Hi all! New member - first vape kit on its way...

[vapechick]

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie - actually, that doesn't begin to describe it... I am, unfortunately, still a smoker, however I've purchased my very first vape kit, and it should be arriving today!! So excited! I've been wanting to quit smoking for quite a while, and have just never been able to do it. I've seen a lot about vaping recently, and thought I'd give it a try before resigning myself to being a smoker for life.

I bought a Kanger EMOW Mega starter kit, along with a few different kinds of ejuice. I honestly don't really know what I'm doing yet - so any advice is definitely welcome! I smoke fairly heavily, so from what I've read, I figured I'd start out with 24mg juice, and see how it goes? Not knowing much about PG and VG, I got a few different levels to try. One 20/80, one 30/70, and one 50/50 (PG/VG). I gather that much of the decision comes down to personal preference (flavor, throat hit, vapor production), but given the setup I've chosen, will these work okay with the EMOW? Is there one that will likely work better than another?

I've watched a lot of videos on the EMOW, and vaping in general, so I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to put it together and start using it without too many problems. But one thing that still confuses me a bit is the variable voltage. I plan on starting on the lowest setting, with maybe one air hole open. Then moving up from there. But what, exactly, does increasing the voltage and opening more airflow do for me? Just more vapor production? Better flavor?

Sorry if I rambled, and for my complete inexperience! I'm really looking forward to losing the "coffin nails" for good! And I truly appreciate in advance any responses/advice that you take the time to post!

Happy vaping!!

 

[Shay.Babe15]

First of all, Welcome! This site will honestly almost always over whelm you with good information!
I started out with 24mg as well, I cut down quite a bit, though. I think you'll find that you like more VG better than PG. However, I think you're making the right choice in trying to feel it out.
EMOW should be fine. I think you'll find the right adjustments as you go along-remember it's always what feels best to you.
If I remember correctly, the EMOW only has volts and no watts settings..I would start out at around 3.8v for you. Again, you're going to have to feel that one out. Play around with the airflow. You'll find that closing it up all the way is going to be A LOT different..harder pull, might not be able to take as big of a hit as you want. I say leave it open at first and adjust it how you want it. Opening the Airflow all the way, you'll get a bigger cloud. However, having it closed you'll get more of the flavor but smaller production-but you should be able to taste the flavor just fine with an open airflow. Airflow also helps so it doesn't overheat. Increasing your voltage is basically giving it more power and a stronger throat hit, etc.

LOL, you're not rambling at all! Like I said, this site if filled with wonderful information. The people on here are awesome, too!

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum @vapechick. Glad to have you here!

The ratio of PG/VG is often a personal preference BUT some clearomizers do not wick well with high VG. I prefer 50/50 with ALL my setups (even those that can wick max VG). HIgh VG coats my lungs with phlegm and gives me a "heavy lung" feeling. I do occasionally vape 70% VG (especially if the juice is only available in high VG) but given a choice, 50/50 is what I choose and what I DIY.

If you are interested in learning more about e-cigarettes (and all the parts and pieces) below are some blog posts by ECF member @Baditude that I highly recommend for someone new to vaping.

• A Good Starter's Setup for a Beginning Vapor
• Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder with Egos and Mods
• Proper Terminology - Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Attachments

Here are a few more links from New Members Information <= Link covers many topics. Here are two of them:

• The Three Main Types of Ecig
• Vaping Slang and Acronym

Nicotine

A "general guideline" for nicotine concentration in e-liquid to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. If you are subohming (resistance under 1.0Ω) cut these nicotine levels by at least 50%.

06 mg = 10 cigarettes or less
12 mg = 20 cigarettes
18 mg = 30 cigarettes
24 mg = 40 cigarettes

eLiquid/Juice

PG = Propylene Glycol - the "flavor carrier" of e-liquid. A secondary source of "throat hit", but not as strong as the nicotine concentration. Some people have a sensitivity or even an allergy to PG. It's very thin.

VG = Vegetable Glycerin - the "vapor maker" of e-liquid. Used as a sweeter in many food sources, and also as a skin emollient. It's very thick. Often labeled just "Glycerine"

PG and VG are often used together in different ratios in e-liquid. For example, a 50/50 PG/VG ratio. Many juice vendors offer a range of different ratios as far as PG/VG.

 

[Bonskibon]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome. I know how excited I was when I first got my kit. This forum is the best and you'll find a wealth of information here.

 

[djsvapour]

Welcome and happy vaping to you, @vapechick

I know a few people who got started with the EMOW. The great news is it's Kanger and not a re-brand product, the companies who sell Kanger products with their own unique logos and lazer etching for... ooh, shall we say triple the price.

The industry is awash with these low life businesses all backed up by Vapers that are happy to take a few cents in commission to recommend identical re-branded products.

Next year, in Europe, these practices will be effectively illegal. I say good.

Nice choice. It's a good vape....

 

[vapechick]

First of all, Welcome! This site will honestly almost always over whelm you with good information!
I started out with 24mg as well, I cut down quite a bit, though. I think you'll find that you like more VG better than PG. However, I think you're making the right choice in trying to feel it out.
EMOW should be fine. I think you'll find the right adjustments as you go along-remember it's always what feels best to you.
If I remember correctly, the EMOW only has volts and no watts settings..I would start out at around 3.8v for you. Again, you're going to have to feel that one out. Play around with the airflow. You'll find that closing it up all the way is going to be A LOT different..harder pull, might not be able to take as big of a hit as you want. I say leave it open at first and adjust it how you want it. Opening the Airflow all the way, you'll get a bigger cloud. However, having it closed you'll get more of the flavor but smaller production-but you should be able to taste the flavor just fine with an open airflow. Airflow also helps so it doesn't overheat. Increasing your voltage is basically giving it more power and a stronger throat hit, etc.

LOL, you're not rambling at all! Like I said, this site if filled with wonderful information. The people on here are awesome, too!

Thank you, Shay! The info about airflow REALLY helps! I wondered what the difference was. I'm guessing I'm going to be a flavor girl, as I don't care *too* much about vapor production. Thanks so much for the tips! Everyone here seems so nice, and really helpful (I've looked around at other sites - sad that nice and helpful people are the minority) - I'm looking forward to getting to know more of you. I hanks again!

 

[Shay.Babe15]

Anytime, love! Just take the hits slow then until you can build up a tolerance for little airflow. I cough up a lung trying to vape with no airflow-but I'm also a pansy like that lol. Let me know how it goes! Get your five posts in, too! Feel free to message me anytime!

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

 

[vapechick]

Hello and welcome to the forum @vapechick. Glad to have you here!

The ratio of PG/VG is often a personal preference BUT some clearomizers do not wick well with high VG. I prefer 50/50 with ALL my setups (even those that can wick max VG). HIgh VG coats my lungs with phlegm and gives me a "heavy lung" feeling. I do occasionally vape 70% VG (especially if the juice is only available in high VG) but given a choice, 50/50 is what I choose and what I DIY.

If you are interested in learning more about e-cigarettes (and all the parts and pieces) below are some blog posts by ECF member @Baditude that I highly recommend for someone new to vaping.

• A Good Starter's Setup for a Beginning Vapor
• Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder with Egos and Mods
• Proper Terminology - Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Attachments

Here are a few more links from New Members Information <= Link covers many topics. Here are two of them:

• The Three Main Types of Ecig
• Vaping Slang and Acronym

Nicotine

A "general guideline" for nicotine concentration in e-liquid to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. If you are subohming (resistance under 1.0Ω) cut these nicotine levels by at least 50%.

06 mg = 10 cigarettes or less
12 mg = 20 cigarettes
18 mg = 30 cigarettes
24 mg = 40 cigarettes

eLiquid/Juice

PG = Propylene Glycol - the "flavor carrier" of e-liquid. A secondary source of "throat hit", but not as strong as the nicotine concentration. Some people have a sensitivity or even an allergy to PG. It's very thin.

VG = Vegetable Glycerin - the "vapor maker" of e-liquid. Used as a sweeter in many food sources, and also as a skin emollient. It's very thick. Often labeled just "Glycerine"

PG and VG are often used together in different ratios in e-liquid. For example, a 50/50 PG/VG ratio. Many juice vendors offer a range of different ratios as far as PG/VG.

Thank you, Susan!! That's GREAT information - I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction. I *knew* I remembered VG not being great for some clearomizers! I wonder if I goofed, and ordered too high of VG for what I'm after. I definitely don't want that 'heavy lung' feeling, or phlegm gunk. And I'd prefer more flavor to vapor production hands down (at least for now).
When you say you'DIY' - do you mean you make your own ejuice? I'd LOVE to learn!! Thanks again for all the great info Susan!! I hope to hear back from you!

 

[vapechick]

Anytime, love! Just take the hits slow then until you can build up a tolerance for little airflow. I cough up a lung trying to vape with no airflow-but I'm also a pansy like that lol. Let me know how it goes! Get your five posts in, too! Feel free to message me anytime!

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Aww! Thanks!! Yeah, I'm a baby too... I'll probably wind up coughing my shoes and socks off the first time I try it.
Thanks again - and I'll take you up on that as soon as I can message!

 

[Susan~S]

When you say you'DIY' - do you mean you make your own ejuice? I'd LOVE to learn!! Thanks again for all the great info Susan!! I hope to hear back from you!

Yes, I dabble in making my own juice. Although I also buy premade juice as well.

When I'm not DIYing, Ahlusion is my go-to vendor for juice. Ahlusion does fruit & tea vapes very well. They are the only line of juice I have found that I love more than 2-3 of their offerings. Right now I vaping some of their Lemon Vanilla Cake.

Fan Club here on ECF: Ahlusion LLC Chat Thread. Lots of members (all enablers, every last one of them) who would be more than happy to give you recommendations based on your preferences. Though @I'mnotZak had to correct me regarding the enabling "rumors," he prefers to think of these folks as "knowledge providers and wallet wreckers". I concur wholeheartedly.

For all things DIY head on over to the DIY ELiquid Forum. Lots of great info in all the "stickies". Below is the information I often give to members new to DIY.

• Dannyv45's blogs will give insight into all aspects of DYI, from steeping to what supplies to have on hand to a basic walk through mixing your first E-juice. => dannyv45 - Blogs
• Hoosier's blogs concentrate on fine tuning your mix and give insight on additives. =>Hoosier - Blogs
• For a juice mixing calculator consider using eJuiceMeUp

Here are some threads you may like to read through for different flavoring companies. Many of the posts include recipes and comments about a specific flavor.

• Flavor Arts (FA) - Flavour Art Thread also HIC's "My notes on FA Flavorings"
• The Flavor Apprentice (TFA) - The Flavor Apprentice Flavoring Thread => Also see Bill's Magic Vapor's Blog & TFA Flavor % Recommendations
• Inawera (IW) - Inawera - a few reviews
• Capella (CAP) - DIY Capella's Recipe Thread v2.0 & List of Capella Flavor %'s
• Hangsen (HS) - The Hangsen Thread
• Flavor West (FW) - Flavor West DIY flavor review

DIY Recipe Sites & Misc Links

• E-Liquid Recipes <= Feel free to post your recipes here for all members to enjoy and comment on.
• TPA/TFA Recipes only! <= ECF Thread
• FlavourArt.uk Recipes
  
• Le DIY Pour Les Nuls - Great French site (in English)
• Reddit Recipes - Read the Sidebar
• EcigExpress Archive Cookbook
• EcigVape
• UK E-Liquid Recipes
• kritikalmass - E-Liquid Recipes
• One Stop DIY Shop - Recipes

 

[vapechick]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome. I know how excited I was when I first got my kit. This forum is the best and you'll find a wealth of information here.

Hi Bonnie! Thanks for the warm welcome! I appreciate it!!

 

[suprtrkr]

Hi and welcome. You should do fine with the emow as a starter, although it's not the kit I would recommend. You may run into wicking issues with the thicker juices, but maybe not, too.

 

[vapechick]

Welcome and happy vaping to you, @vapechick

I know a few people who got started with the EMOW. The great news is it's Kanger and not a re-brand product, the companies who sell Kanger products with their own unique logos and lazer etching for... ooh, shall we say triple the price.

The industry is awash with these low life businesses all backed up by Vapers that are happy to take a few cents in commission to recommend identical re-branded products.

Next year, in Europe, these practices will be effectively illegal. I say good.

Nice choice. It's a good vape....

Seriously? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You can find bottom-feeders in just about any industry anymore. I guess I'm just a little surprised, because vaping is *relatively* new. I suppose it was a bit naive to think it wouldn't have attracted the hucksters and con men yet. Eh, one can dream.

You think I picked a decent starter vape? I sat in decision paralysis for days! Silly, I know, but there are SO many options to choose from!! And when it feels like there's a village idiot, and you're pretty sure it's you... Well, let's just say that you made me feel a LOT better, just by saying 'nice choice'. Thanks djsvapour!!

 

[vapechick]

Yes, I dabble in making my own juice. Although I also buy premade juice as well.

When I'm not DIYing, Ahlusion is my go-to vendor for juice. Ahlusion does fruit & tea vapes very well. They are the only line of juice I have found that I love more than 2-3 of their offerings. Right now I vaping some of their Lemon Vanilla Cake.

Fan Club here on ECF: Ahlusion LLC Chat Thread. Lots of members (all enablers, every last one of them) who would be more than happy to give you recommendations based on your preferences. Though @I'mnotZak had to correct me regarding the enabling "rumors," he prefers to think of these folks as "knowledge providers and wallet wreckers". I concur wholeheartedly.

For all things DIY head on over to the DIY ELiquid Forum. Lots of great info in all the "stickies". Below is the information I often give to members new to DIY.

• Dannyv45's blogs will give insight into all aspects of DYI, from steeping to what supplies to have on hand to a basic walk through mixing your first E-juice. => dannyv45 - Blogs
• Hoosier's blogs concentrate on fine tuning your mix and give insight on additives. =>Hoosier - Blogs
• For a juice mixing calculator consider using eJuiceMeUp

Here are some threads you may like to read through for different flavoring companies. Many of the posts include recipes and comments about a specific flavor.

• Flavor Arts (FA) - Flavour Art Thread also HIC's "My notes on FA Flavorings"
• The Flavor Apprentice (TFA) - The Flavor Apprentice Flavoring Thread => Also see Bill's Magic Vapor's Blog & TFA Flavor % Recommendations
• Inawera (IW) - Inawera - a few reviews
• Capella (CAP) - DIY Capella's Recipe Thread v2.0 & List of Capella Flavor %'s
• Hangsen (HS) - The Hangsen Thread
• Flavor West (FW) - Flavor West DIY flavor review

DIY Recipe Sites & Misc Links

• E-Liquid Recipes <= Feel free to post your recipes here for all members to enjoy and comment on.
• TPA/TFA Recipes only! <= ECF Thread
• FlavourArt.uk Recipes
  
• Le DIY Pour Les Nuls - Great French site (in English)
• Reddit Recipes - Read the Sidebar
• EcigExpress Archive Cookbook
• EcigVape
• UK E-Liquid Recipes
• kritikalmass - E-Liquid Recipes
• One Stop DIY Shop - Recipes

Wow! Thank you so much!! That will definitely give me some reading material for a while! It's so great to see so many people willing to share their knowledge. Even without personal gain. I can see I've found a great site, and a great group of people. Even if some are fellow enablers and wallet wreckers...

 

[vapechick]

Hi and welcome. You should do fine with the emow as a starter, although it's not the kit I would recommend. You may run into wicking issues with the thicker juices, but maybe not, too.

Hi suprtrkr! So, which kit would you recommend? I'll probably stick with the EMOW for a bit, at least until I get familiar with it/vaping in general. Unless, of course, I just can't make it work for me. But I'm curious what setup you would recommend? Thanks for the response and the welcome!

 

[suprtrkr]

Hi suprtrkr! So, which kit would you recommend? I'll probably stick with the EMOW for a bit, at least until I get familiar with it/vaping in general. Unless, of course, I just can't make it work for me. But I'm curious what setup you would recommend? Thanks for the response and the welcome!

An iStick 30 or 40TC is hard to beat. Which tank is tougher. If you vape "mouth-to-lung," like smoking a cig, I'd start on the Aspire Nautilus. If you will take direct lung hits, the Kanger Subtank works well in that wattage range and is far more versatile, having a wider selction of coils available. The Kanger Subox kit (which includes the Subtank) is another good starter bundle. For vapers who really don't have any idea what they want in a vape, it's my go-to advice precisely because you can swap coils and wattages and get so many different effects. Having once decided where your personal vape lies, you can buy better gear, but the Kanger Subox is also well enough made and, at 50 watts, powerful enough to serve as a useful back up mod in case you main goes down; always a good idea. One caveat: the Kanger is a removable battery mod, meaning it will require the purchase of a separate battery and, preferably, a stand alone charger which will add 15-20 bucks to the cost. Actually, 30 is probably closer as you will want two batteries, not one, and it's best not to buy bottom of the line on chargers. FWIW, I think removable battery mods are safer and I prefer the ability to just swap batteries rather than plug the mod into the wall to charge it; plus the batteries would work in a different machine. Yet another good choice for a beginner is the Evic VT or VTC kits (one removable battery, the other fixed). Why don't you do some googling and see in any of those catches your eye? If so, I will be delighted to explain the finer points in N00b-speak to you so you can make a semi-informed decision. Just quote this post so the system notifies me you want to talk and I'll get back to you. If none of those appeal there are, as you observe, a bewildering variety of other options and we can get as deep in the search as you like.

You're right, BTW: There is a good bit of enabling and wallet wrecking going on around here. We call that disease "shinyitis" and I am a long term sufferer

 

[daviedog]

Once you receive your kit & cigarettes are in you're rear window.
Buy a backup kit!
Next get into DIY. There is still time.
Welcome to ECF..

 

[Chrissie]

Hello & welcome @vapechick

 

[dcfluegel]

howdy! and welcome!

 

[Grimwald]

Over 3 years ago I made a similar choice...I gave e-cigs a try more as a whim, a way to maybe cut down on smoking. Back then I got a cig-sized and cartomizers with 24mg liquid. I was a very heavy old smoker.

I have never tried the emow but have similar stuff. I think it will be fine for testing this vaping thing. Hopefully you'll find it enjoyable.

I was fine with 24mg for a couple of months, but then I found it was too high (lightheaded, anxiety, woozy). Had to start cutting back. I, also find too much vg causes heavy lung, so I prefer 60pg/40vg or even 70/30. But that is personal preference stuff.

As for airflow. That is also personal preference. At first, I liked my vaping to be more like smoking, so I liked the airflow restricted...tighter draw. However, as I have progressed, I find that I like more airflow, tho not as much as many around these parts.