New Member w/Questions

[Six3]

Hello, I am a brand new member that has been researching on these forums for a few weeks now doing research. I am a little intimidated with all thats involved yet finally found what I wanted and where to order it from, so it is finally on the way and I am excited to stop smoking and start vaping!

I have a couple beginner/dumb questions that I just wanted to clear up if anyone can help answer them for me.

1.) I ordered a joye tech eGo that is coming with some pre-filled cartridges (along w/juice and blanks), I have read that it is important to keep the atomizer wet so it dosen't get damaged pre-maturely. Am I supposed to drip the atomizer even with a pre-filled cartridge? And is it perfectly ok to mix liquids, say add some vanilla drops to the atomizer of a pre-filled tobacco cartridge (different pg/vg etc.)?

2.) I ordered a kit with 2 manual batteries and 2 atomizers. I also ordered a half dozen blank cartridges so I can drip with ejuice. I am wondering when I should expect to have to order replacement equipment (batteries, atomizers, cartridges etc.) so I am not stuck with out a pv and being able to vape. I dont want to go back to cigarettes because I have to wait for a shipment or other learning curve complication.

This can be difficult for beginners, I have read so much yet I am still a little bewildered on some details.

If you have any feedback or if I forgot something important I would appreciate any feedback possible.

Thanks.

 

[jj2]

If you can afford it, as soon as you decide vaping is for you. Yes, that means if you take a couple of puffs and like it, even if your toys are still new new new, do it. Always!!! have spares of everything.

 

[Icoth]

Hi Six3.

I assume you looked through the stickies and know to blow out the shipping fluid from the atty first. Then you may want to drip 2 or 3 drops on the dry atty to prime it. You may also want to top off the prefilled cart. Make sure it looks like a slushy. The prefilled liquid is usually pretty horrible, but you can add any liquid to it. Be warned. Some flavors mix well and others don't. Your blank cartridges are not really designed for dripping; they're designed to be filled with juice and have dry filler material already loaded. You can start with one of these if you like. All the carts can be reused by rinsing the filler material with water and putting it back in the cart. There are lots of videos on filling carts and cleaning atties. Check some out. You can simply drip by using the empty cartridge that usually comes on a new atty or by removing the filler from a used one. Take the cartridge off to drip, put it back on to vape. Drip tips let you drip without taking the drip tip off.

I never cared for standard carts much. Make sure you top them off often. If you don't you'll get a nasty burnt atty taste.

Atties should last at least a month, but you may get a bad one. Batteries should last much longer. I'd recommend planning on a follow up order after a week or so. If you like your equipment get another atty and battery and maybe a pack of cartomizers to try along with some juice.

 

[CaptJay]

You probably wont need replacement battries - you WILL need atties - carts last pretty much forever - the filler you can use over and over because its washable (if you stick with the filler that it comes with).
Pro-tip - slice a couple of mm off the bottom of the carts with scissors; they have a tendency to melt if you chain vape as atties can get really hot (its ok, the atties dont get damaged from this) and this stops that being an issue.
Try and keep atty bridges wet if possible - they dry out fast (they are supposed to, their function is to help vaporize the lquid) but too dry will mean a nasty acird taste and soon after a non working atty.
You can mix liquids if you want but see above about washing cart filler.
Extra juice is a definite - buy some - dont buy a TON until you find out what you do and don't like, buy small sizes if available.
I don't use filled carts myself - or drip tips either actually - I jsut use an empty cart as a mouthpiece (appropriately sliced at the bottom to prevent melting) and take it off when I need to re-drip. FIlled carts are pretty decent fr travelling though

 

[humarock]

Welcome six3! I have the Ego as well, LOVE IT! I started on 8/27 with a smaller model and after a week went to the Ego, so your research paid off to start upright! When you get the kit, charge up the batteries, take the atomizers and with the threaded end to your lips, just blow through it gently over a napkin or sink and then drop about 3 drops of juice right into the atty. Take your carts, with tweezers, take out the filler, drop about 3-4 drops in the empty cart, replace the filler with tweezers, fill it more, you should have juice but blot it on a napkin so you don't have overflow (this will take some time to perfect so don't get upset if you get leaking when you put the cart into the atty (I always leave my atty on the batt and drop juice in then place cart into the atty) Then have at it. I mix my juices all the time, some pumpkin drops then some fried apple drops...LOVE doing that. You'll get the hang of it, I can now fill when I am in my car (NOT driving though do NOT try that!)..LOL....AND I just got the Ego Mega Cylinder atty's from MFS and empty carts, this will hold a TON of juice and keep you vaping longer....just have fun with it, read up on everything....don't get frustrated, it is a learning curve! Much success to you. I smoked for 40 years, got this and haven't looked back nor smoked another analog since....!

 

[deback]

Since you have an extra battery and an extra atomizer, the next most important factor is to be sure you have enough juice. If you vape most of the time, you'll probably go through 3 to 6 mL of juice every day. So, I would be sure to order more juice and allow for shipping time, if your juice supply is low right now. You might be experimenting with juices for several weeks, but having juice you don't like is better than having no juice.

I had no juice when I began vaping (just pre-filled cartridges that came with the starter kits). After a few days, I was anxious to try some juice and was waiting for an online order I had placed. I could find only one local smoke shop that carried juice, and he had only one 10 mL bottle left. I bought it and had to suffer through vaping menthol for a couple of days before receiving my first juice order. Then I discovered RY4 (caramel/tobacco/vanilla) that I mixed with Apple, both from FreedomSmokeUsa.com, and that became my favorite juice (mixed with Glycerin from Wal-Mart) and still is. I've tried other juices from other suppliers in the last three weeks, and now, I feel I'm satisfied with RY4 from FSUSA, so I reordered 120mL of it on Monday.

Good luck! Hope you enjoy vaping as much as I do!

 

[Six3]

First of all THANKS to all you for helping me out... I received my package today and am charging my batteries now.

I am going to blow out and clean the attys first, and drip directly on them. I am going to start with trying out the mlb cartridges they sent me since I will need to learn how to draw and so forth. Then I will try out some of the juice I got too (thin mint, clove, ry4)!

Question about the pre filled cartridges, they are pretty wet on the inside of the package... I assume I wipe them off and still use them, I have read about direct nicotine contact as its not good for you of course. What prevents a filled cartridges liquid from going in your mouth? Just the filler and very small hole? How many cigarettes is a cartridge equivalent too? I suppose you know by the taste/vapor?

Thanks again.

 

[Godzilla]

I feel a cartridge is like 4-5 cigs, maybe, depending on how big your draws are. 2-3 drops is like a cig in my opinion. Dripping works well. after blowing out your addy, add 3-4 drops. Its important to add 3 drops when the dry atty flavor starts coming. you will learn that taste. And eventually you can count how many draws you take, and add 2 drops before you taste it.

sometimes I have to blow my atty out, if I accidentally add juice too soon. you will know because it will gurgle and light vapor. sometimes you can chain vape thru the gurgling depending on how much its flooded. blowing the atty at this point is a waste of juice.

When using a cart, its is definitely a good idea to prime your atty with 3-4 drops just before you put the prefilled cart on. If you have cleaned your atty, and dried it out completely (you will eventually see videos on cleaning them) make sure to but more like 5 drops to prime it. Some juices clog attys more than others. Yours dont sound to atty clogging to me.

If your prefilled cart runs low, dont hesitate to top it off with 6 drops or more, so it looks like a slushee on top. if its totally shiny, flat glossy puddle, you should dab with paper towel. cutting off the bottom 2 mm is a good idea, just make sure you life up the filler with a toothpick to even with the mouth of the cart. The atty will actually push it back down to the ideal position.

your clove juice will drown out anything that came in that cart to begin with.

 

[Six3]

Ok, so using a pre-filled cartridge will last about 4-5 cigs. So adding 2-4 drops to the atty will keep it wet enough for one vapes equivalent to a cig? Its starting to make sense...

Thanks.

 

[JC Okie]

Six3, the carts are not what they look like....I mean, there's a little "container" inside that holds the liquid. It's not just hollow so that the filler is the only thing keeping the juice from coming out the mouth hole. I thought that at first, too, and it was very confusing. There's a little well thingy inside that holds the juice....there's no chance of it getting sucked straight into your mouth that way. The hole is "connected" to the two little tiny air vents on each side....not the juice well. It's hard to explain. If you stick your tweezers down into the cartridge, you cannot get to the hole because there's a piece of plastic between the hole and the juice. If you do get juice in your mouth, it's from the condensation on the outside of the cartridge that you suck up through the air holes. Every now and then, take the cart out and wipe the two flat sides off with a paper towel...that'll take care of that. Clear as mud? Sorry if I didn't explain it very well, but I know what you are asking.

 

[Six3]

Hey, I just had my first vape. I really enjoyed it, even with the pre-filled (I know people usually dont think highly of them vs. ejuice) cartridges it was much better than a analog... I dripped 3 drops of clove on the atty and it was nice. If I mix a "high" nicotine cartridge with more nicotine in my "clove" ejuice that I used to prime the atty, is that over doing it with nicotine?

Also if I wanted to try dripping vanilla to the atty while using the pre-filled cartridge I previously used is that ok? Do you need to, or is it best to clean the atty when you switch ejuice? Does the ejuice vaporize completely off the atty or does it start to mix and change flavors in a good/bad way?

Thanks.

 

[deback]

The best way to find out is to try it. But I think until you vape the old juice off the atty, the mixture of two different flavors might not taste very good, but if the two juices go together, it might taste fine (like caramel and apple, for example). You'll find you'll be experimenting a lot in the coming weeks. Have fun!

(I don't use attys and cartridges, because when I started vaping, it didn't take long for me to hate all the fussing around. Switched to cartomizers within a few days, I love them, and will never go back to attys. Everyone has their own preferences...)

 

[Icoth]

Hey, I just had my first vape. I really enjoyed it, even with the pre-filled (I know people usually dont think highly of them vs. ejuice) cartridges it was much better than a analog... I dripped 3 drops of clove on the atty and it was nice. If I mix a "high" nicotine cartridge with more nicotine in my "clove" ejuice that I used to prime the atty, is that over doing it with nicotine?

You won't increase the nic level by adding low nic juice to a high nic cart. You'll do the oposite, decrease the nic level. Mixing juice in a cart is no different than mixing it in a bottle before you use it.

As far as how many cigs does a cart equal and how often should you top off, I don't think you can make it into an exact formula. You may take longer draws at times, juices can varry in thickness and nic strength (even when its labeled with the same mg levels.) Rely on how your pv is acting and how you feel. You'll get to know what's happening with a little experience.

 

[KellyinAZ]

A friend of mine reccommended this site to me and it is a wealth of information. I will say that it is a very intimidating site for a newbie.
I have been vaping since late August and had my last analog Sept 22. I have been like a vaping maniac since I stopped the analogs and discovered it was the menthol I was craving that nearly made me grab my keys and head out to buy a pack of analogs. I decided to add several drops of menthol juice to my cartridge and that stopped the panic I was feeling for an analog...whew! I just learned to cut off a small amount of the cartridge because it melts on the atty. I have several that did that and wasn't sure what to do about it. Now I know. I was worried that it had damaged the atty and am glad to know it doesn't.

I had an atty quit working today can anyone tell me how long the attys last? I would like to be prepared so I don't end up unable to vape because I am short on attys.

I see many people have banners added to their posts on how long they have been analog free and how much money they saved, how do I add one of those? I tried a couple of times but I don't think I did it properly.
Thanks.

 

[deback]

Kelly - Have you blown through the threaded end of your dead atty? Sometimes it gets clogged up and won't work until you blow the junk out of it.

Regarding banners: Click on any banner to go to that web site. Fill out the information it asks for, copy the HTML code into your clipboard or into a file in any text editor, then click "Settings" at the top right of any page on this forum, then click "Edit Signature" at the left of the Settings page, and then paste the HTML code into the empty box or the HTML line, and then click Save.

 

[KellyinAZ]

deback,

I soaked the atty in alcohol to clean (just like I do my other two I rotate through) and blew it out. I was using it and it was working just fine and then it stopped heating. I tried to re-soak it and blew it out again then let it dry and still it will not heat. That's why I figured it was dead. It didn't seem clogged at all when I was using it...it just would no longer get hot and the button on my battery was blinking when I was using it and again when I tried to use it again. I didn't think there was any way to bring an atty back to life if it doesn't heat. But after reading many of these threads I see anything is possible!

I just figured I was using it too much and it burned up, even though there was plenty of juice in it and I didn't get any burning taste from it before it happened. I have a couple of others I haven't used yet so I'm OK for now. I just didn't want all of them to go at once, sort of like having them last only a month or so...

 

[Bozzlite]

Wow Six3! You are getting some good info and tips here. Let me reiterate one thing. Order some spare attys! Right now, today, LOL.

I ruined my first atty in two days. (Totally my fault). I was walking on eggs with one atty until my spares arrived in the mail. I suggest at least 3 extra. While you are at it, get a drip tip too. The delrin ones are about $2.50 from Cignot. The attys run about 8.33 bucks each. ($25.00 for the 3 pack)

 

[Bozzlite]

KellyinAZ, the best way to check if your atty is really dead is with a Digital Multimeter (DMM). Use the Ohm setting at its lowest, usually 200. Touch the red probe to the center of the atty (outside) and the black probe to the threads. If you get a zero reading, its dead. Otherwise it should be in the 2.3 to 2.7 range for a 510.

 

[Six3]

Thanks again for the reply. I have another question

I have the Joye eGo and when I am done vaping, underneath my "cone" it is all wet. Im not sure if this is just condensation or if I am overfilling the cart and atty with too much juice?