Frustrated newbie

[bshv]

Hi,

First of all, plz let me apologize for my imperfect english.

I'm not an expert on the subject, I'm using e-cigarretes for like 1.5 yrs and tho I find them basically better than the ordinary stinkies, I have too many problems. This is unbearable. I'm afraid that my final verdict will be that, for now, the e-cigs cannot beat the stinkies in terms of practicality, availability, standardization and many other factors. I'm sorry, but the e-cigs are failing in this fight.

I like the feeling of the e-cigs, the aroma, the taste, the throat hit, but that's only in ideal conditions, when you have a good device, brand new coil, full battery etc., otherwise, it's terrible. E.g. the coils get clogged too quickly and become useless. I tried some tricks from Youtube (washing them either with hot water, either with pharmacy alcohol or both), but the results are terrible. Now the aroma is like dirty socks. After keeping the coil in alcohol, I rinsed it with hot water and later I tried to vape, but it seems that some alcohol remained inside and the effect was just terrible. It was like alcohol smoke hitting my brain and it irrittated my nose! I asked myself why the hell I have to go through this?! And how dangerous it is?!

Another problem is that I often travel abroad and the availability of spare parts and liquids can be a problem in some countries and you must think about this. Because of this, you might end up with an atomizer that you don't like, just because that manufacturer is more widespread than the others. You go to a shop and you don't say: "Give me the best atomizer you have", but you say: "Give me an atomizer that I can easily find spare parts for". What's the point in buying a "Ferrari", if you can't find a replacement tire later, sort to speak. Also note that some countries are small and their markets, too, and you can't buy so much stuff like in your country.

Also, one must become a chemistry expert to understand the PG:VG ratio and all that, and also, an electronics expert to understand the relation between the power, voltage and resistance etc. And even if you do everything right, the mod may decide "no to see" the atomizer and it will display "atomizer not found". Then you must do some tricks, screw / unscrew, hoping that it will somehow start to work or you must google for solutions etc... etc.... Friends, I'm not a troll, but this went too far. Why can't they invent a device that will allow me to have a smoke with my coffee without any complications and "philosophies"? Why is that so hard?

Also, there's no compatibility between the products on the market. Say, you bought an atomizer and some spare coils for it, but tomorrow, these coils will not fit into another atomizer. Same with the spare glass tubes and other parts. There's no single standard.

Take compact discs for example, you need a CD player to play them and that's it, you don't have to become a freaking recording engineer to play them and you don't need a studio to play them! I think that this vape subculture went too far and forgot about the basic thing - practicality. I see only advices and advices, do this, do that, use this, avoid that. And where's the fun, then?

With ordinary stinkies there's no deep philosophy. All I need is a matchbox or a lighter. And that's it. I can buy cigarettes almost everywhere and even in remote rural areas. They are all standardized and there're popular brands that we all know, that can be found around the world. But if I decide to use e-cigs, I must think about 500 different things in advance. You must this, you must that. This is abnormal. This became madness.

Also I've read many myths about vaping, like people write on forums: "I'd fill the tank and it last me for days and days". Or they say that "10 ml bottle will last them a week" and they claim that they "saved a lot of money" by switiching from stinkies to e-cigs. Nothing can be further from the truth. A 10 ml bottle lasts me like just a couple of days, which is nothing. And I spent not little on atomzers, liquids, coils etc. Note that I was a heavy smoker, like 2 packs per day. My walls were becoming yellow, my hair and my clothes were smelly, it was terrible and I hoped that the e-cig are a good alternative. Basically they are, but many improvements are needed.

I've also had terrible problems with the liquids. Say, today you're in Italy, you buy your fav juice, everything is fine. But tomorrow you're in Russia, you buy the same brand and you notice that it is counterfeited! E.g. the color is transparent instead of yellowish, there's no taste, there're some differences in the design of the packaging etc. I wrote an email to the original manufacturer and they said that they have no more cooperation with the ru distributor. This is crazy. I've heard that in Turkey you can't buy liquids at all or that they're very rare (I apologize if I got a wrong info). It's a chaos on the world's market, there's no one single standard. Due to the regulations, in some countries the liquids might be without any nicotine and you will have to buy it separately and carefully mix it and shake it or you might ruin it. In some countries I saw some questionable forms of nicotine, with poor packaging etc.

All this is impractical and even scary. No offense, but this is terrible and it needs to change.

Thank you for understanding.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Yep, you sound frustrated.
For some reason some folks make vaping as difficult & frustrating as possible.

Do what most of the traveling vapers do.
Buy several boxes of the replaceable atomizer coil heads for your favorite delivery devices / tanks at at time.
Put a 5 pack box in your carry on / travel bag.
Buy large quantities of the e liquids you like best, like 2 - 5, 120 ml bottles at a time and a few empty 30 - 60ml bottles.
Take whatever amount of liquid you would normally consume in your expected time gone from home, plus a smaller bottle, just in case.
Place this in your carry on travel bag.
There are charging 'wall worts' available for travelers that take whatever the elec standard is in a country you travel to and convert it to a useable & safe output to charge batteries. Usually quite small.
Buy one or however many you need and put them in your carry on travel bag.
Always carry a couple spare cells/batteries in non conductive protective cases, put them in your carry on travel bag.

You don't need to know any chemistry, find e liquids that work best for you / your preferences and use them.
Pg/Vg is a personal preference, not a rule or requirement. If you find liquids that don't list the Pg/Vg ratio don't buy them.

If you use a decent regulated power device, variable power output with all the normal built in features & protections and a sturdy 510 connection you don't need to know anything but how to press the +/- or up/down button to find your own personal 'sweet spot' using an endless combination of all the variables,, resistances, Pg/Vg ratio, nic mg/ml, airflow settings, flavorings, cool warm hot vapor etc...

Could be your 510 connection is dirty or damaged, atty not found is a fairly unusual occurrence with decent regulated power devices. Unless damaged by over tightening or dirty.

Trying to clean & reuse replaceable atomizer coil heads is iffy at best, usually not worth the time & effort, that's why they're replaceable and why replacements are sold.

I'd say who ever is saying a 'tank' full lasts for days and a 10ml bottle lasts a week is quite uncommon, most folks use between 4ml & 20+ ml per day.

I frequently travel & work in some of the most remote locations in the country, many/most without electricity where cell service isn't available, the nearest city 30 - 150 miles away, often the nearest vape shop is further.
Finding spare parts or liquid is just flat not an option.

Bottom line, take what you need to vape and in amounts that will last the time you're gone with you when you travel.

A box of heads, 2 batteries, 20 - 200mls of liquids, a spare complete favorite tank, a wall wort adapter or power source able to charge 4.2v cells doesn't take up much room and is not at all expensive.
Inexpensive compared to the costs of cigarettes and the damage done to your body by smoking.

If you truly want to vape instead of smoking, stop making it more difficult than it has to be.

 

[marianna]

Quote: "Also, one must become a chemistry expert to understand the PG:VG ratio and all that, and also, an electronics expert to understand the relation between the power, voltage and resistance etc. "

I am vaping since 2007, first with cigalikes, as soon as possible vaping with box mods + rebuildable tanks or drippers, so I am a chemistry expert + an electronics expert..

 

[GOMuniEsq]

Cigarettes have a great advantage in that they are ubiquitous, simple, and well-understood. You're correct that taking vapes along on international travel can be an immense hassle as there are limits on liquids you can carry and many corrupt countries restrict their use in a variety of inconsistent ways.

the coils get clogged too quickly and become useless

Common complaint. Many manufacturers produce replaceable coil heads that fail early and often and rely on these for much of their profit. Either research the good ones and stock up, or look into rebuildables.

one must become a chemistry expert... electronics expert

This is exaggeration. You choose 50/50 for small devices or 30/70 for big devices. You set the wattage that's stamped on the coil head. If you mix your own juice there are many calculators that do the math for you. If you're into rebuildables you can buy pre-wound coils at your preferred resistance.

there's no compatibility between the products on the market

Not entirely true—many coil heads are interchangeable with others in the same class. However, we are far from standardization and seem to be drifting further away.

A 10 ml bottle lasts me like just a couple of days, which is nothing.

Juice prices are universally inflated, and consumption is highly variable. Though pod systems exist that will sip only 1-2mL per day, in places like the EU regulations prevent the sale of the strong e.juice they work best with. I'd say the single biggest favor you could do for your wallet would be to start DIY mixing.

It's a chaos on the world's market, there's no one single standard.

You're right about that, brother. Most of your complaints stem from inconsistent national policies which will take decades to even out.

If I were an international traveler I would make two decisions to reduce my dependency on local suppliers:

1. I would carry a few small bottles of highly concentrated nic/flavor solution, then dilute it in situ with locally sourced PG and VG which is commonly stocked at pharmacies. 150mL of concentrate would make 1L of juice.
   
2. I would either carry a large supply of coil heads, or ideally use a rebuildable atomizer that only need the wicking changed. Cotton and rayon are light and compact and don't look weird on x-rays.

As always, if you have a specific problem with a specific setup, post the details and we'll be glad help you out.

P.S. My intuition suggests that you're probably a Smok user. If so, try another brand. Why a bad rap?

 

[dennism]

Vaping isn't for everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Punk In Drublic]

Cigarettes have been with us for decades, during which has allowed them to become standardized and so widely available. Go back to the early days and they were more complex in comparison.

Vaping, in the grand scheme of things, is fresh, new and not yet fully developed. There are little standards cause it is still trying to find it’s footing. And although vaping dopes carry some large market profits, this is spread out amongst many smaller companies oppose to a handful of larger companies who may have the recourses and funds for further development and or advancement.

Standardizing something requires a buy in from the majority of contributors from within that market. Sometimes this requires a 3rd party to manage said standardization. And in other cases it is one company, or a group of companies that comes up with an idea that eventually becomes a standard. The later is usually licenced which adds cost and does not happen overnight. CD’s were developed by Sony/Philips and carried a significant cost through licencing. They were not widely accepted when first released for other companies did not want to risk investment in format that may or may not be successful. They waited for CD’s to become more widely accepted before jumping into that pool. But that said, the CD was not challenged for other companies did not have the resources to go up against Sony and Philips, two juggernauts of the time (especially Philips).

The process of vaping does carry some complexity over cigarettes. But the process of cooking also carries some complexity over just ordering food through Uber Eats, or taking a trip to your local McDonlads. I am sure when you first started cooking there was bit of trial and error finding out what works and what does not. With exposure the vaping experience will become easier to accept and understand. No one said it was going to be easy, but to make gains sometimes sacrifices are needed.

 

[Dudeman]

It's only as difficult as you make it.
My device holds 10ml of liquid. I don't need to buy coils and mine last for months just changing cotton wicks. Carrying juice/batteries isn't an issue. I could carry a weeks supply of vaping in one pocket except for the charger unless I used the device's USB to charge..

 

[Baditude]

... All this is impractical and even scary. No offense, but this is terrible and it needs to change.

You sound extremely frustrated. Sorry that vaping hasn't worked out well for you right from the start.

You're right, smoking is far easier than vaping. All you need is a cigarette and a lighter to smoke.

With vaping, it takes a bit of knowledge about your gear and e-liquids. It takes forethought and pre-planning. It takes having a backup device just in case your primary unit fails. It requires freshly charged batteries to use it; its an ELECTRONIC cigarette, right? It can be a bit of an inconvenience when you are new to vaping, but with most of us who have been vaping a while, it becomes second nature as part of our daily routine.

Despite the inconveniences of vaping, it is unquestionably better for your health to vape and that should be the bottom line. And it can become cheaper to vape than to smoke. Once you have your gear, your only replacement costs are replacing coils and restocking your e-liquid. You should end up spending 1/3 what you spent on cigarettes.



Always have backups. Backup coils. A backup tank. A backup battery device. Backup batteries. Extra e-liquid. Don't give yourself an excuse to need to buy a pack of cigarettes because your gear broke down or you ran out of e-liquid.

You never mentioned what gear and e-liquids you have used so far. Maybe we can suggest a simpler setup for you to use. Otherwise, I recommend that you educate yourself about vaping to make things easier on yourself.
There are plenty of people on this forum willing to answer questions, make recommendations, and offer support to you if you're serious about quitting smoking and taking up vaping as a cheaper and healthier life choice.

Good Starter Setups for a Beginner Vaper
Battery Basics for Mods: The Definative Battery Guide for Vaping

 

[bshv]

Thank you all for your replies and advices. I agree that vaping is not for everyone, but there should be some standardization, some kind of order. I understand that this might be a complicated and expensive process and that e-cigs are fairly new and this will take time. Right now, I'm afraid, things are not good. That's my modest opinion as an ordinary user.

My first e-cig was a Joytech AIO. I choosed it because of simplicity. When I tried it first I immediatly liked it, but later there were problems. E.g. as the battery empties - the feeling is getting weaker, there was some clogging, you can't replace all of the parts (it's all-in-one, ofc). After just few months, the device died for no reason. I was thinking about taking it to a repair, but then it fell on the ground and the glass broke. The end.

Then I bought a Wismec WS-80 mod with Amor NS Pro clearomizer. It was good for me with the WS03 coils. But finding coils was not easy or impossible in some countries, sometimes the mod couldn't "see" the clearomizer, the trigger button got worn-off in a short time (the mod is black, but now the button is 'silverish' from use) and finally, the glass tube broke, and later, the replacement tube, too. I went to the same shop where I bought this and they said that they don't have a replacement tube. So what's the point in buying something if you can't find spare parts?

I asked them to give me whatever they have for "cigarrette feeling", not for "clouds" and they gave me (I think) Joyetech Exceed Air Plus. I bought the atomizer and the coil clogged almost immediatly. I tried everything - it didn't work. Finally, I found a hi-tech solution for the problem: I smashed the atomizer to the ground.

Since many countries do not have eco disposal, this junk ended up in the general trash can and it won't be recycled. So these gadgets are an eco problem, as well.

Then I went back to ordinary cigs. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist, they never clogg, I don't have to charge them, they are widely available, we all know the brands etc. But they stink and make me feel terrible and my wife was chasing me away to smoke outside.

After a period of smoking ordinary cigs, I went to the nearest shop and got Joytech Cubis 2. There was not much choice there. It's a bit better than the previous atomizer, but it's nothing special. The coils are ProC-BF (not cylindric, but with "angles"). It gets clogged, not so fast like the previous coils, but it does and it's frustrating. Sometimes it "shoots" liquid in the air like hot oil and once it burned my throat. Note that I'm not overfilling it and this happens when the tank is not that full. The airflow regulator is placed in the upper part of the atomizer and it's terribly made and impractical - you can't turn it around easily. Why they made it like this I dunno. I'm thinking about applying my hi-tech solution to it, too...

It seems to me that Joytech products are not good, but they're widespread. People sometimes buy them just because they can find spare parts easily.

Most of the time, I'm using Liqua Cuban Cigar liquid (10ml or 30ml bottles) with 12ml nic. I've also tried 6, 9 and 18ml of nic. Some people say that I should use not so "thick" juices. And maybe there's some kind of sweetener in this juice that contributes to the clogging. But I like this juice, not others.

In some countries, the liquid is without any nicottine, so it has to be purchased separately and then mixed. It goes under then names "Liqua Mix&Go", "Liqua Shake & Take", depending on the country. But sometimes original Liqua nicotine is not available and I had to buy some suspicious one (maybe made in some basement) in poor packaging with labels printed on ordinary printer and with not much info on them. It was scarry.

This vape thing right now is not good. It works well in say the US, CA and such places, but globally speaking, believe me, the situation is not good.

Perhaps I can order a bunch of spare parts from China to restore the Wismec, but it would take ages until I receive them. Imagine that you want to have a smoke with your coffee and you have to order cigs from a remote country. No offense, but this is a bit absurd.

 

[Baditude]

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?

CAN YOU BUY ONLINE?

I very rarely buy from vape shops. Their choices are limited and their markup prices are nearly 100%. And this is coming from someone who used to work in a vape shop.

 

[DeloresRose]

Thank you all for your replies and advices. I agree that vaping is not for everyone, but there should be some standardization, some kind of order. I understand that this might be a complicated and expensive process and that e-cigs are fairly new and this will take time. Right now, I'm afraid, things are not good. That's my modest opinion as an ordinary user.

My first e-cig was a Joytech AIO. I choosed it because of simplicity. When I tried it first I immediatly liked it, but later there were problems. E.g. as the battery empties - the feeling is getting weaker, there was some clogging, you can't replace all of the parts (it's all-in-one, ofc). After just few months, the device died for no reason. I was thinking about taking it to a repair, but then it fell on the ground and the glass broke. The end.

Then I bought a Wismec WS-80 mod with Amor NS Pro clearomizer. It was good for me with the WS03 coils. But finding coils was not easy or impossible in some countries, sometimes the mod couldn't "see" the clearomizer, the trigger button got worn-off in a short time (the mod is black, but now the button is 'silverish' from use) and finally, the glass tube broke, and later, the replacement tube, too. I went to the same shop where I bought this and they said that they don't have a replacement tube. So what's the point in buying something if you can't find spare parts?

I asked them to give me whatever they have for "cigarrette feeling", not for "clouds" and they gave me (I think) Joyetech Exceed Air Plus. I bought the atomizer and the coil clogged almost immediatly. I tried everything - it didn't work. Finally, I found a hi-tech solution for the problem: I smashed the atomizer to the ground.

Since many countries do not have eco disposal, this junk ended up in the general trash can and it won't be recycled. So these gadgets are an eco problem, as well.

Then I went back to ordinary cigs. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist, they never clogg, I don't have to charge them, they are widely available, we all know the brands etc. But they stink and make me feel terrible and my wife was chasing me away to smoke outside.

After a period of smoking ordinary cigs, I went to the nearest shop and got Joytech Cubis 2. There was not much choice there. It's a bit better than the previous atomizer, but it's nothing special. The coils are ProC-BF (not cylindric, but with "angles"). It gets clogged, not so fast like the previous coils, but it does and it's frustrating. Sometimes it "shoots" liquid in the air like hot oil and once it burned my throat. Note that I'm not overfilling it and this happens when the tank is not that full. The airflow regulator is placed in the upper part of the atomizer and it's terribly made and impractical - you can't turn it around easily. Why they made it like this I dunno. I'm thinking about applying my hi-tech solution to it, too...

It seems to me that Joytech products are not good, but they're widespread. People sometimes buy them just because they can find spare parts easily.

Most of the time, I'm using Liqua Cuban Cigar liquid (10ml or 30ml bottles) with 12ml nic. I've also tried 6, 9 and 18ml of nic. Some people say that I should use not so "thick" juices. And maybe there's some kind of sweetener in this juice that contributes to the clogging. But I like this juice, not others.

In some countries, the liquid is without any nicottine, so it has to be purchased separately and then mixed. It goes under then names "Liqua Mix&Go", "Liqua Shake & Take", depending on the country. But sometimes original Liqua nicotine is not available and I had to buy some suspicious one (maybe made in some basement) in poor packaging with labels printed on ordinary printer and with not much info on them. It was scarry.

This vape thing right now is not good. It works well in say the US, CA and such places, but globally speaking, believe me, the situation is not good.

Perhaps I can order a bunch of spare parts from China to restore the Wismec, but it would take ages until I receive them. Imagine that you want to have a smoke with your coffee and you have to order cigs from a remote country. No offense, but this is a bit absurd.

Sweet liquids and cigarette or cigar flavors will foul a coil quickly. I like sweet juice, so I build.

Yes, it takes a while to get stuff from China. So I don’t wait until my last device is on its last parts before ordering.

I’m always looking for a new favorite device. I have several. But none of them will be made forever. So I try new stuff and when I find something I like I buy mire of them. When I was using tanks - I still do but not all the time- I would stock up in coils from fasttech or wherever they were cheap. Cigarettes are $7 and up here, so even getting only a few days from a coil is a huge savings.

I hit sales.

I listen to other people’s opinions about gear before I buy. I try to buy quality, but I’ll buy good but cheap stuff too, for when my day might be messy or dangerous for my mod and atty.

I do get your frustration, because faulty and hard to find stuff plagued me early on too.

The thing is, if you’re serious about switching, you have to keep trying until you find devices that work for you, and a system you can live with.

 

[ShowMeTwice]

Hello Bshv and welcome to ECF!

I fully understand everything you wrote. And I am able to agree with some of your points.

Have you tried any of the Pod devices? Sorry if I missed that. Perhaps you can find one that suits you best and then grab several for the road. That way you could be set for your travels. I haven't tried any of them myself (to date) so I cannot recommend one. There are many here who have and I am certain if you asked they will point you in the right direction. Might help as you continue trying to transition to vaping.

Maybe pods for the road and a setup or two that you really like for at home.

Standardization. In theory that is a nice idea however that would mean all are using the same gear like smokes for example. That would not work for many if not most. Many love the hunt of finding that unique tank(s) and mod(s) which suit them best. That is something I love about vaping. Some prefer mouth to lung while others enjoy direct lung (or a restricted DL). Some do all like myself though I prefer MTL.

I do hope you are able to find what suits you best as I know standardization is not current reality. Could be in the future though IDK. I would still prefer having many options.

Cheers and good luck to you!!!

 

[gandymarsh]

I understand your frustration. It's much less frustrating here in the US but similar problems exist. The laws may also change to make things worse.

Vaping is, right now, similar to the early years of automobiles. Many different manufacturers, cars that were unreliable etc. You had to carry a tool kit and spare parts with you in case of a breakdown.

The only easy way to reduce frustration is to stick to one or two devices and a few liquids and stock up.

Finding the correct combination can be hard but, for most people, it is possible.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

It is easy to come up with justifications & excuses to keep on smoking, real easy.
Blaming something (an inanimate object) or someone (the manufacturers of inanimate objects) is a semi normal human emotion.
The easy button is taking responsibility for your own actions or inactions, educating yourself on whatever topic may interest or help you overcome whatever, and following a plan of action through to reaching a goal.

If you actually want to quit smoking, millions have been successful using a vast array of methods.

Folks that vape feel like vaping was the best/easiest/least uncomfortable method. That is all.
We aren't better or worse than the cold turkey'ers, prescription'ers, gum, lozenge or patch'ers, or the hypnosis or acupuncture'ers, or whatever method a person chooses as a smoking cessation aide.

 

[charlie1465]

Welcome to the friendly bunch

I understand....you sound like me in my early days on a very bad day

I would recommend a pod....something like the Geekvape frenzy....coils last a long time and can be changed out, 2ml juice capacity and internal battery which will last all day depending on your vaping style.

I went through what you're going through and there's ostensibly nothing you can do except try and find something that you are least ...... by...if that makes sense. The technology is not perfect but there are some things which come close

Good luck to you...and keep calm....the last thing you want is to start the death sticks again....after all they will kill you!

 

[HigherStateD]

Isn't the ubiquitous 510 pin and 810&520 drip tips pretty standard? I took a carto from a dispensary and used it in my wismec rx2... Then I popped the drip tip off and used that on my Trinity alpha. And a stick battery from the same place can fire an RDA... 280mah I think. On a good day.


I sense your frustrations and nicotine addiction/withdrawls can make that frustration worse. I hope you get this sorted. Cigarettes can be just as frustrating at times, and the grass always seems greener.

ETA: and I do believe I've heard of Russian counterfeit cigarettes too.

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

 

[BrotherBob]

I'm using e-cigarretes for like 1.5 yrs

Welcome and glad you joined.
Squonking was previously mentioned and may be right for you, might want to learn more about it's advantages :
https://www.geekayvapes.com/squonking-101/
Liquid Feed APV Discussion

 

[kashif]

Sorry to hear about the frustrations you having with vaping but bro the most important thing is that its worth every effort because you ll be saving your lungs and overall health.

I am myself struggling to switch to vaping and my journey didn't start good. So many troubles and issues. I see its a learning curve. I am positive that I ll be able to enjoy vaping very soon.

In your case I suggest you to have a backup of everything you have. With backup products you will not have problems which you having now. Yes vaping requires gears and things but as I said its worth every penny and time and effort.

 

[brad-man]

Welcome to the forum. As has been mentioned, it is your lack of preparation that is the problem. I use a Wismec CB-80 with the Amor NS Pro tank as my travel (meaning pretty much whenever I leave the house) kit and it has been completely reliable after a gazillion puffs. When I am home, I use a variety of different mods with a different Amor NS Pro tank(s). I have at least 30 coils and four bottles of my favorite juice in my stash. If you want to be successful at vaping, you need to put a little effort and forethought into it. Buy a backup mod and stock up on your favorite coils and juice. As you have learned, you cannot count on them being universally available. I wish you success at eliminating cigarettes.

 

[Poeia]

Hi,

Also, one must become a chemistry expert to understand the PG:VG ratio and all that, and also, an electronics expert to understand the relation between the power, voltage and resistance etc. And even if you do everything right, the mod may decide "no to see" the atomizer and it will display "atomizer not found". Then you must do some tricks, screw / unscrew, hoping that it will somehow start to work or you must google for solutions etc... etc.... Friends, I'm not a troll, but this went too far. Why can't they invent a device that will allow me to have a smoke with my coffee without any complications and "philosophies"? Why is that so hard?

Also, there's no compatibility between the products on the market. Say, you bought an atomizer and some spare coils for it, but tomorrow, these coils will not fit into another atomizer. Same with the spare glass tubes and other parts. There's no single standard.

PG/VG is actually pretty easy.
PG is thinner and it carries the flavor better.
VG makes better clouds.

If either works for you, just buy the flavors you like in the ratio they come in. When I started vaping, 9 years ago, all liquid was very high PG but people started chasing the clouds and the common ratios changed.

I'm in the middle of retiring my Joyetech AIOs after several years with them. I think they're great (especially the DS22 XL) but, just like with a phone or computer, eventually the batteries don't charge as well as they did (or they don't charge at all) so I decided it was time for something new. I think it's more confusing for newcomers than it used to be. We had a few to choose between. You have many, many options.

Good luck.