Need advice for a more advanced mod

[bbsbucket]

I decided to post here after introducing myself in new member forum. I hope it's not against the rules.
I ordered V2 pen via groupon which took long to ship and due to impending event I went to a local vape shop and I was sold a SMOK M17 stick and some 6mg tobacco flavored e-juice. I had smoked cigarettes for 30 years and was determined to quit as soon as possible and hence the impatience. I enjoyed vaping and smoking for few days and then realized that smoking was giving me same feeling as vaping so quit buying cigarettes and that was 3 weeks ago.
I have burnt through couple of coils (one of them brand new and not primed). My V2 pen also arrived and I got the congress liquid (12mg) from them. Now I don't want to bore you with long story so I'll get to the point.
The e-juice from vape shop didn't taste like tobacco at all but it curbed my urge to smoke. The V2 congress e-juice smells like real tobacco to me and I use that during every break and finish off with M17 and vape shop juice. What I notice is that I get a decent throat hit with the V2 for the first 3-4 times and then there is no throat hit. I vape MTL and I still have urge to smoke cigarettes. I carve for throat hit every single time and get disappointed when I don't get it. I do not care about how much vapor is produced. All I want is good tobacco taste and a great throat hit.
My friend tells me that I need a better and more powerful setup so this is where I am. Saving money on coils will be good but I don't mind spending money. I want a great setup which will meet me most fundamental requirement was good tobacco flavor and a great throat hit. I have PG-VG, flavors, beakers, nicotine, syringes, bottles etc already on shelves to make my own e-juice (I've done my homework here as far as that is concerned.)
I'll appreciate any input that the more experienced members can give me. Thank you in advance for all your input.

 

[rob33]

Welcome to the forum. I always say with the right device and juice strength making a switch from cigarettes can happen in a few days. Since you are making your own juice a rebuildable atty and a device with a 18650 battery is not too far away in your progression for better nicotine delivery, flavor and being more economical. Do your research and decide whats best for you.

 

[untar]

Hey and welcome to the vapor club.
To me it sounds like you may need to increase the nicotine in your juice by a bit, 6mg/ml seems low for a pen style vape, I'd suggest 9mg/ml. Maybe 6 is ok for the smok product, that one should generate a tad more vapor.

The question is - where do you want to go from here? You could go with drop-in coil tanks, those have prebuilt coil heads you drop in and exchange when they start to taste bad, just like your m17.
Or you can go with a rebuildable atomizer, you'd need to wrap your coils (it's easy, essentially just wrapping wire around something cylindrical like a drill bit shaft) and feed cotton through them. With the latter there are a few options for atomizers that are built for a stronger throat hit and in many cases you can even adjust it (at the cost of a bit of flavor).

 

[Ben85]

This is the mech mod section which will get limited views compared to other boards. I’d pm a mod if I were you and ask them to move this to the general section.

 

[John Jacobs]

Welcome! The adjustment from cigarettes to vaping is different for everyone. I know you are struggling a little but you WILL get there. If you do slip and have a cigarette, not a big deal. Do not beat yourself up. Acknowledge it and then go right back to your vape.

The amount of throat hit is dependent on a few factors. The PG/VG ratio of your e-liquid makes a difference, with higher PG content contributing to greater throat hit. Higher nic strength also gives more throat hit. The way your atomizer is built can make a significant difference also. Since your using pre-built coils you can't control that. I wouldn't immediately abandon you gear, give it time and you can try some other options once you get over the initial adjustment.

I understand you are craving that tobacco flavor but you might consider trying something different. Everyone likes different flavors but disassociating from the flavor from the 'old way' and having something entirely new might speedup your switch. Also, see if you can find a liquid with a higher strength than 12mg/ml. I started with 18 and 24mg/ml. You can work your way down in strength once you're over the hump.

OK, I think you want a recommendation for a specific tobacco liquid. I have liked the "Kentucky Premium Blend" line from Vermillion River. It's 50/50 PG/VG and comes in higher nic strengths. A quick web-search will get you to them. I no longer vape it. I like different things now, but it's high quality stuff that might get the job done for you.

Best of luck with your journey into vaping. You will find you have friends here no matter which sub-furum you post in.

I decided to post here after introducing myself in new member forum. I hope it's not against the rules.
I ordered V2 pen via groupon which took long to ship and due to impending event I went to a local vape shop and I was sold a SMOK M17 stick and some 6mg tobacco flavored e-juice. I had smoked cigarettes for 30 years and was determined to quit as soon as possible and hence the impatience. I enjoyed vaping and smoking for few days and then realized that smoking was giving me same feeling as vaping so quit buying cigarettes and that was 3 weeks ago.
I have burnt through couple of coils (one of them brand new and not primed). My V2 pen also arrived and I got the congress liquid (12mg) from them. Now I don't want to bore you with long story so I'll get to the point.
The e-juice from vape shop didn't taste like tobacco at all but it curbed my urge to smoke. The V2 congress e-juice smells like real tobacco to me and I use that during every break and finish off with M17 and vape shop juice. What I notice is that I get a decent throat hit with the V2 for the first 3-4 times and then there is no throat hit. I vape MTL and I still have urge to smoke cigarettes. I carve for throat hit every single time and get disappointed when I don't get it. I do not care about how much vapor is produced. All I want is good tobacco taste and a great throat hit.
My friend tells me that I need a better and more powerful setup so this is where I am. Saving money on coils will be good but I don't mind spending money. I want a great setup which will meet me most fundamental requirement was good tobacco flavor and a great throat hit. I have PG-VG, flavors, beakers, nicotine, syringes, bottles etc already on shelves to make my own e-juice (I've done my homework here as far as that is concerned.)
I'll appreciate any input that the more experienced members can give me. Thank you in advance for all your input.

 

[stols001]

Welcome to ECF and congratulations on making the switch. Freebase (not nicotine salts) nicotine should give you the most throat hit, and some makers will make a "Hard" or otherwise labeled nicotine, designed for more throat hit. A lot of vendors will send samples if you request them, for the cost of shipping. So, getting nicotine you like will be important.

Second, PG also adds to throat hit, so you want to make sure your mixes have a fair amount of that. There are also some vendors that sell, well, not flavorings exactly but additives to increase throat hit. Some of those work well.

I agree on perhaps raising your nicotine level some, if you want a MTL, tight draw, less vape but more throat hit setup. Depending on how much you smoked, that could be anywhere from 12--36 m.g. nicotine, sometimes people need a much higher level to start with, but you'll need nicotine to a) increase throat hit and b) compensate for the fact that you will be inhaling much less vapor per puff. I think you got a starter device, then a direct lung device, if I am reading your post correctly. 6 m.g. is pretty reasonable for direct lung. However if you want a "true" MTL tank (which you can certainly use on your more powerful mod, you'll just be turning your wattage down, and you will also be using far less battery and juice (probably).

Many folks start with the Nautilus 2, and it's a good "starter" MTL device. Other options would include the Ijoy Elf, which is a tank that will take nautilus coils but "fixes" many of the N2's issues, including being a true 2 ml tank, and easier topfill, airflow options. To me, it also has slightly better flavor than the N2. Another option would be the Ego Mega One V2 tank, or a Tron-S tank. Joytech makes those, and they will take the perfect (IMO) MTL coil, the joytech CLR coils at 1.0 resistance. You'd need to buy the coils separately, they come with a different coil but it's easy to switch it out. The coils get great life, and they can very easily be rewicked and rebuilt. Great flavor and coil life.

Lots of other options out there, but choosing one of these tanks can be a great way to start. I'd expect a bit more vapor production than your starter kit (a fair amount more) but nothing like direct lung setups being vaped at 50 watts or above. You will still probably need to raise your nicotine level.

Best of luck,

Anna

 

[bbsbucket]

Thank you for your quick and detailed informative responses. After reading the responses, I think I'm still a total newbie as far as vaping is concerned and it will take a while before I feel comfortable to tell you that I understand all the advise given above.
My motivation for this thread was to increase the joy of vaping via superior equipment. It's similar to when I started golf 20 years ago and thought that moving from starter golf clubs to more expensive set will improve my game which it didn't though there was marginal improvement.
This weekend, I made the following changes to my routine and the experience has improved slightly. Based upon the advise above, I upped the nicotine strength (from 6mg to 12mg) of an e-liquid (Royalty 2 - 70VG/30PG) which I liked. After mixing and letting it rest for few hours, I tried it with my M17 (0.6Ohm) and the I did feel throat hit which was better than before. I then used a 0.9Ohm V2 3x device and also liked the experience. The tobacco flavor ejuice (70PG/30VG 12mg) which was giving me a decent throat hit at 1.5Ohm was falling out of favor.
I vape the way I used to smoke and here is my best attempt at describing it. I take a short drag and then blow quarter of the smoke out and then the rest is inhaled. I feel the smoke hitting the back of my throat as it makes it way down to the lungs. I then exhale it primarily via mouth.
When vaping, I have to consciously drag for a little bit longer to get similar feeling. If my drag is shorter, the throat hit is weak. I do prefer the shorter duration drag to avoid getting the drip tip hot.
I'm still wondering if a pen like device with a nice tank (eGo One Mega V2) will further enhance my experience. I'm still confused about what resistance coils will be most optimum for me. I seem to like the sub-ohm ones better but I'm still confused why that is the case.
Here are few questions I have:
1) Why is my experience of using a 0.6Ohm and 0.9Ohm (70VG/30PG) better than 1.5Ohm (70PG/30VG liquid) coil?
2) Is a 510 threaded tank the most versatile?
3) Will I be able to use sub-ohm as well as higher resistance coils with a 510 threaded tank (example eGo Mega V2 recommended above)
4) Will a variable wattage/voltage device further enhance my experience? I don't really care about the quantity of clouds but the quality of vape experience and how close it is to smoking.
5) Do I understand it correctly that MTL means longer drag as opposed to DL?
On a side note, the throat hit seems to always improve when I enjoy an icy cold adult beverage...
I will appreciate all your inputs. meanwhile I will go back to reading more and more in the forums.

PS. I was a pack a day (never menthol) smoker for 30 years

 

[Baditude]

1) Why is my experience of using a 0.6Ohm and 0.9Ohm better than 1.5Ohm coil?

Your preferance appears to be for sub-ohm coils (anything below 1.0 ohm) compared to standard ohm coils (1.0 ohm and higher).

Sub-ohm vaping produces warmer vapor due to the higher heat the coils produce compared to standard resistance coils. Sub-ohm vaping also requires less nicotine than than standard resistance vaping.

Some folks equate the warmer vapor with increased "throat hit", although throat hit is primarily the result of the nicotine strength in the e-liquid, and secondarily with the amount of Pg in the Pg/Vg ratio of e-liquid.

2) Is a 510 threaded tank the most versatile?

The 510 threaded tanks will fit more of the more advanced battery devices. I presume you are also using an eGo threaded juice attachment? The 510 thread is the accepted standard for advanced vaping gear. Ego threaded devices are most commonly found in the beginner level devices.

Proper Terminology: Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Delivery Devices​

3) Will I be able to use sub-ohm as well as higher resistance coils with a 510 threaded tank (example eGo Mega V2 recommended above)

Factory-made drop-in coils are usually propietary, meaning you generally can't mix and match different coils with different brands or models of tanks. Most tanks are specifically made for sub-ohm coils, some are specifically made for standard ohm coils. You will just have to research each tank to see which resistance coils it will accept.

The tank I use (original Uwell Crown) allows the use of both standard (1.2 ohm) and sub-ohm (0.15, 0.25, 0.5 ohm). I happen to prefer the 0.5 ohm coils. This is one of the more versatile tanks currently on the market.

4) Will a variable wattage/voltage device further enhance my experience? I don't really care about the quantity of clouds but the quality of vape experience and how close it is to smoking.

ABSOLUTELY! Variable power was a gamechanger for me.

Sometimes I like to vape at just 30 watts. Sometimes I like to vape at 40 watts. Sometimes it depends upon the flavor I'm vaping, sometimes it just depends upon my mood. Some flavors are better at a lower wattage (ie fruits) while other flavors are better with a little more heat (tobacco, coffee, some pastry/deserts).

Variable power allows you the ability to adjust your vaping experience beyond what a fixed power device can.

Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder
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5) Do I understand it correctly that MTL means longer drag as opposed to DL?

Not necessarily. Mouth-to-lung simply means you inhale the vapor into your mouth, hold it there for a second, then inhale it into your lungs. Direct lung means you inhale the vapor directly into your lungs.

One is not "better" than the other, its just a matter of which method is most natural to you. How you smoked cigarettes probably will determine which method you will use to vape.

Your preference may also change over time. When I began vaping I was a MTL vaper. Today I am more of a DL vaper.



Having said that, the draw of a vape is different than the draw off a cigarette.