Analog look-alikes

[daleaik]

I am going to chime in on this even though it seems to be getting a bit "toxic" in here...

I own the Riva as well as a Pro-vari. I am using the Riva with a lr atty, and it is as good as the Pro-vari as far as I am concerned. The ONLY benefit to the variable volt is that I can fine-tune it to a specific atty. I have to increase the voltage on higher ohm attys. Battery life is longer on the Provari of course, but other than that I am actually favoring the Riva. The size is more manageable and the flavor is just as good as long as I use a lr atty.

I will not let the Provari collect dust since I paid good money for it, but I use the Riva just as often. One other benefit to the Provari is battery replacement. No matter what happens in the legal realm, they can't outlaw a battery. Attys, I suppose, would be another story. That would have an effect on either unit, though...

 

[wv2win]

I have tried 5V and variable voltage models.

In my experience:

1) The throat hit is 'better' only in that it is harsher, not in any other subjective way. It does not give an increased rush or leaves a more enduring sensation.

2) Consistency is a matter of atomizer/cartridge performance and wattage, not battery size.

3) Battery life is no different from using a 3.7V with a matching pcc.

4) They are far more hassle than an analog look-alike. They are bulky, heavy, and unbalanced. They cannot be conveniently or easily held in the mouth for long periods of time when you want to puff while your hands are otherwise engaged.

Contrary to your other pompous pronouncement, the last stats available (July-Aug, 2010) show that automatic batteries have a higher re-order rate than manuals (for those staying within the same brand/model product line), automatic batteries are chosen to replace manuals more often than manuals are chosen to replace automatics (for those staying within the same brand/model product line), automatic batteries are consistently ranked higher than manuals in both quality of product and product satisfaction by users, and in surveys conducted in June, 2010, Sept. 2010, and Nov. 2010, automatics were ranked as more "like smoking" by a 7-4 margin among smokers who had never vaped.

1. On the better throat hit from 5 volt/VV devices, I can only go by what has been stated on this and the other vaper forums I visit and what is told to me at the Vape Fests I attend and my own experience. Most do not view it as harsher, just more satisfying and analog-like. I'm sure there are a minority like you who disagree and believe they know all.

2. Every PV's consistency is limited by atomizer performance. But maintaining optimum battery output longer, which delivers better consistency, comes with better batteries which is a given with 5 volt and variable volt PV's.

3. Using a PCC is something many of us do not want to hassle with. Second, even with the hassle of using a PCC, I seriously doubt than any heavy vaper can get 21-35 hours on one charge as I and many of us do who vape a better battery PV.

4. If you want to vape hands free, your only option is a super mini with an auto battery. Your inference that a super mini auto provides the same performance as a 5 volt or variable volt PV is comical. You should see how many people agree with that belief.

I don't know where you get your "so-called" stats, but I think they are completely BS especially since you referrence no source. From the many suppliers I have talked to, manual battery sales outpace autos by approximately 80%. Considering overall sales in the industry I am sure that autos sell more than manuals because the bottom-feeder PV sellers (Blu, SE, Njoy) who put all their money into marketing do not sell manuals. That says nothing about which battery type provides a more satisfying experience. And your statement about "smokers who never vaped" believing they would prefer auto batteries tells us what?? That they have never vaped and don't have a clue, lol. We all thought that before we had vaped before.

You should do a poll on this site and any other vaping site and post your conclusions that mini auto battery PV's perform just as well as a good 5 volt or variable volt PV. Or one as simple as do you prefer auto or manual batteries and see what the results would be. I'm sure you will not try this experiment for obvious reasons.

 

[wv2win]

This is a good point, right now I'm really enjoying my Provari + MAP tank... but the comments (mostly from other vapers) are really annoying. Granted the few that tried it commented that it was an amazing difference in performance (the first few days I kept my old ego on hand, just so I could point out the differences).

Excellent point about those who tried it found an "amazing difference in performance". Yet just within this thread we have those stating that mini auto battery PV's perform just as well as your ProVari. It's the same as if the driver of a GEO stated it performed just the same as Rolls Royce.

 

[wv2win]

I am going to chime in on this even though it seems to be getting a bit "toxic" in here...

I own the Riva as well as a Pro-vari. I am using the Riva with a lr atty, and it is as good as the Pro-vari as far as I am concerned. The ONLY benefit to the variable volt is that I can fine-tune it to a specific atty. I have to increase the voltage on higher ohm attys. Battery life is longer on the Provari of course, but other than that I am actually favoring the Riva. The size is more manageable and the flavor is just as good as long as I use a lr atty.

I will not let the Provari collect dust since I paid good money for it, but I use the Riva just as often. One other benefit to the Provari is battery replacement. No matter what happens in the legal realm, they can't outlaw a battery. Attys, I suppose, would be another story. That would have an effect on either unit, though...

Good points. The Riva has advantages in size and ease of handling that a larger battery device does not have. The advantages of "fine tuning" and battery life with the ProVari in the long run, IMO, make it a better overall device. Do you think if you were comparing the ProVari to a mini auto battery device the differences would be even more significant?

 

[Valsacar]

On consistency you're also leaving out that minis, rivas, egos, etc all do not have the consistency of a device like the provari or darwin (and many others). I have not seen a single (please correct me if I'm wrong) device that is not a high quality mod (IE not a mass produced product like the ego) that has voltage regulation. Without voltage regulation you are getting the voltage that the battery is putting out at that time, which goes down as the battery is used.

 

[daleaik]

Until (unless) they can make a mini with reasonably good battery life, I would agree that they are inferior. Like most users here, I believed at first that I wanted a small device that resembled an analog. Learned pretty quickly that battery life was way more important. I just don't believe that the extra battery life going from a riva to a provari makes it worth the negatives already stated.

I guess what I am saying is (for me) the riva with a lr atty is a perfect trade off for battery life and size. My opinion only...

 

[sherid]

Bloog kind of scares me. Seems like most of their products are out of stock, and continue to be out of stock.

What's closest to Bloog in your opinion?

I have a friend who is wanting to try vaping, but he just needs to go through that stage where the pv needs to be close to analog size. Even my eGo just doesn't feel comfortable to him yet. He wants a pcc and the works ... but Bloog seems out of stock and pretty high priced.

Just trying to find him something to get him past this stage. (or if he likes it, and it works for him, great!)

Buy the DSE 906 from Apollo E-cigarettes | High Quality E Cigs | Best Ecig Starter Kits I have posted many times how much it is like or even better than Bloog. I have both models, and I use both models; however, I pick up the 906 more often than I do the Bloog. It has good battery life, a fast charger, great taste and throat hit, etc. It also has excellent plus customer service and free shipping. Oh, by the way, it is also cheaper. For $49.95, you get

Apollo Extreme Starter Kit
1. This kit is designed for those who smoke about 1~2 packs a day and require lots of vapor and strong throat hit.
2. This is also ideal for those who love mods but hate their bulky shape and messy refills.
3. The ecigarettes in this kit use the latest 2-piece design and technology.
4. The e-cigarette has extra long battery and cartomizer which will last you for a long time
5. There are two 280mAh batteries and 5 free cartomizers in the kit
6. Each cartomizer offers about 300 puffs (about 1 pack of regular cigarettes)
7. The kit also includes a USB charger, a wall adaptor, and a car charger
Apollo Extreme Kit

 

[Wench]

Not everyone likes a big hulking mod or needs to blow their head off with the hit.
I have several mods at varying voltages ( 6+ mods)but they will never, ever go out in public with me. They are simply hideous for the most part. Too much tinkering, cleaning and general fussing with them = a pain in the rear.
Performance wise , yes they are better but hassle wise they fail.
And honestly most sit in a drawer now relegated to back up in case of power failure's/ emergency use.
After almost 2 years and lots of mod's..heavy usage ( about 5 ml a day)
I've found myself either using a plain Ego or a simple 510 /306 when out and yes, it is satisfying. I want small, simple and easy to use and they fill that role of what it was like to smoke that I enjoyed.



That Apollo looks interesting and saw they have a 3 piece as well. I may have to pick up one of those myself.

 

[wv2win]

Not everyone likes a big hulking mod or needs to blow their head off with the hit.
I have several mods at varying voltages ( 6+ mods)but they will never, ever go out in public with me. They are simply hideous for the most part. Too much tinkering, cleaning and general fussing with them = a pain in the rear.
Performance wise , yes they are better but hassle wise they fail.
And honestly most sit in a drawer now relegated to back up in case of power failure's/ emergency use.
After almost 2 years and lots of mod's..heavy usage ( about 5 ml a day)
I've found myself either using a plain Ego or a simple 510 /306 when out and yes, it is satisfying. I want small, simple and easy to use and they fill that role of what it was like to smoke that I enjoyed.



That Apollo looks interesting and saw they have a 3 piece as well. I may have to pick up one of those myself.

Sorry to hear about your problems with your "mods". You must have gotten some of the few bad ones, such as the Prodigy V2. Overall, from the many reports on here and other sites, most better battery devices out perform smaller battery devices with no additional "fussing". I know with my Darwin, I screw in the atty and just vape for 21 continuious hours on a charge. No fuss, no muss, no tinkering at all. And no changing of batteries every 1-2 hours. I can't see how a 510 or auto mini can be easier than that.

 

[wv2win]

On consistency you're also leaving out that minis, rivas, egos, etc all do not have the consistency of a device like the provari or darwin (and many others). I have not seen a single (please correct me if I'm wrong) device that is not a high quality mod (IE not a mass produced product like the ego) that has voltage regulation. Without voltage regulation you are getting the voltage that the battery is putting out at that time, which goes down as the battery is used.

Excellent point. Batteries diminish, performance diminishes.

 

[sherid]

Not everyone likes a big hulking mod or needs to blow their head off with the hit.
I have several mods at varying voltages ( 6+ mods)but they will never, ever go out in public with me. They are simply hideous for the most part. Too much tinkering, cleaning and general fussing with them = a pain in the rear.
Performance wise , yes they are better but hassle wise they fail.
And honestly most sit in a drawer now relegated to back up in case of power failure's/ emergency use.
After almost 2 years and lots of mod's..heavy usage ( about 5 ml a day)
I've found myself either using a plain Ego or a simple 510 /306 when out and yes, it is satisfying. I want small, simple and easy to use and they fill that role of what it was like to smoke that I enjoyed.



That Apollo looks interesting and saw they have a 3 piece as well. I may have to pick up one of those myself.

I hate the big models. I have bought several, but I am not interested. This model is excellent, and the customer service, free shipping, and quick delivery make it even better. Despite the constant insistence that everyone buys a mod, I know what I like, and it still is something that resembles a real cigarette.

 

[player30]

To answer the original question, no; I do not think the analog look alikes are dead in the water. My husband & I quit 9/1/10, and my husband still exclusively uses the SmokeStiks we both started with and he is perfectly content. I like to try different things, but I still like my SmokeStik as well as my other analog look alike-- Halo ecig. My longest lasting battery is my Volcano Inferno, and I like it. My newest is my GLV2 super-mini, and I like it. I do not have anything over a 3.7 volt, and am not currently looking for one. Sometimes I think that those who are so seemingly superior in their e-cig requirements for others lack in other areas of their life. But thats just my opinion.

The best e-cig is the one that keeps someone from reaching for a cigarette.

 

[Sense Field]

I seriously doubt they will every make a battery small enough for a mini PV that will give you the consistency and throat hit (not to mention battery life) of a good 5 volt or variable volt PV. Even if it were possible, it would cost too much.

No one said anything about A super mini lasting as long as a VV mod or any other 5v mod/device so I don't understand why you are bringing this up. All that was said is that eventually we will have longer lasting super mini batteries.

Look at how long the auto industry has been working on smaller batteries for cars and they still aren't there, yet.

Do you pay attention to the auto industry? How about the battery industry? There have been numerous breakthroughs in battery tech that just haven't hit the market yet. As for Autos...we have affordable all electric cars now...in particular...in the realm of car battery tech...Tesla has an extremely efficient battery tech that is the reason Toyota has teamed up with them for future iterations of the Prius. So yes...battery tech in cars has come an amazingly long way in the past ten years.

But many Americans are fine with mediocre products that are inconsistent. But if people are serious about quitting smoking, it would be better IMO to "break away" from the visual referrence to analogs.

Actually...for this industry to grow...it would be better to embrace the look of a real cigarette. It can be a gateway to things like the eGo which in turn can be a gateway to VV mods.

To go back to the auto industry on this one...No, Americans do not like mediocre products...if they did the American car industry would be destroying foreign manufactures. That said...if you tried to get someone to buy an automobile that didn't look anything like what we perceive a car should look like...you would probably fail.

People smoke...and the number one turn off that smokers have brought up to me about my 808 ecig is that it's too big. What do you think they say when I pull out my eGo? They sure don't say anything close to "oh hey...I gotta get me one of those"

When I started Vaping I was bummed that my first ecig, a E9 was much bigger then a real cig. I got use to it...but I never thought I would ever want something the size of an eGo...then I tried the eGo...didn't like it at first...it was really big...but I got use to it and now I love it. Just a week ago I was still of the mindset that I didn't ever want a mod or a VV device...but guess what I'm in the market for this week? That's right...looking to buy my first mod.

Just face it...we here are the early adopters...the hobbyists...the collectors...the ones who want to stay up till 3 am reading a forum about ecigs. If you don't understand that we are the exception and that they (everyday people) are the rule then you are fooling yourself.

 

[n00b]

The best e-cig is the one that keeps someone from reaching for a cigarette.

Best. Quote. Ever.

 

[Wench]

The best e-cig is the one that keeps someone from reaching for a cigarette.

Best. Quote. Ever.

I have to agree.

 

[wv2win]

..........Just face it...we here are the early adopters...the hobbyists...the collectors...the ones who want to stay up till 3 am reading a forum about ecigs. If you don't understand that we are the exception and that they (everyday people) are the rule then you are fooling yourself.

I don't disagree with you that for those new to vaping, size is more relevant. From my experience, over half those who try a mini PV, consider it a "scam" and go back to smoking due to the poor performance. I thing that performance should be the #1 requirement and form factor the second but also important factor. I think it is easier to change people's perspective if the performance is there. But if the PV looks like what their perception tells them it should look like but it performs poorly, then style is useless to the cause. People use to think that all telephones should have a rotary dial, be black and sit on a table or desk. Better performance trumped that perception and people changed.

 

[Panhandler]

I have noticed a lot of experienced vapers on this forum saying that VV and bottom feeding box mods etc. are the only way to go.
I understand why and some day I'd like to have a pro-vari or something like that to vape at home.
However,I can't go about at work or driving down the road with one of those mods.
The looks I get from some people and cops is bad enough with my eGo's and Go-Go ,just in the short few months I've been at it.
Do you folks with the box mods and long tube batt PV's with the top feeders etc. go around in pubic or driving down the road vaping those? What do you do when you see a cop looking you up and down? Do you hide it in those instances?
I don't need that kind of attention even if I'm doing nothing wrong.
I will also repeat.....I GET it and someday will have a bigger batt mod myself.
New vapers (like my sister)only want a analog looking unit.
I think as vapers we need to guide those who wish a small PV to the ones they will use and have the best results with......until they realize they want something bigger.
Besides as pointed out before what the OP is asking for is a better longer lasting "smaller" battery and if analog looking PV's are going by the wayside.
Just sayin

 

[JoeyForReal]

lot of good points made.
personally, im using a joye 510 manual- my second pv.
i started with black cherry ecics because of the size and pcc, and only switched because the batteries go off when i play my drums.
honestly, i wouldn't have picked up a PV if it didn't resemble an analog.
the first pv i tried was an ego, and i didn't like it because i couldn't hold it like an analog (now i can't wait to pick one up)- not to mention the button factor.
im still making the transition (slowly) to full time vaping, but i go days sometimes weeks without analogs so its working.

the more i vape the more i desire higher mah batteries and higher voltage, etc.. and the closer i get to quitting analogs.
(i only buy analogs because i cant afford to buy large quantities of juice, cartos etc, and cant wait patiently enough for the package to get here)
i feel guilty every time i buy cigarettes, which is a good sign.

i think the analog look-alikes are brilliant for a beginner like me, and half the fun of vaping seems to be building a collection.

although there was one good point made in the favor of larger batter styles and mods- the habit.
its all too easy to smoke an analog and feel the same.
at the risk of revealing too much, i'm a recovering alcoholic, and though people claim non-alcoholic beer works for them, i stray away from anything that puts me back in the habit of drinking (using wine/rocks glasses etc.) for fear of getting too comfortable.

i find that analog styles are a great transition, and fun/easy to use, but until a person changes the way they hold their pv, an analog will continue to feel all too natural.

 

[Sense Field]

Here is my review of the Colibri...it's the smallest eCig I've ever used and it's surprisingly efficient for what it is...these things are getting better...the proof is in the pudding.

 

[FantWriter]

I don't know where you get your "so-called" stats, but I think they are completely BS especially since you referrence no source. From the many suppliers I have talked to, manual battery sales outpace autos by approximately 80%.

I did not cite because the reports are for members of a tech-industry group and are not available to the public. I have no idea which suppliers you know, but the reports were based on more than a million retail sales per year.

I believe you are losing sight of the fact that the number of people on vaping forums are less than 0.4% of all regular vapers in America. Those seeking information or indulging in their avocations are the majority of the posters here, and the other vaping forums, so extreme mods fit into their passion. Those of us who are happy with our regularly-sized, analog-look-alikes are extremely scarce in these forums.

Believing that most people will only be truly happy with expensive, gigantic, and ugly mods is on a par with thinking everyone wants and needs a chromed-up lowrider with a 2million-amp sound system.