Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the BTFC RDA from Augvape. The BTFC RDA was supplied for the purpose of this review by Fiona from Augvape.
http://www.augvape.com/product/btfc-rda/
Introduction
The BTFC RDA is the latest RDA from Augvape and is a collaboration with VapnFagan. The B stands for bottom airflow, the T for top airflow, F for flavour and C for cloud, so to find out how it gets on with all that lets have a look.
In the Box
Contents:
1*PC BTFC RDA
1*PC 810 Drip Tip
1*PC Allen Key
1*BF Pin
1*Bag Accessories
Aesthetics
The BTFC RDA comes in the usual Augvape tube packaging and on opening i found i had received the Stainless Steel version, it's also available in Black, Gun Metal and Rainbow. The diameter is 25mm and it's a tall RDA which comes fitted with a Black delrin 810 drip tip, a frosted taller 810 is also included. The airflow is dual bottom cyclops and dual pair of mini slots on top. there is ringed groove underneath the top airflow and above the bottom airflow that adds aesthetic features and makes it look as if top and bottom airflow have adjusting control rings but they are just etched into the metal. On the front is the BTFC logo printed Black in large font, i wish this was more of a design logo in fact while on the point i wish the RDA had a different name all together as i don't like BTFC at all. The base has printed branding and safety stamps and is fitted with a standard Gold plated 510 that protrudes nicely, a BF pin is also included. The BTFC RDA feels quite heavy and is very good quality with excellent machining.
BTFC RDA Specs and Features:
Size: 25 x 33mm (without drip tip)
Material: SS304
A Collaborated Project With Vapnfagan
B FOR Bottom Airflow, T FOR Top Airflow, F FOR Flavor,C FOR Clouds
Super Easy to build
Flavor Chasing and Clouds Chasing
Peek Insulator
Derlin Drip Tip & Frosted Long Drip Tip
Top and bottom double airflow system
Deep juice well
25mm diameter for spacious building deck
Colours: Black, Stainless Steel, Gun Metal, Rainbow
The Airflow
The bottom airflow is dual slots on the outer sleeve which you line up with the airflow on the sides of the base, the air goes underneath the deck and up a hollow in each of the 4 posts, the top inner of the posts are ramped and curved allowing for the air when it enters the deck through the hole on each post to wrap around the bottom of your coils giving really good coverage. The ramped design also allows for the coils to fit at an angle but i will cover that later. The top airflow is on the outer sleeve in the form of two mini slots per side, this airflow is controlled by moving the top cap that has dual slots (each slot is the same size has the two mini slots on the outer sleeve). So the bottom airflow is on the outer base and the top is on the sleeve, the bottom is adjusted by turning the sleeve and the top by turning the top-cap. This design is great for if you want both top and bottom airflow, just bottom airflow or as i ended up using it bottom airflow with the top partially open. The only issue i can see is if you want to start closing the bottom airflow the top would no longer be lined up correctly. The sleeve is quite tall but then the way the coils get fitted they are raised above the posts.
Squonking
I did this section because with most RDA's now coming pre-installed with a BF pin the BTFC didn't, it came with a standard pin fitted. I have no issues with that, in fact despite i tend to use RDA's for squonking i think they should come with the standard pin fitted but until i looked at the deck i thought it may not be that suited to squonking. I immediately swapped pins after looking at the deck if ever an RDA shouted at me "i want to be squonked!" it's this one. The air outlets on the deck as already explained are at the top of the post sections way above the deck, also the juice wells either side of the post sections are very deep. Between the 2 post sections there is a plate that covers the top of the pin so when the liquid enters the deck it hits the bottom of this plate and then travels down a channel each side to enter the wells. The BTFC might have bottom airflow but you would have to squonk like someone possessed to get leaking.
The Deck and Build
I have already explained how the airflow enters the deck and how in my opinion the BTFC is a great RDA to use fitted to a squonker, but what about the build. More and more decks are getting easier to build on and the BTFC is as easy as it gets. I have already explained the top of the posts ramp down on the inside of the deck to allow for the angled airflow but on the same ramps we also have the post holes so your legs slide through on the diagonal and come out through the holes low on the posts on the outside of the deck. This means you simply slot your coil legs through the post holes and the coils are positioned correctly (which is raised up above the posts), just tighten down the screws which are also positioned on an angle on the outside slant of the post. The outside of your 2 sets of posts are squared off so there is a bit of a cavity between these and the sleeve, still trim your legs as close to the posts as possible but this should avoid any shorts. With those very deep wells wicking can be generous but still leave a bit of room for the cotton to expand.
My Experience Using the BTFC RDA
As already mentioned i fitted the BF pin and squonked using the RDA and it really suits it. I tried different airflow configurations, i found with bottom and top fully open slightly too much air for me and although the flavour was still good it seemed more about clouds (i am trying to think if i have experienced more vapor production, if so not for a long while because i can't remember). With just the bottom airflow open the flavour was special but very restrictive, also although not over turbulent it wasn't as smooth as i would like. I ended up with bottom wide open and just three quarters of one of the 2 mini slots open each side on the top, this seemed to not give any noticeable loss of flavour while smoothing the airflow out, clouds increased (there was enough cloud just with the bottom airflow open to be honest).
Final thoughts
The fact that adjusting the bottom airflow means that the top airflow goes out of sync is a design flaw, but the vast majority of people will be having the bottom wide open as this is where the flavour is coming from. The only other con for me is there is no manual included, i have never looked at a manual for any atty ever but that's not the point there should be one. Apart from that the BTFC ticks all the boxes, super easy to build on, top flavour, as much cloud as you adjust for (this gives clouds for days as you open up the top airflow), smooth airflow with at least some top introduced and ideal for squonking. I used the BTFC with a build that came out at 0.22 and settled at 80w when i got the airflow configuration how i liked it, but i feel the RDA is well suited to high wattage and those with iron lungs.
Pros
Good quality
Bottom and top airflow
Both airflows adjustable
Super flavour with right configuration
Smooth airflow and very good flavour with right configuration
Crazy amount of cloud production still with good flavour with right configuration
Very easy build
Deep juice well
No leaking when i squonked
performed great with BF pin
Cons
Adjusting bottom airflow moves top airflow out of sync
No Manual included
Don't like the name at all (but what's in a name?)
I would once again like to thank Fiona from Augvape for supplying the BTFC RDA for the purpose of this review.
http://www.augvape.com/product/btfc-rda/
http://www.augvape.com/product/btfc-rda/
Introduction
The BTFC RDA is the latest RDA from Augvape and is a collaboration with VapnFagan. The B stands for bottom airflow, the T for top airflow, F for flavour and C for cloud, so to find out how it gets on with all that lets have a look.
In the Box
Contents:
1*PC BTFC RDA
1*PC 810 Drip Tip
1*PC Allen Key
1*BF Pin
1*Bag Accessories
Aesthetics
The BTFC RDA comes in the usual Augvape tube packaging and on opening i found i had received the Stainless Steel version, it's also available in Black, Gun Metal and Rainbow. The diameter is 25mm and it's a tall RDA which comes fitted with a Black delrin 810 drip tip, a frosted taller 810 is also included. The airflow is dual bottom cyclops and dual pair of mini slots on top. there is ringed groove underneath the top airflow and above the bottom airflow that adds aesthetic features and makes it look as if top and bottom airflow have adjusting control rings but they are just etched into the metal. On the front is the BTFC logo printed Black in large font, i wish this was more of a design logo in fact while on the point i wish the RDA had a different name all together as i don't like BTFC at all. The base has printed branding and safety stamps and is fitted with a standard Gold plated 510 that protrudes nicely, a BF pin is also included. The BTFC RDA feels quite heavy and is very good quality with excellent machining.
BTFC RDA Specs and Features:
Size: 25 x 33mm (without drip tip)
Material: SS304
A Collaborated Project With Vapnfagan
B FOR Bottom Airflow, T FOR Top Airflow, F FOR Flavor,C FOR Clouds
Super Easy to build
Flavor Chasing and Clouds Chasing
Peek Insulator
Derlin Drip Tip & Frosted Long Drip Tip
Top and bottom double airflow system
Deep juice well
25mm diameter for spacious building deck
Colours: Black, Stainless Steel, Gun Metal, Rainbow
The Airflow
The bottom airflow is dual slots on the outer sleeve which you line up with the airflow on the sides of the base, the air goes underneath the deck and up a hollow in each of the 4 posts, the top inner of the posts are ramped and curved allowing for the air when it enters the deck through the hole on each post to wrap around the bottom of your coils giving really good coverage. The ramped design also allows for the coils to fit at an angle but i will cover that later. The top airflow is on the outer sleeve in the form of two mini slots per side, this airflow is controlled by moving the top cap that has dual slots (each slot is the same size has the two mini slots on the outer sleeve). So the bottom airflow is on the outer base and the top is on the sleeve, the bottom is adjusted by turning the sleeve and the top by turning the top-cap. This design is great for if you want both top and bottom airflow, just bottom airflow or as i ended up using it bottom airflow with the top partially open. The only issue i can see is if you want to start closing the bottom airflow the top would no longer be lined up correctly. The sleeve is quite tall but then the way the coils get fitted they are raised above the posts.
Squonking
I did this section because with most RDA's now coming pre-installed with a BF pin the BTFC didn't, it came with a standard pin fitted. I have no issues with that, in fact despite i tend to use RDA's for squonking i think they should come with the standard pin fitted but until i looked at the deck i thought it may not be that suited to squonking. I immediately swapped pins after looking at the deck if ever an RDA shouted at me "i want to be squonked!" it's this one. The air outlets on the deck as already explained are at the top of the post sections way above the deck, also the juice wells either side of the post sections are very deep. Between the 2 post sections there is a plate that covers the top of the pin so when the liquid enters the deck it hits the bottom of this plate and then travels down a channel each side to enter the wells. The BTFC might have bottom airflow but you would have to squonk like someone possessed to get leaking.
The Deck and Build
I have already explained how the airflow enters the deck and how in my opinion the BTFC is a great RDA to use fitted to a squonker, but what about the build. More and more decks are getting easier to build on and the BTFC is as easy as it gets. I have already explained the top of the posts ramp down on the inside of the deck to allow for the angled airflow but on the same ramps we also have the post holes so your legs slide through on the diagonal and come out through the holes low on the posts on the outside of the deck. This means you simply slot your coil legs through the post holes and the coils are positioned correctly (which is raised up above the posts), just tighten down the screws which are also positioned on an angle on the outside slant of the post. The outside of your 2 sets of posts are squared off so there is a bit of a cavity between these and the sleeve, still trim your legs as close to the posts as possible but this should avoid any shorts. With those very deep wells wicking can be generous but still leave a bit of room for the cotton to expand.
My Experience Using the BTFC RDA
As already mentioned i fitted the BF pin and squonked using the RDA and it really suits it. I tried different airflow configurations, i found with bottom and top fully open slightly too much air for me and although the flavour was still good it seemed more about clouds (i am trying to think if i have experienced more vapor production, if so not for a long while because i can't remember). With just the bottom airflow open the flavour was special but very restrictive, also although not over turbulent it wasn't as smooth as i would like. I ended up with bottom wide open and just three quarters of one of the 2 mini slots open each side on the top, this seemed to not give any noticeable loss of flavour while smoothing the airflow out, clouds increased (there was enough cloud just with the bottom airflow open to be honest).
Final thoughts
The fact that adjusting the bottom airflow means that the top airflow goes out of sync is a design flaw, but the vast majority of people will be having the bottom wide open as this is where the flavour is coming from. The only other con for me is there is no manual included, i have never looked at a manual for any atty ever but that's not the point there should be one. Apart from that the BTFC ticks all the boxes, super easy to build on, top flavour, as much cloud as you adjust for (this gives clouds for days as you open up the top airflow), smooth airflow with at least some top introduced and ideal for squonking. I used the BTFC with a build that came out at 0.22 and settled at 80w when i got the airflow configuration how i liked it, but i feel the RDA is well suited to high wattage and those with iron lungs.
Pros
Good quality
Bottom and top airflow
Both airflows adjustable
Super flavour with right configuration
Smooth airflow and very good flavour with right configuration
Crazy amount of cloud production still with good flavour with right configuration
Very easy build
Deep juice well
No leaking when i squonked
performed great with BF pin
Cons
Adjusting bottom airflow moves top airflow out of sync
No Manual included
Don't like the name at all (but what's in a name?)
I would once again like to thank Fiona from Augvape for supplying the BTFC RDA for the purpose of this review.
http://www.augvape.com/product/btfc-rda/
