Just made the switch from tobacco cigarettes. Need some guidance on e-cig voltage settings...

[mostdope]

Thanks for the welcome. I already feel very "at home" here.

Great tips on product upkeep as well. I've actually had my set up for about a month now, and I've cleaned out the tank 3-4 times, and changed coils 3 times (due to the wicks being spent, i.e. putting out a burnt flavor). I completely disassemble the tank, get a plastic cup, fill the cup with hot water, and let the pieces rest in the cup for 15-30 minutes. After letting the parts soak, I dry each piece with a paper towel and reassemble the tank to continue vaping.

I do not throw away the coils with burnt wicks, as they are still good equipment. From what I've read I just need new wicks to put in the coils. I've yet to find out where I can buy wicks, and any recommendations/guidance on that would be great!

 

[mostdope]

I haven't really tried much variation yet, but 6.5 watts seems pleasant to me so far. I have tried up to 7.5 watts (not much higher of a setting, I know, lol), and I can feel a little bit more of a throat hit. Like a previous poster mentioned, I think I will keep it at 6.5 watts for regular use and increase the voltage for moments when I'm excessively frustrated and feel the need for more of a punch.

 

[mostdope]

I learned how to set the Vamo to the RMS via another poster, and switched to wattage settings over voltage as I have found it to be more pleasant. Thanks for the recommendations!

 

[mostdope]

It said on the coil I put in that it was 2.6 ohms, but yes, I did check it on my APV to be sure. It said 2.6 ohms as well. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Hazewitch]

all of you posters above rock!!!

I too had a similar question this weekend as the original post

With my Vamo 3 I found out that it works way better on watts than volts. After playing around with many juices of different consistencies, and as the above posters have already described, its a personal choice. For me, I enjoy a good thick vape cloud with a throat hit thump. after working with the Vamo I find that searching for the sweet spot on various Ejuices is a good way to learn, so far for me.

The one thing that is rather annoying for me at least is the burnt taste you accidentally get if the wick is dry or your volts are too high. Im experimenting over here in Miami and hopefully I will tame this beast. So far Im really enjoying this Vamo. Not even using my Ego twist that much anymore.

 

[mostdope]

I have been keeping them handy in case I find use for them. Looks like it was a good idea.

 

[mostdope]

Congratulations on making your switch! Ironically enough, my Dad was the one who got me to make the switch to vaping. My Dad was a smoker from age 22 to age 55, and he switched to vaping in November of 2013. I smoked analog cigarettes from age 12 to 18, and my Dad said that if I promised to never smoke cigarettes again he would buy me a vaping kit. I smoked my last cigarette on December 23rd, 2013.

It's really been a bonding experience for my Dad and I. We enjoy trying out various e-liquids and passing back commentary on them. I'm glad that my Dad quit smoking, as I want as much time with him as I can possibly get, and I'm also glad that my Dad was concerned enough about the length of my life to get me to switch. It's been really cool to experience the change.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I do not throw away the coils with burnt wicks, as they are still good equipment. From what I've read I just need new wicks to put in the coils. I've yet to find out where I can buy wicks, and any recommendations/guidance on that would be great!

Excellent.

There are a lot of vapers switching to cotton wicks, though quite a few are sticking with silica wicks. In your case, once a silica wick has been used, it is difficult to remove without ripping the coil out. Cotton wicks can be replaced every couple of days without disturbing the coil, and the same coil can be used almost indefinitely.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/rebuildable-atomizer-systems/471637-rba-cotton.html This is a decent read. A lot of people use organic cotton balls. I use the white colored organic cotton yarn from Wal*Mart, "Peaches and Cream" brand.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/463771-protank-cotton-rebuild-way-i-do.html and here's a good rebuild thread.

Have fun, and don't do it until you have an oHm meter to test your coil. You will also want to pick up some Nichrome or Kanthal wire...a search of "rebuilding ProTank coil" will give you lots of sources for those.

It's not something you should feel like you have to jump into right away. Just sit back, enjoy your vape, and learn about the different options out there.

Edit: This is where I buy my silica wicks from: http://silicawicks.com/about-the-owner/

 

[ZeroOhms]

Thanks for the welcome. I already feel very "at home" here.

Great tips on product upkeep as well. I've actually had my set up for about a month now, and I've cleaned out the tank 3-4 times, and changed coils 3 times (due to the wicks being spent, i.e. putting out a burnt flavor). I completely disassemble the tank, get a plastic cup, fill the cup with hot water, and let the pieces rest in the cup for 15-30 minutes. After letting the parts soak, I dry each piece with a paper towel and reassemble the tank to continue vaping.

I do not throw away the coils with burnt wicks, as they are still good equipment. From what I've read I just need new wicks to put in the coils. I've yet to find out where I can buy wicks, and any recommendations/guidance on that would be great!

If you are over the initial analog hump and ready to explore, you should try dry burning before venturing into recoiling. Coil and wick don't burn up. The burn taste comes from burning of juice residue. It's like cooking egg on the dirty frying pan. Dry burning is like cleaning that frying pan by heating it. On ProTank atty, the chimney is pressed fit onto the main atty body. Take off the silicon con and slowly take out the chimney. you will see a few "flavor" wicks on top and main coil right below. take out the flavor wicks carefully, leaving just the coil and wicks that are threaded in it. pulse the battery and you will start to see the smoke of burning gunk. blow on it to detach the gunk from the coil. do this over and over several time. once the coil and wick are clean, you will start to see the coil growing red when you fire it. at this point, it will look almost new. put the flavor wicks and chimney back on. now you have a brand new atty head.

 

[InTheShade]

You can leave the flavor wicks in there if you want. The heat from the coil helps clean them too.

 

[mostdope]

Awesome. Thank you for the link to the silica wicks site! I have bookmarked the 3mm silica wicks for a time when I am feeling like doing some experimentation.

A friend of mine (whom I am actively trying to convince to join the site) makes cotton wicks for his own personal vaping, and he is going to show/teach me how to do that tomorrow. I have been weary to try it, but he continues to assure me that he gets good results with his home-made cotton wicks. I shall report back either tomorrow or the next day to explain how he does it and how the experience goes.

 

[mostdope]

That's what I'm planning on.

I just want to be able to swap in silica/cotton wicks to get rid of the burnt flavor on the used coils.

I have read that dry-burning will get rid of gunk on the wicks and get rid of the burnt flavor, but I'm weary to try it as I don't know what exactly I'm doing.

 

[Katya]

In a nutshell:

Disclaimer: This is the most simplistic explanation and is addressed to new vapers mostly or vapers who are happy within the recommended "just right" power zone (4.5-8 watts). [If you are using dual coil atomizers or are interested in high wattage vaping, it's a different conversation altogether. You will also have to understand the concept of amp limits and how it applies to high power vaping.]

Ohm's Law as it pertains to vaping is really not that complicated--and it's very useful when you want to know what you're doing.

Voltage and wattage are often misunderstood by new vapers. Wattage is the power (heat, sweet spot) that your PV (battery and atomizer) generates. Wattage = Voltage (of your battery) squared divided by Resistance (Ω) of your atomizer [P=V[SUP]2[/SUP]/R]. If you're not good at math, don't worry, use this easy calculator:

Online Conversion - Ohm's Law Calculator

Of course, if you own a VW (variable wattage) device, you don't really need this calculator because your device will do the math for you.

The wattage you want, especially at the beginning of your vaping career, should be somewhere between 4.5 and 8.5 Watts. Anything lower than 4.5 watts may not vaporize your juice properly and will not produce enough warmth and vapor. Anything above 8.5 watts increases the risk of burning the filler in your cartomizers (if you're using them) and even some juices, especially the delicate ones.

There are, of course, other variables, like eliquid and JDD (juice delivery devices) that you're using on your batteries. Seven watts on a filler type cartomizer may feel different than the same 7 watts on a fillerless clearomizer or a dripping atomizer. The same is true for different eliquids; tobaccos, chocolate and coffees generally require more wattage (heat), while fruit and other delicate flavors do better with less heat. Everyone's sweet spot is different--those are just very general guidelines.

Experiment and you'll find your own bliss in no time!

When in doubt, start low and adjust your voltage/wattage up as needed.

Welcome to ECF!

 

[ImThatGuy]

This thread is full of win. Loving how these kinds of threads bring a community together compared to other threads that bash each others products and knowledge.

 

[HecticEnergy]

Rebuilding:
I've recoiled a few PT heads (single coil) with success. Alot of shops that sell supplies also have small runs of wire and wick so you can buy and try (a yard or so). That keeps you from having a ton of coil or wick on hand you don't like and will never use again.
A resistance checker is a MUST with this. I wouldn't screw it onto a device without first checking the resistance. Hardware stores have some general use ones (that I have) and they work well. Some vapor DIY shops have resistance checkers with a 510/ego connection (i think) that would probably work alot better.

Cleaning:
Good notes on cleaning the heads. I have some old heads I could probably clean off
I clean my PT2Minis and VivNova by running it under hot water in all directions (down the mouth piece, into the tank/through the bottom of the mouth piece, sides etc), filling it, shaking the water out with my finger over the bottom (so it doesnt all leak out and can swish around a bit). I then move to the atty and rince it while still attached to the base - running water through the chimney and then flip it over and rince it out the other way. I have no flavor wicks in my PTMini2, so water runs across the coil and wick. I do this for a few minutes.
I don't dry with a paper towel or anything. I off the parts into the sink, then set them in front a fan I have on my desk and it air drys (mostly) in a few minutes. I think using the scolding hot water helps this quite a bit! I'm too impatient for 30 minute dry times
Sometimes I do a full tear down and throw it in a cup with water, but not usually. Maybe once a week, or when I change the atty for sure. I change atty maybe every 6 weeks or so, but I wait for it to start tasting bad (burnt coils taste metalicy to me).
I clean my tanks after 2 or 3 refills, which comes out to about every day or two. When I vape, I don't vape all the liquid out of the tank because that thicker juice that you have when you get to the end of the tank doesnt wick as good and I've been left with some pretty rank tasting attys afterwards.
I usually shake my tank regularly throughout the day before a vape to (hopefully) avoid as thick of a liquid being left at the end. This is probably useless though

I just got my first APV (SiD) yesterday afternoon! I've noticed a MUCH more pronounced flavor coming from my tanks, even compared to the VV ego (vision spinner). I think this has to do with the higher amperage output from the APV, though I'm not sure. Also the heads I used were stamped 2.2 (usually rated around 2.6 or so), and that may have something to do with that (most seem to recommend 1.8 with the ego for best experience).

Lots of good posts here!
Happy Vaping!

 

[ZeroOhms]

All great and helpful post. I do want to caution new vapers on coil rebuilds on clearomizer head.

In general, rebuilders coil for better flavor and vapor. Doing this to save money isn't a good reason for the clearomizer atty. As for cotton wicks, they don't last long and will require frequent changing. This isn't a problem on open deck of RDA, but PIA for clearmoizer atty. Best bet for beginner is to learn to dry burn and toss it if they are bad. If you want to, try recoiling / wicking on clearomizer head only to see if you like the process and outcome. If you find the vapor improvement to be worth your time, switch to the rebuildable setup instead. For me, recoiling on tiny space of clearomizer head wasn't worth my time and certainly wasn't worth saving $2. With proper dry burning, I get more than a month of usage per head.

Rebuilding can be quite rewarding if done right. But it can also be very frustrating. A bad taste from wrong build can really throw you off. This is why I am always hesitant in recommending rebuilds for new people. You are face with monumental task of quitting smoking and shouldn't do anything to jeopardize that.

Lastly, it is alarming to see so many people dismissing the "stock" setups. Both clearomizers and cartomizers can be fantastic if you use them right. That's why lots of veterans still use them and lots of rebuilders have them in their daily rotation. We don't have to rip it apart nor upgrade to get a good vapor. Getting the right combination of juice mix, resistance level, airflow, and voltage/wattage level takes time.

 

[PLANofMAN]

Awesome. Thank you for the link to the silica wicks site! I have bookmarked the 3mm silica wicks for a time when I am feeling like doing some experimentation.

I would recommend the 1mm or 2mm wicks instead. most stock attys use 1.5mm or 2mm wick. 3mm is almost too big to be really useful. If you buy the 1mm, you can double or triple the stands to get the same effect as a two or three mm wick.

I have a bag of almost unused 3mm wick. I'm speaking from personal experience here.

 

[HecticEnergy]

@ZeroOhms

I agree - Recoil clearo atty only to see if you like rebuilding. It can be frustrating to rebuild in those. I hope to purchase a rebuildable in the next few months, and I dont usually rebuild my heads, though I have done it a few times in a pinch (waiting for my shipment of new heads to arrive!) and to experiment a bit with rebuilding. I think I've recoiled a pt head all of 3 times.

I'm not sure, but I think you may be referring to my 'remove flavor wicks' when talking about dismissing "stock" setups. If so, I have found many people suggesting this (with the caveat 'Try it first'). Maybe it was a voltage issue, but removing these wicks also solved my problem.

I think this behavior is common because how much we (vapors) tinker.. I'm not saying everyone likes to tear things apart, but with so many different options available - you swap tanks, use different batteries (ego/18650), try different wattage/voltage settings, etc. "I like this tank, but it would be so much better if it had a tighter draw" and as a result the guy covers an air hole with tape (I just hold my finger over one of the holes.. haha). I dont think people should just tear things apart with wild abandon, but some safe tinkering shouldn't be a problem. Do your research. Don't Modify batteries. If you mess with your coil check the resistance before you try to run power through it (Some APVs run power through the coil to check resistance, so a multi-meter should be used in that case). And Dont rebuild a coil on your battery...

"Fantastic" is subjective. I think that is why there are so many options available. If I bought every atty I wanted to try my wife would KILL ME lol

 

[PLANofMAN]

I just realized that the OP was a Marlboro man. Since you do struggle at times, I recommend trying this out: Beatle Juice (Marbrow) ECigarette Refill with WTA
It's Aroma's Marlboro WTA e-juice. I've found that the WTA really helps with the cravings because it has the other alkaloids that are in cigs but not regular e-juice. As is to be expected, it does not taste like a burning Marlboro. It does taste like a freshly opened pack smells, though. It is my favorite tobacco flavored vape.

 

[mostdope]

Interesting. How would 3mm be too big to be useful when you use 2-3 1mm? Not being sarcastic, a serious inquiry.

By the way, sorry for not hitting the forum again after day one of posting. Various things going on in life have kept me away, but my vape gets me through the day!