Newb here ... need some advice ... many thx in advance !

[spiritnan]

Hi all ,
I have been sleuthing around this wonderful forum for a few days now as a new member researching what my first e-cig purchase should be ... much of what I read produced many more questions ... I had no idea there are so many choices !
So please and thank you for anyone with the time to guide me ... I am so anxious to get started but want to spend my $$$ wisely ... have been a smoker for far too long and tried EVERYTHING out there to quit ... this looks like it might work for me ( as other methods did not )
What I am thinking of is a fat batt along with a 510 or KR8 ( for portability ) ... I am contemplating the Joye EgoT & 510 Dura/Yeti models or the Vapor King ... I want ease of use , quality , durability , and good TH ... don't want to mess with custom or Mods right off the bat but I would like some bling in the 510 or KR8 model ... for fun out and about stuff ... plus I do not want a real looking cig ... I have checked out a lot of selling sites and the prices are all over the place and the packages all offer different contents ... until after I purchase ( for instance ) how can I tell if I bought an original rather than a clone ? And does that matter ? I also am very sensitive to chemicals so want VG as opposed to PG juices ... found the Vermont juice site ... any recs on quality VG juice that may even be ( dare I hope there is such a thing ?! ) organic or as natural as possible ... ie : no sugar but using "healthy " sweeteners such as stevia and no artificial colors ? I understand it is all artificial flavoring ... but is there a "healthier " brand of juice out there ? I have health issues is why I am asking ... it's not an option for me ... of course quitting smoking is the best thing I could do @ the moment , I know ... 30 + years is way too long for a body not to feel the effects ... currently I smoke American Spirit organic cigs ... so you get my drift ...but I can barely afford them anymore...
So ... any recs on reputable brands and products and how much (ballpark figure ) I should pay to get started say with ... 2 - 510 or KR8 batteries ( manual, as long a life as possible ... 1300 ? and how do I know if it is sealed or not ? I don't see this info posted by any co.?) , selection of sample juices , extra cartos ... oh and here is where I remain confused ... what is the difference between cartridges and cartomizers ?! ... to continue ... a few bottles of 30 ml juice , rubber tips for sharing , covers for the tips , a carrying case , a wall charger , car charger and mobile charger/ case ... PPC ? , along with what ever is necessary for a a fat batt setup ... I want 2 piece construction ... keeping it as simple as possible ... I am not a techie and don't want to mess with one more tech gadget than I already have to ... don't want to deal with leaks, spills and batteries blowing up in my face etc...I will clean parts when necessary...oh and about the bling ... I read somewhere in the last few days about an LED looking like a diamond tip ... that really appeals to my " girlie " side ... as long as I stick with the standard KR8 or 510 ... I can mix and match components right ? OK ... so a good step up ( not entry level ) starter kit with everything I need ... I know I am going to want to mix my own juice and want a longer lasting battery for home use so that is why the " fat batt " appeals to me ... I know this is awfully long winded and I apologize for that ... if anyone can send some advice my way I would be eternally grateful ( well not eternally maybe but much longer lived hopefully than if I continue to smoke analogs ! ) I so want to be able to post a banner with how much I saved and how many cigs I have NOT smoked ... thx a bunch !

 

[KeysBum]

What do you think about this?? Pretty sexy I think.

 

[Huffelpuff]

I don't know where you are in the US but my first fat batt was a Riva. Inexpensive and a nice starter kit. You can buy from a number of suppliers. Here are two that I recommend: Riva E Cig Kit | Riva SLB Online | Riva Kit or Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510

For organic juice I highly recommend COV: CloudPure Naturals Organic Vapejuice

The butterscotch is just amazing.

I would suggest you also look in the DIY section for recipes on creating your own juice.

Good Luck and Welcome to the ECF!

 

[dormouse]

Note on the slim 510 - I recommend manual only and label your chargers - slim 510 can be damaged by the charger of fat 510 models (the fat model cables should output about 420mA and the slim model's cable should output somewhere in the range of 150-250 mA)

Also - the slim model should only use standard resistance atomizers and cartomizers (around 2.5 to 3 ohms single coils). The fat battery should be able to use down to 1.7 ohms for more heat, and some will go to 1.5 ohm but occasionally 1.5 ohms will kill Ego-type batteries and many will only go that low on mods.

 

[tj99959]

A simple trick:
Most good reviews come shortly after a person has a device, the bad reviews come a month later. So look for the bad reviews.

However there are a few products out there that you will have a hard time finding any bad reviews.
As an example, you will find a lot of bad comments about the eGo-T, but not so many about the standard eGo.
You will be hard pressed to find negative comments about the Silver Bullet, except for it's size.
The BuzzPro/IPro have good reputations (even tho' I love to give Mike a hard time)
And then there are the pricey mods like the GG, Provari, Darwin, etc,etc.

 

[dearme]

A two piece kit means you are using a battery and cartomizer (carto). The atomizer is built into the carto. A cartridge (cart) goes onto an atty which then goes into the battery (a three piece) PV. Carts do not hold much liquid. A manual unit has a button and all manuals are sealed batteries.

This is a quality starter kit and it comes with cartos (most starter kits come with carts).

XL Riva SE Carto Kit | Sweet-Vapes E-Liquid

You can choose which carto type you want. A good choice would be Boge LR 2.0. This kit also comes with 2 1100mah batteries which will last you all day.

I have head good reviews on Sweet-Vapes eliquids altho I have not used them myself as I mostly DIY. They also offer 100% VG and I also think they offer Organics. 100% VG will be harder to use in cartos as it would be very thick. You can dilute it with a few drops of Distilled Water.

 

[wv2win]

On the larger battery option you are considering, in that same category and size, I would recommend you look at the Kgo, Riva or E-Power. They are true 3.7 volt models whereas the eGo is only 3.4 volts. You can even get the E-Power in a 5 volt option now for warmer vapor which is a nice set up. And I agree with the suggestion of sticking with manual batteries. Here are some suppliers to check out:

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - EGO E-Power

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510

KGO (Riva) 1100mAh Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit - $54.95

Good Luck

 

[spiritnan]

wow ... you all are so helpful and I didn't expect any feedback for days !
Huffellpuff (love the name ! ) ... yes a very " sexy " model ... where would I get a diamond LED and what is that model you are holding ?
dormouse ... excellent advice esp re : labeling the chargers ... I can see that being an issue !
tj99959 ... never heard of the brands you are suggesting but I will look into them ... tx so much for the variety and really great explanation of the carto/ cart ID ... it all is falling into place now...
dearme ... I had read a lot on the Boge ... thx for reinforcing that ... and the tip on diluting ... great info !
wv2win ... why does everyone seem to push the Ego when these others are equal contenders ?! Great advice ... thx so much

You all are wonderful... I am narrowing down my choices thx to U all ... I can't wait to start and it's driving me crazy not to have ordered anything yet to get started ... but U all have helped me get so much closer ... a big muaahhh !

 

[Della Cirque]

You already have great feedback about pv's....so I won't add more to that.
Organic juice though-- Virgin Vapor | Electronic Cigarette Organic e-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes gets my vote.

Welcome to ECF!

 

[spiritnan]

OOOPS ... it was keysbum that showed the "sexy" vapor ... sorry ... like it !

 

[spiritnan]

thx Della ... I so appreciate this help... it makes it so much easier with a few good signposts such as what you have shared ...

 

[Della Cirque]

thx Della ... I so appreciate this help... it makes it so much easier with a few good signposts such as what you have shared ...

No problem! If you haven't stumbled upon this thread yet http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/225727-pictures-your-setup.html is great if you are a visual person.

 

[KeysBum]

OOOPS ... it was keysbum that showed the "sexy" vapor ... sorry ... like it !

It is an infinity pro from notcigs. It is one of the finest PV's on the market, and the last one you will need to buy. They are very simple to use. This PV, some cartomizers, and some juice, and you are set. The PV costs less than $100 at notcigs.com. You will need a set of batteries and a charger. It's no more difficult than putting bateries in a flashlight.

 

[wv2win]

.....wv2win ... why does everyone seem to push the Ego when these others are equal contenders ?! Great advice ... thx so much.............

Because for many of those giving you suggestions, the eGo and possibly one mini-model PV is all they have ever used. They have no experience beyond that one or two models. And the eGo has been more highly marketed and was the first model in that category produced.

The ego, Riva, E-Power and Kgo are all in the same category of models: slim cigar/sharpie sized beginner models with larger mAh rated batteries than the mini-models. But in that category, the Riva, Kgo and E-Power are all true 3.7 volt models whereas the eGo is only the smaller 3.4 volt battery. And the standard mAh rated battery in those three are all substantially bigger (1000+ mAh) than the standard eGo battery which is 650 mAh. To get a bigger mAh rated battery in the eGo, you have to pay more.

Another advantage to the E-Power is that the batteries are non-proprietary meaning you can buy them anywhere (battery stores) and cost around $4 instead of the average $15 that the eGo battery costs. And now the E-Power also comes in a 5 volt model which will provide warmer vapor and better throat hit than your standard 3.4 - 3.7 volt model.

I'm not against the eGo as a good beginner model. I just think there are similar models with some other advantages.

 

[spiritnan]

Thx Keysbum & wv2win ... this is what I wanted to hear ... direct and informative ... FYI ... today was my 1st vaping day ... I loved it ... even with my newbe setup ... I think I am hooked but want to experiment more ... so far I think I like the atty ( for dripping in particular ) over the carto ... yes ... I tried them both today ... couldn't resist ... am loving my Virgin Vapor 100 % VG juice also ... awesome flavors ... I really think this is all I needed to quit analogs for good ... after all these years !
Why had I not come across this vaping biz before now ?! Thx so much again for your help ... heading down to the keys soon myself ... can't wait ... heard its been a fabulous winter so far ! Enjoy !

 

[TheStopDoc]

You can't go wrong with a Variable Voltage Device, so you can find the sweet spot on any atomizer or cartomizer and that perfect temp for your juice. Some juice just taste better at 3.7v or some at 4.2 volts, or some at 5 volts. But if you have a variable voltage device, you can find the vape that is right for you. There are some great ones out there, depending on your budget. You can get a nice VV box mod for 50 to 60 bucks with a 510 connection to see what you think. Or if you want the best VV on the market, get the Darwin.

 

[KeysBum]

This is