New and Confused

[boreddddd]

Hi all,

This site is a gold mine for anyone looking to get in to this sort of thing. Thanks for that, and thanks in advance for all the help.

I am having trouble distinguishing between the different options available to me. What is the difference between an, "ecigarette" and a ,"vaporizer"? I see things like the V2 then I see some contraptions other members have that appear to achieve the same goal (vaporizing a nicotine fluid) that look nothing like a cigarette (locally we have a company that is called, Great Lakes Vapor that makes devices like I'm talking about). I may have over looked an introductory thread that explains all of this?

From poking around, I have seen some pros and cons of different models. I have an idea of what I do and and don't want.

I have seen some claim a 10 hour battery life. That is good!
I definitely want lots of vapor. I tried some of the weak gas station ones and it kind of put me off.
I currently smoke Marlboro's and need a little more of that, "Throat Hit" as I hear it described.
I like the idea of being able to refill my own cartridges, or cartomizers?
I am attracted to the idea of all the different flavors.
If I end up with an ecigarette, I want it to look like a cigarette. I don't want everyone and their brother asking me, "What is that?"

Can anyone offer some help? I have had it with the cigarettes, and failed multiple attempts to quit.

Thanks.

 

[r77r7r]

SmokelessImage.com for ciggie-like.

Here's a link to their sub-forum here for all your questions.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/smokeless-image/

 

[shooter445]

All devices to infact completw the same function of vaporizing eliquid. Lets put it like this. All personal vaporizers are e-cigarettes, but ont all e-cigarettes are personal vaporizers(also referes to as PV's for short). PV's offer longer battery life and other advantages such as using different atomizers or clearomizers. Most cigarette look-a-likes off horrible battery life and are kind of a "stepping stone" off of cigarettes (analogs) and into the vaping world. There is alot of information in this thread for beginners and I obviously cant explain it all in one post but we are here to help you in anyway we can.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II

 

[Byten]

The difference between an "ecig" and a "vaporizer" is merely size and functions, if there is really any difference at all. Just a different name to distinguish the "I'm better"-ness of them. You'll also run into "APV - Advanced Personal Vaporizer" and "Mod" quite a bit, basically these just don't look like a cigarette but have bigger batteries and adjustable output among other features.

You are likely going to get "what's that?" questions no matter what, obviously less with a cig-a-like type model however. The Volt is highly regarded over at Smokeless Image | Only The Best Electronic Cigarette | Smokeless Image Electronic Cigarettes - The Future is in your hands You also generally won't get alot of questions when using an Ego type (mid-sized) either and it a good in between for most.

At the top of the page there is a "InfoZone" link with everything you'd ever want to know.

 

[shooter445]

Another good place to start out as far as transitioning from smoking to vaping is the Joytech Ego. I personally started vaping with the Blu e-cig and honestly it really didnt do much for me the battery only lasted 1-2 hours and my cravings werent satisfied. The Joytech Ego is what broke the barrier for me and the options are endless with them, the day I bought my Ego was the day I quit analogs

Sent from my Galaxy Note II

 

[Stef64]

Welcome to ECF. What part of MI are you in? For a cigarette sized device, the Volt from Smokeless Image is the most recommended.

Once you get 5 posts, you will be able to post in other forums. There is a Michigan Vapers forum here. If you get a chance, visit some stores that carry vaping supplies so you can experience some different types. If you're in SE Michigan, check out MotorCity Vapers Club. They have meets posted on their web site, and it will give you a chance to meet other vapers.

 

[KillTheNoise]

I would also recommend the eGo type vapes. The cigalikes are merely a stepping stone into this vast world you're about to dive into. My cigalike lasted me only 3 days before I went and bought an eGo setup.

As I said, this world of vaping is HUGE and there is TONS of information and products to chose from, so don't get discouraged if it takes a while to get familiar with everything. All it takes is that first step! GL and welcome bud!

 

[Irishgal55]

Welcome to ECF! I agree with the others that told you about Smokeless Image...awesome products and top notch customer service. I have never been disappointed by them.

 

[Ianovic]

hi, and welcome!

as far as i see it: everyting is an e-sig (but
sig-like: sigarette form
pv: ego and the likes (thin black marker as form factor)
apv: anything above (fath black marker as ff.) but ymmv (?)

 

[Pentarth]

Hey Boreddddd, I'm from Royal Oak so I feel your pain about no decent e-cig stores in the area. There are lot of options to choose from out there.... I've had really bad luck with the "cigalikes", and so have my friends. A good variable voltage mod is the best way to go, longest battery life and performance without breaking down in a month or less and cheaper to operate than the cigalikes, furthermore you have the world wide open to you for choices of nicotine strength and any flavor you can imagine out there... and a few you haven't.
What everybody and their brother thinks ? Who really cares it's your life, your health, and your money. I haven't run into any problems with people in this area about using my mod in public, other than the horrible anti-smoking bias we have in Mich and the misinformation that vaping is just another form of smoking. There are vape friendly establishments around here you just have to know where to go.
In my own personal experience I ran into more grief using a cigalike than a mod because people automatically think you're smoking a real cigarette and start having apoplectic seizures... whereas a mod that looks NOTHING like a cigarette gives them pause, and they ask "what's that" instead of losing their minds and going off on you before knowing what you are doing. After a lot of trial and error I recommend either a Lavatube or a Provari depending on your budget. I have a lot of reasons why... but don't want a mile long post.
If you want to know more PM me and we can chat.

 

[boreddddd]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome and the quick replies.

After all the responses and continuing my reading, I am leaning towards a PV. My lust for better vapor control, juice options and battery life far outweigh my concern of looks. I just didn't want to be walking around with something that looks like a Clove from an alien spaceship with the Blue fake flame.

r77r7r, thanks for the link. I will check it out when I get home.

Stef64 and other Michigander's, I am in Livonia. Where are these Vapor stores? I hear about some of them on the radio, but they seem overly expensive.

Pantarth, funny you bring up the lava tube. That was what I was looking at if I was to buy a PV right this instant. Interesting. I pulled it out of my ... when looking through the, "What Are You Waiting to Come in the Mail" thread, and I have seen it in quite a few signatures. High post count + signatures = great for a Noob. Naturally, I would further investigate for myself, but it is interesting to see how many different ecigs, PV's and APV's people have gone through. When I started adding it up, we are talking in the $1000's! I am really hoping to avoid that. I want a quality product, and skip the BS. I think that is what everyone wants.... I will end my rant there. Sorry. This whole thing is fascinating.

Lots of recommendations for the Joytech. I will have to check that out. The Volt is what I was looking at if I went ecig (but they just look so odd).

Irishgal, nice avatar, and thanks for recommendation.

Seriously, thank you all. I will post back here when I buy one. Let you all know what I got. Pentarth, I may take you up on the PM when I read a bit more.

 

[Johnnie Price]

What looks odd about the Volt?

I only ask because the standard Volt is a cig-alike. The only major difference between the various cig-alikes is the way the threading runs. The most common is Joye510, which is a male threading on the cartomizer/atomizer and a female threading on the battery. The second most common is the KR808D-1 (which Volt uses) and is a female threading on the cartomizer and a male threading on the battery. In terms of battery life and vapor production, they are both roughly the same.

The Volt X2 is a vGo-styled ce-cig. Both a vGo and an eGo act and look much the same; a vGo is a larger sized e-cig with 808 threading and an eGo (which came first) has a 510 threading. The outer threading on these batteries is primarily used for a cone to give it a more streamlined look, although there are some cartomizers/clearomizers which use these cones as the primary connection.

Either options work roughly the same in terms of battery life and performance. There are more accessory options available for the eGo/510, and some of them have a few more fancy and/or advanced features over the vGo/808 models.

 

[Pentarth]

If you want quality, Serious durability, and reliability, and a APV that works awesome look at the posts for a Provari V2. The Lavatube is a Chinese knock off of this USA made item. I started with the Lavatube myself (first non cigalike mod I bought) and eventually bought the Provari. I'm not sorry. It lives up to all the hype you will read... don't take just my word for it. Read the posts. The Lavatube works just fine. It's a nice unit, but it's a Pinto sitting next to a Rolls Royce by comaprison of build, quality, durability, warrenty, upgradability, repair costs, etc, etc, etc. Not to mention I paid more over the years with junk mods, cigalikes, etc than if I had just gotten a Provari right from the start. A lot of the mods out there work great... no doubt, but for how long? I got tired of them breaking down on me after a few weeks to months. Personally I wanted something that would last years and years.

 

[boreddddd]

Johnnie, the one I saw on YouTube was all black and had a Blue LED. To me, it looked strange. Just my thoughts.

Pantarth, I will look it up. Thanks a ton.

-Ryan

 

[Johnnie Price]

Johnnie, the one I saw on YouTube was all black and had a Blue LED. To me, it looked strange. Just my thoughts.

Pantarth, I will look it up. Thanks a ton.

-Ryan

Most of the cig-alikes will have an LED on the tip, whether blue, green, red, orange or white. Smokeless Image, which makes the Volt, does sell opaque black LED caps so you'd have no visible light at all.

The eGo/vGo mods will generally have one or more LEDs near the tip of the battery, or an LED under the manual button itself.

The LED is used to indicate that the battery is operating properly and usually flashes at you to tell you when it's time to charge it.

I'm not sure about the larger APVs like the provari or Lavatube, as I've never used them or seen them in action.

Good luck to you!

 

[betterBquietnow]

welcome buddy, you came to the right place!

i will second what another said -- if you are starting to feel okay abandoning the idea of a device that 'looks like a cig' (which trust me is hard to do, the last thing i wanted when i stopped smoking was to carry around some 'device' and have everyone asking me questions) then i would highly recommend just going straight for a provari mini -- it cant be beat, and if you are serious about quitting smoking then sinking over 100 bucks into a PV is good motivation

i used cig-style ecigs for about a month and then broke down and bought the provari and couldnt be happier -- and i dont mind carrying it around because the satisfaction of how it performs trumps any other concerns...

the mini is actually quite small, and like a million others will tell you, the quality of the product cant be beat...

have fun poking around the forum, this place is pretty incredible in terms of wonderful people and loads of info...welcome!

 

[minimalsaint]

Michigan bump!

when you settle on your device, check out some of the liquid vendors right here in our great state-

Premium USA E-Liquid, Electonic Cigarettes and Handcrafted USA E-Juice by Mister-E-Liquid.com

Welcome to Ahlusion

Kalamazoo Vapor Shop

Mister E Liquid has been my main vendor since day 1, but I have ordered from all 3 and have been pleasantly surprised with them all.
Welcome to vaping and I look forward to seeing more of you in the wild some day!

 

[boreddddd]

After all the reccomendations, I settled on the Joyetech eGo-t B with the LR coil. I dig it. One 650mah battery pretty much lasts me all day. I was impressed. I wonder if I could use one of there Variable Voltage batteries with this coil? I saw some complaints online about the unit leaking. I would imagine if you replace the "tanks" enough, this isn't really an issue. The atomizer comes out easy enough with a flathead screwdriver and everything is pretty easily cleaned. Vapor production is def. there. Flavor seems to be pretty good. I am sure I will have to try different juices. The two I have used so far are OK. Coffee and Grapefruit. Coffee tastes more like a Mocha, which is OK. The Grapefruit is pretty spot on. I also ordered Cubin Cigar and 555. I litterally closed my eyes and scrolled around until I landed on something. Ha. Gadda start somewhere right?

I remember in my first post saying I wanted a strong throat hit. I am getting it. Almost too strong. What causes that sensation? Would different juices help curb that complaint? Is it dictated by the nicotine level? I went with 18 mg, and it leaves me wanting a little more, honestly. I just wonder if it's possible to calm the tickel a little.

I know many have been listed, but any good places to buy juices online? What's your favorite?

O, I almost forgot... The only thing that stopped me from getting the Provari was the menu system. After watching some YouTube video's and realizing they weren't a joke, I was shocked. You can click that button over 50 times just to get it dialed in!!! I'm sure once you have it set, it's good, but it reminded me of a timex watch I had when I was a kid. The lavatube seemed to have a better menu setup/function, but the Provari seemed to have far better reviews for actual vaping (backed by the members here too). I will keep an eye on this company and see if they come to a more user friendly design.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Moosh]

throat hit is affected by nic level, but more so by the PG level, power through it and if it doesn't settle you may want to consider mixing your own juices.

 

[Rachy_B]

If you find an e-cig with a long battery life that looks like a cig, let me know! I wanted something similar and my set up is:

510 batteries (a mixture of automatic and manual)- these are about 240Mah and I have 5 of them in total. I maybe use three a day so the extra two are spares really, although I rotate them.
Standard resistance Boge cartomisers
2 Chargers
Various juices...
...and crucially...a PCC! This is a portable charging case which means I can charge on the go. This compensates for the low battery life of the 510s.

I know some people are all for their Provaris and Rivas etc but I like my set up x