new and lost...

[sharlee00]

Want to get the right equipment and learn the lingo. Started with blu disposal and now want to move to something reusable. I like smaller looking batteries and doesnt have to look and feel like a real cig...
Any and all suggestions welcome. Thank you.

 

[Shugaphix]

I also started with a BLU disposable It was actually not bad. Tasted a bit like coffee though. Now I have an eGo but want an upgrade already after 2 weeks. There seems to be a HUGE amount of info here. I'm just getting familiar too. Good luck to both of us Welcome.

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

Hi & Welcome to ECF - & Congratulations to both of you on your decision to move to vaping. Sharlee in case you don't already know, the eGo is about the size of a regular Sharpie marker. They're really popular but there are other similar "eGo clone" models with more power for less money. If that size seems larger than you'd be comfortable dealing with there are other, smaller models of good quality, but the smaller they are the less powerful the batteries have to be. That means they'll require charging a lot more often (say, every 2 hours instead of every 5 or 6), and you'll be limited in the heat-range of cartomizers you can run on the smaller ones.

Shugaphix I'm wondering, what is it you hope to change/improve by upgrading from your eGo? I'm thinking it could be something fixable with your existing unit without having to go to a whole new system.

 

[sailorman]

Someone just posted this deal on a kGo. Looks like an outstanding deal, and shipping is free.
It's one of those more powerful eGo clones and a good upgrade from the small mini-cigs.
It looks like you can mix and match colors, black, red and blue, and it comes with 36ml of juice.
Elite Vaporworks KGO Starter Kit with Boge LR Cartomizers - KGO

Here's another one that's priced good, if you like pink instead of red or blue. No free juice though.
http://www.sweet-vapes.com/shop?page=shop.browse&category_id=31

 

[hairball]

Personally, I would skip the little PV if I were you. I know you want to stay in that size range but the battery life is horrible no matter what model you go with. The KGO is bigger but it's easy to get used too. If you think it's too big, then go with a 650mah eGo. So you're probably thinking a Sharpie marker is too big? No, and you'll like it better in the long run.

Here is a rule of thumb to remember. This is for battery life. 100mah = 1 hour of vape time.

 

[kingkurtez]

Want to get the right equipment and learn the lingo. Started with blu disposal and now want to move to something reusable. I like smaller looking batteries and doesnt have to look and feel like a real cig...
Any and all suggestions welcome. Thank you.

Welcome ! I also dont care fot the analog formfactor as long as the e cig hits good enough that I don't miss the former. This forum is vital because it gives you a heads up on what to invest in. When I started, I was blindly trying things I now shake my head about. Some things were good, some not. Out of the gate, I would have bought a Provari had I known. Cheap, considering all the money spent only to find another incrementally improved product. This forum is really great. Nowhere else is the feedback and curiosity posted which is so insructive in our quest for vaping to replace smoking comfortably. I have been smoke free since november 2011 But it was a journey, and not inexpensive. having the kind of info you find here will save you a pile of money I dont have the guts to try DIY yet. Not because it might be hard, but I cant cook in the first place, so....

 

[ScatRD]

The eGo or Tornado or Riva are all great upgrades and will vastly improve performance over what you are using now. Since you are fairly new I'd stay away from the big mods for now and just get a setup that is "user friendly" and learn all you can.
For most I'd advise getting an eGo with 650mAh and learn to use carto's in the 3.0 range. You will get much better flavor, better battery power and it will last.
Most batteries have a life cycle of 1000 charge/discharges, if you only get 2 hours out of a 200mAh that's 2000 hours of use.
If your using a 650 mAh that 6500 hours of course that's if everything goes right. They will take some abuse and you might get a substandard battery so actual mileage will vary but if you factor in a lot of unknowns it's still a much better deal if you look at getting a lot of bang for your buck.
As far as carto's, I'd say to start around the 3.0 ohm heat range and see how you like it. Read about how to fill them properly and watch a couple videos on the forum like the condom refill method and you shouldn't ever dry burn one. It takes a bit of time to find your groove but once you do it's so easy.

 

[bnrkwest]

Most new users start this way:

808's or 510's slim style, looks most like an ciggie and battery life is the shortest

Ego types, fatter battery, longer battery life, size of a cigar

APV's/Mods longer battery life, does not look like a cigggie, metal tube, box looking etc.

VV APV's/Mods- variable voltage, means you can change what volt you get to vape at depending on what resistance carto you use. These are the end line products most all vapers end up with because they give a variety of options. Battery life is good, they usually take replaceable rechargeable batteries, exception is the Darwin and maybe others.

So you can start anywhere really as long at it fits your needs Have fun shopping! bnrk

 

[bnrkwest]

Welcome ! I also dont care fot the analog formfactor as long as the e cig hits good enough that I don't miss the former. This forum is vital because it gives you a heads up on what to invest in. When I started, I was blindly trying things I now shake my head about. Some things were good, some not. Out of the gate, I would have bought a Provari had I known. Cheap, considering all the money spent only to find another incrementally improved product. This forum is really great. Nowhere else is the feedback and curiosity posted which is so insructive in our quest for vaping to replace smoking comfortably. I have been smoke free since november 2011 But it was a journey, and not inexpensive. having the kind of info you find here will save you a pile of money I dont have the guts to try DIY yet. Not because it might be hard, but I cant cook in the first place, so....

I totally agree, I would have saved tons of money if I had bought my Provari first LOL

As for DIY, can you use an eye dropper and measure out 5 full 1 ml eye droppers and put that in a bottle? Then can you count 1-2 drops of flavor to add to that bottle? If the answer is yes you can DIY.
For new DIY'ers I suggest a few empty bottles, some nic level unflavored juice in your level, HALO had unflavored and it is is the easiest way to try out DIY. Only pick flavors that are good on their own, like strawberry, key lime, butterscotch, etc. Add one drop to the 5 ml you just measured, shake well and try it, if it is too weak, add one more drop & shake. You will be amazed how easy making simple flavors is. Some take a day or two to steep, but most are ok as soon as you shake well. Anyway don't pass up DIY just because you can't cook ha ha Have fun! bnrk

 

[luvinit]

The KGO is a fabulous upgrade from the slim design. Battery life is excellent, mine last almost two days before needing recharging. I like mine so well I bought two more. The only problem I see with the EliteVaporworks kit is it doesn't have the wall charger, so you'll need to add one of those. Other than that, it's a great deal since it comes with cartomizers instead of atty's like the sweet-vapes kit. I've ordered four KGO kits in the last two weeks for friends I've converted and all of them are totally happy with them.

 

[That Dim guy]

If I knew then... I would recommend purchasing a Lavatube kit. "mini" (if the size is a factor for you). If you stick with vaping you will end up with a VV more than likely anyway and if you don't you've spent pretty close to what you would have with a Kgo.

 

[mccrji]

I'm a newbie as well and went with the KGO. I've had it for a week now and absolutely love it! The batteries last and its easy refill the clearomisers. Now to figure out how to clean the clearomisers. LOL

 

[Pappy]

Sharlee00, I've just been vaping a few days, so I know how confusing it can be. When I was doing my research, I just wanted somebody to recommend an entire package that would all work together. So, just in case you're in the same boat, here's what I bought and am very happy with:

KGO kit - SLB KGO Starter Kit

2 5-packs of extra cartos - Smok Tech XL 510 Single Coil Cartomizer - 5 Pack You will get a free juice sample of your choice with each of these.

Some driptips - 510 Drip Tips

E-Turbo Atomizer - E Turbo Atomizer

I haven't used the E-Turbo Atomizer yet, so I can't endorse it, but the other stuff is really working great for me. All of that stuff cost about the same as a carton of smokes, so I think it was a wise investment.

 

[Pappy]

I meant to add that there are plenty of other vendors that sell the KGO, so I'm not pushing DarkCityVapors. But that's where I bought mine and was satisfied with the price and service, and shipping was same day.

Also, don't forget to buy a selection of juice. I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to even begin to recommend which ones.

 

[Iffy]

As I see it, your next logical step, assuming you don't want to jump to VV, is a 3.7V eGo kit.

As for VV, if you can spend a touch over twice the eGo kit price, I highly recommend the mini-LavaTube or variant.

Good luck!

 

[tumbafox]

A great site for learning everything about vaping is: Vaping Guides to the Electronic Cigarette

Compared to what you can get online, Blu and all of its store and kiosk born variants like Njoy are garbage in my opinion after 4 years of vaping.

Best starting point to look for mods are

Electronic Cigarette Guide | e-Cigs, e-Liquid, mods and more
and
Battery Tube e-Cig Mods | e-Cigarette Mods Database

Stick with 510 type components as they are by far the most common and popular and interchangeable.

If you like it small, forget the convenience store crap. Its all overpriced and does not compare to the performance of a 510-T 280 milliampere (mAh) 3.7 volt manual battery that you can buy from just about any ECF vendor. Stay away from 3.3 volt batteries as they are underpowered. Next step up is the Ego type battery which is the most popular selling battery and can last from 3 to 6 times as long on a single charge than a 510 battery. They range from 650 to 1300 milliampere hours as compared to about 160 to 300 mAh as the 510 batteries can produce depending on size. If you want 3000 mAh batteries for all day or two day vaping you will need an 18650 battery powered mod.

510 Cartomizers are great for holding a lot of juice and come in all shapes and sizes. They store the juice in a filler material. Many people like to use atomizers which cost a lot more and you have to drip a few drops at a time, get 6-12 hits then drip again. Not very convenient if you are driving. A box a 5 XL cartomizers should run about $10 and last about a month. Problem with cartomizers is you have to clean them before changing flavors. There are Youtube videos on all thing related to vaping. Grimmgreen seems to be most popular. But there are thousands. And you can learn a lot.

Buy your own juice. I buy 1 50 milliliter bottle of flu cured tobacco 26mg/ml strength from Madvapes which is equivalent to about 50 packs of cigarettes for $12.99. Its lasts me over a month. You would need about 12 boxes of replacement prefilled flavor tips at the store to equal that which would cost you $120 to $240 at the store.

I highly recommend in my opinion Liberty Flights at E-Liquid and Electronic Cigarette Shop - Category Listings as a starting point. They have good service and good prices. But you can explore all the ECF vendors as well and decide for yourself. It takes time to learn all this stuff.