Wismec Bellerophon RTA Review
The Wismec Bellerophon is a single-coil RTA featuring an innovative build deck that allegedly enhances flavor and makes coil replacement a lot easier. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because this atomizer is named after the famous hero of Greek mythology who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slayed the Chimera. When you name a product after someone like Bellerophon, you’d better make sure it doesn’t disappoint. So let’s get on with the review and see if this RTA is worthy of its namesake:
A Look at the Contents
No, the Bellerophon doesn’t come in some intricate chest inspired by Greek mythology, but in a transparent metal case that offers a clear view of the contents. On the back we have a list of what’s included in the box as well as some information about Wismec.
The assembled RTA is placed in a velvet-like holder, along with a spare glass tube and a small, black box. Inside that box you’ll find a bag of accessories which includes four spare grub screws for the build deck, two 0.28Ω Clapton coils, and an Allen key. If you remove the atomizer holder, you’ll also find a bag of organic cotton and a user manual.
Design and Build Quality
The Wismec Bellerophon RTA is being advertised as a 27mm single-coil atomizer, but it only measures 27mm around the glass bubble tank. Its metal base is actually 25mm in diameter, so if you’re worried about overhang, as long as your mod fits atomizer up to 25mm, this RTA will fit perfectly.
From the tip of the included Ultem drip-tip, to the bottom of the metallic base, the Bellerophon measures 47mm, which puts it into the medium-size category of RTAs. Its reduced height means you can pair it with compact vape mods as well as larger one, but keep in mind that it comes with a low-profile 810 drip-tip, the kind that some people have trouble drawing on. Not me, though, I love this style of drip-tip, so even though I have other drip-tip options, I’m sticking with the stock one.
The top cap has an interesting design reminiscent of a crown and features knurling which makes it easier to remove. When you unscrew the top cap, you gain access to the Bellerophon’s fill port, which is made up of two large kidney-shaped slots. The fill port, chimney and the atomization chamber barrel are all one piece, so don’t even bother trying to unscrew them apart.
The Bellerophon comes with two bubble glass tubes, so if you’re not into this style of tank, you may want to look for an alternative that comes with a classic, cylindrical glass section. I personally think that the bubble glass looks very good and the general look of the RTA reminds me a lot of the Advken Manta RTA I reviewed a while back. Thanks to the larger glass section, the Bellerophon holds up to 4ml of e-liquid.
At the base, we have two large, adjustable airflow slots with stoppers on each side. The airflow adjustment ring has just the right amount of tension to it, making it easy to turn, but unlikely to move accidentally in your pocket.
The build deck is the most interesting part of this device, in my opinion. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it on an RTA before. What makes it so special is a design that Wismec calls the “airflow trail”. Instead of a large airflow on the bottom of the deck, the Bellerophon features air slots on each of its two large posts. So when you draw, air comes in two the airflow slots on the base of the RTA, through the two posts of the build deck and hits the coil from the sides. The Chinese manufacturer claims that this system helps enhance the flavor.
The deck is designed in such a way as to make installing and replacing coils very easy, even for beginners. If you’re into building your own coils, do keep in mind that you have to make sure that the two metal leads have to be facing opposite directions in order to fit in this style of deck. In that regard, the Bellerophon deck is very similar to that of the Ehpro Bachelor X RTA.
Setting Up
The first thing you want to do after taking the Wismec Bellerophon out of its case is take it apart and give it a good rinse under warm water. The unit I received for this review had lost of machining oil both on the build deck and on the inside of the top cap, but even if yours appears clean, it’s always a good idea to wash the tank thoroughly before using it.
Once everything is clean, use paper tissues to wipe the water from all the different parts or leave them to dry overnight. When you’re ready to install the coil, just screw the Bellerophon base on a mod or an ohm reader, grab the included Allen key and unscrew the two grub screws on top of each post. You don’t have to remove them completely, just make sure that the tight slots where the leads of the coil go in are clear. Then just grab one of the two included Clapton coils, either with tweezers or just your fingers, position it between the two posts, slip the leads in the slots, and tighten the grub screws with your other hand. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
One thing I want to point out is that one of the two included coils I used had an annoying hot spot that I just couldn’t get rid of. I tried scraping it for a while, tightened the screws, but it didn’t go away until I spread the wraps apart a bit. I wanted to mention this in case anyone runs into the same problem. You don’t want a hot spot in a single coil RTA, so make sure you get rid of them before inserting the cotton.
Once the coil is in place, it’s start to insert the cotton wick. If you’re interested in this atomizer, you probably have some experience with wicking an RTA, so I’m not going to bore you with the basics. I will however give you some advice – don’t fill the two wicking slots on the side of the build deck with cotton, as it will make it harder for the juice to reach the tank. I always make sure to thin my leads a bit with the sharp tip of my tweezers, removing the excess fluff, and I also cut the leads shorter than most people. I want them to reach the point where they prevent the juice from flooding the atomization chamber, but only just. It’s riskier this way, but I prefer leaking to a dry hit or semi dry hit that mutes the flavor.
Once you’re done wicking, drop a bit of juice on the cotton before putting the Bellerophon back together. Then fill the tank with e-liquid, let it sit for a minute or two and start vaping.
How It Vapes
I’ve been using the Wismec Bellerophon for about a week, and so far I don’t have any major issues to report. Leaking is always a concern when using RTAs, but once you get the wicking right, it’s no longer an issue. Even if you thin out your cotton and snip it shorter than usual, you should be fine if you can insulate the wicking channels properly. Mine hasn’t leaked at all, so even if you do experience this problem, don’t be quick to blame the tank, just try wicking it again.
The flavor I’ve been getting out of the Bellerophon, even with the stock coils included in the kit has been nothing short of fantastic. I don’t know if it’s that “airflow trail” system with the air channels built into the build deck posts, the short distance that the vapor has to travel to reach your mouth, or some other design particularity that I have yet to notice, but the flavor is just incredible. I’m currently vaping a DIY white chocolate and green tea juice and it tastes just as good as when vaping it in an RDA.
Vapor production is pretty impressive for a single-coil RTA as well, but that will vary depending on what coils you are using. With the included 0.28Ω Clapton, at around 45W, I’m getting some thick clouds, so this atomizer is definitely capable of chucking the vapor.
One thing that may disappoint some vapers is that the Wismec Bellerophon doesn’t have the airiest of draws. It’s nothing like an MTL RTA, don’t get me wrong, but because those air holes on the inside of the deck posts are considerably tighter than the massive bottom air hole we see on most other RTAs these days, you do feel some restriction on the inhale. It doesn’t bother me at all, but I’m not the kind of vaper who keeps the air slots wide open anyway.
Overall, I’m really happy with how the Bellerophon has been performing, and I have a feeling I’ll be using it in my daily rotation for some time to come.
Conclusion
If you’re in the market for a compact single-coil RTA that delivers plenty of flavor as well as thick vapor clouds, then you should definitely consider the new Wismec Bellerophon. Apart from the limited e-liquid capacity (4ml) compared to most of its competitors, I honestly can’t think of anything to complain about.
The Wismec Bellerophon RTA tested for this review was provided by Vapesourcing.com. They currently have it in stock for the very attractive price of $32.26.
