Looking for advice/help for new 510-t (and future upgrades/alternatives)

[Cathbadh]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie, and by newbie I do mean I literally opened the box on my first starter kit (510-t) yesterday afternoon. First impressions matter a lot and mine have been mixed but favorable. For example, I spent 10 hours "vaping" (I've been reading up!) and never looked at a cigarette. So I'm definitely hooked on making the switch. The downside is that the 510-t strikes me as weird which is probably just me. A few observations I had:

1. The first atomizer I tried seemed to have issues producing vapor and eventually started gurgling a little bit (no fluid came out so didn't seem to be flooded) - the second seemed to work much better (and felt hot to the touch unlike the first). I did buy a few spare attys just in case - I heard they can be a bit hit or miss. China and Quality Control should be better acquainted!
2. There seemed to be a period at the start where vapor production was quite low - it evened out, sort of (see 4), reasonably soon though. I put that down to the primer and a settling in time for the wick.
3. The atty runs very hot to the touch - hopefully this is normal!
4. I'm currently getting 2-3 hits (slow draw for 3-4 seconds) before vapor production tapers away to very little. The first two puffs tend to have a slight crackling/popping sound - it gets less each time and gone by third puff. Leaving the 510-t to one side for a few minutes allows for another 2-3 hits. Seems consistent that way. Is this normal - maybe a limitation of the wick/tank system - no idea if it's wicking too little or too much? Am I too used to normal cigarettes - taking 20+ draws? Maybe the atty just needs a day or two to get working on all puffs?

I'm using a high nicotine level e-liquid (Joyetech brand simply to see how that worked before exploring others) and usually smoked a pack a day (give or take, usually give, a couple of cigarettes esp. if at home). The plan was to work down to a low/medium nicotine liquid once I worked out my liquid consumption over a day to regulate the nicotine down to the level I got from the cigarettes.

A few other questions:
1. Assuming I want >3 draws consistently (used to the 20+ from a cigarette), what's the recommended 510-t setup and accessories/mods? I'm already considering the PCC and some larger capacity batteries (the assembled unit is very small and neat and I don't want to detract from that too much). Larger tanks might help also - not keen to refill often in a day though my eliquid use doesn't seem terrible at all.
2. At home, I might consider trying out something else that needn't be as small or discreet. I actually do most of my smoking at home but battery power would still be essential. What do people recommend using alongside the smaller 510-t?

Thanks to those who reply - I know it's a long opening post .

 

[phantom552]

I also started with a 510-T, and my atty tends to get hot as well after a few long draws, so I think that's normal. I'm pretty new to the vaping world myself, but I am experiencing the same '2-3 draws then no vapor' thing you described -- I feel it is simply a limitation of the wick/tank system in the 510-T, but I can't say for sure. It's probably for the better though, as if memory serves running an atty for too long / too hot can fry it, so that minute or 2 break in between makes for a good equalizer IMHO.

 

[Khala]

Running hot after a few draws is normal for the 510-T. However, 2-3 draws then no vapor isn't normal. Assuming that I've primed the wick (by putting a couple of drops of juice on it) and then made sure that I don't have an air bubble sitting on top of the wick (by flicking the tank with a fingernail and watching for the bubble to float up), it should draw pretty consistently until it gets low.

You *do* want to give it a break once every few draws to let it cool down, but that's not a *long* break, in my experience.

Since the tanks get punched by pushing them onto the atty, you might want to pull the tank off and make sure that it actually punched all the way through. I've had a couple of tanks that punch just far enough to leave a dangling bit of plastic that blocks wicking.

The other thing immediate thing to check is if you are blocking the tank's vents (but it doesn't sound like it). The half moon shaped vents should line up with the half moon shaped sections you see if you look down into the atty.

Let us know how it goes!