Thoughts on the Noisy Cricket

[Zamazam]

That's the thing - that hybrid cap can get you in trouble with the wrong atty or tank.

In a heart Beat.

 

[Zamazam]

Yup, that's why I got the HBs, Still use the VTCs in the high 20's but I get nervous when I hit the 30amp level. Dang information, makes for paranoia!

 

[AlbyKortoona]

Thanks for the review. I'll pm you my address so you can send me your old ones

I took some emery cloth to the sharp edges and smoothed them up. On the black one it made a silver line around the bottom but for me function comes before beauty. Put just a hint of powdered graphite on the threads and that smoothed up the catching and gritty issue a bit.

 

[dre]

So, my new red and blue noisy crickets have arrived. This is the best-made run yet. They haven't really changed the design at all... ...they just refined it a tad

The machining is better all around. The bodies have a bit of a smoother cut on the top and bottom edges. The edges are still sharp, but not as rough, if that makes sense. You can feel the right angle, but it doesn't feel like they're digging into my skin. The bottom plate seems to have a slightly closer fit. It appears to be the same size and the body thickness is the same. It's just more snug. The screws that hold it in are snug and flush. One thing I noticed about the beveling on the first two's bottom pieces is that they were just slightly uneven.

The threads are so much smoother and go deeper into the battery compartment. On the first two runs that the did of the NC, the threading wasn't great, right out of the case. It was cheap, clone-quality stuff. Kind of shoddy, really. There was catching and very visible inconsistencies. They were gritty.

I remember running my thumb parallel to the threads on the first two and feeling little dips. They also felt really sharp. None of that with these. The new male threads still have some minor inconsistencies, but I had to really look for them. They feel buttery-smooth when you actually screw them in. They also don't "snag" like the original run did. When I go to unscrew the atty, the topper still stays with it (which is good,) but it doesn't lock into the body... ...it gives right away. The tolerances are definitely tighter.

They've also slightly modified the button. The plastic top part has a thicker, knurled edge/ It really works, too. Doesn't solve the coin-slot stripping problem of course, but makes it less likely that you will need a coin to unscrew the button. The insulator material has changed. I think the top indentation might be a bit deeper too. Hard to tell because the indentation on my old one is beat-up. I'm not sure if the material itself has changed, but it has a textured feel to it. The inner contours of the button housing are the same, but the grooves on the inner lip of the button are about twice as deep and wide. The lip itself is just a teeny bit longer, too.

It's always lined up this way. The bigger gap gives it little wiggle, which seems to help keep it from sticking. The extra lateral freedom keeps it from catching on the housing like the older, more snug one tends to do.

The anodizing is gorgeous, too. The bottom plates are anodized in black. It's pretty sweet. The brushed finish is only on the flat sides... ...the rounded-off parts have a polished texture and not nearly as much streaking, which gives it a nicer look, imo. I just hope it holds up. I love it. I wish more mech mods had anodized electroplating like this. It just looks and feels so much better than paint and polymer.

All of these little changes don't sound like much, but they make a big difference when it comes to the quality of the mod. It looks, works, and feels like a significantly higher-quality mod than the initial runs. This is about the build quality I wanted from my first two. I don't think I can use my old ones anymore.

Pics when I feel like it.

Feel like it yet

Sent from my Droid Turbo 2 using Tapatalk

 

[greasegizzard]

Thanks for the review. I'll pm you my address so you can send me your old ones

I took some emery cloth to the sharp edges and smoothed them up. On the black one it made a silver line around the bottom but for me function comes before beauty. Put just a hint of powdered graphite on the threads and that smoothed up the catching and gritty issue a bit.

I bet a Sharpie would solve those silver lines.

Sent from the future with my Flux Capacitor enabled Note 5

 

[AlbyKortoona]

I'll pretty it up with some gun black at some point. Like when/if it ever warms up enough to go out to the garage...

 

[dre]

been loving this set up as a daily vape.. 1.85 ohm 27g single coil so power is around 32-35w. Battery life is amazing

Sent from my Droid Turbo 2 using Tapatalk

 

[chris.ardito.3]

I did dual coil 12 wrap 24ga kanthal. (Freakshow) Came to .66 is this for the NC?



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[robot zombie]

I did dual coil 12 wrap 24ga kanthal. (Freakshow) Came to .66 is this for the NC?

Oh sure. I personally would be lower with 24... ...somewhere between .4 and .55. Get much bigger and ramp/heat retention becomes a problem.

 

[chris.ardito.3]

Oh sure. I personally would be lower with 24... ...somewhere between .4 and .55. Get much bigger and ramp/heat retention becomes a problem.

How many wraps should I do?

 

[robot zombie]

How many wraps should I do?

Maybe 9-10 on a 1/8" or 3.5mm (or 9/64.) No smaller that an eighth of an inch on the ID or it just won't wick right. 10-11 on the 1/8" or 9 on the 3.5mm. That should put you in the range of .45-.5.

Just be forewarned, that's gonna be a really hot, forceful vape in a freakshow. I would usually drop something like that in my Mutation X v3.

I would probably just give that .66 a go first and see how it works out for ya. Find some balance between that and my recommendation for your Freakshow.

 

[JERUS]

I did dual coil 12 wrap 24ga kanthal. (Freakshow) Came to .66 is this for the NC?



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That'll work fine, 8.4v/.66Ω=12.72amps, so it's safe, realistically counting battery sag 7.4v/.66Ω=5.6amps * 7.4v = ~41w.

Like Robot Zombie said you could easily up the wattage by taking a few wraps out and it'd handle just fine and potentially better. Could just pull a wrap off either side if you want more power. Not sure all the dimensions of your coil but Steam-engine.org is nice, but you should be able to take 2 wraps off to get into the range he suggested.

 

[chris.ardito.3]

Thanks guys for the help.


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[chris.ardito.3]

Thanks guys for the help.


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I use a 3mm screwdriver.

 

[chris.ardito.3]

Maybe 9-10 on a 1/8" or 3.5mm (or 9/64.) No smaller that an eighth of an inch on the ID or it just won't wick right. 10-11 on the 1/8" or 9 on the 3.5mm. That should put you in the range of .45-.5.

Just be forewarned, that's gonna be a really hot, forceful vape in a freakshow. I would usually drop something like that in my Mutation X v3.

I would probably just give that .66 a go first and see how it works out for ya. Find some balance between that and my recommendation for your Freakshow.

I also have a mutation xs mini and Royal hunter mini.

I try it tomorrow on the freakshow

 

[robot zombie]

I use a 3mm screwdriver.

It can work, but you're gonna have to be real precise with the cotton. Two problems can occur:

One, at the appropriate resistance, the coil is too wide (laterally.) The juice doesn't carry to the center quick enough, so it becomes a major hot spot.

Two, the heating properties at that diameter make even a shorter, lower resistance coil get all-around too hot too quickly for vaping long before wicking becomes a factor.

You run the risk of dry hits, either way. Thick, wide, high surface area standard coils just don't work out so well ime. If that's the coil you find yourself building to try and make things work out, then you may as well try another gauge. One thing I have tried that can help is the scottish roll wicking method. May be worth a shot if 3mm is the fattest you can go.

Bare 24g can be tricky to make play nice with 7 odd volts. Now, 38 or 40 gauge claptoned on it changes everything... ...that'll give you some mean-ass coils that the wicking can really keep up with.

I personally don't care much for 24g, though. It's my favorite tube mod guage, but for series, I'll sooner go up to 23 on a 9/64" or down to 25 on a 1/8".

Just another thing worth mentioning... ...the odd gauges tend to be easier to balance out on series mods. Not sure why, they just work. I know it sounds strange, but I'd highly recommend getting some if you can.

You might be better going with a .65-.8 dual 26g at that diameter... ...something between 10 and 12 wraps. You can even choke the diameter down to 2.5mm and make it hotter/easier to squish and it'll still perform. One of the first series builds that I found I really liked was a 13 wrap, dual 26 @ 2.5mm. The flavor and vapor are still killer with 26g. The heat, ramp-up and wicking are just a bit easier to balance-out. Plays nicer with a wider range of RDA's, too.

 

[chris.ardito.3]

It can work, but you're gonna have to be real precise with the cotton. Two problems can occur:

One, at the appropriate resistance, the coil is too wide (laterally.) The juice doesn't carry to the center quick enough, so it becomes a major hot spot.

Two, the heating properties at that diameter make even a shorter, lower resistance coil get all-around too hot too quickly for vaping long before wicking becomes a factor.

You run the risk of dry hits, either way. Thick, wide, high surface area standard coils just don't work out so well ime. If that's the coil you find yourself building to try and make things work out, then you may as well try another gauge. One thing I have tried that can help is the scottish roll wicking method. May be worth a shot if 3mm is the fattest you can go.

Bare 24g can be tricky to make play nice with 7 odd volts. Now, 38 or 40 gauge claptoned on it changes everything... ...that'll give you some mean-ass coils that the wicking can really keep up with.

I personally don't care much for 24g, though. It's my favorite tube mod guage, but for series, I'll sooner go up to 23 on a 9/64" or down to 25 on a 1/8".

Just another thing worth mentioning... ...the odd gauges tend to be easier to balance out on series mods. Not sure why, they just work. I know it sounds strange, but I'd highly recommend getting some if you can.

You might be better going with a .65-.8 dual 26g at that diameter... ...something between 10 and 12 wraps. You can even choke the diameter down to 2.5mm and make it hotter/easier to squish and it'll still perform. One of the first series builds that I found I really liked was a 13 wrap, dual 26 @ 2.5mm. The flavor and vapor are still killer with 26g. The heat, ramp-up and wicking are just a bit easier to balance-out. Plays nicer with a wider range of RDA's, too.

Thanks for your help.

 

[chris.ardito.3]

It can work, but you're gonna have to be real precise with the cotton. Two problems can occur:

One, at the appropriate resistance, the coil is too wide (laterally.) The juice doesn't carry to the center quick enough, so it becomes a major hot spot.

Two, the heating properties at that diameter make even a shorter, lower resistance coil get all-around too hot too quickly for vaping long before wicking becomes a factor.

You run the risk of dry hits, either way. Thick, wide, high surface area standard coils just don't work out so well ime. If that's the coil you find yourself building to try and make things work out, then you may as well try another gauge. One thing I have tried that can help is the scottish roll wicking method. May be worth a shot if 3mm is the fattest you can go.

Bare 24g can be tricky to make play nice with 7 odd volts. Now, 38 or 40 gauge claptoned on it changes everything... ...that'll give you some mean-ass coils that the wicking can really keep up with.

I personally don't care much for 24g, though. It's my favorite tube mod guage, but for series, I'll sooner go up to 23 on a 9/64" or down to 25 on a 1/8".

Just another thing worth mentioning... ...the odd gauges tend to be easier to balance out on series mods. Not sure why, they just work. I know it sounds strange, but I'd highly recommend getting some if you can.

You might be better going with a .65-.8 dual 26g at that diameter... ...something between 10 and 12 wraps. You can even choke the diameter down to 2.5mm and make it hotter/easier to squish and it'll still perform. One of the first series builds that I found I really liked was a 13 wrap, dual 26 @ 2.5mm. The flavor and vapor are still killer with 26g. The heat, ramp-up and wicking are just a bit easier to balance-out. Plays nicer with a wider range of RDA's, too.

I will try the 26 ga @2.5mm. Scottish roll never works for me. But try again

 

[Evertking]

I was reading that I MUST marry two batteries. Here is how I been using them.
I use the same 2 Samsung 25rs in the cricket but some days I will pull them out and use them in my SMPL mod and back and forth. What could go wrong with this? Or am I on? Or stop being a tight ass and buy some more batteries?

 

[CrazyChef]

As far as I know (and what I do), you just have to marry the batteries. I have pairs that I interchange between my NC, Tugboat, Cuboid etc. I do have two sets that are married to a single mod, and those are 2 sets of three that I only use in my RX200.

 

[greasegizzard]

I have married pairs that I use in different mods. I always charge them before putting in a new mod, just to make sure they're evenly charged.

 

[Mythical_OD]

Yea as long as the batteries stay in a set with each other, its fine to swap them between mods. The point of it is to keep the batteries at the same "use age" and charge cycles, so that they stay similar with regards to charge/discharge rates and they have the same amount of wear. As they get old theyll start discharging faster and such. At least thats how I understand it.

If you use an old battery with a new one, the old one will drop voltage quicker and the gap between their levels will grow more quickly.

 

[JERUS]

Finally rebuilt my RDA for a better series build. 28g spaced FC with 40g wraps (I wrapped a nice clean wire of 28g for when my new RDA arrives but I'm lazy so I didn't want to use it when the new one will be here in a week). 4mm ID, 9 wraps. .6Ω, went with the scottish roll wicking, and just wow. Must say I'm really liking this NC, looking forward to the heatsink adapter I have on the way and the new RDAs.

 

[robot zombie]

Finally rebuilt my RDA for a better series build. 28g spaced FC with 40g wraps (I wrapped a nice clean wire of 28g for when my new RDA arrives but I'm lazy so I didn't want to use it when the new one will be here in a week). 4mm ID, 9 wraps. .6Ω, went with the scottish roll wicking, and just wow. Must say I'm really liking this NC, looking forward to the heatsink adapter I have on the way and the new RDAs.

Damn, those are huge compared to what I like with my fused 28g... ...not even spaced, either. I've got a .35, 3mm, 7-wrap, dual fused 38/28's in my Mutation X v3. That is what I consider to be a "somewhat hot" vape. I up the outer gauge to 36 for something that's only "warm." How's the temperature on those fatty-claps of yours? Kinda curious if it's worth sacrificing some heat to get more flavor and vapor, as I pretty much need the kind of heat that my build is giving me at this point.

 

[JERUS]

Damn, those are huge compared to what I like with my fused 28g... ...not even spaced, either. I've got a .35, 3mm, 7-wrap, dual fused 38/28's in my Mutation X v3. That is what I consider to be a "somewhat hot" vape. I up the outer gauge to 36 for something that's only "warm." How's the temperature on those fatty-claps of yours? Kinda curious if it's worth sacrificing some heat to get more flavor and vapor, as I pretty much need the kind of heat that my build is giving me at this point.

By spaced I meant the wrap, as in I just kind of did a quick wrap more to keep them together than to get that full clapton effect. Actually closer together on the wraps than I thought but took all of a minute or two to wrap up 3 coils worth.

My old coils were about the same as what you have, mine ran .37 though. My problem is all the RDAs I have are mini's, so spitback was proving to be a major issue. That plus just burning through the juice in 3 hits. I'm now able to get over double the hits, still pleasant, but yes it doesn't give the punch you in the face experience anymore which was nice. I may try a 3.5mm for when my new RDAs come to lower that resistance a bit, but overall I'm finding this much better than what I had going.

 

[CrazyChef]

I'm becoming a damn Crickethead. I already have the black and the silver, and I just ordered the gray one. It just seems to me that the 0.50-0.75Ω builds on the NC have better flavor than the lower resistance builds on my parallel (Tugboat clone).

 

[JERUS]

I'm becoming a damn Crickethead. I already have the black and the silver, and I just ordered the gray one. It just seems to me that the 0.50-0.75Ω builds on the NC have better flavor than the lower resistance builds on my parallel (Tugboat clone).

What are you doing for the coils?

 

[CrazyChef]

Aliens. Either 28/38 (single) or 30/40 (dual). They work out fantastic in the NC.

 

[mach1ne]

finally got around to doing a trade with a local dude yesterday (been talking about it for a week or so) for mine. it came with a petri and im super happy with it. the petri had .35ish ohm claptons of some kind in it and it vapes like a champ. im super happy with it. only problem so far is the occasional misfire. i have been having too much fun with it to take it apart and clean contacts or do anything to fix it (its used and kinda beat up anyway). anyone got any tips for that though? is there a better button i can get somehow?

 

[JERUS]

finally got around to doing a trade with a local dude yesterday (been talking about it for a week or so) for mine. it came with a petri and im super happy with it. the petri had .35ish ohm claptons of some kind in it and it vapes like a champ. im super happy with it. only problem so far is the occasional misfire. i have been having too much fun with it to take it apart and clean contacts or do anything to fix it (its used and kinda beat up anyway). anyone got any tips for that though? is there a better button i can get somehow?

Get yourself a polishing cloth (or a pack of them to save money in the long run). Quick rubdown will clean it right up, you'd be surprised at the buildup it cleans off. I have a nice light blue cloth and it goes black where I rub it down after 30s of polishing. I just happened to have one from work, been using it on my mechs since I got it and really opened my eyes to how important cleaning is. There are liquids and what not that you can use that may help but honestly just this cloth is treating me very well. amazon.com/Jewelry-Cleaning-Polishing-Sterling-Platinum/dp/B018K1QMF2
Looks very similar to what I'm using.

As for a better button, I don't know, just make sure to press in the center, it's actually one of the better buttons I've seen.

Very easy to dismantle the NC, just grab a small screwdriver and take off that bottom portion, rub down the copper contacts, rub the button down as well, and maybe the pin on your atomizer. I didn't realize how great of a design this device really was until I took it apart. That lever on the bottom portion is genius, simple but effective.

 

[mach1ne]

@JERUS yeah i am super impressed with the design. i watched the twisted messes video on it while i was waiting to get it. so simple and effective. love it with the petri on top ill give it a good cleaning next time i change batteries and report back. thanks for the tips

 

[JERUS]

Yeah got a petriv2 clone on the way which I plan on using on it, though I finally took my Avocado off of my other mod today and just did some checking and I think it'd work on it, so I may build a setup for that while I wait.

 

[R3alJim Shady]

Yeah got a petriv2 clone on the way which I plan on using on it, though I finally took my Avocado off of my other mod today and just did some checking and I think it'd work on it, so I may build a setup for that while I wait.

I've got a nice silver Petri 1.5 clone on my silver NC and I've got it's evil twin setup in black. I call them Yin and Yang.
I run a 316L single coil, single core Clapton (32g/24g) 10 wrap, 3mm ID at .56 in both of them. Flavor is stunning!

 

[greasegizzard]

finally got around to doing a trade with a local dude yesterday (been talking about it for a week or so) for mine. it came with a petri and im super happy with it. the petri had .35ish ohm claptons of some kind in it and it vapes like a champ. im super happy with it. only problem so far is the occasional misfire. i have been having too much fun with it to take it apart and clean contacts or do anything to fix it (its used and kinda beat up anyway). anyone got any tips for that though? is there a better button i can get somehow?

Maybe adjust the tension on the spring? Find you a hex driver or allen wrench that will fit and tighten or loosen the button to get it to your liking.

Sent from the future with my Flux Capacitor enabled Note 5

 

[greasegizzard]

I'm becoming a damn Crickethead. I already have the black and the silver, and I just ordered the gray one. It just seems to me that the 0.50-0.75Ω builds on the NC have better flavor than the lower resistance builds on my parallel (Tugboat clone).

I love a .5 ish build on mine. It's so perfect!

Sent from the future with my Flux Capacitor enabled Note 5

 

[mike.o.13]

You should totally buy that gray one and tell me how the quality is on the finish
The only thing that stopped me from buying the brown and gray was the fact that I can't tell if they're painted or not. They look nice, but I have a thing with painted mods. I don't trust paint. I got the red and blue because they're clearly anodized. If the gray and brown ones turn-out to be, too (or the paint is good,) then I'll eventually own the full assortment.

How does the red look? In the pictures I've seen it almost looks pinkish.

 

[CrazyChef]

You should totally buy that gray one and tell me how the quality is on the finish

I ordered it yesterday from 3FVape. I'll let you know.

 

[R3alJim Shady]

I love the difference in the finishes between my silver and black NCs. The brushed aluminum is smooth slick, while the black one feels almost like a chalk board. Cool that they went with something different for each one initially. Curious if the gray is matte coating or anodized!


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[robot zombie]

How does the red look? In the pictures I've seen it almost looks pinkish.

I'd have to agree with that.

It's not straight-up pink or anything like that, more just little faded looking. And it's funny. Under incandescent light, it looks to be a pretty deep red. But take it under full spectrum light or out in the sun and suddenly it does have a pinkish tint.

I personally don't mind it. It's just a little pink lol. Its close enough to red that people will probably argue over whether its pink or red.

I ordered it yesterday from 3FVape. I'll let you know.

It's too late. I saw pictures of it on eciggity and threw in on one myself... ...I have issues with shiny things.

 

[CrazyChef]

I have issues with shiny things.

 

[robot zombie]

View attachment 46344

Stooooop justifying my desire to buy an ultrasonic cleaner!!!

 

[CrazyChef]

Harbor Freight, $32.99 - works great!

 

[mike.o.13]

I'd have to agree with that.

It's not straight-up pink or anything like that, more just little faded looking. And it's funny. Under incandescent light, it looks to be a pretty deep red. But take it under full spectrum light or out in the sun and suddenly it does have a pinkish tint.

I personally don't mind it. It's just a little pink lol. Its close enough to red that people will probably argue over whether its pink or red.


It's too late. I saw pictures of it on eciggity and threw in on one myself... ...I have issues with shiny things.

That's cool, as long as it doesn't look super pink I'm in.
Thanks.

Sent from my SM-G360T using Tapatalk

 

[JERUS]

Avocado, installed some 3.5mm ID 28g Fused Claptons, .48Ω. Perfect vape. Nice and warm but not burning. Rich flavor, god I love this little bugger. Better vape than the 24g FCs I had in the Avocado on my regulated mods for sure.

 

[CrazyChef]

That's cool, as long as it doesn't look super pink I'm in.

I'm a dirty old man...

 

[mike.o.13]

I'm a dirty old man...

Ha! I guess that can be read I'm many ways lol

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[Gheed]

Stooooop justifying my desire to buy an ultrasonic cleaner!!!

It's so worth it! Not only do I drop my atties in every couple of weeks I do my NC buttons once a week. Such a underrated tool.

 

[robot zombie]

It's so worth it! Not only do I drop my atties in every couple of weeks I do my NC buttons once a week. Such a underrated tool.

Never even thought about that! I clean one NC inside and out every day and cycle em out. That's one thing I really don't like about em. All that voltage seems to make em gunk up something fierce. If I fall behind for even two days, I always regret it.

 

[Mythical_OD]

My NC is gonna be here today, gotta wait til after work so its still a while away. But its my first mod with a hybrid style connection, so I wanna ask, what should I look for to make sure my connection is safe? I know youre looking for something with a long center pin (yeah?), so how do you check to make sure youve got a snug connection? With my regular tube mech I can just give it a little shake to see if the battery is sliding around and thatll let me know if I gotta adjust the 510 connector, but with this hybrid I wanna be sure Im not fucking up, especially with that much voltage going through it.

 

[JERUS]

Protruding center pin - just means that it's sticking out far enough that you know it'll be the only thing contacting the battery, bad things happen when that outer threading of the 510 touches (shorting and other bomb worthy features). You don't really want to be adjusting it out, it should be screwed in tight and just protruding, if you have to unscrew it you might get a weak connection up inside the atomizer which is bad too.

Shaking should give you an idea, mine are quite snug in there. The NC has a hing on the bottom connectors, so as you screw down the button the battery touching the atomizer side slides up the shaft. So make sure to screw that button down tight and it'll lessen the distance needed to make contact with the battery on the atomizer side. Then I'd take your atomizer and sit it on top of the battery without the whole threading thing, see if there's still space left at the top, my atomizers that fit perfectly seem to have about .5-1mm of room above flush when I just sit it on the battery(and sit perfectly flush when it's all screwed together). Then I just toss the 510 threading onto the atomizer and screw those in to the NC base. And it works perfectly (god I love it so).

That's really all there is do it, doing that you'll make sure the pin is safe, make sure it's going to make clean contact with the battery, and everything should go together clean. After that done, sure give it a shake and make sure it's not bouncing around.

Having a Y chromosome and all instruction manuals are for the birds, but doesn't hurt to look this one over just to make sure things are in place correctly before starting. Really simple device, batteries in opposite directions, little connection plate on the bottom placed on a fulcrum point with that bottom plate. Then just button on the negative side up battery and atomizer on the positive side up battery.