Table of Contents
RDA Comparison, Fishbone vs. Goblin
by J. C. Martin, III
Introduction
Recently, I have been afforded the opportunity to vape with a few different rebuildable sub-tank like atomizers. There are dozens of different RBA’s and RDA’s on the market, and more being released almost daily. Sometimes, you can see new releases by looking up RDA manufacturers. Today I’m going to compare two of my favorites, the Fishbone and the Goblin.
Fishbone vs. Goblin
What exactly is a Fishbone RDA? A Goblin RDA? How do they compare? The Fishbone and G
oblin Mini RDAs are shown below. These two atomizers have plenty in common. They both utilize a glass tank and can house two coils.
All in all, I prefer the Fishbone, though there are reasons others may prefer the Goblin. The Fishbone can produce larger clouds, yet liquid must be added to it more often. The Goblin acts mostly like a sub-ohm tank, and still allows for massive cloud production. Both RDAs work fine for about 3 large lung hits, then they must be set aside for a few minutes for saturation of the cotton to occur after dripping a few more drops of eliquid. They also both feed air through the bottom, the Fishbone more so than the Goblin Mini.
The Goblin does not ‘splash’ popping liquid into your mouth and has a smooth, clean draw. It also has an adjustable air flow disk on the bottom of its base. The Fishbone does not risk leaking, as some say the Goblin can. This can only happen with prolonged non-use, as the cotton on the inside would have to oversaturate. It won’t leak, anyway, if the air slot on the bottom is closed before it is stored. As the Fishbone can splash liquid up, it usually does not, and the super-wide mouth piece is definitely an attribute which can set the Fishbone apart 
from other RDAs.
In comparing these two RDAs it is easy to notice how many other devices resemble them. This is because they were designed years ago and there are now plenty of other atomizers that work the same way now, such as the Kanger Subtank when its rebuildable component is installed. The Goblin is more like a Kanger Subtank than the Fishbone, which, as you can see, is much like a common RDA. It has better airflow than most, however.
Fishbone RDA and Goblin Mini RDA Details
Fishbone RDA:
• Glass Cap with 17mm Wide Bore Drip Tip
• Differing Colors Available for Glass Cape
• 304 Stainless Steel Base
• 4 Bottom Airflow Holes Drilled into Base of Deck
• PEEK Insulator
• Milled Negative Posts
• Copper Center Post
• Large Enough Post Holes for Parallel Coils
• 510 Threaded Connection
• Dual O Ring for Tube Seal
• 3-Post Design
• Deep Drip Well, Separate from Air Holes
• 22mm Diameter
• 40mm in Height
Goblin Mini RDA:
• Dual Coil Rebuildable Tank from Youde
• Comes with Single Coil Adapter for Direct Airflow
• 28mm Tank, 3ml
• Adjustable Lower Air Disk
• More Airflow than Original Goblin Atty
• Made of Stainless Steel and Glass
• Glass Tank is Available in Clear, Green, and other Colors
• 510 Thread
• 22mm Diameter
• Weighs 0.03 kg
• Dimensions (l x w x h): 4.3 x 2.2 x 2.2 cm
• Glass Mouthpiece
• Engraved Inner Steel Coil Housing
• Replaceable Bottom Screw for Filling Tank
Photos and Thoughts
These two photos show the Fishbone and Goblin RDAs and their gift boxes.
The two photos below show dual coil builds in the Fishbone and the Goblin. You may notice the air holes, as they are below the coils. The Atomizer base on the Drok ohms reader is the Fishbone.
Here is a photo of the Goblin’s inner housing, as the coils were small enough for its installation without touching its connection posts or the steel cylinder. I used 26 gauge Kanthal for both of these builds, which worked out fine.
These next two photos show the Fishbone and the Goblin Mini RDA, ready to go atop of an IPV4s. The green one is the Goblin.
Some Additional Photos of Coils
The photo below shows a single macro coil in my Cylapex Gate RDA. I discovered that when using larger gauge Kanthal resistance drops way down. The coil in this picture is wound with 18 gauge Kanthal. Two of these coils together read 0.01 ohms and do not activate with an IPV4s, which shows the safety message, ‘Low Resistance.’ Remember to always check the resistance of your builds, as two of these larger coils may not be safe atop some 26650 mods. When using this coil, I usually crank the watts up to 60 and take in a vapor in about half of the time I would with a 26 gauge coil at 29.5 watts. I also like to us Cavendish powder-made glycerin e-juice with it once in a while. 5mm in inner diameter, this coil can fully drain two newly charged 18650 batteries in under 20 vapor inhalations. Are those clouds huge? Yes they are. And believe it or not, the Cylapex RDA’s airflow keeps those ginormous vapor clouds cool.
The next two photos show two dual Clapton Coil builds, both with 26 gauge Kanthal on the inside, wrapped with 30 gauge Kanthal. The coils wicked with cotton are spread out for liquid application. Which build is preferred over the other one? It is hard to say. More experienced coil builders usually prefer their coils to have little to no gaps between the wraps for better polarity flow. When the coils are spread out, resistance is increased minimally, by about 0.04 ohms or so. I still have not decided which build I prefer, myself. The ohms resistance of these builds is notably more than the single macro coil in the previous picture; I vape with these coils at 29.5 watts or 32 watts.
Here is a photo of two 26 gauge Kanthal coils installed in a LowPro RDA. Their inner diameter is 3mm; they run parallel with their air holes; and their distance above and below them are the same. The two coils also ‘face’ their air holes, if you may notice.
The Silverplay V2
The Silverplay V2 is an atomizer that works in much the same way as the Goblin Mini RDA. The Silverplay is taller and has a tank that holds about twice as much liquid as the Goblin. The Silverplay also has more air flow than the Goblin, and feeds air through the bottom just as both the Goblin and the Fishbone. Here are two photos of the Silverplay V2, one shows it fully assembled, and the other shows its various components.
Ideas to Come
Many subtanks currently work the way the Fishbone and the Goblin have, however newer designs already available and those to come have enhanced features. One example is the Bellus RDA from Youde. Youde also manufactures other atomizers which surpass the designs which inspired them. Newer designs include new looks, larger coil capabilities, and increased airflow capacity.
Conclusion
The Fishbone and the Goblin Mini were fun RDAs to compare. I enjoyed the Fishbone more, due to its air flow, larger coil capability, and super-wide mouthpiece. Both RDAs are fun and able to satisfy. The Goblin can go for over forty lung inhalations with no need to fill its tank. There exists many RDAs, such as the Silverplay V2 and the Kanger Subtank with its inner RDA installed, which work in much the same way as the Goblin and the Fishbone. Though there are plenty of atomizers and subtanks out there, if you ever have the chance to get a Goblin and a Fishbone RDA to do your own comparison experiments, I do recommend partaking in the opportunity. Thank you for reading and vape on.
Ratings
• Goblin Mini RDA: 4 Stars
• Fishbone RDA: 4.5 Stars
