Please note, the following letter/email was written by me (a Canadian) tonight as a follow up to introducing a smoking friend (also a Canadian) to my 10 day old Riva 510. I am new to the vaping world, at also only 10 days fresh, and may have not portrayed all of the details exactly correct - and I recommend several vendors to my friend purely on limited first-hand experience. I do not work for or officially endorse any of the vendors I suggest to my friend, they are merely the thoughts and opinions of my limited yet growing knowledge.
What follows however is the culmination of my time on ECF over the past 20 or so days and a detailed "Guide for a Friend" that is totally new to e-cigs, apart from trying mine for 2 or 3 minutes and me unscrewing the parts to show him how it's assembled.
I hope by posting this it will help at least 1 or 2 people understand some of the seemingly complex details, and help provide some first steps for those that are unable to choose for themselves.
----------
Hey Dude,
As promised, here's some info on the awesome E-Cig world, and the device I showed you today.
The cheapest place to buy your first "kit" is Liberty-Flights.com, from what I've found.
MAKE SURE YOU CLICK THE 20% LINK AT THE TOP BEFORE BUYING
THE BASICS:
A kit is really just a set of everything you need to get started. 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, some blank cartridges, a quick charger. You could buy all this stuff separately from anywhere, but a kit makes it easy for your first order and provides some savings.
After doing a lot of homework on ECF (http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com), it seems to me like the best options for a noobie are either the Joye eGO, or the Riva 510 - the one I bought. Both are compatible with all 510 products (atomizers, batteries, tips, carts etc.) The 510 was the first "popular" model of e-cig, but the battery life sucked at 2 or 3 hours.
So they developed the Joye eGO and the Riva 510 (which are basically identical to each other, the Riva being a cheaper knockoff of the Joye, which is like an official brand) and both of these models use a battery that's way longer lasting, like 8-12 hours. As they are based on the original 510 (the crappy battery real cig-looking one), all parts are backwards compatible, although you want to only use a EGO/Riva charger.
The number/model '510' mostly refers to the diameter and size of the battery threading, so that 510 compatible stuff can screw into any 510 battery.
Both the EGO and the Riva Special Edition Starter Kits are $39.99 USD at LF (Liberty Flights), by far the cheapest on the net that I could find. Shipping to Canada is a bit high at $25, but it'll get here from San Diego in 2-4 business days and go through customs without a problem.
There are many different methods of delivering the e-juice to the atomizer (essentially the heating element that vaporizes the liquid), and cartridges are the default/most basic way.
There are also "cartomizers", which merge the atomizer and the cartridge together into one disposable unit. Some people much prefer these as they need to be topped up less frequently and may produce a smoother consistent flavor, plus you only have 1 part to deal with and not two. Also these are cheaper than just a single atomizer.
Other people swear that "dripping" is the way to go - but only if you don't mind the repetitive action/risk of a mess if you miss. When you "drip", you are putting 2 to 3 drops of e-juice directly on the atomizer, like I showed you today, and you get 6-10 really tasty puffs. You need to remove the stuffing from a basic cartridge so that the cartridge basically just becomes the plastic mouthpiece. You can buy mouthpieces especially made for dripping too, so that you can put the e-juice through the mouthpiece without ever having to remove it/the cartridge.
New on the scene is the "Tank" system, and there's a lot of buzz about it, but I haven't tried it yet. The Tank system requires you buy special Tank atomizers, and special Tank cartridges, but these will screw into any 510 battery (eGO or Riva or otherwise), so you don't need a new battery. The Tank system allows you to put a ton of juice into a tank cartridge and go almost all day off one fill. I think some tanks hold a full ML or 2, maybe more. There's roughly 20 drops to 1ml.
Most people "vape" or vaporize (the e-cig adjective equivalent to "smoke") about 2ml a day. Some more, some less. It also depends on the nicotine level of the juice you prefer.
Now be warned, you will spend probably close to $200 your first month of this. Your order from LF will probably be around $80, and then you'll want to get a variety of e-juice from different vendors (Canadian if you want to avoid customs hassles), and probably spend another $100 or so finding what you like. It will seem like a lot of money, however once you find what you like and have all the gear, you will just need to buy juice and the occasional atomizer/cartomizer/tank replacement. IT WILL BE WAY CHEAPER THAN SMOKING, but probably only after your first month.
YOUR FIRST ORDER:
I recommend you do the following to get started:
--www.liberty-flights.com
--Click 20% Discount at the top left
--Go to the "Electronic Cigarette Starter Kits >> Riva 510" section
--Choose either the Black or the Silver (I bought Black) SE Edition $34.39 with discount and add it to your cart.
--Go to the "Low Resistance Atomizers >> Joye 510 Low Resistance" section
--Choose 2 of these at $7.19 each, get black if you bought a black Riva, get silver if you bought a silver one. Or not. Add them to your cart.
--Go to the "Mods >> Drip Tips" section.
--Choose 510/901 Delrin Drip Tip, they're cheap, so get a Type C and a Type D to see what you like better. Add them to your cart.
--Go to the "D.I.Y. & Mixing >> PIPETTES, SYRINGES & NEEDLES" section.
--Choose 2 or 3 of the 5ml syringe w/ blunt 18 gauge needle, and update your basket. These are for refilling cartomizers, which I'll give you as LF is always sold out of them. They are blunt, so they're safe and don't look as sketchy/druggy as normal needles.
--If they do have Cartomizers in stock, the best are the Boge 2.0 ohm ones from what I understand, but I have a bunch of generic Joye 510 ones I can give you.
THE DAMAGE:
For all that you're looking at about $55 USD. Add $25 shipping and your total should be $80 give or take. I'd get 2 LR (Low Resistance) attys (atomizers) to start. They're great for dripping and dripping is great for trying out new flavors and finding what you like.
This is plenty to get you started. You want to maintain an atty supply of about 3 or 4 and with this you'll have 4. 2 come with the kit, and you'll buy an extra 2 LR's. Attys can last anywhere from a week to a couple months, depending on how you treat it and how it's made.
E-JUICE/E-LIQUID/NIC JUICE/NIC-QUID (made that up):
Now you just need juice! There are many many great juice vendors on the Internet, but unfortunately most of the best and cheapest are stateside, and this can be a problem with Customs. I've taken my chances and bought from 3 different US places and am still waiting for their arrival. These were BWB (Backwoods Brew), Vaperite, and Alien Visions - but there are an incredible amount of vendors people swear by. The ones I listed are especially good at mimicking tobacco flavors and producing clean or organic tastes.
You want to try different nicotine levels to find what you like best. Generally, the higher the nic content, the stronger the TH (throat hit) and sharper the bite. Even if you smoked 2 packs a day though, sometimes the strongest nic level is too high for some people. Get a few 12mg's, 18mg's, and 24mg's. 18mg is my sweet spot, as 24 gets me too buzzed with how often I like to vape. All juices are either 100% PG (propylene glycol), 100% VG (vegetable glycerin) or a mix of both. PG generally provides a more realistic smoke feeling and TH, and VG gives more vapor or bigger "smoke" clouds. Most people like a mix, but some people are sensitive to PG or have mild reactions to it and need 100% VG (or just prefer it).
I have ordered from two Canadian vendors, JuicyClear.com and Vapables.com and both are excellent, but more expensive and less renowned than their US counterparts. Unfortunately JuicyClear only sells 30ml bottles for now, so it makes it hard to sample stuff before committing. Most other sites sell sample packs of 6-10ml bottles for much cheaper so you can try a variety of flavors and nic levels to find your sweet spot, and Vapables does do this and is giving away free shipping right now.
I'd get a 30ml bottle of DK TABISHA from JuicyClear.com and a 3x 10ml sampler of whatever flavors you want from Vapables.com - just to start. The DK TAB is a popular tobacco flavor, but no juice is ever going to taste just like your regular or "analogue" cigarettes do now. So just give up on that quest before you start! If you want another great flavor from JuicyClear.com, Green Tea is my all-day vape right now and it's so subtle and smooth.
So that's about it for your first lesson. Definitely read the New Members Section of ECF, and every other section for that matter, if you want to learn more. A lot more. I've spent maybe 20+ hours on the forums and I've barely scratched the surface! Don't be intimidated though, the people are so helpful and don't get annoyed if the same questions are asked over and over again - so if you can't find what you need, just ask!!!
HOPE THIS HELPS DUDE.
Call if you want to chat about it all, and I look forward to swapping juices (um, er ... trading nic-quid) for a long time to come!
What follows however is the culmination of my time on ECF over the past 20 or so days and a detailed "Guide for a Friend" that is totally new to e-cigs, apart from trying mine for 2 or 3 minutes and me unscrewing the parts to show him how it's assembled.
I hope by posting this it will help at least 1 or 2 people understand some of the seemingly complex details, and help provide some first steps for those that are unable to choose for themselves.
----------
Hey Dude,
As promised, here's some info on the awesome E-Cig world, and the device I showed you today.
The cheapest place to buy your first "kit" is Liberty-Flights.com, from what I've found.
MAKE SURE YOU CLICK THE 20% LINK AT THE TOP BEFORE BUYING
THE BASICS:
A kit is really just a set of everything you need to get started. 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, some blank cartridges, a quick charger. You could buy all this stuff separately from anywhere, but a kit makes it easy for your first order and provides some savings.
After doing a lot of homework on ECF (http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com), it seems to me like the best options for a noobie are either the Joye eGO, or the Riva 510 - the one I bought. Both are compatible with all 510 products (atomizers, batteries, tips, carts etc.) The 510 was the first "popular" model of e-cig, but the battery life sucked at 2 or 3 hours.
So they developed the Joye eGO and the Riva 510 (which are basically identical to each other, the Riva being a cheaper knockoff of the Joye, which is like an official brand) and both of these models use a battery that's way longer lasting, like 8-12 hours. As they are based on the original 510 (the crappy battery real cig-looking one), all parts are backwards compatible, although you want to only use a EGO/Riva charger.
The number/model '510' mostly refers to the diameter and size of the battery threading, so that 510 compatible stuff can screw into any 510 battery.
Both the EGO and the Riva Special Edition Starter Kits are $39.99 USD at LF (Liberty Flights), by far the cheapest on the net that I could find. Shipping to Canada is a bit high at $25, but it'll get here from San Diego in 2-4 business days and go through customs without a problem.
There are many different methods of delivering the e-juice to the atomizer (essentially the heating element that vaporizes the liquid), and cartridges are the default/most basic way.
There are also "cartomizers", which merge the atomizer and the cartridge together into one disposable unit. Some people much prefer these as they need to be topped up less frequently and may produce a smoother consistent flavor, plus you only have 1 part to deal with and not two. Also these are cheaper than just a single atomizer.
Other people swear that "dripping" is the way to go - but only if you don't mind the repetitive action/risk of a mess if you miss. When you "drip", you are putting 2 to 3 drops of e-juice directly on the atomizer, like I showed you today, and you get 6-10 really tasty puffs. You need to remove the stuffing from a basic cartridge so that the cartridge basically just becomes the plastic mouthpiece. You can buy mouthpieces especially made for dripping too, so that you can put the e-juice through the mouthpiece without ever having to remove it/the cartridge.
New on the scene is the "Tank" system, and there's a lot of buzz about it, but I haven't tried it yet. The Tank system requires you buy special Tank atomizers, and special Tank cartridges, but these will screw into any 510 battery (eGO or Riva or otherwise), so you don't need a new battery. The Tank system allows you to put a ton of juice into a tank cartridge and go almost all day off one fill. I think some tanks hold a full ML or 2, maybe more. There's roughly 20 drops to 1ml.
Most people "vape" or vaporize (the e-cig adjective equivalent to "smoke") about 2ml a day. Some more, some less. It also depends on the nicotine level of the juice you prefer.
Now be warned, you will spend probably close to $200 your first month of this. Your order from LF will probably be around $80, and then you'll want to get a variety of e-juice from different vendors (Canadian if you want to avoid customs hassles), and probably spend another $100 or so finding what you like. It will seem like a lot of money, however once you find what you like and have all the gear, you will just need to buy juice and the occasional atomizer/cartomizer/tank replacement. IT WILL BE WAY CHEAPER THAN SMOKING, but probably only after your first month.
YOUR FIRST ORDER:
I recommend you do the following to get started:
--www.liberty-flights.com
--Click 20% Discount at the top left
--Go to the "Electronic Cigarette Starter Kits >> Riva 510" section
--Choose either the Black or the Silver (I bought Black) SE Edition $34.39 with discount and add it to your cart.
--Go to the "Low Resistance Atomizers >> Joye 510 Low Resistance" section
--Choose 2 of these at $7.19 each, get black if you bought a black Riva, get silver if you bought a silver one. Or not. Add them to your cart.
--Go to the "Mods >> Drip Tips" section.
--Choose 510/901 Delrin Drip Tip, they're cheap, so get a Type C and a Type D to see what you like better. Add them to your cart.
--Go to the "D.I.Y. & Mixing >> PIPETTES, SYRINGES & NEEDLES" section.
--Choose 2 or 3 of the 5ml syringe w/ blunt 18 gauge needle, and update your basket. These are for refilling cartomizers, which I'll give you as LF is always sold out of them. They are blunt, so they're safe and don't look as sketchy/druggy as normal needles.
--If they do have Cartomizers in stock, the best are the Boge 2.0 ohm ones from what I understand, but I have a bunch of generic Joye 510 ones I can give you.
THE DAMAGE:
For all that you're looking at about $55 USD. Add $25 shipping and your total should be $80 give or take. I'd get 2 LR (Low Resistance) attys (atomizers) to start. They're great for dripping and dripping is great for trying out new flavors and finding what you like.
This is plenty to get you started. You want to maintain an atty supply of about 3 or 4 and with this you'll have 4. 2 come with the kit, and you'll buy an extra 2 LR's. Attys can last anywhere from a week to a couple months, depending on how you treat it and how it's made.
E-JUICE/E-LIQUID/NIC JUICE/NIC-QUID (made that up):
Now you just need juice! There are many many great juice vendors on the Internet, but unfortunately most of the best and cheapest are stateside, and this can be a problem with Customs. I've taken my chances and bought from 3 different US places and am still waiting for their arrival. These were BWB (Backwoods Brew), Vaperite, and Alien Visions - but there are an incredible amount of vendors people swear by. The ones I listed are especially good at mimicking tobacco flavors and producing clean or organic tastes.
You want to try different nicotine levels to find what you like best. Generally, the higher the nic content, the stronger the TH (throat hit) and sharper the bite. Even if you smoked 2 packs a day though, sometimes the strongest nic level is too high for some people. Get a few 12mg's, 18mg's, and 24mg's. 18mg is my sweet spot, as 24 gets me too buzzed with how often I like to vape. All juices are either 100% PG (propylene glycol), 100% VG (vegetable glycerin) or a mix of both. PG generally provides a more realistic smoke feeling and TH, and VG gives more vapor or bigger "smoke" clouds. Most people like a mix, but some people are sensitive to PG or have mild reactions to it and need 100% VG (or just prefer it).
I have ordered from two Canadian vendors, JuicyClear.com and Vapables.com and both are excellent, but more expensive and less renowned than their US counterparts. Unfortunately JuicyClear only sells 30ml bottles for now, so it makes it hard to sample stuff before committing. Most other sites sell sample packs of 6-10ml bottles for much cheaper so you can try a variety of flavors and nic levels to find your sweet spot, and Vapables does do this and is giving away free shipping right now.
I'd get a 30ml bottle of DK TABISHA from JuicyClear.com and a 3x 10ml sampler of whatever flavors you want from Vapables.com - just to start. The DK TAB is a popular tobacco flavor, but no juice is ever going to taste just like your regular or "analogue" cigarettes do now. So just give up on that quest before you start! If you want another great flavor from JuicyClear.com, Green Tea is my all-day vape right now and it's so subtle and smooth.
So that's about it for your first lesson. Definitely read the New Members Section of ECF, and every other section for that matter, if you want to learn more. A lot more. I've spent maybe 20+ hours on the forums and I've barely scratched the surface! Don't be intimidated though, the people are so helpful and don't get annoyed if the same questions are asked over and over again - so if you can't find what you need, just ask!!!
HOPE THIS HELPS DUDE.
Call if you want to chat about it all, and I look forward to swapping juices (um, er
... trading nic-quid) for a long time to come! 
