Beginner's Ignorance with Sub-Ohm Vaping

[k702]

I've been researching a lot lately and the reason I haven't pulled the trigger on any mech or rda, is because I don't know how to crunch the numbers on ohms/voltage output/battery drainage. I've seen enough information to know that I'm just scared.

I'm super excited to learn how to sub-ohm vape and I'm hoping to eventually get to a level of knowledge where I would feel comfortable actually starting, but that might not be for another month or two (or more). Every time I look at the shopping cart wish list and hold out my vape budget hands, I start saying things in my head like:
-I could shave a few bucks by not getting a voltage output meter (this site says the current drop is X the particular mod I want)
-I have an ohm meter on my provari (even though if money wasn't an option I would want a dedicated ohm reader for several reasons)
-This battery would probably be fine because the description says "Sub-ohmers dream" (But I have no idea how to check and compare concrete numbers and come to that conclusion on my own)

Sub-Ohm'ing seems so enticing, but as soon as I hear myself short-cutting or trying to justify that it's okay that I don't know the correct answer, I know I'm not ready and proceed to close the wish list that is open on my browser.

Some days I'm super pumped, and other days I feel like if I bought one now, it would be like buying bomb and holding it to my head every day, praying it doesn't go off.

Other days there's that little voice in my head that goes, you'll be smart and careful and if it was so unsafe, how could so many people be doing it.

One day I will be able to know all the facts and precautions back to front, but I don't see that being for a while.

Maybe I'm being to cautious about this, but for the meantime, I'll be vaping my provari and taking baby steps by learning to build standard resistance coils for my protank.

Going to super low resistance in sub ohm setups might be something to be scared of.. might.. But really it's like with any possibly dangerous tool that you use. It isn't to be feared it's to be respected and understood.

Steam Engine | free vaping calculators

go there and check out their calculators, they can help with a lot of what you're going to need to know. Their coil wrapping calculator is actually rather accurate and at least gives you a good starting point. You should still get an ohm reader to check for shorts (the numbers will jump around like crazy.) make sure you have the right batteries and a good charger.

Batteries and Chargers

Always check the resistance of your builds before using them. And use common sense in general and make sure whatever mod you get has good venting. You can even get a vape safe fuse or a kick and regulate the mechanical, kinda doesn't help with sub ohming but it gets you into a mechanical setup safely. You can find all the information you need around this forum. Take whatever time you need just don't be afraid of mech mods, they're very similar in concept to a flashlight (which can itself be dangerous under certain circumstances)

 

[secutorum]

Baditude's post just goes on to prove something I've known for a long time- People from Cincinnati are dumb...

The idea of sub-ohming scares me and while I'm not an electrician, I can wire your house for you.... I've often thought about picking up a mech mod and an RDA so I can test DIY juice more easily, but I don't know if I want to deal with the added safety issues. That, and while there is a lot of info out there about mech's an RDAs, there doesn't seem to be a "here noob, the end all be all guide to dripping on a mech"

I don't know if it worth the hassle when my Provari and tanks (nautilus. PT2s, Aeros and Kayfun) deliver great flavor and enough cloud for me. I'm holding onto these VTC5s that have only been through one charge cycle in the hopes that one day I'll take the plunge.

 

[PrimeKB]

I've never dealt with this sort of thing, but I have a friend brand-new to vaping wanting to get into mechanical mods for the sub ohming factor after he saw me blowing clouds with mine. I advised him to do a lot of research and learn about ohms and batteries before he even makes a decision rather or not to continue with it. It can be overwhelming to some, and I advised him it is more for the vaping enthusiast.

I haven't been vaping all that long, I started April 2nd, but I've been researching mods, battery safety, ohms, etc.. almost immediately after I started vaping. Here just a couple of weeks ago I felt comfortable enough to buy my first mechanical mod and dive into the building/hobby side of it. I'm definitely enjoying it, but I took the proper steps and did the research I needed to do in order to try my best to stay safe, which is what all vapers need to do.


Good job on preventing a potentially disastrous situation.

 

[bluecat]

Baditude's post just goes on to prove something I've known for a long time- People from Cincinnati are dumb...

The idea of sub-ohming scares me and while I'm not an electrician, I can wire your house for you.... I've often thought about picking up a mech mod and an RDA so I can test DIY juice more easily, but I don't know if I want to deal with the added safety issues. That, and while there is a lot of info out there about mech's an RDAs, there doesn't seem to be a "here noob, the end all be all guide to dripping on a mech"

I don't know if it worth the hassle when my Provari and tanks (nautilus. PT2s, Aeros and Kayfun) deliver great flavor and enough cloud for me. I'm holding onto these VTC5s that have only been through one charge cycle in the hopes that one day I'll take the plunge.

For a fyi..... you can use a RDA or RBA on a regulated mod or a Mech with kick. You probably can't sub ohms without the DNAs. opps I re-read that... sorry prolly misunderstood... I must go back to school.

I use an RDA all the time on my mvp.

Yeah I moved to the 'burbs for that reason. I was down in the scripps building last friday. Whoever decided on that rail system needs to be..... well gonna save that remark.

 

[TonyTT]

Going to super low resistance in sub ohm setups might be something to be scared of.. might.. But really it's like with any possibly dangerous tool that you use. It isn't to be feared it's to be respected and understood.

My fear is born out of respect and the understanding that atm I don't know anything, and it will require a lot of work before I do. The problem I find is that it seems so overwhelming and I have so many questions, and there are so many threads, that I'm scared I'll miss something.

I would really like to personally try and put together a brochure of sorts that completely covers everything you need to know about how to mech vape safely. I know next to nothing about mechanical vaping, and sub-ohm vaping, and I don't consider myself a smart person. I find a lot of the explanations I read on here go completely over my head, and I would like it if I could find something that provides a complete, thorough and simplified explanation.

Being scared isn't deterring me from wanting to persue low resistance vaping, but I won't feel right, unless I'm 100% I'm familiar with all the material.

 

[k702]

It is actually simpler than it seems. There are technical aspects but a lot of it is common sense. Follow all the "rules" and if the mod doesn't fire or gets hot, stop and inspect things to see what is wrong before continuing.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to talk you into going into sub ohm resistances. The lowest I've built a coil at so far is a dual coil .5 and I'm rather happy with that.

Maybe your first step would be to post a thread asking for a simple explanation of the proper safe use of a mechanical mod in the mechanical mod subforum. There are a ton of really smart people here that can help you. Even though it is a question that has been asked and answered 100,000 times it can help to be able to ask and get the answers to specific questions.

 

[Baditude]

My fear is born out of respect and the understanding that atm I don't know anything, and it will require a lot of work before I do. The problem I find is that it seems so overwhelming and I have so many questions, and there are so many threads, that I'm scared I'll miss something.

I would really like to personally try and put together a brochure of sorts that completely covers everything you need to know about how to mech vape safely. I know next to nothing about mechanical vaping, and sub-ohm vaping, and I don't consider myself a smart person. I find a lot of the explanations I read on here go completely over my head, and I would like it if I could find something that provides a complete, thorough and simplified explanation.

It's not perfect, but at least its a starting point of resources you'll need in your research.

Information Resources for Your First RBA

 

[Baditude]

Other than what's already been said, you can consider it the "extreme" version of vaping. It's no different than kids hotrodding their cars or doing x-sports.

Also, something else I've noticed. I see close to a hundred vapers every day I work, and statistical observation shows that almost 99% of sub-ohmers are young men. I very rarely see ladies or young women interested in sub-ohming. The female sub-ohmers on ECF are an exception, but we all know ECFers represent a minute fraction of vapers. Since the sub-ohm craze hit big, I've met two -- two -- women IRL who sub-ohm. Go figure.

I beg to differ. I see scores of women who are building their own sub-ohm coils in RDA's in Cincinnati. It's still a niche of the entire vaping population, but it's a growing trend which has surprised even myself. I never thought that I would do sub-ohm vaping, but here I am vaping a dual coil 0.6 ohm Patriot RDA on a Silver Bullet. My build is airy and cool, just the way I like it. With twice the vapor and flavor that I could get from a cartotank or Kayfun RBA.

Never say never.

 

[Rocketpunk]

I beg to differ. I see scores of women who are building their own sub-ohm coils in RDA's in Cincinnati. It's still a niche of the entire vaping population, but it's a growing trend which has surprised even myself. I never thought that I would do sub-ohm vaping, but here I am vaping a dual coil 0.6 ohm Patriot RDA on a Silver Bullet. My build is airy and cool, just the way I like it. With twice the vapor and flavor that I could get from a cartotank or Kayfun RBA.

Never say never.

I guess it's a regional thing. I am also a notorious homebody and rarely get out or go to places where there may be a lot of vapers. After ten hour workdays, the last thing I want to do is discuss vaping. ;-)

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk

 

[Cullin Kin]

Believe me, I've had RC batteries blow up in packs I built back in the day, FAR away from my person, and that was enough of a primer on what could happen by sticking them (essentially) into my mouth.

It made me fear for our public education system...even more. As an ex-math nerd, I was appalled.

I know! The difference between 0.8 and 0.08 or even 0.8 and .8 is something that I learned when I was in second grade, and now I'm 20. Multiplication and division tables... I'm sure kids these days are learning it much younger than we ever did. This is basic math, and for a reviewer to not know this is inexcusable.

I'm studying engineering, a lack of knowledge like this would result in job termination as lives could be lost. I feel as if this only differs at a matter of scale.

Point being, this individual should take some time off of reviewing to properly educate themselves. If you don't know the difference between 0.8 and 0.08, you probably shouldn't give advice to others about vaping and certainly there is no reason for you to even say the word, 'sub-ohm.' This is truly dangerous and I really hope he gets it, for the sake of his family... And for us.

Hilarious, in the worst kind of way.

Is that what our nation's public schools are putting out?

I sure hope not. I mean, I'm 20 and I'm just at a loss for words, this has just blown me away. How can someone know so little, yet call themselves knowledgeable on this subject?

 

[Ryedan]

I'm holding onto these VTC5s that have only been through one charge cycle in the hopes that one day I'll take the plunge.

Just wanted to mention, it's better for these batteries to be stored at around 3.6-3.7 volts. Full charge or almost empty will reduce their lifespan.

 

[Ryedan]

You can even get a vape safe fuse or a kick and regulate the mechanical, kinda doesn't help with sub ohming but it gets you into a mechanical setup safely.

Fuses are becoming better all the time. It's not hard to find one that doesn't trip until 7A, which is 0.6 ohms so 0.7 ohms is OK. I've also seen them up to 10A somewhere but I can't remember where. That will take you down to 0.5 ohms which is around 30 watts in the atty.

Good stuff.

 

[wonkeypickle]

I would really like to personally try and put together a brochure of sorts that completely covers everything you need to know about how to mech vape safely. I know next to nothing about mechanical vaping, and sub-ohm vaping, and I don't consider myself a smart person. I find a lot of the explanations I read on here go completely over my head, and I would like it if I could find something that provides a complete, thorough and simplified explanation.

you are a pretty smart person for the ability to say you don't have enough knowledge about this to do it safely, VS the guy who doesn't care and just throws on a random coil and hopes it vapes as good as his pal's.


when i started vaping, i knew literally nothing of electricity except for that water pokemon are weak against it. i would consider myself an advanced subohmer now, and everything i learned was from the kind individuals on this site. My advice to you is to continue on with this mindset, and once you've reached a point were you are ready to take the plunge, do so and do not be afraid of making mistakes. ask questions on here, take your time and you will get the vape you want, regardless of the resistance.

 

[Cullin Kin]

you are a pretty smart person for the ability to say you don't have enough knowledge about this to do it safely, VS the guy who doesn't care and just throws on a random coil and hopes it vapes as good as his pal's.


when i started vaping, i knew literally nothing of electricity except for that water pokemon are weak against it. i would consider myself an advanced subohmer now, and everything i learned was from the kind individuals on this site. My advice to you is to continue on with this mindset, and once you've reached a point were you are ready to take the plunge, do so and do not be afraid of making mistakes. ask questions on here, take your time and you will get the vape you want, regardless of the resistance.

Gotta catch em' all! That was pretty funny man.

 

[K_Tech]

What do y'all get out of "sub-ohm vaping" anyway?

For me, it's several different things. Of course there's the warmth and flavor that you can get out of a properly done coil, but probably about 50% of the appeal is wrapping a coil and getting it oh so right!

The sad thing is that being safe is so damn easy. Not like you need an advanced degree in electrical engineering to do things right.

Absolutely agree.

But understand that the huge cloud of vapor comes at a price ($$$$$$)
You will be using at least twice as much liquid, and will go through the 300-500 charge cycles of the battery in 1/4 the time.
So from the stand point of efficiency, sub ohm (high wattage) vaping is the least efficient way to vape that there is.

....and a top fuel dragster is the least efficient way to travel a quarter mile - but it's still fun!

Is there a safer battery then the vtc4?
Of course if being used with
the correct set us

In my opinion, without going to a 26650 battery, the VTC series is possibly your best bet for sub-ohm vaping at this point. There are other high drain 18650's hitting the market, but the VTC batteries have a proven track record.

There are some batteries I've just started seeing - in particular the ones branded "Vamped" - that claim a 40 amp discharge rate, but I don't know anything about their specs. I have seen a few websites advertise these as having a 40 amp pulse rating, and I really dislike using the pulse rating to judge whether or not I'm being safe.

 

[rzil]

I was talking casually with another vaper in my local vape shop just yesterday. He was a relatively new vaper who proudly showed me his first mechanical mod. He was using a RDA on it. I asked him what ohms he was running with.

"I don't know. I don't have an ohm reader yet."

(facepalm moment) I asked one of the sales staff to borrow one of the shops ohm readers. Put his RBA on the meter and it reads 0.29 ohms. So next I ask him what battery he has in his mod.


"It's supposed to be a good one. I heard Samsung are good batteries."

I ask to see it. Its a Samsung all right, but its an ICR battery (the pink Samsung ICR18650-26F battery), not an IMR high drain, high amp battery. His ICR Samsung only has a 2C continuous discharge rate and he's trying to pull around 15 Amps from a battery which doesn't have that much.

I told the guy he's been extremely lucky he didn't blow up his battery using that resistance with an ICR Li-ion battery. He said he'd only been using his setup for a couple of hours. I told him he absolutely shouldn't use that battery at that resistance. He immediately purchased a Sony VTC4 30 amp battery.

Did he buy the mod at your local vape shop? , it's not responsible of them not to even warn him about sub ohms

 

[Blackboar]

You mean I should run my 0.18 ohm set up with Duracell AA batteries? J/k.

Good job Baditude. You most definitely saved this guy from burns one way or another.

 

[Baditude]

Did he buy the mod at your local vape shop? , it's not responsible of them not to even warn him about sub ohms

I mentioned elsewhere in this thread that the vape shop where this took place does not build sub-ohm coils for their customers under strict policy of the shop's management. Either another shop built it for him or the customer built it himself. The coil "looked" like a nice microcoil under gross inspection.

Unfortunately, many vape shops across the nation are building sub-ohm coils for novice vapers and not providing adequate education or even the right batteries for them. We see this all the time on ECF.

 

[tj99959]

....and a top fuel dragster is the least efficient way to travel a quarter mile - but it's still fun!

I agree completely. But, of all the miles you travel in a day, how many will be in the top fuel dragster?

 

[bluecat]

I know! The difference between 0.8 and 0.08 or even 0.8 and .8 is something that I learned when I was in second grade, and now I'm 20. Multiplication and division tables... I'm sure kids these days are learning it much younger than we ever did. This is basic math, and for a reviewer to not know this is inexcusable.

I'm studying engineering, a lack of knowledge like this would result in job termination as lives could be lost. I feel as if this only differs at a matter of scale.

Point being, this individual should take some time off of reviewing to properly educate themselves. If you don't know the difference between 0.8 and 0.08, you probably shouldn't give advice to others about vaping and certainly there is no reason for you to even say the word, 'sub-ohm.' This is truly dangerous and I really hope he gets it, for the sake of his family... And for us.



I sure hope not. I mean, I'm 20 and I'm just at a loss for words, this has just blown me away. How can someone know so little, yet call themselves knowledgeable on this subject?

Common Core. You only need to know what we deem necessary for you to know. You are not allowed to be smarter than Jimmy, everyone must be on equal footing. Federal dollars are at stake. Here is your powerpoint presentation for the kids, please press here.