Orchid V5.2 First RBTA!

[MirkoGradski]

First ever RBTA, and I'm excited as all hell. I've been using clearmorizer tanks for about 5 years now, and I've finally decided that its about time to delve into a new corner of vaping and take the experience to the next level. After much deliberation, I settled on the Orchid v5.2 by tobeco. Watched a lot of youtube vids, and DIY build vids, and eventually came to the conclusion that this tank, along with its components seems like a nice medium for me to get things rolling.

I do have a couple of questions though for some rbta/rda vets out there. Now, I know the build deck on the orchid is tiny compared to rda decks and even some other rbta decks out there, but I'm having a tough time deciding what guage kanthal I should put in this puppy for my first build. I'm looking for some good vapor production, but I also really want AMAZING flavor. My all day vape is cyclops vapors colossus, and I believe its a 75% vg 35% pg blend. The higher guage the kanthal, the better the flavor? Or is it the other way around?

I'm also noticing a lot of people starting to experiment with twisting the kanthal on itself. Twisted micro coil wraps, nano dragon coils, zipper coils, stove top coils, etc. What is the deal with all that? Is it for show? Does it make things taste better? I know for one thing that these new hyrbid coil designs probably eat juice.... But could I potentially put a twisted micro coil in an RBTA down the road if I ever felt like getting wild and crazy, or is that sort of thing more for the RDA realm.

Cheers

 

[MirkoGradski]

Bump and update.

So I twisted some 26 guage up around the tiny blue screw driver that came with my rebuildable, 6 times for each coil. Set them in there on the posts as carefully as possible, and without being to fidgety. When I sat it on my ohm reader, the reading came out to .76. So I think to myself cool, everything seems to be working well, each coil has about the same resistance. Take the deck off the ohm reader, and put it on top of my ipv mini 2 and proceed to heat the coils. One coil began to glow a lot faster than the other one. I tinkered with the height of the coils a bit and pushed them together a bit with my tweezers. They're both nice and tight, but the one coil still burns up and glows way faster then the other. Is this a normal thing? I noticed the phillips head screws that are holding my wire in place are a little loose. Is it possible one of my posts isn't keeping the wire down? I messed around with it a tad more, and now my ohm reading is .46. I'm gonna be running this on efest 18650 20a 3100 mah too, and I noticed my device got pretty hot right off the get go. Should I be concerned? I dont really plan on going over 40 watts. I used my trusty ohms law app too.

 

[InMyImage]

With wire in the posts the screws should not be loose so you probably need to tighten them more.

With a dual coil build you want to make sure that leg length on both coils are about the same and I like to try to get them to be about the same on each side of the coil as well, and then shift the coil over to center while lifting it up a bit.

When you say that they "each coil has about the same resistance" did you test them individually, or are you assuming that because the ohm meter gave you a reading that they must be, because that isn't correct.

For future builds, I have found that 6 wrap coils don't give as much flavor and others have also commented that 7-9 is a good target. I prefer 8 or a 9/8 depending on what I'm building.

Note that it is not uncommon for screws to come loose while you are fidgeting with the coils. Always get in the habit of re-tightening them when you are done moving them around.

If you still have issues with uneven heating after this, you probably have an extra wrap on one of them. If you are concerned about the posts or screws, take one coil off and then heat up the other by itself and time how long it takes for it to reach a good glow. Then wait a minute, remove it and switch it to the other two posts and do the same. If it heats up in the same amount of time, then the posts are fine. If not, then try another set of screws.

 

[Mike H.]

Looks like one coil has more wraps than the other...could be my eyes but just thought i would comment on that.

Just something ive learned also is the height of the coil over the breather holes can play a huge part in flavor as well..may want to experiment with that..I could be wrong but something in the 1 to 2mm range above the breather hole is a good place to start.

 

[MirkoGradski]

I didnt test them both individually which was my first mishap.

On my next build, or when I swap out the cotton, I think I'm going to switch the screws out for these allen head screws that it came with. The phillips head's aren't keeping my coil down on the negative post the right way. The screw becomes loose for no odd reason. I can't put my finger on it.

The one coil was wrapped one more time then the other so there was that issue.

My coil is about 1.5 mm over the air hole. I made sure to raise it just enough so it wasnt sitting on it.

I think I may need to rewick or possibly adjust the chimney though. After about 4 or 5 tokes I started to taste the cotton, and that was only at 20 watts.

Other then that, I like it. The flavor is stellar. Its bringing out notes in my all day vape that I didnt know were even in there.

 

[InMyImage]

I wouldn't stress the testing coils one at a time. I brought it up because of your statement that you knew they were the same.

I can't speak for the regular screws, because I have only used the allen screws with my Tobeco and have not had any real issues with them other that when I was playing with the coils a lot, which is common for me because I pretty much suck at building and my OCD won't let me leave them alone until they are as good as I'm capable of getting them

 

[MirkoGradski]

I wouldn't stress the testing coils one at a time. I brought it up because of your statement that you knew they were the same.

I can't speak for the regular screws, because I have only used the allen screws with my Tobeco and have not had any real issues with them other that when I was playing with the coils a lot, which is common for me because I pretty much suck at building and my OCD won't let me leave them alone until they are as good as I'm capable of getting them

Like I said that was my first build, and it took me 2 and half hours LOL. So I'm probably going to be the exact same way. I ran into some more bumps though last night. I need to pick up a syringe. The little hole for bottom fill is way to tiny for me to drip into using the little tincture dripper that I have with my 30 ml bottles. Plus the air displacement in the tank causes the juice to take literally for ever to get down into the tank. Hopefully this vape shop next to my job has them..

 

[alex31804]

Like I said that was my first build, and it took me 2 and half hours LOL. So I'm probably going to be the exact same way. I ran into some more bumps though last night. I need to pick up a syringe. The little hole for bottom fill is way to tiny for me to drip into using the little tincture dripper that I have with my 30 ml bottles. Plus the air displacement in the tank causes the juice to take literally for ever to get down into the tank. Hopefully this vape shop next to my job has them..

Any pharmacy should have the syringes and for cheaper than vape shops ime. Also you said you tasted the cotton, how was it wicked? With the orchid don't put the wicks in the juice channels, just rest them on top of them. Seems crazy but it works without leaks. Also feel free to stop by the orchid modification thread in the general rebuildable section for any questions you have about the orchid. Hope that helps bud! , http://vapingunderground.com/index.php?threads/20819/

 

[alex31804]

Also all of my orchids are fucking notorious for loosening the post screws randomly. Make sure you tighten after you wick, that's always when mine like to

 

[InMyImage]

I have stopped filling using the screw. I take the cap off, cover both air holes, fill and then just after the threads catch and just before hitting the o-ring on the cap, flip it over and tighten it like a mad man. If it leaks a little after, cover one hole and blow through the other and then do the same on the opposite side.

Faster and easier in my opinion. Doing the same with my Kayfun.

Planning to order the new Kayfun v4 top caps and top nuts for them after the 1st:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...cement-lower-part-of-the-topcap-for-kayfun-v4
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10011913/2040606-replacement-top-nut-for-kayfun-v4

Using these, you only remove the top nut portion which dramatically reduces and filling issues. I have a defective v4 that I stole the cap and nut from and use on my KFL+v2 and Orchid it works great.

 

[MirkoGradski]

I have stopped filling using the screw. I take the cap off, cover both air holes, fill and then just after the threads catch and just before hitting the o-ring on the cap, flip it over and tighten it like a mad man. If it leaks a little after, cover one hole and blow through the other and then do the same on the opposite side.

Faster and easier in my opinion. Doing the same with my Kayfun.

Planning to order the new Kayfun v4 top caps and top nuts for them after the 1st:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...cement-lower-part-of-the-topcap-for-kayfun-v4
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10011913/2040606-replacement-top-nut-for-kayfun-v4

Using these, you only remove the top nut portion which dramatically reduces and filling issues. I have a defective v4 that I stole the cap and nut from and use on my KFL+v2 and Orchid it works great.

I actually went ahead and used this technique today. It worked pretty flawlessly except for the leaks, which was expected, although there was barely any to begin with which I was completely fine with.

I'm definitely going to check in a right aid or something like that tomorrow for a syringe. Although the method I used to fill the tank today worked OK, I do like the ease of just unscrewing the tank and flipping it.

I'm gonna look into ordering a v4, sooner or later. I can already tell I'm going to get sick of these acrylic pieces of the tank. They're a tad wonky when it comes to screwing them back on, especially using that top fill method.

I think I'm about to rewick now. I boiled cotton balls and used them in the first build, but today I picked up some jap cotton. Probably go in there and fasten the screws a tad more as well.

Thanks for the advice everyone. And I will check that modification thread out as soon as I'm ready to modify the atty a little bit.

Cheers

 

[InMyImage]

you are taking off the top tank section with the cap if you are unscrewing the plastic tank. you just want the top cap.

If you live in an area with a Tractor Supply store poke in there. Someone the other day said they have them there and I saw the prices online were good. I order all mine through amazon but only use them for mixing now.

 

[MirkoGradski]

you are taking off the top tank section with the cap if you are unscrewing the plastic tank. you just want the top cap.

If you live in an area with a Tractor Supply store poke in there. Someone the other day said they have them there and I saw the prices online were good. I order all mine through amazon but only use them for mixing now.

Yea, Im only taking the tank section off that houses the drip tip.

Last night, I attempted to fill it again though using our top technique and failed. Wasted a lot of liquid. If I find a syringe today, I think Im gonna just siphon out whats left and then bottom fill.

 

[MirkoGradski]

Any pharmacy should have the syringes and for cheaper than vape shops ime. Also you said you tasted the cotton, how was it wicked? With the orchid don't put the wicks in the juice channels, just rest them on top of them. Seems crazy but it works without leaks. Also feel free to stop by the orchid modification thread in the general rebuildable section for any questions you have about the orchid. Hope that helps bud! , http://vapingunderground.com/index.php?threads/20819/

So I went on a search for some syringes. Went to all of the pharmacy's in my area. They wouldn't let me have one without a script. The only place that did have them was this emergency supply place. The needle heads were tiny, like for insulin shots. A needle that small couldnt even make it all the way through my deck. The closest vape shop that has them is 45 minutes away...... None the less, I ended up ordering a few needle nose bottles off of this medical supply website. Here's to hoping the syringe part of the bottle fits through the fill hole. Smh.

 

[Nobody2]

Try an arts and crafts store.

 

[UncleRJ]

So I went on a search for some syringes. Went to all of the pharmacy's in my area. They wouldn't let me have one without a script. The only place that did have them was this emergency supply place. The needle heads were tiny, like for insulin shots. A needle that small couldnt even make it all the way through my deck. The closest vape shop that has them is 45 minutes away...... None the less, I ended up ordering a few needle nose bottles off of this medical supply website. Here's to hoping the syringe part of the bottle fits through the fill hole. Smh.

Do you have any farm supply stores in your area? They normally stock syringes and needles. No script needed just cash.

 

[MirkoGradski]

Went to all the pharmacies, went to a hobby shop, went to a tractor supply store. Nothing.

Finally, I just made the 35 minute trip into the city and went to this vape shop. They had one bottle with a needle nose left, and they just let me have it. So it was worth the trip.