A little overwhelmed

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Stage

Full Member
Jun 17, 2010
61
0
California
I am obviously a noob but then everyone is once right? I just ordered my first e-cig kit, I still haven't received it yet but expect I might receive it tomorrow.

I smoke regular cigarettes, analogs(yes I have been reading a lot of the posts here but not quite assimilated to using that name yet lol) Anyway, I may to some extent be in the minority because I really enjoy smoking and never really had any desire to quite.

Over the last several months I had heard a few things about e-cigs, but I never really gave them much though and to be honest thought the concept was a little strange. Just recently though I made a new friend who uses them, and she totally raves about them. She actually never smoked before but was going though a stressful time a few months back and her mom gave her one to try out, and like I said she really enjoyed them.

Based on her experience and the fact I'm never adverse to trying new things I thought I would check them out. The one she uses is the Elumacigs. So without much research I ordered the same one. Since then I've read in the forums here some not so positive things about that brand so I guess I'll find out if that was a good choice or not.

Last night I was doing some surfing around, its how I found this forum, but it does seem like there must be a 1000 different companies selling them, and is it just me or is it true that a lot of them appear to be the exact same product with just a different label?

As I said I do really enjoy smoking analog (the assimilation seems to be working ;) ) I do have to say I have thought it might be a cool thing if I really like e-cigs because it would save me some money. Although I've read now a couple of times that the life of the cartridges is significantly over stated in the advertising, so maybe not?

I think this forum is awesome and there is some great information here. I guess I am a little overwhelmed because it appears as though there is a lot to it all and fairly involved. At the same time I am rather excited.
 

Nikhil

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Jan 29, 2010
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It's always good when someone decides to do their research!

If you buy pre-filled cartridges and throw them out when they're empty, it probably won't save you much money. Most people refill them with liquid they buy in dropper bottles. There are around 3 main models that almost every one of those over-priced companies that "jumped on the bandwagon" and started an e-cig company sells. I suggest you head over to the library: The ECF Library - E-Cigarette Forum
 

Stage

Full Member
Jun 17, 2010
61
0
California
Its VERY overwhelming at first. And you're right, alot of the e-cigs are the same product/style with different names attached to them. Just keep surfing around, and don't be shy to ask questions :)
Congrats on your soon to be new addictioin/obsession (lol) and welcome :)

Thank you so much for the welcome, it's nice to come to a forum like this in a confused state and still be accepted :)
 

Stage

Full Member
Jun 17, 2010
61
0
California
It's always good when someone decides to do their research!

If you buy pre-filled cartridges and throw them out when they're empty, it probably won't save you much money. Most people refill them with liquid they buy in dropper bottles. There are around 3 main models that almost every one of those over-priced companies that "jumped on the bandwagon" and started an e-cig company sells.[ /QUOTE]

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it! I will head over there tonight and check things out. As someone who is obviously experienced as you are, I think the kit I ordered comes with 25 cartridges, how long can I realistically expect those to last? I smoke about one and a half packs of analogs a day. Should I be looking to either order additional cartridges or juice right away?
 

Shaka

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Jun 2, 2010
580
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Honolulu, HI
I think this forum is awesome and there is some great information here. I guess I am a little overwhelmed because it appears as though there is a lot to it all and fairly involved. At the same time I am rather excited.

Hey Stage, and welcome to ecf!!

Yes, the forum is awesome, but do not feel overwhelmed. I found wisdom here about e-cigs and vaping that you won't find anywhere else.

Everthing you need to know about e-cigs is here...just don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck!
 

Nikhil

Unregistered Supplier
ECF Veteran
Jan 29, 2010
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Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it! I will head over there tonight and check things out. As someone who is obviously experienced as you are, I think the kit I ordered comes with 25 cartridges, how long can I realistically expect those to last? I smoke about one and a half packs of analogs a day. Should I be looking to either order additional cartridges or juice right away?

How long it will last depends on the strength of the nicotine in the liquid, which it should tell you in mg/ml (usually 0-36). How many milliliters are in your pre-filled cartridge, I don't know, but unfortunately bad/cheap designed cartridges waste a lot of liquid because they don't wick very well (liquid sits at the bottom and doesn't reach the atomizer). An average cigarette contains around 1mg of nicotine, and there's a chart with every brand and model of cigarette that can tell you specifically here. The amount of nicotine you absorb from an e-cig is still going through testing and is claimed to be anywhere from 10% and up. Most people aren't concerned with getting more nicotine than they used to because the e-cig is generally regarded as much safer in other aspects and nicotine itself is not carcinogenic and not really any worse than caffeine.

It's always good to have extra liquid handy, though. The best part about buying refill liquid is you can get a variety of different flavors that you often get in pre-filled cartridges. They range from bacon french toast (which I'll gladly give away for free!) to german chocolate cake and lychee. There are also different ingredients that change the way it feels, to give more throat hit, vapor, sweetness, etc. Finding what you like can be pretty fun, so don't get too worried about making mistakes, everyone gets a liquid or piece of hardware they don't like at some point.
 

7thCabal

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Jan 4, 2010
489
6
808state
I think the kit I ordered comes with 25 cartridges, how long can I realistically expect those to last?

Welcome to the forum!
With a small modification to a single cartridge it can last a very long time... I've used a single cartridge for several months, by just refilling when spent.
 
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Stage

Full Member
Jun 17, 2010
61
0
California
How long it will last depends on the strength of the nicotine in the liquid, which it should tell you in mg/ml (usually 0-36). How many milliliters are in your pre-filled cartridge, I don't know, but unfortunately bad/cheap designed cartridges waste a lot of liquid because they don't wick very well (liquid sits at the bottom and doesn't reach the atomizer). An average cigarette contains around 1mg of nicotine, and there's a chart with every brand and model of cigarette that can tell you specifically The amount of nicotine you absorb from an e-cig is still going through testing and is claimed to be anywhere from 10% and up. Most people aren't concerned with getting more nicotine than they used to because the e-cig is generally regarded as much safer in other aspects and nicotine itself is not carcinogenic and not really any worse than caffeine.

It's always good to have extra liquid handy, though. The best part about buying refill liquid is you can get a variety of different flavors that you often get in pre-filled cartridges. They range from bacon french toast (which I'll gladly give away for free!) to german chocolate cake and lychee. There are also different ingredients that change the way it feels, to give more throat hit, vapor, sweetness, etc. Finding what you like can be pretty fun, so don't get too worried about making mistakes, everyone gets a liquid or piece of hardware they don't like at some point.

I think maybe I'll pass on the bacon flavor for now, the chocolate cake though hmmm lol

Thank you so much for this great information, I really do appreciate it!
 

Stage

Full Member
Jun 17, 2010
61
0
California
Thank you all for the great welcome, I was right this is an awesome place! I hope this doesn't come across as being disingenuous because I have just arrived, but I do have a very strong sense of wanting to be a part of the e-cig club.

I do have one more general question. If I were to order juice from a vendor before I have actually received the kit the is on the way, can I be confident that it will be compatible with the unit that I've ordered? Is there a way to tell? Also are the cartridges interchangeable to some degree, as in a certain model uses type "A" and therefore all I have to do is look for those that are type "A" and be good to go?
 

Dubs58

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
May 30, 2010
181
3
Texas
Welcome Stage, I googled Elumacigs and saw they had a 30 day money back refund :unsure: ?? may be worth looking into, but even b4 I ordered my DSE-901 ($25) I told myself it would be one of many kits I'd end up buying b4 finding that "perfect one".

I wanted an e-cig that all suppliers carried replacement parts for. I got a spare battery and a spare atty (atomizer) when I placed my order. Since then ive bought a car charger, 2 usb wall chargers, 2 usb puter charges (battery life sucks), empty carts & lots of juice (e-liquid) to re-fill them and I think im set for a few weeks.

It'll be 2 weeks today that I got my kit & I've been analog free since ! Thats from a pack a day for about 35yrs and I have no desire to smoke an analog !

I use 24mg RY#4 and Virginia fire cured tobacco juice (both VG) mainly (I smoked Marlboro Reds or rolled my own) and it works 4 me.

It is overwhelming but after you get your kit you'll figure it all out pretty quick.

I would say if its in your budget..try one of the popular kits (510, 901) $25-30
or even try making one yourself as I did this week ! Or this;

2xAA Box Mod with Green LED and 901/808 connector

Good Luck :toast:

PS, I just noticed that while writing this many others have chimed in, so sorry if im repeating anything anyone else has said. Dubs
 

perotti

Full Member
Apr 9, 2010
5
0
48
South Carolina
Hi Stage & welcome to ECF & the world of Vaping.

I consider myself a noob still and yes this hobby/addiction is overwhelming at first. Congratulations on taking your first step away from smoking analog cigarettes. was a smoker for 18 years, now 1 month 100% analog free.

not sure what the percentage of people with no intention on ever quitting nicotine, I am guessing its not as low as you may think. I have no intention on quitting vaping, ever. I only wanted to quit smoking analogs due to the damaging health issues, having a safe alternitive now... I can worry about quitting something else like mcdonalds. =)

my dad purchased a "blu" brand kit, and we were very disappointed with it's performance. impulse buy based on some advertising somewhere, with no research. did a small amount of research and decided on a totally wicked tornado based on youtube reviews. the tornado is also sold as Janty ego. great example of same product different branding. needless to say we were both pleased with this upgrade.

as mentioned above, the key to saving money is to find some nicotine liquid and refill your cartridges or cartomizers. I buy blanks of both and use many different flavors... my all day vape is tastyvapor's atomic cinnacide. used to smoke marlboro mediums, now i prefer flavored e-liquid instead of tobacco flavored.

again welcome to the forum, you are in good hands here. let us know how it goes when you get your device.

Sincerely,
-+>Patrick J Perotti
 

Dubs58

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
May 30, 2010
181
3
Texas
I do have one more general question. If I were to order juice from a vendor before I have actually received the kit the is on the way, can I be confident that it will be compatible with the unit that I've ordered? Is there a way to tell?QUOTE]

Juice is just juice...but if the mfg got it in there, Im sure theres a way you can too :D

As far as interchangeable cartridges goes I think if you got a 5 count box of 510 & 901 carts one of them would fit and wouldnt break the bank.

Also there are all sorts of adapters for anything except maybe some oddball thread connection (which could be the case of the Elumacig) no pun intended... buy a Chevy and you find parts wherever you go..buy a Yugo and...well good luck :laugh:
 

Nikhil

Unregistered Supplier
ECF Veteran
Jan 29, 2010
1,293
283
38
Louisville, KY
Thank you all for the great welcome, I was right this is an awesome place! I hope this doesn't come across as being disingenuous because I have just arrived, but I do have a very strong sense of wanting to be a part of the e-cig club.

I do have one more general question. If I were to order juice from a vendor before I have actually received the kit the is on the way, can I be confident that it will be compatible with the unit that I've ordered? Is there a way to tell? Also are the cartridges interchangeable to some degree, as in a certain model uses type "A" and therefore all I have to do is look for those that are type "A" and be good to go?

You can see specs of all the various models here: Brand and Model Compatibility Chart - E-Cigarette Wiki

In general, any juice will work with any model. Getting compatible hardware isn't easy unless you know for sure the models, but the Eluma looks to me like the Volcano or Blu which is an L88B. The price at Eluma isn't that bad compared to other rip-offs but still not too great, unless the quality is spectacular. Some people like the L88B but many people prefer more horsepower and battery longevity, so they go with larger battery models or modified batteries using lithium ion batteries that can be switched out and externally recharged (a common one is the eGo/Tornado/Riva model, but there are a ton out there).
 

Dubs58

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
May 30, 2010
181
3
Texas
Hey Stage, I was just sitting here thinking about the 510, 901 and thought...why am I talking about them, the battery life sucks ! So I thought about that lil unit (the link I sent you) from madvape, it has great battery life, popular batts & attys, carts, whats not to like about it ? I think you still need to buy a battery and a charger but seems like a good low cost option !
 

deftdrummer1

Full Member
Feb 8, 2010
41
0
41
paradise
I am at a strange vaping crossroads right now. A few weeks ago I had complete and utter Joye 510 failure; three atomizers started having erratic behavior, I lost a battery, and now I'm out of all the eliquid I liked in the first place.

I guess I'm at a crossroad because I am tired of dripping and changing parts and losing parts and cleaning etc. I am considering buying the greensmoke e-cig, but I am worried that it may be yet another money pit with the throw away cartridges.

On the one hand I like that it frees up the problem of loose parts. On the other hand I don't like that it could seriously cost me a lot of money. At the same time can you put a price on your health?
 

Stage

Full Member
Jun 17, 2010
61
0
California
I do have one more general question. If I were to order juice from a vendor before I have actually received the kit the is on the way, can I be confident that it will be compatible with the unit that I've ordered? Is there a way to tell?QUOTE]

Juice is just juice...but if the mfg got it in there, Im sure theres a way you can too :D

As far as interchangeable cartridges goes I think if you got a 5 count box of 510 & 901 carts one of them would fit and wouldnt break the bank.

Also there are all sorts of adapters for anything except maybe some oddball thread connection (which could be the case of the Elumacig) no pun intended... buy a Chevy and you find parts wherever you go..buy a Yugo and...well good luck :laugh:

Thanks for that and also the link in your other reply. I will of course experiment with the one that I'm getting a little. I am sure most everyone here has done this, googled e-cigarette. When I do that I see so many different vendors, which kind of gives me the feeling of an affiliate thing. Some other things on the web are heavily marketed that way and this seems similar. I have seen several that look almost exactly like the one I'm ordering in the pictures, right down to the little charger case thing.

Of course it could be that its just this one model that is being heavily marketed and it is actually the "odd ball" lol but there sure do seem to be some common patterns. I guess I'll find out :)
 
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