Greetings from Idaho, and Questions

[OlderNDirt]

Looks like @Hawise has given the answers to all your questions. Just wanted to add, since you are trying several flavors and will have high and low ohm tanks/coils (and starting out with the high ohm).....should you not particularly like a flavor, store it away for now. Then give it a try if you go to the subΩ tank.....you might be pleasantly surprised. It may just be me, but I have flavors that work well in one and I just don't like in another.

And above all else, have fun trying everything out!

 

[BrotherBob]

I'm a smoker who has decided to try to transition to vaping, but everything is so confusing!

Welcome and glad you joined.
I think your getting the picture, a lot of good advice.
A quick primer on the various factors affecting nicotine delivery and effects in vaping:
Electronic Cigarettes yield 90.5% nicotine vapor compared to traditional cigarettes.
Most of your immediate questions may be answered here:
The ECF Library

 

[No ID]

Yes, but I honestly think you would be happier if you keep it VERY simple which is why I recommended a pen style unit. It might be that you are very happy with your mod and a non sub ohm tank, like the Aspire Mini. The only downside to that is that you will spend as much for one tank as you would for the Evod kits I gave you links for.

Thanks -- that's the direction I was leaning, but reading about them got me confused again (easy to do!) because of the part names (clearomizer, atomizer heads, drip tips, dual coils). Specifically, other than the e-liquid, what are the parts that need to be regularly replaced with use? And, does "dual coil" mean you have to change 2 separate coils each time? And, why do atomizer heads need to be replaced & how frequently?

 

[KC0YNU]

I personally use both a sub-ohm and non sub-ohm devices. the higher ohm coils(like the ones in my nautilus mini) i run 50VG/50PG and 24mg nicotine with an Istick mini mod(lower watts{9max for me}). I use an AL85 kit(alien mini with baby beast tank) for this I us 70vg/30PG with 12 nicotine and run at 55 watts. the sub-ohm gives me a quicker nic rush for at work during the short break times, the higher ohm set up I can vape on leisurely at home for as long as i want and get same nic rush.

Hope this helps

BTW a link I still use a lot is below
One Stop Reference Shop For New and Experienced Vapers

 

[PJReid]

Thanks -- that's the direction I was leaning, but reading about them got me confused again (easy to do!) because of the part names (clearomizer, atomizer heads, drip tips, dual coils). Specifically, other than the e-liquid, what are the parts that need to be regularly replaced with use? And, does "dual coil" mean you have to change 2 separate coils each time? And, why do atomizer heads need to be replaced & how frequently?

In the pen style mod, atomizer heads are the "coils." That is the only part that will need replacing. You can think of those are filters. You only put in one atomizer head in the Evod and in the Evod II. The dual coil for the Evod II just refers to the way it is made - supposedly an improvement over the original. It will depend on the liquid you use how often you have to change the atomizer head. Sweet, fruity liquids gunk op the coil, head, filter - interchangeable words for the same piece on a pen style mod. The kit with two batteries, two clearomizers (tanks), 7 extra coil replacement heads, and wall charger will get you through a lot of vaping. With either, you get two full vape pens. The simpler Evod is good too. If you decide on either of these, some extra coils heads would be a good idea.

 

[PJReid]

@No ID - I know you had some questions about priming the coil, how long a coil (atomizer head) would last, etc. The Evod II uses a dual coil - that is just the description of how the coil is configured. You just have to deal with one atomizer head or coil. This video covers everything you could want to know about the Evod II. The earlier Evod works the same way. I hope this answers your questions and gives you an idea as to whether this is something you might be interested in. I think it is great for newbies to vaping. It is based on the eGo that was my go to device for a long time.

​

 

[stols001]

Yes, you can use your sub0hm mod with any tank that has coils rated at your lowest resistance, some devices won't go all the way to 0, but if you decide to go MTL your best deal for the equipment will be getting a slightly smaller, less powerful mod to go with it, and sometimes folks enjoy the smaller form factor, etc. I think you've gotten some good suggestions to get you going.

Every coil lasts a different amount of time, and it does depend on many factors, including how often you vape, how much liquid you run through your tank, amount of flavoring, sweeteners, and VG/PG ration (including, IMO, the airflow setup and size of tank). For example, I can run Nautilus 2 coils in my Kabuki and they ALWAYS last longer. This setup was DESIGNED with the idea of creating the best flavor out of Nautilus 2 coils, and it seems (to me) to get the best coil life as well. Even though it's only 1 ml larger, though it does have what the site called "revolutionary" airflow. With that said, I'm glad to offset some of the costs of coils with that tank, though I do still use my N2 as well, every day.

Depending on which MTL setup and how you are running it, I'd expect to get anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks (and that's usually folks without gunking factors) though there are ways to extend that time, for example I wash and reuse my coils once before they go in the dead coil jar, which is for the unlikely event that I can't get coils and have to rebuild them, which I have heard is technically possible. Some setups just have better coil life than others but I can't really judge too much about the various differences as everyone's different. I have one juice I save until a coil is on it's last legs-- storebought coco which I really enjoy, but it is a coil-killer on day one, or day 15.

I think Brother Bob gave you some good places to do research. There are still some great MTL setups out there, and having a backup as a sub0hm, I did that for some time before deciding I kind of hated it, and retired it. My sub0hm tank went elsewhere, it's a quitters tank since my son gave it to me after he quit vaping, then I quit smoking with it, and so I wanted it to continue the fantastic job it was doing to continue helping smoking quitters quit. With that said, subohm can be useful for short breaks where you need to vape swiftly. though I've gotten rather adept at opening my airflow, turning up my watts a bit, and just chain vaping in those situations, so I can make it work... Most tanks have a great deal of versatility, and the N2 comes with a 0.7 coil and a 1.8 coil, so you can do restricted lung hits with that coil if you want (you can also run it at lower watts, airflow, and it's still a MTL tank, at least for me) and I do enjoy the flavor and longer life of the 0.7 coil, since I have gunking factors, I have to run max VG in my tank as I'm sensitive to inhaled PG.

Good luck with your setup, and yes, things become less confusing as you actually do them. This forum got me coilbuilding, and trust me, that's not really something that's within my skillset, but with the right tools and the interactive cliffnotes I got (questions answered on this site) I can almost Build with Confidence... Well, almost.

Anna

 

[No ID]

OK, so I'm making a little progress in understanding, although much is still over my head I'm still reading myself in circles, but with the help of folks here, some is actually starting to penetrate; some is raising more confusion.

Wicks: assuming one isn't DIY, where is the wick? Does it come with the coil or is it separate?

I think I'm probably going to start with a simple EVOD -- the wrinkle I've not mentioned is that my spouse is also a smoker who says he's interested in switching once I figure it out, and simple is very important to him.

But, even the EVODs have different coil options (1.2, 1.5, 1.8 ohms) -- how does one know which to choose? I'm sure this is explained somewhere I've not found yet (or have read & forgotten), so please feel free to point me in the right direction.
And, Trigster earlier said, "I vape at 4.3v/11.5w...Your Mod should be able to do 11.5 Watts if you have a coil in the same range I mentioned 1.5ish...MTL Set-Up..."

Where can I read more about the volts, watts, and resistance? I think I understand (at least some of) the difference between sub0hm and regular (not sure of the correct terminology), but the volt/watts thing -- and the difference between the various coils that aren't sub0hm -- has me confused.

Also, I'm getting ahead of myself (again), but I was looking at the Aspire Zelos 50W Kit -- what the heck are the different modes (VV, VW, Bypass, TC-Ni, TC-Ti, TC-Ss) about?

<sigh> Sorry for more basic questions, but THANKS for helping me work through this stuff. My first juice order will be arriving this week!

 

[PJReid]

@No ID - with some of your questions (all of which are great questions) you are getting ahead of yourself. If you go with the Evod, you don't need to know about modes, ohms, resistance, etc. The Evod is a fixed voltage device. You want atomizer heads that are above 1.0 so start with 1.5 and then try the others to see which you like best. The wick is in the atomizer head. Wicking is only applicable to rebuildable atomizers.

The Evod is a good place to start for both you and your husband. There are other pen style devices that are more robust but they are more expensive and you already shelled out $$$s for an advanced mod that you will use later on. If the price is no object, you can take a look at other pen-like devices. Keeping it simple in the beginning is important to success, IMO.

 

[stols001]

These are all good questions that you can find the answers to by reading some of the subforums pinned threads, and there are some good blogs that lay out this information in a helpful way.

I do agree with PJReid that you may be getting ahead of yourself. I stared out with the N2 which comes with three possible coils-- 0.7, 1.6 and 1.8. I ended up liking the 1.6 the best, but I was able to try them all, as you will be able to with your tank.

I wouldn't worry about temp control for now, if you do want to adjust wattage and have such a mod, you can look on the side of each coil to check the "recommended wattage" but to be honest, I rarely reach that setting, I just prime my coil thoroughly (which you should do, even with fixed wattage-- let it sit in the juice for a while and take a few priming puffs-- without firing the mod-- then vape it.) The Evod will suit your MTL needs to start with, and if you want to get creative down the line, that's great. But just start vaping, and don't worry too much, and see how it goes. Your first setup is what it is. I came here with a sub0hm setup and OD'ing myself with nic, and was able to progress pretty rapidly until I found what worked for me. The good news for your setup is that it's NOT so complicated and should provide a good starting point to move forward from while you are working on halting tobacco use. It's all going to be fine.

Anna

 

[ExtremeDooty]

Hi No ID and welcome. A month ago I was where you are now so I can sympathize with you. The people here know so much and really want to help, but it's really overwhelming at first. Understanding will come with time. Try to keep it simple for now. You have a mod that you can use for mtl or dtl and you should probably try both. I found mtl to be frustrating and unsatisfying. Growing up in the 60's I have a certain affinity for the dtl technique that I can't discuss here. I find the draw and blowing thick clouds of vapor much more satisfying than any of the mtl e-cigs that I tried.
For juice, you should get some sample packs with different types (candy, fruit, dessert) and different nicotine levels. I use VapeWild and Ohmsvapes. VapeWild also sells flavor boosts if you need more flavor while your taste buds recuperate.
The most important thing as you sift through all this information is to keep in mind everyone if different and pick out the things that interest you to find what works for you.

 

[gandymarsh]

Welcome to ECF!

You've asked some good questions and gotten some great answers. I can't add any more than to say don't worry about learning it all at once. It will all make sense shortly. Start with the basics and move on from there.

 

[TheMagicMan]

Welcome! Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

[Hawise]

Also, I'm getting ahead of myself (again), but I was looking at the Aspire Zelos 50W Kit -- what the heck are the different modes (VV, VW, Bypass, TC-Ni, TC-Ti, TC-Ss) about?

VV - Variable voltage - means you can adjust the voltage your coil is getting. This isn't used very much anymore.

VW - Variable wattage - you can adjust the watts your coil is getting. This is pretty much the standard at the moment. Turn up the watts and your vape gets warmer, turn them down and it gets cooler. Most coils have a recommended wattage range printed on them. It's often exaggerated, so it's best to start below the recommended range and slowly work your way up. Increase until you really like what you're getting, then increase it more to see if it gets better or worse. When you don't like it anymore, go back to where it was best.

Bypass - Not a popular setting. Gives you the voltage right off your battery. Since voltage drops as you discharge a battery, the vape will cool a little over time.

TC-X - Temperature control. You set maximum watts and a target temperature. Your mod uses the maximum watts to bring you up to the target temperature, then it automatically lowers the watts to a level that keeps you there. Without TC, the coil will usually continue warming more as long as you hold down the fire button. Some people enjoy this and therefore prefer VW over TC. Some (like me) prefer the consistent temperature you get with TC and therefore choose to use it.

The part after the dash (TC-Ni, TC-Ti, TC-SS) refers to the metal the coil is made of - nickel, titanium, or stainless steel 316. The mod can't actually read the temperature of the coil. Instead, it reads the resistance, which changes as the temperature changes, and uses that reading to calculate the temperature. Different metals change at different rates, so you need to pick the setting for the type of metal your coil is made of.

You can only use TC with certain coil types. Many non-TC coils are made of kanthal, which doesn't work with TC. Stainless Steel 316 is probably the most popular TC coil material, in part because it's the most versatile. It can be used in VW or TC mode. Nickel and titanium should never be used in VW mode.

You might also see something like "TC-M1". It's a custom setting you can use for other metals (or if you think your mod is using the wrong default for Ni, Ti or SS). You don't need to worry about it unless you get really deep into TC and making your own coils.

If you're curious about what on earth volts, watts, amps and resistance are, there's a decent explanation here:

What are amps, watts, volts and ohms?

About which coil to try, the only thing you can really do is test them out and see which you prefer. Vaping is very much about finding what suits you personally. There's no such thing as better, it's just a case of what you like best.

Sub-ohm - coil resistance is under 1 ohm
not sub-ohm - coil resistance is 1 ohm and over
Ohm - unit used to measure resistance

As a general rule, as your resistance gets lower:

• It takes more power (watt settting) to fire the coil
• The vapour gets warmer (though this can be offset by adjusting your air flow)
• More vapour is produced

I hope your juice arrives soon!

 

[medleypat]

I agree with what others have said I would get the evod to start and each different coil and try each one and see what works best for you then as you learn more try other things and see if you like them better.

 

[No ID]

Once again, many thanks to everyone! Hawise, thanks for the explanations -- and the link -- very helpful & things are making a bit more sense to me! Anna, thanks for pointing out that a recommended wattage is on the coil itself, which I might have noticed had I opened anything . . . duh! As many of you have picked up on, I tend to be a bit obsessive about details, which hasn't necessarily been serving me well on this just yet. My juice arrived yesterday, and I think the Evod 2 starter kit PJReid linked might be arriving tomorrow or Monday at the latest. Then I can wade into actually vaping rather than over-thinking Honestly, I don't know that I'd have had the courage to give it a try if not for the excellent support, suggestions, tips, and explanations y'all have so generously shared!

 

[glointhedark]

The Evod 2 is a good choice. My daughter and I loved ours before we moved up to slightly more advanced hardware.

I would look into getting an Evod Glass tank or two. When we got ours, the tanks that came with the starter kits were plastic, and plastic tanks react with certain flavorings, such as cinnamon and citrus, which can result in a ruined tank. My daughter learned that the hard way, barely a week after we got our kits, when she loaded a Wild Cherry eliquid into her tank just before driving home from work. By the time she got home, there was Wild Cherry all over the place, and the tank was ruined. She had not noticed that the eliquid was listed on the vendor website as a "tank cracker", and did not use it with the glass tank that I had gotten her specifically for that purpose. Evod Glass uses the same coils as the Evod 2.

I have saved all our old Evod setups as backups to our backup hardware. They worked very well for us.

Enjoy.

 

[PJReid]

@No ID - please let us know how things are going for you with the Evod and your juice. We are here to help. Best of luck!

 

[No ID]

Ugh -- so I made a total rookie mistake, am feeling stupid, & am looking for recovery steps if possible, and I have a question or two now that I've actually tried vaping.

My Evod 2 starter kit arrived Saturday, I got it charged & filled Sunday & tried some vaping. Long story shorter is that I partially unscrewed the tank while there was still juice in it resulting in a spill. It was easy enough to clean off my hand & desk, & I got the battery safely unscrewed & out of the way, but how to I clean the parts above the battery? I found a YouTube video () that seems to indicate rinsing the base, coil, and Evod 2 in very hot water & drying thoroughly is sufficient -- is that correct? If so, that's something I can definitely do!

Now for my questions . . . the included directions and the video PJReid linked were helpful, but I still wasn't sure how full to fill the tank? The instructions said not to put in more than 1.6 ml, but I didn't have a way to measure. The video seemed to indicate to fill just below the top on the inner tank -- is that right?

The reason I ask is that when I push the button to vape, there's a kind of sizzle sound -- is that normal? Also, when I draw, there are kind of little bubble sounds? I'm definitely getting something -- at least I think I am -- but there's no vapor.

As for the vaping itself, is there some -- any -- correlation to one puff from an analog = one puff from an e-cig or something like that? I personally don't want to wind up vaping more nicotine than I currently smoke (pack a day), but I don't know how to figure it out. Suggestions?

What I have noticed so far with vaping is that I'm tending to take on draw or maybe 2, and then not another for awhile (20-30 minutes) whereas when I smoke an analog, I smoke it from start to finish in one sitting (14-15 puffs in 8 minutes or so). It seems to me I'm vaping less than I would smoke, which makes me happy, but I don't know the comparison.

One last question (for now): would it be appropriate to ask in the General E-Liquid Discussion forum for suggestions to try? I'm currently vaping Black Note, but I think I might also like to try some flavored juices, particularly if there are coffee flavors or maybe mochas or maybe other things that aren't really, really sweet.

Thanks!

 

[KC0YNU]

the "sizzling" is normal, it is the juice being vaporized.

with the evod you will not get a lot of "cloud" so you are absorbing most of it prior to exhale.

vaping is a more direct nicotine delivery so not uncommon to "puff" as much.

yes there are a lot of different coffee flavor e-juice out there, am sure someone will be along to guide you to an online source for that.

keep it up you are getting there.