E-cig newbie searching for guidance

[UncleJack]

Hello everyone,

My name is Mircea, I am from Romania and I am smoking "analogue" cigarettes for the last 8 years (around 10-15/day).

I was thinking to try an e-cig (in this way to smoke a little bit healthier - since I'm not prepared to quit smoking entirely) and I decided to buy sub-ohm Apollo Reliant Mod and a Phazer tank with a 0.5 ohms coil at a friend's recommendation. My only disappointment is that I am a newbie on this ground and I cannot manage to find the right balance to get as close as I can in comparison with the "analogue" cigarettes. (0.7 nicotine)

I bought a 12mg 60/40 Apollo e-liquid and I am using my 0.5 ohm coil at 20W but I am feeling a burning sensation on my throat.

In the next few days I will buy a 6mg e-liquid maybe that will fix the problem, but my MOD settings are as they should be?

I have decided to ask this question here because the opinions are divided and spread across multiple websites and to be honest it did not helped me a lot.

I would appreciate any help, since I'm committed to say goodbye to "analogue" smoking for good and to embrace the e-cig vape feeling.

 

[herb]

Not familiar with that setup but i really wish people WOULD AVOID recommending newbies to start out with sub ohm , these posts of having a bad experience is all too common .

Go with a higher ohm build when starting out and lower wattage .

I have been vaping for around two years and even today when i try sub ohm i hate it , i can imagine a newbie , no thanks.

I don't know what kind of mods you have available but i would strongly recommend you go with a higher ohm coil if available.

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum @UncleJack. Glad to have you here!

Do you have a higher Ω coil you could use (i.e. something greater than +1.0Ω)?

Nicotine

A "general guideline" for nicotine concentration in e-liquid to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. If you are subohming (resistance under 1.0Ω) cut these nicotine levels by at least 50%.

06 mg = 10 cigarettes or less
12 mg = 20 cigarettes
18 mg = 30 cigarettes
24 mg = 40 cigarettes

eLiquid/Juice

PG = Propylene Glycol - the "flavor carrier" of e-liquid. A secondary source of "throat hit", but not as strong as the nicotine concentration. Some people have a sensitivity or even an allergy to PG. It's very thin.

VG = Vegetable Glycerin - the "vapor maker" of e-liquid. Used as a sweeter in many food sources, and also as a skin emollient. It's very thick. Often labeled just "Glycerine"

PG and VG are often used together in different ratios in e-liquid. For example, a 50/50 PG/VG ratio. Many juice vendors offer a range of different ratios as far as PG/VG.

 

[wwdragon]

Hello and welcome, wow a sub ohm right off the bat eeeeeeeeeeeeeek

I am still learning (so much to learn) but I would never go with that as my first, if I did chances are I would be smoking again right now.

Now I did order one and it will be here sooner or later but right now I am vaping on a 1.8 OHM Aspire K1 and I love it, nice flavour and smoke. If I might I would say try a different tank and see how you like it.

 

[suprtrkr]

Hi and welcome. Using a .5 ohm coil (subohm), 12mg is probably too much nic. I think a switch to 6mg will be helpful. If 6 isn't freely available, buy 12 and 0 in the same flavor and mix them.

 

[djsvapour]

Welcome.

20w is quite a lot (even though some people are like 'ducks to water' with e-cigs).
You don't have to vape at any specific power. Obviously the higher the nicotine, the more likely you'll get a hard 'hit' on your throat and if you drop nicotine you may feel you need more power. Experimentation is the best advice.
20w with 60/40 is quite powerful. I just tried it and yes, it's not a smooth vape.

One of my friends is from Constanta... he might know about the Vaping scene.
(he smokes and vapes..but not much of either, oddly).

Your choice of brand is not usually a recommended brand in certain areas of Europe, but I can't say for Romania. In England it's all too expensive and they make up 'sale prices' which are not sale prices. That is actually illegal in the UK, but I don't think they care. Too busy making millions of euros (Leu?)

 

[BrotherBob]

Not familiar with that setup but i really wish people WOULD AVOID recommending newbies to start out with sub ohm , these posts of having a bad experience is all too common .

Go with a higher ohm build when starting out and lower wattage .

I have been vaping for around two years and even today when i try sub ohm i hate it , i can imagine a newbie , no thanks.

I don't know what kind of mods you have available but i would strongly recommend you go with a higher ohm coil if available.

Welcome and glad you joined.
Please read herb post again.

friend's recommendation

Your friend did not do you a favor. Hopefully your friend was just ignorant.

 

[UncleJack]

Thank you for the warm welcome.

Regarding my choice, what is done is done, I've paid a lot on this setup so before giving up on it I want to try and find the best combination for me using the setup that I have, so comments like "get another mod", are kind of useless. I choose this path, I won't give up so easily. I am pretty sure that I will get what I am searching for with what I have right now with a few tweaks.

Regarding the tank, I am not so sure what type of coils can I put on a Phazer except 0.2/0.5 ohms. I will consider replacing it with another one (and then ask for your input) but not before trying everything with the setup that I have right now.

Regarding my configuration, as I saw on various websites, it is not advised to use 0.5 ohm kanthal coil in Temperature Mode, hence, I am using it in Watt Mode, and after a couple of hours of searching I found out that it's running parameters are between ~18-25W. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Today I will buy a 6mg e-liquid, or even lower if I can find a 4mg one, and give it a try and see.

PS:
Susan-S - very helpful, I appreciate it.
djsvapour - I am from Romania but I am actually living in the UK ^^

 

[batteredwombat]

Is the vape really hot? That will do a number to your throat as will high pg juice. Try some higher vg juice for giggles like 70vg 30pg. I dont use kanthal anymore, mabey see if you can get a nickel coil for temp control and set to 420f. Temp control helps coils and wicks last longer for me but I still replace them about once a week. I agree with you, dont give up on it just yet as you have already paid for it.

 

[Chick Bowdrie]

You'll get use to the throat hit after a while. When you do, it will help make vaping feel more like a cigarette. I think the most important part when choosing a nicotine concentration is at what level will your analogs not do it for you anymore. That's how I got hooked. If I vaped at a slightly higher dosage of nicotine, then tried to smoke a cigarette, the cigarette would feel lacking and I'd need to vape again for the nicotine my body wanted. Gets you nice and hooked on vaping. Once you're hooked, and you've tossed the analogs, step down the amount of nicotine you're vaping. I started at 18, I'm down to 2.

 

[TheVapingKitty]

I happen to be a newbie who started on sub-ohm (0.5) and actually enjoy it. Probably it's because I've tried a friend's 0.8 ohm coil on a KangerTech Subtank. I can't remember what her mod was but it was around 16W and 18W, and it was a 0mg juice. Never looked back since. For me, I'm using an RX200 with a Uwell Crown.

 

[djsvapour]

djsvapour - I am from Romania but I am actually living in the UK ^^

Oh, I see

You are right to say what is done is done. The thing is to move onwards in the best direction for you. That means finding good liquids and getting the right 'set-up' (hardware/power and e-liquid/Nicotine strength).

I wasted £500 on junk. At least you didn't buy junk... and you haven't spent that kind of money.

I'm guessing I made it clear why a lot of people don't shop at these 'brand' shops, so I wont go on about that.

Try some higher VG liquid and lower Nicotine strength or just vape at less watts.

You do not need another mod, if it does variable watts, then happy days.

 

[UncleJack]

I bought today a 3mg 80VG juice and it is a lot better. I'm using it at 18W with a 0.5ohm coil.

The only part that I find a bit uncomfortable is that when I exhale I feel a minor burn in the back of my throat (I wonder why).

 

[Susan~S]

Regarding my configuration, as I saw on various websites, it is not advised to use 0.5 ohm kanthal coil in Temperature Mode, hence, I am using it in Watt Mode, and after a couple of hours of searching I found out that it's running parameters are between ~18-25W. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Kanthal coils (it doesn't matter what their Ω is) can only be run in wattage mode. If those parameters are printed on the coil they are just a suggestion by the manufacturer. You can run them at whatever wattage you like.

The rule of thumb for EVERY vape device you'll ever own is the same. Start low power, take a draw and bump it up to repeat. If it starts to taste funny, gets too hot or tastes burnt, back it down. Different flavors will have different sweet spots so you just have to experiment.

 

[UncleJack]

Hello,

I am back with feedback. After 4 days now, I can say that I finally found the balance. 3mg 80VG and the Wattage depends on the juice and as Susan said, on it's sweet spot.. usually around 18-22W.

Sometimes I find myself tempted to light an analogue cigarette but not because my setup has lower nicotine, but because smoking for the past 8 years, I've developed a habit of lighting up/feel that smell etc.

The upside is that now I got rid of that smoke in my house/clothes, I just have to convince my room-mate to switch to a e-cig too.

I found that there are differences between sub-ohm liquids and "above-ohm" ones and I find it a bit hard to tell de difference between them when browsing on websites to order some liquids.

PS: What are your recommendations regarding juice brands? I'm on VaperCrew juice right now. (Bettle juice/ Godfather).

 

[KayP]

Hi and welcome UncleJack. I'm also new to vaping, started in December and there is much to learn. Ultimately, vaping is much much more tasty And of course healthier

I'm not sure about your setup, but I was recommended to start on low wattage. I bought the Kanger Subox Starter and began vaping around the 8-12 watt ranges. The first few days I did have the coughing fits but that eventually went away. I tried to start on 12mg nicotine juices but then I switched down to 9 to help. I'm back on 12 now. High VG juices will help as the vape will be smoother, less throat hit and irritation. Good quality nic in the juice is needed too. Lastly, it is utmost important to juice and prime your wick well to ensure you don't burn them.

Keep at it. Maybe if you dial down your setup you''ll be able to vape it better. I hope you're able to kick the death sticks.

 

[UncleJack]

Can someone please explain me why with an e-juice from BlackMagic 3mg 80/20 at 20W I'm having the feeling that the juice is not transformed into vapors but I can hear it through the "pipe"... I think I've tried over 10 flavors but nothing to suit my need.. could you please recommend me some? (cappuccino/vanilla/orange/tobacco)