3 Weeks In - Likes, Peeves and Comments

[Indigo-Shade]

I've been off analogs for more then 6 months, finally upgraded to a real vaper setup about 3 weeks ago. Here is what I have learned, been peeved over, etc.

1. I hate filling tanks. I waste e-juice about once a week when I over-fill. Gah! Glass dropper bottles will be a good solution to this, and I will be ordering some very soon. No local shops have the stupid things, what the hell! Then I can mix too. Yes!

2. I've now got 2 eGo style batteries, and 2 Kanger ProTank II (pyrex) tanks. I like these ProTanks a lot. Easier to fill then the Kanger MT3 I bought during my first purchase. I got the ProTanks cheap from vapingme.com and the shipping and service was awesome.

3. E-Juice is a major issue. Been buying from a local shop that makes it themselves. My most recent purchase is a total bust. Key Lime smells great, but even after a week of steeping it's utterly tasteless. I'm open to different (even novelty-Roast Beef? Heh) flavors, but I think I need e-juice with extra flavor. I don't have the funds to buy $$$$ juice, but I gotta find better juice. I've been vaping very weak tasting e-juice since I bought my first battery, and I'm peeved beyond belief!

4. Steeping- Due to funds, I can't really buy enough juice to steep, and to vape immediately. The local shop that has been my e-juice supplier SAYS they steep, but their e-juice are so weak tasting, who the heck knows. I've read a LOT about e-juice in the last couple weeks, and clearly another supplier is in order.

5. My friend (who got me into e-cigs months ago) and I are going to place a large order over @ Mt. Baker in the next 10 days or so. I'll be posting some questions before I place that order.

6. Although I am not ready for another upgrade, my next hardware purchase will probably be an Innokin iTaste MVP. The box shape is not a problem, it seems I can use my Kanger ProTank II's on it, and I like the vv/vw and passthrough functions.

7. I've read countless posts that imply more power is required for a lot of e-juices to taste right. Though I'll wait and see what's up with e-juice from Mt. Baker, I hope I won't be forced to upgrade my hardware for a another few weeks. I'm still very new to vaping and don't want to jump the gun too fast.

Conclusion

vaping with with proper gear is way, way superior to those horrible cigalikes I vaped for 6 months. I'm happy that I moved in this direction. But, based on my experience in the last 3 weeks, I think that e-juice has been, and will be my biggest problem. I don't know if the issue is my low-end equipment, my local e-juice supplier, my inability to steep for long periods, or a combo of all the above.

Eventually I'm going to try mixing my own E-juice, but I want to experience juice from a few difference sources before I get into mixing my own.
And it will take time to get all the proper gear to make that sort of project viable.

I don't read the forums every day, but I want to thank the community at large for being friendly, helpful, and informative. I've gotten great advice from a lot of people. This site rocks!

 

[Nikkita6]

If e liquid flavor strength, and budget are a concern, you should really consider DIY ... far less expensive than buying prepared e liquid, you can make what you know you like, and at the flavor strength that you like it.

 

[Btsmokincat]

Yup, finding good e-juice has to be the hardest part of vaping. I've been ordering from MBV for the last four months. Their juice is pretty good but they do take about a week to steep.

I have found I love their Blueberry and Strawberry the best with at least two flavor shots, 65/35 pg/vg mix at 12 mg. You can't beat their prices!

Oh and you will love an MVP2! I love mine so much I just ordered a second one from the link below, $39.99 with free shipping.

Innokin iTaste MVP 2.0 - Eciggity

 

[destinkarette]

1.a MVP was the first mod I bought. So far I can say the it works very well with the kanger protank 2, the protank min 2, and the ts3. Just recently bought an evic and so far those and an ego are the devices I have experience with so take it with a grain of salt.
2. Steeping, what I do with the juice I buy at my local b&m is I place it in a dark container and leave it on the dash of the car for a day or sometimes two. Really speeds up the steeping/aging process.
Hope this helps.

 

[Indigo-Shade]

If e liquid flavor strength, and budget are a concern, you should really consider DIY ... far less expensive than buying prepared e liquid, you can make what you know you like, and at the flavor strength that you like it.

I agree totally that DIY is best for long-term vaping. And I do intend to go that route. I'm just so new at this, and feel it's not a step I'm ready to take..yet.

 

[Indigo-Shade]

Yup, finding good e-juice has to be the hardest part of vaping. I've been ordering from MBV for the last four months. Their juice is pretty good but they do take about a week to steep.

I have found I love their Blueberry and Strawberry the best with at least two flavor shots, 65/35 pg/vg mix at 12 mg. You can't beat their prices!

Oh and you will love an MVP2! I love mine so much I just ordered a second one from the link below, $39.99 with free shipping.

Innokin iTaste MVP 2.0 - Eciggity

The MBV thread has been loaded in my browser for 3 days. So many posts! Heh. As for the equipment upgrade, I won't be doing that right away. I have some technical questions about the device, and it's not in my budget. Proably in April this year.

 

[Indigo-Shade]

1.a MVP was the first mod I bought. So far I can say the it works very well with the kanger protank 2, the protank min 2, and the ts3. Just recently bought an evic and so far those and an ego are the devices I have experience with so take it with a grain of salt.
2. Steeping, what I do with the juice I buy at my local b&m is I place it in a dark container and leave it on the dash of the car for a day or sometimes two. Really speeds up the steeping/aging process.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the verification about the ProTank II's. I haven't tried a hot-steep because of my lack of glass bottles (just made a blog post about that issue, in fact). But I do intend to try it as soon as I have the right equipment. Part of the issue too, is that funds prohibit me from buying juice to vape NOW, and juice to STEEP.

I know a lot of the e-juice issues are temporary, but man, after vaping tasteless juice for a week, I'm desperate!

 

[destinkarette]

Unfortunately, the local b&m sells thier juice in plastic so that is what I steep it in. Of course I also work in the local refineries and gas plants so I sm not too worried about what might be leaching into my juice,, h2s is probably a lot nastier

 

[HecticEnergy]

Several thoughts:
1) maybe its not the juice... What is the rating on the Kanger ProTank II (PT2) heads you are using? This isnt always entirely accurate (Quality Control Issues), but I find the 1.8 or 2.2 ohm coils work the best (it should be etched on the base of the head).

2) If I'm remembering correctly, a lot of people have experianced issues with the PT2 flavor being diminished. Maybe try picking up a mini PT2. I have 2 of the v1 (non-detachable drip tip) and love them. I have no experaince with the full version of the PT2, so cant help you there.

3) I know you are just starting, so put this in the back of your head for later. You may try putting a micro coil in the protank head instead of the stock coil. Microcoils will give you a cheaper solution than replacing the full head every so often (though the heads arent THAT expensive..) The micro coils also give better flavor (IMO). Maybe there is another option to rebuilding it yourself.. maybe you can have a local shop help you (if they are into rebuildables) or a friend? Maybe one of your fellow ECFers?

4) Is your ego a vv (Vision Spinner, Ego Twist/Ego C?)?

5) do any of your local B&M's have a juice bar so you can taste before you buy? MBV is good cheap ejuice. but you should buy along the lines of the tastes you enjoy. You can talk to people on the forums about what flavors are "good" but (as everyone here will remind you) Taste is very subjective - flavors I LOVE may taste like dog poop to you.

6) with a MOD you will get more flavor, even out of the PT heads. and whats better is you have the control to work your way through the protank head QC issues. When I picked up my mod the difference in taste was night and day (to me)!

7) The Technial bit (sorry if this is a bit advanced): as I implied above - taste of the juice is not just dependent on power. You will learn is a balance between voltage/wattage & ohms & airflow. In my experience: to much air and you get less flavor but potentially more fog. low voltage/high resistance will give you low flavor and low fog. You need to have the correct voltage for your resistance (ohms) with the right airflow. This chart will get you 2/3rds of the way there - Egos run at 3.3v - 3.4v in their regulated mode (different manufactures may differ on where their regulated mode is set) - so if you find that on the top column of the chart (between 3.25v and 3.5v) your happy place should be heads that have a resistance of 1.8-2.2 ohms. Some egos allow you to go into an 'unregulated mode' which will push what the battery has (i think 4.2v or 3.7v down to 3.3v). Sorry this is all a bit technical, but you should pick all this up as you learn about your (future) mod anyway. With variable voltage, the idea is to start low, and gradually work up the voltage (taking a few vapes to test it) until you find your ideal spot.
This isnt to overwhelm you, just help you find your best vape!

I hope this helps! Congrats on sticking to the cig-a-likes! not many can... Congrats on 6+ months of non smoking!

 

[HecticEnergy]

also - you may try needle noise drip tip caps - mbv has them, but they are out of stock every time I go to buy them...

 

[Indigo-Shade]

Several thoughts:
1) maybe its not the juice... What is the rating on the Kanger ProTank II (PT2) heads you are using? This isnt always entirely accurate (Quality Control Issues), but I find the 1.8 or 2.2 ohm coils work the best (it should be etched on the base of the head).

2) If I'm remembering correctly, a lot of people have experianced issues with the PT2 flavor being diminished. Maybe try picking up a mini PT2. I have 2 of the v1 (non-detachable drip tip) and love them. I have no experaince with the full version of the PT2, so cant help you there.

3) I know you are just starting, so put this in the back of your head for later. You may try putting a micro coil in the protank head instead of the stock coil. Microcoils will give you a cheaper solution than replacing the full head every so often (though the heads arent THAT expensive..) The micro coils also give better flavor (IMO). Maybe there is another option to rebuilding it yourself.. maybe you can have a local shop help you (if they are into rebuildables) or a friend? Maybe one of your fellow ECFers?

4) Is your ego a vv (Vision Spinner, Ego Twist/Ego C?)?

5) do any of your local B&M's have a juice bar so you can taste before you buy? MBV is good cheap ejuice. but you should buy along the lines of the tastes you enjoy. You can talk to people on the forums about what flavors are "good" but (as everyone here will remind you) Taste is very subjective - flavors I LOVE may taste like dog poop to you.

6) with a MOD you will get more flavor, even out of the PT heads. and whats better is you have the control to work your way through the protank head QC issues. When I picked up my mod the difference in taste was night and day (to me)!

<snip>

I hope this helps! Congrats on sticking to the cig-a-likes! not many can... Congrats on 6+ months of non smoking!

Oh well, I'd never go back to analogs ever! In any case, I do indeed suspect that the tank / battery / head is part of it. But also, due to 3 days of murphys law I ended up with 2 bottles of the same juice (tried it at the shop, almost exactly the same equipment on their testers), but got them home and yuck! Furthermore, I've put a drop of every juice I've bought on my tongue..seriously, this stuff is weak tasting.

So in any case, Im not going to do ANY gear upgrades until I try someone else's juice. (Planning an order now, should have it in about 14 days). I not even 2 months into real vaping, and I don't intend to spend another dime up on upgrades until I understand the technical part of this more. (And yes, I can run my battery in un-regulated mode, but I've chosen not to for various reasons).

 

[Butters80]

MBV is a great juice supplier for the $$$ concious. I tend to find I prefer 3 flavor shots with any liquid, and have settled into a 65pg/35vg ratio at 6mg nic. I also found that my tastes change, loved the redbull flavor, ordered the 250 ml bottle, now I just feel obligated to use a tank of it a day. oh well. They's plenty of other flavors at mbv that are spectacular. But I'll order the 50 ml bottle maybe 2 if I think it's the best....not so committed at that point.

 

[suspectK]

I hate glass dropper bottles. They're a pain in the ... if you're not just dripping, and even then, normal plastic bottles are better. I use syringes for glass bottles, regardless if they have a dropper in cap... maybe look into syringes?

 

[K_Tech]

I've been off analogs for more then 6 months, finally upgraded to a real vaper setup about 3 weeks ago. Here is what I have learned, been peeved over, etc.

1. I hate filling tanks. I waste e-juice about once a week when I over-fill. Gah! Glass dropper bottles will be a good solution to this, and I will be ordering some very soon. No local shops have the stupid things, what the hell! Then I can mix too. Yes!

As suggested in a previous post, get a syringe. Most places carry them for about $2.

2. I've now got 2 eGo style batteries, and 2 Kanger ProTank II (pyrex) tanks. I like these ProTanks a lot. Easier to fill then the Kanger MT3 I bought during my first purchase. I got the ProTanks cheap from vapingme.com and the shipping and service was awesome.

That's what I started on. It's a good, decent setup. I understand that funds are an issue, but when you're able, look into rebuilding your own coils. A 100' spool of Kanthal and a bag of organic cotton wick will set you back about $10, and give you enough material for roughly 300 re-coiled heads (The Kanthal, that is, the cotton will probably last you to retirement, lol.)

3. E-Juice is a major issue. Been buying from a local shop that makes it themselves. My most recent purchase is a total bust. Key Lime smells great, but even after a week of steeping it's utterly tasteless. I'm open to different (even novelty-Roast Beef? Heh) flavors, but I think I need e-juice with extra flavor. I don't have the funds to buy $$$$ juice, but I gotta find better juice. I've been vaping very weak tasting e-juice since I bought my first battery, and I'm peeved beyond belief!

That's a crappy situation - wondering what your B&M is charging for juice? There's a lot of reasonably priced vendors out there, some that even offer low-cost sample packs of e-liquid.

4. Steeping- Due to funds, I can't really buy enough juice to steep, and to vape immediately. The local shop that has been my e-juice supplier SAYS they steep, but their e-juice are so weak tasting, who the heck knows. I've read a LOT about e-juice in the last couple weeks, and clearly another supplier is in order.

Not trying to knock a vendor I've never done business with, but there's always the possibility that they're going cheap on the flavor shots. And all steeping is not created equal - some juices are ok after a few days to a week, some need a LOT more time, depending on YOUR personal taste.

5. My friend (who got me into e-cigs months ago) and I are going to place a large order over @ Mt. Baker in the next 10 days or so. I'll be posting some questions before I place that order.

MBV is one of my favorite low-cost suppliers, and while I'm not going to say they're the cat's meow, most of the e-liquids I've tried from them have at least been vapeable - but I think I've only been though maybe a dozen or so of their products.

6. Although I am not ready for another upgrade, my next hardware purchase will probably be an Innokin iTaste MVP. The box shape is not a problem, it seems I can use my Kanger ProTank II's on it, and I like the vv/vw and passthrough functions.

Not a bad choice, really. I have one, and really like it. For the price, I think you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.

7. I've read countless posts that imply more power is required for a lot of e-juices to taste right. Though I'll wait and see what's up with e-juice from Mt. Baker, I hope I won't be forced to upgrade my hardware for a another few weeks. I'm still very new to vaping and don't want to jump the gun too fast.

Yes, no, not really, and possibly. Ballpark-ish, around 7-8 watts is a good range for a happy vape using "standard" equipment. If you're using factory coils, you're really not going to need more power than that.

Conclusion

Vaping with with proper gear is way, way superior to those horrible cigalikes I vaped for 6 months. I'm happy that I moved in this direction. But, based on my experience in the last 3 weeks, I think that e-juice has been, and will be my biggest problem. I don't know if the issue is my low-end equipment, my local e-juice supplier, my inability to steep for long periods, or a combo of all the above.

Eventually I'm going to try mixing my own E-juice, but I want to experience juice from a few difference sources before I get into mixing my own.
And it will take time to get all the proper gear to make that sort of project viable.

I don't read the forums every day, but I want to thank the community at large for being friendly, helpful, and informative. I've gotten great advice from a lot of people. This site rocks!

I wouldn't call an Ego/Protank setup low-end. Hopefully you'll stumble into a couple of e-liquids you really like!

 

[Sucker_dad]

If your putting juice right on and it tastes week you your tongue just have no taste. It just might be the dreaded vapors tongue. I have had some weak juices and straight on the tongue the stuff is pretty stout. Drink lots of water, brush your tongue daily, try a strong menthol/mint flavor. I went through the same, as have a lot of people on here. Hope that helps.