New Here-Seeking advice on nic salt devices (opem system)

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Gerry1

New Member
Sep 16, 2021
2
2
Hello all. My name is Gerry and I'm new here - seeking advice/suggestions on open system nic salt devices. I'm new to vaping nicotine (though I do use heavy oils which seem to be a whole different thing). I am a heavy smoker and I want to switch to nic salts; I tried a friend's menthol nic salts once and liked it. I know he used 50 mg. menthol nic salts. I know that freebase and nic salts are not interchangeable but neither are the devices/batteries used and I just don't know how to tell the difference between what I can use for nic salts and what I can't. I've ordered some 50mg nic salts and a device called a Kanger Evod at the suggestion of a customer service guy at a vape sales site (I'm new so I can't post a link to it). Could someone please/kindly explain to me what to look for in shopping for an open system for nic salts (as opposed to the freebase nic e-liquid, I suppose). If you can make suggestions, that would be awesome too. I'm looking to find something with a good battery life and capacity. Thanks much for the help!
 

Hawise

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 25, 2013
1,660
4,267
AB, Canada
Hi Gerry,

The idea that certain devices have to be used with nic salt or freebase is really just marketing. Either can be used in any device you like. The real difference is the throat hit - that catch in the back of your throat when you inhale nicotine. Salt nic was developed to have reduced throat hit so higher concentrations of nicotine would be inhalable.

About recommended devices: There are three main styles of vaping at the moment. The first decision you have to make is whether you want a pod mod, an MTL device or a DL device. Each type of device can deliver a similar amount of nicotine per puff, but the vaporize a different amount of juice so the concentration of nicotine you want to use with them is different.

  • Pod mod - tend to be small devices. Pod mods vaporize a tiny amount of juice per puff, so they tend to be used with really high concentrations of nicotine - often 20 - 50 mg/ml.
  • MTL (mouth-to-lung) - middle of the road option. Vaporize a moderate amount of juice per puff, so they're used with moderate nicotine concentrations. 6 - 20 mg/ml is common.
  • DL (direct lung) - heavy hitter. They vaporize the most juice per puff, so they're used with lower concentrations, often 3 - 6 mg/ml.

I'll just note that you should watch out for how the nicotine concentration is measured. It's usually in mg/ml (often incorrectly written as just 'mg'), but sometimes it's in percent, especially with higher concentrations. Mg/ml is ten times the percent, so your 50 mg/ml could also be written as 5%.

Both nicotine salts and freebase nicotine can be and are used in any type of device - pod mods, MTL, and DL, but the nicotine levels tend to be quite different. For example, 50 mg/ml should only be used with a pod mod (and it's the high end even for that).

I'm not quite sure where your Kanger Evod fits. I'm familiar with that as a (rather outdated - unfortunately, salespeople aren't always the best resources) battery, but I'm not sure what tank you're using with it. Can you name the tank or give us the resistance of the coils? It could be used with MTL or some DL tanks, but I don't think it would be a pod mod suitable for use with 50 mg/ml juice.

About battery life, capacity, and devices:
  • Pod mods are generally small AIO devices that are low in both battery life and capacity, although since they use minimal power and little juice, some can last longer than you'd expect.
  • MTL and DL: Device has two main parts, a mod (the part with the battery, which can generally be used for either MTL or DL) and a tank (usually specifically designed for either MTL or DL). Since MTL uses less power and juice than DL, it needs less frequent charging and tank fills. Battery life also depends on the specific mod, where there's a trade-off between battery life and size / weight.
 
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Gerry1

New Member
Sep 16, 2021
2
2
Hi Gerry,

The idea that certain devices have to be used with nic salt or freebase is really just marketing. Either can be used in any device you like. The real difference is the throat hit - that catch in the back of your throat when you inhale nicotine. Salt nic was developed to have reduced throat hit so higher concentrations of nicotine would be inhalable.

About recommended devices: There are three main styles of vaping at the moment. The first decision you have to make is whether you want a pod mod, an MTL device or a DL device. Each type of device can deliver a similar amount of nicotine per puff, but the vaporize a different amount of juice so the concentration of nicotine you want to use with them is different.

  • Pod mod - tend to be small devices. Pod mods vaporize a tiny amount of juice per puff, so they tend to be used with really high concentrations of nicotine - often 20 - 50 mg/ml.
  • MTL (mouth-to-lung) - middle of the road option. Vaporize a moderate amount of juice per puff, so they're used with moderate nicotine concentrations. 6 - 20 mg/ml is common.
  • DL (direct lung) - heavy hitter. They vaporize the most juice per puff, so they're used with lower concentrations, often 3 - 6 mg/ml.

I'll just note that you should watch out for how the nicotine concentration is measured. It's usually in mg/ml (often incorrectly written as just 'mg'), but sometimes it's in percent, especially with higher concentrations. Mg/ml is ten times the percent, so your 50 mg/ml could also be written as 5%.

Both nicotine salts and freebase nicotine can be and are used in any type of device - pod mods, MTL, and DL, but the nicotine levels tend to be quite different. For example, 50 mg/ml should only be used with a pod mod (and it's the high end even for that).

I'm not quite sure where your Kanger Evod fits. I'm familiar with that as a (rather outdated - unfortunately, salespeople aren't always the best resources) battery, but I'm not sure what tank you're using with it. Can you name the tank or give us the resistance of the coils? It could be used with MTL or some DL tanks, but I don't think it would be a pod mod suitable for use with 50 mg/ml juice.

About battery life, capacity, and devices:
  • Pod mods are generally small AIO devices that are low in both battery life and capacity, although since they use minimal power and little juice, some can last longer than you'd expect.
  • MTL and DL: Device has two main parts, a mod (the part with the battery, which can generally be used for either MTL or DL) and a tank (usually specifically designed for either MTL or DL). Since MTL uses less power and juice than DL, it needs less frequent charging and tank fills. Battery life also depends on the specific mod, where there's a trade-off between battery life and size / weight.
Hello and thank you for such an informative reply. The device I bought is a Kanger Evod. The coil is 1.8 ohms, it is 11 watts and the output is 3.7 v. It is a mouth to lung devide. I knew when I bought it that if I liked it, I would want something a bit better but read in many reviews that it was a very basic unit but good in the sense that it closely mimicked smoking. It arrived today. I charged and filled it and gave it a try. It actually works quite well but I think I made a mistake with the fluid ... I know it's the right kind, 50 mg nic salts, but I think it's the flavor I choose. I wanted menthol nic salts but for who knows what reason, it's illegal to order flavored eliquids online, only tobacco or no flavor (even though they sell flavored disposable in stores). I bought a bottle of regular tobacco flavored nic salt - well, it does taste like regular tobacco alright but more like the cigar I stole from my grandad when I was 12 LOL! I'm glad I bought only one bottle! I know I can buy unflavored nic salts ... they sell all sorts of flavoring for them and they're cheap. I need to do some homework on the subject and there's probably something here in the forums. The pen I got does work nicely though; I'm quite sure I got the wrong juice. If I do find that I enjoy vaping, I know that I'll soon opt for something with a larger tank and battery. I tried my friend's and enjoyed it quite a lot - he was using 50mg menthol nic salt which was why I went that route; I actually preferred it to cigarettes as it didn't leave your mouth dry.
 
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dsites

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jul 27, 2017
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638
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Nederland, Colorado
Hello and thank you for such an informative reply. The device I bought is a Kanger Evod. The coil is 1.8 ohms, it is 11 watts and the output is 3.7 v. It is a mouth to lung devide. I knew when I bought it that if I liked it, I would want something a bit better but read in many reviews that it was a very basic unit but good in the sense that it closely mimicked smoking. It arrived today. I charged and filled it and gave it a try. It actually works quite well but I think I made a mistake with the fluid ... I know it's the right kind, 50 mg nic salts, but I think it's the flavor I choose. I wanted menthol nic salts but for who knows what reason, it's illegal to order flavored eliquids online, only tobacco or no flavor (even though they sell flavored disposable in stores). I bought a bottle of regular tobacco flavored nic salt - well, it does taste like regular tobacco alright but more like the cigar I stole from my grandad when I was 12 LOL! I'm glad I bought only one bottle! I know I can buy unflavored nic salts ... they sell all sorts of flavoring for them and they're cheap. I need to do some homework on the subject and there's probably something here in the forums. The pen I got does work nicely though; I'm quite sure I got the wrong juice. If I do find that I enjoy vaping, I know that I'll soon opt for something with a larger tank and battery. I tried my friend's and enjoyed it quite a lot - he was using 50mg menthol nic salt which was why I went that route; I actually preferred it to cigarettes as it didn't leave your mouth dry.
Welcome .... You're on the right track
 
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