Advice for a newbie

[Orange Juice]

Hello,

So yeah, probably obvious from the title, but I'm new(ish) to vaping and could do with some advice on a few points. I've tried the cheap cigarette looking e-cigs a year or so ago and didn't find it very satisfying. At the time I used it as an aid to quitting smoking, but the poor battery performance and lack of throat hit left me wanting, and inevitable I ended up on the real smokes again.

Fast forward to now, and I'm having a crack at the e-cig thing again to try help me get off cigarettes. Keen to avoid another disappointing experience, I did some proper research into good mods and ended up buying a Vamo V5. To go with it, I got an iclear 30 and some standard (not very nice so far) chinese e-liquid. I'm still having some issues though and hoped someone who has gone through the vaporising learning curve already could offer some advice (apologies, I'm aware my queries will have probably been discussed somewhere else on the forums already but I couldn't find answers to everything). Here's what I was hoping to learn:

I've played around with the voltage and wattage settings on my Vamo, but despite this, I keep coughing and getting an irritated throat when I vape. On the advice of forums I've read, I've adjusted from between 7 - 10 watts and usually 3.5 - 5 volts, but still haven't found a 'sweet spot'. Its been an unpleasant 'smoking' experience so far. I'm concerned that perhaps the iclear 30 is maybe not the best attachment to be using? I'm waiting on an iclear 16 arriving so I can try that out and see how it compares, but what do you guys reckon is a good attachment for a newbie to use? I want something that gives a nice cloud of vapor, but doesn't destroy my throat when I inhale.

Leading on from this, I've seen lots of people mention that the nicotine, PG and VG content in the liquid can have an impact on throat hit / type of vapour you get. So I've ordered more liquids from another supplier, one with a lower nicotine content to what I have currently (12mg compared with 24mg) and which has a 50/50 PG - VG mix (not sure what ratio my current liquid is, it's not indicated anywhere). The other liquid is a 100% VG liquid. Do you guys think this will make a difference?

Lastly, I know that I need to give it a bit of time to figure out what works for me. For example, I know I shouldn't go for a direct 'lung' draw from my Vamo like I would with a cigarette. But again, so far the different things I've tried still leave me with a dry, irritated throat and a burning sensation in my lungs.

I feel like I've got a good mod, the Vamo V5 certainly got good reviews from all the research I did, but I could do with some guidance with regards to attachments, liquids and vaping technique, so that I can achieve an experience like smoking cigarettes, but without all the nasty chemicals! I want a set up that offers a nice smooth vapour inhale, but without sacrificing the vapour 'smoke'. Anyway, any suggestions on how to avoid the harsh throat and coughing from inhaling would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Fraser

 

[cyberwolf]

Congrats on trying to make the switch and welcome to the ECF. There are two things that may be causing your throat irritation, too much PG and/or dry wicks. If the irritation you are feeling is just a dryness or an itchy sensation, then the PG may be the issue and your order of 50/50 liquid will probably take care of it.

If you are getting a burning sensation, like inhaling campfire smoke, then dry wicks may be at fault. The iClears are top coil, so it is very easy to dry them out if you are keeping your device upright all the time. Try tilting it upside down often while you are vaping to see if it helps at all. A quick puff into the mouthpiece can sometimes help to get the flow going too, but be careful not to blow too hard or you'll get leakage. You should get a good burst of flavor when you inhale, not a burnt taste. Unfortunately, once a wick is toasted a little it may take quite a while to get rid of that flavor completely. It'll keep getting better, though.

You have a good setup and are vaping in the right power range. Hopefully the new juice will be the ticket. If not, I'd suggest experimenting with a bottom coil like an EVOD, Protank or NBC, or even a cartomizer or two.

 

[Scott Mann]

bottom coil as cyberwolf mentioned. Also, better juices. Chinese Liquid, imo cant be trusted. I mean these were the people using lead paint of childrens happy meal toys...god knows what is going into e liquid. Theres are several nice vendors out there who sell sample packs so you can try flavors and mixtures without getting a big bottle.

I cant smoke PG, i found out through vaping i have an allergy to it, so i smoke 100% VG Organic. I can lung inhale without dying, and mouth to lung without irritation. Just keep at it, and experimenting.

 

[Tugg n chase]

As far as tanks. The iclear 30 is a good product to start with. Start your vamo on its lowest setting and gradually increase power.
Vaping will definitely dry you out regardless. But better liquid and staying hydrated will improve the irritation.

 

[djsvapour]

Hi Frazer.

Nothing wrong with Vamo. That's not where to look.

The iClear30 is OK. I have one but actually find it disappointing. I have an iClear30S which I prefer, but it's still not selling itself to me that hard.

If you want super smooth and waves of mad vapour.... a proper rebuildable atomizer would do it, but where do you start?.... I vaped for over a year before taking the plunge. I certainly don't take them to work either...

 

[mcol]

Just wanted to say welcome.

 

[Orange Juice]

Thanks to everyone for the good tips and advice, I'll be keeping it mind as I go forward. It's pretty daunting the huge array of liquids and attachments available, so is good to have some more direction (and not have to waste a lot of money buying lots of different things to try them out!)

I'll be sure to keep varying the liquids I use and the concentrations to find the right one for me, I'm hoping that a lower PG mix will indeed help with the irritated throat and coughing situation, I actually can't stand the liquid I ordered with my starter kit!

I'm also thinking I'll try different attachments, thanks again for the suggestions!

Cool forum, have been looking around it and checking out other posts, lots of helpful information, glad I stumbled upon it.

 

[WidowsSonAsWell]

Welcome to the forum. i am a newbie as well

 

[Bradley Renfro]

I only started the week before last. Vaping had allowed me to turn down free cigs! I started by using vapes like the real thing however I had the same problem. After which I lowered my nic content to 12mg or less from 24mg. This helped the taste only since the nic was so strong.
However, the problem presisted, so I read up on how most vapors vap. The best tip I found was to not inhale directly to the lungs. More importantly I learned that the nic is absorbed thru. the mouth more effectivly. Since then I have used my vape like a cigar and did not take it to my lungs. The effect was instant. I would like to try a higher vg or vg only liquid since i do want to inhale. One scary thing is that I cannot find out the contents of my current liquids. I will try talking to the clerk I bought them from but I am not hopeful they will know.
P.s. If anyone knows the vg/pg ratio in "Divine Cloud" ejuices please info me.
P.s. If