UB Max coil alloys, Ni80 or kanthal

Coil builders rarely open a box of factory heads. A UB Max coil from Lost Vape still deserves a session at the bench, because its engraving tells you everything a spool label would. Three resistances, three power ranges and, above all, two different alloys within the same range. That detail changes how you set the mod, especially on devices that offer temperature control. The question is what each head really contains, and what you can expect from it.

What sits inside each UB Max coil

The UB Max coil range is made up of factory mesh heads, sold in packs of three and designed for direct lung vaping. Lost Vape lists three references, the X1 and X2 in Ni80 nichrome and the X3 in KTR, a kanthal. They fit the Centaurus Sub Ohm tanks, in both generations, and the UB Max Pod Tank.

Unless stated otherwise, the figures below come from Lost Vape’s official pages, and the same values are engraved on the body of each head.

Head	Resistance	Engraved alloy	Stated range
UB Max X1	0.15 Ω	Ni80, mesh	80 to 120 W
UB Max X2	0.2 Ω	Ni80, mesh	60 to 80 W
UB Max X3	0.3 Ω	KTR, mesh	40 to 60 W

The page for the Centaurus Sub Ohm V2 tank gives 80 to 100 W for the V2 edition of the X1. The bottom of the range is the same everywhere, and that is the figure that matters for a fresh head.

Mesh is a perforated metal strip, wider than a conventional resistance wire, fixed inside the head at the factory and wrapped in cotton. To a coil builder, it is the equivalent of a flat coil already installed, already wicked and enclosed in its metal body.

Nichrome or kanthal, two alloys in one UB Max coil range

The UB Max coil range therefore does not rest on a single metal. The retailers who detail the build agree that the X3 uses kanthal A1 and the other two use nichrome 80. That split has very practical consequences at the bench.

The Ni80 in the X1 and X2

Nichrome 80 is a nickel and chromium alloy. According to the material datasheet for Nikrothal 80, the reference grade of this alloy from the Swedish maker Kanthal, its resistivity is 1.09 Ω·mm²/m at 20 °C. It is also non-magnetic.

For the same cross-section, nichrome therefore needs more length than kanthal to reach the same resistance. The two lowest heads in the range, the ones that take the highest power, are the ones given this alloy.

The KTR in the X3

The KTR engraved on the X3 stands for kanthal, which two French retailers call kanthal A1 or KA1. It is the iron, chromium and aluminium alloy every builder knows from the spool. Our kanthal wire guide covers its resistivity and how it behaves when heated.

The X3 is also the only head whose range goes down to 40 W. A builder used to 0.3 Ω kanthal coils will find a familiar order of magnitude here.

Wattage mode or temperature control for a UB Max coil

This is where the alloys shape the settings. Some mods sold with the Centaurus Sub Ohm V2 offer temperature control, and nothing on their screen reminds you that UB Max heads do not belong there.

The SS316, Ti and Ni modes on the Thelema Solo 100 Pro

The Thelema Solo 100 Pro, which Lost Vape pairs with this tank and lists as compatible with all three UB Max resistances, shows six modes. There is wattage, a Boost mode and voltage, then three temperature control modes, SS316, Ti and Ni. Those three settings are meant for 316 stainless steel, titanium and pure nickel.

None of the three UB Max heads uses any of those metals. The Ni on the mod means pure nickel, not nichrome 80, however similar the abbreviations look.

Why Ni80 and kanthal stay in watts

Temperature control follows the rise in a head’s resistance during a puff. It needs a metal whose resistance climbs clearly with heat. The Nikrothal 80 datasheet mentioned above gives the opposite, a factor of 1.01 at 100 °C, 1.03 at 300 °C and 1.04 at 400 °C. With nichrome of this kind, an X1 of 0.15 Ω would only read about 0.155 Ω at 300 °C, far too small a shift to work with.

The kanthal in the X3 moves even less. All three UB Max heads are therefore set in wattage mode, at the bottom of their range when fresh, then one step at a time. Our coil calculator, worked through by hand explains how power splits between voltage and current.

Why a UB Max head cannot be rebuilt

Opening a UB Max head to fit your own wire makes no sense. The mesh and cotton are fixed inside the metal body at the factory, and nothing is designed to come apart without destroying the head.

The UB Max platform page lists only the three heads and their tanks, with no rebuildable base at all. At Lost Vape, that kind of option sits on another platform. The page for the Centaurus E40 Max, a 5 to 40 W pod, states that it accepts an E Plus cartridge in an RBA version. That is a pod cartridge, not a base for the Centaurus Sub Ohm.

For a builder, the conclusion is simple. On a Centaurus Sub Ohm tank, the head gets replaced, not rebuilt. A rebuildable atomiser remains the only way to choose your own wire and cotton.

Checking a fresh UB Max coil at the bench

Even a factory head goes through the same checks as a home build. The engraving acts as the label, and the mod acts as the ohm meter.

Read the engraving before fitting

The body of each head carries its power range, resistance, alloy and the word mesh. A head taken out of its box can be identified without the packaging, which stops you running an X3 at X1 power.

Take a reading and prime

Once the head is in place, the mod shows its resistance before any puff. A reading far from the engraving, or an error message, points to the leads in our atomiser check guide, which apply to a shop-bought head too. Two retailers then advise soaking the cotton with a few drops and waiting up to 10 minutes before the first fire. The listings consulted recommend a liquid rich in vegetable glycerine, above 50%.

FAQ

Five questions that come up about these heads, in addition to the readings above.

How can you tell a UB Max head has burnt out?

A burnt taste, fading flavour or browned cotton usually signal a head at the end of its life. A reading that jumps every time the head is refitted points instead to a poor contact.

Can you dry burn a UB Max head?

No. Firing it dry burns the cotton, which cannot be replaced in a sealed head. Dry burning is for bare coils on a rebuildable atomiser.

Do UB Max heads fit the UB Max Pod Tank?

Yes. Lost Vape lists that tank among the compatible products for the platform, alongside the Centaurus Sub Ohm.

What starting power suits a fresh X3?

The bottom of its range, 40 W. Then go up in small steps while the flavour stays clean, without passing the stated 60 W.

Can a fresh X1 run on a 60 W mod?

It will fire if the mod accepts 0.15 Ω, but it cannot reach the bottom of its range, set at 80 W. In that case the X3, whose whole range sits below that ceiling, is the better choice.

UB Max coil heads, read them before you set the mod

The three heads differ first by resistance, but their alloy matters just as much. The Ni80 in the X1 and X2, like the kanthal in the X3, calls for wattage mode, whatever modes the mod offers.

For any UB Max coil, the engraving tells you all you need before the first puff. A builder finds the notions of the bench there, alloy, resistance and power, and the same method works for reading any factory head.

Also on the bench

Build notes from L’Atelier Brouillard, for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy.