Thinking of getting into mech mod

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motoman883

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Feb 22, 2014
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I have several APV's and love the look of the mech mods especially since Im sold on the rba's, but Im a little nervous about them with all the horror stories Ive heard about them destoying batteries because of no protection.Im not into the sub ohm thing and not interested in cloud chasing my builds are between 1.4-2.2 in my kayfun and drippers also in my clearos. Im more of a function over fashion kinda guy but I think the look of the mech mod is a thing of beauty. Any advice or tips about running mech mods for reassurance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Bill
 
I too am looking for resources for RBA's. I want to get started but have no idea where to start! I just have an ego- c and 2 innokin itaste vv vw running kanger t3s clearos. I'm tired of the fuss, burnt taste, and inconsistency with taste on my kanger. I'm tired of wasting juice and want to experience the true taste of all these juices. I'm not sure I want drip tips for I want low maintenance (don't feel like refilling often). I'm looking for good resources too bc I have seen conflicting info and too many variations.


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KenD

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Get an ohm meter and a multimeter. Use them to make sure that the ohms of your coils are what they should be, and the multimeter from time to time to check that you don't over-discharge your battery. With time you'll learn to recognise when your battery is getting low enough to need charging. Make sure to only use high-drain safer chemistry batteries (IMR or hybrid), no ICRs even if they are protected. Familiarize yourself with ohm's law. All this might seem like a lot and overly complicated, but it's really easy. If you use regular resistance coils a mech mod is quite safe. If you're still worried you can use a kick module.

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sawtoothscream

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mech are not hard, if you have a multimeter to check your builds for shorts and stay within your batteries limits you will be fine. you can even buy a fuse to put between the battery and atty in case it does short it wont destroy your battery.

if you want the mech look but VV/VW vape you can grab a kick for the mech and have all the benifits of a protected device with the much better looks of a mech.

for your needs I would go that route. I found 28ga builds above .8 ohms to heat up to slow and lack flavor on my mech. I stay at .7 singles with mine for the best flavor.
 

porkchopbun

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Read on ohm's law, safety, battery venting, coil resistance, etc...tons of good info this forums, and don't get caught up on doing advance stuff like the guys on youtube...

1. get a cheap Ohm meter, don't pay more than 20.00...they are all the same, unless it comes with some magical powers I don't know about
2. get good quality batteries from known legit place like RTD, hell I trust Fasttech (at least they have reviews) more than Fleabay
3. I would get known oldie but goodie like clone Nemesis, King etc
4. read the reviews on your devices, pros plus minuses. It will save you lot of time and effort.
5. good Kanthal, + organic cotton balls
I get my Kanthal here, USA made TEMCo Industrial Power Supply
6. stuff to clean your mech, contacts etc.
7. You can like a kick like device, but remember to read their limitations..
8. If you're not sure, then ask somebody,...I'm still noob, and I own 4 mechs...

This isn't regulated mod, where you set it and go...you have maintain it, I'm constantly adjusting things in mech, cleaning it, etc.
I've done "cloud chasing" once or twice, not big deal to me...only time I use dripper is when I have tiny bit of e-juice left and it isn't enough to fill up my Kayfun like devices or my on the go Kanger tanks.
 

801Zenfidel

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mech are not hard, if you have a multimeter to check your builds for shorts and stay within your batteries limits you will be fine. you can even buy a fuse to put between the battery and atty in case it does short it wont destroy your battery.

if you want the mech look but VV/VW vape you can grab a kick for the mech and have all the benifits of a protected device with the much better looks of a mech.

for your needs I would go that route. I found 28ga builds above .8 ohms to heat up to slow and lack flavor on my mech. I stay at .7 singles with mine for the best flavor.

The kick is a great option to spice up a mech. One thing to think about though is the ohm level and ga of wire you use. If your current happy zone is the 1.4+ ohm range lower ga wire will heat up slower, try some 30ga. The 30ga wire will heat up a lot faster in that ohm range and isnt finicky like 32+ga wire is.

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NineToez

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I too am looking for resources for RBA's. I want to get started but have no idea where to start! I just have an ego- c and 2 innokin itaste vv vw running kanger t3s clearos. I'm tired of the fuss, burnt taste, and inconsistency with taste on my kanger. I'm tired of wasting juice and want to experience the true taste of all these juices. I'm not sure I want drip tips for I want low maintenance (don't feel like refilling often). I'm looking for good resources too bc I have seen conflicting info and too many variations.

Mechanical mods are going to be work. There is maintenance involved, usually just re-wicking. For me however, it's the best vaping experience I could've asked for as I love tinkering and now find rebuilding coils to be enjoyable. If you (or anyone else for that matter) are looking for a "hassle-free" vaping experience, mechanicals are more involved than eGos however you may want to consider a DNA20/30 mod paired with a Kayfun Lite where you won't have too much to worry about.
 

edyle

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I have several APV's and love the look of the mech mods especially since Im sold on the RBA's, but Im a little nervous about them with all the horror stories Ive heard about them destoying batteries because of no protection.Im not into the sub ohm thing and not interested in cloud chasing my builds are between 1.4-2.2 in my kayfun and drippers also in my clearos. Im more of a function over fashion kinda guy but I think the look of the mech mod is a thing of beauty. Any advice or tips about running mech mods for reassurance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Bill

What is the "look of a mech mod"?

1486000-31.jpg

iTaste 134 VW
 
Thanks for the responses this far everyone! All of these forums are a wealth of info. I'm very happy with my itaste vv vw but it's the kanger clearos I can't find consistency in taste with. It's too muted. I'm interested in a kayfun or a Russian 91. I read today that there is a learning curve with RBA's which I have absolutely no problem with. I read The cost of maintaining/ rebuilding is much cheaper than buying clearos and coils. Would I have any issues using a Russian or kayfun on my innokin itaste vv vw ?


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As stated before mechs aren't that difficult.
Just realize that batteries have limits if you're going sub-ohm.
Personally I like between 1-1.4 ohm coils which with a quality battery (AW IMR, Sony, etc) is well within it's limits.
A cheapo ohm meter or a VV/VW device that reads ohms is a must.
Make sure you're connections are good within the mech, and between the mech to the Atty.

My order of operations:
I wrap my coils then check ohms on either my MVP or on the cheapo ohm meter I bought.
If within range I test fire, and tighten up the coils.
Check ohms again.
Connect base of atty to top of mech mod, and make sure the adjustable pin makes contact.
install battery in mech, install top/base of atty to top of mech.
Adjust switch pin, and install base/switch of mech checking for good contact of battery terminals (shaking you can hear if it's loose).
Once on the mech with battery installed I test fire the coil again checking for good glow (inside to outside) of coil, and good fire time.
Wick the coil
Test again to check for vapor production.
Continue building the atty to completion. One more test fire to hear crackle of juice, and feel atty, and mech for any undue heat (this would mean a poor connection somewhere).
Fill with juice
Enjoy.

Check periodically that everything is still making contact. Some mechs will unscrew a bit in your pocket. A second to twist the bottom cap/switch to snug before use is better than a hot mech.

Personally I love the mechs.
Gives me a lot more control over my vape without any electronics to fail me.

Test fire with wick, and juice before building atty>>>

IMG_2930.jpg

Some of my toys (Notice the ohm meter in the background)>>>

IMG_2954.jpg

My go to pocket vape (sorry for the dirty hands but I was in the shop doing some woodworking)>>>

IMG_2956.jpg


Vape on. :)
 

Completely Average

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Mech mods are easy and people make far more fuss about them than is reasonable.


First, they are NOT as dangerous as some people insist they are. If you're not subohming then you can add a Kick or Kick2 module to regulate the wattage and provide a good layer of safety. The Kick will adjust up to 10 watts (Smok Kick clone will do 12 watts) and the Kick2 will go up to 15 watts. Find the wattage you like, set the Kick, and then the mech mod works just like a regulated mod. Just toss a good high drain IMR battery in and you're as safe as a VV/VW mod user.

After you've learned about all of the safety and are comfortable with building your own coils you always have the option of removing the Kick and building coils that exceed the limitations of the Kick if you want to do that. The nice part about mech mods is you have the choice between running a regulated VW device or a 100% mechanical and change back of forth as you like in about a minute.

At this precise moment I am using an Hcigar Nemesis clone with a Kick2 set at 8.5 watts and a Kanger Aerotank. I love this little setup. It's like a giant eGo on steroids.
 
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parcivous

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Mar 2, 2014
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It's funny I started on a mech and am now looking into getting into variable voltage and have a lot of the same types of questions.

my first rba was a ku iho a9, I found it at a lil smoke shop and I got it because my disposable attie had died and I was about an hour from home (lesson learned), I still use it and love it , even now that I've got fancier ones.
 

Tbev

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Go fit a stingray or a nemi great voltage drop, most important functionality of a mechanical, and small clean trustworthy, even the clones of both of them are great some day better than the original. And only get don't vtc batteries. You can't go wrong.

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