1st post-- a noob's summary of 2 weeks analog free

[rockgod]

I'm 41 with a great fam (wife, son, daughter) and I was a smoker for 25yrs. Started when I was 15 yrs old and quit a few times only to fall off the wagon as soon as I took one sip of a beer (I quit drinking beer for several months each time). Now that I'm older and a bit wiser, I have cut back drinking to 4-5 times per year and just recently made my final commitment to quitting smoking. It's been 3 weeks now and I'm pretty happy.

That path to happiness began with my introduction to e-cigs. I tried the xhaleO2 from 7-11 and it tasted like s**t, and the vapor production was barley acceptable for the 1st 3-4 puffs then it quickly declined to almost nothing. While I was torturing myself with the xhaleO2, I decided a quick google search would be a good idea, to see what other e-cig options were out there....enter the e-cigarette-forum.

Wow - I had no idea there were some many e-cig users, brands, options, power ranges, vendors... At first glance, I was pretty intimidated, but after checking out some of cozzicon's videos, I began to understand who the main players are and what I should be focusing my search on.

My 1st purchase was the, wait for it... joye 510; what a shocker since it seems to be the most popular starter e-cig. The 510 and the xhaleO2 are not in the same league as far as quality and performance and I'm not going to mention the xhale again.
The 510 with SR atty is ok. The vapor prod is fair but the TH is good. Battery life is short but I'm always around a USB connection, so no biggie. For the most part, I want lots a vapor and a decent taste.

My 2nd purchase was the ego kit which came with LR and SR attys and the standard ego batt which is a bit more powerful than the standard 510 batt. The 1st puffs off the LR atty on the ego were pretty amazing. I was producing 3-4 times as much vapor compared to the 510 and was pretty ecstatic, until I inhaled melting plastic which temporarily killed my enthusiasm. I think the issue was caused by a number of factors, including the cart being too big for the atty (top edge making contact with the element), my holding down the button too long, and most likely a defective or poorly manufactured atty. I can make those assumptions based on trial and error, research in this forum, trials of different cart mods, and most importantly, a new LR atty from a different vendor that works much better and uses a slightly different 510-type cart (I won't mention any vendor names until I know it's ok to do so).

Regarding cart mods, I tried every well know cart mod found in this forum and the one that works consistently for me is the blue foam dart. I even did my own modification to the straw by trimming a small 60 degree angle piece from the bottom, to make sure no juice can get trapped inside the bottom of the straw yet still maintain stability for the foam's contact with the element (if someone else has done this, I didn't notice it and am not trying to take any credit for it).

Summary:
Standard Ego batts, LR attys, and the BFD cart mod is the ticket for me. Great vapor, taste, TH, and almost zero wasted juice with no spillage.

Everything I've described here was using a generic (non-premium) juice and my 1st shipment of quality juice arrived today. So, I'm about to try RY4 for the 1st time, plus some other goodies. Care to guess which very popular juice vendor I chose?

Respectfully submitted,
-rockgod

 

[classwife]

Welcome rockgod !! What a wonderful story !!! Congratulations!!! (I don't use the tob. flavors so I won't guess the vendor !)

 

[jj2]

Great story and congrats.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get the trouble free LR 510s?

 

[banjo]

Nice first post, and welcome to ECF. It's a great place to visit if you are vaping. Great people for support, and a lot of good information

 

[Big Hitter]

Congrats and welcome to the forum.

 

[petem]

Welcome!! Seems that is how a lot of folks get started ( I did) got a not so good eig before finding this fourm, Doing more research and finding this fourm and getting a good e cig. Then starting into the "finding the right juice for me" journey which keeps going on with new vendors and flavors and reviews (but thats a fun journey). Thats about where I am now and just started eyeing the mods ( waiting for a variable voltage "self" juicer that I "must" have) which seem to have new models to be released soon annoucments every week.

Enjoy your journey (I am)!

 

[vape-addict]

welcome to ECF!! A lot of good people on here

 

[JC Okie]

Cool post. Glad it's working for you. I too started with a crappy mall kiosk super mini, moved up to the 510...(loved it) and finally to the eGo, which is my main PV now. And I use blue foam, too...I just use the plug instead of the dart. Works great for me consistently. It's nice to finally ease into a "system" that just simply works. I like to play around, but I also like the comfort of knowing that I've conquered it. Now when I order juice, I know what I want. I love the little surprises along the way, but I am no longer getting 30ml of something I can't stand. LOL

Welcome to ECF....it's a great family here of wonderful people. I've never seen such a huge group of nice, helpful, respectful, knowledgeable people all in one place. It's all so uplifting. Congratulations on finding your "sweet spot." Doesn't it feel good find something that really works...relatively painlessly?!

 

[rockgod]

Great story and congrats.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get the trouble free LR 510s?

modernvapor.com
Obviously, I've not been doing this long enough to do any credible comparative analysis. My comments are based on one really bad LR atty that came with the ego, and 2 really good ones from MV. That said, I'm very impressed with MV's quality compared to 510 and ego kits from 2 other vendors. The BFD cart mod combined with the angled cut I mentioned, and this atty...it seems as good as it gets using the cart method in the non-mod world. I got cappuccino 14mg, 100vg and it is thick and flavorful. Mild TH, but that's not my priority. Also, those LRs from MV work well with the 902s they're paired with in their kits and I just ordered a Lux based on the quality of what I'seen so far and glowing reviews.

Thanks for the nice greetings and indirectly thanks to those who have contributed useful insight for noobs. It is nice to have found a method that works for me; now I've gonna fine tune my system and order some cinnabomb from vaporbomb.

 

[deback]

"it seems as good as it gets using the cart method in the non-mod world"

When you get tired of cutting up blue foam and messing around with atomizers, dripping, and the rest of the busy work involved when you use atomizers, check out 510 cartomizers. The atomizer is built in, you just fill them (and refill them), and vape. Each carto lasts about an hour if you vape constantly (with a full carto). There's no fiddling around with foam, polyfil, dripping onto attys, inhaling liquid, clogged attys, dead attys, etc, etc...

 

[rockgod]

"it seems as good as it gets using the cart method in the non-mod world"

When you get tired of cutting up blue foam and messing around with atomizers, dripping, and the rest of the busy work involved when you use atomizers, check out 510 cartomizers. The atomizer is built in, you just fill them (and refill them), and vape. There's no fiddling around with foam, polyfil, dripping onto attys, inhaling liquid, clogged attys, dead attys, etc, etc...

I've looked at the cartos and I will eventually try them out for comparison. From what I've read they have their own issues and aren't the perfect system otherwise everyone would use them. I imagine on some levels, like a lot of other choices you have with this hobby, it comes down to personal preference (some people are die hard drippers which makes no sense to me). I'll wait to pass final judgement after I try them out, but for now I have a quick, relatively clean system that's working for me. On the flip side, I like the idea of separating the atty and cart because I like having control over the cart/atty interface. If the cart/atty system doesn't work right, I know who to partly blame because I moded the cart. Plus, I made 10 darts in 30 min after a bit of practice and fine tuning and that should last me several weeks. With cartos, it seems you're totally at the mercy of the manufacturer.
It will be ironic when I try a carto and then post a thread stating that cartos are the best thing since sliced bread.

I assume all your carto experience has been positive?
Where do you shop?
Ever tried the pass through?

 

[deback]

I assume all your carto experience has been positive?
Where do you shop?
Ever tried the pass through?

No, my first experience was with using atomizers and carts. After a couple of days of messing with all of that, buying blue foam and Fluval polyfil (which I'll never use either of), having to constantly change carts and drip onto the atty, I realized that it was way too much fiddling and puffing, etc. I also had received some cartomizers with my first starter kit, and whenever I used them, it was a much more all-around pleasant experience, no fiddling, no dripping, and a carto would last much, much longer than a cart. So I quit using the atty and carts. And I hated having to recharge the batteries every hour (using Smokeless Delite batteries), or every 1/2 hour when I was using the cheap Volcano batteries (was stupid and bought another starter kit at a local smoke shop - and the owner charged me way too much for what I got).

I've been buying the 510 Boge cartomizers with soft caps from litecigusa.net The hard white caps are sometimes glued, so they're hard to get off, unless you use a fork and pry them off...I don't have time to mess with that, so I started buying the soft caps that come off easily with a paper clip. The empty cartos are $7.95 for a box of five and is the cheapest price I've found. They can be refilled indefinitely, and they've worked fine for me.

Yes, I bought three Magma passthroughs (have three computers and office in my home) from volcanoecigs.com and received them 11 days ago. I quit using the rechargeable batteries on that day and have used the passthroughs ever since. I love them and love NOT having to ever charge batteries. Once in awhile, a passthrough will not work for a few seconds, but I think it's because my computer's USB ports aren't giving them quite enough power. After I wait a few seconds, it will work fine again. I've ordered three 7-port AC to USB adapters, but I made the mistake of ordering them from a Hong Kong eBay seller (didn't realize he was in Hong Kong), so I'm having to wait a long time to receive them. I think I can just plug them into wall outlets anywhere without having to hook them up to a computer, though, and if so, that will work out great for me. Each connection will output 500mAh, so I'm hoping they'll help the passthroughs to work all the time.

I also received two eGo 1000mAh batteries and two USB chargers in the mail two days ago (from cignot.com). I love them, the batteries will last for over 12 hours before needing to be recharged, and they'll be perfect for when I'm not at home or in my car (I also bought a DC to USB adapter for my car from cignot for $5...works great for the passthrough).

Cartos work so much better for me. I just have to spend a few minutes every few days to refill all the empty cartos, and then all I have to do is change cartos when I can tell the one I'm vaping is almost empty. There's absolutely no fussing around with attys, carts, cart mods, dripping, etc. I'm just the type who likes to do things fast, the easiest way, and always trying to find ways to save time on anything I do. I just hated having to spend time recharging batteries and messing around with attys, etc.

 

[grisolom1]

I was looking at Green Smoke and the mall brands. Glad I found this site before wasting the money. After a little research I decided to go 3 piece with all the horror stories on 2 piece units with burned fibers. Ended up with a DSE901. Maybe not the best one but I'm pretty happy with it. What sold me was the fact they had been making it for so long, figured it had to be a decent design to begin with.

 

[deback]

"with all the horror stories on 2 piece units with burned fibers."

The filters inside cartomizers only get burnt if you vape on them too long. After you vape cartomizers a few times, you'll get a feel for when it's starting to get dry. Throat hits will decrease a little, vapor will be a little less, and flavor will be less. When you get tired of messing around with atomizers and carts, give cartomizers a try.

 

[dinapal]

Deback, I could not agree more...I had tried 3 different kits, all with atomizers and cartridges but I was running into the same problems with filling, etc.

It was getting to be too much "work" to vape, and it was pushing me back to analogs (just easier I reasoned.)

then I ordered my V4L kit 6 weeks ago and never looked back...not an analog since.

rockgod, I think more people don't buy the cartomizers since the price difference is HUGE.

5 Cartomizers cost $8.95 before any discount, and a bottle of juice is, what, $10? And that bottle would probably fill 200+ cartridges.

I guess it's all about what will work for you - to me, I'm willing to pay for the convenience.

 

[deback]

Dinapal - Glad to hear you agree. By the way, you can get five empty cartomizers for $7.95 at litecigusa.net....cheapest I've found so far, and they ship the same day from Avis, PA. You can also get the cheapest juice I've found at vaporrenu.com, starting at $6.99 for a 30mL bottle, and they have tons of flavors. Double shots cost 50 cents more per bottle, and you have lots of choices. I just received six bottles from vaporrenu yesterday, so I haven't tested them all thoroughly yet, since it's best to let the juice sit for a few days -- and cartos you fill or refill should sit overnight before vaped, because they will vape much better if they have a longer time to let the juice soak in everywhere inside the cartos.

 

[dinapal]

I take my convenience a step further...I don't refill them

 

[dinapal]

And there it is ladies and gentlemen...post 15, I'm now a full member

 

[rockgod]

No, my first experience was with using atomizers and carts. After a couple of days of messing with all of that, buying blue foam and Fluval polyfil (which I'll never use either of), having to constantly change carts and drip onto the atty, I realized that it was way too much fiddling and puffing, etc. I also had received some cartomizers with my first starter kit, and whenever I used them, it was a much more all-around pleasant experience, no fiddling, no dripping, and a carto would last much, much longer than a cart. So I quit using the atty and carts. And I hated having to recharge the batteries every hour (using Smokeless Delite batteries), or every 1/2 hour when I was using the cheap Volcano batteries (was stupid and bought another starter kit at a local smoke shop - and the owner charged me way too much for what I got).

I've been buying the 510 Boge cartomizers with soft caps from litecigusa.net The hard white caps are sometimes glued, so they're hard to get off, unless you use a fork and pry them off...I don't have time to mess with that, so I started buying the soft caps that come off easily with a paper clip. The empty cartos are $7.95 for a box of five and is the cheapest price I've found. They can be refilled indefinitely, and they've worked fine for me.

Yes, I bought three Magma passthroughs (have three computers and office in my home) from volcanoecigs.com and received them 11 days ago. I quit using the rechargeable batteries on that day and have used the passthroughs ever since. I love them and love NOT having to ever charge batteries. Once in awhile, a passthrough will not work for a few seconds, but I think it's because my computer's USB ports aren't giving them quite enough power. After I wait a few seconds, it will work fine again. I've ordered three 7-port AC to USB adapters, but I made the mistake of ordering them from a Hong Kong eBay seller (didn't realize he was in Hong Kong), so I'm having to wait a long time to receive them. I think I can just plug them into wall outlets anywhere without having to hook them up to a computer, though, and if so, that will work out great for me. Each connection will output 500mAh, so I'm hoping they'll help the passthroughs to work all the time.

I also received two eGo 1000mAh batteries and two USB chargers in the mail two days ago (from cignot.com). I love them, the batteries will last for over 12 hours before needing to be recharged, and they'll be perfect for when I'm not at home or in my car (I also bought a DC to USB adapter for my car from cignot for $5...works great for the passthrough).

Cartos work so much better for me. I just have to spend a few minutes every few days to refill all the empty cartos, and then all I have to do is change cartos when I can tell the one I'm vaping is almost empty. There's absolutely no fussing around with attys, carts, cart mods, dripping, etc. I'm just the type who likes to do things fast, the easiest way, and always trying to find ways to save time on anything I do. I just hated having to spend time recharging batteries and messing around with attys, etc.

Thanks for the feedback and I really appreciate the details. I'm going to do some shopping...

Before I do, can you (or anyone) comment on carto experience related to:
--any noticeable vapor/TH differences compared to atomizer/cart?
--if you don't burn cartos out prematurely, will they last as long as a atomizer?
--What about LR versus SR with cartos?

Thanks again.

 

[rockgod]

Favorite e-juice: RY4 (caramel), Apple, Glycerin (Wal-Mart, by rub alcohol)-about 1/3 ea

Sorry fo the double reply...
and the dumb question...
is your favorite e-juice in your sig as simple as it seems? and is the walmart glycerin PG or VG or something else?