Veteran vapors tips for newbies.

**residualgenius** · 09-16-2009, 09:41 PM

I wanted to start a thread that would help the newbie get off the ground instead of picking through all the different threads. Here are my recommendations to a newbie and hope the rest of you old timers throw out your tips as well

1.) Make sure you buy a multi pack of atomizers and batteries to keep around because trust me you will need them.

2.) Buy yourself a USB passthrough and a car charger to usb plug. This will eliminate your use for batteries in the car and at your computer. (also as a side note make sure you look at the rating on the rechargeable battery in the passthrough because all passthroughs are not the same. TW has some good passthroughs and I have heard good things about the electronicstix stuff with the exception of some faulty manual buttons.

3.) I would recommend you start with a 36 mg juice and also buy a 0mg juice to cut it with. When you first start it is easy to get in too much nicotine trying all the new flavors and everything. Some people will tell you to cut with glycerine, but if you are doing this realize that glycerine has a little sweetness to it and with all flavorings and can junk up your atomizer a bit.

4.) Rotate your atomizers. Never use the same atomizer two days in a row and I would recommend doing a cleaning with alcohol or a dry burn nightly after its use.

5.) If you are making diy (do it yourself) eliquid make sure you shake up the bottle before you fill your carts because the liquids will seperate.

6.) Carry with you something to fluff your cart filler if you are using a standard cart or polly fill. I keep a tooth pick on me and fluff the batting regularly this will redistribute the juice after it has settled a bit. I also make it a habit when I am carrying my ecig with me to keep it cart up so the liquid does not settle to the mouth side of the cart.

7.) Strongly consider experiementing with different filler media I personally use ptb (pyramid tea bags), but I have heard good things about many different types of material. You can be somewhat creative with this and cut down on your expense and increase the enjoyment of your experience.

8.) If you can't find the info you need browse around youtube. You can find a ton of great videos and reviews on just about any type of equipment/juice on there.

**residualgenius** · 09-16-2009, 10:59 PM

feel free to post any questions you may have.

**SwanVesta** · 09-16-2009, 11:23 PM

I have a question if I may.....

Sometimes my filler attaches itself to my att, most commonly on my passthru - why is this happening and what can I do to avoid it please?

thanks for your help and a great post

**Pandora** · 09-17-2009, 06:21 AM

Thanks for this. What is a dry burn? Are you supposed to take everything apart every night? I've heard that you shouldn't clean attys, just blow them out but then other people recommend cleaning them somehow.

**seaotter** · 09-17-2009, 08:57 AM

Thank you for this. Would you elaborate a little more on #4?

**TaketheRedPill** · 09-17-2009, 09:02 AM

I really like your tips.

but I would disagree on one major point. Starting with 36mg.

Not everyone is a 4-pk/day smoker, and one doesn't want to increase their nicotine addiction, we just want to maintain or lessen it, right? We're using PV's to get off analogs, so if we get even more addicted to e-juice than to analogs, well, what are we going to use to get off the e-juice?

So, it might be better to begin on the low end of the juice spectrum with 6mg or 8mg or 11mg - and cut it in half right off the bat. If/when one gets a craving they absolutely can't work thru with activity or exercise or hyperventilating for 10 seconds, only then use a few drops of full-strength 6/8/11 on the atomizer, and go back to the half-strength right away. You want to find a level where you are vaping similar to what you were smoking - once every hour or every three hours, etc. and then work on cutting that level down as comfortably as you can. I've found having plenty of zero carts/drops on hand helps.

Just to give some perspective, I was a pack-a-day, lights, for 40-years, using minifilters for the last two years. I'm on day 42 of vaping with my M401 (thanks!VaporOptions-and-VaporStuff!), 2mls a day of 3mg/ml, with a shot of 6mg late at night when/if the craving seems to hit harder. I started at 6mg/ml. My goal is 0mg/ml by the end of day 60. I use a 3.75ml glass dropper bottle (midwest vapor/diystore/juicy/myfreedomsmokes/others) to easily keep track of the mils I'm using. (Makes filling the carts much easier, too) I also count "extra" drops to the atomizer when calculating my nicotine intake for the day and trade them off for zero carts/drops. It's hard, but I'm pushing thru it. And it's working. I feel like I'm rewarding myself when I put in a zero cola cart and vape away to my heart's content

I'm not sure anyone would want to take in more nicotine than they were when they were smoking. So, unless a newbie is a hard-core multi-pack smoker, I'd suggest saving the 36mg for cutting only. Goggle nicotine and small-cell lung carcenoma (very aggressive and nasty icky). Increased 'throat hit' isn't worth increasing your cancer risk, especially for lightweights.

Otherwise, some great tips, Residual, and a good thread. Thanks!

It's your life. Keep it simple. Choose wisely.
TaketheRedPill

**Porphy** · 09-17-2009, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by TaketheRedPill

I really like your tips.

but I would disagree on one major point. Starting with 36mg.

...

Otherwise, some great tips, Residual, and a good thread. Thanks!

It's your life. Keep it simple. Choose wisely.

I'd say the exact opposite. When you start you are trying to find the easiest solution. Getting the 36 mg you can try that first. Is it too much? Cut the remaining liquid to 24 mg and try again. Still too much? cut it to 18 mg. etc.

You can buy 1 bottle and use it to find your strength liquid. You can cut down strength, you cannot cut up. A few test runs on higher nic strength isn't going to increase an addiction. It'll only increase it if they continue on the 36 mg for an extended period of time.

**kc0cmp** · 09-17-2009, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by residualgenius

1.) Make sure you buy a multi pack of atomizers and batteries to keep around because trust me you will need them.

Just watch out for TW's multipacks, theyre not guaranteed. In fact, before buying, look at the forums for the reseller here under "Supporting Suppliers" to get a feel for how customer service is. Everyone who's anyone in the E-cig selling game is here in those forums.

**residualgenius** · 09-17-2009, 11:58 AM

Thank you porphy. That is exactly the point I was going for. You can cut a 36mg fluid with a 0mg down to anything you need. It doesn't work the other way