Today we’ll take a look at Voltage Drop Under Load, a concept that is abused by modders and reviewers with increased frequency since the re-emergence of mechanical mods with the growing genesis rebuildable hype.

Voltage drop under load is unfortunately unavoidable and not quantifiable without some more much needed variables. It does not only occur in mechanical mods but any non-regulated device.. and unfortunately to some regulated ones but that’s a completely different matter. The effect is caused by nothing else but a loss in efficiency which becomes more and more apparent in lower resistances.. lets look at an example.

As a mechanical I love my old-school Omega, it was one of my first mods and thanks to some TLC it’s still working like it did on the day I got it. Heis Fictional has asked to borrow it to use with his genesis atomizers and has been completely unhappy with the voltage drop when he’s vaping on his sub ohm coils, his inline meter shows he’s only vaping at 3.5Volts.. so he gives the Omega to his sister Sheisalso Fictional who has been happy as a pig in shit with it, she’s getting a much better vape out of it with her inline meter showing she’s vaping at a noticeably higher 3.9V.

As a result they go on a random forum.. lets call it ABF and make contradicting reviews on the same device.. which is as helpful as a third nipple, lets look at why:

We’ll be using 0.1ohms as the mod resistance.. this isn’t the most accurate metering but since it’s the same device it cancels out anyway. Both batteries meter at 4.2V and for the calculations I’m using data from Torchy the Battery Boy (epic name btw)

Heis Fictional

Vapes: 0.8ohm coils with an AW IMR

 

 

 

Sheisalso Fictional

Vapes 2.2ohm clearos with an Efest IMR

 

 

 

Comparatively Sheisalso Fictional is getting half the drop that Heis Fictional is getting at a much more reasonable 0.33V. The point here however is that no matter how well made the mod might be there is always a small drop due to internal battery resistance and the difference in atomizer/coil resistances. The lower the resistance of the coil in fact the bigger the loss.

Hence (I haven’t used the word hence since uni) any reviewer giving out a “voltage drop” value without mentioning his battery and coil is not being helpful in any way; there are too many variables for a comparison. Similarly any vendor claiming a near zero drop under load is just using a term people are familiar with for marketing reasons, they’d be better off mentioning the resistance of the mod itself.

Questions? Do note i’m not an electrical engineer or otherwise expert on this stuff.. just a geek

I can honestly say I prefer the idea of rebuildable dripping atomizers more than to genesis atomizers.

The RDA, as the name suggests, is a rebuildable dripping atomizer by Smoktech. As with most rebuildables coming out of china it is a cheap copy of something else, in this case it borrows heavily from the ERA from BudzWorkz but mostly in the looks department; it cannot be bottom-fed and it’s airflow comes from the side, it’s also a fraction of the cost. Much unlike a lot of the chinese “copies” it is very well made. It is described as an aluminum construction and the anodised tube surely feels like it, the base is a bit too shiny and the contacts are yellowish-gold colored which raises some suspicion, never-the-less for $8.99 you can’t ask for much. It’s enough that it’s all well cast and fits together so well.

Let’s start with Photos this time:

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The wicks, to which it owes the “octopus” nickname smelled like fresh shoe laces when it arrived and it took a boil and soak for the smell to get out. They can hold quite a bit of juice making the RDA quite forgiving for over-drippers, in fact there’s so much wicking the RDA acts very much like a cartomizer. Both premade coils metered around 1.8-2ohms which was within the spec range. Unfortunately the sheer amount of wicking is overwhelming and the flavor bleeds into the juice a little bit. Not a problem for a lot of people but as I’ve argued in the past I spend good money to get good flavored juice because I enjoy the flavor and anything that compromises that is unwelcome in my setup. I easily negated this with my own wick and coil setup that uses much less wicking. It comes down to the old familiar point of prewrapped coils for a rebuildable atomizer being a purpose defeating idea.

What was a very pleasant surprise was the airflow. Very much like most other Bulli based rebuildable dripping atomizers, the air-hole is on the side of the atomizer, Much unlike them it is path-ed through the base to just under the coil giving a very nice boost in flavor as a result. Also worth mentioning is the draw, which was very nice and tight.. just like I like it. I’d go as far as to call the airflow brilliant. I like the tight draw so much I’d even be willing to forgive some of the wicking flavor.

Overall:

The heavy wick reliability is something to watch out for. If, like me, you are a bit sensitive to the flavor of the wicking then perhaps this isn’t for you however for the money it is a nice little rebuildable and holds it’s own even against the full priced counterparts. I recently got an email about a smaller version of it which should have less wicking in it but the information I have on that one is minimal yet the idea is most inviting.

Hence my review for this would go “it holds juice and doesn’t leak”.. hardly worth the effort is it?

I do however need to mention it and show it off a bit because 1) as tanks go I think it’s a looker and more importantly 2) it has a wonderful marriage of form and function, something that I feel would benefit the modding community greatly.

FluidFlask in the Wild

Carto-tanks are a simple construction and most of them follow in the predetermined components, a tube, two caps fitting into the tube by o-rings and a punctured cartomizer fitting into the holes in the caps also with the help of some o-rings to make a juice holder for 3 or 5ml. In the FluidFlask there is an additional little tank sleeve that at first glance seems to be used for cosmetic reasons. On closer inspection it’s easy to see that the sleeve is not just there for the looks but serves to secure the top and bottom caps; it screws into the bottom one and then holds the top one in place with a small lip on the inside of the tube.

Little ideas like that is what’s missing from a lot of mods today, making them basically the same recycled concept we’ve seen so many times before. We’re finally at a point where it’s not hard to find a good piece of hardware and even the more limited pieces come regularly and without massive wait-times; but the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” saying never led to any progress which, in-deficit of some great innovation can only be achieved little by little with ideas like this one.

It’s a weird point to be making without any suggestions of my own but on the other hand I’m not a vendor or modder or even juice maker.. I’m just some random a__hole that occasionally puts his 2¢ in writing (like this “article”) and posts them on his own little corner of the web.

In-lieu of ideas, here’s some photos:

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It achieves a near zero voltage drop with thick silver plated brass contacts and it features a flat profile lockable button

Connection	510
Battery	18350 18350 + Kick 18490 18490 + Kick 18650
Voltage	3.7V
Power Regulation	No
Construction	Stainless Steel
Type	Tube
Switch Type	Mechanical | Lockable
Feeder	No
Features	Zero Voltage Drop Changeable Sleeves Low Profile Button
Suppliers:	Metal Madness Vapors (GR)
Price	€150

Photos:

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Video Tutorial (by RnMreviews):

It is fully mechanical and telescopes to sizes including 18650+kick with the help of a longer (included) battery tube section. There is also an optional adjustable draw accessory available.

Connection	510
Battery	18350 18350 + Kick 18490 18490 + Kick 18650 18650 + Kick
Voltage	3.7V
Power Regulation	No
Construction	Stainless Steel
Type	Tube
Switch Type	Mechanical | Lockable
Feeder	No
Features	Adjustable Airflow Adjustable Contacts
Suppliers:	Electric Angel (FI) Electric Angel acts as a manufacturer and distributor, the EA is retailed at Finnvape (FI) Elektrosavu (FI) Puff (FI) Vaporescence (US) Insane Vape (US) Lavavapor (US) Vape Dudes(US) Vaporescence (US) VaporLabs (US) White Stag Vapor (US) Pro Steamer (DE) Sky Smoker (DE) Papa Don't Smoke (MY)
Price	€149 from EA direct, prices vary slightly from various vendors

Photos:

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Video Review (by buzzzlove00):

It is a stainless steel offering with a mechanical switch that comes with a modular tube to fit batteries from 18350 to 18650 and if fully kick compatible (including the 18650 battery).

Connection	510
Battery	18350 18350 + Kick 18490 18490 + Kick 18650 18650 + Kick
Voltage	3.7V
Power Regulation	No
Construction	Stainless Steel
Type	Tube
Switch Type	Mechanical | Lockable
Feeder	No
Features	Adjustable Airflow Adjustable Contacts
Suppliers:	Atmomixani.gr (GR)
Price	€130 (atmomixani.gr)

Photos:

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Video Presentation (by kalafan):

I slept in, it was my day off afterall, until half seven and the sun was already warming up the sky. In my excitement I made me what the greeks call a “frape”.. a cold beverage that is made with instant coffee dissolved in ice cold water, beaten to a foam and finished with milk and sugar to taste. I have not had one since last summer. The effect was unreal! It didn’t just wake me up, no sir, it gave me a jolt of energy I haven’t had since I was a child. I was jittery from the caffeine. I grabbed my still sleeping dog and dragged him around the neighborhood for a walk, walked to the shops and grabbed some food for the week, washed and ironed two loads of laundry, gave the dog a bath and groom, washed the car, did some spring cleaning.. and just to get rid of the last bit of hyperactivity I gave the kitchen a new coat of paint! (it’s now a very subtle green – I hate it, I’m redoing it next week)

After all this I came down horribly and finally got round to the day’s first vape. By 7pm I was already in bed..

I guess what I’m trying to get at is tolerance! It’s not unheard of for me to go through a good 5ml of 12mg eliquid on a busy day without even noticing, that’s a good 60mg of nicotine going through my atomizer. It might seem low to some but to the eyes of a non-smoker/non-vaper non-nicotine user the term lethal dosage might come into mind, yes 60mg is considered to be the lethal dosage for nicotine and while I spread mine throughout the day I should, by their understanding, be in grave pain and possibly dead. Here I stand healthier than I’ve been my entire adult life (I just had my checkup). Why? Because I’ve used the stuff for 15 years in one way or another and I have built up a tolerance to it. This isn’t homeopathy, it’s actual science! Many people can relate to this in terms of coffee, which is why I used it as the intro. I don’t have a lot of coffee in my routine, my little french press provides me a small boost in the morning when I haven’t rested too well but I usually prefer a cup of tea or some fresh juice instead. Caffeine performs remarkably well when I have it, in this specific occasion it worked too well. I know people, most people in fact, who will have several cups of coffee during their day and still feel absolutely normal. Others do this with energy drinks, consuming several cans of monstrous energy drinks (#seewhatididthere) within a day and still perfectly able to go to bed early without the slightest bit of restlessness. They can do this because they have a much higher tolerance to caffeine or taurine or whatever is in those energy drinks than I have.

Something similar is those awful Nicotinis that seemed to be THE craze a few months back, tobacco leafs soaked in vodka and then made into martini like drinks used by non-nicotine users to get an extra buzz out of their cocktail, sort of like that cigarette after a long day without that made your head spin for a little bit. Any smoker or vaper that tried those simply could not get what the fuss is about, they tasted awful and gave no buzz to them because they are used to the nicotine whereas the original “drinkers” were not.

So while it’s not my place nor within my expertise to argue against the scientific data which gives us the estimated 60mg lethal dosage figure and the articles that accompany it describing the stimulative effects of nicotine I need to throw in my 2c on how different people react to certain stimuli.

My idle satisfaction came to an end last week, when someone mentioned it’s actually not a bad flavor once you learn how to use it. So I wanted to learn, what follows is a copy of my notes during this testing.. it’s only very slightly edited and a bit crude, you’ve been warned.

Day 1, test 1: Starting point.

I’ve never used this thing before so I’ll make a first batch at 1%, I don’t expect this to be good or even remotely vapeable, just give me a notion of what I’m working with.

Mixed at 1% in a 5ml bottle

HOLY CRAP! There’s smells in this world and then there’s smells, this one doesn’t fit in with either group, it’s a category all by itself. I’ve thrown away the bottle, pipette and the tablecloth I was mixing on. I suspect that come the weekend I will have to repaint the kitchen cause this is the kind of smell that can strip paint. I imagine that this is what hatred must smell like.. if you wrap hatred in week old fish and dip it in a sewer. The dog is hiding under the bed whimpering, he will not come near the kitchen.

I dare not taste this! You know how they say some drinks will put hair on your chest? This will probably put testicles on your forehead and hair on your eyeballs.

I will attempt to venture into the kitchen to open the windows, if I don’t make it back and someone finds this notebook, please make up something witty as my last words.

Day 2, test 2: Great Reduction

I miraculously survived yesterday. The kitchen still smella like rotten eggs on a humid summer day, the dog is refusing to go near the it.. and he sniffs dog’s butts without hesitation, that’s how bad it is.

Mixed at 1drop per 5ml, 5ml bottle

FUCK A DUCK why did I try to smell this crap? I think my nose-hair has now migrated to my lungs and i’ve spend 5minutes fighting the urge to vomit violently all over the room. At least that might improve the smell! *gulp* I will try to vape a drop.

That wasn’t so bad of a punishment. The juice definitely sticks and tastes like week old ass but the flavor is so intense it hits you all at once. Sort of like getting slapped across the face is fast and the pain is only momentary.. even though I suspect that having taking a draw from this a little something has died in me… or is it the smell of the vapor remind me of death.. hmmm. I’m convinced that this is an improvement from yesterday, at least this time around I’m not considering throwing out the furniture. I’ll half the flavoring for next time.

Day 3, test 3: Halving

In preparation for today I got me a Starbucks coffee, sort of wanting to set myself an achievable goal. It was horrible, I could hardly stomach this crap when I was smoking.. what possessed me to get one now? I’ve been vaping some menthol juices to cleanse my palette for today, I have high expectations

Mixed at 1drop per 10ml, 5ml bottle (halved some from yesterday.. it’s a recession after all)

Smell is somewhat tolerable.

The taste is VILE! I would honestly rather vape fesses over this thing. Who tried this and said it resembled coffee? It was bad before when I thought the flavor was overwhelming so I couldn’t pick out the flavor notes but now that’s it’s been cut to an acceptable flavor level; oh man is it horrible. Whoever said this was good should not be allowed to speak again! Why do I keep doing this to me? I mean I like me, I’m my favorite person.. why do I torture me like this? And WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY am i still vaping it?! Did I honestly think it would improve over the last 2 minutes? Maybe if I let it steep for let’s say.. 75years. And what the fuck is with the aftertaste? It wasn’t doing that yesterday! It’s what I imagine brushing my teeth with a turd would taste like.. Excuse me while I go wash out my tongue with some gasoline.

What’s worse is that I have another bottle, halved from today for tomorrow :-/

Day 4, test 4: Halving again

The last of my mixing tests, if this doesn’t work I’m not even going to save the bottle for the future, I’m throwing it the fuck away.

Even after repeated soaks I can still smell the coffee flavoring in my atomizer a little bit, good thing I used a old dying one cause I suspect I might need to put it out of it’s misery if today doesn’t go well.

Mixed at 1drop per 20ml, 5ml bottle

NO! HELL NO! SHIT NO! FUCK NO! This is wrong, this is so wrong.. the flavor strength is correct now and only marginally worse than vaping out of a sweaty sports shoe.. after the entire team took the time to relieve themselves in it. This is coffee? THIS IS COFFEE? No, fuck no, this isn’t coffee.. this is the kind of regurgitated loose stool water you would expect to get at a shitty dive at 6am after having passed out on the floor at closing time. There is no way I can work with this, not a chance

Day 6, test 5: Steeped

This is the same eliquid from day 4, just steeped for 2 days

Smell: Just as horrible as before

Taste: Vomit Inducing

Verdict: NEIN!

Day 9, test 6: Steeped More

Same as day 4, steeped for 5 days

Smell: I long for the days of fowl smells.. this is worse

Taste: No improvement what so ever

Day 12, test 6: Steeped More-er

Smell/Taste: I give up. I’m starting to have nightmares

Conclusion

The only way I can see this being used as a vape is cut down to 1/4th of this strength to be used as a very offsetting undertone to a very sweet and creamy juice, perhaps covered by a chocolate or vanilla flavor to mask it a bit and only if I insisted to use it just because I wanted to, I don’t see it adding anything anywhere.. I really hope someone has managed to get this to work and can share their wisdom but frankly I won’t miss this flavor, even from the same vendor there’s other coffee options to work with. The Cappuccino I use quite often in a creamy recipe and a dessert vape recipe.. then there’s the Kona Cream that I haven’t tried yet.. and the Caramel Cappuccino that I’ve played with a little bit and showed a bit more promise than this one. All in all I have lovely experiences with TPA but I have not been successful in a coffee vape recipe using their stuff.. yet, maybe it’s their Achilles heel or maybe I just don’t have the knack for it.

The flavor has refused to part ways with my atty, i’ve decided to CLEANSE IT WITH FIRE!

Burn baby burn – Disco INFERNO

.. with little success, it’s been exposed to so much evil that it can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, I’ll start making a fellowship; anyone fancy a little trip to Mordor?

It must be destroyed, so came to be the Fellowship of the o-ring

So, one very small update to speak of but it’s one that has been annoying me quite a bit for a long time. The font used when this template was designed didn’t have any weights, so the titles and headers were beautifully designed (i didn’t do them.. in case you thought i was blowing my own horn) but they were hard to read, very hard to read in fact. I played around with them a little bit and changed the colors to darker and convinced myself that it was enough, it wasn’t!

Well today I tried to read something on the blog from a 7″ tablet.. it was a miserable experience so I finally decided to get  round to doing something about it! TADA! The font has been updated, well.. i cant take much credit for it.. a pair of font designers added very many weights to it.. and more character sets.. and it’s finally readable! I’m so excited about it I’m blogging it!

#thatisall

But here’s another thing, I like the occasional banana vape! And having gotten into the clearo game so late and reluctantly I refuse to get into the mindset of “this juice doesn’t go into that”.

Here’s what happened after  I tried to vape some wonderful wonderful “Dawn of Truth” in it.. and then left it there overnight:

Before anyone goes blaming “Dawn of Truth”.. it’s 1. Too good to be faulted and 2. I should have known better. Choosing an eliquid depending on the atty/carto will never make sense to me.