Hi. Overwhelmed new guy here!

[NealBJr]

He doesn't know how to separate a mech from regulated so, i'm thinking either he's trolling or he's just missinformed and i hope he learned something from this thread.

I agree. I wish the subox was around when I was deciding on a secondary regulated mod. I still use my Sigeli 100 as my main, but when it came to a more portable device, I chose a cloupor mini. Still a good device, but the powerup delay means I have to push the button, then wait for it to "warm up" so to speak. I'd like to see a side by side comparison in size... the cloupor is quite small, and it looks superb with a subtank nano on it.

 

[balance]

Welcome to ECF!

I haven't learned a whole lot yet on my vaping journey, but I'll share with you some of the questions I've had to answer for myself:

* What form factor do you want?
In the beginning, I was all about the long and skinny cylinders to remind me of smoking. Even though they were heavier than a cigarette, I'd periodically hold them between my fingers as if they were cigs. Overall the 2 eGo batteries that I bought were not that great, but at the time I was very "anti-box". If you can deal with something that doesn't really look at all like cigarette -- great! You'll have more options for set-ups, and if you're serious about all of this, you can avoid spending money on stuff you'll outgrow in two weeks. But don't worry if you don't want to invest in sophisticated "mods" right now. Many folks, including myself, have quit with relatively simple eGo setups.

* How long do you need them to last?
Or, how many batteries do you want to carry with you? I started with batteries that said they'd last 6 hours and 9 hours. This seemed to be enough for a work day and well within my price range. But after a month, I realized that they were slowly, slowly losing their mojo. And while both still work, they no longer achieve anything near that length of time. AND -- there were a few days when both of them needed to be recharged at the same time! EEK! I wanna vape RIGHT NOW! was all I could think, followed by - that convenience store is open, I could pick up a pack of smokes right now! So, I solved this with buying a few devices with pass-through capabilities, meaning I could vape them while they were charging. Yes, extra purchases that I could have avoided with a more powerful battery up front. The recommendation above for a couple of rechargeable batteries and a Nitecore charger might be right solution for you. I haven't gone down that path yet, so I can't really comment more. All I know is that BACKUPS FOR YOUR BACKUPS is the way to go, especially in the early days, when you're still used to buying cigarettes.

* Are you crafty?
If so, rebuilding may be for you. It's not for me. My papier mache sucked as a kid, and my hand-eye coordination hasn't improved a lick. In fact, my eye sight is worse, so winding wire around drill bits and stuffing them with cotton isn't my thing, especially since the final result will, upon occasion, be close to my face, and I'm not confident I could avoid disasters. Me, I have atomizers that I buy coils for every other week or so. But a rebuildable atomizer might be just the ticket for you. It saves money and lets you customize your vaping experience. If you've been reading up on this stuff here, and it appeals to you -- investigate some more and skip the tanks that tie you into buying coils every week. But rest assured that even if you choose to use ready-made replacement coils you're A: Not smoking! and B: still saving money!

Hope this helps! If not, keep asking questions. Smarter folks than me are floating around here all the time!

 

[SleeZy]

I agree. I wish the Subox was around when I was deciding on a secondary regulated mod. I still use my Sigeli 100 as my main, but when it came to a more portable device, I chose a cloupor mini. Still a good device, but the powerup delay means I have to push the button, then wait for it to "warm up" so to speak. I'd like to see a side by side comparison in size... the cloupor is quite small, and it looks superb with a subtank nano on it.

Same here, altho i'm still quite happy with my nemesis + kayfun v2 combos, or RDAs for that matter. (this is also why i strongly advice against mechs due i know their pros / cons)
Subox is a great kit.

 

[SleeZy]

Welcome to ECF!

I haven't learned a whole lot yet on my vaping journey, but I'll share with you some of the questions I've had to answer for myself:

* What form factor do you want?
In the beginning, I was all about the long and skinny cylinders to remind me of smoking. Even though they were heavier than a cigarette, I'd periodically hold them between my fingers as if they were cigs. Overall the 2 eGo batteries that I bought were not that great, but at the time I was very "anti-box". If you can deal with something that doesn't really look at all like cigarette -- great! You'll have more options for set-ups, and if you're serious about all of this, you can avoid spending money on stuff you'll outgrow in two weeks. But don't worry if you don't want to invest in sophisticated "mods" right now. Many folks, including myself, have quit with relatively simple eGo setups.

* How long do you need them to last?
Or, how many batteries do you want to carry with you? I started with batteries that said they'd last 6 hours and 9 hours. This seemed to be enough for a work day and well within my price range. But after a month, I realized that they were slowly, slowly losing their mojo. And while both still work, they no longer achieve anything near that length of time. AND -- there were a few days when both of them needed to be recharged at the same time! EEK! I wanna vape RIGHT NOW! was all I could think, followed by - that convenience store is open, I could pick up a pack of smokes right now! So, I solved this with buying a few devices with pass-through capabilities, meaning I could vape them while they were charging. Yes, extra purchases that I could have avoided with a more powerful battery up front. The recommendation above for a couple of rechargeable batteries and a Nitecore charger might be right solution for you. I haven't gone down that path yet, so I can't really comment more. All I know is that BACKUPS FOR YOUR BACKUPS is the way to go, especially in the early days, when you're still used to buying cigarettes.

* Are you crafty?
If so, rebuilding may be for you. It's not for me. My papier mache sucked as a kid, and my hand-eye coordination hasn't improved a lick. In fact, my eye sight is worse, so winding wire around drill bits and stuffing them with cotton isn't my thing, especially since the final result will, upon occasion, be close to my face, and I'm not confident I could avoid disasters. Me, I have atomizers that I buy coils for every other week or so. But a rebuildable atomizer might be just the ticket for you. It saves money and lets you customize your vaping experience. If you've been reading up on this stuff here, and it appeals to you -- investigate some more and skip the tanks that tie you into buying coils every week. But rest assured that even if you choose to use ready-made replacement coils you're A: Not smoking! and B: still saving money!

Hope this helps! If not, keep asking questions. Smarter folks than me are floating around here all the time!

Exactly this is why is recommend the subox kit
It comes as an "all in one kit" except for batteries and charger. That might be the only downside.

However i suspect that the TS checked the pbusardo review i posted since he's intersted in it. If he's still uncertain let us know.

 

[cindycated]

Been doing this 5 years Mate, spent way more $ than I should have........my advice is to pick up a Subox mini kit, some 30 amp batteries, and a 10$ Nitecore charger ,and some juice of your choice ......100$ US. I'm sure many more here at ECF will give pointers as well...youre in a good place here , much good advice, best to you ........PS: you've gotten into vaping at a good point as far as Devices and juice delivery, keep it simple, there's a new sub ohm tank coming out daily, don't let it confuse you .........Welcome

haha I just got done recommending that to another newbie!

 

[NealBJr]

Same here, altho i'm still quite happy with my nemesis + kayfun v2 combos, or RDAs for that matter. (this is also why i strongly advice against mechs due i know their pros / cons)
Subox is a great kit.

I like my nemesis too. I kind of prefer the caravela though.. quicker locking ring, but the Nemesis is a solid and adaptable mechanical mod. I've had a scare or two with mechanicals, so I know first hand, even if you're a seasoned pro, you can't disrespect a mechanical, or you'll end up regretting it. Here's two of my incidences I've had with mechanicals:

Nemesis/kayfun... was driving during vacation, and I had a nemesis and a kayfun combo with a moderate build on it (like .8 ohms). It was hard to lock the mod while driving, so I set it down to navigate traffic. Went to pull into a gas station for drinks, and when I went to pickup the mod, it was blazingly hot. I had sony VTC4's in them so the mod was safe...but... could've went wrong.

Caravela/derringer: I was on ECF chatting, and was vaping away on my caravela with a .2 build in a derringer. twisted the locking ring and set it down. When I saw vape/smoke coming up from the drip tip, I thought Oh sh..... knocked over the mod, it was too hot to touch. grabbed a towel, and unscrewed the base.. ran to the bathroom sink, and ran water over the mod.. it was so hot it sizzled when the water hit.. this was on the tube, close to the end... so I knew the derringer was even hotter. Again, a sony VTC4, but this one I don't trust anymore. Could have been worse if I used any other battery I own.

So, mechanicals to someone just learning is a no go. I know their strong/weak points. that is why I use regulated for my all day vape, and mechanicals for recreational. (BTW, all noted above are clones with the exception of batteries.. I only buy from trusted and well known sites and am a firm believer in Sony VTC 4's.

 

[LMS62]

yep thats a clearo. coincidentally, its the kind i started on . for more smoke, an RDA (rebuildable drip atomizer) is the way to go.

If your RDA is putting off smoke, something is seriously wrong. RDAs produce vapor.....not smoke.

 

[cindycated]

I love my mechs but they're pretty limiting. That's all I have at the moment (budget issues), and whenever I read EVERYBODY ELSE'S posts about all the neat stuff they can do on their regulated mods, I feel really left behind.

 

[SleeZy]

I like my nemesis too. I kind of prefer the caravela though.. quicker locking ring, but the Nemesis is a solid and adaptable mechanical mod. I've had a scare or two with mechanicals, so I know first hand, even if you're a seasoned pro, you can't disrespect a mechanical, or you'll end up regretting it. Here's two of my incidences I've had with mechanicals:

Nemesis/kayfun... was driving during vacation, and I had a nemesis and a kayfun combo with a moderate build on it (like .8 ohms). It was hard to lock the mod while driving, so I set it down to navigate traffic. Went to pull into a gas station for drinks, and when I went to pickup the mod, it was blazingly hot. I had sony VTC4's in them so the mod was safe...but... could've went wrong.

Caravela/derringer: I was on ECF chatting, and was vaping away on my caravela with a .2 build in a derringer. twisted the locking ring and set it down. When I saw vape/smoke coming up from the drip tip, I thought Oh sh..... knocked over the mod, it was too hot to touch. grabbed a towel, and unscrewed the base.. ran to the bathroom sink, and ran water over the mod.. it was so hot it sizzled when the water hit.. this was on the tube, close to the end... so I knew the derringer was even hotter. Again, a sony VTC4, but this one I don't trust anymore. Could have been worse if I used any other battery I own.

So, mechanicals to someone just learning is a no go. I know their strong/weak points. that is why I use regulated for my all day vape, and mechanicals for recreational. (BTW, all noted above are clones with the exception of batteries.. I only buy from trusted and well known sites and am a firm believer in Sony VTC 4's.

Thank you for your stories, which also explains why a new guy shouldn't use mechs. And it was sheer luck that you had the sonys in there (most other known brands are quite volatile, so far sony is the only ones who just "hizz" and then turn to 200c degrees and then cooldown and that's it)

And yea right call after your second incident, i wouln't use that either. (Esp since it's been exposed to water ontop of the hot mod, water + batteries doesn't mix well.)

Not saying you where a new guy, just that incidends does happen, ever to the experienced once.
Personally i've a super habit of always locking my ring after every vape when i turn it down, i don't trust that the button is holding on it's own, which i can do if i place it on a flat surface with precision, if i don't the mod will keep firing.

However the main danger with a mech is shorts, and most newbies doesn't know what a short is and does not check for them. Firing a direct short = battery vent right away. (Most of the cases, you might be lucky just to get a REALY warm mod)

I love my mechs but they're pretty limiting. That's all I have at the moment (budget issues), and whenever I read EVERYBODY ELSE'S posts about all the neat stuff they can do on their regulated mods, I feel really left behind.

I kinda agree, but at the same time not. As a mech user you are choosing your vape.
It's all about the RDA + build, you don't need to vape 150++ watts for that "awesome cloud"

Perfect coil on the "perfect RDA" will be basicly if not ever better then regulated - the first 1-10 puffs XD Here is why regulated wins. Always consistent til the battery dies out. (Which we need to be vary about)

But yea regulated in these days beats mechs most of the time IMO, only time mechs wins is due ease of maintaince.

Quick edit: Excuse my spellings, getting tired + english isn't my main language. ^^

 

[cindycated]

However the main danger with a mech is shorts, and most newbies doesn't know what a short is and does not check for them. Firing a direct short = battery vent right away. (Most of the cases, you might be lucky just to get a REALY warm mod)

Especially with the popularity of hybrids and SMPLs. I love mine, but waaay too advanced to be safe for newbies.

 

[Poeia]

Hello everyone.

I tried vaping last week and intend to replace cigarette smoking with vaping. I've read so much in the past few days that my mind is boggled.

I need some advice from experienced vapers. I want to start out with a passable bit of kit that I'll get decent use out of in the long run. I live in Australia, so I'll need the rundown on how to avoid any importation pitfalls.

I've been looking on cloud 9 vaping and they seem pretty good. Is the postage to Au expensive?

I've been looking at the EMOW kit. It's got a glass bottle and a high capacity battery which sound like must haves. Is that good bang for buck starter gear?

In the Community section (about one-third down the page) there's National Forums. One of those is Australia/New Zealand. I don't know how many posts you need to have under your belt before you can post outside the New Members Forum, but you can read there. It doesn't look too active but the most recent post was in a thread about suppliers who ship to Australia.

I've said many times if I started vaping now, I would start reading and get so overwhelmed that I'd give up. Five years ago it was a lot less complicated -- you had a choice of batteries that lasted about 2 hours between charges and dripping was a revelation. Today is my 2,000th day vaping (yeah, me!) and I haven't gone far beyond that. When I get too complicated, I regret it.

My first question is "how much do you like tinkering?" If you have a great set of tools and you love finding out how things work and taking them apart, go on to the next post. My advice won't be for you.

My next question is "what is important to you in your vaping equipment?" I know you're new to vaping so you might have to think about that for a bit.

For me it is battery life and weight. Even with an eGo (the battery tubes that look like overgrown, brightly colored cigarettes) I won't buy anything below 1,000mAh (that's milli-amp hours and the higher it is, the longer you can go between charges. The ones that were available 5 years ago were about 350mAh.) I hated constantly recharging and having to bring several extra batteries to work because two would get me through the day... unless I ended up working overtime. (Weight because my hands are wonky and go to sleep if I grip something heavy -- like a Smart Phone -- for too long. That's probably not a factor for you.)

Other things that might matter to you:
High power
Variable voltage
Variable wattage
Making big clouds
Being able to customize your set-up


Okay, so tl:dr
I've recently switched my preferred set-up. I'm using an eLeaf iStick 30W. It's new and has become very popular, very quickly. 2,200mAh, it goes to 30 watts or 8 volts, and you can lock your settings so you don't change them by accident. (The 20W doesn't lock your settings and people have been having problems with the 50W but the 30W is great.)

I still like old fashioned atomizers for dripping but eLeaf has come out with a tank designed for the iStick the GS Air-M. It works from 8W to 20W yet doesn't scorch your liquid (one of my biggest complaints about most tanks.) You buy replacement coils which you just screw in when you need a new one, instead of rebuilding them yourself.

It's very reasonably priced. I got it at sweet-vapes.com (which I'm almost positive ships to Australia) and then bought more in some co-ops.

 

[SleeZy]

Especially with the popularity of hybrids and SMPLs. I love mine, but waaay too advanced to be safe for newbies.

Exactly, i've 3 hybrid kits - i've yet to use them. I don't due i actually don't dare to take the risks. ^^
I would feel to uncomfortable with a hybrid. I though i wanted it, but i don't

 

[Buzzzard]

I've bitten the bullet and bought a subox mini kit, two sony batteries some coils and a charger from a local supplier. I also ordered some juice from the UK. The two sampler boxes and some nic to mix from cloud 9. There's only the postman between me and checking out my choices now. Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[Asbestos4004]

in total, you'll need:
-a mechanical mod (or box mod)
-an RDA or RBA
-copper or nickel coils (personally i prefer nickel)
-wicks
- a couple batteries (usually 18650 high drain rechargeable batteries, though you should check to be sure this is the kind your mod takes)
-a charger for the same
-e liquid

you need to quit posting and read instead.

Buzzzard, Welcome! Great choice on the Subox! You'll love it.

 

[BackDoc]

Good choice Buzz, there are many choices/variations out there that provide a very satisfying vape with minimal fuss.....wasn't so a few years ago. Glad you stayed clear of the mechanical /RDAs for the time being

 

[Buzzzard]

Hi guys, I thought I'd pop in and say thanks for your help. I'm very happy with the subox, I'm blowing huge clouds of choc fudge brownie as I type. Cigarettes taste bad to me now and I am having no trouble making the changeover.

I scrounged some e juice from a friend, when my mixing supplies turn up in the mail I'll see you all over on the big peeps forum.

Cheers,

Buzz.

 

[cindycated]

Yay, congrats!
CFB is the bomb! I like it with peanut butter.

 

[HyOnLyph]

Hi @Buzzzard and welcome to the forum. I'd add the iStick 30W and Nautilus Mini is a great starting outfit. You might also check out Fasttech in China (if it says AUTHENTIC in the description, it is real, if it says STYLE it is a clone...keep shopping)

Sir2,
Why avoid the clones? I've heard they were pretty much exactly the same without the branding. I'd appreciate your input.

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

Sir2,
Why avoid the clones? I've heard they were pretty much exactly the same without the branding. I'd appreciate your input.

A couple of reasons. Many manufacturers put a lot of investment into the development of vape gear. They support vape and I support them. Some, yes I said "some" clones are authentic looking and passed off as the real item. This is stealing. Some clones are similar and don't use logo's and such. Make up your own mind on these. But in all instances, try and get warranty support from a clone. I've seen a large number of people duped into trying to get warranty service and then find out they bought a "clone". You can make up your own mind on how you want to vape. This is just my 2 cents.

 

[HyOnLyph]

Thanks, Sir2.
I appreciate the input. Great insight.