Wotofo Profile RDTA wrong ohms reading problem

[tolis626]

Hey all!

After having been mostly satisfied with my vaping gear for the last few months, I keep running into an issue that I'd like some light shed on by someone more experienced than me.

Long story short, I got me a Profile RDTA somewhere between spring and summer 2021 and I've been both loving and hating it since then. When it works, it works brilliantly, best flavor I've ever got from any atty I've tried, mesh or otherwise, while not having the classic cool mesh vape. Needless to say, I'd love to be able to use it more, but I've been having issues with it that I've been ignoring. See, for some reason, when in RDTA mode, the resistance reading is all over the place. Say I have a build with the clapton mesh installed. Should be 0.2Ω, so anything between 0.18 and 0.22 would be acceptable. And for as long as I was running it in RDA mode, that was what I was getting, with dead on 0.2Ω more often than not. But as soon as I screw in the tank and place the steel ropes, it all goes to shit. Resistance readings are all over the place, but never even close to what they should be and always being higher. 0.2Ω for the clapton mesh? Forget it, it'll start with 0.24Ω then randomly jump to 0.31Ω, drop to 0.28Ω, then 0.3Ω etc etc. Same story for other mesh types and countless rebuilds.

That creates two problems. One is annoyance because, depending on the mod I have it on, it will either prompt me to ask if it's a new or old coil (like I removed the atty and put it back on, this happens on the Gen X and Thelema Quest), or it will just recognize a new resistance and switch power automatically to something lower like 50W or even 35W (Argus GT or Drag X Plus, the Grus doesn't seem to care). The other problem is that it seems reading higher ohms, most mods will compensate by putting out more voltage (The Argus I usually use the RDTA with surely does this, sometimes in excess of 4.2V for my set 70W), leading to overheating of the coil and drying of the cotton. I don't need to say how bad this gets sometimes.

At some point in the past few months I broke my tank somehow, so I was kinda forced to use the thing in RDA mode, and it was working fine just fine. Using the clapton mesh? 0.2Ω always. Turbo mesh? Always got 0.13Ω. Same for Extreme. Never did it deviate more than +/- 0.01Ω. And it vaped beatifully. But I realized soon I hate dripping and that that's not what I bought this for (plus, it's not a particularly great pure dripper now, is it? I'd much rather have the RDA for that), so I decided to go ahead and ask here. What might be wrong? Am I doing something wrong? Or is the atty just faulty? Things I've tried to alleviate the issue is countless rebuilds, making sure all the screws are super tight, tightening the deck on the tank harder, leaving it looser, torching the steel ropes, using the solid and squonk pins, change the o-rings that hold the RDA barrel on... There may be more but I can't remember. I've never gotten it to work properly after the first few months (at first it was fine).

Any input is welcome. I don't have high hopes, I've scoured the internet for a solution and it seems like I'm the only one with this problem. All others seem to be concerned with leaking and dry hits, and I have had neither since I learned to use the thing properly.

Thanks in advance guys. Cheers!

 

[Crispycritters]

High and fluctuating ohms in an atty is always caused by the same thing - a bad or loose connection. As you don't get the problem in RDA mode it obviously isn't that the mesh isn't clamped down properly so the problem is obviously caused by the tank section.

I recommend you strip and thoroughly clean the entire atty before attempting to reassemble it in RDTA modeas any residual juice between mating surfaces can cause intermittent connection. Sometimes you will get a high ohm reading which goes down when you fire the mod - this is a sure sign of a shit connection, meaning something is loose, or not connecting properly.

Strip and clean it thoroughly in an ultrasonic of you have one. If not -remove all the o-rings and soak it in a saucepan of very hot water with washing up liquid added (wash the glass separately) - rinse, dry and re-assemble - make sure the 510 pin is tight...

 

[tolis626]

High and fluctuating ohms in an atty is always caused by the same thing - a bad or loose connection. As you don't get the problem in RDA mode it obviously isn't that the mesh isn't clamped down properly so the problem is obviously caused by the tank section.

I recommend you strip and thoroughly clean the entire atty before attempting to reassemble it in RDTA modeas any residual juice between mating surfaces can cause intermittent connection. Sometimes you will get a high ohm reading which goes down when you fire the mod - this is a sure sign of a shit connection, meaning something is loose, or not connecting properly.

Strip and clean it thoroughly in an ultrasonic of you have one. If not -remove all the o-rings and soak it in a saucepan of very hot water with washing up liquid added (wash the glass separately) - rinse, dry and re-assemble - make sure the 510 pin is tight...

Hey man, thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

I have tried thoroughly cleaning the thing. It was actually my first reaction to do it when it first started acting up. When I took it apart, sure enough, juice had made its way in the contact in the tank section, where deck screws in. But I have cleaned it many times, as thoroughly as I can, and it doesn't change much, if anything at all. I will try again with hot-ish water, just in case you're right and I just wasn't thorough enough. But if that's the case, then I have to figure out why in the name of God juice makes its way in there. I mean, screws are as tight as possible, the deck is threaded down as much as I can push it, o-rings seem fine... I dunno. Also, the issue doesn't clear up when firing. It's completely random. I might leave it for the night at 0.24Ω and wake up the next morning with it reading 0.31Ω. Or the opposite, the thing doesn't care.

Anyway, I'll try being even more thorough with my cleaning, but I don't think that it's the problem. At least not the only one. Hopefully I'll end up being wrong. Fingers crossed.

 

[nwhornet]

Hey man, thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

I have tried thoroughly cleaning the thing. It was actually my first reaction to do it when it first started acting up. When I took it apart, sure enough, juice had made its way in the contact in the tank section, where deck screws in. But I have cleaned it many times, as thoroughly as I can, and it doesn't change much, if anything at all. I will try again with hot-ish water, just in case you're right and I just wasn't thorough enough. But if that's the case, then I have to figure out why in the name of God juice makes its way in there. I mean, screws are as tight as possible, the deck is threaded down as much as I can push it, o-rings seem fine... I dunno. Also, the issue doesn't clear up when firing. It's completely random. I might leave it for the night at 0.24Ω and wake up the next morning with it reading 0.31Ω. Or the opposite, the thing doesn't care.

Anyway, I'll try being even more thorough with my cleaning, but I don't think that it's the problem. At least not the only one. Hopefully I'll end up being wrong. Fingers crossed.

You didn't elaborate on how you "broke the tank" but first check the insulation ring & pin in the tank section. The pin is a push fit & easy to pop out. If the pin/insulation is good loosen the squonk/solid pin in the RDA, over tightening is likely to damge insulation/ O ring in the base. Remove the ceramic block to check for damage to the pin. IIf these steps don't fix it there's likely damage to the decks insulation between posiitive/negative sections.

 

[tolis626]

You didn't elaborate on how you "broke the tank" but first check the insulation ring & pin in the tank section. The pin is a push fit & easy to pop out. If the pin/insulation is good loosen the squonk/solid pin in the RDA, over tightening is likely to damge insulation/ O ring in the base. Remove the ceramic block to check for damage to the pin. IIf these steps don't fix it there's likely damage to the decks insulation between posiitive/negative sections.

Ah, yeah, the damage. Well, it was rather uneventful, really. I just had it on my desk sitting there, I go grab it to take a hit, but as I was gaming and didn't take my eyes off of my screen I miss, hit the mod, it falls on its side and the tank section of the RDTA hit the corner of my monitor stand. It seemed like nothing was wrong, considering there's a damn cage around it, but after a few minutes I went to grab it again and juice was leaking from a small break in the plastic tank. I didn't smash it or anything, just a small piece broke, but it was enough to render the tank useless. I was just waiting around to buy order more vape stuff so I could also throw a new tank for the RDTA in my order.

Now, considering the tank. By "insulation ring" I suppose you mean the little bit of peek that's around the 510 contact at the bottom of the tank, where it screws on the mod? Anyway, took it all apart and can't see anything obviously wrong. What I will admit I was wrong about is that I had no idea you could take off the 510 pin from the bottom of the tank. I always thought it was fixed in place. Took it out and there was indeed some juice residue in there. I don't think it's enough to cause a problem, but who knows? Maybe that's it. In the meantime, the thing is drying from its hot soapy bath, so it'll be a bit before I reassemble it. So I decided to shoot some photos for you guys to see. I don't see anything wrong per se, apart from the crud in the 510. Hopefully that's the issue.


PS : Had more pictures, but I get an error uploading them saying the file is too large. Oh welll, you can get an idea.

 

[Cozy]

Ah, yeah, the damage. Well, it was rather uneventful, really. I just had it on my desk sitting there, I go grab it to take a hit, but as I was gaming and didn't take my eyes off of my screen I miss, hit the mod, it falls on its side and the tank section of the RDTA hit the corner of my monitor stand. It seemed like nothing was wrong, considering there's a damn cage around it, but after a few minutes I went to grab it again and juice was leaking from a small break in the plastic tank. I didn't smash it or anything, just a small piece broke, but it was enough to render the tank useless. I was just waiting around to buy order more vape stuff so I could also throw a new tank for the RDTA in my order.

Now, considering the tank. By "insulation ring" I suppose you mean the little bit of peek that's around the 510 contact at the bottom of the tank, where it screws on the mod? Anyway, took it all apart and can't see anything obviously wrong. What I will admit I was wrong about is that I had no idea you could take off the 510 pin from the bottom of the tank. I always thought it was fixed in place. Took it out and there was indeed some juice residue in there. I don't think it's enough to cause a problem, but who knows? Maybe that's it. In the meantime, the thing is drying from its hot soapy bath, so it'll be a bit before I reassemble it. So I decided to shoot some photos for you guys to see. I don't see anything wrong per se, apart from the crud in the 510. Hopefully that's the issue.
View attachment 264370 View attachment 264371 View attachment 264372 View attachment 264373 View attachment 264374

PS : Had more pictures, but I get an error uploading them saying the file is too large. Oh welll, you can get an idea.

Just for reference, good app for compressing photo size is called 'Lit photo' its on play store, probably on apple app store too

 

[tolis626]

Just for reference, good app for compressing photo size is called 'Lit photo' its on play store, probably on apple app store too

Good call, just what I needed. I'm uploading them all on this post.

As for the RDTA, nope, doesn't work as it should. I checked all the o-rings, insulators etc to the best of my ability/knowledge, but I can't see anything wrong.

@nwhornet
Nothing seems to be out of place. I ended up cleaning the hole where the 510 pin is press fitted into, cleaned the pin itself, threw it all back together as soon as it was dry and I'm getting the same behavior. At this point, it seems like it's the connection between the deck and tank that's the problem, like @Crispycritters said. When I screw the deck onto the mod (with or without the RDA base) it works perfectly. As soon as I introduce the tank into the mix, all hell breaks loose and resistance shoots up by like 50%. I even checked if it works without the steel ropes, just in case it is a problem with the deck that manifests only when the ropes are in but no, with or without them makes no difference.

 

[Crispycritters]

I think the connection problem is likely to be on the negative side between the tank and the bottom of the build deck (the pin travels all the way through the tank section and threads directly into the positive block of the build deck so I doubt this is likely to cause problems. As the tank is coated I suspect the fluctuating resistance is caused by the very top part of the tank being coated, where metal meets metal there should be no paint whatsoever - the same applies to the bottom edge of the deck where it contacts the tank. Clean these areas up to see if that makes any improvement

 

[tolis626]

I think the connection problem is likely to be on the negative side between the tank and the bottom of the build deck (the pin travels all the way through the tank section and threads directly into the positive block of the build deck so I doubt this is likely to cause problems. As the tank is coated I suspect the fluctuating resistance is caused by the very top part of the tank being coated, where metal meets metal there should be no paint whatsoever - the same applies to the bottom edge of the deck where it contacts the tank. Clean these areas up to see if that makes any improvement

I am afraid I don't get what you're suggesting. What paint should I clean? And why shouldn't there be any paint when it was there from the factory in the first place? Could you please mark the areas you're talking about in my photos?

 

[Crispycritters]

I am afraid I don't get what you're suggesting. What paint should I clean? And why shouldn't there be any paint when it was there from the factory in the first place? Could you please mark the areas you're talking about in my photos?

I'm sorry bud, I haven't a clue how to mark pics. I was referring to the very top edge of the tank section and the area inside at the top (not the exterior which is painted) but I think I gave you a bum steer as it looks like the tank attaches via the threaded centre post in the middle instead of screwing on to the outside.

One thing that does look like it could cause problems is it appears the pin on the tank section is the floating type - instead of a longer threaded pin that screws directly into the positive block of the build deck. If you look at pic no 2 (which I'm assuming is the base of the deck when in RDTA mode) - can that pin be unscrewed slightly without loosening off the positive block so it makes a more solid contact with that floating? If the top of the floating 510 and the brass? screw in the bottom of the deck aren't firmly pressed together that would screw up the ohm reading.