Zeus x mesh problems

[tolis626]

Hello everyone! New guy here, both to the site and to vaping in general. Although I am learning at quite a fast pace, I might say. I started about a month ago with a little Innokin Coolfire Z50, but since then I have got a Voopoo Argus GT and a Vaporesso Gen X. My attys are the stock pod atty that came with the Voopoo, the Innokin Zlide, the Vaporesso NRG-S, the Zeus Sub-ohm and the Zeus X Mesh (I also have a Profile Unity borrowed from a friend). So far, the Zeus X has been my favorite, but man does it have issues, especially if you're new to this.

So, enough rumbling on my part. On to the subject at hand. I had some terrible dry hits with the stock mesh, so I decided to try my alternatives and got a pack of SS316 NexMesh strips, knowing full well that they don't fit. I took one and cut it a bit on the side to make it the same width as the GV mesh, but the result was a no go. Might've done something wrong, but man, everything was burning, hotspots everywhere. So I decided to take a different approach. Took another strip and only slightly cut the corners, just enough that they fit into the Zeus X's clamps. And lo and behold, it's much, much better, but still not perfect. And I am now convinced that the problem is my wicking, because I do have issues with the stock mesh too. Strange thing is that I wicked the Profile Unity and nailed it on the first try. And I have to say, that thing's awesome. Too bad it's OOGLY. Not even simply ugly. It looks like a failed attempt at a DIY atty to me.

The issue I'm trying to solve now is that, especially if I vape at higher wattages (60W and above), I will get burnt taste if I dare take a longer than 1.5 seconds hit. Not a dry hit, not that nasty. It just tasted a bit charred. I cranked it to 70W and it was almost instant, so I pressed the fire button on my mod and looked into the atty while blowing on it. On one try I saw the edge of the mesh glowing red on one side, but on all my tries I could smell the burnt whatever-it-is (probs cotton). I have tried a lot of wicking methods but I always get the same results. I'm using Cotton Gods cotton, if that helps.

Any ideas?

 

[Mr Ripple]

Hello everyone! New guy here, both to the site and to vaping in general. Although I am learning at quite a fast pace, I might say. I started about a month ago with a little Innokin Coolfire Z50, but since then I have got a Voopoo Argus GT and a Vaporesso Gen X. My attys are the stock pod atty that came with the Voopoo, the Innokin Zlide, the Vaporesso NRG-S, the Zeus Sub-ohm and the Zeus X Mesh (I also have a Profile Unity borrowed from a friend). So far, the Zeus X has been my favorite, but man does it have issues, especially if you're new to this.

So, enough rumbling on my part. On to the subject at hand. I had some terrible dry hits with the stock mesh, so I decided to try my alternatives and got a pack of SS316 NexMesh strips, knowing full well that they don't fit. I took one and cut it a bit on the side to make it the same width as the GV mesh, but the result was a no go. Might've done something wrong, but man, everything was burning, hotspots everywhere. So I decided to take a different approach. Took another strip and only slightly cut the corners, just enough that they fit into the Zeus X's clamps. And lo and behold, it's much, much better, but still not perfect. And I am now convinced that the problem is my wicking, because I do have issues with the stock mesh too. Strange thing is that I wicked the Profile Unity and nailed it on the first try. And I have to say, that thing's awesome. Too bad it's OOGLY. Not even simply ugly. It looks like a failed attempt at a DIY atty to me.

The issue I'm trying to solve now is that, especially if I vape at higher wattages (60W and above), I will get burnt taste if I dare take a longer than 1.5 seconds hit. Not a dry hit, not that nasty. It just tasted a bit charred. I cranked it to 70W and it was almost instant, so I pressed the fire button on my mod and looked into the atty while blowing on it. On one try I saw the edge of the mesh glowing red on one side, but on all my tries I could smell the burnt whatever-it-is (probs cotton). I have tried a lot of wicking methods but I always get the same results. I'm using Cotton Gods cotton, if that helps.

Any ideas?

60-65w 2.8-2.9v on a mesh rta is about the limit and tbh doesn't need to go higher so if you feel the need to go higher it's obviously an issue with your build.
You're probably comparing it to conventional wire builds which is not needed.
Have a look through this thread as I'm sure there will be some helpful hints and tips in there that will help you.
Hi and welcome btw.


https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/...cigs/threads/geekvape-zeus-x-mesh-rta.194708/

 

[andipandi]

I cranked it to 70W and it was almost instant, so I pressed the fire button on my mod and looked into the atty while blowing on it. On one try I saw the edge of the mesh glowing red on one side, but on all my tries I could smell the burnt whatever-it-is (probs cotton). I have tried a lot of wicking methods but I always get the same results. I'm using Cotton Gods cotton, if that helps.

@tolis626 Welcome to potv On the subject of wicking mesh, don't be tempted to thin the cotton right back to the mesh (edge) on top, rake the cotton from underneath, you need as much cotton as possible in contact with the mesh, the glowing red on the edge of the mesh could be a lack of cotton in contact with the mesh and or 70 watts is too high a wattage, take it down to 50w and try from there. FWIW i find the Zeus mesh rta a little tricky wicking wise, the Steam Crave Ragnar and Titan tanks are easier to do, for me, I don't really know why that is so.

60-65w 2.8-2.9v on a mesh rta is about the limit and tbh doesn't need to go higher so if you feel the need to go higher it's obviously an issue with your build.
You're probably comparing it to conventional wire builds which is not needed.
Have a look through this thread as I'm sure there will be some helpful hints and tips in there that will help you.
Hi and welcome btw.

Good ball park figure, I've got my Zeus mesh on a Tesla Invader IV, no idea of the precise volts/ wattage so just just took a voltage reading and I'm vaping at 3v, on a 0.19ohm mesh build that is approx 48watts.

 

[tolis626]

60-65w 2.8-2.9v on a mesh rta is about the limit and tbh doesn't need to go higher so if you feel the need to go higher it's obviously an issue with your build.
You're probably comparing it to conventional wire builds which is not needed.
Have a look through this thread as I'm sure there will be some helpful hints and tips in there that will help you.
Hi and welcome btw.


https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/...cigs/threads/geekvape-zeus-x-mesh-rta.194708/

I am not comparing to traditional coil RTAs because, well, I've had none, although getting one is on my bucket list along with an RDA/RDTA (any suggestions are welcome, I'm currently looking at the Zeus X, Dead Rabbit V2 and maybe the Dovpo Blotto).

Perhaps I am coming at this wrong, as my only comparison point is factory coil attys. That said, I can easily push 75W through the Profile Unity. I don't need that much and I don't want that much, but I do use it at 65W and like it a lot there. At first I thought it was the coils, so I tried using the NexMesh on both, but still the same results, so I think it's my wicking.

I will try again and again until I figure this out, but for now I'm tempted to file the posts on the Zeus deck because I don't like having to use GV's mesh only.

Thanks! Good to be here!

@tolis626 Welcome to potv On the subject of wicking mesh, don't be tempted to thin the cotton right back to the mesh (edge) on top, rake the cotton from underneath, you need as much cotton as possible in contact with the mesh, the glowing red on the edge of the mesh could be a lack of cotton in contact with the mesh and or 70 watts is too high a wattage, take it down to 50w and try from there. FWIW i find the Zeus mesh rta a little tricky wicking wise, the Steam Crave Ragnar and Titan tanks are easier to do, for me, I don't really know why that is so.


Good ball park figure, I've got my Zeus mesh on a Tesla Invader IV, no idea of the precise volts/ wattage so just just took a voltage reading and I'm vaping at 3v, on a 0.19ohm mesh build that is approx 48watts.

A ha! I have been thinning the cotton all around on all my builds. Now that I think of it, on the Unity build I didn't thin the cotton that much, due to the bigger wick slots.

As for the hotspot thing, it's not wattage. It's just that at 70W it will taste burnt almost instantly. If I have the audacity to do a longer pull on even 50-55W, I will get the same result. As I said above, no such problem with the Unity. At this point, I would've normally ditched the Zeus and gone for the Unity, but a) the Unity isn't made to be looked at and b) when it works, I love the Zeus, it's just that it mostly doesn't work for me.

For now, I have ordered a few spools of Vandy Vape mesh, 1 is SS316 150, 1 SS316 200 and last is A1. Let's see what I manage to do with those, although the NexMesh stuff is supposed to be among the best. We'll see.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[andipandi]

A ha! I have been thinning the cotton all around on all my builds. Now that I think of it, on the Unity build I didn't thin the cotton that much, due to the bigger wick slots.

More of a fluff really, I pull the cotton through really tight, I do end up with a dense cotton tail, that sometimes require thinning, but not every time, I use Japanese Puff Cotton, although the steam crave cotton tails are good, but pricey (in comparison).

 

[tolis626]

More of a fluff really, I pull the cotton through really tight, I do end up with a dense cotton tail, that sometimes require thinning, but not every time, I use Japanese Puff Cotton, although the steam crave cotton tails are good, but pricey (in comparison).

Ok, so I wicked the thing again. Had to cut another mesh strip because I ruined the previous one out of frustration (bent it in all sorts of ways, although it was 2 days old or something). I took a piece of cotton that seemed of appropriate size and pulled it through the mesh "bridge". Then I cut diagonally from the top, raked the cotton from the bottom and stuck maybe 2/3 of it in the wicking ports and trimmed the rest. During that process, I used a tiny screwdriver to force some more cotton below the mesh, especially in areas that cotton density seemed lower. Assembled and... Well, I don't wanna jinx it, but it works! Haven't tried higher wattages yet, but at 50W the pull is flavorful and smooth, much like the Profile. Before, at lower wattages I would get poor flavor and vapor quantity, but at higher wattages I would get burning. Now, 50W is actually usable. I'm impressed. Probably already jinxed it though, might have to expect the nastiest dry hit of all time. We'll see.

 

[ADDicT]

Ok, so I wicked the thing again. Had to cut another mesh strip because I ruined the previous one out of frustration (bent it in all sorts of ways, although it was 2 days old or something). I took a piece of cotton that seemed of appropriate size and pulled it through the mesh "bridge". Then I cut diagonally from the top, raked the cotton from the bottom and stuck maybe 2/3 of it in the wicking ports and trimmed the rest. During that process, I used a tiny screwdriver to force some more cotton below the mesh, especially in areas that cotton density seemed lower. Assembled and... Well, I don't wanna jinx it, but it works! Haven't tried higher wattages yet, but at 50W the pull is flavorful and smooth, much like the Profile. Before, at lower wattages I would get poor flavor and vapor quantity, but at higher wattages I would get burning. Now, 50W is actually usable. I'm impressed. Probably already jinxed it though, might have to expect the nastiest dry hit of all time. We'll see.

Mesh dry hits are the worst thing ever, I recently got a unity style mesh RTA myself so I feel you there. Glad to see you have it set up good now, good luck.

 

[LordOdin]

I never cut the cotton angled like everyone says to do on the Profiles and other Mesh tanks, i do a straight cut and push the cotton towards the coil so it's like a bow tie, i then put the bottom of the cotton in the juice well and give the top of the cotton a little trim and Voila all's good.

 

[tolis626]

Mesh dry hits are the worst thing ever, I recently got a unity style mesh RTA myself so I feel you there. Glad to see you have it set up good now, good luck.

Yes, yes they are. If I had started with the Zeus X right away and had gotten the same dry hits I did, I would've probably preferred to go back to smoking. That burned disgusting thing I inhaled couldn't be better than the half a pack I was smoking before.

Let's see how this build holds up!

I never cut the cotton angled like everyone says to do on the Profiles and other Mesh tanks, i do a straight cut and push the cotton towards the coil so it's like a bow tie, i then put the bottom of the cotton in the juice well and give the top of the cotton a little trim and Voila all's good.

Well, that's kind of what I did. I started off by cutting at an angle, I raked the bottom of the cotton where it was longer and then, when it was all fluffed, I trimmed it and it was almost like a straight cut. I just found that when I comb the cotton after it's been cut to its proper length, I tend to move it around a lot and ruin the placement beneath the mesh. Not like this. So, if I'm understanding you correctly, we went for the same result, just in slightly different ways. Hey, as long as it works, right?

PS : You guys have to try OFRF NexMesh strips on the Zeus. The result is awesome, even without mutilating your atty.

 

[andipandi]

On the subject of an angle cut I use this Unity method, I am not usually a fan of wicking this way.