Help a Newb who's got the basics down and is looking for something different. Maybe mech mod/bottom feed?

[aman74]

Ok, it's been a long journey to get to this point. I've been reading up off and on for a couple months now. Finally decided a couple days ago that I want to do this and I'm ready to order asap...I need to get off analogs! So the past couple days I've been reading for hours. I understand the basics of what a carto is vs a cartotank, vs a clearomizer, etc...

I kinda had decided on my starter setup of a couple ego Twists along with a clearomizer or two and a carto tank setup. I figured I'd try both as it seems to come down to preference. I was only intimidated by the cartotank setup until I actually started to read some guides and watch some tutorials. Doesn't seem bad to me. I don't understand some of the finer points, but I think that's down to just not having done it and actually had the equipment in front of me yet.

The thing that's kinda holding me back is the form factor. Even the ego 650 with a slim tank is kinda long and seems fragile for a pocket. It's also a bit frustrating that the only options to step up are all pretty big, ie: Vamo, Provari and the the like. A 18350 battery is pretty small, why does the PV have to be so big? Anything smaller out there?

So that brings me to where I started to go down the rabbit whole. I started reading about using different tubes on an 18650 to allow the use of the 18350, but they still seem pretty big. Some are called hyrbid? I'm still not sure what that is. In this thread they talk about a "chopped" Vamo and a hybrid sigelei, but the pics or links aren't there:

(had to take link out?)

So that lead me to learn about bottom feeders. I thought initially that it was only for rebuildables, but then saw a couple mentions that it could be used with a carto and with a factory atomizer, but I'm not sure exactly what that is. Atomizer is referred to as a lot of things around here. So if one of these could be used and they don't leak it might be just the ticket for more battery life in a pocket sized form that is less likely to break.

Most of these are mechanical though? Is a kick something that you add to a mech to make it variable voltage or wattage? I'm still a bit confused as to why a VV battery is the be all end all? I get that it's very adaptable, but it seems like once you get set on the ohm of your carto or clearo or whatever that you like it wouldn't be needed much, other than for experimenting?

So that leads me to my final curiosity. What about a side-by-side PV? I came across this thread:

(had to take link out?, it was a link to this very forum)...

That poster is much like me as far as wants, but he's willing to go rebuildable and I don't think I am. It seems though that a side-by-side could be used with a kick to add control though? Or can I use a mech mod with Cartos or is that dangerous because they vary so much and that's why mech mods are only for RBA's?

Ok, sorry I made this so long. I didn't meant to, but felt I needed to give some background. I might go back and edit or split it up into different posts if I find that it's too long for people to bother with.

Thanks in advance. It's much appreciated. I need to get this info as soon as I can...I want to order asap.

 

[WhiteHighlights]

Phew! You have been doing a lot of reading! You may want to check out a vape store (there are several in the Cleveland area) to help you narrow the search. I'd keep it simple to start. At a store you'll get a chance to figure out which is more comfortable to you, a box mod or a tube? You may find that the sizes aren't as big as you think. BTW - did you look at an iTaste MVP 2.0? It's a box mod and I've heard many people say that's the one they take out and about with them. Based on what you've written, it may work for you.

The benefit of VV (or VW) is that you can make adjustments to maximize the flavor of your juice. You start with a setting that matches the ohm of your atomizer and then you can tweek it up or down depending on how you like it.

Yes, it is good to try a clearomizer and carto-tanks so you can decide which you prefer. It really isn't that hard to set up the carto-tank, once you do it once! I made a bit of a mess the first time

I would not recommend a mech as your first device. You may decide to go there later. I've been vaping for awhile and decided to get a Provari (the mini isn't that big) and a REO (box mod, bottom feeder). I like them both for different reasons. There are a couple of mechs that interest me, but these two came first based on what I wanted. I recently started building coils. It's not that hard and I know what I'm aiming for in terms of ohms because I've spent enough time experimenting to know how I like my vape.

Good luck!

 

[klynnn]

I would not start with a mech mod there is just too much to learn at first. Start with a vv/vw mod and learn your way around what ohms resistance all mean. A regulated mod gives the ability to vape while you learn. Start with a vamo/or zmax/svd. Get set up with a good charger and batteries before you even think about going further. Just realize lots of people have several different types of mods/mechs but it takes a while to learn the best way to use them.

 

[aman74]

Phew! You have been doing a lot of reading! You may want to check out a vape store (there are several in the Cleveland area) to help you narrow the search. I'd keep it simple to start. At a store you'll get a chance to figure out which is more comfortable to you, a box mod or a tube? You may find that the sizes aren't as big as you think. BTW - did you look at an iTaste MVP 2.0? It's a box mod and I've heard many people say that's the one they take out and about with them. Based on what you've written, it may work for you.

The benefit of VV (or VW) is that you can make adjustments to maximize the flavor of your juice. You start with a setting that matches the ohm of your atomizer and then you can tweek it up or down depending on how you like it.

Yes, it is good to try a clearomizer and carto-tanks so you can decide which you prefer. It really isn't that hard to set up the carto-tank, once you do it once! I made a bit of a mess the first time

I would not recommend a mech as your first device. You may decide to go there later. I've been vaping for awhile and decided to get a Provari (the mini isn't that big) and a REO (box mod, bottom feeder). I like them both for different reasons. There are a couple of mechs that interest me, but these two came first based on what I wanted. I recently started building coils. It's not that hard and I know what I'm aiming for in terms of ohms because I've spent enough time experimenting to know how I like my vape.

Good luck!

Thanks much for taking the time to reply. Do you happen to know the Vape stores in Cleveland? I googled in the past and found a thread here I believe, but their didn't seem to be any at the time on the westside. I'll have to look again.

The REO was the one I'm really looking at. I even called them yesterday, they seem like great folks and the support on the forum here is great.

I did have a beginners setup all planned out...a couple twists and a couple toppers picked out. I just don't like the form factor so started looking more and also figured it would save money on the buying twice that everyone seems to do. Besides the form factor of the REO, I also like that I can start with cartos on it and then go to building if I get to that point. I think it can take clearos and cartotanks with adapters, but not sure.

I get the VV voltage helping fine tune things, but this can also be done with what ohm carto/atty you choose. I suppose some of them are off from the factory though and if you have a 3.7 volt battery you can never go to a real high ohm topper. Seems more flexible, but here's what I find curious. Getting one is considered to give a superior product beyond what a newb gets to experience. Yet, the most advance set-up is considered a mech, which isn't variable, so you have to build a coil within a certain range....same thing essentially that you'd be doing with a beginner setup with picking a carto ohm to match your non-vv battery.

Also, the general consensus that a plain old cigalike battery with a carto on it is the ultimate newb setup, yet this is essentially what a carto tank setup is, you just have tagalong juice. Not only that, but you have people smoking cartos on top of REOs! Does having a tank around a carto or bottom feeding it really effect the vape that much? The only difference is that you'd be able to make the carto basically always full. Maybe that does change the vape a lot.

Anyhow, just a newb who's done a lot of reading. With every hobby I've gotten into there's always forum general consensus and myths that don't hold up to scrutiny. Just wondering if I found some. I won't know for sure until I jump in.

All this being said I may just go the simple route at first. Not that I don't think the REO is possible for a new guy, but it just might be too much to take in at first while discovering what type of vape I like.

In my minds eye I don't think I'm looking for a lot of throat hit and don't care about competition clouds. That's one thing that makes me second-guess the REO choice as I'd only be able to use low ohms. According to REOsmods I could go from 1.5 to about 2.3-2.5, but I see most saying stay at 1.8 or below, so I'm worried this is more of a strong TH setup?

Thanks again!

 

[aman74]

I would not start with a mech mod there is just too much to learn at first. Start with a vv/vw mod and learn your way around what ohms resistance all mean. A regulated mod gives the ability to vape while you learn. Start with a vamo/or zmax/svd. Get set up with a good charger and batteries before you even think about going further. Just realize lots of people have several different types of mods/mechs but it takes a while to learn the best way to use them.

Thanks, I might do that in the end. I'm just the type to ask a lot of questions and go about it my way.

 

[gray134]

hi i was in the same position a couple of months ago and went ego and twists with clearos then a bcc tank and ended up with what looked like a sonic screwdriver.

i made the jump to a mech after a lot of reading, should say im pretty confident with electrics but found i prefer a consistent vape and a mech changes as the battery drains. i have a kick fuse in my mech now so i can regulate the wattage. have also bought a vamo and would probably have gone this route at first as it adds a lot of safety if your wary about electrics or not sure about ohms law.

if you go the mech route a few things you should be aware of

get a multimeter - need to check batteries are holding a stable voltage and not dropping too low

check the ampage battery can put out compared to what your resistance will try to draw

make sure you dont have a short in your coil - check resistance is stable before firing via multimeter

if at all unsure go with a vv device and look at a tank like a kanger aerotank or a taifun gt if you want to rebuild coils

 

[aman74]

hi i was in the same position a couple of months ago and went ego and twists with clearos then a bcc tank and ended up with what looked like a sonic screwdriver.

i made the jump to a mech after a lot of reading, should say im pretty confident with electrics but found i prefer a consistent vape and a mech changes as the battery drains. i have a kick fuse in my mech now so i can regulate the wattage. have also bought a vamo and would probably have gone this route at first as it adds a lot of safety if your wary about electrics or not sure about ohms law.

if you go the mech route a few things you should be aware of

get a multimeter - need to check batteries are holding a stable voltage and not dropping too low

check the ampage battery can put out compared to what your resistance will try to draw

make sure you dont have a short in your coil - check resistance is stable before firing via multimeter

if at all unsure go with a vv device and look at a tank like a kanger aerotank or a taifun gt if you want to rebuild coils

Thanks for the tips, you're right, safety is a concern. I thought about putting a kick in if I got a REO.

Isn't a bcc a clearo? I thought it stood for bottom coild changeable...

 

[twgbonehead]

Thanks for the tips, you're right, safety is a concern. I thought about putting a kick in if I got a REO.

Isn't a bcc a clearo? I thought it stood for bottom coild changeable...

First to your question, yes, a BCC IS a bottom-coil changeable (and a clearo). You can either change the heads or rebuild them.
(EDIT) I think the poster you were referencing meant a TCC, like a CE4 when he said clearo. The lingo is a bit vague.

I would also recommend an MVP for your battery, though. Much easier to start with than a tube mod and batteries, and is in no way a "lightweight" PV.

Your real challenge will be in finding the right juices; that's the major startup hassle for almost every vaper.

 

[Tinkiegrrl]

If you liked the reo, but are interested more in a variable volt or variable watt device that has some battery regulation, then I suggest the MVP 2. It's smaller then it looks. In fact, many of the PV's you mentioned are all smaller then they appear to be online generally speaking. I use an MVP with a cartotank from IBTanked. Also, the MVP can be found for around $40. It's an excellent device that can go days without a recharge. The atomizers you would use with a bottom feeder like the reo look like cartomizers without the pollyfill. Usually, you drip liquid into the top and then vape. With a bottom feeder, you squeeze juice up to the heating coil. For a beginner like yourself though I'd go with something simple that you don't need to think about a lot. The MVP will let you adjust the wattage, which is a calculation between the volts your device puts out and the resistance of your coil/atomizer/cartomizer. It's like variable volt, only does the math for you and once you set it to what you want you don't need to reset it to the right voltage when you change your topper and the resistance is different then the one you had on originally. It also comes with a clearomizer, so you can try that too.

 

[Tinkiegrrl]

First to your question, yes, a BCC IS a bottom-coil changeable (and a clearo). You can either change the heads or rebuild them.
(EDIT) I think the poster you were referencing meant a TCC, like a CE4 when he said clearo. The lingo is a bit vague.

I would also recommend an MVP for your battery, though. Much easier to start with than a tube mod and batteries, and is in no way a "lightweight" PV.

Your real challenge will be in finding the right juices; that's the major startup hassle for almost every vaper.

Eh. I for one loved and still love to try new juices. Doesn't have to be pricey either. You can head over to the sub forum called pay it forward once you have a bough posts and trade juices you spent money on and didn't like for ones that you do. Only thing it'll cost is shipping.

 

[gray134]

never heard them called "TCC" before but thats what i meant, im still learning new things everyday

knowing what i do now i would have gone for a variable voltage device

mechs look nice but you have to take precautions and tinker away alot more than a VV and if your trying to find your preffered vape a VV would be a good way to go

between us i picked up the missus a vamo a few days ago and she is over the moon, i havent mentioned that i also picked it up to allow me to test liquids at different wattages, and to test my coils on

 

[aman74]

I finally made an order.

I just ordered an Ego Twist, 650 mah. I was going to get a bigger one as well as I know I'll need to have two around, but I need to make sure I like this first. I also got an Ibtanked tank for it with some Smoke cartos as Ikenvapes are oos. I might not need vv down the road, but I agree it's nice to have, especially when discovering what you like.

I got this air flow controller: EgO Battery Air Flow Controller

I'm confused as to how Ego's have both Ego threading and 510 threading. I imagine I'll understand when I see it. I got that Ego threaded air flow over the 510 style because it looked like this way I can have it also act as a beauty ring. Did I get that right?

I also got a bottle with a needle tip and also a separate needle tip cap. I thought these might be more convenient than a syringe with one less thing to clean, but do they work as well? Also do the separate needle tip caps fit most ejuice bottles? I saw that after I saw the bottles so added it to a different order because I figured then I could just screw the cap on and not have to transfer juice to the needle tip bottle. I've got to say it's hard to order a lot of this stuff when you don't know exactly what's what and what is needed.

Editing to add that I forgot to talk about how I went to a local shop to check out how this all works, to some extent anyhow. I felt bad for not buying there, but they were oos of everything I would have wanted. Their own juices seemed just ok from my noob palate, but they carried Flavorz by Joe as well and the one I tried seemed better than the stuff they mix.

I've got say though that none of them had what I would call a lot of flavor. People here go on and on about the flavor so I assumed it was a big part of the experience. It was nothing special for me really. They were using Kanger Evods I believe for the testors, maybe that has something to do with it, but they obviously liked the setups so maybe I'm just not that impressed with Vaping yet.

I did also try a carto briefly and that was a bit better. I did get to try a dripping atty, some sort of RBA and that was much more impressive. He had it sub ohm'd on a mech mod though and it was too much throat hit and heat for me. This did give me an idea of the different type of vape experiences though and helped me to make some decisions as to that and size of equipment. I think I did like the warmer vape a bit better, but I don't think I'm really looking for a lot of TH. I went with cartos because people seem to say it's a bit closer to an RBA in quality over a clearo as far as flavor goes and I just wasn't getting much flavor off their clearos....maybe some are much better?

I'm also not a fan of smoking off silica and I'm guessing the silica in a carto is a bit safer because of the filler blocking any shreds that might emerge? That concern makes me want to jump right to an RBA though where I could use cotton and make the coil and not have to wonder what random residues, poor wicks, filler material are in my vape.

 

[aman74]

Oh, I got some juice from LJ Esmoke. I think they're all Flavorz by Joe. I got Heaven's Nectar, Papa Smurf and White something, the tobacco one. They only had one of them in the "sample" size of 5ml though. Is there anywhere I can go that has some small sizes or deals and/or freebies on samples?

I need to look up what steeping is and how to DIY. Anyone doing DIY and how much do you save that way?

 

[Moonswanni]

Ego threaded tank is on the left. It connects to the battery connector on the outside.

510 is on the right. In goes inside the connector on the battery.

 

[DaveP]

Visiting a local B&M vape store would let you examine everything and become familiar with the size and shape and features of mods and mechs. There's nothing like begin able to touch and feel and experience the difference. Pictures and descriptions just don't give you the same sense.

VV/VW mods are safer since they limit current and detect shorts. You can always play with a mech once you have vaped for a while.

 

[aman74]

Ego threaded tank is on the left. It connects to the battery connector on the outside.

510 is on the right. In goes inside the connector on the battery.

Thanks, so one is outside and one is inside and the Ego's have both?

I guess I'll find out about my airflow controller when I get it.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Aman, I don't know if hardware really, really helps starting.

What really, really helped me was making sure that I did not want a cigarette at ANY time. I started with a bottle of 36mg juice so that I knew I would get my urge covered.

I also got spares so that if something happened I had a back-up. &^%$# happens. In my car is a complete system. The car is never far from me, so I never feel the need to get a pack of cigs. I got a couple of extra tanks, extra coils, batteries, etc. I had no excuse.

I really had no taste buds at that point, so flavor had to be strong. Mint, menthol, etc. I have the same bottle of Candy Cane and it is actually to strong in flavor. Getting the "demure" peach is just not important.

I have to say that it becoming a hobby has really helped. Cigs have minimal variance, vaping can go in all kinds of directions. It is fun trying things.

I hope you succeed and enjoy. We are always here.

 

[DaveP]

Lots of good points have been made in this thread. If you are hesitant about tube length and size, it's more about getting used to the fact that battery life and size go hand in hand. The 18650 battery isn't that long, but the electronics and the atomizer threaded end add to the length.

If you want something shorter, look at the MVP and VTR mods. They are box shaped and compact, but they still deliver great vapes and big clouds. The atomizer can fit right into the side of the mod if it isn't too wide. If your tank choice won't fit inside the standard mount, they come with an extender that lifts and puts the atomizer thread on the corner, but that makes the unit taller by the height of the tank.

Some time spent looking at all the options in person will pay off in an intelligent choice that you feel good about. There's lots of benefits gained by comparing them all in person where you can touch and feel and try them out.

 

[NealBJr]

I finally made an order.

I just ordered an Ego Twist, 650 mah. I was going to get a bigger one as well as I know I'll need to have two around, but I need to make sure I like this first. I also got an Ibtanked tank for it with some Smoke cartos as Ikenvapes are oos. I might not need vv down the road, but I agree it's nice to have, especially when discovering what you like.

I got this air flow controller: EgO Battery Air Flow Controller

I'm confused as to how Ego's have both Ego threading and 510 threading. I imagine I'll understand when I see it. I got that Ego threaded air flow over the 510 style because it looked like this way I can have it also act as a beauty ring. Did I get that right?

I also got a bottle with a needle tip and also a separate needle tip cap. I thought these might be more convenient than a syringe with one less thing to clean, but do they work as well? Also do the separate needle tip caps fit most ejuice bottles? I saw that after I saw the bottles so added it to a different order because I figured then I could just screw the cap on and not have to transfer juice to the needle tip bottle. I've got to say it's hard to order a lot of this stuff when you don't know exactly what's what and what is needed.

Editing to add that I forgot to talk about how I went to a local shop to check out how this all works, to some extent anyhow. I felt bad for not buying there, but they were oos of everything I would have wanted. Their own juices seemed just ok from my noob palate, but they carried Flavorz by Joe as well and the one I tried seemed better than the stuff they mix.

I've got say though that none of them had what I would call a lot of flavor. People here go on and on about the flavor so I assumed it was a big part of the experience. It was nothing special for me really. They were using Kanger Evods I believe for the testors, maybe that has something to do with it, but they obviously liked the setups so maybe I'm just not that impressed with Vaping yet.

I did also try a carto briefly and that was a bit better. I did get to try a dripping atty, some sort of RBA and that was much more impressive. He had it sub ohm'd on a mech mod though and it was too much throat hit and heat for me. This did give me an idea of the different type of vape experiences though and helped me to make some decisions as to that and size of equipment. I think I did like the warmer vape a bit better, but I don't think I'm really looking for a lot of TH. I went with cartos because people seem to say it's a bit closer to an RBA in quality over a clearo as far as flavor goes and I just wasn't getting much flavor off their clearos....maybe some are much better?

I'm also not a fan of smoking off silica and I'm guessing the silica in a carto is a bit safer because of the filler blocking any shreds that might emerge? That concern makes me want to jump right to an RBA though where I could use cotton and make the coil and not have to wonder what random residues, poor wicks, filler material are in my vape.

Ok.. nothing wrong with a Carto. IBTanked is a good tank system. I missed the thread completely in the beginning, but I'll post some recommendations anyways.

A good ideal starting point for someone who is patient, is an EGO 1100MaH VV device. It is a hybrid type setup, which offers the safety of an Ego, with the option to go variable voltage in the future. 1100MaH is a good length, since it will last a while. When I first got off of smoking, I was chainvaping quite a bit. I had a 1000MaH and a 900MaH, and one battery would last me halfway through the day. Also, the 900MaH battery seemed to give a bit more voltage, and I preferred that one over the 1000MaH one. In hindsight, a VV 1100MaH would have been a good starter, but maybe add a second battery to vape as the other one charges. These batteries take about 3 hours to charge, so if you have just one battery, that's 3 hours of not vaping.

For the atomizer and top part I, like many others, started with what's called a CE4 clearomizers. For their time, they were great, but they had their downsides. Since then, there has been many improvements on the CE4, and they came out with more improvements. There still is no "perfect atomizer" and I doubt there ever will be. But the improvements in the last year alone have been amazing. I have a Mini protank 2 as a portable atomizer to fit on top of my EGO type battery and the vapor is amazing.

Since you're new, I would advise some sort of a glass tank. Since you'll be trying different juices, you'll need something easy to clean out and made of glass. A mini protank fits that bill exactly. When you change flavors in a cartomizer/carto tank, you'll have to boil the flavor out of it then let it dry for a while before you try a new juice, or switch to a whole new cartomizer. With a mini protank, you can switch the heads, or clean the heads as well. It's a bit less of a hassle. CE5's or Vivi novas are other options I'd recommend since they too are easily cleanable and can have replaceable heads. However, those have plastic tanks, and if you run across a "tank cracking juice", you'll end up with a mess. I've also heard good reviews on the Aerotank, but I've yet to try one myself.

As far as the needle tips go, you'll want those with cartomizers, but not necessarily carto tanks. Needle tips offer the chance to fill in small places, and you probably won't need it for carto tanks. They're ok, but If ind it a lot harder to squeeze juice out of and I only need it for one application. It's good that you got one though, since you might need it for something you're trying in the future.

Now, for the 510 and EGO connection, the 510 connection is the inner and the EGO is the outer threads. From the battery's point of view, The 510 connector is the female hole, and the EGO threads are the male outer threads. An Ego connector is much larger than the 510.

And lastly, there's the silica. I doubt silica shreds come out. , but I'm in the minority on this opinion. I've been using rebuildables, dual coil, mech mods, etc, and I've not seen any silica shreds. There is no filter or filler between where you inhale and the silica in a cartomizer, so your risk is just the same. If cotton is an issue, you can rebuild Protanks, vivi nova's, aerotanks, etc with cotton, but I'd recommend getting some experience first in general vaping before I'd recommend that. There is no cotton option IMO for cartomizers.

I do a lot of ordering online, and I do a lot of ordering from China. I'll post links to the order sites, but only for a reference of what to look for. The prices will be lower, but order times will be higher, and no support for new folks.

VV EGO
Mini Protank 3 (Dual coil)
Mini protank 2 clone (single coil)
Aerotank

Take those pictures that I gave you and use them as a reference, I'd still suggest you buy and ask advice from your local vape shop since they can answer questions hands on. Support will also be much quicker than waiting on E-mail.