Greetings from Idaho, and Questions

[No ID]

Hi Everyone -- I'm glad to have found this resource! Please feel free to provide me with links that answer my questions or you think would be helpful for someone completely new to vaping -- I've done a lot of reading here & elsewhere and have found myself losing the forest for the trees.

I'm a smoker who has decided to try to transition to vaping, but everything is so confusing! For the past several weeks, I've read myself in circles and still don't think I understand anything. I'm also of a certain age so don't know anyone who vapes to ask for guidance.

After reading myself silly, I decided I needed to just jump in -- hopefully, I'll get the hang of things by doing rather than just reading. The place I buy my cigarettes has some vaping supplies, and with some direction from the clerk & not much choice (I was shown 3 devices), I purchased a mod kit (I think that's the correct terminology?) today -- it's a SMOK OSUB Plus Kit.

My current question pertains to purchasing e-liquid. I'd pretty much found the kind I wanted to try a couple of weeks ago, but since it's mail order, I need some guidance on quantity. I'm a heavy smoker (1 pack/day) and want to order enough to start to last a couple of weeks or so. I think I understand there's not a direct correlation between x puffs = 1 cigarette, but are there some rough equivalences (x ml = 1 pack or something) I can use?

Also, how does one clean the tank when switching between e-liquid flavors?

Thanks for any help & I'm looking forward to learning!

 

[Letitia]

60vg/40pg or 70vg/30pg. I would recommend 12mg nic to start since your tank is sub ohm. Would also recommend you order a 6mg as well. Take a look at nic salts juices too. How much you need for 2 weeks is hard to guess. I'd get 120ml total to be safe. What juice did you find? As for cleaning tank between flavors - if they will compliment each other, I don't bother. If very different, change coil, put 1st coil in a baggie or rinse out with warm water and let it dry completely. Did they show you how to prime your coil? P.S. Welcome to the community & the world of vaping. I love it! hope you come to love it too.

 

[No ID]

Hi Letitia, and thanks! LOL -- no, the clerk didn't say anything about priming the coil. Your answer is very helpful even though it makes me realize how little I understand. I'm unfamiliar with nic salts juices, so I'll look for more info about that -- thanks! I found Black Note juice very early in my research, so I thought I'd start with that, but the notebook sampler pack I'm looking at is 50vg/50pg -- is that a problem? And, since I smoke what used to be called "ultra light" analogs, I thought I'd go with 3 mg nic ... but maybe I should rethink that or read more? FWIW, I don't think I'm particularly addicted to nic (although I suspect there's some of that going on) because I can not smoke at all for days with no physical discomfort when required. I suspect/hope it's more of a psychological habit/crutch for me, or maybe I'm just rationalizing But I like to think I'll be able to make the transition to vaping because I'm motivated

 

[QcVaper]

First of all welcome to ecf !
Secondly i can hardly understand why those clerks sold you something that's not really meant for beginners..... I'm pretty sure you're looking to "replicate" the sensation of smoking (or how we call it here a mouth to lung action) depending on the resistance of your coil you will have to adjust how you inhale,when you switch flavors there's no need to clean the tank, i've switched flavors multiple times without cleaning. The only time you'd want to do something like this is IF you're going from something like a coffee flavor to a fruity one (cause who'd want to mix those kinds 0.0). Also there's no x numbers of puffs for x amount of cigarettes since you don't ingest the same quantities of nicotine and that's why you have different levels of it for vaping. I'll just leave a couple of beginners jargon here for your fun until our dear uncle bob comes along


Sub 0hm : When the resistance of a coil/atomiser is below 1 0hm
Mtl vs dtl : mouth to lung is what replicates the most the act of smoking a cigarette and where you inhale smoke into your mouth and then get it into your lungs. Direct to lung is most common in sub 0hm devices (like yours) and where you'd directly inhale the vapor into your lungs (i describe it like sucking through a straw but someone may have a better example).

vg/pg ratio : vg is the thicker liquid of the 2 and the one that produces more vapor, while Pg is not as viscous but has a much better throat hit. Usually beginners use more pg heavy liquids since they provide the throat hit better of when you used to smoke,but then again it's not necessary to use one over the other as that's completely subjective.

If your coil is below 1 0hm i'd highly suggest to try 6mg first since when you're doing dtl you're actually doubling the nicotine intake (ie : instead of being 6mg it becomes 12mg and believe me it's easy to get a nicotine high which no it's not harmfull,but whenever that happens stop vaping completely for a while,as keeping up could get you nicotine poisoning). Also on a sub 0hm devices you'll end up going through juice bottles twice as fast so i recommend you find a place you can buy in bulk cheaply or even make your own (there's a DIY section for both coil making and liquids here)

 

[Trigster]

All Of The Above Is Outstanding...I'm guessing you'll use about 30ml per week and for someone who smoked "Ultra-Lights" I'd think 6mg...Most important is MTL vs DTL...MTL with a coil in the 1.5ohm+- range is what I use but at 15mg...I smoked "Regulars" 1+PPD for over 30 years and I'm heading down to 12mg soon...Buying 120ml / 2 or 3 flavors is reasonable...And you could also buy one of the same flavor in different strengths to test....???

I'm smoke free for 1 1/2 months now...If I can quit...So Can You !!!

Compared to smoking...Juice is dirt cheap...Mt. Baker Vapor is very reputable and lightning quick on shipping...
They aren't the lowest $$$...Or the very best...Their "House Blends" are reliable and of good quality...Trig
Vape Juice - MBV E Juice and Flavoring - Mt Baker Vapor - Electronic Cigarettes

EDIT: PS...I vape at 4.3v/11.5w...Your Mod should be able to do 11.5 Watts if you have a coil in the same range I mentioned 1.5ish...MTL Set-Up...

 

[No ID]

Wow -- many thanks for the help! It's sounding to me like perhaps I got a device that might not be best for me. I was initially going to order online, but I just didn't know what to get. There are vape shops about 90 miles from where I live, but I just haven't been able to find time to make the trip.

In fairness to the clerk, I really didn't give him much to go on: I told him I was looking to switch from smoking to vaping, that I wanted something I could use my own juice with, that I wanted a mouth to lung hit, and that I didn't care about cloud chasing. He tried to give me a physics lesson, but it didn't take.

So, I'm thinking maybe I should go back to the drawing board on the device itself. Any suggestions? If I'm correctly understanding, I probably don't want a sub 0hm device . . .

LOL -- I had no clue this would be so complicated, but with the help here, I'm starting to get a little better understanding. Thanks!

 

[Hawise]

In fairness to the clerk, I really didn't give him much to go on: I told him I was looking to switch from smoking to vaping, that I wanted something I could use my own juice with, that I wanted a mouth to lung hit, and that I didn't care about cloud chasing. He tried to give me a physics lesson, but it didn't take.

So, I'm thinking maybe I should go back to the drawing board on the device itself. Any suggestions? If I'm correctly understanding, I probably don't want a sub 0hm device . . .

I don't think the clerk was paying much attention if you told him you wanted mouth-to-lung and he sold you a sub-ohm tank. The good news is that your mod (the part with the battery that powers everything) will work just fine with a MTL tank, but you might prefer a different tank.

The most popular MTL tank is probably the Nautilus 2, although there are a number of others that would also work. Personally, I prefer the Nautilus X.

Juice consumption is really hard to estimate. I've heard from people here who range from 2 ml a day to 40 ml a day (although 40 ml is pretty extreme). One factor will be whether you're using a sub-ohm tank or not. As a general rule, the lower the resistance of your coil the more juice you'll use. Consequently, people use lower nicotine levels with lower-resistance coils. Basically, you get a similar amount of nicotine either way - with MTL you tend to use less juice with a higher nicotine level, while with DTL you use more juice with a lower level.

If you decide to start with the tank you have now, you might want to begin with 6 - 9 mg/ml. If you get something like a Nautilus, you might be better off around 12 - 18 mg/ml. One thing you can try is to buy two bottles of each flavour, one with a higher concentration of nicotine and the other with none. Then if you find the higher level to be too high, you can mix in some nicotine-free juice to lower it. You can also buy a little VG or PG and use that instead of nicotine-free juice. It'll dilute the flavour a bit, but it's a good way to figure out what nicotine level you need.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do. As you said, there's a lot to learn when it comes to vaping, so feel free to keep asking questions.

 

[Tonee N]

Hello and Welcome.
We were all in your shoes at one time so feel free to ask anything.
I really can't add to the pluthera of information already given except,
PAPER TOWELS!
Invest in paper towels and Qtips![emoji106]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[OlderNDirt]

Welcome @No ID !

A quick search shows your OSub should have come with a couple .4Ω coils. That might be a bit more then some want while others are just fine with that. Only you will know if it fits your needs. If you decide to give it a go, I would start with juice no higher then 6mg nic. Then there are some adjustments that can be made to alter your vape somewhat.

I am surprised the shop let you walk out with the gear and no juice. I was going to suggest going to a shop to find a couple flavors you think you will like until you posted how far you are from a shop. My shop is 100 miles away, so I know the dilemma. If you can, find an online vendor that has some kind of trial pack of several flavors in small quantities, maybe even 15ml bottles. A little more inconvenience at the start is better then having several 60-120ml bottles of juice you don't like sitting around. Like others commented, I rarely clean a tank when changing flavors. Just dump what little is left and fill with the new flavor. Might be a bit funky for a few hits, but will soon go to the new flavor. Once you find two flavors you really like, having a second tank filled with that second flavor to change to works nicely!

Lastly, I'll just mention. When I started, I hit the vape like I did a smoke.....grab it and hit it maybe 15 hits in 5 minutes. I found vaping to be much more enjoyable by spreading those 15 hits out over an hour or more. Just keep in mind when it comes to gear, juice, and how one vapes.....we each find what we like and what works for us. There is no right or wrong way. It is your journey, so kick back and enjoy the process. You'll find your way!

Good luck and keep us posted along the way!

 

[Cosmic_Glaze]

Welcome and Here ya go... perfect set up for a transitioning smoker. Aspire Nautilus 2 tank with the Zelos mod / battery.
The airflow on this will mimic a cig and you can use high nic juice in it that will satisfy the cravings. I would suggest the 1.8 ohm coils with it. With this tank I would start at a 18 or a 12mg ejuice minimum. I was able to quit using the older version of this tank and I started with 18mg. I loved it so, I bought this new version when it came out as well.

Aspire Zelos 50W kit - Aspire

 

[PJReid]

Hi and welcome. I have been thinking a lot about recommendations for new vapors. Shops always seem to sell the sub-ohm kits to anyone who walks in the store who doesn't know exactly what they are looking for. I am guilty myself of buying mods that were too high-tech for new vapors I was trying to help. It will be very difficult to get enough nicotine to satisfy you initially in a sub-ohm device. The one you got is fine and you can put it in a drawer until you are ready for that kind of vaping.

I quit using a Joyetech ECab - a vape pen with batteries and cartridges I would fill and plug into the end. It worked for me. As an ultra light menthol smoker, I used a liquid that was 12 mg of nicotine in an 80PG/20PG. I moved on to an Ego system after a bit and that was easier than the cartridges. I have said many times lately that we should be recommending pen style devices to newcomers that are easy to use, higher ohms so that the user isn't limited on nicotine levels.

I would recommend an Evod Kit or an Evod II Kit. These come with two of everything and one charger, which is handy as you can keep one battery charged. This is what I will purchase in the future as gifts for people I know who want to get off the stinkies. This unit could handle the the 50/50 VG/PG sampler you were considering.

You have gotten some great advice here already. This is just my 2 cents worth. The forum was a huge help to me when I first got started and a huge help when I did finally go sub-ohm and made myself sick using my 12 mg nicotine juice in my sub-ohm tank. Everyone here has been where you are. Congratulations on making this decision. I promise you will not regret it.

 

[stols001]

There's no saying if the setup will work for you until you try it, some folks do get sold a sub0hm kit to start and just kind of run with it. I'd advise no more than 6 mg of nic in that setup, at least while you are getting started, and you may be able to go lower, esp. if you can go a few days without cigs (though, that can be when the worst of detox starts, so it's hard to be sure).

The zelos mod 50 is nice for MTL as it does come with a fairly popular and easy going Nautilus 2 tank, with that said, the mod you have can probably power any MTL tank if you dial its wattage low enough. You may just want to buy a tank itself, of which you do have some choices, a lot of Pico starter kits will do well for MTL to start as well, just make sure you are looking for a tank that takes 1.0 coils or higher. As a dyed in the wool MTL vaper, my Nautilus 2 was a great tank for me to start, and I still use one every day, though I have other MTL tanks as well. You'd want to look at upping your nicotine content, and 50/50 is a good strength for MTL tanks, with a DL tank, ppl typically use juice at higher PG ratios but you don't HAVE to if you are getting a satisfying vape, and less VG will minimize cloud production, maybe making the setup you have easier to use.

I think it might be nice for you to try one of the less expensive MTL tanks to see how it compares to your current setup. Some people like the Nautlius X and it does allow the purchase of an extender tank, bringing tank size to 4 ml, if refilling is an issue for you. Using a MTL tank though, your juice consumption will be less, as you are producing less juice (usually at a higher nic percentage, however). I do enjoy not going through 20 mls a day, and I had a hard time with a DL setup to start as I found the volume of vapor very hard to handle. There are lots of good kits and suggestions, I'd google some and see what appeals you. If you decide to buy one from a vape shop, do call ahead and make sure they have what you want if it's a fair drive away, and look at all the demo tanks and see what appeals to you.

Nic salts are just a different form of nicotine. They are reputedly less harsh, and can be more bioavailable more quickly (at least the Juul cigalike makes this claim) more closely mimicking the feel of a "real" cigarette. Since nicotine is less of an issue for you, you may not need or want them. Premade juices are more expensive with them, usually, though not always. You could buy a small amount to try, and see if you like them. I did like them and DIY my own juice with them.... I wasn't vaping more with them than regular nic, so I didn't worry about it particularly... I believe them to be fairly safe, but I don't think they're as well studied as regular nic, but since most of the benefits of vaping come from lack of combustion, again, I am not super worried.

Welcome, and happy vaping! Keep asking questions, we are here to help! Glad you jumped in, we all started somewhere and I know the road to happy vaping for me was liberally strewn with vape equipment that wasn't to my taste, or simply wasn't practical for me, but I looked at it as practice making perfect, and my buying has slowed considerably, now that I know what I like.. Best of luck and welcome to ECF!

Anna

 

[dsites]

Welcome to the forum .... you'll find great advice and support here. I'm a relatively new vapor and the low watt/high nicotine approach works for me. The juice is 70/30 PG/VG and I absolutely love Desert Rain from Mt Baker Vapors. Keep looking around and you'll hopefully find the formula that works for you. Best Wishes...

 

[Letitia]

If you are going to stick with Brit tank, don't go lower than 60vg. All sub ohm coils perform better with higher vg liquid. If you have the funds, look at Innokin Endura T18 or T22. Easy mtl set up that has good coils & closely mimics smoking a cig. Then you should use higher pg based juices. VG is thicker & offers a smoother hit, PG is thin and offers throat hit closer to smoking.

 

[dsites]

If you are going to stick with Brit tank, don't go lower than 60vg. All sub ohm coils perform better with higher vg liquid. If you have the funds, look at Innokin Endura T18 or T22. Easy mtl set up that has good coils & closely mimics smoking a cig. Then you should use higher pg based juices. VG is thicker & offers a smoother hit, PG is thin and offers throat hit closer to smoking.

Agreed .... I have the T22 and it works really well. I broke the clearomiser and have another on the way. The T18 is tempting!

 

[Grimwald]

Just some advice. As your taste buds and sense of smell start to come back, you may find your taste changing...sometimes abruptly. I bought 20 bottles of my first liquid and then hated the stuff in about 1 month. Found some new stuff and then, later, hated it. It took me about 6 months to truly settle into what I liked. Those taste buds can be ornery creatures.

Bottom line. Don't over do it.

 

[Letitia]

Just some advice. As your taste buds and sense of smell start to come back, you may find your taste changing...sometimes abruptly. I bought 20 bottles of my first liquid and then hated the stuff in about 1 month. Found some new stuff and then, later, hated it. It took me about 6 months to truly settle into what I liked. Those taste buds can be ornery creatures.

Bottom line. Don't over do it.

Great point, one that I tend to forget when chatting with new vaper's.

 

[No ID]

Wow . . . wow . . . wow! Many thanks to everyone for the help! There's a lot to absorb, and some of the stuff I read is now starting to actually make it into my brain with the explanations here. There's still stuff that's confusing to me, but progress

LOL-- I've pretty much decided (in this moment, anyway) that a more simple non-sub 0hm setup would be a better starter for me, but wait -- am I correctly understanding that I can use a different tank & coil to make the battery part of what I bought function as a non-sub Ohm? It looks like the watts are adjustable, so I could use a higher resistance (above 1.0) coil?

About coils -- how often do they need to be replaced? I actually 3 of the sub 0hm coils -- two came in the kit & I bought another because I didn't know -- I asked the clerk & he just said "you'll know from the taste" when the coil needs to be replaced. Since I'm going to have to order things, it would be helpful to have an idea.

Back to the nic -- I'm still confused. It sounds like a higher nic concentration might be the way to go if I use a non-sub Ohm tank & coil, but I don't understand why?

I'm sorry to be driving everyone so crazy with questions, but I sincerely appreciate the help. Anna, your last paragraph really resonated with me -- I'm kind of a gadget gal, so the "practice making perfect" makes a lot of sense. I was stressing myself out reading rather than doing, which was taking the excitement out of it. I initially was looking to switch from analogs for pretty boring practical reasons & wasn't interested in "flavored" e-liquids, but now that I'm relaxing a little & starting to learn a bit, I'm starting to get that this could actually be a fun learning experience & hobby.

I've placed my order for a couple of Black Note sampler packs (different nic levels), and the order confirmation actually came with tank & coil suggestions for mtl hits. LOL -- if I'd have just placed the order sooner, I could have avoided at least some of the questions. SMH.

 

[Hawise]

Wow . . . wow . . . wow! Many thanks to everyone for the help! There's a lot to absorb, and some of the stuff I read is now starting to actually make it into my brain with the explanations here. There's still stuff that's confusing to me, but progress

LOL-- I've pretty much decided (in this moment, anyway) that a more simple non-sub 0hm setup would be a better starter for me, but wait -- am I correctly understanding that I can use a different tank & coil to make the battery part of what I bought function as a non-sub Ohm? It looks like the watts are adjustable, so I could use a higher resistance (above 1.0) coil?

Correct.

About coils -- how often do they need to be replaced? I actually 3 of the sub 0hm coils -- two came in the kit & I bought another because I didn't know -- I asked the clerk & he just said "you'll know from the taste" when the coil needs to be replaced. Since I'm going to have to order things, it would be helpful to have an idea.

It varies a lot. Coils often last one to two weeks or more. Sweeter or darker juices gunk up coils faster than less sweet, lighter juices. How much you vape is also a factor. You'll know to change your coil when you get a burnt or 'off' taste or when it stops producing as much vapour.

Back to the nic -- I'm still confused. It sounds like a higher nic concentration might be the way to go if I use a non-sub Ohm tank & coil, but I don't understand why?

Sub-ohm setups tend to vapourize juice faster. With a non-sub-ohm setup, you might go though 5 ml of 18 mg/ml juice per day for a daily nicotine consumption of 90 mg (all numbers are completely imaginary). With a sub-ohm setup, you might go through 15 ml of 6 mg/ml juice in the same period - and get the same nicotine consumption of 90 mg/day.

You might think you could try the 18 mg/ml juice on a sub-ohm coil and just vape less, but higher nicotine levels tend to be really harsh with a lower-resistance coil.

Don't worry about asking questions. We all started out at the beginning with a lot to learn, and we have the greatest sympathy for anyone trying to ditch cigarettes.

 

[PJReid]

It looks like the watts are adjustable, so I could use a higher resistance (above 1.0) coil?

Yes, but I honestly think you would be happier if you keep it VERY simple which is why I recommended a pen style unit. It might be that you are very happy with your mod and a non sub ohm tank, like the Aspire Mini. The only downside to that is that you will spend as much for one tank as you would for the Evod kits I gave you links for.

Back to the nic -- I'm still confused. It sounds like a higher nic concentration might be the way to go if I use a non-sub Ohm tank & coil, but I don't understand why?

Because you take in a lot more vapor when you sub-ohm, your body absorbs a lot more nicotine than it does with regular vaping. A higher nic level in a sub ohm tank will give you an unpleasant rush and might make you dizzy and nauseated. I did and suffered for it.

I'm sorry to be driving everyone so crazy with questions, but I sincerely appreciate the help.

I've placed my order for a couple of Black Note sampler packs (different nic levels), and the order confirmation actually came with tank & coil suggestions for mtl hits. LOL -- if I'd have just placed the order sooner, I could have avoided at least some of the questions. SMH.

I don't think there is anyone here who isn't happy to answer questions and hope that the answers help. We all started where you are now.