The RDA atomizer review

I first learned about this rebuildable atomizer while hanging out in a local shop. Looking like an over-sized ERA, I can't say I was drawn to it. It had a wick called the "octopus", so called because it uses eight strands of 2cm wick and they are wrapped with coil at one end. When assembled, it does resemble tentacles wrapping around the posts. 

The cap is made of aluminum. The machining is smooth, no burs or marks whatsoever. It had no problems accepting the drip tips I currently have though you may want to check if you choose to buy one. It comes in different colors such as black, gold, and I believe there is one in red. There is one air hole on the cap.

      

 

The body of the unit has two O-rings which keep the cap in place, but not tightly. So, don't hold your mech or mod from the cap because it might fall from your hands. It has an airhole on the side that leads to another hole just below the positive and negative poles. This means to draw air, you must make sure the hole in the cap is aligned with the hole in the body of the atomizer.

When it comes to rebuilding, this atomizer makes the task easy since the screws can be loosened or tightened without the need of a screw driver or allen key. The only gripe I have is the fact that the negative post is not attached but rather it just sits on a small pin so one has to be mindful when tightening the screw. 

Vapor production is of course dependent on your build. Using the octopus build, you get a decent amount of vapor, although I felt there was not enough air getting drawn in as I vaped. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to have a new air-hole drilled, starting at 1mm then enlarged to 1.5mm. Now I am getting more vapor without a loss in flavor.

Conclusion:

The size and number of air-holes is entirely up to the user. Since I don't plan on building dual coils, one hole is fine.

Because one does not need to use a screw driver, rebuilding is very easy, just be careful with that negative post. It is certainly easier to rebuild compared to a Phoenix and the price is very competitive.

Would I recommend this atomizer. If you are starting with rebuildables, yes I would and not just because of the price. The fact that it is a good platform for one to learn how to rebuild is enough to get one.

Smoktech Telescopic Mod

My wife and I have been vaping for more than a year now and have been cigarette-free for about six months. Since then, mechanical mods have been one our favorite "toys".

My wife purchased this in November of last year after having a less than pleasant experience with a Lavatube clone. For this post, I won't go over where it was purchased nor its price as I want to focus on the unit itself.

Looking at the picture above does not mean this is what the head will look like after five months of use. Early in January, I had to remove the wire that connects the head to positive contact point because it shorted out. I would've used something like a screw but I did have any at that time so I used some DIY wiring instead.

The 510 threads show no sign of wear and tear. One minor pet peeve is cleaning the well every now and then to remove dirt and the occasional spill-over.

Externally, the switch looks just fine. When using a 18650 battery, the throw of the switch is so short, a light tap on the switch will fire up the mech. With an 18350, the throw is longer. Sadly, this mech won't be using a short battery anymore. Currently, only 18650s can be used. My initial guess is wear and tear but it may have to do with how the switch is built.

The threads on the switch remain smooth when you lock and unlock the switch. The thread connecting the switch to body of the mech also remain smooth.

 

If you look closely, the spring is attached to base of the switch by what appears to be a silicone-based glue. It looks like it was simply poured in, I agree. This may have contributed to misfires or in some cases, "no-fire" at all.

I took the switch apart for the purpose of this post. One thing to note is that only one of the two e-clips remains.

The firing pin and base of the switch. The pin itself looks like it is made of copper. The e-clips I mentioned earlier fasten to the pin at the top and bottom.

The switch spring looks good with no burn marks and it has not gone "soft". The individual parts of this mech seem to be holding up.

Opinions:

When my wife first got this unit, it was trouble-free and whether it was a dripping atty or a dct tank, it worked fine. As it got "older", problems like misfires, the body getting warm from short use, the inability to use short batteries, and ever-increasing wobble of the when using long batteries became more noticeable. That is not to say that it is a failure. Remember, this is a version 1.1, and improved models may have resolved the issues we encountered. I do hope the makers did away with the wire at the head. Also, this version used a chrome plated finish and looking at the very first picture will show you what it looks like after five months. There is a stainless steel version now available in the market, so anyone wanting a mech like this should buy that one. One major advantage of this unit over other designs is that it can use almost any battery with an 18 mm diameter. And despite the issues I stated about the quality of the design, all these faults were capable of being addressed without spending a lot of money.  Overall, it is a fairly-built unit for its price.