Intro...5 months off cigs, loving vaping, need advice

[Baditude]

I've got a pair of Hohm Life 18650s in them now.... My local vape shop guy was really down on them though, calling them cheap LG re-wraps that he would never use. But I looked up the company and they seem pretty legit. They actually re-engineer LG batteries and optimize them for vaping mods, and they have a deal with the company to do it.... Mooch does now have the Hohm Life/Work batteries on his chart so maybe people are coming around about them.

I hadn't paid much attention to these batteries up until now because I figured they were simply a knockoff rewrap. I haven't read anything on their website or anywhere else that confirms that they are specifically using LG Chem battery cells. The only thing that I've come across is below. Can you post a link to your source that confirms they are LG cells?

"* NOTICE: Hohm Tech does not manufacture batteries. These are licensed and made specific to the requirements set forth." Holm Life 18650
​

Mooch tested these batteries here:

HohmLife 36.3A 3077mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...only a 20A- battery but a great one, equal to HG2​

HohmWork 40.6A 2531mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...only a 20A battery but great, better than HE2
​

Great batteries apparently, but I'm still disappointed that they still over-rate their specifications and use pulse ratings, which are basically useless.

I doubt that LG would like the idea that their batteries are being re-engineered for the purpose of vaping.

 

[MadClowdz]

The CEO of Holm Tech was interviewed and he said that LG was the consultant on their project and that they improved the battery chemistry and altered the materials to include more nickel which improved conductivity. Anyway, I've got a pair of Hohm Life 18650s and Sony VTC5As and I'm currently using the Hohm Lifes in the Drag and when its time to re-charge I'm going to use the Sonys. Currently using the Drag to charge, as the Gene chip has multiple battery charging safety features, but I have the Nitecore I4 charger on the way.

So far, so good, I've been vaping both my Crown III and Valyrian tanks (55w and 95w) since yesterday morning and I'm only down to 80% and the Drag doesn't even get warm. I like this mod a lot, so far.

I also love the fact that you can customize the power on screen...

 

[Baditude]

The CEO of Holm Tech was interviewed and he said that LG was the consultant on their project and that they improved the battery chemistry and altered the materials to include more nickel which improved conductivity.

Source or link would be appreciated for my reference materials.

 

[MadClowdz]

Source or link would be appreciated for my reference materials.

You can just do a YouTube search that's how I found it. I typed in something along the lines of " hohm tech CEO interview hohmlife lg". They lasted me about two days and I pulled them to try the Sony's and they were still at around 20%.

 

[Baditude]

I saw no interview by the CEO, but I did see this video that had this comment by an unknown person, "Actually, they are re-engineered by Hohm Tech with LG's assistance. Altered chemistry and materials, they are not simply re-wrapped LGs like most people think."



Saw the below video of the manufacturing plant.

 

[gerrymi]

I vape more than I used to smoke

from Spinfuel:

"There is something, some truth that is spoken about in e-cigarette forums dozens, maybe hundreds, of times a day that for the most part all Vapers know to be true but others, non-Vapers, do not know. It is this; Vapers vape a lot more than smokers smoke.

We all know this to be true. Hell, if I counted the number of puffs/drags I take everyday from my e-cigarette and applied that number to tobacco cigarettes I would be in the category of a “4+ packs a day” smoker.

I’m a chain Vaper, like tens of thousands of others, I vape all the time. Why not? It’s safe. Harmless even. Hell, maybe even beneficial to lung health. And cheap. There isn’t a single reason that I can see for not vaping anytime I have the urge. I call it ‘pacify vaping’ "

..

 

[MadClowdz]

So far so good on the batteries, the Hohm Life and Sony are both lasting me at least two days. I could probably squeeze three out of them, but I don't want to take them down to less than 30% so I am alternating. Nitecore i4 charger works well.
As far as the tanks, I really am not feeling the Valyrian so far. Draw is super airy, you have to almost close the airflow to get any kind of restricted DTL hit. Flavor is not great, either, I gotta say so far I am disappointed. I have a pair of the .4 kanthal coils on the way, hopefully they perform a little better. I'm using the .4 kanthal on the Crown III and I'm loving it!
I decided to try a mesh coil, so I ordered the Horizontech Falcon Resin Artisan, with the m2 and m3 mesh coils. Can't wait to see how they taste. I got the crimson swirl edition, and it should look pretty sick with the rainbow swirl on my resin Drag mod.

 

[MadClowdz]

I think I just experienced vaper's tongue! So starting Sunday night, I noticed the flavor of my vape was really starting to diminish. By Monday, it was getting pretty noticeable. I couldn't figure out what the problem was, I checked my tanks, o-rings, etc...the coils were only 2 days old...but it was getting frustrating.
Tuesday was horrible, I couldn't taste a damn thing. Literally NOTHING. I changed juices, tried to sweeten my mix, switched between tanks, and got NADA. It was so weird! Hit after hit was just completely tasteless and flat, the only thing I could feel was just the coolness of the menthol in the back of my throat.
So I looked it up and saw that there really is a thing called vapor's tongue. It has something to do with hyperactive taste buds in the nasal passage, IIRC. There were all kinds of "remedies" people recommended online, but the one thing that most people agreed on was time. It typically lasts 1 to 3 days and there's really nothing you can do but not vape as much as you can.
So Tuesday I barely vaped at all. Then finally on Wednesday the taste slowly started to return. Same juice, same coil. Yesterday things were back to normal and I was blowing Mad Clowdz once again!
Dude, that sucked!!

 

[Baditude]

I think I just experienced vaper's tongue!...
So I looked it up and saw that there really is a thing called vapor's tongue. It has something to do with hyperactive taste buds in the nasal passage,

I'm pretty sure no one has taste buds in their nasal passage.

It's true that our sense of smell assists our sense of taste, but its not because of taste buds in the nose. The fragrances of flavor molecules are picked up by specialized cells (olfactory receptors) in the nose which allow us to smell and helps us "taste" flavors. You can tell how important this function is when you have a head cold and can't taste your food.

So to take full advantage of this function, one should exhale some of the vapor exhaled through the nose.

And vapor's tongue is often caused by underactive taste buds because of flavor over-saturation, or over exposure to one flavor. Using a favorite all day vape can oversaturate the taste buds. To counteract that situation, its a good idea to switch out flavors from time to time. I'm pretty sure if you ate only the same kind of food day in and day out for several weeks, you'd lose your taste for that food. So if you take into account that the vast majority of our e-liquid flavors come from concentrated food flavoring extracts, this makes sense.

 

[stols001]

I think vaper's tongue can happen by oversaturation of one flavor over time, but quite often, it appears to be a function of one's old damaged tastebuds from smoking kind of all dying off near the same time, that's the most oft cited explanation I have seen although I can't remember if I've ever seen actual proof cited for it or anything.

I had it happen twice, both times were pretty brief for me, once after I initially quit vaping and a second time after my smoking relapse.

I've gotten kind of flavor "fatigue" say if I vape too much of only a few flavors, and I still taste them they just start tasting kind of ugh, and off, and not that great. Usually a mouthful of lemon juice swished around fixes it, that and switching to some other juices for a while.

But the total "dead" no flavor thing has only happened after exposure to cigarettes and then vaping only. I can usually taste food and beverages but not vape. It's kinda weird, but at least it passes fast.

As there are no taste buds in the nose though, we can rule out that theory. IDK how smell "works" exactly to be quite honest, other than it makes up a large part of "taste" and that smoking can damage the cilia in the nose, and (I would assume) one's sense of smell too either short term or I'd even imagine long term but as a heavy smoker my smell was as impaired as my taste. I knew how bad I SMELLED to other people but only well, in THEORY I had to start vaping, experience the sense of smell for myself, and then feel much distress at what I had subjected OTHERS to, because smoking is not so good for the nose either, seemingly.

Anna

 

[United States]

I see lots of progress from post 1 to this page madcloudz. Congrats and high fives all around.
You've come a long ways in a short time.

Welcome aboard.

The vape tongue thing is a bummer for sure. I keep a tank around for that time. It has a combination of pinapple and watermelon with a cool after taste. It's called Polar Breeze by Naked100. Ordinarilly I don't like it, just because the pineapple is too strong but on vape tongue days the pineapple is mellow'd just right.

 

[MadClowdz]

Ok forget the taste buds in nasal thing. I've been reading so much info on vaping over the last several months you'll have to excuse me if I can't reiterate it all here verbatim. Yes I was referring to the sense of smell having to do with taste. It definitely wasn't flavor fatigue though and I've been off smokes for over 5 months so not sure how or why it happened but yeah, it sucked lol.
Thanks for the Naked reference I've been thinking about trying their juice I like the fact that they use glass bottles as I hate plastic.

 

[MadClowdz]

Well, I've been using my new Horizontech Falcon Resin Artisan tank since last night. Flavor is awesome, but the damn thing won't stop leaking. I've tried everything: Replaced all the o-rings, disassembled and re-assembled the tank, checked all screwed in components for cross threading or looseness...nothing has worked it still leaks. Seems to be coming from either or both the bottom of the glass and air holes. This is frustrating as I like the tank, but if I can't get it to stop leaking, back it goes to elementvape...

 

[gerrymi]

the damn thing won't stop leaking. I've tried everything:

It may not work...but...have you tried just replacing the coil???

In the last 6 months I've has 2 completely different tanks (a Goby and a Zenith) that leaked right out of the box...no matter what I tried...

Then...as a last resort...I replaced their factory installed coil with one from a 5-pack I had bought with them...and they both stopped leaking...(and continue to be "dry as a bone")…

,,

 

[MadClowdz]

It may not work...but...have you tried just replacing the coil???
,,

I have the M1 single mesh that also came with the tank (it came with the triple mesh M3 installed), that's my last move...I'll try it tomorrow.

 

[MadClowdz]

I replaced the triple mesh coil with the M-1 single mesh spare. So far no leaking. Looks like I got a dud coil. Definitely like the triple better, the single is ok so far, maybe I need to break it in more, but it doesn't come close to the flavor of that triple. Snagged a 3-pack of the triples online for a good deal, so hopefully they will be leak free. I'm also going to contact the vendor and let them know about it, maybe they'll offer to send me a replacement coil. Thanks for the suggestions, gerrymi!

LOL at that Juul plug that got removed...I have no interest in those things whatsoever.

 

[MadClowdz]

Here's a shot of the Crimson tank on my Voopoo. Color looked different online, at first I didn't like it but it's kind of growing on me.

 

[gerrymi]

maybe they'll offer to send me a replacement coil.

Well MadC...I've purchased a number of new tanks that arrived with defective factory-installed coils...

But...considering that for 50+ years I routinely turned about $15 per day of tobacco into ashes (without thinking twice about it)...I, personally, have found it hard to upset myself over a faulty $3 coil...


..

 

[MadClowdz]

Spoke too soon about the coil swap. Still getting small amounts of juice in the air holes...I may just try and return the tank for another one, elementvape has a decent policy if a tank is shown to be defective. I like this tank and the triple coil is great so we'll see...

 

[MadClowdz]

Ordered another Falcon tank to see if it was a defective unit. Elementvape was prompt in issuing me an RMA form and return instructions. Hopefully, this tank doesn't leak. I really like the Falcon Artisan edition and the mesh coils taste great, at a week and a half on the single mesh M1 and it's still going strong.