Advanced E-cig users and oil/wax, how-to "one-hitter-quitter"

growinsmoke

Active Member
I think the only thing I do not like about my istick is TC is locked at 40w. I think the TC would be smoother if the wattage could be lowered, but otherwise it's working well for me on an rda.

I think i can hear some splatter when I first push the button, but it backs off pretty quickly so I am not really noticing any extra mess.
 

2clicker

Observer
A note to the people using the SX Mini M Class. The Dry Coil warning can be an issue if the coils resistance is on the higher range. It comes on when there is still oil on the wire and stops firing. it can also be hard to load. But I find it works perfectly when I keep my builds at or below 0.1ohm. It recommends 0.06-0.08ohm, doing this it works great and I am able to vape up pretty much all of it and I can load no problem.

so have you experienced the dry coil warning again? after building below .1ohm?

i REALLY REALLY REALLY want that IPV D2. if keeping my coils at or below .1ohm will eliminate the DCW then im totally good with that.

and what about the dry coil warning makes it hard to load?

i have a feeling that its just not a good fit, but would love to be wrong. that device seems perfect for me.

@Likes2vape... have you had this experience as well?
 
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fernand

Well-Known Member
ok, confused now. Can I run my stock alpha centauri coils on whichever TC device i end up deciding on today, or do i have to rewrap with ni200?

If your Alpha Centauri coil is Kanthal then the mod will normally operate in WC mode.

I don't know about "whichever TC device", but my Mini VF recognizes Kanthal even if it's sub-ohm and turns off the TC, showing the target Wattage and the Voltage.

If the coil is Ni (or possibly Ti too, depending on the firmware), the mod can recognize it and re-enable TC. If you turn off TC and use a Ni coil, it operates in WC mode, showing "OFF" in the temp field.

The key thing is that TC is an added "safety". Everything operates as before in WC mode, but if the coil can be temp-sensed, the mod can ALSO prevent a set temp from being exceeded.

The better ones allow setting watts AND temp ceiling when TC is enabled, the worse ones max out the watts if you enable TC.

But I can't see a reason to buy a mod that lacks TC these days. You can always use Kanthal, and run it in WC mode.

The design varies. The IPV D2 seems not to downregulate, as the minimum wattage they list is 7 watts. For erl I find that being able to run Kanthal down to 1 watt can be very important, as it allows pre-heating thick erl so it can wick. And I don't believe that 75 watts is all that relevant. Or likely. Pulling that much from a single 3.7 volt battery seems impractical, especially when all the batteries I've gotten recently are vastly misrepresented.
 
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Joel W.

Deplorable Basement Dweller
Accessory Maker
I got some 1/8th" diameter fc2000 wicks in and figured I'd try to go big or go home so here it is. Dual coils of ni200 28g with 20ish quick and dirty wraps comes in @ .1* ohm on an evil monk atty. It fits under the cap and clouds at 520f . Seems to hold a buttload of errl. :D

25r349t.jpg

fixed*
 
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fernand

Well-Known Member
I'm no TC veteran, but I'm seeing reports from DNA40 users and I'd say if you can get something like the KangXin Mini VF, it seems better than the DNA40 family. The DNA40 apparently gives temp warnings, treats reaching temp as a limit/malfunction instead of just regulating, and people find it distracting.

The iLeaf locks the watts at max in TC mode, that sux too.

And then there's the Evic VT that can pop out of TC regulation HARD, if the 510 contact is shaky.

And I wouldn't want whichever one gives the dry coil warnings. Or the fancy $100 60 watt units.

I think I was very lucky to pick this one, seriously, do try to find one, you'll like it.

I'm vaping tonight a PlumeVeil 1.5 Tobeco clone RDA, using a single 0.09 ohm 7 turn coil of 28 AWG Tempered Ni200 that was wound tight on a 1/8" drill bit. I've been popping in little wicks of Japanese cotton, 1/8" by 1/3", dripping a drop or two of whatever I want to try, vaping a few hits until it's all gone, then pulling out the old cotton and pushing a virgin little cotton wickette in for the next sample, so there's no mixing of tastes. Nothing ever burns. No dry hits. No interruptions, no warnings. It just vapes until what's on the cotton is evaporated, and then ... it simply stops giving off vapor.

I set the temp to 420 F and the watts to 10 or 20 or 5 or whatever I want to to try. Lower watts for a more gradual warm-up.

Each little piece of cotton is disposable, it holds one to 3 drops, or a little schmear, it slips easily into the 1/8" coil, no need for fancy ceramic, it's so simple! It's a lot like running concentrate on a little piece of cotton in a Solo. But no waiting for warm-up. And instant control pushbuttons.

http://www.gearbest.com/electronic-cigarettes/pp_181430.html
 
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Hoosier

Well-Known Member
ok, ordered the eleaf istick, which seemed to be a good deal here in the us for $28. Will report back my results with it and the AC. Will this help my splatter problem, (which is my only complaint about the AC)?

Matt, I'm using an istick 40w tc paired with a v2.5 divine tribe ceramic donut. I'm loving this setup, but get a good amount of top splatter, even on very low temp settings.
 

fernand

Well-Known Member
With lower wattage we get to temp more gently.

Here's my one hitter quitter short cotton wick trick. Dry-firing (with no burning of course), then with a couple drops of liquid, same setting.

After the first second or so, while temp is reaching target, the wattage drops, reading as low as 0.8 watt.

To reduce spatter, find "grease it on" wattage, it's like perfectly landing a plane on an aircraft carrier ;-)

On this rig, with moderate airflow, 20 watts is ok, it stays level around 7 watts as I inhale.

If I stop pulling in cold air, the coil temp rises so the watts need to back off to prevent overshoot on temp.

If I pull faster, the watts have to rise to maintain the coil temp, and 20 watts is the ceiling I picked.

Make sense?

IMG_8666CL_zpsqreuzhmo.jpg


If I understand correctly, the DNA40 is an earlier version of this mod, that works in TC mode with a fixed output (40 watts)? So does it just turn it on/off? Anybody know the details?
 
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Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
I am seeing very little mention of the Eleaf iStick around here. I see there is a 40w TC version in stock in the US. I would rather have a removable battery, but this thing is TINY.
The istick 50w has some bad history of auto firing and blowing up. People tend to stay away from eleaf products.

The problems with the iStick were pretty much constrained to the original 20W version, which had soft metal 510 threads that many seemed to cross thread their atty's into, and the 50W model, which more significantly had auto fire problems. I have an original 20W (still going strong) and a newer 30W, (also still going strong), and my 40WTC is due to be delivered tomorrow. I used one of the 10W "mini" iSticks for a week before my friend showed up to claim it, and that worked just fine as well, within its limits. It's their size and the feel and how well they work (for me). I am a huge fan of the iStick line, until you get to the 50W or 100W models. Once you get past the 20/30/40 watt iStick sizes I don't feel they're as good a choice, with many other mods offering more. I have some monster rigs which I love and use at home, but when I'm out and about I don't want to carry or use something that big, and the eGo batteries and their ilk just weren't cutting it for me anymore. Anyway, as you can probably tell, I'm a fan. There are other mods coming out now that are beginning to approach the size and feel the iSticks pioneered, but since I'm already a fan of the iStick line, when I decided it was time to switch to TC, I stuck with the 40WTC. The price being so low doesn't suck either.

I think the only thing I do not like about my istick is TC is locked at 40w. I think the TC would be smoother if the wattage could be lowered, but otherwise it's working well for me on an rda. I think i can hear some splatter when I first push the button, but it backs off pretty quickly so I am not really noticing any extra mess.

Phil Busardo just released his review on the iStick 40WTC, and as usual it's very informative and there are scope pictures of the fast initial ramp up and how it subsequently falls off as temperature regulation kicks in. One of his more interesting reviews. I always prefer more adjustability to less, so being able to set the max watts in tc mode would still be a plus for me, but I couldn't think of why I'd want to limit the watts if I were temp controlling until you mentioned the effect on a dripper, smoothness of initial hit and splatter, etc., which I hadn't considered. In TC mode, the wattage setting ultimately controls how much energy can be dumped into the coil(s) to get them to temp, and how-much/how-fast of a "load" change can be handled. (Don't get me started about Joules. The mod makers that use Joules instead of watts are misusing the term. Joules are akin to watt-hours (really watt-seconds), not to watts. Joules add time to the equation; like the difference between mA and mAh. Imagine your standard (non-TC) mod read out in Wh instead of W when you were firing it. But I digress).

Phil's iStick 40W TC review.
@fernand: Phil gets into the differences between the DNA40 and the sx350J and iStick TC control schemes. (The DNA200 is going to be interesting because supposedly we're going to be able to program everything. He's also had enough hands on time with a number of the different chips and atty's that he is full of insights as to why some stuff works reliably and some stuff doesn't. Useful info. Also, the iStick 40WTC apparently goes down to a real 1W, with no PWM, so in non-TC mode we should be able to run our atty's as low as we want. We'll see.).

Just ordered a 2.5 ceramic donut atomizer from Divine Tribes to play around with.

Funny you should mention that. I've been using one all week. I love it! (I got the 0.8Ω deep well version). Too early to say for sure, but I think it's my favorite concentrate "dripper" yet. Cleans up easily as well. I'm finding I get MUCH bigger clouds with less throat irritation and cough, and the residue is MUCH cleaner than when I'm dripping into a coil/wick based RDA. I'm currently running it on the iStick 30W at 12.5 watts. I've been cleaning it at 17.5W (when I wanted to change concentrates and wanted the fresh flavor/effect right from the beginning). It also cleans well with a bath in iso or ethanol. It's supposed to work even better (whatever that means) with a TC mode, so I'm looking forward to checking it out on the iStick 40WTC when it gets here tomorrow. I've also noticed that there's no nasty taste build up when multiple loads have been consumed without cleaning. And the residue is NEVER black, it's usually dark golden. There is a lot of splatter in the inside of the top cap.

Picture for everyone else, click it to take you to the ineedhemp website.



In anticipation of the pending iStick 40WTC, I've been winding some coils. I made up two Kanger atty's for my aerotank mini in Ni200 and RXW, and a few coils for the RoseV2. @2clicker: I think I'm gonna try one of your inside and outside RXW designs for the RoseV2. I have both sizes of RXW here and plenty of Ni200 and Kanthal. For those who don't know, the RoseV2 build surface is like the Evil Moon RDA surface in that there are no exposed posts; the wires are held by set (grub) screws below the surface of the plate. The RoseV2 also comes with an integral ceramic cup which you can chose to use or not. But the RoseV2 is a tank device, not an RDA like the Evil Moon, so using it as a dripper is a bit frankenstein-ish.

It's good to be back. Nearly a year on the road is too much.
 

fernand

Well-Known Member
Yo, @Haywood good to see you, welcome baaaack!

I do appreciate Busardo's detail. I guess the DNA 200 is everybody's dream board, but meanwhile as I have been looking at the mini VF's regulation on the scope and, especially for $40, I think it's well done. Also very solid, no rattling etc.

People may want to control everything, but this mod shines in "just doing it" with all my e-juice devices, some nickel now, some kanthal, some RTAs, some RDAs.

Hopefully we can use more of these with "donuts" and wire other than Nickel. I'm not satisfied yet that Nickel is safe.
 

fernand

Well-Known Member
I just wasted a couple of hours watching Busardo Archie-Bunker'ing on and on over irrelevant traces of mod voltages, how he feels the pulses, and how he shelves any device that behaves unexpectedly, even once. OK, Phil, I get it. You're in over your head. Only a few months ago you were explaining, at length, that you barely understand Ohm's law, and now you've gone off the deep end. Things are gettin' HOT in the vapin' woods. Glad we here FC'ers have other things to worry about!
 
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Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
Been playing with the just arrived iStick TC40W, but (so far), only in Watt mode, not Temp mode. So far, so good. Everything seems to be working as expected, and it's nice to finally be able to go below 5W on my AeroMini. Same size as my iStick 30W and 20W. Same feel in the hand. MUCH nicer fire button. Slightly dimmer display.

I've been using it mostly with the DevineTribe Ceramic Donut dripper (0.8Ω, 12.5W), and I love it. Not that there's any difference between it and my non-TC 30W with the Donut dripper. I also tried it with my previous atty (a dripper @ 2.2Ω, 5W, single coil with silica wick) and the AeroTank Mini (1.8Ω, OCC, 5W). Also identical to my non-TC 30W. HOWEVER, I was able to drop my wattage below 5W with the TC40W, and I much prefer the slightly lower wattage with the original dripper and the aero. I've been using the "new" single vertical coil, organic cotton KangerTech atty's in my aero these days, and prefer them to the previous one and two horizontal coil versions.

It's been nice to under power the atty to melt stuff without vaporizing it. Particulary with the DevineTribe Ceramic Donut dripper. I set the battery to 5W (instead of the normal 12.5W I use with the donut), and fire it, and the wax just melts into the donut and cermaic cup. :) :) :) I am really loving the DevineTribe Ceramic Donut dripper, and may give up on coils altogether, except for my tanks.

Next experiment (tomorrow) will be using the DevineTribe Ceramic Donut dripper in temperature control mode, to see if it makes any difference, and then on to my home made Ni200 atty's for the aerotank.

All experimenting should be so much fun.
 

sweetherb

Well-Known Member
I am really loving the DevineTribe Ceramic Donut dripper, and may give up on coils altogether, except for my tanks.

Next experiment (tomorrow) will be using the DevineTribe Ceramic Donut dripper in temperature control mode, to see if it makes any difference, and then on to my home made Ni200 atty's for the aerotank.

All experimenting should be so much fun.

I also love the divine tribe! I have mine paired with the Invader Mini temp control mod and the hits are almost as good as my errlectric at low temps!

Temp control really is a game changer and the only way to go. I honestly have no idea why so many people still spend hundreds of dollars on basic mods like the Persei from W9, which now seem more than a little outdated and overpriced IMO.
 
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Fredster951

Well-Known Member
I also love the divine tribe! I have mine paired with the Invader Mini temp control mod and the hits are almost as good as my errlectric at low temps!

Temp control really is a game changer and the only way to go. I honestly have no idea why so many people still spend hundreds of dollars on basic mods like the Persei from W9, which now seem more than a little outdated and overpriced IMO.
Enlighten me please why u think W9 stuff is outdated? Will a TC mod work with a hercules cart?
 
Fredster951,

fernand

Well-Known Member
@Fredster951 The W9 offerings seem like some of the more successful balancing acts, and a TC mod actually might work with a Titanium Hercules cart, but why would I want a $80 Hercules cart now, or non-TC battery bases?

what I want is a way to effortlessly keep the temp of ANY DIY coil right on the cusp, selectively evaporating the particular fraction of terpenes and cann's I'm after, say at 390 deg F mornings, maybe 420 Deg F evenings, and never overheating.

IMHO it's not that TC is in itself the final development. But any system that lacks TC now is just a vehicle with one gear.

It also coincides with a new discovery process for cann, how different strains at different vaping temps can create such vastly different effects.

@Haywood when you chose the tribe thing, what considerations led to the deep well one for you? Awaiting yer report on TC with the Divine Tribe donut ...
 
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sweetherb

Well-Known Member
Enlighten me please why u think W9 stuff is outdated? Will a TC mod work with a hercules cart?

I did not say W9 stuff is generally outdated. I said that basic mech mods like the Persei are outdated. And they are. When your batteries are fresh you get 8.4v, which then drops off as they discharge. Not sure how that can possibly be better than a regulated vw or vv output. I am also not keen on the idea of using 2 x batteries in series in a single compartment.

I mean, why spend over $100 for what is essentially a metal tube when you can get a temp control mod for less than that? I know they have loads of fanboys, so I will probably get a lot of hate for that comment, but I have no brand loyalty to any company. I just buy what works well and is affordable. Both of these things apply to the divine tribe.
 
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sweetherb

Well-Known Member
It could work with a herc cart. It definitely works with the 1701 ... don't know it the herc rod is also filled with nickel and < 1 ohm like the ceramic donuts or not. If so it would work.

Currently, most TC mods only allow temperature control on subohm carts (i.e. less than 1 ohm). As such, you would need to use the 3.7v black rod (0.8 ohms) in the Herc to get the benefits of temp control. Once dialled in, however, I feel certain that this would give better hits than using it with the Persei. How can it not?
 

Haywood

Onward Thru the Fog
@Haywood when you chose the tribe thing, what considerations led to the deep well one for you? Awaiting yer report on TC with the Divine Tribe donut ...

Just a guess on my part. I saw no down side to the deeper one, as you can always put less of a load in it if you want, but you can't put more in the shallow one. I was also thinking about splatter, and figured that an additional 2mm couldn't hurt.

I've started talking about the Devine Tribe Donut in their thread in the portable vaporizer 'Thread Candidates' section (I think I flagged you when I left the last message there). tl;dr = I love it, best atty for concentrates I have, but contrary to what others here have found, it seems to work much better in non-TC mode for me (feeding it a constant 12.5W), at least with the iStick TC40W I just got...
 

fernand

Well-Known Member
@Haywood i hate coming across like a fanbuoy but when you try a mod with independent temp and wattage setpoint you'll agree it's another "game changer". From setting watts low enough so temp is never reached, to high enough to reach temp like a crash test dumny, and all the interesting in betweens.

I end up setting temp a couple times a day for low and high temp erl. For e-juice any atty Ni or Kanthal that i throw on it just works. The (wattage) buttons end up being like the gas pedal. By giving the user more control they've achieved a more intuitive simplicity of use ;-)

I don't know of having any nickel allergy but when using the nickel coils a lot something again is feeling ungood in me chest. Damn. I do look forward to trying donuts and Ti wire! Living in interesting times.
 
fernand,
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Joel W.

Deplorable Basement Dweller
Accessory Maker
id would like to know what you think after a couple weeks of use.

It seems I get about a week out of my coil when using rosin before it loads up. I may try to winterize/dewax some rosin here in the next few days. Nice to be able to rebuild the coil in 5 minutes though. ;)
 
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Joel W.,
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Hyphy

Karma
i find that rebuilding the newer kanger heads helps fight leaking. i replace the silica with readyXwick.

Do you use the pt2 or pt3 heads with RxW internal or external, and are you using flavor wicks or whatever they're called above/below the coil? I ordered RxW already but am stuck on what kanger tank/heads work best for it since there are like a half dozen variants. All I know is that I don't want leaking lol.
 
Hyphy,
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