Harsh, burning hits from Volt e-cig. Help?

[sk8man121]

Hey folks,

Not new to vaping, although new to e-cigs. I just received my Smokeless Image Volt starter kit yesterday and have been tooling around with it since. Here are just a few issues/questions I'd love to have addressed if y'all wouldn't mind. Just so you know, I'm using a 78mm battery with a 12 mg 555 cartridge that came in the Smokeless Image smooth sampler pack.

1.) What is the proper way to draw on this? I'm getting extremely harsh hits with huge amounts of HOT vapor, and it's burning my throat to the point where I cough almost every time.

2.) How long do these pre-filled carts last? How do you know when they run out?

3.) How long do you "smoke" this thing until you're satisfied ie: how many drags is equivalent to having an actual cigarette? Tough to tell since the battery doesn't burn down to the cart!

4.) Can someone recommend a cartridge that would be a good fit for someone who used to smoke american spirits? I've tried Smokeless Image's 555 and Freedom, and neither of them taste like an actual cigarette. More like burnt popcorn.

5.) Is the general idea to start at something like 12 mg (i think this was "medium strength)" and work your way down to a lower dosage? Eventually I'd like to kick nicotine completely, although I don't feel as guilty now that I'm not combusting tobacco.

6.) I've read a lot about how the juice inside these cartridges is actually quite toxic in liquid form. Do I have to worry about leakage with the pre-filled carts? How would I know if this was happening when I inhale?

7.) The kit also came with a 65 mm battery, but I haven't tried using it yet. For what reason would I want to switch between the two?

8.) Last but not least: These things are um...safe, right?

K thanks guys.

 

[T41CK]

1)aThe proper way to draw from an ecig is depening on if its auto or manual.
(auto) just enough for the light to come on or coil to heat up.
(manual) not to fast and not to slow, but slower then you would fast(if this makes sense)

1)bIf you are getting harsh throat hit and not enough vapor you could have over filled. Just blow a little out
1)c If you are getting burnt taste and harsh throat hit then you are most likely burring cotton or metal. just put more juice(remember that an over filled carto/atty is better then as under filled carto/atty

2)You never want to run an atty or carto dry. Its best to top it off through out the day(for best results)

3)There is no recommended vape time for any unit. Just vape to you fill you've had your limit(vape too long and you will get a buzz so be careful

4)As for cartridge, Im assuming you are refering to the juice that is in it right? If you are there are many different sites to choose from. I refer any beginner to LibertyFlights.com they have a juice that is called churchill or hotel. Both of these juices taste much like tobacco that have a hint af sweetness to them

5) Its all a personal preference when it comes to nic levels. I started at 36mg B/c I wanted to be sure to kick the habit, I wanted the buzz I got from a real cig and it was there, now I am at 18mg

6)safer then cigs... I hope. There are no long term effects confirmed yet so we dont know. My best guess would be that they are much safer then cigs
Hope this helped T41CK

 

[sk8man121]

Hi thanks for the response. In regards to the early part of your post, I should make it clear that I'm not filling my own cartridges; these are pre-filled and are part of the Smokeless Image smooth sampler pack.

 

[Baditude]

I'm using a 78mm battery with a 12 mg 555 cartridge that came in the Smokeless Image smooth sampler pack.

1.) What is the proper way to draw on this? I'm getting extremely harsh hits with huge amounts of HOT vapor, and it's burning my throat to the point where I cough almost every time.

The vapor from a vaporizer is different from the smoke from a cigarette. It took your body an adjustment time to use the cigarettes without coughing, the same is true for vapor. You may have a week or two where you cough, have a sore throat and/or dry mouth. Have plenty of water nearby and drink it while you vape. Vaping can cause some dehydration so keep everything moist and well lubed. ("That's what SHE said". )

2.) How long do these pre-filled carts last? How do you know when they run out?

It's been several months since I used the pre-filled cartos. Expensive and not cost efficient at all. Once you find a flavor or two that you like, buy some in a bottle and then fill your own cartomizers. It is super easy. Don't feel bad, I was once in the same place you are. You will be amazed with how much you will learn here in a couple of months.

The amount of time the pre-filled carto's last is roughly, what?...3-4 hours of continuous vaping? Trying to remember. If you had some bottled liquid of the same flavor you could "top it off" with several drops more of juice to prolong the carto's use. You immediately know when the carto is going dry....it will start to taste burnt or even harsher than what you are now experiencing. Stop using it...burning the polyfill brings on an extremely nasty taste. If you would wish to possibly save the carto to refill at a later date, cap both ends with the long rubbery plastic caps that came with the carto.

3.) How long do you "smoke" this thing until you're satisfied ie: how many drags is equivalent to having an actual cigarette? Tough to tell since the battery doesn't burn down to the cart!

This depends entirely up to the individual vapor. Some people are satisfied with short and soft inhales and be done with it for awhile. Some people are chain vapors, their unit is always in their hand and frequently being raised up for another vape. In short, there is no rule of thumb, whatever works for you.

I will add here; nicotine in vapor is absorbed differently than it is in smoke. Most nicotine will be absorbed in the mouth and throat, not so much in the lungs. Therefore, inhale into your mouth only, hold it, then inhale into the lungs if you wish. Like sucking on a milkshake. Slow steady inhales seem to work better than short hard pulls, probably because this allows the juice delivery device more time to catch up with the wick of juice to the heating coils.

Blow the vapor out through the mouth AND NOSE. The reason for this is our sense of taste is closely related to our sense of smell. Recall how bland food tasted when our nose was stopped up? That's because our sense of taste was muted because of our nose being unable to contribute to the taste ability.

Also know that your tastebuds are shot from years of smoking. They'll come back, but it will take some time after you are totally off the cigs. Until then, expect flavors to taste off.

4.) Can someone recommend a cartridge that would be a good fit for someone who used to smoke american spirits? I've tried Smokeless Image's 555 and Freedom, and neither of them taste like an actual cigarette. More like burnt popcorn.

Sorry to fill you in on a secret. Well, its not a secret. All the veterans know what I'm about to say. There is no e-juice flavor that can duplicate any of the cigarette flavors. It's not possible. There's just no way burning plant material and paper can be duplicated. Many try, but everyone fails. Best they can come up with is for the juice to smell like tobacco before it is burned.

Word of advice. Give up on finding a flavor that will taste like a cigarette. Instead, find a couple flavors amongst hundreds that you wouldn't mind vaping most of the day. The juice doesn't have to come from Smokeless Image. There are literally hundreds of e-juice vendors you can use. Blank cartos + bottled juice = win. There are tobacco, methol, candy, desert, fruit, coffee, adult beverage, etc. Get some sampler packs to try out to avoid wasting money on large bottles on flavors you may not care for. Once you find a sample you like, order more in a larger size.

5.) Is the general idea to start at something like 12 mg (i think this was "medium strength)" and work your way down to a lower dosage? Eventually I'd like to kick nicotine completely, although I don't feel as guilty now that I'm not combusting tobacco.

The idea is like that. I probably would have recommended you start at 18mg. But yes, the idea is to decrease the nicotine strength progressively. I think you will find that most vapors get to a certain spot and stay there, as they decide they like vaping too much to stop altogether. At least this is less harm than smoking to be sure.

6.) Last but not least: These things are um...safe, right?

The main concern with vaping is that it is still supplying nicotine to the body. Is nicotine harmful? Possibly. It is a stimulant, not unlike the caffeine found in coffee. I tend to believe it is safer than the cigarettes that I was smoking, so it's a WIN to me.

 

[Standpoint]

The hits being harsh is likely due to your throat transitioning from cigarettes. It will take a few days or a week then the harsheness should go away.

The Smokeless Image cartos are some of the best on the market. I've been vaping for years and still find them awesome. REFILL THEM! Do not throw them away when they are dry. They are super easy to refill. I personally top off one of their cartos every ten drags or so if possible and they will last a long time before the flavor gets to where you may want to throw them away - typically a week or two for me of constant use.

I recommend finding the flavor you like from their sampler pack, getting a five pack of that carto flavor, and a 30ml refill bottle. The bottle should last through the five cartos.

As far as how much to vape, I would vape as much as you want until you don't feel like it. As long as you are not smoking, then vape away. You will know if you get too much - kinda dizzy, nauseous.

The liquid is OK in tiny amounts, like if you get a bit in your mouth while vaping. It is toxic in high dosages, I wouldn't put drops directly in your mouth or anything

 

[sk8man121]

What do you guys know about the Johnson Creek pre-filled carts? Apparently they're made in the US. Will these work with the volt?

 

[Baditude]

I don't know much about them other than they supply some of the flavors for the BLU e-cig cartridges. Personally, I'd look elsewhere for a e-juice vendor. Look over the Juice sub-forum here for what brand names are discussed frequently. Alusion and Heather's Heaven Vapes seem to be popular vendors, although I have yet to try them.

Is there a reason why you seem to prefer the pre-filled carts?



I'll provide you with a couple of my favorite juice vendors so that you at least have a link to look over the variety of flavors available. Both of these vendors use organic flavoring (no artificial flavoring that can cause a chemical or perfumey taste). And unless requested otherwise, the juices are 100% vg. Both offer sampler flavor packs. Vaperite is currently offering a 20% discount with the code "20 OFF" at checkout.

Vaperite | E Liquid Flavors and Organic E Cigarette Liquid

Organically Flavored E-liquid | Virgin Vapor | Electronic Cigarette Organic e-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes
________

A useful link for beginning vapors to read can be found here in the InfoZone at the top of the page:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/infozone/new-ecigarette-user-guides.html

 

[Johnnie Price]

One point I haven't seen mentioned but it's worth being aware of is this:

All e-cigs are not alike. Even getting away from variable voltage, there's a big difference between brands. Most cig-sized sticks are unregulated, which means the voltage output drops as the battery is used. volt batteries are regulated, so until the battery is about to die they stay around 3.6-3.7 volts. This will produce a hotter and somewhat harsher vape than an unregulated battery, or a 510 which are usually at 3.4 volts.

I'm not knocking Volts. My only PV is a 1300 X2 and I absolutely love it. But there is a big difference between a S.I. battery and a normal 808, and a much bigger difference between an 808 and a 510. I imagine part of the reason the 510 is so beloved is because it produces a much cooler, and therefore less harsh, vape.

as far as nicotine being toxic, yes it is. It is highly toxic and even lethal at high concentrations in liquid form, and is easily absorbed by the skin. Nicotine is actually much less harmful in a gaseous form, as when being smoked or vaped. Your 12mg liquid is 12mg/100ml; 1.2% concentration. This isn't going to hurt you. A little bit of liquid in your mouth will be fine, though it will likely tingle a bit. Even if you buy a bottle of liquid at this concentration, a few drops on your fingers, or hell even 1/2 a mil spilled on you, isn't really going to do much. It might make you feel a little queasy to your stomach. But if a child or an animal gets ahold of it and consumes it all, it could severely poison or even kill them.

Are e-cigs and vaping safe? The jury is still out on this one. There are a handful of scientific strudies on the effects of vaping, and so far all results point to it being no worse of a smoking cessation device than the gum, patch or a nicotine inhaler. Hell, a nicotine inhaler is essentially PG and nicotine. Still, if you're concerned about the health effects of vaping, there is a sub-forum further down with links to the relevant medical studies.

Good luck!

 

[Johnnie Price]

What do you guys know about the Johnson Creek pre-filled carts? Apparently they're made in the US. Will these work with the volt?

Not without an adapter. The JC carts are 510 threaded and the Volt is 808 threaded. But you could buy the liquid, which is cheaper anyway, and fill your own cartos.

EDIT: To put it into perspective, you're spending about $8.00 for a 5-pack of pre-filled cartos, which hold about 1 milliliter each. or you spend about $8.00 for a 5-pack of blank cartos and another $5.00 - $8.00 for 15 milliliters of juice. So for roughly twice the cost of the pre-filled cartos you're getting three times as much use out of them.

 

[TBPlayer2112]

The Volt batteries use a 808 (or 901 connection? I can't recall). The Johnson Creek pre-filled cartos use a 510 connection. Also, they're made in such a way that you can only use them with their Vea batteries. You can use other manufacturers cartos on the Vea like LR Boges or SmokTech, but the Vea cartos will only work on the Vea.

 

[Baditude]

But you could buy the liquid, which is cheaper anyway, and fill your own cartos.

EDIT: To put it into perspective, you're spending about $8.00 for a 5-pack of pre-filled cartos, which hold about 1 milliliter each. or you spend about $8.00 for a 5-pack of blank cartos and another $5.00 - $8.00 for 15 milliliters of juice. So for roughly twice the cost of the pre-filled cartos you're getting three times as much use out of them.

Pre-filled cartos: 3-Five packs (15ml total liquid) = $16 [three times as many prefilled cartos needed compared to filling your own blanks.]

Blank carto & bottled juice: 1-Five pack + 15ml bottle = $16 [can refill each carto at least three times.]

 

[Johnnie Price]

Pre-filled cartos: 3-Five packs (15ml total liquid) = $16 [three times as many prefilled cartos needed compared to filling your own blanks.]

Blank carto & bottled juice: 1-Five pack + 15ml bottle = $16

Either way you're wasting cartos (and money), since 1 5-pack of blanks will last a month or more, whereas 3 5-packs of the pre-filled will last 15 days or less.

Though I probably should have mentioned that in my earlier post.

 

[tiggerrts]

I am not positive if this has been shown anywhere before, still too new, but let's see if this helps on the safety and study of e-cigs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wcdHwyOGhV0

 

[Standpoint]

You had asked regarding Johnson Creek. The company is based in Wisconsin, and has a very dedicated following. Their liquids on their site I believe are different than what you get through Blu, as the liquid they make for Blue is exclusive. I have purchased many ounces of liquid from them, and it used to be my favorite all day liquid. However, two summers ago something changed for me with the taste, and I now cannot stomach it at all. When I did like it though, I really liked it. I have found that they are one company that people have a real polarizing opinion of - some people love them, some people think they make the worst tasting liquid ever. I do find them to be expensive, personally, and also that many of their flavors taste very similar - I believe that the base they use overpowers the individual flavors of their liquids.

Overall, I would pick up a sampler pack and give them a try.

 

[klynnn]

Prefilled cartos are the most expensive way to vape. Most are not filled properly and they become very expensive to use. I always recommend people get their own liquid and fill themselves as soon as they are able. Juice is the hardest variable in vaping to work out. It just takes time and of course money.

 

[stremy]

Wow lots of info here guys.