CascadianExotics

For wire, I'd recommend using A-1 grade Kanthal wire over nichrome. TemcoIndustrialPower.com has cheap prices on 100-foot spools of 28, 30, and 32 gauge (among other gauges). Silica is good, and German silica is better. However, Eko-wool seems to be gaining a lot of popularity amongst RDA users. You can also seek out lengths of Nextel X-16 (model?), and grab some cotton balls for your mad science experiments. Otherwise, a set of drill bits will come in handy for drilling out the side of your Octopus whenever those stock bottom-fed airholes will no longer keep up with your coil builds. Good Luck, and Happy Vaping!!!

This + a Sigelei #19 has been on my wish list for a minute!!!! Now that I've seen a Richman in person, I got some serious saving to do!!! Heck, I might just get this kit for my #8 / RSST setup I have going on......and buy another for a #13 + AGA-T2..... There goes my bank account, LOL!!!

One of the best things about vaping for me is that I can enjoy certain fruits I love, but am allergic to. Strawberries and pineapple produce the worst reactions, and recently I've started developing the same reaction to watermelon....my favorite fruit EVER!!!! I've had some good fruit flavors so far. But, now I'm starting to DIY the non-tobacco flavors, as I don't vape them much as I do the tobaccos. And, I really would like to recreate that coolness characteristic of real fruit. However....... Menthol WILL land me in the ER!!!!! Honestly, I'd rather risk eating the real thing over taking the risk of adding in menthol. Recently, I was looking for some liquid when I ran across a vendor who boasted on their page of creating a cool watermelon without using menthol, and it got me curious.... So, if anyone knows how to accomplish this, I'd be grateful to learn!!!

You're absolutely right, Uma!! Though, the AGA-T series' negative post is too close to make this tip effective. Though, the washer trick on the positive post drastically helps with the hotspots. Other mods I will be trying soon enough will be to replace the positive post with a brass one to shave off an extra 0.1 ohm, and (provided I can find a small enough drill bit) to drill out a vent to aid in wicking without having to remove the fill plug, and risk leaking. Which brings me to one more addendum: Increased vapor production requires more juice flow. So, make sure your wick can keep up. Otherwise, you'll experience the dry-hit to end all dry-hits.

While the RSST is the undisputed "Starter" Genesis Atomizer, it is not without a couple of inherit problems. Quite possibly the least of anyone's complaints would be the placement of the wick hole in relation to the positive and negative terminals. While it may not seem to affect performance, this simple mod I thought of will shave off 0.15 ohms from stock. What this means for the end user is the ability to use your current wrap, and delve deeper into sub-ohm vaping. Or, you could add an extra wrap to your coil, thereby taking advantage of the heat produced by a lower-resistance coil across a greater surface area, resulting in more flavor and an increased vapor production. The mod: Go to the hardware store and get two 3m washers. Add one to your positive post where the spring captures the resistance wire, and the other to the negative screw. Capture your resistance wire UNDER the negative washer, and capture the positive lead as normal. What this mod does is decrease the distance between the wick and your leads, as well as take out the tension in the wire to more easily work out hotspots. Using a build with a 3/2 wrap of 28g Kanthal. Bone-stock, the meter read 0.8 ohms. With the mod installed, the meter was bouncing between 0.6 and 0.7 ohms. *note: On my RSST, I have my airhole drilled out to 1/16th inch (1.6mm) to support the increased vapor production of sub-ohm builds, as well as to cool the temperature of that vapor produced. Before doing ANY mod to increase performance, make sure your batteries can support the amp load of tour build. Good Luck, and Happy Vaping!!!

There are a myriad of e-liquid calculators out there. A quick Google search should bring up some very good ones from the most basic, to ones that are entirely customizable. There are also a ton of smartphone apps, making DIY convenient when unable to access the internet. I recently started DIY-ing, and use an app called "e-Liquid Recipe Manager" by Composed Chaos. This app has thought of practically everything!!! Completely customizable, easy to use, and allows storage of recipes and individual ingredients for easy access when creating new juices. Good luck in your venture, and happy vaping!!!

It's been a long time coming for Oregon. Here, we are so stupidly PC that the lawmakers often forget to look for alternatives when dealing with issues....like health, and quitting smoking. But, I am jealous of your Richman. I think it would look awesome on a modified Sigelei #19 with a Fusion SG-1 hybrid kit!!!! Let me tell you, that I see green too....only, its green disappearing out of my wallet, LOL!!!! Also, mad thanks to Rix for posting the links to the Youde product line....I foresee more green disappearing out of my wallet in the near future!!!

As Boris the Blade said in the film "Sn@tch:" "The weight is a sign of reliability....besides, if it doesn't work, you can always hit someone over the head with it!!" Yes, the Richman is probably the best looking RBA for the price. The guy I was talking to last night quoted me $35....and I didn't bother to ask if it had a glass tank. Though, I'm sure IBtanked or Phiniac could custom make one if it didn't. Unlike the RSST..... I'm sure you could JB weld the hole in the Igo (liquid nails would be quite nasty, let alone completely inappropriate for food-grade use), and drill out a new one. Though, I'll try drilling out a cheap Octopus clone first, as you can get three of those on Fasttech for the price of one Igo-L.

Almost bought an Igo-W this evening during the vape meet at our local B&M. They are really nice, though a bit pricey offline. I'm also not digging on the placement of the air hole. One of the attendees who had a couple Igo devices, pointed out to me that over-dripping will lead to leakage out the Igo's air holes. Also got to play around with a Richman this one guy had. I really like that atty!!!

If you're talking about the AGI, my advice would be to wait on that until you have experience with both a Genny and a RDA under your belt. The unit, while a good idea, is fundamentally flawed. Being as these "all-in-wonder" units are new to the world of RBA's, the technology still has a few bugs to work out. For a beginner who has never touched a Genny, it would be a good idea to have a solid base understanding of what you're dealing with before working with something that hasn't had the time to work out the kinks in the technology.

More like the Dork Side, LOL!!! Considering the thousands of products being peddled by hundreds of vendors, and the myriad of tips, tricks, and techniques out there, the sheer amount of information to be absorbed can only lead to one conclusion: What starts as an alternative therapy to quitting smoking inevitably becomes a full-time hobby. Welcome to VaporTalk, and your new life!! Once free from tobacco, I am sure that you, too, will find that smoking cigarettes was never this much fun!!!

Awww, shucks...thanks Uma!!! :p If I weren't so broke all the time, I'd have a few more pieces of gear to review. I guess that's what I get for going back to school so late in life.....(engineering major, BTW). But, hey....at least I can make use of my education by spending what free time I have figuring out how to make my $$$ stretch, while eyeing all the big-boy toys, LOL!!!

To be honest, I applaud Blu for bringing awareness of e-cigs as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes to the general public. If it were not for Blu, Fin, and Njoy running television commercials, we would have a much harder time finding acceptance in vaping amongst the general public.

Forgot about that center post leaking issue (derp). For me, it leaks so little anyways when compared to the old clearomizer / eGo setup. Besides, I got so used to cleaning my 510 connection daily with that old setup, that I don't think twice about it with my RSST.

Well, my G/F never smoked, but came up with an ingenious solution: Every time you see that Stephen Dorf commercial for Blu e-cigs while watching TV (Fin and Njoy commercials too), drop a hint....it doesn't have to be a big one, either. You know him best, and what'll drive him crazy enough to pick up an e-cig, even of its just to shut you up....so, I'll leave the subtle hinting to your imagination. Remember: SMALL HINT....then let it go. Do not turn things into a debate, either. Just nip it in the bud, and end those conversations with, "just saying..." It works like a charm!!! To this day, I still want to punch Stephen Dorff in his ruggedly-handsome face every time that commercial airs.....and I've been off the stinkies for six months!!!

Pretty sure you could go to the hardware store / eBay, and get new gaskets / o-rings on the cheap. Also, you can get a glass Chobra tank from www.IBtanked.com for around $6. Even with the "upgrades," it would still put this clone priced less than other cheap RBAs put there.

Oh....forgot to mention my two biggest peeves with the RSST: 1) The airhole.... 1mm is just too tight!!! Some people may like that kind of draw, but these things are not a ViVi Nova on an eGo. You have to hit them differently, otherwise you will kill any potential for vapor production. I drilled mine out to 1/16th of an inch (about 1.5 - 1.6 mm), which is still a bit tight for me. However, my RSST is my daily driver, and not my cloud machine, LOL!!! 2) Unlike the AC9 (from which the unit is cloned), the RSST does not have an angled top. From what I understand, this angled top improves flavor and vapor production. Though this improvement may only be at a slight, it is enough for other people to make a huge deal about on that "other" forum.....and therefore, deserves a small mention in the interest of keeping the user informed.

Since Uma is "twisting my arm" to do so....LOL :p You can't go wrong with a RSST. For the money, ease of setup, and how comparatively little time spent troubleshooting, there is no better "Beginner" Genny out there. TBH, the RSST is more of a confidence-builder when it comes to Genesis attys. The wick hole is insulated, and located "miles away" from the positive and negative posts, giving the user plenty of room to work with little fear of shorting out your build. In addition to the insulated wick hole, the tank bottom is sealed, ensuring you won't accidentally bottom out your wick. The only issue I've had with leaking was when I removed the fill plug, and put the unit in my pocket. This is because the fill hole is located in a bad spot should you ever lose, or decide to remove the plug. So, you need to either get your wick to work right and not lose the plug, or leave your RSST at home. Honestly, I've been looking at getting an AGA-T series. My buddy has one, and its a pretty sweet little performance machine. If you can set one of those up, you can set up ANY Genny out there.

A nicotine test kit....that might be a helpful thing to add to the list....

After you've found a flavor you really like, and can vape all day on (also known in the Vaping world as an "All-Day-Vape"), it becomes much easier to justify that bigger tank. It also becomes much easier to justify buying multiple setups, dripping atomizers, and more flavors to try out. Good luck holding onto your wallet!!! :p

Welcome to VaporTalk!!!

That's what we are here for!!! Welcome to VaporTalk, and your new life!!!!

No worries, my man!!! We have all been there at one point or another. The only stupid question is the one that is not asked. (Trust me on this. I have a tendency to meticulously research things....yet overlook, or not even think about the most mundane, common-sense thing until confronted with the situation, LOL!!!)

I think that the flavor you get with glass over plastic is pretty well all in your head....unless you do not clean out your plastic tanks with any degree of regularity. The cinnamon / citrus thing refers to how those particular flavors (among others) are known to break down polycarbonate plastics, and subsequently "crack" tanks.