Frustrated and confused...

[vantagebox]

After smoking like a maniac for 35+ years, I finally decided to kick the habit and tried a disposable Blu 2 weeks ago. I got hooked but quickly grew tired of the expense and limitations. Visited a B&M store and got an ego-K kit for $50 that included 2 batteries (650 I think) and 2 CE4s. Also paid $30 for a great bottle of juice from Five Pawns. The taste was great for a couple of days and then everything went downhill (and I really wasn't vaping that much!!!) Both CE4s taste absolutely terrible; I cleaned and dried them based on a couple of videos I saw but nothing changed.

For $80, this has been a terrible experience so far and I've picked up analogs again in utter despair. Pls tell me where I went wrong... Should I throw away the kit and get started with something totally different again? I'm totally confused; where does one start?

Thanks!

 

[Vwls]

Don't throw away the batteries - you just need better juice delivery. There are a ton of good options - please don't give up! Quite a few people on here to suggest better clearos, or maybe even try a carto. The one thing I know of being new myself is a Kanger Protank Mini... It will fit on an eGo style battery and give you a much better vaping experience.

 

[ragnarokstar]

Evods will fit your ego batteries. They're just like the protank but sleeker.

 

[vantagebox]

Thanks for the quick responses, I really appreciate it. It sounds like the CE4s were the problem? Forgive my ignorance, but are the other ones you suggested low maintenance? Will they actually last and produce good flavor longer than a couple of days?
Thanks again.

 

[Lexxon]

Allow me to help you with this vantagebox. 1st thing, stay away from all of those cigarette looking devices. Most are junk. Some are ok, but most suck.

Get yourself a V2 VAMO and a Kanger ProTank. You can't go wrong with the VAMO. It is a VV and a VW device. checks your ohms and battery charge. The Kanger ProTank is an awesome tank. Very in-expensive coils and last a very long time. They can be cleaned to bring back the great taste of your juice. Also they can be rebuilt. VAMOs, Verision 2 are going for as low as $40 and will take either an 18650 or an 18350 because of the part that can be removed from the VAMO. The Kanger ProTank is as low as $15.00. So if you already have the 18650 batteries, then your investment will only be about $55.00 plus shipping. The VAMO is heavy and strong and very easy to use. I have helped several people quit smoking with this setup and they all love it. This is what I use as well. I have been Vaping for more than a year now, and smoked for over 45 years. When I got the VAMO I never went back to normal cigarettes again.

Let me know If I can be of any other help, like links to the best prices, etc.

Good luck and please try this before going back to Cigarettes.... Please ))

 

[Kellycat]

Yes, the Evods and Protanks are excellent delivery systems, beyond changing the heads once in a while they're pretty trouble-free as long as you get genuine ones, and I haven't heard many reports of them failing in any major way. Usually the only thing that goes bad is the coils after using them for a few weeks/months, and replacement heads just screw in, cost maybe a buck or two a piece in a five-pack..

 

[InTheShade]

Sorry about your experience vantagebox, I know how frustrating it must be to think you had a good kit and then everything go to crap.
I am not sure how much you know, so if anything I say either goes over your head or seems patronizing, I am sorry - please reply and I'll either shut up, or clarify This is going to be long, so again, ignore or read, it's up to you but I will try to explain exactly what is going on and what you might want to do to move forward.

So the batteries, there is not a lot wrong with them and they will be fine to use with other stuff - you didn't waste your money.

The 2 CE4's that you mentioned, try soaking them in high proof alcohol for a few hours and give them a good rinse in hot (as hot as you can stand) water. Then, shake all the water out of them and try again. Don't fill them all the way up with juice just in case they don't work, but put about half a tankful in so you get those wicks nice and wet with juice. You might be able to get a few more vapes from them while you get something else.

About that something else, the CE4's are a disposable clearomizer - ego threaded. For reference, anything 510 or ego threaded will work with your battery. That's pretty miuch all you have to remember.

Unfortunately, you will have to buy a new head / topper / clearo / delivery device (all four terms are used interchangeably) as it seems that your CE4's are ready to be disposed. If you want, you can just buy a new CE4 and keep going through that cycle - that's fine, some people hanging around on these forums still use them after a long time vaping and are fine with it.

If not, you'll need to try a different topper - some have already mentioned the EVOD and it is a great clearo(mizer), the only problem is that there are a bunch of different ones to try (EVOD, CE4, CE5, vivi nova, Kanger protank, cartotanks, 510 attys etc. etc.) and all give a different experience. If I had to recommend any, it would be the EVOD, simply because it is a great little clearo - you should be able to get one at your local B&M. And here is the kicker, you will also need to get some replacement heads / coils for it too - get 3 or 4. Rinse your clearo after every 3/4 tanks of juice under hot water and they should last a good few days, maybe even a week or more. If it starts tasting burnt, replace the head / coil and refill and you are off and running again.

OK enough, sorry for the wall of text but there wasn't a three line answer I could give. This is more like an essay...

Stick with it, it will get easier and better, and you are here among people who have gone through what you are going through.

 

[bikerbeagle]

Hard to say what the problem is, but I wouldn't necessarily be immediately looking at your CE4s as the cause if both of them started tasting "horrible" at the same time.

Without knowing what juice it was you bought, and from where, it is possible your juice changed taste over the course of a few days through a process we call "steeping". Generally, steeping is supposed to improve taste by giving the different flavors/ingredients of the juice the opportunity to chemically react and merge ...but I suppose it's not unheard of for a juice to actually get worse, especially with strong tobacco flavors.

The other possibility is that you have 'vapors tongue'. This is a condition that many vapors get because they aren't drinking enough plain, unflavored water and your taste buds sort of 'take a vacation' on you as a result. A lot of time, people complain about not being able to taste anything at all, but it's - again - it's not unheard of for specific tastes to be affected (sweets, for example) while others are still working (bitters, etc) essentially changing the flavor to something distasteful.

I'd say, it's easy enough to go to your B&M and grab a new CE4 and test to see the devices are the cause. If so, getting a more durable Protank Mini with a glass tank and replaceable coil heads would be a good idea. Otherwise, wait a few days - drinking lots of water - and see if the flavor returns to normal. It's all trail/error and learning curve. Getting frustrated because you were expecting to just "get off" the nails after only one 'Hail Mary' attempt is a bit much, in my opinion.

 

[peraspera]

As you use any juice delivery device the coils will get gunked up with burnt juice. This happens with all juice delivery devices. Gunky coils affect the performance of the coils and can make the juice taste icky. This happens more quickly with some juices than others. Rinsing with water won't clean off the gunk. You have to dry burn to do that. These videos will show you how to do it.
How to clean and dry burn a clearomizer
How to clean a CE4 a.k.a. Vision Ego Clearomizer a.k.a. Stardust / C
Maintaining the CE4+ Stardust cartomizer

Sometimes if the coils/wicks getting too far gone in tasting burnt dry burning may not help much. In that case you need to replace the heads or the juice delivery device itself if it doesn't have replaceable heads. Some CE4s allow you to replace the heads which include new wicks and coils but I'm guessing that the ones you got in your kit don't have replaceable heads.

Juice delivery devices such as Kanger Evods, Kanger Pro Tanks, Vision Vivi Novas and iClear 16s have replaceable heads. You might want to try one or more of those to see which you like. Get 1.8 oHm heads which is what is normally used with batteries that don't have a way to adjust the power output of the battery using variable voltage (VV) or variable watts (VW). You might want to try one 2.0 oHm head to see if you prefer a cooler vape.

 

[Grimwald]

A couple of days is a pretty short time to fry your CE4s, but every juice and everyone's taste is different. My bet is that you are entering the first skirmish in the inevitable taste bud war. Mine started after about a month of vaping as my sense of taste and smell started changing. JMHO

 

[Jazzi Mike]

In my experience, CE4s pretty much last about one or two refills and crap out. Evods are good enough.

You should try a bunch of different clearomizers and see what you like best. I like Vision Vivi Novas. They are a bit more finicky than evods, but the difference in taste is big to me.

 

[jefsview]

I'd be frustrated too, if I paid $30 for a bottle of juice.

5 Pawns is just as a splurge treat-yourself-item, but for everyday vaping needs, there are 100s of great to good quality juice vendors out there for 1/2 the price, or less. Do yourself a favor and shop around online. Ahlusions and Fancee Juice are similar in presentation for half the cost of 5 Pawns, and there are even more for less.

You picked low cost equipment and over-the-top juice. Balance things out and you'll be fine.

 

[vap3rclouds]

I recently purchased a Vamo3 its not even a month and I'm having issues with the center pin and ring. I think it was the vivi nova that pushed the pin down since it was working fine with my delrin cart tank.
I was wondering if you have had any issues with the center ring.

 

[Bob Chill]

I've had great luck with evods but only on variable voltage. I found fixed voltage to be kinda weak. Switching to 1.8ohm heads would help but I went the vv route instead.

I have yet to throw away a head. After every 3 tanks or so I just pop it out and soak overnight in vodka, rinse, and let dry. I have a small rotation and it's not much trouble at all to keep them moving along. I have some heads that are well used and a month old and still work perfect. Even when one dies they are so cheap it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme.

From what I've seen so far, bottom coil tanks are the best for new folks. Simple to maintain and require little tinkering to get a good vape.

 

[vantagebox]

Wow, thanks for all the replies; I just learned more in a few hours than I did for days looking around on my own. Sounds like a Vamo type of device with a Protank, evod and vivi nova is the way to go. I guess I'll have to budget another chunk to give all of this another try... Would appreciate any input on best places to buy these things online.

On another note, I did in fact clean the CE4s as shown in the videos... the heads aren't replaceable... I also noticed that the color of the juice became slightly darker inside both tanks. Really don't understand why that would be the case. I'm guessing I used each tank no more than 3 times before cleaning them.

Great site! thanks for all your support!

 

[Bob Chill]

For the vamo you really can't beat the deal on Fasttech. $50 bucks and it comes with 2 batts and a nitecore charger.

http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...vivi-voltage-adjustable-e-cigarette-battery-c

Pop on a pro-tank and enjoy. My best friend ordered one last week and he got confirmation that it's in SanFran already. I can't wait to try his. I think this is my next...and hopefully last...investment for a while. Or not.

 

[vantagebox]

Biker, thanks for the reply. Man I sure hope it's not the juice going bad this quickly; it was the expensive kind - Gambit from 5 Pawns. As far as drinking water, I actually do that all the time; I'm diabetic, part of the reason why I need to stop smoking, the faster the better.

Thx again

Hard to say what the problem is, but I wouldn't necessarily be immediately looking at your CE4s as the cause if both of them started tasting "horrible" at the same time.

Without knowing what juice it was you bought, and from where, it is possible your juice changed taste over the course of a few days through a process we call "steeping". Generally, steeping is supposed to improve taste by giving the different flavors/ingredients of the juice the opportunity to chemically react and merge ...but I suppose it's not unheard of for a juice to actually get worse, especially with strong tobacco flavors.

The other possibility is that you have 'vapors tongue'. This is a condition that many vapors get because they aren't drinking enough plain, unflavored water and your taste buds sort of 'take a vacation' on you as a result. A lot of time, people complain about not being able to taste anything at all, but it's - again - it's not unheard of for specific tastes to be affected (sweets, for example) while others are still working (bitters, etc) essentially changing the flavor to something distasteful.

I'd say, it's easy enough to go to your B&M and grab a new CE4 and test to see the devices are the cause. If so, getting a more durable Protank Mini with a glass tank and replaceable coil heads would be a good idea. Otherwise, wait a few days - drinking lots of water - and see if the flavor returns to normal. It's all trail/error and learning curve. Getting frustrated because you were expecting to just "get off" the nails after only one 'Hail Mary' attempt is a bit much, in my opinion.

 

[BlueMoods]

Well, part of the cause of darkening juice could be the juice itself, higher VG, darkto begin with and/or sweeter juices do caramelize on the atty and wicks a lot faster. I run a coffee colored mix I do myself, sweet mocha frappe flavor, love it but, one fill on my CE4 and, I have to clean the thing or I start getting lower vapor volume and a burnt sugar like taste - blech.

If you like the clearos, get some that are rebuild-able, yes some are and some are not, and they basically look the same, read the descriptions. You have a b7m so, head in there and take your ego battery, ask to try some different toppers for it, see what you like. They shouldn't have a problem with that as long as you use a mouth guard (they should have them and offer you one to use for testing free.) Just make sure the same juice is in each one you try so you can compare accurately - you don't have to like the juice, just want it all the same to see which gives the best flavor, vapor, temp, etc..

 

[Spazmelda]

The juice will sometimes get darker due to some of the caramelized stuff coming off of the coils. When my juice starts getting darker in a protank that's usually when I clean it out and change the coil or dry burn to clean it off.

You will probsbly end up spending more money than you planned at first. Some people turn to vaping as a hobby and really enjoy spending money on new gadgets and toys. This is perfectly fine, but you can go either way. I'll say that it is possible to curb the spending once you find some things you like. In the beginning you are unlikely to hit on the perfect set up right away and will have to 'invest' in trying different things. It is an investment though, and it will pay off in one way or another (either future savings or just the pleasure of a new hobby and quitting the stinkies).

Try the bottom coil clearomizers (protank, evod, etc...) and the top coil ones (vivi nova, etc...). Try a cartomizer or two and realize that you can put cartomizers in a tank to increase the time between filling (I'd recommend not jumping right into carto tanks though, because they can be frustrating at first). You may even want to try a dripping atomizer. I never got the hang of those myself, but many swear by them.

An evod and a vivi nova would be my recommendation for your next two juice delivery devices to try.

As for the juice, 5 pawns has a growing fan base. I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard it can be quite good. That being said it IS more like a luxury item. Kind of like treating yourself to a nice bottle of wine every now and then. Now, if one has enough money to vape 5 pawns as an every day juice, more power to them, but there are many many good less expensive juices. I'd recommend finding some vendors who offer sample packs. Buy a couple of sample packs and try them out. I'm picky about juices, so I usually have to try 5-10 to find one or two I can even stand.

Good luck!

 

[AttyPops]

First off, welcome to the forum and taking the 1st steps to kicking the stinkies!

Secondly, although you are certainly welcome to get a new mod, I don't think you have to yet. I agree with post #2. Not dissing those that suggested other devices however the eGo-K units are usable batteries. It's not uncommon to have a problem with coils gunking up, particularly for a newbie and only a single flavor of juice. Some gunk faster than others.

I'd say try using 2.0 or even 1.5 ohm stuff. See if the eGo-K can switch modes (I read that it can go from 4.2 volts down to 3.0 volts in one particular mode that follows battery voltage). Maybe try other juices too. Lighter juice tend to gunk slower as a general rule. But coils gunk.

As you've noticed, there's a learning curve. You have to get good at what you've got too. That's not to say you can't have multiple things, but if you start chasing the "everyone's favorite mod today" thing, you'll just be buying batteries forever and not solving the problems.

VV is nice though ...