Deck – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

The deck is the metal platform inside an RTA (Rebuildable Tank Atomiser), RDA (Rebuildable Drip Atomiser) or RDTA where the coil(s) are mounted and secured with screws. It contains the positive and negative posts (or a single postless surface) that deliver current from the battery to the coil, plus the juice wells or wick channels that feed e-liquid to the cotton. In short, the deck is the build stage of any rebuildable atomiser; without it, you can’t install a dual coil setup or chase clouds DTL (Direct to Lung).

Technical Details

Decks are machined from stainless steel, brass or copper and are measured by:

  • Post configuration: two-post, three-post, four-post, postless or clamp-style.
  • Terminal size: 2 mm–3 mm holes for exotic wires or 1.5 mm for single round wire.
  • Build space:Diameter“>inner diameter 18 mm–25 mm on 24 mm RDAs; larger on 28 mm–41 mm atomisers.
  • Juice well depth: 4 mm–9 mm on RDAs to delay Hit“>dry hit; RTA decks rely on capillary wicking slots instead.

Airflow enters either from below (bottom airflow) or via the side (side/top airflow) and is directed at the coil’s outer surface. High-conductivity copper or silver-plated positive pins reduce voltage drop, while gold-plated screws resist corrosion from sweet e-liquids.

Usage & Tips

  • Trim coil legs evenly with a coiling rod to keep both coils level and centred under airflow.
  • Pulse-fire at 15 W–20 W before final wicking to eliminate hot spots and avoid a dry hit.
  • Don’t over-tighten screws—soft wires like Clapton will snap and short against the cap.
  • For dual coil builds, aim for resistances within 0.1 Ω of each other to balance current draw.
  • Keep the deck clean; sugary residue increases resistance and can corrode the positive pin over time.

History & Context

The first rebuildable decks appeared on 2008 “Genesis” atomisers, copying flashlight bulb mounts. As cloud-chasing culture grew in the early 2010s, postless and clamp decks evolved to accommodate wider, lower-resistance coils, moving vaping culture away from Vape“>disposable vape convenience toward custom performance.

Share the Post: