I know you probably can’t believe it but yes, here I am again. This time I will be attempting to give you a fair and honest review on the Steam Crave Meson RTA that was sent to me by Sourcemore. I had heard quite a bit of positive feedback on this tank so decided to request it for review. Unfortunately shipping took a very long time so I feel like I’m a little late to the game but will still go ahead and cover it for those that are interested or might be on the fence as to whether they want to purchase one.
The Meson is a 25mm single coil rta. I’m not familiar with other Steam Crave tanks but do know that they are quite popular. It is recommended for RDL from 20-50 watts and holds 5ml of liquid with the pre-installed straight glass and can hold 6ml of liquid with the included bubble glass. It is a top airflow tank but makes use of an internal honeycomb airflow that is directed at the coil.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
1* Meson RTA
1* 6ml Bubble Glass
1* Spare Part Bag of O-rings and Grub Screws
1* Allen Key
1* Steam Crave Sticker
1* Manual
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 25mm
Deck: Single coil deck
Airflow: Top airflow adjustable
Capacity: 5ml/6ml
Drip Tip: 810
Fit for: Hadron Lite and Hadron Mini
Color: Stainless Steel, Gunmetal, Black
FEATURES:
1. Single coil RTA for restricted airflow
2. Honeycomb airflow hits coil directly
3. Restricted airflow for 20-50W
4. Top airflow adjustable, leak free
5. Single coil deck, easy to build and wick
6. 5ml/6ml capacity
7. 810 wide bore drip tip
8. Perfectly match with Hadron Lite and Hadron Mini
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
The packaging for the Meson RTA is simple but nice. On the front is of course the Steam Crave and Meson RTA names as well as a simple sketch of the tank. Near the bottom in fairly bold print is the statement “The Best Single Coil RTA”. That’s a pretty bold statement even for Steam Crave. The back side of the box is fairly bare and doesn’t list the usual contents list that I see on most tanks and devices. There is an authenticity scratch off code and a standard bar code.
Rather than the usual two part box that I see a lot of samples come in, the Meson comes in a box with what I call a lift top box that is lifted but stays attached to the base. The tank is found sitting in a foam insert on the left while the accessories and spare bubble glass are located on the right side. Of course there is also the user manual and a sticker included. As you can see, I received the black color version for my review with the swirled red drip tip. For me personally, the included drip tip has an odd shape and I just couldn’t get used to it despite liking the appearance of it.
I know I sound like a broken record but always break down a new tank as much as possible and give it a good cleaning to get rid of any residual machining oil that might remain from manufacturing. This one is a little different to disassemble compared to many other tanks. The base does thread off but the base is not attached to the threaded ring on the bottom so you will pull the threaded ring and then will need to pull the base/build deck out manually. The top cap is threaded on this one instead of the bayonet type connection that we normally see on most tanks these days. Once the cap is removed then you can use a coin or a boro nut tool to remove the chimney from the top by inserting it in the slots in the chimney top and turn it counterclockwise to unthread it. At this point the chimney can be removed and the airflow base will come out the bottom which is what the chimney threads into. For those that are interested, the chimney diameter is 5.5mm. Once the chimney is removed then you can clean the tank or just replace the glass tank section. Steam crave was nice enough to provide a visual explanation in the picture below.
As you can see in the picture above, the Meson can be broken down completely into nine pieces including the drip tip. Once the top cap is unthreaded then it exposes the two large kidney shaped fill ports. I would think that just about any bottle could be used for filling on this tank. Below you can see the openings as well as the top of the chimney with the slots cut into it for disassembly. The top cap has a single o ring around the inside perimeter and also has an internal o ring in the opening for the drip tip so you can use 810 drip tips without o rings on them.
The only branding that I could find on the Meson is on the top cap where the Steam Crave and Meson RTA names are engraved into the top cap. I think I mentioned this earlier but the top cap on this one is threaded and not a bayonet style. Kind of unusual to see these days on an rta.
The chimney tube is threaded on one end and threads into the airflow base that has a total of 18 honeycomb airflow holes that are pointed at the coil when the tank is assembled. They are calling it a base but normally I would call the inside metal body of the tank the chamber. By adding this airflow base, it not only directs the airflow from the top inlets down through the chamber and out through the honeycomb holes then up to the tip but also reduces the area of the chamber to enhance flavor production.
The build deck for the Meson is not part of the bottom cap like I am used to seeing on rtas. Instead when the bottom cap is removed then the build deck is still attached to the tank. You have to manually pull it out for building. I’m not sure I know why this was done unless replacement decks were going to be made available. It is a simple and easy to build two hole post-less deck that uses allen head grub screws to secure the coil. The user guide recommends a 2.5mm coil but says that a 3mm coil may be used also. It also recommends cutting the coil legs at 4mm which seemed to be a bit short in theory to me but was a good fit once installed.
I used a 316L Clapton wire I had on hand to wind a 2.5mm coil. I normally run 3mm coils almost exclusively but thought it would be a good idea to follow the suggestions in the user guide for testing. This coil read .44 ohms on the mod I was using. I decided to fill the tank with a DIY raspberry custard that I have used for quite a while. I dialed the output in at 31 watts with the airflow about 1/3 open. With these settings I felt that the flavor was very good and quickly went through a couple tanks. I continued to use this mix for a week and really didn’t notice a decrease in flavor. Below you can see the build I put in the deck after a usage period of one week.
I had found a roll of quad core ni80 wire that I had forgotten that I had bought and really wanted to try it out so since the user manual said a 3mm coil would work, I went ahead and wound and installed a coil using this wire. I had a little bit of trouble with shorting initially and when I put a new build in with this wire I will go to 4.5mm leg length instead of the recommended 4mm. This is because the quad core wire is very stiff and it’s hard to stretch it much to bring it a little higher off the base of the deck. For this one I used Dinner Lady Lemon Tart. The flavor was also very good but had to increase the output on the mod to 35 watts. I left the airflow about 1/3 open which was a good fit for me for RDL. I’m sure this coil could handle a lot more wattage but I was happy with these settings.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I have to say that I have been very happy with the performance I have seen with the Steam Crave Meson RTA. Is it “The Best Single Coil RTA” like they claim? I probably wouldn’t say that since I haven’t tried every single coil rta on the market. However, it is a very good rta and I would say it is one of the better ones that I have tried as far as flavor production goes. All of the threading on the Meson was very smooth and had no troubles disassembling or assembling it. I decided not to install the bubble glass since I like the appearance of it with the straight glass and I'm good with the 5ml capacity. One more ml of liquid capacity wasn’t worth it to me to change the appearance of the tank for me.
I thought it was a little funny how Steam Crave took the opportunity to pimp the Hadron Lite and Hadron Mini mods while promoting the Meson RTA. I do have a Hadron Lite mod that I have had for some time so decided to use it to test the Meson. I had forgotten how I find the Hadron a little awkward at first since it has a top fire button. If I try to hold it and thumb fire then I end up hitting the wattage adjustment buttons underneath so have found it best to fire with my pointer finger.
It did seem a little odd at first to have a tank with a threaded top cap rather than the bayonet style top cap that I have become accustomed to. After a little while though I didn’t mind it. I had mentioned at the beginning that I really wasn’t familiar with Steam Crave tanks so I don’t know if they do the same type of bottom cap and build deck design on other tanks. I found it really strange how the build deck is a separate piece and not part of the threaded base cap. It is nice though that the 510 is part of the deck so you can just screw the deck onto a mod or resistance tester without having to put it in the base cap. However, I did get my hands a little messy after wicking and priming the wick when pulling it off a mod and putting it into the tank since I didn’t have the base cap to hold.
So, would I recommend the Steam Crave Meson RTA for you? If you are looking for a quality made single coil rta for RDL then absolutely I would say yes. As a matter of fact, I am planning on adding a couple more of these to my collection.
I would like to thank Sourcemore and Kavis for sending the Steam Crave Meson RTA for this review. It has been a pleasure to test. As always, thanks to the readers. Below is a link to the website. Unfortunately there is not a discount code for this one but if you have an account and log in to the site then you will get a good price on this tank. Unfortunately they have sold out as of today but you can pre-order them. They were in stock when I requested it but evidently they have sold very well already.
Steam Crave Meson RTA Atomizer 25mm 5ml/6ml (sourcemore.com)
The Meson is a 25mm single coil rta. I’m not familiar with other Steam Crave tanks but do know that they are quite popular. It is recommended for RDL from 20-50 watts and holds 5ml of liquid with the pre-installed straight glass and can hold 6ml of liquid with the included bubble glass. It is a top airflow tank but makes use of an internal honeycomb airflow that is directed at the coil.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
1* Meson RTA
1* 6ml Bubble Glass
1* Spare Part Bag of O-rings and Grub Screws
1* Allen Key
1* Steam Crave Sticker
1* Manual
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 25mm
Deck: Single coil deck
Airflow: Top airflow adjustable
Capacity: 5ml/6ml
Drip Tip: 810
Fit for: Hadron Lite and Hadron Mini
Color: Stainless Steel, Gunmetal, Black
FEATURES:
1. Single coil RTA for restricted airflow
2. Honeycomb airflow hits coil directly
3. Restricted airflow for 20-50W
4. Top airflow adjustable, leak free
5. Single coil deck, easy to build and wick
6. 5ml/6ml capacity
7. 810 wide bore drip tip
8. Perfectly match with Hadron Lite and Hadron Mini
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
The packaging for the Meson RTA is simple but nice. On the front is of course the Steam Crave and Meson RTA names as well as a simple sketch of the tank. Near the bottom in fairly bold print is the statement “The Best Single Coil RTA”. That’s a pretty bold statement even for Steam Crave. The back side of the box is fairly bare and doesn’t list the usual contents list that I see on most tanks and devices. There is an authenticity scratch off code and a standard bar code.
Rather than the usual two part box that I see a lot of samples come in, the Meson comes in a box with what I call a lift top box that is lifted but stays attached to the base. The tank is found sitting in a foam insert on the left while the accessories and spare bubble glass are located on the right side. Of course there is also the user manual and a sticker included. As you can see, I received the black color version for my review with the swirled red drip tip. For me personally, the included drip tip has an odd shape and I just couldn’t get used to it despite liking the appearance of it.
I know I sound like a broken record but always break down a new tank as much as possible and give it a good cleaning to get rid of any residual machining oil that might remain from manufacturing. This one is a little different to disassemble compared to many other tanks. The base does thread off but the base is not attached to the threaded ring on the bottom so you will pull the threaded ring and then will need to pull the base/build deck out manually. The top cap is threaded on this one instead of the bayonet type connection that we normally see on most tanks these days. Once the cap is removed then you can use a coin or a boro nut tool to remove the chimney from the top by inserting it in the slots in the chimney top and turn it counterclockwise to unthread it. At this point the chimney can be removed and the airflow base will come out the bottom which is what the chimney threads into. For those that are interested, the chimney diameter is 5.5mm. Once the chimney is removed then you can clean the tank or just replace the glass tank section. Steam crave was nice enough to provide a visual explanation in the picture below.
As you can see in the picture above, the Meson can be broken down completely into nine pieces including the drip tip. Once the top cap is unthreaded then it exposes the two large kidney shaped fill ports. I would think that just about any bottle could be used for filling on this tank. Below you can see the openings as well as the top of the chimney with the slots cut into it for disassembly. The top cap has a single o ring around the inside perimeter and also has an internal o ring in the opening for the drip tip so you can use 810 drip tips without o rings on them.
The only branding that I could find on the Meson is on the top cap where the Steam Crave and Meson RTA names are engraved into the top cap. I think I mentioned this earlier but the top cap on this one is threaded and not a bayonet style. Kind of unusual to see these days on an rta.
The chimney tube is threaded on one end and threads into the airflow base that has a total of 18 honeycomb airflow holes that are pointed at the coil when the tank is assembled. They are calling it a base but normally I would call the inside metal body of the tank the chamber. By adding this airflow base, it not only directs the airflow from the top inlets down through the chamber and out through the honeycomb holes then up to the tip but also reduces the area of the chamber to enhance flavor production.
The build deck for the Meson is not part of the bottom cap like I am used to seeing on rtas. Instead when the bottom cap is removed then the build deck is still attached to the tank. You have to manually pull it out for building. I’m not sure I know why this was done unless replacement decks were going to be made available. It is a simple and easy to build two hole post-less deck that uses allen head grub screws to secure the coil. The user guide recommends a 2.5mm coil but says that a 3mm coil may be used also. It also recommends cutting the coil legs at 4mm which seemed to be a bit short in theory to me but was a good fit once installed.
I used a 316L Clapton wire I had on hand to wind a 2.5mm coil. I normally run 3mm coils almost exclusively but thought it would be a good idea to follow the suggestions in the user guide for testing. This coil read .44 ohms on the mod I was using. I decided to fill the tank with a DIY raspberry custard that I have used for quite a while. I dialed the output in at 31 watts with the airflow about 1/3 open. With these settings I felt that the flavor was very good and quickly went through a couple tanks. I continued to use this mix for a week and really didn’t notice a decrease in flavor. Below you can see the build I put in the deck after a usage period of one week.
I had found a roll of quad core ni80 wire that I had forgotten that I had bought and really wanted to try it out so since the user manual said a 3mm coil would work, I went ahead and wound and installed a coil using this wire. I had a little bit of trouble with shorting initially and when I put a new build in with this wire I will go to 4.5mm leg length instead of the recommended 4mm. This is because the quad core wire is very stiff and it’s hard to stretch it much to bring it a little higher off the base of the deck. For this one I used Dinner Lady Lemon Tart. The flavor was also very good but had to increase the output on the mod to 35 watts. I left the airflow about 1/3 open which was a good fit for me for RDL. I’m sure this coil could handle a lot more wattage but I was happy with these settings.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I have to say that I have been very happy with the performance I have seen with the Steam Crave Meson RTA. Is it “The Best Single Coil RTA” like they claim? I probably wouldn’t say that since I haven’t tried every single coil rta on the market. However, it is a very good rta and I would say it is one of the better ones that I have tried as far as flavor production goes. All of the threading on the Meson was very smooth and had no troubles disassembling or assembling it. I decided not to install the bubble glass since I like the appearance of it with the straight glass and I'm good with the 5ml capacity. One more ml of liquid capacity wasn’t worth it to me to change the appearance of the tank for me.
I thought it was a little funny how Steam Crave took the opportunity to pimp the Hadron Lite and Hadron Mini mods while promoting the Meson RTA. I do have a Hadron Lite mod that I have had for some time so decided to use it to test the Meson. I had forgotten how I find the Hadron a little awkward at first since it has a top fire button. If I try to hold it and thumb fire then I end up hitting the wattage adjustment buttons underneath so have found it best to fire with my pointer finger.
It did seem a little odd at first to have a tank with a threaded top cap rather than the bayonet style top cap that I have become accustomed to. After a little while though I didn’t mind it. I had mentioned at the beginning that I really wasn’t familiar with Steam Crave tanks so I don’t know if they do the same type of bottom cap and build deck design on other tanks. I found it really strange how the build deck is a separate piece and not part of the threaded base cap. It is nice though that the 510 is part of the deck so you can just screw the deck onto a mod or resistance tester without having to put it in the base cap. However, I did get my hands a little messy after wicking and priming the wick when pulling it off a mod and putting it into the tank since I didn’t have the base cap to hold.
So, would I recommend the Steam Crave Meson RTA for you? If you are looking for a quality made single coil rta for RDL then absolutely I would say yes. As a matter of fact, I am planning on adding a couple more of these to my collection.
I would like to thank Sourcemore and Kavis for sending the Steam Crave Meson RTA for this review. It has been a pleasure to test. As always, thanks to the readers. Below is a link to the website. Unfortunately there is not a discount code for this one but if you have an account and log in to the site then you will get a good price on this tank. Unfortunately they have sold out as of today but you can pre-order them. They were in stock when I requested it but evidently they have sold very well already.
Steam Crave Meson RTA Atomizer 25mm 5ml/6ml (sourcemore.com)
