Looking for Kit/Liquid/Nic Advice.

[Metin]

Hello guys.
Really happy to found this forum, because I'm really struggling with where to start.

Currently, I'm a rolling tobacco consumer. So taking from that point. I`m smoking a 50g Amber Leaf pouch for 12-15 days(this without smoking in the mornings. "The Almighty Morning ..." is not a pleasure for me anymore). Previously I had a small experience with vaping, but to be honest I even cant remember what I used. So this time I decide to ask people who have the biggest experience in this. Which kit will work well for me? When choosing a liquid what PG/VG Ratio should I look to have a good "Throat hit" (I remember I missed that in my previous try). And last but not least nicotine dosage?
Thank you in advance!

 

[Hawise]

Hi Metin, welcome to ECF! We're always happy to help someone stop smoking, so you're in the right place.

The first thing you'll need to do is pick one of the three styles of vaping. Our answers to your questions - equipment, juice, nicotine concentration - will depend on which one you prefer. Here's a quick rundown of your options:

Pod Mods

• Smallest devices
• Low powered
• Use high levels of nicotine because only a tiny bit of juice is vapourized with each puff (20 - 50 mg/ml is common)
• Batteries use proprietary cartridges
  
• There are refillable options (you get empty cartridges and buy your own juice) and pre-filled options (you buy cartridges that are full of juice and replace them when they're empty - it can be more convenient for some people, but it limits your options for juices and nicotine levels)

MTL (Mouth-to-lung)

• Middle-of-the-road option
• Moderate power
• Moderate nicotine levels (often 6 - 20 mg/ml)
• Has a tightish draw (less airflow), which is often said to be more similar to a cigarette
• Uses a tank that screws onto a mod (the part with the battery)

DL (Direct lung)

• The heavy-hitter - what you need if you want clouds
• Higher power
• Lower nicotine (3 - 6 mg/ml)
• Looser (or airier) draw
• Also uses a tank that screws onto a mod. You can usually use the same mod for either MTL or DL, but you need different tanks.

So, take your pick (or ask for more information), and we'll be off!

 

[Metin]

WOW! This is so much information to "inhale" on first look. It looks like MTL or DL will work for me. Could you suggest any brands? Appreciate your time. Thank you!

 

[Doffy]

hi metin

further to the above. MTL (mouth to lung) is often recommended for transitioning to vaping. But i was also a rollie smoker, and found tight MTL resembled the draw of a filtered tailor made smoke, And a restricted direct lung was closer to me favoured no filter rollies

 

[Hawise]

WOW! This is so much information to "inhale" on first look. It looks like MTL or DL will work for me. Could you suggest any brands? Appreciate your time. Thank you!

It's easy to get overwhelmed, especially at the beginning!

Being an MTL-er myself, I know more about that so I'll leave any DL suggestions to someone else.

For MTL, the best tank to start with is one of:

• Innokin's Zenith or Zlide (the Zenith and Zlide have the same basic format and use the same coils), or
• Aspire's Nautilus series

Just about any mod will do, as long as you get one with adjustable wattage (which about 98% of mods have). If you want to start with a kit with a mod and tank, I'd recommend something along these lines:

• Innokin Kroma-A Zenith
• Innokin Coolfire z80

Another thing to note is that the Kroma-A has an internal battery and the Coolfire z80 has a removable battery. Yup, another decision...

Internal

• Just plug in the USB to charge
• Don't need to buy extra batteries and chargers
• May need to buy a second mod to use while the first is charging (note: Backups are always handy - you never want to wind up back on cigarettes because your kit quit!)
• Batteries and charging ports are the first things to fail on a mod. Once one of them goes, an internal battery mod is toast.

Replaceable

• Have to buy an 18650, and it's recommended to get an external charger as well, although you can charge it in the mod by USB in a pinch
• Don't have to worry about the port failing because you don't really need it
• When the battery eventually dies, you can just replace it - the mod is still good
• If you get multiple batteries you can keep using the mod while your battery is charging (Repeat: it's still best to have a backup!)

About the juice, for MTL you'd probably want around 70% VG with a nicotine concentration starting somewhere between 9 - 15 mg/ml. Since you're looking for throat hit, you'll want to make sure you get regular nicotine and not salt nic - salt nic is designed to reduce throat hit.

Finally, since you're wondering about brands, beware of SMOK. They're excellent at producing and marketing attractive products, but they seem to have some difficulty with the concept of quality control.

 

[Superuser187]

Go for it man....time to stop the stinky cigs....

It may need spend some money at first and maybe take a little time to fine tune and make the vape u like....either u want more or less nicotine or more or less throat hit or find a flavour u like...but in the end it's more enjoyable healthier and life-changing experience...and also even cheaper

 

[Metin]

Thank you so much again!
I think I will give a try to z80 and get a couple of batteries just to be sure!
Since I live in UK is the best way to buy it from the official store right?
And more silly stupid questions on their way
How often coil has to be changed or cleaned?
Mixing Liquid with a nicotine shot. For example to get 10mg strength on 50ml 0mg liquid i need 62.5 ml nicotine with 18mg strength? This looks a little too much for me? but used this calc CALCONIC_ Calculator .
Also, I`m seeing on nicotine shots there is a variety of VG like 50% 70% 80%. If my liquid is already 70/30 before nicotine shot mix. What will be the result?
More to come soon
Thanks

 

[Superuser187]

Thank you so much again!
I think I will give a try to z80 and get a couple of batteries just to be sure!
Since I live in UK is the best way to buy it from the official store right?
And more silly stupid questions on their way
How often coil has to be changed or cleaned?
Mixing Liquid with a nicotine shot. For example to get 10mg strength on 50ml 0mg liquid i need 62.5 ml nicotine with 18mg strength? This looks a little too much for me? but used this calc CALCONIC_ Calculator .
Also, I`m seeing on nicotine shots there is a variety of VG like 50% 70% 80%. If my liquid is already 70/30 before nicotine shot mix. What will be the result?
More to come soon
Thanks

There are some juices that u buy them and u make them yourself...usually they contain a small amount of PG that has the flavouring inside it.... for example.......a 60ml bottle that contains only 20ml juice in it full PG and that contains the flavour also...that some call it shake and vape or flavour shots...

So u need to add the nicotine to vape it......u add nicotine shots of 18mg or 20mg and according to what VG and PG u want the end result to be u choose the right nicotine booster.....either 50/50 VG PG or full VG 100% or full PG 100%

U don't get a zero nic juice cause the bottle is full already and u can't add nicotine to it...but even if u change the bottle and do it u will end up with a very diluted juice that has no or little flavour...

 

[Superuser187]

If u go to a vape shop they will mix a juice for you at any nicotine level or VG PG percent...but tend to cost more that mixing yourself cause u may find cheaper nicotine shots but just saying...

But if u wanna do it yourself just buy and tell us and we will tell you what to add to be sure..

And by using online juice mix calculators u gonna learn and get used to it

 

[Hawise]

Thank you so much again!
I think I will give a try to z80 and get a couple of batteries just to be sure!
Since I live in UK is the best way to buy it from the official store right?

You would think so, but you can often find it for less at a local shop or another online store. Hopefully someone from the UK will be able to make some more specific suggestions.

About the batteries - 18650s aren't like AAs where any battery will do. You actually have to get the right model of battery from the right manufacturer. For use in MTL, I'd recommend either:

• Samsung 30Q
• LG HG2

These two are good up to 45 watts, which is far more than you'll need for MTL.

There are also a lot of counterfeit batteries around, so it's also important to get them from a reliable vendor. In the UK, good options are:

• 18650.uk
• akkuteile.de
• ecoluxshopdirect.co.uk
• fogstar.co.uk

And more silly stupid questions on their way
How often coil has to be changed or cleaned?

Cleaning drop-in coils doesn't tend to work very well, but some people do get a bit of extra time from it. Change your coil whenever your vape deteriorates more than you're willing to put up with, or tastes off or burnt. That'll take anything between 2 days and 3 months, but probably 1 - 3 weeks.

Mixing Liquid with a nicotine shot. For example to get 10mg strength on 50ml 0mg liquid i need 62.5 ml nicotine with 18mg strength? This looks a little too much for me? but used this calc CALCONIC_ Calculator .
Also, I`m seeing on nicotine shots there is a variety of VG like 50% 70% 80%. If my liquid is already 70/30 before nicotine shot mix. What will be the result?

Yeah, it sounds weird, but it's actually correct. Your shot is only 18 mg/ml and you want a final concentration of 10 mg/ml, which is more than half of 18 mg/ml, so more than half your final juice would have to be made up of nicotine shots.


Final VG/PG mix will depend on on the mix of the shots and how many shots you add. For example, if your juice is 70% VG and your shots are also 70% VG, the end result will also be 70% VG. On the other hand, if you start with 70% VG and add an equal amount of 50% VG shots, you'll wind up with 60% VG juice (which, as it happens, would also be fine for most MTL tanks. It would probably be a little lower than you'd want for DL, though).

 

[MJCSD]

Hello and welcome to ecf

 

[Metin]

Little update managed to order the kit only. Unfortunately can`t find batteries LG or Samsung everywhere is out of stock..
For the liquid it might be better to start of with ready mix I guess ?
Any reputable supplier for that in UK guys ?

 

[BrotherBob]

Hello guys.

Welcome and glad you joined.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Welcome to ECF, Metin.

 

[Territoo]

 

[MLEJ]

Unfortunately can`t find batteries LG or Samsung everywhere is out of stock.

Molicel, Sanyo, and Sony also make quality batteries.
A Sony/Murata VTC6 would be equivalent to a Samsung 30Q (a 15A CDR, 3000 mAh 18650).
Good luck.

 

[Metin]

Got the z80 and batteries.. now have hit the right nicotine level with the right liquid....

 

[Metin]

Hello guys. It looks like I have more questions...
About the device Innokin Coolfire Z80 F0 mode suggestion is between 50-100Hz I`m trying to play with that, but can`t feel any difference.. how exactly that works? what should I look for? I`m still with 0.8 coil on 14W and it's giving me a taste of burnt or so..
In that case, i`m not sure if I should try 0.3 or not (higher wattage = hotter vape?).
Liquid which i`m using is 70VG/30PG "Vapouriz Premium Blueberry 18mg"
What do you think is the liquid makes that issue with burn taste or I mess up the settings of the device?

 

[Z-Lee]

Hello guys. It looks like I have more questions...
About the device Innokin Coolfire Z80 F0 mode suggestion is between 50-100Hz I`m trying to play with that, but can`t feel any difference.. how exactly that works? what should I look for? I`m still with 0.8 coil on 14W and it's giving me a taste of burnt or so..
In that case, i`m not sure if I should try 0.3 or not (higher wattage = hotter vape?).
Liquid which i`m using is 70VG/30PG "Vapouriz Premium Blueberry 18mg"
What do you think is the liquid makes that issue with burn taste or I mess up the settings of the device?

Where do you have the airflow ring situated (completely CCW is full open, completely CW is fully closed)? F0 mode is essentially a "pulse" mode. You won't hear anything until you drop it down between 20 and 25 Hz. I'm vaping with the airflow control fully open and have the F0 set at 25 Hz, using 20w for a restricted direct lung vape. I'm not sure how long you've had the Z80, but did you properly prime the coil before using it? 70VG/30PG is what I'm also currently using, it's not likely the juice.

 

[Metin]

Where do you have the airflow ring situated (completely CCW is full open, completely CW is fully closed)? F0 mode is essentially a "pulse" mode. You won't hear anything until you drop it down between 20 and 25 Hz. I'm vaping with the airflow control fully open and have the F0 set at 25 Hz, using 20w for a restricted direct lung vape. I'm not sure how long you've had the Z80, but did you properly prime the coil before using it? 70VG/30PG is what I'm also currently using, it's not likely the juice.

To be honest, today is the 2nd day with the device. I`m playing with the airflow. Sometimes fully open gives a more smooth vape with less to none burn taste effect, but sometimes no hit at all so for the next pull I close it to half or so. What I notice with F0 is when I set 100Hz taste way softer than on 51Hz. I`m not sure if it's safe to lower it more with a 0.8 Z coil. Coil recommendation is 14-17W so I try to stick with that keeping it mostly on 14W with some experiments 15-15.5W.
What do you mean by "properly prime the coil"? If that means properly fit into the atomizer, I`m not seeing any leaks yet .
The good part is that it looks like feeds me enough with nicotine

Something else came up to my mind. Thinking to try out a tank for "cloud-chasing". Is it possible to get a spare Tank to Z80 or I have to get a second device? Any recommendations are very welcome!