new vaper, noob questions

[Jacyn]

Hello everyone, as the title suggests I'm new to vaping so I apologize in advance for my noobish questions. A little information on me before I start. I'm a 13yr military vet with memory issues as well as what to me seems like ADD as I can't seem to stay focused on anything for an extended period of time. So I have tried doing research myself but if I don't write things down I forget them within minutes. With that said I'm hoping the more experienced vape users here can help me sort a few things out. Like I said I'm new to vaping from what I've gathered it is possible to ween oneself from conventional cigarettes with vaping but

1. How do I know which concentration (.6,.12,.18mg...) to start with?
From reading various other users posts there really is no way to compare nicotine intake vape vs cigs as there just isn't enough research into the field yet you just have to "listen to your body" but that's the thing for me. I am what I consider a "light-to-moderate" smoker on an average day I'll smoke 10-12 cigs on stressful days up to a pack or when I'm at a get together/party I've gone up to 1 1/2packs. I don't get any negative impact from heavy/chain smoking (headaches, nausea, dizziness, throat burn) so I don't anticipate any over dose symptoms from vaping either. So how do I pick a good concentration to start other than random experimentation? I see numerous users citing .7-1mg of actual nicotine absorbed in a cigarette which they multiply by (x) amount of cigarettes per day to come up with a average nic-per-day estimate then they go into juice has 1.2mg per drop etc etc and by then I'm confused (not to mention I forget what I was trying to find out). Basically I think what I'm looking for here is any user who made the leap from traditional "analog" to vapes who had a similar smoking habit what concentration he/she used.
2. Is vaping just juice with 0mg bad for you?
I purchased a 30ml bottle of 0mg "jolli apple" for my days off because I find myself vaping what seems like all day easily going through 6-7ml of the stuff. I think that may be most of what I'm addicted to as far as my smoking habit goes the oral fixation associated with smoking less so the nicotine. Just looking for any clarification if it's ok to puff all day on the 0mg
3. I know this isn't the proper forum for it (but again my ADD for the life of me keeps fighting me on finding this info) as far as mods go what's the real difference between clearomizer/atomizers/tanks? My mod (mvp v2) came with a i30 tip. I can't seem to find the difference between i16 (or other 510 style) vs i30 other than the tank size.

Anyways Thank you to anyone who is patient enough to deal with a newbie like me. I'm really trying to jump into this vaping.

 

[DSullivan]

I used to smoke 1/2 pack to 1 pack a day of full strength Newports. I started with 24mg nic because I was afraid anything lower would not satisfy my nic urge. I quickly found that 24mg was too strong for me to vape all day on. I switched to 18mg and I seem to tolerate that better. I am even considering going lower soon. If you like to vap a lot all day, I would not go higher than 18. Again, that is just what works for me.

 

[dice57]

Hey Jaycn, welcome to the forum, and congrats on finding vape.

The better the gear and the higher the watts vaped at, the more efficiently the nicotine, or nic, is delivered to the body, and the more amounts of vape. Many beginners start out at 18mg and 24mg of nic. When I started out I used 24mg of nicotine in my juices. Now I am down to 12mg, because my gear has improved so much and I vape at high watts, which produce much more intense and density of vapor.

0mg nic is fine, doesn't matter how much you vape, as long as you aren't allergic to the PG or VG or flavor extracts that are in your juice. The main thing about nicotine levels, is that if you are getting overdosed at the level of nic that you are vaping, then drop down a level, if your current nic level isn't satisfying your urge to smoke, bump it up a bit. Since you have some 0mg nic juice, if you bought 24mg nic juice and it was to much nicotine for you, you could always dilute it with your 0mg juice. So that would be a good place to start.

The MVP is a great device to start with, and the iclear 30 is pretty decent. The differences between different atomizers is ohm of coil, number of coils, size of tank, ability to wick. There is an atomizer in every one, that's what atomizes the juice into vapor. basically a wire coil that heats up and cooks the juice in the wick producing vapor. There are many different styles of atomizers, and everyone has their favorite type. I prefer rebuildable atomizers, referred to as rba's or just rba. These are atomizers that I can make my own coils and wick them when needing to be replaced. It all comes down to personal preference and what works best for you. If you are looking for more vape out of your gear, then that's the place to look.

Again welcome. Enjoy your journey.

Vape long and Prosper.

 

[Amberina]

Ok for your first question: you say that you were a 'light' smoker who occasionally smoked a bit heavier. I would suggest that you start with 12mg nic juice and maybe get a bottle of 18 for the days/ times that you are craving a bit more. Also because you said that you have days that you vape all day (me too!) I would suggest that you even get some 6mg too. I generally switch nic levels during the day because I need something a bit stronger in the morning and right before bed. And on the days you just cant put it down the 6mg will be great.

For question #2: no- vaping 0mg nic is not bad. There are lots of vapers who slowly wean themselves down on nic levels until the get to 0mg. Nicotine is addictive in many different ways and one of them is the actions that we take to get our nicotine. For example: our body craves the act of smoking itself because our brain knows when we put something up to our mouths and inhale/ exhale we are going to get nicotine. So it craves the action as well as the nicotine. To our brain it is like: putting something to our mouths and inhaling=nicotine. So the fact that we still crave the act of vaping even though we no longer need nicotine makes sense. That is why many people vape 0mg juices. So as long as it keeps you from smoking cigarettes, it is fine.

Your 3rd question: the difference between carto tanks, cleromizers and atomizers is the way they deliver the juice to you. The different kinds of tanks make the draw, temperature, flavor, and vapor production of the juice that you are vaping different. For some, like you said, the only difference is tank size. (like protank mini vs. protank- although the threading is also different for those also) however that being said, the draw on the different tank sizes can be different. You have to try them to see which you prefer. Some that people rave about-like the iclear 30- I can't stand. I really like the Protank 2 and carto tanks. That is my preference, yours may be completely different.

I hope that this has helped you!!
Good Luck and welcome!!!!

One more thing- the MVP is awesome!! I have one and it is my favorite as of right now. I don't use it with the iclear 30 that it came with- I replaced it with a protank 2 and I love it!! Good choice on gear!!

 

[IMFire3605]

Well welcome to the community from a fellow vet myself =)

1) Well by your description sounds like on average you'd get by with 12mg (1.2% nicotine per "Milli-Liter" concentration) at about half a pack a day on stressful days, light days you could probably vape 0mg or 6mg (0.6% concentration), at parties and such sounds like 18mg (1.8% concentration) in that instance. So that is 3 nic strengths I'd have on hand, probably 3 tanks to have them in, and don't feel bad about having 3 to 4 strengths of liquid on hand, day to day is a battle, have to have the right tools to soldier through them =). I use 3 myself, 24mg for emergencies or bad nic fits, 18mg for my average day to day, sitting about chain vaping 6mg and 12mg liquids, working my way down eventually to 18mg emergencies and such, 12 average all day vape, 6mg for kick back, relax and chain vape, to in the end result completely 0mg. These are just suggestions, I started off at 24mg high and 18mg low coming from 23 years a pack and a half a day, 2 to 3 packs when out partying.

2) Vaping just straight 0mg by information we have now, not bad for you at all depending on the liquids ingredients, like some custard flavors have diacetyl in them, which with to much concentration can cause problems down the road, many people have worked their way down to 0mg and vape it all day just for the taste and experience ^_^.

3) Atomizers - these are just a coil, wick, and a deck, and come in various types, generally called a dripping atomizer, the cheaper ones are older technology, but some including myself swear by they give the best flavor, throat hit, and vapor output for the price when you are just sitting and chain vaping and such. couple drops of liquid, get several puffs, drip a couple more drops. They really shine for juice taste testing because they are so easily cleaned, couple drops, test a certain juice, once flavor goes away, drip another liquid right after, test that one etc.

Tanks - Most times tanks refer to cartomizer tanks, or DCT, these have their learning curve, but they are a tank that uses another older technology called a cartomizer as its atomizer. A cartomizer is an evolution up from a 510 dripping atomizer, which is just a small coil at the bottom with a little bit of wick and a cup, the cartomizer is generally a vertical coil at the center of the cartomizer, surrounded by a cotton texture filler, and a cup surrounding it. Downside of a cartomizer is they could hold on average only about 1milli-liter max of juice, this generally didn't last a full day at work for instance so you had to carry spare juice to refill or carry several filled cartomizers, also if you let a cartomizer get dry and burn the filler, you destroyed the cartomizer. The cartomizer tank was another evolution, take the cartomizer, punch a hole or cut a slot into the side, pre-fill it, then insert it into a tank, fill the tank up, seat the cartomizer, add a drip tip, and away you go for the day at work, making sure to top off the tank when it got low with liquid, extending the life of your cartomizer and ensuring it always had liquid.

Clearomizers - this is another evolution, take the concept of the tank mentioned above, give it its own atomizer and a wicking system to get juice to the atomizer coil, the clearomizer was conceived. Probably the best starting point for a new vaper, fill the tank of the clearo, let it sit and soak up some juice into the wicks, start vaping, which the iClear30 and iClear16 are that you mentioned. There isn't much difference in the standard first generation iClears other than tank capacity, the 30 is 3.0 milli-liters, the 16 is 1.6 milli-liters, the 30 has 16 wick ends , the 16 has 8 wick ends, both are double coil. Both are easy to maintain, take off the mouth piece, tank from the base, rinse and clean everything, reassemble, refill, and go again, atomizer heads are pretty reasonable in price, and the only thing needing replacement unless you crack or break the tank or mouthpiece, and solid preformers, being top coil designed and dual coiled giving a warm, consistent vape. So given the capacity of the iClears, and previous information above, I'd have a couple iClear30's with spare heads having your daily nic strength liquid in probably the 12mg mentioned as suggestion, step it down to 6mg if you start getting light headed and such, then several iClear16's, with 2 filled, and spare heads for these, one active tank have the 18mg in it for when you out partying, one active iClear16 tank filled with your 6 or 0mg liquid for sitting about chain vaping, so double or triple the number of tanks you will be using, 1 iClear30 in use and 2 iClear16 in use, have 2 to 3 iClear30's and 4 to 6 iClear16's in your equipment, break one have spare backup, cleaned one, set it aside to dry and use another.

You'll hear the term back up for your backups, last part of the previous sentence shows 2 examples of why.

Hope that cleared a few things up for you and good luck.

 

[Jacyn]

Everybody here is very helpful and polite something I'm very unaccustomed with when posting on forums lol. I appreciate everybody's answers.
@DSullivan it looks like we have very similar smoking habits I started off smoking black & mild actually, inhaling them (terrible I know) and decided I needed to step down a little so I switched to ports smoked them for several years before switching to camel menthol. I guess you could say I've been slowly trying to cut down on my intake so I will try 18 and if I don't like it just dilute it with my 0mg.

@dice57 - Thanks man I was attempting to learn more about vaping came across these forums and couldn't pass up the wealth of knowledge and support here. I'm going to have to read your post several times I apologize I know you broke it down barney style but again this dang short term memory loss and ADD have me re-reading the same sentences several times over. I however appreciate all the info you gave me. I started with the itaste mvp v2 vv/vw mod because from what I've gathered it's a very decent entry level mod plus it didn't hurt that it was going for $70 as a complete kit. I see you prefer "rba" atomizers which if I understand you correctly the i30 is not. Are there any specific brand of rba atomizers you would recommend or is it kinda like modding a car just build your own? Again I'm a total noob I got this mvp at the suggestion of a friend who told me voltage and wattage adjustments were a must. I'm still feeling out my preferred voltage and wattage so far I find I like 4.2v and 9.0w.

@Amberina - yeah on those days I'm not working I find myself literally vaping all day I was blown away the first time when I looked down at the puff counter and saw 97! So 6mg sounds like a good idea for those days. I'll try 18 to start see how I feel and if need be go a little lower.

Thanks everybody! One thing that I can say for sure is I don't miss the disgusting cigarette smell and that everybody at e-cigarette forums seems pretty chill.

 

[Katya]

I like 12 mg/ml myself. Vaping 0 nic is less healthy than breathing fresh air, but it's an order of magnitude healthier than smoking. However, nicotine has been proven to be beneficial to people with ADD.

I clear i16 (similar to CE5) is eGo threaded, while the i30 is 510 threaded and wider in diameter. They are both dual-coil clearomizers. I personally prefer bottom coil clearomizers--like the Kanger BCC line: T3S, eVod and (glass) ProTank. Kanger also makes a single top coil clearomizer--T2.

Give them a try--you may like them. They are gentler on your batteries and use less juice, also, so they are cheaper to run.

Good luck and happy vaping!

Thank you for your service! Happy Veterans Day!

 

[Katya]

You may want to find this interesting:

Researchers Investigate (Horrors!) Nicotine's Potential Benefits - New York Times

 

[Jacyn]

@katya - yeah I read a similar study done that said nicotine had positive effects on people with alzeheimers (however you spell it). I think I'll take your advice and add in some of IMFIRE3605'S advice. I have a spare i16 clearomizer I'll put my daily puff in there say .6 since it's easy to differentiate from the 30. I also do want to try some new tanks I've seen protank mentioned twice thus far so I'll grab one of those. About how long would one of those last? I think I read somewhere when ohms start to read 1.2 it's usually time to change atomizers since my i30 is not "rba" that means just pop-and-swap right? And thank you I didn't know it was Veterans Day

@IMFire3605 - woah! Man I gotta read that a few times the various tanks clearomizer vs cartonmizer it's a bit overwhelming at first glance but I really appreciate how you explained everything. I like your advice on my levels I know a lot of this is personal experimentation but you seem very knowledgeable so having 3 strengths on hand seems like very sound advice. I'm going to go to my local vape so today see if they have a good 50/50 solution and have them set me up with 6/12/18mg. So I'll have all bases covered 18 for stressful days 6 for chain vaping. Thanks brother

 

[Katya]

@katya - yeah I read a similar study done that said nicotine had positive effects on people with alzeheimers (however you spell it). I think I'll take your advice and add in some of IMFIRE3605'S advice. I have a spare i16 clearomizer I'll put my daily puff in there say .6 since it's easy to differentiate from the 30. I also do want to try some new tanks I've seen protank mentioned twice thus far so I'll grab one of those. About how long would one of those last? I think I read somewhere when ohms start to read 1.2 it's usually time to change atomizers since my i30 is not "rba" that means just pop-and-swap right? And thank you I didn't know it was Veterans Day

The coils need to be changed when they become dirty--it has nothing to do with their resistance. They can be cleaned a few times, depending on the juice you're using (the dark, sweet, highly flavored juices are very hard on coils). I just soak them in some PGA or they can be soaked in hot water. You can also use denture cleaning tablets. But they are disposable, so sooner or later, when their performance begins to go south, they need to be discarded. The tanks (clearomizers) can last for a very long time--just the coils need to be swapped every week or two--depending on usage.

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

Welcome. There is a learning curve to vaping that you didn't have with smoking. There is also a learning curve for different atomizers, batteries and even juices. I would suggest that you get a simple, affordable, starter setup. Something like an Ego twist (adjustable) style battery, a few different bottom coil tanks and some different juices around 12-18mg/L. You will find that you vape a lot more than you smoked. Take your time and get good at vaping that device, find juices and strengths that you like, then investigate upgraded devices if you want to. I have seen far too many people rush to get top shelf gear, only to end up with a simple battery and tank. Experience is your best ally. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Jacyn]

Welcome. There is a learning curve to vaping that you didn't have with smoking. There is also a learning curve for different atomizers, batteries and even juices. I would suggest that you get a simple, affordable, starter setup. Something like an Ego twist (adjustable) style battery, a few different bottom coil tanks and some different juices around 12-18mg/L. You will find that you vape a lot more than you smoked. Take your time and get good at vaping that device, find juices and strengths that you like, then investigate upgraded devices if you want to. I have seen far too many people rush to get top shelf gear, only to end up with a simple battery and tank. Experience is your best ally. Good luck and have fun!

I'm with you on that. I'm getting used to vaping before I even start to think about all the modding etc I'm seeing on the forums I have no idea what half this stuff is like "drip tips" are I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around this whole clearomizer vs cartomizer, replacing the clearomizer when it's performance wanes etc so I didn't jump right to the best gear just your basic itaste mvp 2 because I've been told variable voltage and wattage was a must. I think since this is my first vape I'll stick with this for several months while I learn the ropes but the experience and information I get here is invaluable. Thanks for your reply

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

Helping each other is how we all improve. This is a very new industry that is changing rapidly. Information and experience are keys to success. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Jacyn]

The coils need to be changed when they become dirty--it has nothing to do with their resistance. They can be cleaned a few times, depending on the juice you're using (the dark, sweet, highly flavored juices are very hard on coils). I just soak them in some PGA or they can be soaked in hot water. You can also use denture cleaning tablets. But they are disposable, so sooner or later, when their performance begins to go south, they need to be discarded. The tanks (clearomizers) can last for a very long time--just the coils need to be swapped every week or two--depending on usage.

OK I think I got what you mean. The clearomizer is the entire i30 attached to the mvp which is basically just a really big battery. The i30 is basically a large volume tank with its own built in dual coil atomizer? Am I tracking? And that coil itself should be cleaned every now and then but eventually will need to be replaced? I ask because I have a spare i16 which only difference is tank size which I took apart it had the black plastic tip a metal cylindrical device (coil?) wrapped by 4 threads (wicks?) And of course the tank itself. Basically I can keep the tank just would need to buy replacement coils (the metal insides)? I'm assuming those coils come with atomizers? I apologize if I'm going in circles here just VERY new to this whole vaping thing but I can't go back to smelling like a day old ashtray so trying to learn as much as I can

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

You got it. You can buy replacement coils. Check Youtube for cleaning and dry burning instructions. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth....

Everyone has to take time to learn. No apologies necessary. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

OK I think I got what you mean. The clearomizer is the entire i30 attached to the mvp which is basically just a really big battery. The i30 is basically a large volume tank with its own built in dual coil atomizer? Am I tracking? And that coil itself should be cleaned every now and then but eventually will need to be replaced? I ask because I have a spare i16 which only difference is tank size which I took apart it had the black plastic tip a metal cylindrical device (coil?) wrapped by 4 threads (wicks?) And of course the tank itself. Basically I can keep the tank just would need to buy replacement coils (the metal insides)? I'm assuming those coils come with atomizers? I apologize if I'm going in circles here just VERY new to this whole vaping thing but I can't go back to smelling like a day old ashtray so trying to learn as much as I can

Here's a vid for washing and dry burning the iClear30. Wash the ash from the head after dry burning. Some darker juices the head may need to soak in PGA. Washing cleans the wick and tank- dry burning cleans the juice gunk form the coil.

 

[Glenn_K]

(snip ==>) 3. I know this isn't the proper forum for it (but again my ADD for the life of me keeps fighting me on finding this info) as far as mods go what's the real difference between clearomizer/atomizers/tanks? My mod (mvp v2) came with a i30 tip. I can't seem to find the difference between i16 (or other 510 style) vs i30 other than the tank size.

Greetings Jacyn; Welcome to the forum from a fellow newb.

Sounds like you got a really nice piece of kit right from the start with your MVP. I wasted time (and $$) on an inexpensive 'starter kit' before i figured out that it would take a device like this to get a vaping experience enjoyable enough so that i wouldn't miss tobacco.

Good luck!

Regards
Glenn

 

[Mark Anthony]

It seems like you have received your answers but I just wanted to say thank you for serving our country... Welcome to ECF and good luck!!

 

[Dusif]

Hello everyone, as the title suggests I'm new to vaping so I apologize in advance for my noobish questions. A little information on me before I start. I'm a 13yr military vet with memory issues as well as what to me seems like ADD as I can't seem to stay focused on anything for an extended period of time. So I have tried doing research myself but if I don't write things down I forget them within minutes. With that said I'm hoping the more experienced vape users here can help me sort a few things out. Like I said I'm new to vaping from what I've gathered it is possible to ween oneself from conventional cigarettes with vaping but

1. How do I know which concentration (.6,.12,.18mg...) to start with?
From reading various other users posts there really is no way to compare nicotine intake vape vs cigs as there just isn't enough research into the field yet you just have to "listen to your body" but that's the thing for me. I am what I consider a "light-to-moderate" smoker on an average day I'll smoke 10-12 cigs on stressful days up to a pack or when I'm at a get together/party I've gone up to 1 1/2packs. I don't get any negative impact from heavy/chain smoking (headaches, nausea, dizziness, throat burn) so I don't anticipate any over dose symptoms from vaping either. So how do I pick a good concentration to start other than random experimentation? I see numerous users citing .7-1mg of actual nicotine absorbed in a cigarette which they multiply by (x) amount of cigarettes per day to come up with a average nic-per-day estimate then they go into juice has 1.2mg per drop etc etc and by then I'm confused (not to mention I forget what I was trying to find out). Basically I think what I'm looking for here is any user who made the leap from traditional "analog" to vapes who had a similar smoking habit what concentration he/she used.
2. Is vaping just juice with 0mg bad for you?
I purchased a 30ml bottle of 0mg "jolli apple" for my days off because I find myself vaping what seems like all day easily going through 6-7ml of the stuff. I think that may be most of what I'm addicted to as far as my smoking habit goes the oral fixation associated with smoking less so the nicotine. Just looking for any clarification if it's ok to puff all day on the 0mg
3. I know this isn't the proper forum for it (but again my ADD for the life of me keeps fighting me on finding this info) as far as mods go what's the real difference between clearomizer/atomizers/tanks? My mod (mvp v2) came with a i30 tip. I can't seem to find the difference between i16 (or other 510 style) vs i30 other than the tank size.

Anyways Thank you to anyone who is patient enough to deal with a newbie like me. I'm really trying to jump into this vaping.

Theres nothing wrong in vaping 0nic liquid i would personally go for 18-24mg with your smoking habbit

Theres many diffrent types of tanks and you gotta find out what works best for you with your vaping style

Chain vaper?... Get a buttom coil clearomizer. These doesnt dry out as often as top coils. A good example would be the protank its a very popular tank and not insanely expensive

You want really clean flavor and something to mess around with? Get a genesis style tank, these use fx ss mesh wicks and can give you a really clean flavor experience BUT rolling the wick and making the coil can be kinda difficult and take a few tries (i almost gave up)

You want close to zero dryhits and loads of vape with good nic delivery, get a rebuildable dripping atomizer... These are very simple to setup once you figure out how and they CAN deliver clouds beyond your imagination... But you must figure out how many puffs you can take before you have to drip again or you'll experience the worst vape ever (dryhits)

You vape a little once in a while. Pretty much any top coil clearomizer can keep up and socan everything else


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dr. Apesacrappin]

Hi, welcome to ecf.

I recently moved from analoges myself. I did the research and found that 18mg was right for me. Vaping produces something very like steam and as such the particles are much larger than smoke particles. These water particles won't travel so far into the lungs and so most nicotine absorption will happen in the mouth and nose. This means that you get about 50% less nicotine from vaping compared with smoking.
I smoked L&B which are about .9mg nicotine. .9 multiplied by 20 cigs = 18mg, or thats what another member here said. The maths works and so did the juice.

I hope this isn't as confusing as it seemed to me at the time.

Keep at it