First look at the Cthulhu V2

[Dark Laughter]

I've got mine working great it doesn't flood or give dry hit's but that's after 4 builds on the dual deck and figuring out the juice control my experience with it so far has been great! That being said it isn't beginner friendly or for people with no patience, this is for the calm hobbyist...... current working build 24g kanthal at 7 wraps 2.5mm and Japanese cotton

 

[Dark Laughter]

 

[VapingN252]

Well theres always the aromamizer rdta with velocity style deck would like to see a co-op for it

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

I have my eyes on that too.

I've got mine working great it doesn't flood or give dry hit's but that's after 4 builds on the dual deck and figuring out the juice control my experience with it so far has been great! That being said it isn't beginner friendly or for people with no patience, this is for the calm hobbyist...... current working build 24g kanthal at 7 wraps 2.5mm and Japanese cotton

One of my biggest issues with the juice control is that the juice wheel got so stuck that while unscrewing, the screw holding the 510 in got stuck in the deck. That was from the tight o rings making the whole deck stick together. My o rings are still wet for putting juice on them yesterday, but that'll dry up eventually. I might try Vaseline. No issues since wetting them.

 

[vapin-Patrick]

I got mine this morning and went to put a build on the dual deck but there is no pin in the deck to hold the juice flow control ring in place . There is a hole for it but no pin so this tank is useless to me at the moment. Sent an email to smog but I'm not holding my breath as last time I emailed him it took 2 weeks to get a reply. I'm pretty fucking pissed having pre-ordered on Aug 14th and then they send me a bunk tank almost 2 months later.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

I have my eyes on that too.



One of my biggest issues with the juice control is that the juice wheel got so stuck that while unscrewing, the screw holding the 510 in got stuck in the deck. That was from the tight o rings making the whole deck stick together. My o rings are still wet for putting juice on them yesterday, but that'll dry up eventually. I might try Vaseline. No issues since wetting them.

Kept happening to me yesterday.
Got it working again this morning. Relubed it and put the on, I pushed it down and turned the outer ring while pushing down until it was flush to the base. Then put the tank on.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

I got mine this morning and went to put a build on the dual deck but there is no pin in the deck to hold the juice flow control ring in place . There is a hole for it but no pin so this tank is useless to me at the moment. Sent an email to smog but I'm not holding my breath as last time I emailed him it took 2 weeks to get a reply. I'm pretty fucking pissed having pre-ordered on Aug 14th and then they send me a bunk tank almost 2 months later.

That sucks dude!
I have to use mine in single coil mode because the dual coil deck is bent all up. I guess smog typically does t respond? Hopefully the see this.

 

[vapin-Patrick]

I actually heard back just a minute ago. I've been exchanging emails with him and I think he's gonna send a replacement deck or whole tank but I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you posted on what happens. I was really excited to throw some Clapton's in this thing.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

I actually heard back just a minute ago. I've been exchanging emails with him and I think he's gonna send a replacement deck or whole tank but I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you posted on what happens. I was really excited to throw some Clapton's in this thing.

I just emailed him about the deck then... was gonna say screw it and just keep using my billow2 but damn it to thing has potential

 

[Deeks]

I was sooo close to pulling the trigger on one of these but man they sound like kind of a pain in the ass. I do like the 2 post design and hope to see a lot more of this in the newest RTA's tho!

 

[vapin-Patrick]

I agree it does have potential

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Got word from smog, will definitely be doing biz with him again! great vendor!!! Dude, is sending me a new dual coil deck, couldn't ask for bet customer service.

 

[vapin-Patrick]

Sweet brotha! I'm still waiting to hear if he's sending me another deck.

 

[MikeSully]

Got word from smog, will definitely be doing biz with him again! great vendor!!! Dude, is sending me a new dual coil deck, couldn't ask for bet customer service.

Jeff is good people. He gets screwed by vendors from time to time but he bears the brunt of the responsibility for it. I grabbed up some on sale items this weekend from him and they ought to be in transit today.

 

[Number3124]

Well, got mine to day. Got to say, it doesn't look that bad. I too the wick retainer ring off, but I'll need to get some more juice before I can say for sure it's any good. I have enough for my drippers and that's it right now.

 

[VapingN252]

Grease those o rings and you'll save yourself some headache

 

[Number3124]

Grease those o rings and you'll save yourself some headache

Mine are fine actually. I've already stripped it, cleaned it, reassembled it, stripped it again, put it back together, repeat a few more times to make sure I understand how it works. The o-rings are all pretty good. However, and I haven't tested the blue or clear ones, but the red ones took quite a bit of work to settle them into the tank and at least once my tank was crooked.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

The Orings on the base and juice control also

 

[Number3124]

The Orings on the base and juice control also

I don't have juice in mine yet so it remains to be seen. However, I doubt I'll be using the juice control anyway.

 

[AdubbaU]

Just wanted to second that Smog has always been great to work with, from fast shipping to issues with v1 resolved extremely quickly. Was holding out for the black with this tank, I have a few great tanks that are temperamental, not too interested in another but thing looks great.

Sent from Sprint HK M8 Tapatalk

 

[Number3124]

So, I have juice in it now. 2mm ID, 26 AGW NiChrome, 0.3 ohm dual coil. Rayon Wicks. It's hitting great. No leaks. It's hitting a lot like a dripper.

 

[vapin-Patrick]

Good to hear. I messed around with mine this evening, I'm overall very happy with the machining, threads are super smooth on mine and the orings (red)went in without a hitch. If it wasn't for that damn pin not being in the dual coil deck I'd be vaping on that sumbitch right now

 

[Ec!g]

If it wasn't for that damn pin not being in the dual coil deck I'd be vaping on that sumbitch right now

Assuming reference to the liquid control ring pin lock. ...Numerous ppl have successfully left out the inner ring with no issues reported.

 

[vapin-Patrick]

Seriously!?! But yes that is the pin that is missing

 

[VapingN252]

I don't understand how people are using this thing without the juice ring. They should have a hand full of juice unless they are over pack the deck

 

[vapin-Patrick]

I call bullshit because I tried it and it does not work at all.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

This tank taught me the importance of DIY, 30ml gone down the drain. a good build, no problems, refill and Katrina flood.
Smog is sending a new deck so ill give that a shot, if same results it goes buh bye.

 

[Dark Laughter]

If anyone doesn't want theirs I'll take it I wouldn't mind a second one!

 

[Bob Diaper]

I think it all comes down to that inner threaded ring on the juice control...it needs to be in just the right spot in relation to the outer ring when the tank is fully assembled. For the last few days I've been fiddling with it, swapping decks, etc...and for the first few there was always some o-ring visible above and below the outer steel ring. While those o-rings were visible, I always had a small amount of leakage...just enough to grease the outside when I opened, and closed, it; and sometimes a wee dribble out the air intake, and there was some up, and down, play with the outer ring. Something I did with my last assembly changed that. While trying to thread the tank to the deck something got in the way and threading became difficult...I pulled it apart, adjusted the inner juice ring down, and rethreaded the tank to the deck. At this point she's tighter than a ducks ass...when the outer control ring is fully open it's flush with the upper tank..when closed it's flush with the intake. Little, to no, o-rings are visible at all...and she hasn't leaked a drop!
That all being said, I'm enjoying this tank immensely! The velocity deck was "plug and play" and awesome out of the gate...the single has been a bit more fickle. Granted, my builds on the single leave a bit to be desired (messing with Ni200 for TC), getting the wicking right was more the challenge, but they worked well.
After this tank of juice I'm going to revisit what's going on with my tank to see if I can come up with some tips to help out...

 

[Number3124]

So... I finally got a good build in it and had a few tanks of juice threw it. Can't get the wicking right. I'm running 26 AGW claptons with 36 AGW wraps. All Nichrome 80. Rayon wicks, nice and snug in the coils. Just won't wick right. No burnt hits. Just... lean. The juice control is wide open as is the airflow. The wicks go about half way down the juice channels. I guess I could try just putting the wicks on top of the channels, but I'm worried that this would just cause flooding. Any ideas guys?

EDIT: I'm running it at about 65-70 watts when this happens. The coils are also 2.4mm ID, 5 wraps , ~0.3 ohms.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

 

[Number3124]

In all fairness, I'm not a tank guy. I'm a dripper. I've only have had one other RTA. The Goblin V2.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

In all fairness, I'm not a tank guy. I'm a dripper. I've only have had one other RTA. The Goblin V2.

It doesn't matter dude, I am both (rta and RDA). ive been using rebuildable tanks for 2 years and It has one last chance. after that its going in its coffin(box) and being given to a friend to see if he can get it.

 

[Number3124]

It doesn't matter dude, I am both (rta and RDA). ive been using rebuildable tanks for 2 years and It has one last chance. after that its going in its coffin(box) and being given to a friend to see if he can get it.

Fair enough, but I do like the way it pulls. Nice and open. Very dripper like. I really think I just need to play with the wicks a few times to get it puffing at 80~90 watts reliably.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Fair enough, but I do like the way it pulls. Nice and open. Very dripper like. I really think I just need to play with the wicks a few times to get it puffing at 80~90 watts reliably.

The dual deck?
Mine has a big ass dent in it, so it gets a pass for now; and, its last chance is when the new deck gets here.

 

[Number3124]

The dual deck?
Mine has a big ass dent in it, so it gets a pass for now; and, its last chance is when the new deck gets here.

Mine is fine. The machining on mine is great. No leaks at all.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Mine is fine. The machining on mine is great. No leaks at all.

I'm jealous, I think they saw my name and said, 'that guy!!'

 

[Number3124]

I'm jealous, I think they saw my name and said, 'that guy!!'

Guess the QC needs some work.

 

[Number3124]

Got it!!! Wicks are just barely in the channels. It's hitting at 75-80 watts like a dream.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

I had it earlier today, was emailing with smog, and it was working great..... then I had to refill it
But I think that's the secret, it has to be exactly in the ring and loosely in the hole. :....I think

 

[Number3124]

I had it earlier today, was emailing with smog, and it was working great..... then I had to refill it
But I think that's the secret, it has to be exactly in the ring and loosely in the hole. :....I think

The wick retainer? Took that out. It's too tight on the wicks. Blocks them up.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

The wick retainer? Took that out. It's too tight on the wicks. Blocks them up.

For some reason mine I s running better with...hmmmm had to put mine back in

 

[Swerved]

Well, looks like I'm in for some fun after reading this thread; mine should be here Wednesday.

 

[CthulhuMod]

Black Cthulhu RTA Ⅱ(Upgrade CNC, better threading)

 

[VapingN252]

Crap. Better threading might be the magic ticket. I've done worst with my money. I'll have to see.

 

[Otto Dafe]

Black Cthulhu RTA Ⅱ(Upgrade CNC, better threading)

So the silver one has bad threading? I was thinking about getting one.

 

[Swerved]

Ok, just received mine today. Serial # 0254....


Overall, pretty good quality. Everything fits together pretty smoothly, but you do have to be careful with some of the pieces and the threading, not that it's bad but just some really fine threads and if you force them I could see where you might have them gall up on you...

Anyway, the bottom assembly.. It is confusing. I've managed to get used to it and now that I have it's fine. I'm using it with both rings in it, juice flow and wick retainer and the dual coil deck, and Drago cotton (pain in the ass to work with but good shit when you get it right).. The trick with the wick it seems is, just make your wick long enough to get about 1/16" past the bottom of the retaining ring; don't try to fill the whole channel. Also I thinned my wick a bit and cut it diagonally to make it easier to stuff in. If you put too much wick in it you will get dry hits. Too little, and you will get leakage I assume (though it hasn't happened to me yet). I'm using 70/30 vg juice and it's loving it.

Once you get the wicking right, then I can see the need for a juice flow control. This thing can guzzle some juice. The flavor and vapor are pretty damned good for a tank in my opinion, on par with my Tugboat v2 RDA for reference. I can taste several layers of flavor in the juice I'm using and it's not really muted at all. The juice I'm using is a blueberry-custardy cream mix I made and it's deep. I'm using non-spaced dual 26ga coils wrapped 7 times around a 2.4mm screwdriver, and could probably wrap around a 1/8" diameter and still fit them on the deck if I tried. Came out to right at .4 ohms and I'm vaping at 40-45w. 2, 3, 4 second hard pulls with no problem or hint of dry hits. I'm sure with the right coils I could vape at as high a wattage as I would ever vape with my dripper (I usually don't go above 80w or so). I've also read that spacing the coils makes it even better with regard to flavor, though I haven't tried it. The post holes look like they will easily take 24 gauge, and maybe even 22 gauge wire. Be careful with smaller wire as the screws can cut your leads.

Overall, I can see where people would get frustrated with it a little bit. Kind of over-engineered, though I give them props for their line of thinking. But man, I can see where this is going to be my go to tank. For the money and what you get, you can't go wrong once you get used to it. Definitely worth having in the collection. I love the velocity style deck, and I'm sure I will like the single coil deck too, but it seemed a bit restrictive for my taste just pulling air through it to see what it was like. Anyway, buy one if you like to tinker on things to get them just right. It's worth it.

NOTE: Gotta be careful refilling with the juiceflow open.. When you put the top fill cap back on it makes pressure and can push liquid back through the airflow holes..

 

[D-Man]

The velocity deck is exactly what I was looking for in a RTA. The air flow is very good and I found it best to wick with just a speck of cotton barely visible below the wick retainer ring. The ring I found is pretty much not needed at all really. But that's about all the pros. My unit had blatant manufacturing quality issues. The top cap threads are very sharp and screwing it on is quite difficult due to the rough cut threads. And don't even ask about the juice flow control ring. That ring was totally unusable because it would turn with the base and no matter how much I worked it or lubricated it simply would not function independently from the rest of the unit. I followed the correct procedures for installing as per their video instructions. The inner part of the juice flow control ring can be removed and then vaped without the inner part of the ring and it vapes fine. But when you remove the inner part of the control ring flooding is a major issue but can be controlled to some degree if you close the air flow and then while inverted open the air flow temporarily to equalize the pressure. But that pretty much kills the top fill functionality. Overall the quality and workmanship is nowhere near that of the Billow V2 in my opinion. Really good design ideas that were betrayed by the manufacturing facility.

 

[Swerved]

Ok, so just a quick update after a few days of using this thing...

I've taken it apart and reassembled this thing several times and rebuilt on both decks a few times each to get familiar with it all.. I gotta say, I like this RTA. I still use all the pieces as designed, so I didn't leave out the wick retainer ring as a lot of people do; I just kind of learned to work with it. However I'm sure it's fine without it, they even say you can leave it out on the manufacturer's website.

No leaking except if not filled properly. If the juice control ring is not closed off all the way when you fill it from the top, it will flood and leak like crazy. This is because when you open the top cap, the vacuum is lost. Think of holding your finger over the top end of a straw with liquid in it. As long as your finger is there, the liquid stays in the straw. Move your finger and the liquid drops out.... This tank is the same. If you take the top cap off to fill, the tank will flood from the bottom unless you have the juice flow blocked off. Once I got used to doing that, no leaks whatsoever. I do wish they would have made the juice flow ring a little easier to operate. The knurling on the ring is so fine, you can't really get a grip on it. Also the o-rings that are used may be just a bit too tight, as they make it kind of hard to operate the ring because of the friction. Lubricating them with a little vg helps, and you don't have to screw the bottom assembly down super tight, that helps with the ring too. Like the previous poster mentioned, the engineering was on the right track but the execution was not what it should have been.


Anyway, my opinion of this thing is if you are someone who doesn't mind tinkering with things to get them working right then you will like this RTA. This thing is a beast and hits like a champ now that I have gotten used to it all. It's very versatile and you get plenty for your money. Plenty of flavor, plenty of clouds.
I'd probably give it a 9 out of 10.

 

[Number3124]

I agree with the above. I've rewicked it three times now successfully. The only problem is that my AFC is a bit loose so it doesn't seal down all of the way, and since I wicked loosely to get good wicking, every other time I fill it I get a little stream of juice down the side of my mod. It's not intolerable for me, but it's something to keep in mind.

For me, I can easily drive two hours or more a day so having a 5ml tank that I can run dual claptons in while taking long pulls at 80 watts is worth the slight inconvenience of making sure I have a napkin with me when I refill.

The design for the V2 is right. The manufacturing is a little shoddy in places. 10/10 for the design. 7/10 for the manufacturing quality. I'm sure the second run will be better. IIRC, Cthulhu Mods has only been around for about six or seven month. Give them some time. They have a lot of potential. I also have their Hastur atty. While the deck is just a bit too small for me the design is awesome, and it just doesn't leak. At all. No ring on the mod even.

 

[CthulhuMod]

So the silver one has bad threading? I was thinking about getting one.

new batch (ss and black) comes with better threading. Thanks.