# Need some tank advice



## RichJB (8/5/16)

Hello all

I'm new to vaping having given up smoking in Jan this year. I started vaping again in Feb on cig-alikes (VaporZone Air). In early April, I decided that the cig-alikes weren't cracking it so, after many hours YouTubing what mod&tank options are available, I settled on an iStick 60W TC with a Melo2 tank. I was very happy with the mod, tank and standard coils. The battery lasts me about 26 hours which is fine. However, not vaping for 2-2.5 hours every day while the battery charges wasn't satisfactory. I also discovered that the 60W TC iStick is not compact enough for me to take when I go out. I work at home so the mod stands on my desk all day, but I wanted something more portable for when I go out.

I toyed briefly with the idea of just buying a spare battery and a charger. But I actually like charging the battery in the mod via USB. I know this may not sit well with purists but I've heard that charging a single battery in the mod is OK, you just need to avoid charging two or three cells in the mod. I also prefer not continually taking the battery out of the mod and re-inserting it, as I feel this will save on wear and tear, both on the mod's battery contacts and on the battery itself. So my decision was to buy a second mod, vape one while the other charges, and then have one small enough to take out with me.

Seeing as I already had an Eleaf 60W TC mod, the Pico 75W TC immediately seemed right for me. Same manufacturer, same coils, but small enough to pop into a shirt breast pocket. Just to add that I'm not a lung-hitter or cloud chaser. I like mouth-to-lung vaping, don't mind modest clouds of vapour, prefer a cooler vape, and usually vape at around 430-450F in TC or around 30-35W in VW mode. So if I rebuilt my coils (which I intend to do, more on that later), I would probably build in the 0.3-0.7 ohm range, either Kanthal for regular VW or probably SS for TC.

I want my vape gear to form a system, not just be a random collection of mods & tanks. I have no need for a dual- or triple-18650 mod, nor for low resistance coils, nor for dual coils, nor for massive airflow, nor for RDA/RDTA type clouds. The 0.3 ohm stock single Kanthal coil in my iStick is fine for me. And so, at long last, to my question:

Given that I'm buying the Pico and that I want to build my own coils, I have settled on the following options:
1) Buy the Pico starter kit with the Melo 3 tank, get 2X Eleaf ECR RBA decks, keep the Melo 2 on the 60W iStick, keep the Melo 3 on the Pico, and use rebuilt coils (same RBA deck) in both tanks.

2) Buy the Pico, wait for the new Lyche tank from Eleaf, but then have to buy two different Eleaf RBA decks because the Melo 2 and Lyche use different coils. Like the Joyetech Cubis, the Lyche coil attaches to the top of the tank, not the base.

3) Buy the Pico and a non-Eleaf but Eleaf-compatible (i.e. same coils) tank like the Triton or Vaporesso. However, I haven't heard good things about the RBA decks from Aspire and Vaporesso.

4) Buy the Pico, put the Melo 2 tank on it and then go with a completely different tank for the 60W iStick. It would entail using two different RBA decks but if the tank blows all Eleaf-compatible tanks away, I'd strongly consider it. My feeling at this stage, based on what I've read, is that it would be the Uwell Crown or possibly the Smok TFV4 Mini as this is apparently a good mouth-to-lung tank.

So, what do you experienced vapers reckon? I'd prefer the tank to not be larger than 22mm, as then it won't fit on the Pico due to the battery cap. Ideally, I want both tanks to fit on both mods. I'd prefer a single-coil deck that is quite easy to build on and not too fiddly. I don't mind whether it's horizontal or vertical coils. I gather that several new Velocity-style dual-coil tanks like the Griffin 25 or Avocado 24 have ceramic inserts that can block one side of the deck and make single coils viable. But these are large (24mm+) tanks that are for cloud-chasing lung-hitters. That is not really my style.

So that's my dilemma: go all-Eleaf and compatibles for simplicity and maybe not have the greatest coils/tanks, or go with a highly-rated tank/coils like the Crown or Smok but then have non-compatible coils built on two different decks. Any input would be most appreciated. Sorry about the long post.


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## Andre (9/5/16)

I have just recently acquired an iStick Pico with the Melo 3 Mini as well as the corresponding RBA deck. Build a 0.7 ohm coil last night, wicked with Cotton Bacon V2 and have since been happily vaping some of Paulie's Lemon Ice Tea at 25 W. I am more than happy with this combination. It is wickedly small. The Melo 3 Mini is a solid, quality tank and gives a flavoursome vape.

If you like the Melo 2, I see no reason why you should no go for your option 1. You will not regret the simplicity and compatibility - just makes your life easier.

The Melo is also compatible with a range of other coils - Atlantis, iJust, cCell ceramic, etc.

I have also tried the Theorem RDTA on the Pico in TC mode (SS304) and it worked flawlessly.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## brotiform (9/5/16)

imho , I'd go with a Joyetech Evic VTC Mini + OBS Crius V3 or UD Bellus. Both tanks fit and suit the VTC Mini perfectly , and will be a great vape setup that will keep you future proofed even if you decide you want to upgrade.


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## RichJB (9/5/16)

Hi Andre, thanks very much for the input, and glad to know that you have had a good experience with the Pico & Melo3. What is the RBA deck like? Is it easy to build on, does it produce coils that are better/the same as/not as good as the standard commercial coils? I'm quite happy with the standard coils. They are cheap, widely available and give me about two weeks use. If the rebuilds match or beat them, I'll be a happy camper.

Thanks as well, brotiform, I gave the Evic VTC Mini very strong consideration. However, as good as it is, it can't quite match the Pico in terms of compact size. I wanted to go as small as possible with my second mod and haven't found anything that beats the Pico yet. That its bundled Melo 3 tank takes the same coils as my Melo 2 is a big plus. I also considered the Joyetech AIO but, I dunno, cig-alikes just don't do it for me. Plus I want to avoid proprietary batteries. In terms of the tanks, I've heard good things about both the Bellus and Crius. However, both seem more suited to dual coil builds which isn't really my thing.


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## brotiform (9/5/16)

No Problem

The Pico and Melo option is a good one for you then


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## Andre (9/5/16)

RichJB said:


> Hi Andre, thanks very much for the input, and glad to know that you have had a good experience with the Pico & Melo3. What is the RBA deck like? Is it easy to build on, does it produce coils that are better/the same as/not as good as the standard commercial coils? I'm quite happy with the standard coils. They are cheap, widely available and give me about two weeks use. If the rebuilds match or beat them, I'll be a happy camper.


I build coils for HRH on her Ego CLR (rebuildable) coil units. The RBA unit for the Melo uses the same building principles, but is twice the size and, thus, twice as easy to build on imo. The quality of the Melo RBA unit is very good. Once you have done the first one, it becomes easy peasy. 

I am not a fan of standard commercial coils and do not use them at all - in my experience in the majority of cases the vape is better on the RBA. The coil can last a month or two or three (depending on the wire used and your preference on when to re-coil). Thus, it is more a matter of just a very easy re-wick, the frequency of which will depend on the juice and your preference.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## RichJB (9/5/16)

That is terrific news, Andre, thanks again.

Reactions: Like 2


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