RBA vs pre-built - Please explain

[Reti]

Up to now I never fancied using drippers but a squonk mod overcomes the need to have to keep getting out a bottle of juice and regularly having to keep dripping juice but a squonker would mean I wouldn't have to so I just got my first RDA a few days ago.

Now that I'm using it I'm actually really enjoying it. I don't have my new squonk mod yet so I'm using it as a normal dripper but I'm really liking the way it vapes.



You're right about the amp rating. The reason I wasn't worried is because with my spaced coils I never get above 45W.

What is the appeal to you at having to squeeze liquid onto the wick regularly over having a tank?



Just installed the dual coil deck. Went for dual chain link coils (3mm - 0.32ohm each). Liking it more than the single coil.
Got the cotton thinning down to an art i think with this. Just need to replicate that and try again with the mesh one. Going to keep using the dual coil for now and see how I get on.

I was really picturing not getting the hang of this coil building thing for a while but I'm glad I got it right away. I was imagining being very frustrated for a while. Watching lots of videos pays off!

This is popping a lot as I vape. Not spitting, but I can hear lots of popping. What does that mean?

 

[MarylinC37]

What is the appeal to you at having to squeeze liquid onto the wick regularly over having a tank?



Just installed the dual coil deck. Went for dual chain link coils (3mm - 0.32ohm each). Liking it more than the single coil.
Got the cotton thinning down to an art i think with this. Just need to replicate that and try again with the mesh one. Going to keep using the dual coil for now and see how I get on.

I was really picturing not getting the hang of this coil building thing for a while but I'm glad I got it right away. I was imagining being very frustrated for a while. Watching lots of videos pays off!

This is popping a lot as I vape. Not spitting, but I can hear lots of popping. What does that mean?

The popping is bubbles of juice as it reaches boiling point.

Drpipers alow you to keep checking the build deck for gunk build up and also dripping a little juice directly onto the coils to make sure the top of the coils aren't getting too dry. The airflow options are also a lot better.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still a big fan of tanks but it's nice to have the choice.

Really impressed with how well you're doing so far on your different builds.

 

[30deadcats]

Ok so I've installed the single core deck. It's A LOT better in regards to no dry hits. It's working a charm.
I installed a tri-core fused clapton (3mm - 0.21ohm - Ni80) and used the square shaped cotton that came with it (Coilology). This one is working perfectly.
I'll attach some photos of the mesh deck. Not sure you can tell a lot from it but it's there.

I got a new eliquid bottle and made it 5.5mg/ml strength. This one seems a lot better at this strength.
10mg was fine for me on my Zeus tank but it's too much on this one.

I got this single core one perfect though on my first go. It's not getting dry at all and I can hear the juice being sucked into the wicking area as I inhale.

Photos of mesh deck, built and used:

https://www.imgpaste.net/image/KO9yyx
https://www.imgpaste.net/image/KO94L8
https://www.imgpaste.net/image/KO9MzE
https://www.imgpaste.net/image/KO9Zds

EDIT: I can tell when I pulled the cotton and coil from the mesh one that it was packed with way too much cotton. Will give that one another try later. Going to try double coil one next and probably use a normal fused clapton.

What are the things that distinguish the other coils from each other?
I have:
-Staple
-Framed staple
-Multi-strands fused claptop
-Chain link
-Juggernaut

I think someone made a balls up. These are for sure not framed staples in the compartment named as such.

Hi,

Your mesh strip doesn't look like it's perfectly rounded. Any kinks will give you hotspots and dry hits. Needs to be a super smooth semi circle. Cotton needs to be tight under the mesh and the ends need to be fluffed. The steam crave mesh deck isn't the best because there's no spring under it to push the cotton against the mesh strip. If you want to vape mesh get yourself a profile unity. By far the best mesh rta.

 

[30deadcats]

When you install the mesh strip you need to pulse it at around 15 watts. It'll show if you have any hotspots and will also clean the strip of any oils from your skin.

 

[Crispycritters]

What is the appeal to you at having to squeeze liquid onto the wick regularly over having a tank?

It's just another option. RDAs are really the easiest re-buildables to build as there isn't much that can go wrong as long as you fit appropriate coils and have the coil lined up with the airflow, if there is a learning curve, it isn't a steep one - you are unlikely to have any problems with wicking, as long as the tails of the cotton touch the bottom of the build deck you're good, unlike wicking RTAs - many can be easy, but others require experimentation and fine tuning to avoid dry hitting/flooding/spitting. RDAs also tend to give better flavour - at least they used to, nowadays good RTA's can give the same levels of flavour if you build it right so there's little difference. the obvious drawback with RDAs is they don't hold much juice in the juice well so you have to drip fairly frequently.

Sticking an RDA on top of a squonk mod means you have a 6 to 8ml reservoir of juice, just like an RTA and all you have to do is squeeze the bottle when you notice the flavour dropping because the wicks are getting dry.

 

[Deadanddripping]

I only make small mtl coils but I think if you are getting lots of big pops, you probably need a bit more cotton inside the coil. I found that when people say it glides through, it can be a bit loose. You want the coil to have good contact with the wet cotton. This is where the 3mm laces are handy so you don't have to guess the amount. Fill the coil and nice skinny legs to draw it up. Just how I wick for mtl.

 

[Reti]

Hi,

Your mesh strip doesn't look like it's perfectly rounded. Any kinks will give you hotspots and dry hits. Needs to be a super smooth semi circle. Cotton needs to be tight under the mesh and the ends need to be fluffed. The steam crave mesh deck isn't the best because there's no spring under it to push the cotton against the mesh strip. If you want to vape mesh get yourself a profile unity. By far the best mesh rta.

I tried doing it again with a new mesh strip and the same thing happened.
I see what the problem is. As I'm thinning out either side I can see that the part under the mesh is also thinning. The fibers are also being pulled out from under the coil. I made sure to really thin the outer edges this time but the problem is cotton being thin under the coil. Not sure what I can to resolve that. It should work still, I just need to get that bit sorted.

 

[Reti]

The popping is bubbles of juice as it reaches boiling point.

Drpipers alow you to keep checking the build deck for gunk build up and also dripping a little juice directly onto the coils to make sure the top of the coils aren't getting too dry. The airflow options are also a lot better.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still a big fan of tanks but it's nice to have the choice.

Really impressed with how well you're doing so far on your different builds.

Thanks . I got the normal coils perfect. That bit is spot on but really struggling with the mesh. Reason why is in my last comment.

 

[Reti]

I only make small mtl coils but I think if you are getting lots of big pops, you probably need a bit more cotton inside the coil. I found that when people say it glides through, it can be a bit loose. You want the coil to have good contact with the wet cotton. This is where the 3mm laces are handy so you don't have to guess the amount. Fill the coil and nice skinny legs to draw it up. Just how I wick for mtl.

Yeah it could be that. I only have the cotton that came with the coil pack. It's like long square shaped things, not like normal laces. I've ordered some Cotton gods laces so hopefully will be all good when they come.

 

[MarylinC37]

The thing I love with DTL is the much more intense and moist flavour I get from it and I find a bit of popping is nice. I like to pull the cotton strands apart to loosen them and allow more space between the strands to deliver more juice to the centre of the coil. In a round coil the cotton will expand enough make good contact with the coil. I don't want so much juice in the vapour that I'm getting lots of raw juice coming through the drip tip so I just want the vapour to carry just the right amount of juice to give me great flavour but not so much that I'm drinking the stuff.