Frustrated with cartos :(

[Suncruiser]

Everything was going well since I got my new Riva - it came with 5 cartos and I got Boge 2.0's also - out of those 10 only about 2 seem "normal". My question is what does it mean when a brand new carto just makes a low sizzle noise - no crackling / popping - just a sizzle and hard draw - I still get vapor out of it but I know it's not right!

Also, I ordered (by mistake) some Boge 3.2 cartos - what's the difference (in laymen terms please) between them and the 2.0 ? Will they be okay to use on my KR808's and Riva?

I'm so discouraged with all this - if it's not a crappy battery, it's crappy juice, or crappy cartos!
Sorry for the rant but I just want this stuff to work!!!!!

 

[DaveP]

You can use the 3.2 cartos on either, but I wouldn't use 2.0's on the KR808. The sizzling is juice boiling to make vapor. I'll bet that you didn't quite get enough juice down to the coil (which is at the battery end). You can try slowly dripping a drop at a time into the hole on the threaded end of the carto to get some juice in that area.

The best way to initially fill a carto, IMO, is outlined in the video below. Once you do this once, you can add drops at the top of the carto when the filler turns white. Try to keep the juice out of the center air tube. Hard draw can be due to expansion of the filler, blockage of the air tube by filler, or just a bad carto. You should be able to see light through the center air tube with it off the battery and the mouthpiece removed. If you can't, you will get hard draw. That said, a carto is best vaped by drawing slowly for several seconds. A cigarette type quick puff won't get you anywhere.

 

[Charlz]

It's ok to use the 3.2 on them. It will just be a cooler vape. You may need to do primer puffs to get a good vape. Some flavors respond well to that. It's about watts. Plug the voltage of the battery and the resistance(ohms) of the cartos into this calculator to find your preferred wattage
Electrical & Electronics, Ohm's Law, Formulas & Equations

 

[dearme]

Check to make sure the air holes just above the screw threading on the carto are not blocked by the PV for some reason. Is it possible they are screwed in too tight to the battery? Hard draw on new cartos is almost always a problem with the air holes being blocked. Did you order the right threading on the cartos? Check the box. The ones for the 510 will say either 510 2.0, or sometimes from some vendors, the 2.0 cartos are marked 510D.

 

[mynameisrob]

Is the sizzling noise almost kind of like a hissing noise? Bc then that means you didnt put enough juice in and/or didnt wait long enough for the juice to settle. Thats one of the things you have to be careful with if you drip fill. If you dont wait long enough for the juice to settle, then the bottom where the coil is will still be dry and you will burn the carto. I use a syringe bc I think its the quickest and easiest way by far, but the condom method also works pretty well and will make sure the bottom of the carto is wet.
Did you get a regular Riva? Bc the Riva normally has a 510 connection, which is different threading than a KR808. If so, and the Boges are 510, they wont fit on the KR808, unless you use an adapter.
In a simple way, the 2.0ohm cartos give a warmer vape and more TH, while the 3.0ohm cartos will give a cooler vape. Only use standard resistance (around 3.0ohm) on a slim ecig(like your KR808). Low resistance cartos (2.0ohm and below) are only for bigger battery PVs

 

[MrGiggly]

I can't seem to get away with the condom method. It forces juice up the centre and I find it more of a pain to clear that out than to drip at an angle from the top.

 

[Suncruiser]

Is the sizzling noise almost kind of like a hissing noise? Bc then that means you didnt put enough juice in and/or didnt wait long enough for the juice to settle. Thats one of the things you have to be careful with if you drip fill. If you dont wait long enough for the juice to settle, then the bottom where the coil is will still be dry and you will burn the carto. I use a syringe bc I think its the quickest and easiest way by far, but the condom method also works pretty well and will make sure the bottom of the carto is wet.
Did you get a regular Riva? Bc the Riva normally has a 510 connection, which is different threading than a KR808. If so, and the Boges are 510, they wont fit on the KR808, unless you use an adapter.
In a simple way, the 2.0ohm cartos give a warmer vape and more TH, while the 3.0ohm cartos will give a cooler vape. Only use standard resistance (around 3.0ohm) on a slim ecig(like your KR808). Low resistance cartos (2.0ohm and below) are only for bigger battery PVs

Yeah, sort of a hissing sound - I filled some condom method and some drip method, it seems like I used quite enough juice....I just don't get it. I mean I know what it should sound like and feel like (I've been vaping/filling cartos for 5 months but with KR808's) Like I said the first 2 worked great and I actually got a long time out of each, but since then every one just sucks (same juice by the way) It's like I'm sucking my brains out to get a good hit!
And yeah, I got an adaptor to use on the KR808's.

 

[damselle]

I'm so discouraged with all this - if it's not a crappy battery, it's crappy juice, or crappy cartos!
Sorry for the rant but I just want this stuff to work!!!!!

amen sister!

 

[Charlz]

Just be careful if you use the 2.0 on a standard kr8. They are safe but toe the line. Anything under 1.8 on a small battery is in the danger zone. And 2.0 is too close for some peoples comfort. I do it but no chain vaping.
The boge are great but I've gotten more duds from boge than any other manufacturer. Clean your battery and carto contacts with an old toothbrush dipped in isopropyl. Wipe off well. Take a pin and dip it too and get it in the vent holes in the thread posts. You might just be getting gummy on the contacts.

 

[TonyTT]

amen sister!

We've all been there...next comes the stage where you know what juice you really like, and then you try to get other juices you think you will like, but don't, and now all you have is juice that represents money that you didn't spend on the juice you liked...wasteful...(That's where I am)...

Yeah I started with a 510-t....after sucking on candy flavored burning plastic for a week...cartos became a godsend...best think you can do is get a blunt tip syringe...BEST THING...

 

[Katya]

I think you may not be filling them correctly...

There are three reasons why solid, good quality cartomizers like Boge malfunction:

1) They are vaped dry--fill them properly, let the eliquid saturate the filler completely, then top off early and top off often. Since the plyfill in Boges is usually wrapped very tightly, I use a syringe and a needle (18g, sharp) to fill them properly for the first time. Don't eyeball it--they take a bit more then 1 ml, or ~25 drops, depending on the size of your dropper and the liquid you're using.

The problem with the plunger method demonstrated above is that it needs to be performed correctly; if you do it too quickly, the juice will travel the path of the least resistance--the center tube--and will not penetrate the filler. If you have to use this method, take the endcap off and plunge the carto's threaded end very slowly into the condom and watch the eliquid's progress; as soon as it begins to pool at the top of the filler, stop and let it soak in.

And don't chainvape--your cartos need time to rewick the juice. Have at least two or three PVs in use at all times.

2) They are vaped hot--respect the Ohm's Law; ~4.5-8 W is a safe range for cartomizers, IMHO.

Watts (power, heat) = Voltage (V) squared divided by Resistance (Ohms)

3) They are refilled too many times--6-8 ml is reasonable, a bit more if you're using very clean and clear juices. The dark, thick, sweet juices will ruin your cartos faster. And remember that cartos are disposable. I don't recommend washing them at all. I tried at the beginning, but they never worked afterwards like the fresh ones do. Why bother and risk subpar performance, shorts, burning etc.?

Good luck and happy vaping!

 

[Charlz]

cartos became a godsend...best think you can do is get a blunt tip syringe...BEST THING...

So true, so true. Fill them from the bottom up in seconds. Seems to push all the air bubbles up and out.

 

[Suncruiser]

Check to make sure the air holes just above the screw threading on the carto are not blocked by the PV for some reason. Is it possible they are screwed in too tight to the battery? Hard draw on new cartos is almost always a problem with the air holes being blocked. Did you order the right threading on the cartos? Check the box. The ones for the 510 will say either 510 2.0, or sometimes from some vendors, the 2.0 cartos are marked 510D.

I never even knew there were air holes ...... there's two little holes on the "neck" of the carto that you can't see once it's screwed onto the batt - are you saying they should be seen? I'm looking at one right now and it's one that came with the Riva kit so I'm assuming it's the correct one? The other ones I bought just say Boge 510 2.0 on the box and they fit the same way. I've used 2 of them and they worked great.....I've tried 8 more all with the same sizzling noise, hard draw. I'm thinking of just going back to prefilled ones for my KR808's ..... never had a problem with them!

 

[dearme]

Yes, those are the air holes and that's the problem. Those air holes need to be able to breathe. Is the Riva maybe a 901 and not a 510?

Or maybe, they sent the wrong cartos? 510 and 901 are almost identical threading and sometimes are referred to as compatible, but that would depend on a lot of variables. Try unscrewing the carto just enough to make contact and still free the air holes.

 

[throatkick]

I'm so discouraged with all this - if it's not a crappy battery, it's crappy juice, or crappy cartos!
Sorry for the rant but I just want this stuff to work!!!!!

To a degree, you are right! There is a bit of a learning curve and it is understandable that you will vent your frustrations.

It can only get better from here though.

 

[dearme]

I don't know if the batt connection can be raised a smidge on the Riva. Maybe one of the guys will know.

 

[Katya]

I don't know if the batt connection can be raised a smidge on the Riva. Maybe one of the guys will know.

Yes, it can, but that doesn't seem to be the problem here. If the cartomizer sizzles, it makes contact.

 

[Charlz]

Yes, those are the air holes and that's the problem. Those air holes need to be able to breathe. Is the Riva maybe a 901 and not a 510?

Or maybe, they sent the wrong cartos? 510 and 901 are almost identical threading and sometimes are referred to as compatible, but that would depend on a lot of variables. Try unscrewing the carto just enough to make contact and still free the air holes.

510 and 901 threads cannot be confused. The 510 batteries are female and the 901/808s are male. Perhaps you meant 901s and 808s

 

[Suncruiser]

Yes, those are the air holes and that's the problem. Those air holes need to be able to breathe. Is the Riva maybe a 901 and not a 510?

Or maybe, they sent the wrong cartos? 510 and 901 are almost identical threading and sometimes are referred to as compatible, but that would depend on a lot of variables. Try unscrewing the carto just enough to make contact and still free the air holes.

This is what I have and I ordered Boge 2.0 cartos with it XL Riva SE Carto Kit | Sweet-Vapes E-Liquid

 

[dearme]

510 and 901 threads cannot be confused. The 510 batteries are female and the 901/808s are male. Perhaps you meant 901s and 808s

Is there a difference between 901 and 901 DSE? I was told on the Reo forum that 510, 306, and 901 were all compatible. I know 510 and 306 are, but have never had occasion to use any 901 stuff.