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Help troubleshooting intermittent dry hits

Here's a quick rundown of my setup:

  • Fuhattan Clone; Aluminum
  • IGO-L
  • LG IMR 18650 HE4s
  • Between .5 and .7 ohm 1.5 ID micro coil builds; single
  • KGD wick
My coils, while not perfect, are definitely passable.

I clean the contacts and threads on the Fuhattan every day or two.

Switch has never gotten hot on me or anything.

Juice I've been dripping recently is ANML's Looper.

Mouth-to-Lung hitter exclusively.

I had been running single micro coils on an IGO-W without issue for a few weeks. Started getting hot legs, and pretty soon, every build I put on the thing would cease to light up after a handful of fires. At that point, the IGO-L was already in the mail, so instead of trying to troubleshoot the W, I just started building on the L. Probably not the smartest move.

So now the IGO-L is firing consistently, but every few pulls, while there is still ample juice on the wick, I'll take a normal draw, and after already having disengaged the switch, can hear the wick still hissing as though the atomizer were still firing. It is at that point I'm getting a dry-ish hit. It's not extreme, like a full-blown dry hit. And I notice that with the KGD, even when I'm not paying attention and do get a legitimate dry hit , it's not anywhere near as bad as with normal bleached cotton.

Another thing to mention is that occasionally the Fuhattan fires really weakly, at which point I just spin the switch to a slightly different position and it hits normally again. I chalked that up to needing to sand the firing pin, but figured I should include this information.

I really want to sort this out. It's the only thing standing in the way of all-out satisfaction with this setup, which is the only one I own.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
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The IGO-L's airhole is really small. Less than 1/16" (which is actually what I'd prefer, but don't have a drill press).

Anyway, could airflow have anything to do with this?

Hotspots maybe?

Wicking?
 

AmandaD

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Those coils are really tiny! I'd increase them to at least 2mm, contact coils, and pulse to check for hot spots! With such small coils you can't get in much wick and are more likely to get dry hits.

It does sound as if your coils aren't connecting properly. Did you pulse to check for hot spots/hot legs before wicking?
 

stevegmu

Gold Contributor
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That's a pipe bomb waiting to blow... Hybrid mod with an atty without the correct pin...
 
Wait, if I understand what a hybrid mech mod is, this is not one. There's 510 threaded cap w/ insulator and adjustable pin that itself threads onto the top of the tube. Am I missing something?
 

stevegmu

Gold Contributor
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Wait, if I understand what a hybrid mech mod is, this is not one. There's 510 threaded cap that itself threads onto the top of the tube. Am I missing something?

Oh, ok. Ones I have seen have hybrid top caps...
 
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AmandaD,

This afternoon I actually did build a 2mm ID micro at closer to .7 ohms. No hot-spots or hot legs. Heating pretty evenly from the inside out.

I'm also taking drags at full suction/force now.

So far haven't really experienced many (if any) of the kind of half-dry hits I was getting before.

I prefer the greater heat-flux of the lower resistance builds I've used in the past. This one's yielding a pretty cool vape. Might wrap another 2 or 2.5mm ID coil at closer to .5 ohms. It's a trade off, though, because then of course you're burning more juice.. I guess the only way to regulate temperature independent of resistance would be a temp controlled mod?
 

AmandaD

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I used to build my Igos at around 0.3 with, I think 2.5mm coils (or 3?) Those were plenty hot!
 
Update.

Built a 2mm ID micro w/ 26 gauge kanthal; 4.5 wraps or thereabouts. Around .5 ohms. Not getting any hissing after I release the switch. Build is performing beautifully.

I have read that the hissing after letting off the switch thing just means the coil is still hot enough to burn juice and/or wick. If this is true, then I don't understand why this build doesn't hiss. The last .5 ohm build I had certainly did, AND gave me those occasional dry hits.

Maybe it's more of a wicking issue?
 

Neunerball

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Update.

Built a 2mm ID micro w/ 26 gauge kanthal; 4.5 wraps or thereabouts. Around .5 ohms. Not getting any hissing after I release the switch. Build is performing beautifully.

I have read that the hissing after letting off the switch thing just means the coil is still hot enough to burn juice and/or wick. If this is true, then I don't understand why this build doesn't hiss. The last .5 ohm build I had certainly did, AND gave me those occasional dry hits.

Maybe it's more of a wicking issue?
Yes, the dry hits, it's a wicking issue, that's why @AmandaD recommended to use a larger ID. I personally use 2.5-3 mm ID myself.
 
Yep. Narrowed it down to a wicking issue for certain.

I've rewicked a couple times today, and each time, the first 2 or 3 sessions are flawless. Thereafter, the odd dry hit starts making an appearance. Sometimes it's because I'm not minding the saturation; sometimes dripping too little; sometimes due to chain vaping; sometimes because the battery is fresh, and it'll slip my mind that the mod is going to get fewer hits per drip w/ the greater wattage.

Kind of a steep learning curve, but I think worth it.

P.S. - Love the fact that Japanese organic cotton's 'warning flavor' is so much gentler than conventional stuff.
 
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