RDAs, RTAs and RDTAs are all types of an RBA. Well, that should settle it. Just kidding. While this first statement is true, there is quite a bit more to figure out here.
RBA stands for rebuildable atomizer and is used for more sophisticated vaping devices featuring a build deck, one or more coils and wicking on the inside. RBAs come in different formats: namely, RDA, RTA and RDTA.
RDA stands for rebuildable dripping atomizer. The main feature of an RDA is that the vaper will need to manually add juice to the coils and wicks — it will not be fed from the tank directly. Most RDAs will have a juice “well” for storing the e-liquid with the tails of the wick placed into the well — but the capacity of these so-called “wells” is much smaller than that of standard tanks and you will need to regularly add juice to the wicks to prevent them from over-drying. RDAs are typically praised for their flavor rendering and cloud production.
RTA stands for rebuildable tank atomizer. RTAs are quite different from RDAs in that they do have tanks of specific capacity (typically made of glass) for storing e-juice. The composition of RTAs is similar to that of RDAs except for that fact that the build deck is typically located inside of the tank with the coil head surrounded by e-liquid; the coil head is connected to the chimney, which goes all the way up to the drip tip. Some of the advantages of RTAs are that you get more juice capacity and can, thus, vape longer without refills.
RDTA stands for rebuildable dripper tank atomizer. In short, it’s a cross between an RDA and an RTA and combines features and functionality of the two types of devices mentioned above. RDTAs have their decks designed in pretty much the same way as RDAs — you can
drip on it but it also has a tank to hold excess juice. RDTAs are perfect for those vapers who enjoy the flavor and cloud production of an RDA but prefer to avoid frequent dripping.
The important thing to remember about all of the above device types is that they are all rebuildable atomizers and will require coil building and wrapping skills, the knowledge of ohm law as well as some understanding of battery safety.
