timwis Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Hi Vapor Talk members, In this review i take a look at the Zeus X Mesh RTA from GeekVape. The Zeus X Mesh RTA was supplied for the purpose of this review by Clay from GeekVape. Introduction We were told the Zeus X would be the ultimate and final RTA in the Zeus family but that statement proved premature as obviously the lightbulb got switched on to the fact the family was missing a mesh option. The Zeus X Mesh is named correctly as it's the Zeus X with a mesh deck. Both RTA's have the same dimensions, use the same size glass options and both outer and inner chambers including the airflow system is identical making the Zeus X and Zeus X mesh base sections interchangeable. My initial thoughts were is this just laziness as the mesh RTA's up to now have been manufactured in a way to make us believe they needed to be quite complicated and tricky to wick for mesh RTA's to work or was this just making something more complicated than it needed to be and simple works best (no punk rocker hairdo's with the wicking here), let's find out! ___________________________________________________________________ In The Box Contents: 4.5ml Standard Edition 1x GeekVape Zeus X Mesh RTA (4.5ml) 1x Spare Glass Tube (3.5ml) 1x 810 drip tip 2x Ni80 0.4ohm Coil 1x Spare Parts 1x Hex Wrench 1x GV Triangular Tool 2x Feather Cotton 1x User Manual 1x Warranty Card 2ml TPD Edition 1x GeekVape Zeus X Mesh RTA (2ml) 1x Spare Glass Tube (2ml) 1x 810 drip tip 2x Ni80 0.4ohm Coil 1x Spare Parts 1x Hex Wrench 1x GV Triangular Tool 2x Feather Cotton 1x User Manual 1x Warranty Card ___________________________________________________________________ Aesthetics The Zeus X Mesh came in the usual Black sturdy cardboard box which is how Geekvapes samples are packaged so the retail packaging will differ. I received the Silver version, it's available in Gun Metal, Stainless Steel, Blue, Wine Red, Black, Gold, Green, Red & Black or Rainbow. The Black looks to be a matte black and unlike the first two versions of the Zeus (Zeus and Zeus Dual) where if i can remember rightly all versions had a media blasted finish (if not most of them did) apart from the Matte Black and Media blasted Gunmetal the other versions have a metallic sheen. The RTA is 25mm at the base but tapers outwards so the top section is 26mm and the bulge glass (standard edition) increases it's overall diameter further. Its around average height but due to it's girth does seem a short stumpy RTA. Apart from very slight difference in styling to the top section it's identical to the Zeus X with the Zeus logo visible on the outer chamber and "ZEUS" written in metallic on the reverse of the chamber. The base section has grooved texturing for grip and "GEEKVAPE" is carved into the airflow control ring which accommodates large dual Cyclop slots. The top cap has knurling for grip which then slopes and steps to a low profile Black delrin 810 drip tip. The base has all the usual branding and safety marks and the Gold plated 510 protrudes quite a way. Nothing at all to complain about with the build quality it's the same standard as the other Zeus family members. ___________________________________________________________________ Zeus X Mesh Specs and Features: Size: 25mm x 47.8mm Capacity: 4.5ml/2ml Type: Mesh Coil RTA Drip Tip: 510/810 Top-to-side airflow eliminates leakage Postless mesh build deck for easy building Build deck switchable with GeekVape Zeus X RTA Simplified refill system for quick access Support 810 and 510 drip tip Thread: 510 Colours: Gun Metal, Stainless Steel, Blue, Wine Red, Black, Gold, Green, Red & Black, Rainbow ___________________________________________________________________ It's Various Parts Starting at the top we have a removable very low profile 810 drip tip which can be swapped for the also low profile (but not quite as low) included ultem drip tip or one of your own, well actually that's with the sample version but the retail version includes a 510 option instead (see picture below). The top-cap screws off as does the base section. The 4.5ml bubble glass can be wiggled free very easily and can be replaced with the straight 3.5ml glass (the TPD version comes with 2ml glass only but you do get a spare). The airflow control ring can also be easily removed which leaves the juice port and airflow intake section with attached chamber. Unlike most RTA's that's not it, when looking inside the chamber the wall looks slightly stepped which is because their is an inner chamber that fits tight against the outer wall. The inner chamber is removable and is just press fitted into place secured with an o-ring when the very top of the chamber enters the air pipe. ___________________________________________________________________ Included Mesh Again this is a sample version and the contents i have listed come from a vendors site which differs from what i received. I received 2 strips of N80 0.17ohm mesh and 2 strips of KA1 0.2ohm mesh and 4 6mm x 6mm shoelace cotton. ___________________________________________________________________ Filling The top-cap is less than half a turn and it's off, it's the same bayonet design Geekvape have used previously. Once off the 2 kidney shaped fill ports are revealed which are quite narrow and recessed down so large nozzles and glass droppers won't fit but most standard nozzles will be fine. Luckily there is quite a deep channel between the edge of the tank and air pipe section so it won't be too messy if using larger nozzles, just time consuming. Once filled just position the bayonet tabs in place push down and give it a slight turn. ___________________________________________________________________ The Airflow The Zeus X Mesh has the signature Zeus top airflow with large dual airflow slots that are fully adjustable. You also have an inner chamber which gets press fitted into place but the air is better directed than the usual double walled system. With the airflow slots open you can look inside the chamber and clearly see the light from the openings of the airflow slots and a steep ramp (same both sides) where the air is angled downwards, you line the airflow holes on the inner chamber up with these angled ramps when press fitting into place so the air comes through your airflow slots and is directed straight through these holes on the inner chamber. On that inner chamber which sits over your build we have two rows of 5 and 4 holes either side that directs air to the sides of the mesh and a further 5 (either side) on the sharply tapered ceiling which directs air to the top of the mesh. As mentioned the inner chamber airflow system is the same as on the Zeus X but it gives perfect coverage of the mesh so not laziness but someone having the foresight to realise the exact same design would work for a mesh build. There are 2 notches on the side of the deck (one each side) and also on each side on the inner chamber their is cutouts to match. When fitting the tank together the deck will not screw on to the outer chamber until the cutouts on the inner chamber have interlocked with the notches on the deck ensuring the airflow will be positioned correctly. The inner chamber when in place reduces the space and the ceiling tapering quite sharply from a low start is a tried and tested design that encourages flavour. ___________________________________________________________________ Interchangeable Bases A big thing has been made about the fact the base sections with deck are interchangeable between the Zeus X and Zeus X Mesh but what real advantage does that have? The answer is i have already seen just the Zeus X Mesh base section on some vendors sites so no doubt the Zeus X base will also become available. This means those that already have the Zeus X need only buy the base and those that purchase the Zeus X mesh but don't have the Zeus X will be able to buy just the Zeus X base to use with their Zeus X Mesh Tank! ___________________________________________________________________ Using Mesh In An RDA (and now RTA) Issue Mesh is becoming the way to go with stock coils upping the flavour and giving coils more longevity but mesh RDA's were not met with the same enthusiasm being inconsistent with flavour and renowned for dry hits. Mesh gives great flavour, yes that's just my opinion but it is an opinion shared with countless others but the mesh needs total contact with the wicking material and a combination of the flexible mesh and cotton which expands, then shrinks as it dry's and also can sag and change shape as it's constantly expanding, shrinking and sagging means with all the best will in the world trying to keep cotton touching the entire surface area of the mesh was a big problem. It has worked perfectly with stock coils as the cotton is packed between the mesh and the outer shell of the coil head so the cotton always covers the mesh surface area, But then came along the solution! ___________________________________________________________________ Spring Loaded Ceramic Seat Mr JustRight1 came up with the perfect solution, which was introduced with the Profile RDA which is a Spring loaded Ceramic seat which sits directly underneath where the Mesh domes over from post to post. The Ceramic seat pushes the cotton against the mesh and as the cotton expands, then shrinks etc the ceramic constantly pushes the cotton against the mesh with the spring allowing it to lower or raise to achieve this. Mr JustRight1's Ceramic seat now seems to be used in every mesh RDA and RTA design and i bet he wishes he had $1 for every ceramic seat used but then again if his Jewellery is real then he probably does! ___________________________________________________________________ The Deck and Build The Deck is very simple with a vertical sitting clamp each side for the end of your mesh to slide into and of course the now obligatory spring loaded ceramic seat between. We have phillip head grub screws on the sides, so simply loosen the screws, slide your mesh ends evenly in place and tighten the screws, it's that easy. Like with the other mesh RTA's we have seen you are supplied with a simple tool to bend the mesh around before fitting, it bends the mesh to the perfect shape (the simple ideas are always the best). Before wicking pulse your mesh at low wattage (25W max) to burn off any residue from manufacture. When it comes to wicking is were the Zeus X mesh comes into it's own compared to the competition because it's straightforward. You are supplied with 6mm x 6mm shoelace cotton which is four times the mass of cotton in the standard 3mm x 3mm shoelace cotton so essentially you use twice as much cotton than with a dual coil build. Once you feed the cotton underneath the mesh leave your ends long enough to feed down into the GTA style channels but not long enough that they will touch the floor of the tank as you need e-liquid to flow underneath for good wicking. This wicks better than the Unity or Kylin Mesh so don't thin out your ends even though it feels like you are really packing the cotton in the channels more than what would usually be advised, this is because if you thin out the cotton you could get flooding. The channels are large enough that as long as liquid can flow freely underneath the capillary action doesn't get choked off with the cotton packed down. That's it, just normal wicking you would do on any GTA type deck just don't thin your cotton ends. Just one thing worth mentioning about the deck is the spring loaded ceramic seat has a much stiffer spring than on other RDA's and RTA's which have one, making it much less flimsy, it just feels better made! ___________________________________________________________________ Performance I just can't fault it, i really can't apart from it's slightly on the loud side but it's smooth enough. The flavour just pops especially with the N80 mesh and both supplied mesh types gave a really wide flavour range for example the N80 vaped really well even if reduced cloud as low as 30W and i took it right up to chain vaping for 2 mins at 80W and the vape was still saturated and full of flavour, the KA1 mesh performed similar but the N80 just edged it for me. It just seems RTA's like the Profile Unity have turned out to be over engineered as this is just a straightforward build and wick on a GTA stle deck yet it out performs both the Unity and Kylin Mesh by quite a margin with the added bonus of having a leak resistant top airflow! I received this way back and initially tried it with both an N80 and KA1 build but delayed the review because the release date was delayed, before writing the review i did my second N80 build to familiarise me back with the tank (remind me how good it is) and when i used it before and over the last couple of days i just have had no issues whatsoever, It's a winner! ___________________________________________________________________ Likes Well made Good colour options Reasonable capacity Plenty included Bayonet style top-fill Top airflow (leak resistant) Flavour for days Smooth airflow Wicks like a dream No flooding (don't thin cotton ends) Straightforward build and wick Included 510 & 810 drip tips (retail version) Best quality ceramic seat yet Interchangeable base with Zeus X Base available separately Best mesh RTA to date Cons Slightly loud Using glass droppers to fill will be time consuming I would once again like to thank Clay from GeekVape for supplying the Zeus X Mesh RTA for the purpose of this review. ___________________________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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