Help with deciding whether starter kit or advanced/expensive setup

[dpower7]

[Currently living in the UK but regular US visits - plus appears I have to first post here before I can in the UK national forum]. Been researching off/on for last 6 months what would be the best transition path from pack of Marlboro Lights 100's/day for last 20+ years - but the number of options (product types/models) too many to try and figure out - especially when even in London there doesn't seem to a bricks and mortar retailer where I can go and try out some products. So hoping some of the veterans here can help guide me to selecting a vaping setup that increases my chances of a successful transition. Here's the little 'knowledge' I have gained so far:

-- Have tried Nicolites pre-filled catridges (High strenth 18mg) and not had a great experience - even with a fully charged battery and new cartridge. Left me thinking that even though I would be very willing to signup for daily/weekly regimen of recharge batt/refill carts - not convinced that a system lacking a clear charge indicator / liquid level is going to work for me. Most of the starter kits offered in the UK appear to only be a small step up from the pre-packaged Nicolites. Also the stuff I've read about needing to transport/store these systems horizontally would most likely mean I would end up only using them at home - sort of sabotaging my primary objective.

-- I'm really not bothered about the aesthetics - just needs to be (reasonably) easy to operate. Also appreciate I will need to experiment with various e-liquids to find one that provides the right mix between nicotine hit/throat kick, ...

-- Clearomizers look like they fit the bill in terms of being able to easily tell when need to top up with e-liquid. However, again there are many to choose from and then there as many/more (confusing) options as to what battery, tank?, ...

-- Then there are the pro/advanced systems like ProVari and Vapage(VMod) that I don't fully understand but that I can see have many fans.

Apologies if I've seriously got it wrong as to some of the basics of what's possible with these systems but in summary, I believe I'm looking for a setup where:
-- Can see when am running low on e-liquid and so top up or switch to another full 'container'.
-- Manual (switch-activated) atomizer that reliably creates a consistent amount of vapour. I would expect to have to do this each time I wanted to take a 'drag'. However, I'm not sure how to ensure that a reliable/consistent amount of e-liquid is delivered each time to be vapourized.


Any/all help/suggestions gratefully received, including pointing me to reference guides/reviews. Thanks

 

[Leatherneck]

This is exactly what I started with: Ego electronic cigarette + ego variable voltage + CE4 Clearomizer for eGo, which basically made it 3 batteries, 3 clearos. I tossed in 3 30 ml of 24 mg liquids and that was perfect for me. I was a 1.5-2 PAD smoker.

Instantaneous switch for me.

 

[bols2DaWall]

A couple of VV Twists or Spinners and charger , and a few Kanger T3's with a few more replaceable heads .
Throw in some juice and possibly a passthrough and you're good to go for quite some time and all for under $100.00

 

[rumpole]

Having been vaping for 2 years now, I wish that I had known quite a bit more before I wasted so much money.

Sooner or later virtually all vapers graduate to tank based systems and a mix between variable voltage or mechanical devices with batteries that last for longer than 2 or 3 hours.

In the circumstances my advice would be to start with a cheap variable voltage p.v. such as the Lavatube.

For vapour provision I would advise a carto tank to begin with and then progress to, or try out, genisis style atomisers and more exotic devices. Forever filling a carto or replacing flat batteries is a pain in the rear end and it was 6 to 9 months before I had read enough to realise that there were devices out there which could be run all day on one battery and that I could get a consistent voltage rather than start with a fully charged battery and get a progressively less satisfying vape as the battery discharged.

 

[aPandaz]

I'd suggest a Vamo with a carto tank. You can find Vamos for a little more than an ego twist and it gives you the option of variable voltage or wattage.

 

[dpower7]

Wow! Thanks everyone. I didn't expect so many/prompt replies. A bit of a "be careful what you ask for" as now there are a bunch of product names/abbrev/acronyms that I need to research/decipher. I think I need to re-read a glossary of terms as sure some of my confusion is coming from interchangeable vocabulary that is 'obvious' to veterans. However, aPandaz - would appreciate if you could explain variable voltage or wattage or point me to an explanation as to why the option of vv/vw. Rumpole - what you described as your 'journey' is precisely what I'm trying to avoid - even more than the expense, the prospect of giving up because all too much a pain versus just lighting one up as I've always done

 

[Amirite]

I think the Ego T from Totally Wicked is a great starter kit. Its easy to maintain and dependable. Then if you wanted to move to a tank system like a Vivi Nova or a Dual Coil Tank they will still fit on your Ego battery.

Personally, i'm not happy with the vapor production off of an eGo-T. You have to pull hard and by doing so, you heat the coils up too much, which destroys the taste. I tried a Provari on Saturday with the same Viva Nova and it was effortless and tons of vapor!

Plus, if you see the markup on the eGo-T kits, you'll realize they are total throw-aways.

I second the Vamo suggestion

 

[Lessifer]

Hiya dpower7, welcome and congrats on trying to make the switch. I'm pretty new to this myself but I'll share and maybe you'll see something you like. Take everything with a grain of salt though, I'm in the US and I have no idea what the UK retailers are like, or if you could just order from the same US retailers and pay international shipping.

I wasn't sold on the idea of vaping, but I was intrigued enough to want to give it a try, I'd tried a few disposables and it was decent. Then I came here and tried to absorb as much info as possible, it's a lot, a little overwhelming.

I also don't have a lot of money so here's what I did to start:
I found a really cheap starter, it's just a single eGo battery, a usb charger and one clearomizer.
SmokTek Express eGo CE4 1100 E-Cigarette Kit - Battery, Charger, Clearomizer
and I ordered some 24mg juice to go with it.

Here's my thinking, if I don't like the experience, I'm out about $30. From everything I've read, while the eGo may not be the best out there, it's definitely a better starting point than the smaller cig-a-likes. If I do like it, I'll have a system to get me started and I'll just need to invest in some more hardware and juice, and at the very least I'll have an eGo battery that will be my backup.

I got my kit, started vaping and am loving it, I've only had 2 cigarettes in the past two days. I like the eGo style and all the options of delivery devices so now I'm planning to buy a couple more batteries and a few different clearos and cartos to try out.

This may not get you absolutely everything you need to be a full on vaper from the start, but it's a good introduction and gives you a feel for it, and it's decent equipment.

Hope this helps.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Have tried Nicolites pre-filled catridges (High strenth 18mg) and not had a great experience - even with a fully charged battery and new cartridge. Left me thinking that even though I would be very willing to signup for daily/weekly regimen of recharge batt/refill carts - not convinced that a system lacking a clear charge indicator / liquid level is going to work for me. Most of the starter kits offered in the UK appear to only be a small step up from the pre-packaged Nicolites. Also the stuff I've read about needing to transport/store these systems horizontally would most likely mean I would end up only using them at home - sort of sabotaging my primary objective.

Stay away from Vendors that offer prepaid programs- always a ripoff and there's a sticky here on the forum warning about them. Lottsa reputable vendors in the U.K. I'll find the list.

-- I'm really not bothered about the aesthetics - just needs to be (reasonably) easy to operate. Also appreciate I will need to experiment with various e-liquids to find one that provides the right mix between nicotine hit/throat kick, ...

Generally the major complaint of cig sized PVs is the battery life.

-- Clearomizers look like they fit the bill in terms of being able to easily tell when need to top up with e-liquid. However, again there are many to choose from and then there as many/more (confusing) options as to what battery, tank?, ...

I liked my clearomizers but prefer the rebuildable Mini Vivi Nova Tanks- far superior build quality and cheap/ easy to maintain.

-- Can see when am running low on e-liquid and so top up or switch to another full 'container'.
-- Manual (switch-activated) atomizer that reliably creates a consistent amount of vapour. I would expect to have to do this each time I wanted to take a 'drag'. However, I'm not sure how to ensure that a reliable/consistent amount of e-liquid is delivered each time to be vapourized.

Mini Vivi Nova is a clear tank. Manual batts are great cuz if I need that extra hit "I'M" in control. No delivery problems with my Vivi.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Compliments of Chrissie:
E-cigarette/E-liquid Vendors List + discount codes | ALL ABOUT E-CIGARETTES UK
She hangs out here and is extremely knowledgeable in regards to vaping, products and deals in the U.K.
UK Forum
Best of Luck.

 

[Baditude]

This typical setup with pictures might help. Everything is compatible with one another, and can be purchased from one vendor. I recommend two batteries and choosing at least two of the suggested juice delivery devices.

A Good Starter's Setup for a Beginning Vapor

______________________

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE

2 Batteries, 1 Charger, and a USB/Wall Adaptor


Vision eGo Spinner (easier to read settings, easier to use voltage dial) or Joyetech eGo Twist variable voltage batteries.


Appropriate charger and possibly a USB/wall unit to provide the option to charge away from a computer port.

Juice Delivery Devices:


A (5) pack of single coil cartomizers at 2.5-3.0 ohm resistance. You'll also need at least one drip tip (mouth piece) to put on the end of these.



A couple of clearomizers (Vision or Kanger T3) to try.




A Vision Mini Vivi Nova tank to try.

*All the above can be found at Altsmoke. AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | Your one stop shop!

* Disclaimer: I provide the vendor's link only as a suggested retailer. A potential buyer can choose who and where to purchase their items wherever they wish. I have no affiliation with the suggested vendor, however they are a popular and reputable e-cig business used by many ECF members.


Juice, or e-liquid:

For e-liquid, a typical 1 pack-per-day smoker likely will need 18-24 mg nicotine.

Figure on consuming 3-5 ml of liquid daily.

________________________________

I created a small Picture-Dictionary of the more common juice delivery devices. To gain knowledge of how these devices look and differ from one another click on the link below:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/cartomizers/343294-proper-terminology-carto-tank-what-lol.html#post7562212

I hope this helps to simplify things for you.

You could also choose to go with the more advanced battery carriers like a box or tube mod. With these devices you simply replace the inner rechargeable battery with a fresh charged battery. These batteries have an expected lifetime of a year, while the above eGo batteries have an expected lifetime of several months.

It is more expensive to start with the more advanced mods, but they provide more durability and are less expensive for the long term. Instead of replacing an entire eGo battery at the end of it's life, you only need to replace the smaller sized, rechargeable/replaceable batteries that are 1/3 the cost of an eGo.

 

[aPandaz]

Sure you can find a quick explanation here.

http://http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/canvape/375084-volts-watts.htm

 

[StevesCVO]

This typical setup with pictures might help. Everything is compatible with one another, and can be purchased from one vendor. I recommend two batteries and choosing at least two of the suggested juice delivery devices.

A Good Starter's Setup for a Beginning Vapor



______________________

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE

2 Batteries, 1 Charger, and a USB/Wall Adaptor

View attachment 177378
Vision eGo Spinner (easier to read settings, easier to use voltage dial) or Joyetech eGo Twist variable voltage batteries.

View attachment 177377
Appropriate charger and possibly a USB/wall unit to provide the option to charge away from a computer port.

Juice Delivery Devices:

View attachment 177376
A (5) pack of single coil cartomizers at 2.5-3.0 ohm resistance. You'll also need at least one drip tip (mouth piece) to put on the end of these.

View attachment 177374

A couple of clearomizers (Vision or Kanger T3) to try.


View attachment 177373

A Vision Mini Vivi Nova tank to try.

*All the above can be found at Altsmoke. AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | Your one stop shop!

* Disclaimer: I provide the vendor's link only as a suggested retailer. A potential buyer can choose who and where to purchase their items wherever they wish. I have no affiliation with the suggested vendor, however they are a popular and reputable e-cig business used by many ECF members.


Juice, or e-liquid:

For e-liquid, a typical 1 pack-per-day smoker likely will need 18-24 mg nicotine.

Figure on consuming 3-5 ml of liquid daily.

________________________________

I created a small Picture-Dictionary of the more common juice delivery devices. To gain knowledge of how these devices look and differ from one another click on the link below:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/cartomizers/343294-proper-terminology-carto-tank-what-lol.html#post7562212

I hope this helps to simplify things for you.

You could also choose to go with the more advanced battery carriers like a box or tube mod. With these devices you simply replace the inner rechargeable battery with a fresh charged battery. These batteries have an expected lifetime of a year, while the above eGo batteries have an expected lifetime of several months.

It is more expensive to start with the more advanced mods, but they provide more durability and are less expensive for the long term. Instead of replacing an entire eGo battery at the end of it's life, you only need to replace the smaller sized, rechargeable/replaceable batteries that are 1/3 the cost of an eGo.

This is pretty much what I started with and haven't touched a cig since. Went on the recomendation from a local shop here and spent less than $125 to get going including buying extra juice and clearomizers.

 

[dpower7]

Thanks Baditude for the detailed and very helpful reply - especially the 'proper terminology' link leading to another one of your posts - where again the pics helped a lot to explain the differences. I need to sift through the significant amount of info in the replies to see if I can now figure out a setup and then if I can purchase in the UK.

This typical setup with pictures might help. Everything is compatible with one another, and can be purchased from one vendor. I recommend two batteries and choosing at least two of the suggested juice delivery devices.

A Good Starter's Setup for a Beginning Vapor

______________________

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE

2 Batteries, 1 Charger, and a USB/Wall Adaptor

View attachment 177378
Vision eGo Spinner (easier to read settings, easier to use voltage dial) or Joyetech eGo Twist variable voltage batteries.

View attachment 177377
Appropriate charger and possibly a USB/wall unit to provide the option to charge away from a computer port.

Juice Delivery Devices:

View attachment 177376
A (5) pack of single coil cartomizers at 2.5-3.0 ohm resistance. You'll also need at least one drip tip (mouth piece) to put on the end of these.

View attachment 177374

A couple of clearomizers (Vision or Kanger T3) to try.


View attachment 177373

A Vision Mini Vivi Nova tank to try.

*All the above can be found at Altsmoke. AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | Your one stop shop!

* Disclaimer: I provide the vendor's link only as a suggested retailer. A potential buyer can choose who and where to purchase their items wherever they wish. I have no affiliation with the suggested vendor, however they are a popular and reputable e-cig business used by many ECF members.


Juice, or e-liquid:

For e-liquid, a typical 1 pack-per-day smoker likely will need 18-24 mg nicotine.

Figure on consuming 3-5 ml of liquid daily.

________________________________

I created a small Picture-Dictionary of the more common juice delivery devices. To gain knowledge of how these devices look and differ from one another click on the link below:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/cartomizers/343294-proper-terminology-carto-tank-what-lol.html#post7562212

I hope this helps to simplify things for you.

You could also choose to go with the more advanced battery carriers like a box or tube mod. With these devices you simply replace the inner rechargeable battery with a fresh charged battery. These batteries have an expected lifetime of a year, while the above eGo batteries have an expected lifetime of several months.

It is more expensive to start with the more advanced mods, but they provide more durability and are less expensive for the long term. Instead of replacing an entire eGo battery at the end of it's life, you only need to replace the smaller sized, rechargeable/replaceable batteries that are 1/3 the cost of an eGo.

 

[seahawkin]

Having been vaping for 2 years now, I wish that I had known quite a bit more before I wasted so much money.

Tell me about it. I have bought like 5 kits and now moving to the Vamo/Vivi Nova set up.

 

[dpower7]

Hi Rumpole - Not sure about the rules re 'advertising' retailers on the forum, but as you are in the UK and by the sounds of it have purchased a fair amount of kit over the last 2 years - hoping you might be able to point me to a couple of UK retailers that you've had good experience with or have had favourable reviews by other users. After researching products mentioned in all the helpful info you and others have given - am heaavily leaning towards Vamo, Mini Viva Nova tank combo. Although concede am still figuring out what other options to go for Thanks

 

[Dj tank]

[
-- Then there are the pro/advanced systems like ProVari and Vapage(VMod) that I don't fully understand but that I can see have many fans.

Apologies if I've seriously got it wrong as to some of the basics of what's possible with these systems but in summary, I believe I'm looking for a setup where:
-- Can see when am running low on e-liquid and so top up or switch to another full 'container'.
-- Manual (switch-activated) atomizer that reliably creates a consistent amount of vapour. I would expect to have to do this each time I wanted to take a 'drag'. However, I'm not sure how to ensure that a reliable/consistent amount of e-liquid is delivered each time to be vapourized.


Any/all help/suggestions gratefully received, including pointing me to reference guides/reviews. Thanks

I have the Provari - picked up the starter kit from Provape.com. It came with the unit itself, 2 18490 batteries, the charger, a drip tip steel and I added a box of cartomizers (you can select on the ordering screen). I also added a box of 510XL cartomizers and then ordered some eliquid from Mt Baker Vapor. Cinnamon Roll 80pg/20vg, Get Razzed (same), and Blooberry (same). That was EVERYTHING I needed at first...but found out as soon as I got it that I wanted a DCT 1.5 mini tank (from provape is where I ordered it) so I didn't have to constantly fill my cartomizer.

The provari might look or seem confusing because of the led screen...but its literally a 20 sec learning curve on how to set it up... So easy a cave man could do it.

 

[dpower7]

Thanks. Not sure what I'm doing wrong/not doing but can't seem to find how to be able to reply/post on UK forum. Have seen Chrissie there and also other users (Romlee) who have Vamo setup that I would like to ask advice from re retailers. Any ideas? When I registered pretty sure I did it when viewing UK (sub-)forum - afterwards saw I had to first post 3 times in main forum's New Members section - which I've done...

Compliments of Chrissie:
E-cigarette/E-liquid Vendors List + discount codes | ALL ABOUT E-CIGARETTES UK
She hangs out here and is extremely knowledgeable in regards to vaping, products and deals in the U.K.
UK Forum
Best of Luck.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Post 5 times (which you've done) then wait 1 hr for the ECF servers to reset. It's done to keep spammers away. I've seen some posts whereby the Spammer is trying to get vapers to buy a kit for $200.00+ when the reality is it's only worth $50.00. A PITA but it's for our own good.
Best of Luck.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Here's a Vendor that Chrissie/ myself highly recommend. Seen some great feedback on his CS and prices- ask Chrissie for the discount code.
EGO VV-VW 18650 MOD VAMO £39.95 - MODS & Advanced - Ego VV/VW VAMO Electronic Cigarettes | Vaping Devices | Accessories | E-Liquid
10% discount code: ECR69

Here's a review from Scott , a highly regarded reviewer on your side of the pond. Here's his website...lots and lots of reviews:
http://www.e-cig-reviews.com/