Howdy from Dallas!!

[ThreePutt]

Just registered today, but have perused the ECF in the past. Longtime lurker, first time poster.

Two Christmases ago, I bought two starter kits from a mall kiosk (Sure Smoke) for the wife and I. With them branded, there's no mention of the model number, but from reviewing other posts (and picture thread), it looks closest to the KR 808. We opened our presents with fury, got the batteries charged and started vaping... for about a couple of weeks. Typical issues with keeping charged batteries, and frankly, the act itself. As a smoker, you go out for the smoke break, spend about 5 - 10 minutes drawing on your analog. With the eCigs, the first couple of puffs were great, and then started to diminish - both throat hit and vapor. I could wait a minute (or three) and then puff again, and perhaps get a good hit or two. Then, back to the waiting. We've used them off and on, but went back to analogs.

I travel a lot, and usually slam down on the smokes (like 3 analogs in a row) before I get on the plane... usually with the embarrassment of smelling like a smoky bar as I'm waiting in the security line. I was traveling back home last night, and missed having the ecig. I have been doing the snus over the last couple of flights, but would prefer to be tobacco free. So, while looking out the window at 30,000 feet, I thought about ECF, and paid a visit last night, with registration this morning.

Both the wife and I smoke. Me, about a pack a day. She, about half a pack a day. Both of us love the feeling and action of smoking. We weren't disappointed by the ecig experiment we started two years ago, other than the batteries and duration of the vape break. I have a ton of flavors (thanks to besteciggy.com's sample pack) and both of us liked the various blends. So, what do we want in an ecig?

Good TH and vapor, and a configuration that allows you to take a standard 10 minute smoke break, and take a puff every 20 seconds and get that TH and vapor. Definitely don't want two puffs - wait two minutes - take two puffs.

That said, I knew from previous ECF visits that there's a ton of products out there, and members with their preferences. There certainly was some information overload. However, ECF is an outstanding forum with topics on literally everything in the ecig world. Thanks for being here!

I won't shower the new member threads with questions on recommendations, etc. These have been asked before, and the FAQs and stickies have hours of engaging reading. I told the wife we'd look over the weekend and pick something out, and replace the ecigs we have now. Now, on to the research...


Thanks again for the wealth of information. I look forward to participating in this great community.

 

[dormouse]

Choices that most people are recommended to start on:

Go to fat batteries - Ego or Riva 510 - for very long charge life, ability to use hotter LR parts

or

Use decent MANUAL slim ecig but then you get short battery life and you can't use the hotter LR parts.

And I recommend cartomizers - because atomizer and cart can be annoying

100 mah is about 1 hour or moderate vaping with normal resistance atomizer or cartomizer

Slim ecig batteries in general are 180mah for the short ones, or 280mah for the long ones
Recommend models: manual Joye 510 or manual Joye 510 mega xl, manual KR808D-1/Vapor4Life in standard size (280mah). Use the 510's with Boge standard resistance cartomizers and eliquid and use the atty & a drip tip to test juices or vape also. With the KR8 - it's a 2-piece cartomizers model. You can use a DSE901 atty and drip tip on it to test juices.

Fat battery models and mods are 650mah to 1300mah
Recommend models: Joye or Janty brand Ego, Riva 510 from Liberty-Flights (use Boge 510 standard or LR cartos or a drip tip w/ the atomizer)

For Joye 510 180mah: Cignot.com or Liberty-Flights, PCC at NoSmokeVA.com
For Joye 510 mega xl: There are some at FreedomSmokeUSA - you need to shop around, metal non-roomy PCC
For KR808D-1: LiteCigUSA.net for basic hardware, Vapor4Life for nicer colors and prefilled cartomizers (and you need liquid too to keep them damp but you can use eliquid from anywhere)
For Ego or Riva 510: Liberty-Flights.com and click the 20% in upper left of front page first

And all need eliquid - plenty of eiquid, and expect tp spend time trying eliquids to find ones you really like. Buy some wherever you got your ecig then buy some more at a real juice vendors who offers PG/VG blends.

 

[Del Boy]

Hey threeputt <---- i do that too often. What a card wrecker.

Welcome to ECF. I look forward to your participation.

I think if you, and your wife, choose your e cig wisely and aren't too bothered about it looking like an analog then you could be flying in no time. The better e cigs generally come a little bigger than an analog. But boy what a difference in battery life. It just makes the whole thing more relaxing, less fraught, not such a worry. And when you're quitting smoking you need less worry.
Get some 24mg liquid. I feel thats a great starting point. If it's too much then vape lightly on it till you get some 18mg or something. The point is you'll have 24mg around for those "need" moments or days.
I'll be interested to see what e cig you go for. I'll be interested too to see how you and your wife progress (as, no doubt, will many others). So do please keep us posted

 

[aj_neil]

Welcome to ECF. That's too bad about your negative experience so long ago with the e-cigs you bought at the mall, as you've mentioned, there are a ton of devices out there, and a ton of different factors or pieces of the puzzle, so to speak, that make up the ultimate "perfect" product and that end result is different for everyone. You just need to be willing to devote the time with an open mind into experimenting and you will find something that works for each of you (though what "works" may be different for you two respectively).

We will always offer advice and recommendations, but that varies by person. Also, probably your first mistake, but I wouldn't buy products from kiosks and such- there are a lot of knock-offs out there. The best bet, IMO, would be to reach out for vendor recommendations on here, and start there. Nobody will recommend something that they have not had at least some experience with, indirectly or not.

Good luck.

 

[JWebb]

Threeput, I used to smoke 3 analogs before getting on a plane too! That doesn't do much good when you have a flight to Europe or Asia though! I kept with the ecigs and better hardware like the REO, or Ali'i or Provari, or even the eGo and it stopped the smoking for good. I can even vape in Airports and in the bathroom on a plane and it does the trick! Welcome to ECF!

 

[classwife]

Welcome ThreePutt...(my bane !) LOL !!

Thrilled that you are going to utilize the stickies !

Best wishes for you and your wife !

 

[WomanOfHeart]

The Riva 510 was my first decent PV. By decent I mean an inexpensive PV that produces plenty of vapor and flavor with great battery life in between charges. I think they're little workhorses. I've since moved on to mods, but my fiance still uses them and after over 8 months, they're still going strong! They'll last around 7-8 hours for him before they need a recharge.

You can find these little gems at Liberty-Flights. If you click on the Discount Codes at the top of the page, you'll get another 20% off. That will bring the price down to $34.39 for a complete kit.

 

[DaveP]

I second the Riva 510 Lite Bundle @ $24.99 from Liberty Flights. Be sure you click the 20% off icon at the top left of the page to get the discount.

 

[volcano vapor]

Hey threeputt I am also from The DFW area and if you want to try out different e-cig models and juices to see what you like. I would suggest you stop by vaporesence they are in Richardson and they have a store in Denton too. They are an all Vape store so they can point you in the right direction. You just go there sit down with them in their Vape Bar and tell them what your looking for. They have all kinds of PV's there from 510's, Ego and ego-t's, Janty Boxes, Mods of all colors and over 250+ Juices you can sample right there on the spot. James is the owner of the store in Richardson and he is really good at giving suggestion, tips and advice. I would stay away from Head-shop like places here in DFW that sell E-cigs next to bongs and pipes since thiere specialty is not E-Cigs.

 

[jj2]

My preferences.
Something in the 3.7 mod.
I mainly use the NicoStick. They aren't easy to lose, don't roll around, easy to hold, can sit them down just about anywhere, and easy to fix if you don't mind tinkering. For convenience, I keep one with me, one in the car, and a couple laying around the house.
Passthrough or something like it. I use something in the something like it category. It's a Wall Wart mod. Not something that you probably have heard about. With it, if there is a plugin, there is power---CONSTANT POWER.

I had a version for the car but didn't like dealing with the wire.

E-cig look alike batteries. Yes, I have three and one charger. They are for those times when it's fits the situation better. When I first started, I used the auto. Now I prefer the manuals but still own one auto. The biggest minus about autos is the time cut off---I hear it's getting better. The other minus is if you get liquid in them, they are shot.
The manual, you hit the button and use at will.

Atomizers, cartos, etc.

The RN4081 atty for dripping. Not a favorite around here but still remains my favorite atomizer. A little work horse that last month after month. Produces awesome vapor.

Cartomizers & CE2. I use 510 stuff and prefer clear---love to see what is going inside. For me, cleaning the Clearos is easier, but with the Clearo's, I have to do some modding. No biggie since it's not hard and takes all of five minutes.
Dual coil. Judgement is still out on these since I can't really tell that much difference between them and the single.
CE2 Clearo's are my favorite. For me, I have to add flavoring to get the taste. They are sooo convenient. One will get me through most of the day.
Big plus is, if modded correctly, you don't have to worry about leaking. This is a very big plus if you are using an auto battery.

Good luck on your quest.

 

[Ann_Marie]

Hello from Arlington - Dallas Glad you're here!!!

We got roped into the Mall Kiosk type of e-cig for our first as well - and then went on a week long trip, in which I managed to burn up almost all my cartomizers. Not only did I smoke, but I hotboxed, and I tend to do that w/ e-cigs as well.

What others have said is COMPLETELY and totally true - and here's what I suggest

1. EGO - Riva type 650+ type battery
2. Boge LR Cartomizers
3. Good quality E-Liquid

 

[ThreePutt]

You guys rock! Thanks for the suggestions. I'll make a trip up to Denton to check out the vape store there. I'll probably talk with the employees there and grab a model (and one for the wife).

Thanks again for all the responses!

 

[Ann_Marie]

You're not in Dallas, I just noticed you're in Keller I work in Grapevine!

 

[ThreePutt]

Yep, I'm not in Dallas. Guess it's old habit, as my out-of-state customers ask where I'm from. That, and I used to live in Dallas... Should have titled it "Howdy from Texas!"

Based on the suggestions, I visited Vaporescence today, and Greg was extremely helpful! We sat and talked about my analog habits, and the lack of success from the kiosk variety of e-cigs, and directed me towards the eGo-T. Talk about a world of difference!

First difference was the taste. With the mall e-cig, I worked through the sample pack of flavors that I bought from besteciggy.com. Not to knock their juice - I think the mall e-cig was just that poor - everything pretty much tasted the same. When I sat with Greg, he let me sample the eGo-T and I got wonderful flavors from the first hit. Good TH and vapor too! Needless to say, I sped home with my treasures, waiting to sample the previously-bought flavors. World of difference. Greg makes some great tasting flavors, too. He threw in a sample of his mint chocolate chip and Bub Daddy (bubble gum). Wow! Vaping is going to take a whole new direction from here!

Second difference was the quality of the vape. The mall e-cig had about four draws then kaput. Greg told me this battery (not sure if it's the 650 or 1000mAh variety) would last for the day. And the tank system was the equivalent of 15 - 18 analogs. Not sure about the tank capacity, as I vaped about half of it on the way home. Still, I'm extremely happy about the improved performance and vape.

I was so impressed, I bought my wife an identical kit, but in purple. Even got the case - you know how women like to accessorize.

I'm really looking forward to trying the vaping route again. Time to break the analog habit! Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and comments. I'm sure this won't be my last PV, but I'm happy to have found a good model!

 

[Del Boy]

Hey good on you threeputt. Off and running now then. I must admit good gear makes a world of difference. Every now and then you have a sticky patch (maybe a flooded atty or whatever) and it becomes tenes, fraught. Theres nothing like a good solid reliable e cig for making the whole thing a pleasure.

Pleased for you. Pleased you got such good service too.

 

[Skypea]

Can I ever relate. Traveling on a plane and smoking just don't work. I was so into my smoking I even picked airports that had smoking lounges for my plane changes. I'm glad that won't be an issue anymore!

You made a good choice. I have an ego type PV and I love, love, love it! I've been vaping for about a month. The batteries last more then 2 days for me. The amount of vapor is awesome! I can't say enough good things about it.

I wish you and your wife the best of luck in your desire to quit smoking.

 

[ThreePutt]

Thanks for the well-wishes. I know my wife is going to be knocked out when she gets home!

As a frequent flier, I can fully appreciate those airports with smoking lounges - I even bought an Admiral's Club membership, so that I could smoke at DFW. And for those airports that don't offer smoking, talk about the stress level going up, when you attempt to leave security for one more smoke, and then pray the lines aren't too long, or the TSA too slow!

And it'll be nice to take a walk to the lavatory to take a vape break while in the air - I'd never do it while sitting, as I'm sure I'd get jumped when other passengers see "smoke" rising from my seat.