Just bought a 510...questions!

[Grinch]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. My cigarette intake has changed over the years, but in general, I used to smoke around half a pack, usually topping at like 12, of American Spirit Regulars. Now I smoke American Spirit Lights. The thing is, American Spirit cigarettes have 25% more tobacco and a LOT of nicotine...even the lights have more nicotine than most full flavor brands do. Anyways, recently I've contracted bronchitis, and although I know it's terrible, I just haven't been able to stop smoking. I'm down to 5 and under a day, but still, not having nicotine makes me irritable and stressed out all the time.

So, last night I bit the bullet after reading a lot on these forums and bought this from cignot:

2 Joye 510 (2 atomizers, 2 manual batteries)
1 PCC
1 AC adapter
5 prefilled carts
VG Camel 26mg 5ml
VG Vanilla 26mg 5ml
ECOpure Regular 25mg 5ml
Joye 510 Blank Cartridges with Pyramid Tea Bag

Now, here's my questions:

1. First, I know other people ask this, but is the 26mg nicotine going to be too strong? I know everyone is different, but I'm still very confused with this whole VG/PG business. When I'm refilling the carts, are you supposed to put straight solution in there, or are you supposed to dilute it with something? I'm sorry if I'm missing an obvious answer, I'm just not too sure.

2. I almost bought the regular cartridges, but the Pyramid Tea Bag ones had better reviews on cignot and people on the forum seemed to like them. Was this a good idea? Also, can you refill cartridges that have had liquid in them previously, or do you need to use a blank cartridge every time?

3. Money issues. Obviously my main reason to switch to an e-cig is health, but it would also be great if it could save me money too. Seeing as how cigs are $6.50 a pack in Los Angeles, and I used to buy a pack roughly every 2 days...I thought that e-cigs would definitely pay for itself. However, now I'm realizing with atomizers and batteries that I'm worried this might cost more. Any thoughts?

4. Liquids. I read a thread about how much liquid you use each day. Some people here say they use 5ml a day, some more, some less. Here's what confused me...is it possible that liquid will end up costing as much as cigs themselves? Because I bought a total of 15ml of liquid, various flavors (see above), and whatever is in the 5 pre-filled carts. I figured that each cart had 1ml in it, so that amount would last me a couple weeks or more. But now I see that people could use 15ml in 3 days or less...so how does one stay on top of always having liquid for your cig? Because going to the gas station and buying a pack is easier than having to purchase online every time! If someone could give me a good idea of how much liquid I should have on hand for a month, that would be great.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to using my 510 when it comes on Monday!

 

[WillyB]

I look forward to using my 510 when it comes on Monday!

Many of your questions will be answered when you get and actually use the unit.

The carts hold about .4ml of liquid. As far as costs, some liquids cost $10/30ml and others are almost $30 for the same amount. You'll probably need at least 60ml/month.

 

[mistinthewoods]

Hi Grinch, First congrats on buying a decent ecig on the first go-round. Now I'll try to answer your questions.
1. For a half a pack a day smoker 26mg may be a little high. I'd try 18mg first. I was a pack a day smoker and 24mg was just right for me but then again I chain vape like an idiot.
2. You can try all kinds of cartridge mods. That's kind of the fun of vaping. You can re use the cartridges. I just pull the filler out, rinse it under the tap and pat it dry in a paper towel, rnse out the cart put in about 8 drops of juice, stuff the filler back in and drip on top untl the filler looks like a slushie and you're good to go.
3. Not counting the original purchase of your 510 you can expect to spend about $30.00 a month on atomizers, juice and batteries more or less. I used to spend more than that in 4 days smoking.
4. I vape quite a bit and use just under 4ml a day. As for cost I think I already covered that.
Good luck and welcome.

 

[beast775]

good decision..the 510 can be used for other ecig mods also.i think i noticed high nicotine results at first but could have been me just getting use to my new hobby,you will find out but you got great stuff for the begining.then cart mods.

 

[Shaka]

I'm also new at this (2 months) so I'll let the more experienced address your technical questions (all your answers can be found in this forum btw).

To address your money issues, please keep things in perspective. What's the price of lung cancer? Your life maybe??!! You weren't spending much on analogs anyway, so your potential savings will be limited. Analogs here average over $8 per pack w/ Hawaii's "sin" taxes added. Smoking for 45 years this month, and from 1+ pack/day I'm down to less than half...so I'm already way ahead. Cost is a very relative thing.

Besides, vaping is way too much fun, and I'd do it for my health even if it costed more!

 

[1.21 Gigawatts]

You can refill blank cartridges (with straight liquid, no dilution needed) many times until the polyfill gets worn out and starts tasting like burnt .... However they don't hold much liquid and are a pain in general. I highly recommend trying the new 510 cartomizers. They hold MUCH more liquid (I get 5 or 6 hours of chainvaping off of one full cart), and there is much less mess and hassle in my opinion. Plus, CONSISTENTCY which is something I found lacking in the whole atomizer/cartridge setup. Plus they cost barely over a buck a piece.

 

[roadrash]

I agree with the cartomizers, and you can refill them so you don't waste your juice. If the nicotine is to strong, you can cut it down with PG or VG.
PG from the big box stores is like $3.00 for 177 ml.

 

[ShaneC]

26mg is probably a bit high, but other than that you're prolly off to a good start.

PTB's are nicer than just Polyfill, IMHO - but a straw mod in conjunction with either seems to work even better.

Good luck!

 

[CartHeadMod]

you will be spending less......that is, of course, if you can resist buying seven different kits and mods in the first month trying to see if the next one is better than the one you have (a common problem).....

there are some folks who go through 5ml a day.....I picture them hunched over their passthroughs pouring juice into their drip tips with a ladle, grinning madly and doing an imitation of a theater fog machine....my guess is a 30ml bottle of juice which you can buy from a number of locations for around $15 is going to last you closer to three to four weeks at least....a ten dollar atomizer is going to last you five or six times as along......so you're still going to be way lower than the $15 a week you have been paying for cigarettes.....

 

[cyberwolf]

I agree with others that 26mg is probably a little high in relation to the amount that you were smoking, but starting with a higher content can make the transition process easier. Vaping is different than smoking and that higher nicotine content will give you more satisfaction in a shorter inhale. If you feel a little head rush, you know you can easily drop down the content! I was a Winston light pack-a-day smoker, and 24mg was the only thing that satisfied me at first, but after a few bottles, 18mg and now 12 mg are fine.

I have averaged around 60ml per month over the past year and atties last me a month or two. Liquid, atomizers and the occasional new device don't come close to the $120+ per month I was spending on cigs. And not wheezing is priceless.

 

[Grinch]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I'll have to just drop my perfectionism and try different combinations out until I get my e-cig working the way I want it to!

If anyone has any good suggestions for a liquid that I can buy in a decent amount that is nice for every day smoking, maybe somewhat tobacco flavored, I'd appreciate it!

I think the nicotine will be fine now that I research it. I smoke American Spirit now, like I said. According to websites, American Spirit Lights have 1.4mg of nicotine per cigarette, and the full flavors are over 1.9mg. Compare that to Marlboro and Camel full flavors, which have 1.0mg or less per cigarette. Each cigarette is basically equal to two regular cigarettes, so I guess my half a pack a day habit, combined with the 25% more tobacco per cig, is pretty much like smoking twice as much. Although, I guess I feel better knowing there's no preservatives or chemical additives, but I suspect that e-cigarettes will become my new favorite.

I wake up every day with a stuffy nose and congestions, not to mention a world of sinus and allergy problems. Smoking undoubtedly worsens my symptoms, even with Allegra allergy pills and Flonase nasal spray. I really hope my 510 will allow me to breathe again normally. That's why I love this whole community already, it's like we get to enjoy the act of smoking without any of the harmful effects of it. I can't wait!

 

[IVapus]

I also got the 510 kit at Cignot and am very happy with it. I did however add a couple more batteries and atomizers, $10 and $5 each respectively from Value Vapor. This way I'm worry free about batteries going dead, especially since the passthrough concept didn't appeal to me as much as most. I also added some cartomizers, which are great, at 5/$7 from liteCigUSA.

I estimated between 1 and 2ml of e-liquid per day, and that has held up as being pretty accurate for me.

I smoked just under a pack a day on average(15-20 typically) of Camel Lights for years and years. However, I only smoked at certain times of day, and would then chain smoke anywhere from 3-5 at a time. All the juices I ordered were 24 or 26mg nicotine, and I've found that to be perfect for me. I figured I was better off erring on the side of too high a nicotine concentration at first, so I wouldn't be dissatisfied and immediately fall back on analogs. I figured I could always cut it down if it turned out to be too much.

I found the PG only liquids I got from Cignot to be very harsh on my throat(an unpleasant dry, scratchy sensation almost like a sore throat). Otherwise, the flavor was okay at first, and I find it continues to grow on me more and more from one day to the next. Sometimes I mix in just a little menthol (which has some VG), and I like that as well and it make the TH less harsh. I got the Camel from Cignot also, along with the 555 and Marlboro.

If you do the math, I do think this e-cigs should in theory be a good deal cheaper than analogs. However, I don't expect to see any major cost benefit for 6 months to 1 year. Maybe never if I keep spending the way I have been, and from what I can tell I'm nowhere near as bad as many of the folks on here. The problem is that analogs were a habit and addiction, whereas vaping it seems almost inevitably becomes more of a pleasure and hobby, motivating some to spend a lot more, even if that wasn't their original intent.

With cigs anywhere from $4-8/pack depending on where you live, the startup costs could be recouped pretty quickly if you do your research and shop around. I had naively figured that I would break even at 2-3 months based on my initial math. Then I realized that I needed to keep some redundant accessories on hand in case of failure. Without that, a battery or atomizer failure could have me back on analogs. Not worth it. That pushed the break even point to more like 4-5 months. Then I realized I needed more and a larger variety of flavors than I'd thought at first, to keep my interest level u. That pushed my break even point out another month or two.

So, it seems the savings can very easily remain theoretical. In my case, I still expect to break even and start saving money within the first year, but I've now made a conscious decision not to focus on that aspect at all. If it happens it happens, but it's no longer a goal. It's not worth it to try and save a few bucks if it inadvertently results in my going back to analogs. I've been vaping for only a week and a half now(no analogs since I started) and I've already had several changes in perspective in that short time.

 

[bsoplinger]

On days when I go vape crazy I can do 5-6ml but my usual is about 2.5 per day.

I'll also chime in to go look at the cart mod (cartridge modification) subforum here for ways to improve the way cartridges behave. There you will see the Pyramid Tea Bag (PTB) mod, straw, hiping, ZFM and others. Lots of folks like the ones I mentioned but there are plenty of other methods there to try.

 

[mistinthewoods]

you will be spending less......that is, of course, if you can resist buying seven different kits and mods in the first month trying to see if the next one is better than the one you have (a common problem).....

This is a problem?

 

[IVapus]

I suggest you get a variety of flavors, and not just tobacco. I find my tastes are continuing to change daily. Some of the flavors I wasn't thrilled with, or was bored with at first have in recent days become downright tasty. I expect part of this is the gradual return of my sense of taste. I'm now enjoying the Camel from Cignot which I didn't at first. I also like the RY4 and Cappuccino I got from Value Vapor a lot now, where I didn't care for them much at first. It's weird, 2 or 3 days will go by and I'll try something again(and it's not because of residue from another flavor) and it'll be a totally different(better) experience. I'm suddenly able to taste pleasant subtleties in the flavor that I couldn't before. Pretty much every flavor I have seems to taste better to me than it did the day before.

I have about 10 different flavors on hand at the moment(from Cignot, Tasty Vapor, and Value Vapor) and I just ordered several sample packs from Dats Vaper who has the sample 5 packs of 3ml bottles(15ml total) on sale temporarily for $6. I've read good things about his juices, and at these prices his samples are cheaper per ml than the 30ml and larger sizes at many other vendors. This is my first time ordering from him though, so I haven't tried any of them yet. Also, he doesn't appear to have any tobacco based flavors, so I'm still not done buying yet, even though I have enough liquid to last me for many, many months .

Good luck!