Help me choose my first mod/APV: not interested in provari, under 100!

[Punkonjunk]

after reading through a couple threads about the provari, those people remind me of the worst kinds of apple users, which has kind of turned me off on the product; it seems a lot like quite a price to make people feel better about the big bucks; I could be wrong, for sure! But it really doesn't seem to have much on cheaper options besides "build quality."

So, at first I was dead set on this kit:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1411/10004705/1362807
(please tell me if those batteries will explode my face)

It's complete, it looks nice, and I really like the whole, built in multimeter thing.

Buuut....
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1411/10004594/1376500
This also looks really nice. I'll have to get batteries separate, and a charger, and so on, but it's also slick and appears to have roughly the same features.

But there are a LOT of mods floating around, and I'm having trouble differentiating what's going to be my best bet.
So, any suggestions/reasoning for such suggestions?

Besides wanting to know my resistance without having to whip out the multimeter, I also really like the rubberized grip, and I really like the cylindrical shape.... those huge box-batteries are kinda horrible, and I already have a 5000mah charger in my little kit I use for my phone and tools and such.

My dream APV would still support changable batteries, but would also have it's own built in charge controller to accept a usb charger ala ego style batteries. I have two ego twists I can readily charge with my charger, but I'd really like something big, with huge capacity, I can also readily trickle full with my pack if I'm traveling and such. Or even, if it had a pass-through function in addition to using changeable cells.

 

[Ahoy]

cheapest vamo mod vv vw starter kit

Chrome Lambo 4.0 with Resistance Checker | Variable Voltage Ecig


You might be able to find some cheaper than that, as I just did a quick search and found what eems to be what you are looking for.

There are some great ego twist and vision spinner kits out there as well! I would definately recommend looking into those as for one of your first mods.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

I haven't personally heard of a Kamry before but others might have. I have never purchased from fasttech but I also hear mixed things about the company so go with your gut! and research of course

 

[Dana A]

A lot of people like the vamo. I would get a quality charger and batteries no matter what you buy for your mod. I had my charger go out once and I was lucky to have 5 charged batteries while waiting on the new one.

 

[cedric212]

Personally, I would go with the SVD basic kit and assemble an order like this:

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1411/10004594/1370201

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1/...r-protank-clearomizer-with-pyrex-glass-tank-2

http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...ore-i2-lithium-li-ion-ni-mh-ni-cd-smart-batte
OR
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1421/10001638/1119502

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1420/10001980/1141101
OR
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1233700

Use coupon code BLF to knock 5% off the batteries and charger.

 

[bnrkwest]

Shop around and get what you want. Initial price is not always the issue, check out threads here on ECF about problems with XXX... mod/APV to see if what you are looking at has a long life expectancy. Some seem to only last 6 mos, then you will need something else. You will find fans of high end mods for a reason tho, tried and true and long lasting, Reo, Genesis, Provari, Darwin and even more I may not be aware of It is not initial cost but longevity and quality that makes them popular and full of fans But choice is yours! Have fun shopping! bnrk

 

[BigBaby]

after reading through a couple threads about the provari, those people remind me of the worst kinds of apple users, which has kind of turned me off on the product; it seems a lot like quite a price to make people feel better about the big bucks; I could be wrong, for sure! But it really doesn't seem to have much on cheaper options besides "build quality."

I have to stop reading here even though I was fully prepared to read your entire post, consider your budget, and make appropriate recommendations. I don't know you, but I already had a sense of respect for you because you are a fellow vaper and ECF member. I feel like that was an overly aggressive and slightly rude way tell me that you have no interest in a Provari.

 

[The Ocelot]

after reading through a couple threads about the provari, those people remind me of the worst kinds of apple users, which has kind of turned me off on the product; it seems a lot like quite a price to make people feel better about the big bucks; I could be wrong, for sure! But it really doesn't seem to have much on cheaper options besides "build quality."

Thank you for your gesture of friendship.

 

[puchox]

I'll second cedric's post, i have an SVD, NCR's and 18350's from fasttech. The svd is amazing and the batteries last a long time

It's a pitty they run out of protanks, i woke up and they were sold uot

 

[Legend12]

SVD is nice.. I personally dont own one but everyone seems to like it.. I personally would choose between the SVD and the Vamo.. Both with great reviews and funcionality wise is very good.. The durability however varies.. Some people have been using their vamo for years but some breaks down in 2-6months.. Not sure about the svd tho..

 

[ScottP]

Personally, I would go with the SVD basic kit and assemble an order like this:

The only reason I would suggest to go with the Full kit instead of the basic is for the longer tube. While the shorter tube will work for 18650 batteries and even two stacked 18350's, it requires that the tube be unscrewed quite a lot meaning less threading used and possibly less stable maybe. I also hear proportionally speaking the longer tube looks better with longer batteries than the shorty with longer batteries. However, I guess it is up to the individual to decide if it is worth $21 extra to get the long tube, and 2 iClear 30's and 3 replacement heads.

I think it is a shame though that Innokin doesn't allow a mid-range kit that includes both tubes and NOT the iClears. That said I am personally debating between the Basic and Full kit myself. I will likely get one or the other, just can't decide which yet.

 

[kiwivap]

So, at first I was dead set on this kit:
$46.59 Kamry K200 Voltage Adjustable Atomizer Resistance Tester Electronic Cigarettes Set - Chrome/ Black / US plug / AC 110-220V at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
(please tell me if those batteries will explode my face)

From looking at the specs on the link, the batteries are Li-ions. I can't see if they are protected or unprotected. If unprotected do not use them at all. If protected - not suited for the type of mods you are looking at, which are vv/vw. You need IMR batteries which are esafer chemistry and designed for high drain.
The Kamry 200 mod has a major design flaw. It will not fire below 3.7 volts. You can set it lower but it won't fire lower. Personally I wouldn't buy it when they are much better options available. More on the flaw here - scroll down for review:
http://www.discountvapers.com/k200-vv-mod-body-black-chrome/

Buuut....
$62.92 iTaste SVD Telescoping Variable Voltage Electronic Cigarette Set - w/ 2 x iClear30 atomizers and heating cores at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
This also looks really nice. I'll have to get batteries separate, and a charger, and so on, but it's also slick and appears to have roughly the same features.

The SVD is a good mod. However, you've linked to the more expensive kit. You can get the SVD by itself here:
$41.08 iTaste SVD Telescoping Variable Voltage Electronic Cigarette Battery Compartment at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

This is a good charger:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...ore-i2-lithium-li-ion-ni-mh-ni-cd-smart-batte

These are good hybrid batteries - technically not IMR but called IMR because they are so similar, and have safer chemistry. Can handle high drain:
$10.51 Panasonic CGR18650CH Rechargeable 2250mAh 3.7V 18650 Lithium Batteries 2-pack - authentic cells / 2-pack at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Also worth considering, and has both a good charger and good batteries in the kit already is the Vamo:
$51.42 Vamo-Vivi Voltage Adjustable E-Cigarette Battery Compartment Set - with Nitecore I2 US battery charger/charger cable/2*Panasonic 18650 batteries at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Its chrome - which can be a fingerprint magnet. If you want stainless steel they have it - and you could buy the batteries and charger separate, as per the links above:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...vivi-voltage-adjustable-e-cigarette-battery-c

 

[Punkonjunk]

From looking at the specs on the link, the batteries are Li-ions. I can't see if they are protected or unprotected. If unprotected do not use them at all. If protected - not suited for the type of mods you are looking at, which are vv/vw. You need IMR batteries which are esafer chemistry and designed for high drain.
The Kamry 200 mod has a major design flaw. It will not fire below 3.7 volts. You can set it lower but it won't fire lower. Personally I wouldn't buy it when they are much better options available. More on the flaw here - scroll down for review:
K100 Mechanical - Full Kit - Black Chrome



The SVD is a good mod. However, you've linked to the more expensive kit. You can get the SVD by itself here:
$41.08 iTaste SVD Telescoping Variable Voltage Electronic Cigarette Battery Compartment at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

This is a good charger:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/...ore-i2-lithium-li-ion-ni-mh-ni-cd-smart-batte

These are good hybrid batteries - technically not IMR but called IMR because they are so similar, and have safer chemistry. Can handle high drain:
$10.51 Panasonic CGR18650CH Rechargeable 2250mAh 3.7V 18650 Lithium Batteries 2-pack - authentic cells / 2-pack at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Also worth considering, and has both a good charger and good batteries in the kit already is the Vamo:
$51.42 Vamo-Vivi Voltage Adjustable E-Cigarette Battery Compartment Set - with Nitecore I2 US battery charger/charger cable/2*Panasonic 18650 batteries at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Its chrome - which can be a fingerprint magnet. If you want stainless steel they have it - and you could buy the batteries and charger separate, as per the links above:
$33.14 Vamo-Vivi Voltage Adjustable E-Cigarette Battery Compartment - stainless steel / with extension part at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

The vamo really seems to come up a lot, guy I know has one and loves it, and I dug up a youtube video on one, apparently they do have an on/off function (never mentioned on fasttech or elsewhere, was having a little trouble figuring out if they were always on or not, heh)
So that actually seems like a pretty solid shot, VV/VW and built in resistance measure.

VV can be really advantageous with the twists so far, and it's hard to imagine starting without some voltage control, but what I don't understand is why you'd need both variable voltage and variable wattage at once.

And regarding the provari stuff;
Again, as I tried to and thought I was sort of clear about: it seems like a heavy mix of defending "build quality" and american made high quality goods together with a bit of buyers remorse on the high spend and love of the expensive device; a lot like blind wine tasting, the cheap bottles will score dead on with the high end and the whole thing will be a wash chocked up to taste. Of course, this is a lot less in the hands of taste, and regardless I'm making some assumptions either way; however, the biggest deal with the thing over anything else is quality and durability.

I'm pretty convinced in 6 months to a year, I'll want to purchase or build something more ridiculous as the market advances and ideas expand. (I seriously want something that'll trickle at 1a over usb AND take swappable batteries and also work as a passthrough and I'm sure someone will cater to this at some point.... the "all of the above" mod)
I build and repair PCs for a living, and have repaired more laptops, PSPs, NDS, and so forth small electronics than I can count. I'm pretty sure the provari isn't going to defend me against a catastrophic battery failure much better than any other solid metal vented device, but again, I could be wrong on that, too; I intend to go out of my way to stick to safe choices for batteries.

The whole "I have X device, or Y bike, and that makes me stand out/special/unique/extremely knowledgeable in the entire field is intensely frustrating to me across the board. In electronics, you see it a lot with specific TV brands or computer brands; people having a grand maul because their buddy bought a rig from HP instead of alienware/some guy who makes mineral oil cooled rigs/etc. And then you have the mac folks, and working in malware research/removal, I get a lot of contacts in a day. Most mac users.... Hell, I won't even get into it. Harleys are about the same deal a lot of the times, and the noise, to boot, drives me nuts. I have a crappy honda passport with a 125cc engine in it, and I shamelessly call it a motorcycle.... down the road, I intend to probably pick up a honda goldwing.... not because I love hondas by any means, but I love how they look and feel, and they aren't too bad to work on! I have a 1975 240D, again, not because i think mercedes is some great savior to manufacturing, or because I love the good ol' days.... because I wanted an old manual diesel I could learn to work on, and this one was a great choice. (And the price was right!)

Getting a little off topic here into the personal rants, but a lot of original posts beelined to that material.

On the other hand, I know tons of guys who have harleys, or iphones, and aren't tools about it. Generally they know guys who sold em a harley cheap, etc etc, phone provided by work, there are always exceptions, and it doesn't mean everyone who has a provari or whatever thing tends to have a nasty community behind it has absorbed everything it touches.
Lots of people own macs and aren't huge tools. my best buddy has an old first gen intel mac he's got me working on now, and he uses it as his chat and unsavory video box because he doesn't want to pay me for malware removal. (The solution on that one is to keep java and flash up to date, and use chrome or firefox with adblock plus, seriously. Do it now!)

Lordy, did this get long for a quick reply. The thread that I found after being so surprised they kept getting mentioned in the newbie area was this: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/lounge/409234-i-gotta-stay-away.html

Love the provari or hate it, after about 10 pages, some of those replies are really going to put a sour taste in your mouth.

 

[kiwivap]

The vamo really seems to come up a lot, guy I know has one and loves it, and I dug up a youtube video on one, apparently they do have an on/off function (never mentioned on fasttech or elsewhere, was having a little trouble figuring out if they were always on or not, heh)
So that actually seems like a pretty solid shot, VV/VW and built in resistance measure.

VV can be really advantageous with the twists so far, and it's hard to imagine starting without some voltage control, but what I don't understand is why you'd need both variable voltage and variable wattage at once.

You don't need vv annd vw at the same time - if that's what you meant. You use one or the other, and can switch between them. I prefer vw myself more than vv. I think the great thing with these devices is they have both and you can try both out. I've written more on vv and vw here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/kiwivap/3403-variable-voltage-variable-wattage.html
You might also be interested in my blog post which looks at 4 main vv/vw devices, including the Vamo, and has reviews of each one. You'll see what the features of them are. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ariable-wattage-variable-voltage-mod-get.html

 

[volume control]

Get an Evic!! Nice smooth output, all the features you could want and more. And of course ways to dress it up down the road with all sorts of mod tubes etc!

 

[Proetus]

I have both a Vamo and svd. Once I got my svd, the vamo became the secondary device. They both work well and have roughly the same features. Here's my reasons for the svd. Can run all 3 battery configs with the short tube, although 650 feels awkward with the short tube. Definitely better with the long tube. You can lock your voltage/wattage setting, helps prevent inadvertent changes to your settings when in pocket or wrong button presses. And its lighter. The vamo is heavy even in 350 form.

Overall they are both good devices and I would purchase both again.

 

[Proetus]

I'm digging my MVP also, but I know you said no box mods. 3 days haven't charged it yet!

 

[cerver7]

if you can't get a provari and are dead set for under 100, go with a Vamo. Nice mod, great features and good quality. get AW IMR batteries and a nice charger.

.02$

 

[Bosco]

Just my opinion on the ProVari and it's price . . . I initially felt like you - that the ProVari must be overpriced. However, after gaining more experience vaping and with different mods, I'm not so sure. All PV's have some trade-offs. The VAMO makes a loud noise when fired, for instance. The Pulse Width Modulation used by mods is not equal - the power output of the ProVari is extremely consistent. The power output of some other mods is full of big peaks and valleys. I personally feel like these peaks and valleys effect the performance . . I feel this way because I prefer the vape off my mechanical to that off my ego set to the same output . .and that's the only reason I can figure why.

Anyway - I don't own a ProVari and don't have any insight to the mods you are deciding between. I am always researching new mods - but never pull the trigger because there isn't one out there right now that has the features I want at the price I want to pay. I'm keeping a close eye on the DNA-20 based mods, though . .. the DNA 20 board gives you VV and VW, battery level indicator, resistance check, delivers high power, can run low ohms and has a very flat power output - just waiting for a cool looking, reasonably priced mod to come out with changeable batteries.

 

[Fullknight]

I just got my SVD. So far I think it is Marvelous. Anyway I like it a lot. I can use Kangertech EVOD,T2-T3 and all 510 devices without adapters. It measures everything you need to measure. Very high build quality,very attractive and telescopic too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Proetus]

I just got my SVD. So far I think it is Marvelous. Anyway I like it a lot. I can use Kangertech EVOD,T2-T3 and all 510 devices without adapters. It measures everything you need to measure. Very high build quality,very attractive and telescopic too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you hold + and - at the same time, eventually the screen will read LOC, meaning that your voltage/wattage can not be changed until you unlock it via the same method. I love this feature! I found the same feature in a round about way with profiles for the Evic.