making all the mistakes

[mohawkx]

Wel hello to all. I did everything in reverse order. I should have joined this site first. Instead, I signed up for South Beach smoke, ordering their deluxe kit for 49.95 and automatic shipping every 30 days for an additional 53 bucks a month. I still haven't recieved the SBS starter kit yet and plan on sending it back and canceling my order. While I was waiting, I went to the local smoke shop and plunked down 29.95 for the only e-cig they had which was a "pure smoke" package that looked like a pack of marlboro regulars. I plugged it in and charged it up and frankly I'm very disappointed with the experience. It's like trying to suck a thick milkshake through a thin straw. There was no flavor to speak of and very little vapor. After I read the thread on how to smoke an e-cig it was a little better but I was still highly disappointed. I immediately went out and bought three packs of Camel lights to tide me over until the South Beach product arrives. So that's a rip and 30 bucks down the drain.

After reading for 12 hrs straight on this forum I still have much hope that e-cigs are the solution to my 45 year analog habit. I've read many threads and have come away with some possibilities that may do the trick. It seems the ego with manual button, blank cartridges and some juice of various flavors might fill the bill for me but I wanted to check with the pros first before I place an order. Money is not the object as I spend 10 bucks a day on cigs now. I just want the best experience that will replace my analog habit.
My requirements are,
1. Must have full flavor and vapor
2. Must have long battery life. (The South Beach Deluxe claimed 8-10 hours on a charge) I guess two of the batteries would do the trick)
3. I'd like something that allows me to use different flavors and strengths as ultimately I want to wean myself off nicotine and just vape flavors. The South Beach is a two peice and the cartridges are not refilable with juice and I wouldn't know where to start.
4. The device should look similar to a cigarette. I could live with the torpedo look of the ego and the color but would prefer a cigarette shape it's not that important but don't like the cubes.
5. It seems the ego is the prefered choice and recommended by many but I read all 8 pages of a thread where someone named Zen claimed that there were much better options for newbies than the ego but after an exhausting 8 pages of posts he never came out with anything that he would recommend.
I am committed to discarding analogs for ever as I have heart problems and the various flavors and overall safety of the e-cigs has me hooked on the process. I plan to frequent this site a lot as smoking takes over a large portion of my life.

Question, What would you recommend for me to purchase and where, for my attempt to dive into the ecig adventure? Perhaps an ego(What is the best model) starter kit? Can anyone recommend any other model besides the ego that will fill the bill? any advice would be welcome. The sooner the better so I can order up the model# some juice and cartridges and throw the rest of my analogs in the trash. Oh, BTW, Hello all, you seem to be a very knowledgable and helpful bunch.

Mohawk

 

[zadane]

Well, atleast your realized your mistake and will be trying to get your money back from those thieves.


I would suggest the ego or riva 510. It's basically the same as the 510 mini aka joye 510... but it has a better battery life. so it is great for beginners, but it's not the best thing out there.

I would suggest the Riva 510. it's cheaper has a bigger battery and some claim it runs closer to 3.7v instead of 3.2v like the ego. which some people prefer.

A good place to put in your first order would be here liberty flights 20% off discount they are cheaper than a lot of places and have fast shipping.

if you want flavor switching stick with attys instead of cartomizers. when you find a flavor you like I suggest using cartomizers though

 

[cskent]

Hi and welcome to ECF. One of the best recommended starter kits it right here Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510. The Riva is basically a knock-off eGo but a good one. If you click on the 20% off in the upper left hand corner it'll come in around $30 plus shipping. It's also refillable so if you go this route order some juice at the same time.

I wouldn't keep the South Beach, send it back and make sure you're off their monthly plan. I seriously doubt it's gonna give you 8 to 10 hours. More likely 1 to 2.

 

[Rosa]

+1 what zadane said. IMO the perfect starter kit is:

• Riva 510 lite bundle from Liberty Flights
• a 510 drip tip
• 2 boxes of Boge LR 510 cartomizers from iVape
• about 60ml of e-liquid in small sizes; a variety of flavors and strengths.

You won't need extra cartridges most likely because they can be refilled and reused again and again. You can get all this for about $100 dollars (or less) and be able to experiment with a few different vaping methods to see what you like best.

The Riva batteries will last for about 8-10 hours per charge. The thing with little batteries is that the smaller the battery, the less time between charges. Any vendor who tells you otherwise is flat out lying.. it's just physics (or else car batteries would fit in your pocket). Most people who buy the Riva (just like an eGo but manufactured by a different company) say that it's a lot smaller than they expected it to be.

Good luck.

 

[zadane]

I have to agree.. when I saw the pictures of the riva I thought it was going to be massive... but it's actually quite small.

But I would suggest if possible, go with the carto edition of the riva. that way you get the cone that will fit a carto in it.

100$ may seem like quite a bit, but you are getting over a months supply of juice in what Rosa suggested (unless you vape like a mad man...)

 

[Rosa]

LOL! 60ml of juice lasts my about 20 days or less, but it's a good start for sure and gives you enough time to decide on the flavors you want to get again and the strength of nicotine that you'll end up wanting.

...oops, they're out of the carto edition anyway. That's ok, it's good to have atomizers in your order for quick juice tasting anyway. (I never use my cone, so I never think about it )

 

[pandatera]

Hi and welcome to ECF

Dont' feel bad, at least you find us. I don't know about the South Beach that you ordered, but I would think to cancel it if you can. Like everyone else I would recommend the eGo or Riva 510. The Riva 510 is a knock off eGo and the cost is cheaper, but it functions the same. You can purchase them at liberty flights just like the others have recommended. They have great customer service! Don't forget to click on the 20% off on top of that website.
A eGo is a 3 piece set up. (cartridge + atomizer + battery). I really hate using cartridge, it just doesnt' work well for me. I have to refill very often and it leaks on me sometimes. This is what I do to make my life easier. When I'm home, I would drip sometimes. Drip means- instead of putting juice on the cartridge, I drip directly to the atomizer and vape. Dripping is a hassle though, you would need to drip about 2 - 3 drops for every 5-10 puffs. But to me dripping gives me the best flavor , throat hit and vapor. I normally would drip to test flavors. When I'm out, I would use a cartomizer. Cartomizer is (cartridge + atomizer) in one. I would bring a few filled cartomizer when I go out. I like using cartomizer because they hold more juice, so it is less of a hassle. You can also refill your cartomizer a few times before they completely die out. I normally would use around 10 cartomizer (refill) for 3 weeks before throwing them out.
So this might be something you want to buy
1 x Riva 510 starter kit (about $30.00)
1 pack of 5 boge cartomizer 2.0 ohm (about $8.00 a pack)
1 drip tip (about $2.00)
and different juices

Remember if you planning to buy from liberty flights, remember to click on the 20% off (the price I listed is with the 20% discount) Just wanted to let you know how much you might be spending.

HOpe this helps!

Good luck

 

[zadane]

damn, i guess my 1ml-2ml a day is on the light side of vaping lol.

 

[Valsacar]

Yup, ego or riva is a good place to start, they are closer in size to a cigar than a cigarette but battery life and usability are very good. 6-8 hours of use (so basically a day or more for most people) is what you can expect from them (where the smaller, cigarette sized, ones will give you about 2 hours).

I'm not a fan of cartomizers, and the standard atty + cart is easier to switch flavors IMO. Just know that when you switch flavors you'll get a blending for a little bit (as the old stuff fades away). And some flavors just NEVER go away (anything with a strong cinnamon for example, or coffee).

I generally get any flavors (that I don't mix myself) from freedom smokes usa, a lot of people that I've converted have enjoyed their Wyatt Earp flavor (a tobacco flavor, closer to a pipe tobacco than cigarette). Tastyvapor and vaporbomb are two other companies that I've tried and though their flavors were very good as well.

 

[Craig645]

Here's the recommendation that I first started with and still use to this day. Click on the 20% (first) at Liberty Flights.
1 2 - Joye eGo XL Batteries (900mAh)
2 - Joye eGo XL Atomizers
2 - Joye eGo XL Blank Cartridges
1 - Joye eGo Charger unit (w/USB)
Add some ejuice to this order - USA mix is a pretty good tobacco flavor.

 

[InhaleGal]

Just adding my opinion...I would just go straight for a mod. I started with KR808's and cartos and the constant filling was soooo annoying. I now have a Reo mini and I am in love. Yes it's a bit pricey out the door cause you have to buy batteries, a charger, and some atty's. I love the Cisco LR510's and LR306's, both 1.5's from Avid Vaper. The mini is quite small and will fit in your hand, plus ot holds a 3ml bottle of juice that bottom feeds into the atty. The quality of craftsmanship is impeccable. Check out the Reos mods subforum if your interested. Tons of great advice and very helpful people. Unfortunatley you can't just jump on reosmods.com and grab one, as they are in high demand, but it lists on the site when things will be in stock. Just be ready to order that day. Once again this is just coming from my personal experience and I wanted to just give my two cents. Whatever you decide, GOOD LUCK with you vaping journey!

Edit: For the mini, 4 batteries, 2 atty's and a charger I paid around $225

 

[DaveP]

And, after all the info you have received, there's more to learn at the ECF library.

The ECF Library

 

[Serendipity-nh]

And, after all the info you have received, there's more to learn at the ECF library.

The ECF Library

And here

Vaping Guides

 

[mohawkx]

Thank you all so much for your advice and direction. It is greatly appreciated. What I'm doing now is waiting for the South beach order to get here to me and return it unopened for a refund and cancellation of the monthly shipments. I'm not looking forward to the telephone interaction with them. It looks like South Beach Smoke is probably a good fit for those with lots of money and doesn't want to hassle with their vaping paraphinalia(sp). These appear to be trouble free. You just change cartomizers and keep one or the other charged. But I've retired and on fixed income, plus I like the idea of having many different juices to experiment with. What I'll do is keep plugging away on this forum gathering information from the different threads and once I have the SBS order behind me I should have enough knowledge to make an informed purchase. If you feel someone looking over your shoulder, it's me. Thanks for your help. I've tried to quit cigarettes for many years and did quit after my open heart for 4 years but then the stress of a high production management job put me back on the ole' ball and chain. My self esteem has already jumped many degrees since I've made the conscious decision to go vapor. I can't wait to get started. Thank you so much for your help and advice.

Mohawk

 

[Craig645]

Good luck Mohawk.

 

[mohawkx]

Good luck Mohawk.

Doing great actually, got out of the South Beach Smoke subscription and bought a gogo with some juice and I've been happily vaping ever since. One thing I noticed, I don't vape as much as I used to smoke. I used to get out of bed, pour my coffee and down 3 or 4 analogs in a row. Now I get up, pour my coffee and probably take 2 or 3 pulls on my gogo and I'm set. Another difference is that whenever I smoked an analog, I did nothing but smoke the analog. Had to sit there and smoke the whole thing down before I could do anything else. Now I just keep doing whatever I'm doing and take a hit on my gogo every now and then. I hope all the newbies have as much early success as I have.

On a side note, Boy, thre are some really craptastic juices out there. I haven't found the perfect juice for me yet but I've tasted some that really are the pits.

 

[JC Okie]

On a side note, Boy, thre are some really craptastic juices out there. I haven't found the perfect juice for me yet but I've tasted some that really are the pits.

Ha. Yep....that's the way that goes. LOL. You'll find your favorite sooner or later. It's a process. Have you narrowed it down to liking certain types of flavors? I tried tobacco flavors and NONE of them were for me. Then I tried some Blueberry from VaporBomb.com and I was in love with it. After that, I tried other fruit flavors (mango, peach, peach cobbler, etc.) and found that I really liked fruity flavors. One of my all-time favorites now is Hypnotic Mist. You can get it from Vapor Bomb or from freedomsmokesusa.com and probably other places. It's a sweet juice, but not too sweet.

 

[RDZinny]

I am all for the Joy Ego for starters. Good luck to you ! Lots of homework to do