Hello from another Ohio native. Welcome to ECF!
I started with
Smokeless Image way back when. Excellent stuff and a great company to deal with, they are based in Ohio, also.
AltSmoke is an online company which has vape shops in both Columbus and Cincinnati, and they sell Smokeless Image products. Good place to go to try out flavors and vape supplies before you buy.
Smokeless Image | Only The Best Electronic Cigarette | Smokeless Image Electronic Cigarettes - The Future is in your hands
AltSmoke.com - Brick & Mortar Stores AltSmoke B&M store locator.
There are
two thread types that the batteries that we use in vaping use. Kind of like the beta vs VHS wars from way back when. Most manufacturers have gone to the 510 thread, but some companies like Smokeless Image carry a complete line of products in the 808 thread that they prefer to use. All of the products that they offer are intercompatible, so there is something to be said about the simplicity factor for customers who know something will work if bought from one company. There are MANY customers who love and are loyal to Smokeless Image.
The Smokeless Image
Volts are
cigalike batteries like your dad uses now. The
X2 batteries they offer are larger (
cigar size) and last much longer (6 - 13 hours depending upon battery length). If your father doesn't mind using a little larger battery, I believe he will get more satisfaction with the X2's. Later, he may wish to try
variable voltage, which the Volt
Spinner(same size as the X2) has to be able to fine tune the vape warmer/cooler and to adjust to each flavor he may be using.


Size comparison of a cigarette/2 Volts/3 sizes of X2 batteries. Yellow X2 with a clearomizer juice attachment. X2 batteries with Nano clearomizers.
Smokeless Image has
pre-filled cartridges in a variety of
e-liquid flavors. But you or he may decide it is more economical (and not that difficult) to buy blank
cartomizers or
clearomizer tanks and fill your own from bottled juice.
There are video demonstrations of all of the Smokeless Image products on the online home page, lower right corner if I recall, to learn how to use all of the gear.