properly get the coils to fit right, but it was worth it :p
There's alot of factors that come into play with ramp times. Amps, Watts, Wire Mass are the main things to take into consideration. The more metal there is, the longer it'll take to heat up. With a mech mod, the build has to be tailored to the battery. Experienced builders know this, and build coils to be as efficient as possible, with their particular batteries, which is also why higher Amp batteries are a mech users best friend, it allows for higher draw builds, without sacrificing performance. Another little trick that's used is Nichrome, which has a lower resistance than Kanthal, which allows for faster ramp times with more wire mass, which will produce quicker and denser vapor (More Mass = More Heating Surface = More Vapor).
It'll all start coming together the more you practice and experiment. And who knows, maybe you'll find you prefer just standard micros/macros or parallel coils over Claptons, only you can decide that. Just keep at it and you'll be building awesome coils in no time. :D
 

briand

Member For 3 Years
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I stopped in my local shop yesterday to grab some juice, and cotton and ended up walking out with an Aspire Cleito as well.

I love the Cleito on my mod, it feels so good and vapes so good. They have all the juices out as well so you can try them and fill your tank/dripper if you want, I had them fill it with (I'm not sure the brand) but it's Skittles. Heaven. Lol, I bought a Fog Dog one as well that's Fruit Loops.

I made a big mistake trying them in my RDA, I was dripping a few drops of the juices I tried and then only hitting it once or twice then trying a new juice. After the skittles, fruit loops, sweet tarts and a cinnamon apple juice it was like death flavored lol.

Anyways, I picked up the Cleito just to have a tank (atomizer?) as well as the RDA so I can still use my RX200. The Cleito is only 60w max, but it hits like a dream. Bought some cotton as well which came with two premade coils, we'll see how that goes. I paid $8 damn dollars for the pack of cotton which I know is probably not even half that online so I definitely didn't buy any wire, but I'll order some.
 

DED420

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I stopped in my local shop yesterday to grab some juice, and cotton and ended up walking out with an Aspire Cleito as well.
I love the Cleito on my mod, it feels so good and vapes so good. They have all the juices out as well so you can try them and fill your tank/dripper if you want, I had them fill it with (I'm not sure the brand) but it's Skittles. Heaven. Lol, I bought a Fog Dog one as well that's Fruit Loops.
I made a big mistake trying them in my RDA, I was dripping a few drops of the juices I tried and then only hitting it once or twice then trying a new juice. After the skittles, fruit loops, sweet tarts and a cinnamon apple juice it was like death flavored lol.
Anyways, I picked up the Cleito just to have a tank (atomizer?) as well as the RDA so I can still use my RX200. The Cleito is only 60w max, but it hits like a dream. Bought some cotton as well which came with two premade coils, we'll see how that goes. I paid $8 damn dollars for the pack of cotton which I know is probably not even half that online so I definitely didn't buy any wire, but I'll order some.

Yeah, I'm lucky here in T.O. all our vape shops have tester tanks, and most have bottles so you can try it on your dripper too. I wouldn't buy a juice I couldn't try first.
Some flavors linger in cotton more than others do (cinnamon, menthols, chocolates, coffees, etc.), and some flavors just don't mix, so sometimes you'll need to re-wick after testing a few, it happens to us all. It's best to try and vape it dry before re-dripping if you can, but sometimes that's easier said than done lol. The good thing is most places will have build stations/supplies so you can re-wick right in the store and keep going :)
Alot of online places will sell Muji or Koh-Gen-Do cotton (Organic Japanese Cotton), usually about 200 sheets for $10-$15 bucks or so, and one sheet can wick like 3-4 RDAs. I've only bought 3 Bags in the past 2 years, so it last for a long time.
I've tried a bunch of Fruit Loops flavors, most are pretty good, brings back my childhood, these are a few I've tried
-Looper (ANML)
-Rainbow Road (Vapetasia)
-Fruit Loops (Sauz)
-Froops (Breakfast Club by Ruthless)
-Fruity Hoops (Mt. Baker)
Just picked up "Max Powell (Frisco Vapors)" last week, 60ml of Max VG (probably 10/90 PG/VG), gone through about half already :p, it's pretty damn tasty!
Good choice on the Cleito, haven't really heard of any complaints with it yet, should treat you well :D
 

briand

Member For 3 Years
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Yeah, no complaints with this Cleito, I've been using this thing like there's no tomorrow. Such good flavor and great vapor production as well for only running it around 50w.

Perks of only running it at 50-60w is going days without charging. Been two days now and I'm still at probably 60% battery. Problem is I'm going through juice like a mofo! I'm gonna have to start ordering in bulk online when I find ones I like lol
 

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