Table of Contents
Anticipation/Introduction
Remember back when you were a kid and Christmas would roll around each year? Do you remember that excitement of not knowing what treasures were stacked up around the glorious Christmas Tree, disguised behind brightly colored paper, paper that had been wrapped so carefully to hide what was inside? Do you remember the pressure building inside you as Christmas day got closer, and closer…and closer? Sometimes it was unbearable!
You know all too well that the presents are in there, but you’re just not allowed to open them yet! Then after what seems like waiting an eternity, the time finally rolls around, usually about 4AM, for you to tear into the packages. Your fingers rip at the wrapping paper and tape like it’s a life and death struggle to see which will survive, you or that interminable glossy foil paper with ribbon strong enough to life a car… a situation that demanded you to free whatever is inside the boxes. Finally, paper ripped away, you grab the first present, hold it up high so mom can grab a photo of you with it (because by next Christmas you probably won’t even remember you ever had it) eyes growing ever so big as you behold the treasure hidden inside. Here it was, the new toy you had always wanted! Remember feeling as though you would remember that toy for the rest of your life. And the feelings of love, gratitude, greed, obsession, and lust that comes with each new gift as you open them? Nothing like it in the world, is there?
It’s Like That… A Little
What I described above is about to happen to millions and millions of kids and adults all over the world, yet for me, those feeling are the same feeling I get every time Dave, our “Sender of Things” at Spinfuel HQ, sends me a package with a new item to review.
The anticipation of not knowing what’s inside the package that’s been entrusted to the United States Postal Service to pick up from Spinfuel HQ and deliver it to my home a couple of thousand miles away, is that same anticipation kids feel on Christmas morning and the night before. The constant, obsessive behavior of checking the USPS website to see if the tracking has been updated is the same as watching the local newscast on Christmas Eve report on Santa’s sleigh. Then, after what feels like years (but it’s been just 2 days) that faithful day arrives, I see the word “Delivered.”
Each and every time I would jump into my minivan (yes a minivan, I am a father of three) and head over to the post office, holding the Golden Ticket that will release that package only to me, Charlie of Willy Wonka fame. As I exchange the Golden Ticket for the mysterious package my mind is racing, “what could it be? Maybe it’s a new mod to review? Or perhaps it’s a new rebuildable atomizer?” Then, as I get back into the van it always dawns on me, I forgot, again, to bring a knife to open the package! Why in the world can’t I ever remember to do that?
In resignation, I realize that ripping the package open and discovering what my next ‘Mission Impossible’ assignment will be, I’m just going to have to wait until I get back to my home office (even if it kills me.)
On this particular occasion, the drive seems to take forever, but I finally arrive. I rush into my office and grab my trusty pocketknife. The sharp blade makes short work of the shipping tape. I peer into the box that is filled with packing materials to protect my new treasure. I dig through it and pull out a shinny new UD AGA-T3. Oh yes my friends, it’s Christmas every month of the year for me!
All right, time to settle down. Let’s get review going… first, the specs of this magnificent rebuildable.
UD AGA-T3 Specs
Pyrex Glass Tank Wick hole located in the center post Rebuildable using mesh or ceramic wick Approx. tank capacity 1.8ml Sealed/Adjustable Battery Connector Air hole located on outer casing (see images) 510-Threaded Stainless steel body and base with rubber O-ring seals and glass tank Fits most 510 drip tips Dimensions: 3″ x 1″ (length x diameter)
The UD AGA-T3 arrives in a small black box adorned with a colorful design. Inside of the box are the stainless steel beauty and a small bag of spare parts. The UD AGA-T3 ships with no drip tip, so you’re going to need one of those and most standard 510 drip tips should work just fine. It also does not come with a coil and wick installed, so you’re going to have to build it before you can even use it the first time.
The UD AGA-T3 is stainless steel atomizer has only a 1.8ml capacity with the included Pyrex tank. Like most RBA’s it can be used on a variety of devices on the market including advanced personal vaporizers and mechanical mods thanks to its adjustable 510 connection.
Ch-Ch-Changes
The UD AGA-T3 is a Genesis style rebuildable atomizer with some much-needed changes from previous versions. The first noticeable change is the wick placement. In previous versions the wick was set to the side. With this version, the wick runs down the center of the tank. The next noticeable change is in the type of screws to secure the connection of your coil. No longer is there a need for a small screwdriver, as all screws are now in the form of a thumbscrew. Another change is the positive and negative post locations. The wick tube is the positive side of the UD AGA-T3. The negative side is the longest post on the rebuildable deck.
The greatest change of all is the space in the top cap. The UD AGA-T3 has removed most of the open space in the top cap. By doing this, the vapor is more condensed and it gives a much stronger taste and larger vapor production.
Setting Up
Now that I’ve covered the basics of the UD AGA-T3 let’s talk about setting it up. The UD AGA-T3 is designed for ceramic or stainless steel wicks. They work great in it, but I am a huge fan of silica wicks.
Here is how to set it up with silica.
First, you start by loosening the center ring by spinning it with your finger. You will notice two slots that you can slide your wire through. Take one end of your wire and place it through one of the slots. Twist the center ring down snug to lock in the wire. Snug it very tight or your wire will slide out when you are wrapping the coil.
Next take a piece of silica and fold it in half. Then fold it in half again and slide one end of the group down the center tube. Now take the loose end of your wire and slowly wrap it around your wick moving upward as you wrap. After you have achieved the desired amount of wraps (which provides the ohms value) loosen the screw on the tall post. This is the negative post. Wrap the wire around the post and tighten the screw. You are just about done with your build at this point, but first you must test it. Always, always, always test your coil build!
Before you can test your new coil you will want to clip the excess wire from both ends. By doing this you are ensuring that the extra wire does one touch anything and create a short. Great caution should be used when testing a new coil. Please use a device that has short protection or a multi-meter. After the coil has been tested its time to fill the tank with your chosen e-liquid. Remember, the tank is Pyrex so feel free to use any eLiquid you want.
Remove the tiny thumbscrew that covers the fill hole. This is where one of the drawbacks of the UD AGA-T3 will come into play. The fill hole is so tiny that you will need a blunt needle tipped syringe or fill bottle to fill it.
Once filled replace the fill hole screw and place the top cap on. You are now done setting up your UD AGA-T3. These steps are the same for ceramic and stainless steel wicks as well.
Real World Usage
Now that the RBA is set up, tested, and ready to be fired up, how does the UD AGA-T3 stand up to real world use? After filling it with my DIY black licorice I went out and about to run some errands. The UD AGA-T3 looks like it was made to sit on the SMOKTech Magneto. Its weight is an excellent match for a heavier device.
The UD AGA-T3 works great out and about except for a couple of things. First the 1.8ml tank is too small for a moderate to heavy vape. Normally this would not be an issue, but with a fill hole so small it means you must carry something small enough to fill it with. I don’t know about you, but on the rare chance that I would get stopped for a driving infraction, I really don’t want to have to explain a syringe with blunt needle! It seems to me that this RBA is a “stay at home” atomizer, close to the eLiquid you’re going to have to reach for often.
One problem that I have had with previous versions of the AGA-T series is that they tend to leak when lying on their side. To find out if this one had the same issues I filled the UD AGA-T3 as I normally would and laid it on its side over night. To make sure I did not miss any leaks I laid it out on white tissue. To my surprise there was very little leakage on the tissue. This tends to make me think that it would be okay to lay it on its side for short periods of time. Please note: Results may very on this depending on the wick material used.
The UD AGA-T3 has such a short profile that it looks perfect on an 18350 battery based PV, making it a terrific stealth tank.
With all that said, let’s break it down to the basics.
Pros Pyrex glass tank Stainless steel Adjustable 510 connector Center wick
Cons Small screws. Tiny fill hole Small fluid capacity
I believe the UD AGA-T3 is a step above the previous versions of Genesis style rebuildable atomizers. With its center wick hole and reduced top cap space, the UD AGA-T3 has improved its production of vapor and flavor output.
While I can’t recommend it for an all day out and about tank due to its small capacity, I can recommend it for anyone looking for a great Genesis style rebuildable atomizer who plans on staying close to his or her eLiquid source. I also feel that even though it has close quarters for building a coil, a Vaper looking to get into learning how rebuildables work would not have a hard time with this particular model.
Now you know why I say it is Christmas time at my house, year round. All we are missing is the tree and music, which is going up right about the time you read this.
Spinfuel would like to remind everyone that rebuildable atomizers are for advanced users. Great caution should be used to prevent any sort of injury to the Vaper or the Vaper’s hardware. Please test all new coils with a multi-meter or a device with ‘short’ protection; most devices these days have this protection built in, but make sure first. A short can cause a battery to vent or explode. You don’t want that, right?
