First thoughts & discovery of the Ecig

[Australian]

Hey guys,

New to the forum, 1st post. Just wanted to let you know about my first experience with the Ecig.

I first saw it at a party about a year ago, I remember first thinking what the hell is this? As a smoker I was intrigued and keen to try it. So I did, I recall it was the standard ego and after my first puff was amazed at the vapor it produced and the pleasant taste, although it didn't feel the same as an analogue. And compared to what I vape now, probably didn't have much or any nicotine in it as there was very little throat hit. Australia currently bans the sale of nicotine so I'm not sure whether this guy had any in it. At the time I was thinking about quiting smokes.

The worst times was when I went out to a party or drinks with friends I could easily smoke a pack or a pack and a half in a night, when I usually only smoked about 5-10 per day. Waking up the next day from a massive lung hangover was the worst, I always thought my bad hangovers were way more from smoking than drinking. I was intrigued but the night was a wild one and I didn't think of the ecig the next day. Then I remembered it again a month or two after that, so I googled them and found some stores, but I couldn't find simple explanations of what I needed and how it all works... instead I found atomizers, cartridges, adapters, filler material, batteries, chargers and a plethora of other paraphernalia. I had no idea what I needed and not a lot of time spend working it all out. So I put it off for a while... A couple months later I spent time researching everything I could about these Ecigs or PVs... After much consideration I decided to buy an Ego-T kit and am very, very happy with it, even though it isn't perfect (with very occasional leaks, hungry for juice and mild flavour - but insanely good vapour and battery life). I do love my Ego-T and it enabled me to instantly cut down from about 5-10 on a regular day to 1-2, and at a party instead of a pack and a half only 3 or 4. But now I have finally been smoke free for a little over a month and love that I've finally said goodbye to those nasty, smelly cigarettes.

I'd be keen to hear any other stories about when you first discovered the Ecig, what you thought and how u quit.

cheers!

 

[leftfeild]

Welcome to the forum!

I was sort of the same as you. It took me a while to search for a decent model and it was a little confusing with just how many options there are. Atomizers, bottom feeding box mod, cartomizers, tanks, low resistance, converters, pv/vg/peg, 34+mg to 6mg to 0mg... a lot of new terms for something I'd never heard of. Model names still get me sometimes, because I think the the ego-T is the tornado under a different brand name which is what I have in tank form. If it is, I agree, great vapour and impressive battery life. Blew my titan 510 out of the water on that front anyway. Sometimes just one battery will last me 3 days and I use it a lot! It's not overly big either.

Glad you're smoke free too. I just went cold turkey on the real cigs as soon as I got my first pv. I was determined to stop smoking even through the initial cravings. I think it was about a week until I stopped craving a real cigarette. It's been 9 months or so since I had my last one and I've not looked back. Feel a world of difference in my health and would, well, have reccommended them to others. I'm generally a cynical person so for me to reccommend anything to anyone means it really is something to behold.

Generic congrats on being smoke free and I really hope Australia lifts the nic ban. Some crazy laws have come out since I was last there.

 

[Manfred1816]

Ha, my first ecig purchase was one of those 'stupid' ones many make after a few too many drinks. I ended up with a joye510. In the morning, I regretted my purchase because 'it would never compare to an analogue.' Long story short: that was the best drunken 'mistake' I have ever made. From my first vapor hit, I fell in love with the PV. I used the 510 for a few months up until I upgraded to a prodigy v3.1, and this thing puts the joye510 to shame!I have been smoke free for almost half a year, and it's all thanks to clouded judgement ha!

 

[haft2doit]

One of my friends fathers is a doctor and always pestered me about smoking. One day he suggested I try vaping if I'm not quiting cigs. Got a janty mini fogger and two years later I'm still vaping away. It's turned into a hobby with all of the mods and new things to try. It's been fun and my body likes me much more now. Took me a couple months to be analog free, and another 4 before I forgot cigarettes existed. My house is full of devices and ecig supplies to the point where every flat surface has a something ecig on it. I'm the local ecig depot for friends and family

 

[phonedude]

I had heard of them. I figured they were some kind of scam. I also figured they would be too expensive. A friend came over and told me he had used one at a mutual friends house and that while there he wasn't jonesing for a cigarette. I ordered one that day.

And being impatient I also bought one the next day at a local smokeshop. Turns out the one they sale wasn't all that bad, an 801 type. The one I ordered was worthless and I returned it the day after it arrived.

I never smoked again after getting that first e-cig. I know it doesn't work that way for everyone but it did for me. I had wanted to quit for a very long time.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Hello and welcome to ecf....
I was like most members here. Tried every product to stop smoking that was ever invented and I really wanted to quit analogs after 40+ years of smoking.....I had heard of ecigs because of an online site where I purchased those filter tips that reduce the amt of tar of a cig. Used those tips for a couple of years but still smoked like a fiend....I went to the dentist and he told me I had to quit smoking or else I was looking at a long time of trouble....when I returned home that afternoon a commerical was on the television for an ecig...(don't remember which one) so I started searching the internet...Found Safecig and the Blu and ordered both....still have them in my drawer but they got me started. Then I came across ecf, ordered the 510 and never touched another analog....YAY!!!! Now I have pts ,Rivas, eGo's and several vv mods and keep them in rotation.....
Congrats on switching....Life is so much better now and both my dentist and I are pleased....lol

 

[Del Boy]

G'day OZ. smoke free now huh ? Well done you. Nic isn't allowed in Australia is it ?

 

[alekos557]

Welcome,
Hope it helps you quit.
I am also new to vapor, I have had only one analog today.
This might be the answer, instead of the pills...patches...etc
Good luck

 

[InAJeep]

I'd been smoking for 35 years. Less than a pack a day usually, until the cigarette companies discovered the benefits of self-extinguishing cigarettes. Until then I was happy to light-up a but, take a hit, then stick it in the ashtray for a few minutes, before taking another hit. Now if you aren't actively smoking an analog it goes out and you have to relight it, which tastes like .... I jumped up to two packs a day, and was pretty much smoking each one end to end. And paying over $7 per pack, while not really enjoying it either.

I tried cold turkey and the patch. Surprisingly, nicotine withdrawal was not a problem. I missed the habit of smoking: holding the cigarette between my fingers, flicking-off the ash, taking the draw, exhaling, blowing smoke rings, etc... I'd heard of e-cigs before. A few years back there were some radio ads featuring a little kid saying something like "Daddy, I don't want you to die from smoking, get an <brand name forgotten> e-cigarette." It was so cloying and obviously manipulative that I was ...... off and would change the station when it came on.

But I could actually feel the cigarettes killing me. Maybe its still too late. But I spent $10 on a disposable Eco-something e-cig at a mall and stuck with that all day and the next. It wasn't great, but I thought I was on the right track.

Then I tried to buy e-cigs, and crap, what a cluster..... this industry has made for itself. I still have no idea what's the difference between a 510 and a 901 or an 801 or whatever. What parts are interchangeable, which can use a cartomizer and which cant, differences in sizes and battery capacities. If some reseller could just stack the different e-cig varieties next to each other with a ruler for comparison, and have a table showing the mAh capacity for the various battery options, and ml capacity for the various cartridge/cartomizer options, it would be easier to make some kind of educated choice. Maybe that's all here on this site, but there's so much info here -- often contradictory -- that it's hard for a newb. But the newbie forum was ultimately helpful in my deciding on the 510, and so far I'm satisfied with the choice.

I played it safe and went with a 510 starter kit with a manual battery. I was disappointed to have to create an account to order with many sites (why, it's not like I'm signing-up for a dating service). I finally ordered from CigParts.com, which didn't require me to create an account. Their prices were very good and shipping was fast.

The spare carts I ordered don't fit right: the packing in the cart doesn't make good contact with the atty. Fortunately, I got three different kinds of carts, and at least one fits right. I think the atty I got is designed to only work with mega-size carts, and the spare carts I ordered were not megas. I didn't know. Still not sure. I ordered some cartomizers instead and that should sidestep the issue entirely. I don't blame this on CigParts, I should have emailed to check things I didn't understand.

The whole pv setup was bigger than I expected. And heavier. I can't just leave it hanging from my mouth like an analog. I still haven't figured out how to carry it. My jacket has a pen pocket that works well when it's not too hot (or cold) for a windbreaker. Shirt pocket is ok, just be careful when bending over. There's a tray on the dash of my Jeep that is a decent spot -- except when off-roading (everything not nailed down goes flying, often out of the vehicle when the roof and doors are off, as happened last weekend to one of my pv's). A pen clip sounds like a good idea for on-person carry. I'm looking for something like a spring clamp for screwdrivers or such to attach to the dash of the Jeep.

Tried dripping, didn't like it. Maybe I'm doing something wrong; strong throat and good vapor, but not enough flavor.

Unlike the majority, I'm pretty happy with the tobacco-flavored juice I got. I love the Backwoods Brew "Virginia" and "Adirondack" juices. Don's a great guy to deal with, too. I haven't found any other flavored juices I like, too much of a sweet, syrupy flavor. I'll keep experimenting though.

I'm not entirely analog-free yet. During the week I almost exclusively vape. On the weekends, when I go off-roading, I still buy a pack when its cheap (we go to Pennsylvania a lot) and alternate. The next off-roading trip is until June 4, so I'm going to try to go completely analog-free until then, maybe beyond.

 

[BB3]

It seems we all tell a similar story. I've been a smoker(which firmly believe is like being an alcoholic--you remain one even if you didn't smoke today) for 35 years. I don't drink, I've never done drugs but, man, could I burn 'em up. For the last 15 years Doral Menthol Light 100's(yeah, I know, those are nasty, but they stopped making my old brand and at least they were relatively cheap). 1 - 1 1/2 packs a day. And, while no one likes the smell and the burn holes in your good dress shirts etc., I LIKED smoking. If it wasn't bad for me, I'd never consider quitting. Over the years, I tried all the standard methods save prescription medication. Cold turkey, weaning down, gum, patches, lozenges, stern talking to's in the mirror, hypnosis, profanity, excess food consumption, reward/punishment, stamping feet, holding my breath until I turned blue, conniption fits--all of them. With virtually no success.

Eventually, for reason I'll go into in another post one day, it dawned on me it was time to try again. I was vaguely aware of e-cigarettes so I fired up Google to do some research. As all of you probably know, a Google search for e-cigarettes returns a zillion results for the mass market products: Green Smoke, Safe Cig, Blu etc. etc etc., ad infinitum. Somehow I missed this forum and settled on Blu as my first e-cig(the newer two piece unrefillable proprietary cartridge model). Now, I'm not going to trash Blu as many have done. It doesn't completely suck. Tasted OK and at least reminded one of the experience of smoking. Bottom line, it intrigued me as to the viability of the concept but I decided pretty fast it was not the device that would make me seriously consider giving up analogs.

Fortunately, I ran across this forum alerting me to the fact that there was a whole plethora of alternatives(which conveniently also played into my innate love of gadgetry). So, more, and I mean much more, research ensued. For nearly six weeks I read about 510's and cartomizers and atomizers and CE2's and dripping and mods--trying to decide what I thought would give me the best shot at quitting--all the while sucking down the Dorals at the standard pace. Ultimately, I decided to give the Ego-T a try(Kudos, Cignot) and grabbed a sampler of juices(Ditto, The Vapor Room). I'm thrilled with the thing so far. I know it is far too soon for cavorting in the streets but I really think this may work. Today is 7 days without an analog and 8 days since I bought a pack. It's been at least 20 years since I could say that.

So, that's my overly long recitation of my first e-cig experience. Now, to decide which bottom feeding mod to try. Goodie--more research.

 

[wrigleyvillain]

Cool. Im slowly but surely getting there too after first having tried an eGo a year ago but not just not getting enough satisfaction form it off the bat. Now with better attys and juice and more knowledge I am vaping more and more and smoking less and less without making a conscious effort. I wish I had put the "time in" then and it didn't take me so long to get where Im at now, but better late than never. There are still those times where vaping just doesn't seem like it's gonna "do it" for me though and I really just want a cig, especially after a meal and first thing in the morning. Don't drink anymore and Im sure that'd be tough too.

 

[madmartyr72]

I was a pack-a-day smoker for over 20 years and as of today, I am 12 days tobacco free and I feel great! I have only craved a real cig one time in the last two weeks, which I believe was my minds last ditch effort to trick me into lighting up. I maintained and analyzed why I had this craving to begin with because my eGo has given me everything that an analog ever did. I realized my mind was telling me it 'missed the taste' of a analog. Once I realized how lame that was, the craving quickly subsided and I haven't had a craving since! It's funny how your own mind tries to pull one over on ya!

I first heard about ecigs from a random advertisement that popped up on Facebook one day. I clicked the link and watched some videos, but that was about it. I don't even know what type of ecigs they were, but they were like $130! I thought to myself, "That's crazy to spend that much money on something you don't even know will work. That much money is an entire month of real cigs!".

About a month ago, a relative on my girlfriend's side had purchased an ecig for his mother-in-law from a local tobacco store for like $15 and swore by it. It was an el cheapo, but for only $15 I figured I couldn't go wrong. That week I went out and bought it, along with a pack of three cartomizer prefills. I remember the owner of the tobacco store telling me that each one of those cartomizer's should last about a week each...a week! Ummm...NO! Needless to say, the first cartomizer lasted about the equivalent of maybe three analogs lol! I went two days using the cheap ecig only, and when I ran out of cartos, I shrugged my shoulders and bought a pack of cigs.

After those first few draws off a real cig, I honestly expected I was going to be in heaven, but to my dismay...I was not. It did nothing for me, at all! That's when I realized I was on to something. The el cheapo worked! The next few days I feverishly scoured the internet educating myself on REAL ecigs and decided on the Joye eGo. That was over two weeks ago now and I am now smoke free longer than I have ever been in all the years I smoked! Smartest purchase I had ever made!

 

[Iffy]

Was a 1.5/2 PaD smoker for 45 years. A year and a half ago, I encountered a lady that was using an ecig. I inquired as to her success and she said "I need a cig" and lit up. Well, that didn't impress me at all. About two months ago I ran across a great ecig post on AR15.com. Johnny_dot_exec gave three links for the eGo, juices and here.

As a result, I've been cigarette free for forty days and forty nights. Sure am glad that he encouraged a juice sample pack, in that the Marlboro flavor that came with my eGo suxed big time.

 

[Astatine]

A long time friend and smoking buddy told me about one of her friend's ecig. I had never heard about it, so I looked it up on line and thought it was a cool gadget. My friend and I decided to order a blu more out of curiosity than anything else.

It wasn't the most satisfactory set up, but it had great advantages (no ashes everywhere, can stop vaping anytime, able to vape in hotels or rental cars, don't have to stop what I am doing to go outside...etc) and dropped my smoking progressively to about 5-10 cigarettes a day. The intriguing part was that it was effortless and I wasn't even trying to quit. Over time, it became fun to try new flavors. Fortunately for me, when I ordered my first blu, it was a three part with an atomizer and I was dripping new flavor juices into the empty cartridges. Then suddenly, blu became a two part system. Rather than spending energy finding a way around it, I decided to buy a Joy 510. (and discovered that I could still use the blu batteries with the 510 atomizer ). My friend decided to follow suite

That made a huge difference. My consumption of cigarette dropped abruptly to nearly zero (3 cigarettes in the last 3 months). I smoke when I feel like it but very rarely feel a need or an urge. Still have a pack in my purse that is now DRY!

In retrospect, after going through hell with patch, nicotine gum, cold turkey...it's when I gave up on trying that I stopped (or nearly stopped) smoking.

It doesn't work on everyone though . My friend still smokes about half a pack a day (less than she used to, but still quite a bit.

 

[Twinturbo4486]

Congratulations on quitting! My very first e-cig was when I was at my cousins house and he had one. I had heard of them before, but never seen them. I took a drag off of it, but it was a cheap Green Nicotine brand and I had no throat hit and no flavor. Must have been the same experience as you, maybe little nicotine and crap juice?

After that, I didn't think about it for awhile until my roommate and I decided we were going to quit. We went to the nearest store (gas station) we knew that carried them. We made the big noob mistake of buying ourselves a disposable pack of "Krave" e-cigarette. It came with a complete disposable PV, with 4 pre-filled menthol cartridges for $25.00! After BOTH of our batteries died after only 2 out of 4 cartridges we were both turned off of the whole idea big time.

That same day I started researching, found this forum, found out disposables and the like are rip-offs and learned the real way of the vaping community. I am currently waiting on my order of my Joye-Ego and a couple 30ML juice bottles, and my roommates order will go in this Friday. Hopefully we will be the same as you and decide to drop the analogs for good. I have quit cold turkey before so I know I can do it, but my roommate has never tried or wanted to quit, so I really hope he sticks it out.

 

[ShannonA]

I don't remember exactly when I first saw one. I think on the internet. It may have been in an email. I had been smoking for over 20yrs and wanted to quit but I knew I wouldn't unless hubby quit too. He wanted to also but his reason for smoking is different than mine and he has a harder time quitting.

We talked about Chantix and we talked about cold turkey and then one night a Blu comercial came on. After the commercial I started scouring the net reading reviews and watching videos... I finally settled on Volcano (wish I'd researched just a little longer I could've gooten a better price on our kits). I ordered them and they came in on a Friday. We smoked our last cigs as our batteries charged (yeah the timing was kind of lucky). Day 3 or 4 was rough for me. The whole 1st week hubby was a bear but after that its been smooth sailing and we haven't looked back even though sometimes its a pain i the rear. We feel the downs are worth putting up with for the ups.

 

[imsoenthused]

Well, I'm 29 and I guess I've been buying smokes for 11 years or so, bummed one now and then for a couple years before that. Started smoking clove cigarettes with all my reprobate friends and honestly didn't really worry about it much. I'd usually smoke one to three cigarettes in the evening while relaxing and that was it. I might smoke as many as 5 a day on a weekend. Anyway, it didn't seem like a huge habit to me, I enjoyed it, and I floated along that way for several years. Then I got a job I didn't like... Smokers always got their breaks although a lot of non smokers didn't, and I took advantage of it. So that took me up to 3 to 5 a day. Then I started having one or two at lunch. Then I added one while driving home. Pretty soon I got up to go to work and would have a couple just to calm myself down before I got there. Before I really knew it I was smoking a pack a day regularly, and I'd burn through anywhere from half to another pack on a night out with my friends. I quit the awful job but the habit was pretty set in at that point and I've been smoking a pack a day regularly with the odd 1.5 or 2 pack day thrown in ever since. Now, I always knew they were bad for me, and my parents HATED smoking with a passion that to this day I don't really understand but needless to say I got a lot of pressure on that front. So I quit a few times during that period, once for almost a year and for three to five months the other couple times. Unlike many people, I never suffered much doing so, could just stop buying cigarettes, feel a little irritable for three days, and then be fine. But it never stopped me from wanting a cigarette. I knew I should quit, I just didn't want to nearly as much as I wanted to smoke. I'd sit down at my favorite local coffee shop and think about just how much better my espresso would be with a delicious glowing coffin nail in my other hand. I'd be at the bar surrounded by people smoking and WANT one. So eventually I just started up again, every time. Talked to my doctor about it even and he told me that people who don't suffer much from withdrawal symptoms quit easily but don't have any real negative reinforcement to stop us from starting back up. Then one of my friends was showing me her amazing new toy at the bar one night in march last year. I'm not really sure what model it was, some three part with tiny cartos. It was about as big around as a sharpie but longer. She let me try it, and I was underwhelmed(not much vapor, no real throat hit, and some awful fruity flavor) but intrigued. So I hit the computer searching for information and landed here. After a bunch of reading I ended up buying a couple kr808d-1, a PCC, and a passthrough cable. I liked it, switched to it from cigarettes easy, and used it a bunch, for a while, then I'd run out of batteries while out doing things and buy cigarettes. Then I'd start using it again. I never really did the whole sneaking cigarettes thing while using it. I'd just use it exclusively for a month or two, then smoke for a month or two, then use it for a month or two, etc. System probably would have worked fine for someone who was a more steady smoker, but most of my smoking was of the periodic chain smoking variety and the system just didn't hold up to my extended vaping sessions even if I carried around four batteries. Finally caved in and bought a Go Go not too long ago and now I just use it. No more cigarettes. My old kr808 is downgraded to use for testing new juice flavors before I put any of them into one these huge Go Go cartomizers. I even stopped being paranoid and carrying around my extra Go Go battery with me as I have never yet had the thing go dead on me. Now it's all just vapor, fun, and flavor testing.