Hello from SoCal

[nqabassist26]

Howdy everybody,

Just posting my first thread here on the ECF, you all seem to be a very nice and mild-mannered crowd!

I'd like to start by saying that I am age 21, and smoked analogs since I was 16. I bought my first "ecig" from a local smokeshop (like most people). I'm still not familiar enough with battery sizes or the sizes of the connection, but it was an njoy express kit NJOY Express - NJOY and the cartridges it came with had a stronger throat hit and better taste than what my friends were experimenting with at the time. (This was about 6 months ago) so I was content.

But it didn't feel like enough, so....

After a tiny bit of research and watching some videos on youtube, I ended up buying an Ego clone called a Kgo because of the price. It works well for me so far, and I've been using it with a Cannon drip tip from Cherryvape on a Joy 306 LR with 18mg juice from Pinkspot. Everything about it is much better than my old ecig, as it should be, but I'm getting at that stage where I want change, and Christmas is coming. I feel like I'm not getting the type of vape I really want out of my ecig.

My question is, do you recommend going into a more complicated set up? I've read up but I'm still very confused on how to approach my next mod. Battery ohms, voltages, mah, juice mixes (pg vg ratio), VV mods, cartos, tanks, etc. It's a lot to absorb, and I still can't wrap my head completely around it, so I guess I really asked my question already.

Do you guys think it'd be a good idea to try to get into something more complicated? Were any of you at the stage I'm at and took the plunge and went for it?

Thank you everyone.

-Matt

 

[roxics]

You've got a great setup already. The cheapest route is to try different cartos and atty's. Otherwise you could get into higher voltage which will give you a warmer and stronger hit. But it's not for everyone.

 

[roxics]

To answer your question, yes I upgraded from an eGo/Riva to a Silver Bullet with AW 18650 batteries for 3.7 volt vaping and stacked AW RCR-123 LiFEPO4's for 6 volt vaping. I usually start with 3.7v in the morning and when I need a bigger kick as the day goes on I switch to 6v with dual coil cartos.

 

[DC2]

Where are you in SoCal?

There is a great shop in Laguna Beach that you can visit.
And there are others scattered around SoCal as well.

Getting personalized service is a great way to get a handle on what you're looking for.

If you're not near Laguna Beach, then this might help...
VaporSearchUSA

 

[brianishiwa]

Yes, do tell, where in SoCal? Welcome!

Your kGO isn't just an eGo clone - it is *the* eGo style battery to own! Great choice.

Try different cartos, get some tanks, and you'll be at a great place. If you're anywhere near OC, you can even sample my gear to get a better grasp.

Again, welcome neighbor.

 

[thepassionofchad]

Sounds like a nice setup, can't wait my new toys for Christmas =]

 

[Maximillian]

Heyas nqabassist26,

I have several vv mods and love them! Now, instead of searching for the perfect carto, I can use up all the cartos I bought in that search, and have every single one as close to perfect as possible just by turning a dial.




Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable

 

[tmcase]

I have to agree with Max. If you don't want to keep spending money trying lots of different mods then variable voltage is the way to go. You can dial it in for any carto you put on it. Some cartos and juice are better at lower temps and some at higher temps. You can't go wrong with VV. You don't have to spend a lot of money on a VV mod either. There are a lot on inexpensive ones to try before you decide to go for the larger more expensive ones.

 

[jonny2hottie]

i always considered VV's as advance user devices and never recommend them to newbie users. a good tube mod will do the trick. like a SB or a prodigy v3 can easily do 3.7/5/6/7.4v all dependent upon the wishes of the user. they are simple to use and not too confusing. these are just my personal opinions. ::ducks from the tomatoes being thrown::

 

[bobsyeruncle]

I would recommend a Lava Tube (variable volt) over a tube mod. The only thing the kit is really missing is drip tips, which you already have. You might also be interested in using it with Ce2 clearomizers.

The thing about tube mods is that you want to figure out the ideal atomizer resistance (1.5, 2, 3 - 5 ohms) and pair that up with the right batteries: 1 18650 @ 3.7 volts, 2 16340 @ 3.0 volts, 2 16340 @ 3.7 volts or 1 18650 NiMh @ 4.8 volts. Manufacturing a tube mod is relatively easy. Finding your ideal settings isn't.

You might also consider a 5 volt passthrough to play around with while you're on your computer. You should get a USB wall plug for it rather than trying to use the computer's USB port. MadVapes has a good selection. It's cheaper than jumping on the endless upgrade train.

As far as juice mixes go, 100% PG will give you the most flavour and throat hit. VG dulls the flavour, but gives you more vapour. Pure VG also has the consistency of syrup, which makes it harder to to fill up a cartomizer, and harder for the cartomizer to wick properly. Cutting VG with water or alcohol helps. A good mix is about 70% PG and 30% VG, but you may find a different sweet spot. Your ejuice is a mixture of nicotine extract, PG, VG, flavouring and (optionally) water or alcohol. Mixing it yourself isn't hard if you want to go that route.

 

[Maximillian]

i always considered VV's as advance user devices and never recommend them to newbie users. a good tube mod will do the trick. like a SB or a prodigy v3 can easily do 3.7/5/6/7.4v all dependent upon the wishes of the user. they are simple to use and not too confusing. these are just my personal opinions. ::ducks from the tomatoes being thrown::

lol. I'm not gonna throw any tomatoes, but...

I think an easy to use vv mod like an i-pro or a little sister is easier to use than the tube mods where you have a confusing variety of battery combinations to choose from. Just put in the same batteries every time, and adjust a thumbwheel when you change cartos/atties/juices/whatever. Easy peasy


Maximillian the Mostly Mischievious

 

[nqabassist26]

Thank you for all the replies everybody, I appreciate em all.

To address the question from my locals, I'm from Valencia, it's a suburb 20 mins north of Hollywood, or more famously known as the place that has Six Flags Magic Mountain

I really am enjoying my Kgo plenty, it has great battery life, seems reliable and looks fairly classy in the black finish I got it in, but I have a problem of getting obsessed with my current hobby. And since vaping is a drastic improvement to my health over analogs, I don't feel too ashamed going a little wild and spending some money on something new.

After a little more reading, I think I decided that I shall go ahead and get a VV mod of some sort. My only real fear of them was what the consequences could be if I dialed in an inappropriate voltage for a certain atomizer or carto. Say I put my 306lr on the VV and dialed it in at a high voltage, would it blow up? (probably not, but would it fry the atomizer?)

Are there any real guidelines as to knowing how to have a good set up for a certain combination of Voltage, atomizer and resistance? Questions like these are really what held me back from impulse buying one.

I wouldn't even mind a tank on my Kgo, but I don't know how to approach using or assembling one. Youtube videos really can make things more confusing sometimes

Once again, I'm just a noob for now, but I'm really interested in the whole thing and can't wait to tackle it in the very near future.

Thank you all

- Matt


P.S Is there a good list I can find of simple to use VV mods? Or any other ones you guys recommend.

 

[Maximillian]

Heyas,

I don't know of any list per se, but you can start haunting Mods Discussion . I have 2 vv mods from notcigs which are very easy to use. An infinity pro and a buzz pro. Most vv mods have a current cutoff built into them, so if you crank the voltage too high with an atty that has too low a resistance, it'll either cutoff or adjust the voltage downwards. I think the notcigs ones cutoff at 3A. Not positive about that though. Seems I read the provari or darwin (or both) cutoff at 2.5A. Once again, I could be way off though. There are also a slew of vv box mods out there. Madvapes and kens box mods come to mind. I think foxy box mods also makes one or more vv models.

Since I only have direct experience with the notcigs vv mods, they're the only ones I can say are super easy to use. If you put the batts in the wrong way, it just doesn't work. To turn it off, you just unscrew the bottom cap a bit. A quarter turn or so, and there's no possibility of it firing then. Voltage adjustment is made using a thumbwheel that's easy enough to turn, but stiff enough to not change if you put it in your pocket or a bag or whatnot. There's no display for voltage or watts or ohms or whatnot, but that doesn't really bother me. The thumbwheel does have colored markings on it so you can see about where it's set, and I just adjust it to suit my taste without worrying about the numbers . Both are available in black, blue, and purple, and the bp in satin silver and the i-pro in chrome (I think). i-pro + 1 set of batts + charger is about ~$110 - 115 with coupon code, bp is about $30 more.

I do have a provari in the mail. Am curious to see how it performs. But, the provari with the extended endcap and 1 batt was over $200 during their one day cybermonday sale. And I've read that discounts on the provari like that are quite rare.


Hope this helps. Others will probably chime in on the other vv mods out there.




Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable

 

[nqabassist26]

Heyas,

I don't know of any list per se, but you can start haunting Mods Discussion . I have 2 vv mods from notcigs which are very easy to use. An infinity pro and a buzz pro. Most vv mods have a current cutoff built into them, so if you crank the voltage too high with an atty that has too low a resistance, it'll either cutoff or adjust the voltage downwards. I think the notcigs ones cutoff at 3A. Not positive about that though. Seems I read the provari or darwin (or both) cutoff at 2.5A. Once again, I could be way off though. There are also a slew of vv box mods out there. Madvapes and kens box mods come to mind. I think foxy box mods also makes one or more vv models.

Since I only have direct experience with the notcigs vv mods, they're the only ones I can say are super easy to use. If you put the batts in the wrong way, it just doesn't work. To turn it off, you just unscrew the bottom cap a bit. A quarter turn or so, and there's no possibility of it firing then. Voltage adjustment is made using a thumbwheel that's easy enough to turn, but stiff enough to not change if you put it in your pocket or a bag or whatnot. There's no display for voltage or watts or ohms or whatnot, but that doesn't really bother me. The thumbwheel does have colored markings on it so you can see about where it's set, and I just adjust it to suit my taste without worrying about the numbers . Both are available in black, blue, and purple, and the bp in satin silver and the i-pro in chrome (I think). i-pro + 1 set of batts + charger is about ~$110 - 115 with coupon code, bp is about $30 more.

I do have a provari in the mail. Am curious to see how it performs. But, the provari with the extended endcap and 1 batt was over $200 during their one day cybermonday sale. And I've read that discounts on the provari like that are quite rare.


Hope this helps. Others will probably chime in on the other vv mods out there.




Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable

Thank you very much! I'll be checking out both of those soon.

 

[nqabassist26]

Edit: Woops, double post. Sorry about that.

 

[bobsyeruncle]

You want to look for circuit protection in a VV mod. Which narrows down your choices to Lava Tube, Buzz Pro, Infinity Pro, Provari and Darwin.

Make sure you get the right batteries and charger for your mod. Depending on your model, you often have to buy them separately.

You would also want to look for atomizers or cartomizers at around 3 ohms. However, you may be able to use up your existing collection at a lower voltage.

 

[tmcase]

When ever I use a new carto or atty on any of my VV PVs I always dial it down to a low voltage before taking a draw. This will prevent frying your net carto or atty. You can then increase the voltage as needed in small increments. You will love VV.