What am I doing WRONG??

[mr Nice]

Hello,

Since it is my first post here I would like to say Hi to everyone!


It's my second try to vape instead of smoke cigarettes. (1 pack of Marlboro's for day - 3 years+)

First one was with iGo AIO, now I try again with Eleaf Pico Mega and Serpent Mini...

Thought It would be all fine when I switch to Pico but problem persists.

I used to have burnt taste all the time, read all I can on the internet- priming the coil, letting it settle down a bit to soak, inhaling gently to mouths (not like with regular cigs), trying to inhale rapidly few times without button pressed before vaping to 'pump' more liquid.

Trying with the coils that came with Serpent mini- about 0,5 Ohm Twisted wire Kanthal.. I am giving them 16 Watts
Wicking seems good, like everyone are telling to wick -little resist in coil, good lenght etc, I am using japanese cotton.

Using VPG 6mg base.

I should mention that for many tries.. I got it working (being able to actually feel the taste of liquid) for just a few, but it was great then- not sure If I did anything different tho..

After many tries, many MANY made coils.. I came up to the conclusion that the best working setup for me is SS wire (I have SS316 l 26ga wire from geek vape) -6-7 3 mm wraps with 0,5-1 mm distance giving 0,5 Ohm (running it with 16-20 Watts)

Still.. Ok, It is not burning... but the taste is harsh, irritating throat, virtually no liquid taste. On best try I get just a very little of harshness and throat hit, 'cold' like vape still with no aroma.

Not sure why any other wires are not working for me, and SS is not working good too..


Have for like .. 5% of my tries actually feeled the GOOD taste (watermelon in that case) and it would be sooo good being able to push that 5% to 95%...

One more detail- when I fell all the harshess with new coil, new wick etc. (yes, primed and everything)... when inspecting it- wick is perfectly clean, not burned at all, coil is shiny clean too.. nicelly soaked with the liquid)

No clue what to do next..


I am looking forward for any help, don't want to stay with regular cigs..

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[slugster]

It can take about a tank ofliquid to bed the coil in, quite a few people struggle with the serpent, it's not a tank for a newbie

 

[pete146]

What juice are you using?

 

[mannikon]

So you examined your wick and it's not burnt, that's good so increase the watts?
Tell us exactly what juice you're using and also is your wick fluffy etc?
More details more likely someone will hit upon the problem and solution.
You still using the AIO? How did you get on with that?

 

[mr Nice]

First of all- THANKS for all of the responses so far...

more data:

To eliminate juice factor I am mostly testing now just with base...
6mg nicotine/ 50/50 PG/VG , 5% deminaralized water

I dropped the AIO for now - it is far more complicated to re-build, even with BG RBA

Wick seems good, puffy, not burned, well juiced.... Increasing watts to like.. 35 speeds things up so I can inhale for like 1s and vape gets hot, it's gurgling, sparkling etc.

I tried the temperature controll mode but on 180 C it seems like want's to burn the wick, with smaller temps not doing much (watts seems more stable for me)

so.. If I try with more watts - 25+-35 max it feels bit 'overpower' and asking for burned wick....

on attached image is the coil+wick after about 10-15 pufffs.. not ruined in any mean...

what else info I should give you guys?

thanks!

 

[Michael jackson]

Think it needs more wick

 

[Miss Pepper]

And coils need to be close together, no gaps

 

[mr Nice]

Think it needs more wick

ahh, not really think more wick would sit there (fitting the juice channel)- the tightness seems to be good- not too compress, not to loose I will try more wick tho..
After about one tank, the taste is not so irritating, not that bad... maybe just a little..but only with ss wire? rest types seems useless,, should it be normal? (keep in mind- to avoid wasting juice majority of tests done with jus a plain base)..... haven't made good results with any juice on that setup (any flavour feelings)

 

[mr Nice]

And coils need to be close together, no gaps

worry a bit of pre-heating in this case- the toxic fumes etc.. the degeneration of coil material also.. it gets 'matte' and weak in the process what I've discovered when trying to pre-heat and tighten the gaps

not sure if I shoud pre-heat.. from what I've read it seems dangerous to pre-heat the wire.. It seems to be 'structually damaged ' and even toxic when put to pre-heating process...

on the other had If I try to make colil without gaps and no pre- heat/ tighten the rolls.. it may have the hot spots (no other method to avoid that without pre-heating)

just a newbie point of view- please advice on that if you see it different way

 

[Michael jackson]

Maybe as your not dry burning there is oil or rubbish on the wire giving off a burnt taste