Having a 'Exorcist' moment - Please help ;)

[gaijin]

Hey everyone,
First post and just wanted to say I am so glad that I found this forum before I ordered and ended up with a dud from a scam site (really would have happened).

If you didn't get my title reference, my head is spinning from all this new info. I am really excited to get started on the PV and off the tar.... but, I am an American living in Japan so I have some concerns... first and foremost since I don't make a lot of money over here and am a family man with a 2 year old, I can't really be ordering a new model every month trying to figure out which one is going to work for me, so any suggestions you might have for me would really be taken with a great deal of gratitude. I have read a lot of the reviews and other suggestions for others but haven't really understood what would be best for someone like me who isn't trying to quit smoking and actually likes smoking... I smoke about 2 packs a day of 14mg Seven Stars here and Camel Filters - the big fat ones dont know their mg - in the States) so kicking the tar habit will be a challenge i am sure, but I want to give it a go, but need something that has that throaty kick to it that most ultralight and light smokers say they hate, I am afraid if I don't get that I am not going to care about nicotine content lol.
I heard a bit about the SB and Improved 'V4' DSE-905 but would I really be getting anything better for my money with something else or is the SB really the best way to go for someone like me?

Next issue is, living in Japan, I am sure I will have to order international, so am I going to be having problems with customs confiscating my shipment or holding it for 30 days because its nicotine or liquids... and ending up at the convenience store with a pack of analogs?


Again, any advice is greatly appreciated!
Ryan ("gaijin" means "foreigner" in Japanese)

 

[gaijin]

edit - I am not trying WANTING to stop smoking, but TRYING to for my wife so if PV works out I probably wont be quitting that lol

 

[otter]

Try this eh

 

[gaijin]

wicked suggestion, i looked all over for japanese threads to no avail... so much thanks for the link!

 

[Guineahill]

Once you figure out what you want... remember how much you were spending on cigarettes and let yourself spend that amount or more on supplies - at least for a month or two - until you get stocked up. Get spare everything!

Most of us end up with more than one model. They do different things and are appropriate for different situations. So don't think you need to pick exactly the right one from the start. For many of us there isn't one right one, but two or three right ones!

Good luck!

 

[gaijin]

Thank you another great suggestion! I also thought I would share something else that I learned from some other Japanese that have been doing it awhile and ordering over seas. In this area (probably others as well) there are groups that do orders to cut down on the international shipping fees. Obviously you would want to get to know and trust them and check out their stats in the chats and try to speak with them in person if possible before getting involved in handing money to someone, but for those of us in far off places that don't sell this type of stuff it might be a pretty good idea on saving some $ or (￥ in my case) for the extra back up stuff and 2nd or 3rd "right ones" as Guineahill suggested as a norm for most people. The shipping on one package is probably as much or more than the cost of the unit itself

 

[otter]

Heck, you guys could get together and order wholesale if you're going that route.

 

[gaijin]

from what i understood that's what they have been doing is massive bulk orders from wholesalers... guess that doesn't help until I have a PV and decided what works for me though huh lol

 

[Thornbyrd]

For supplies look over the suppliers listed on the forum, there are some great suppliers in China that have a great selection of product.

One of the most popular models is the 510 which now are available with mega batteries and mega atty's so that maybe a model to look into. I've had good experience with mine as many others have on this forum as well.

Another thought since you seem really concerned about the throat hit, perhaps you may want to consider an e-cigar model. I have to admit I know nothing about these save for the few video reviews I've seen in the the review section.

Check out the review section on the forum- its an excellent place to start.

But be prepared it may take 2 or 3 models before you find your dream pv, its really hard to know what it is your really want or like until you have actually had a chance to try a model for yourself. Another pointer would be to review some of the sections about how to use an e-cig- as a 2pack a day smoker I can tell you that yes you can have the enjoyment of that smoking sensation through a pv but there is an art to learning how to use it that takes time.

Best of luck and welcome to the forum.

Thornbyrd

 

[gaijin]

Thank you Thornbyrd for all those suggestions! I will look into the models you suggested and the distributors as well. Most appreciated.

 

[otter]

Yeh, it's tough to argue against the 510 to start with, reliable, decent vape, comparatively inexpensive. Course if it becomes more of a hobby itself, you may wind up with all kinds of stuff ;

 

[gaijin]

HAHA, so I am finding out from others... but I do have a regulator on my hobby, Japanese wives are notoriously stingy so getting my money out of her purse (literally - she holds on to it pretty good) is going to probably be tougher than giving up the smoking

 

[Guineahill]

I know there is a ton of information out there and it can be kind of overwhelming sometimes. I think that the important part at this point is to pick one of the basic models that you think might work and just order it. You can figure out what you like and what you don't like once you actually have something in your hand. It doesn't have to be the right one... they all have good points and they all have bad points.

Now... the tricky part for you is where the heck do you order from? LOL - In the Supplier forum there are a couple in China. They are known for good prices but high shipping (that's to the US - I don't know about Japan.) You might want to check out their websites and see what they have to say about shipping to Japan. That might work out better for you because of the proximity.

 

[gaijin]

gotcha... yeah i think i have been decently convinced to back down from the bigger models (SB and Screwdriver types) in favor of either the 901 or the 510 with manual battery. Good points are they are a bit less expensive, and as you said there seem to be some other distribution options available for those models. Can I ask though, is there any benefit to ordering a kit as apposed to getting it piecemeal? Since Im not all into vanilla and chocolate flavored stuff (yet anyway - coffee and menthol flavored stuff is 100% out, I know that much), it seems a bit of a waste to be getting variety packs of the flavors and some other stuff i wont use like the wall chargers... odd as that sounds.

 

[DerekPGH]

hey man, this is not gonna come from anywhere in japan, but THAG BUILT: A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing! - its gonna take about 4 weeks to get it, but u can use rechargable batteries, buy the adapter pack, then u can just order the different attomizers and try those to see which one u like.

 

[MsSki]

Everyone here has thier own favorite model. I really didnt want to quit smoking but being a family of four and High prices for smokes..I looked in to ecigs. i wanted something that when in my hand reminded me of a smoke and gave the same effect.

I went with the joye510 and it has been very very awesome for me and it has converted my hubby too.


Good Luck
Tara

 

[Guineahill]

The kits are normally cheaper all together. But price it out both ways and see what is less expensive.

Make sure you get at least two batteries and two atomizers. Get a charger. (The wall ones usually charge faster but you might have plug, voltage, or current issues. Heck, I haven't been to Japan so I don't know!) The USB ones are nice and flexible... can plug into a computer, a car adapter, or a wall adapter. Buy some spare cartridges. And get three different strengths of liquid to start. If you spend a lot of time near a computer I recommend you get a USB pass-through. If you are out and away from your charger a lot then buy a PCC.

Once you get your goodies, play with them for a day or two and then ORDER more stuff! LOL - I'm serious about that. If you like what you have, then order a couple more batteries, atomizers, and liquid. Put an extra charger on your list also. If it seems like it is lacking in some area, then order a different kit. Regardless, you want to have enough stuff to last in case you drop your PV in a puddle or a bird swoops down and steals it or something breaks or fails. 8-o

And then... yep... order MORE stuff! Once you get a small stockpile you can relax and experiment more slowly.

You won't be spending as much money on cigarettes (if any) so don't be skimpy in the beginning when you are acquiring supplies. It will be much easier to succeed if you have all you need.

Both the 901 and the 510 are well respected. I think you will do well with either one. My only issue with the 510 is that the batteries don't last long between charges. So you might want to consider the mega batteries if you go with that model.

 

[Juan]

you look like a person that can begin with a strong passthrough... and my advice is to go into a passthrough which is inexpensive, and can offer you simple knowledge for a future stronger pv.

15-20 bucks are passthroughs
-no need to get starter kits.
-no constant charger.

and then from there on u can make a wisest decision about a serious wireless device.

 

[gaijin]

OK, sounds like a winner... I thank all of you for your input. Looks like I will be going with the Joye510 and doing it piecemeal. Please let me know if this sounds like enough to get me started (i.e. when I get the package I am not missing something necessary to actually try it out).

510 manual 280mAh x 2
1 mega atty
1 reg atty
10 pack of meg atty cartridges
10 pack of reg cartridges
USB charger
USB passthrough (yes I am a web designer who works from home, so all day I am right where I am now lol)
and 30ml of e-liquid (10ml each of 3 different blend flavors to see which tastes best)

Should that get me through my first couple weeks?

I found Heaven Gifts so thought I would order from there... seems prices are pretty good and they were recommended by some others.

I am going to the states in a few months so the PCC sounds like a good idea (not to mention maybe I might get to enjoy it whilst on a 20 hour flight - crossing fingers for an understanding flight crew)

Again, thanks to everyone for their fantastic suggestions and the help getting my head to stop rotating on its x-axis

 

[gaijin]

oh for anyone interested in the pricing, it came out cheaper (but ever so slightly) by piecemeal than it would be to get the kit and then add the extra battery, atty and passthrough (the kits only come singles through HG or through other companies they come in twos but close to double the price). there is wall charger adapter for the USB plug that is $3 so you could add that on if you were inclined to go that way. Plus gives the option of picking the bigger atty to test which i like better and choose a color besides white or black... just in case any other noob such as myself is checking this out. All in all it comes out under $100 depending on what level of e-liquid is chosen.


---edit----
actually i was mistaken in my calculations, the kits come with 2 pairs and HG said they would swap out whatever colors you want, so you might save $20 bucks or more by going with a kit.