Can a hobby you love really be an addiction?

[MadCoils]

I used to be addicted to cancer sticks, now I'm "addicted" to building coils and vaping.

A little background about myself, I started out as a US Navy trained Electrical/Nuclear engineer and then segued into a career in electrical engineering and then again switched my career path to computer engineering, with minor detours along the way. I also fly helicopters, both the real thing as well as R/C controlled and can state unequivocally that flying an R/C bird is MUCH harder than flying the real thing.

I've been vaping for about 5 years, started out as most did, with a WAY overpriced ciggy look-alike that worked for crap. I saw the potential at least and then went from that to a Blu-cig with the power cigg-pack look alike and actually used it for quite a while.

I tried the various trends when I was using attys and carts; blue-foam, tea bags, aligning the cart with and against the bridge or the coil and loved the experimentation. Pretty much everything new that came out, I HAD to try. Besides, "He who dies with the most toys, wins!"

Some time ago I progressed from long thin things to boxes primarily for the flavor and vapor but more so because throwing away batteries is one thing but having to throw away perfectly good devices just because the battery in them died doesn't seem like a good investment.

Then, I "discovered" building coils! I used to mix my own juice so that I could tailor my vaping to my own tastes but never really did much with the coils. Then I learned that different ways of building and mounting coils can have a huge affect on one's vaping experience.

I'm now starting to get into temp control but am a little disappointed that although one can do twisted coils for temp control, most of the other build options are out, or are they?

Anyhoo, I've been a lurker here for a while but thought it time to actually join and add my 2 cents worth now and again.

 

[Mooch]

Welcome to ECF MadCoils!
Nice to see another EE here.

I think anyone's hobby is considered an addiction by those who don't enjoy the same hobby.

 

[BrotherBob]

Glad you joined.
The important thing with vaping is to have fun. It is a hobby that can save a life.

 

[MadCoils]

Mooch, I hear ya about misunderstood hobbies! To my wife, a car is just four wheels with a steering wheel but to me, my "Baby" is a treasure! My wife may be a little jealous though due to my having had my car longer than I've known her.

BrotherBob, thanks for the welcome! I never thought of vaping as a hobby that can save a life before but thinking about it now, it's very true! One of the things I like the most about vaping is when I vape around other smokers and invariably end up with someone wanting to give it a try. I usually keep an "old" kit in my car both as backup and also in case I come across someone I'd want to loan it to for them to see how they like it. I've loaned it out to people I only just met and have yet to not get it back. It's pretty cool!

 

[khalidmna]

Since you have a illustrious background in engineering I'd say your addiction to coil building is inevitable! But that's a good thing in my opinion - whatever keeps you off the cancer sticks.

"flying an R/C bird is MUCH harder than flying the real thing", wow who would have thunk it!

 

[MadCoils]

khalidmna - I'm more of a tinkerer than an 'engineer', I think. I'll play with just about anything mechanical or electrical that I have that quit working or that someone has brought me to try to get working again. I most like my car though because it is ALWAYS giving me excuses to tinker.

A lot of people are surprised that flying an R/C bird is more difficult than flying the real thing but what I've found is that when sitting behind the controls, as opposed to having them in my hands, my sense of balance comes into play more so to the point that I don't really have to think about what I'm doing anymore, my equilibrium does more of the flying than I do, or so it seems.

 

[ElevenEleven]

You should try being a musician.

I can never have enough pedals...

 

[Isabelle49]

Think of your hobby as your passion.

When I read here about coil building and whatnot, I often think of instances where someone was tinkering around and invented something that was amazing. If you have Netflix, check out a documentary named, "The Widow Maker". Tells the story of a cardiologist who tinkered around in his garage and came up with one of the greatest inventions. I'm not going to tell you what it was, that would ruin the documentary.

 

[dcfluegel]

howdy! and welcome!

 

[crxess]

Yes:
Motorcycles
Scuba Diving
Kit Cars
Audio Systems
RC Aircraft
PC's
ECF
and Shinnies!

 

[Danrogers]

I don't believe I am addicted to vaping as a hobby, it's ECF I'm addicted to, lol.

 

[pbanj]

The wife yells at me a lot as I like building coils. I build a new one every few days even though I don't need to. Not sure what it is I just building them.

 

[MadCoils]

You should try being a musician.

I can never have enough pedals...

I did the musician thing for a while, played in the house band at the Blue Note in Tokyo. That was before I had an accident that resulted in my lips having to be resurfaced. The muscles never really came back and I've moved on from there as it was more of a fill-in and fun gig to do, as opposed to making any actual money. LOL

But, blowing a horn, there's only so much to spend money on. I had a bass, tenor and soprano trombones, plus a few mutes of various ilk and that was about it.

 

[ckquatt]

You should try being a musician.

I can never have enough pedals...

Agreed! I hate to have to see the look on the wife's face when a box comes in the mail!

"But honey that cymbal stand moves when I hit it!" or like last week, "honey these new Iron Cobra double pedals are a steal! I'll never find them at this price ever again!"

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk

 

[suprtrkr]

I don't see how you can tell the difference. But welcome to the board anyway.

 

[MadCoils]

Trying to not double-post AGAIN ...

Think of your hobby as your passion...

That's pretty easy to do!

It's interesting and apropos to my history your mentioning a medical tinkerer. I can walk and have lips, although due to different sets of circumstances primarily because the surgeons whose care I was under each time had the freedom to 'tinker'. That said, I haven't seen the documentary you are talking about but I'm pretty sure I know what the Doctor who is highlighted came up with and no, I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet either.

howdy! and welcome!

Thanks DCFluegel!

Yes:

Motorcycles
Scuba Diving
Kit Cars
Audio Systems
RC Aircraft
PC's
ECF
and Shinnies!

Motorcycles, I had my time as a crotch rocket jockey in the past. I had a rather bad spill once though and after that I've tended to prefer big heavy cars, or just heavy cars. Scuba diving, I was stationed in Florida for a while and at the time was able to catch military hops down to the bahamas periodically. It's been a LONG time since I've put on fins, a mask and a tank though. :-( Kit cars, I've always wanted to try my hand at one having restored a number of cars and wanting to not have to be limited to what someone else came up with but I never got around to it. It's on my bucket list though! RC aircraft, I love me some rotor'd craft! I never got into fixed wing all that much, mainly due to being limited in the amount of air space I had available, or I should say the R/C clubs I have been a member of over the years had available. ECF, that remains to be seen how I will take to being here but knowing me as I do, I'll probably love it! "Shinnies"??? I know I'm going to feel thtupit for asking as soon as you tell me what it means but, dare I ask?

I don't believe I am addicted to vaping as a hobby, it's ECF I'm addicted to, lol.

I do have a tendency to become addicted to sharing with others their and my experience with whatever hobby or other topic I'm interested in so I may very well end up an "addict" just like you although from reading some of your posts, not that I'm stalking you or anything , I'd consider myself in good company!

The wife yells at me a lot as I like building coils. I build a new one every few days even though I don't need to. Not sure what it is I just building them.

I'm pretty much the same way although my rationalization is that I used to spend $3 or so a week on a new pre-built atty whereas now I can have a new atty every day and if I spend $3 in a given week on wire and KohGenDo cotton, I'm spending a LOT.

But, I'm as .... with my coils and wicking as I am with my batteries, the batteries thingy being a hold-over from my time flying R/C Helis. Having a scale bird fall out of the sky because I didn't keep track of a given battery's point in its expected life cycle is not something one can afford to do too often! So, I log each battery I use for vaping as to how many MaHs I charge each for just as I log each of my builds as to wicking, flavor and vapor production.

My notes on my different builds are VERY subjective but for my needs, that's good enough.

 

[DingerCPA]

You should try being a musician.

I can never have enough pedals...

...or enough COWBELL!!!!

Welcome @MadCoils

 

[dcfluegel]

Think of your hobby as your passion.

When I read here about coil building and whatnot, I often think of instances where someone was tinkering around and invented something that was amazing. If you have Netflix, check out a documentary named, "The Widow Maker". Tells the story of a cardiologist who tinkered around in his garage and came up with one of the greatest inventions. I'm not going to tell you what it was, that would ruin the documentary.

I think this is spot on - as a recovering addict, one of the things I had to learn about was destructive obsessive compulsive behavior - so, kept in perspective, it can be a passion, not an addiction (though this may, to some, be semantics)... I have a tendency to go full bore at any hobbies that really catch my interest - jewelry making, saltwater aquariums, chinchilla breeding (though I tend to let the chinchillas do the actual work...) and now vaping - a good hobby is one that requires you to stretch, explore, experiment (ideally without self-immolation...) and provides you with satisfaction, enjoyment, relaxation and sometimes sheer unabashed fun (in this case, the bonus of getting off the stinkies was an epic win as well)... enjoy what you do, keep it in perspective, have fun with it - and don't tell the lady wife how much you really spent...

 

[dcfluegel]

...or enough COWBELL!!!!

Welcome @MadCoils

moar cowbell, please

 

[MadCoils]

I hope it's OK to double-post in one's own 'New Member' thread 'cause it seems I can't get around doing so.

Agreed! I hate to have to see the look on the wife's face when a box comes in the mail!

"But honey that cymbal stand moves when I hit it!" or like last week, "honey these new Iron Cobra double pedals are a steal! I'll never find them at this price ever again!"

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk

Oh no! I have to share the forum not only with a Guitarist but also a Drummer!!!! Is there a Basist in the house to keep us all in line??? Seriously though, mad props to both of you! I can play a mean Conga but beyond that, I'm hopeless and anything with strings causes my single task managing brain to go into analysis paralysis!

Props also for the C-64 reference! I cut my computing teeth on a C-64, then a 128 and then an Amiga. I LOVED the 68020 in the Amiga!

I don't see how you can tell the difference. But welcome to the board anyway.

Tell the difference between what or is that like one of the lines from a Marx Brother movie, "What is the difference between a duck?" to which the answer is, "One of its legs is the same."