Newb with New 510 Titan - Couple of Questions

[nick30uk]

Hi all,

Sorry about the long post - just seen it on the preview!!

After 16 or so years of Marlboro Lights - 20 a day I found out about this whole world of vaping. I took delivery on Monday of my Titan 510 kit with various 10ml 18mg flavours, all from Totally Wicked UK. Have to admit, I'm amazed at how these things make you not even want a normal smoke!! In the 3 days I've had my 510 I would of normally gone through at least 60 cigs, I've only had 5!!

A few points of experience and was hoping some of you could advise if this is normal or where I am going wrong:

• the liquid in the top of cartridge tends to burn off fairly soon (8-10 drags or so) but there is still plenty in there futher down towards the mouth piece. The vapour becomes weak so I need to either top up or agitate the wool in the cart to make the liquid surface more - is this the norm?

• when not in use, I've read conflicting advice about the position of the ecig, stand it up on the mouth piece to stop atty flooding, but then surely the liquid then moves away from it and causes the issue I describe above? Other advise I've read is to remove battery and stand the other way up on the atty?

• I bought 5 flavours of juice, Marlboro, Minty Choc, Choc, Coffee and Vanilla but all of them taste VERY similar (excluding the mint choc which does give a menthol type taste) which is a sweet, almost licorice rizla type taste - I assume is this not normal?

I've followed the advice of priming the atty with 2 or 3 drops every now and then to keep it moist. Other than that, I am loving this little device, good throat hit and plenty of vapour, am thinking that all I need is the killer juice for me and I can kiss those stinking Marlboros goodbye once and for all.

Cheers

Nick

 

[Deschain]

Hi Nick, hopefully, some answers for you...

1: Topping off your cart is just a way of life I'm afraid. I like the "straw mod" which eliminates this to a certain degree, although not completely.

2: When I've finished with my Titan (for the night), I completely disassemble it - cart - atty - battery and just leave it all lying down (I re-prime the atty when I assemble it again in the morning with one or two drips directly onto the atty).

If you are just using it throughout the day, I tend to keep it in a shirt pocket and when at a desk I just lie it on it's side...it will only leak (on rare ocassions) or flood if I do this immediately after filling it

3: You've been hammering your taste buds with smokes for several years, I also found that the first several days, everything tasted much the same...after a week or so, the flavours will really start to come through!

Others will pile in with their opinions shortly (especially the "direct drip" maniacs who will tell you to ditch carts all together).


.

 

[nick30uk]

Thanks Deschain, guess I gotta ride out these first few days then, let the taste buds regenerate after years of abuse!

I've read so much about so many different methods saying one is better than the other, to be fair, I am liking it with the carts and gives me what I need - I guess I was more seeking confirmation that what I was experiencing was normal and I wasn't doing anything wrong. Might dabble in changing it around and mods when I get a bit more confident and bored of the current config.

I can already see this being my new "guilty" pleasure - have already ordered some mega batteries, 5 way charger, and spare attys!

Apologies if this has been asked, is there a suppliers page that lists exclusively UK suppliers of juice?

 

[Promise]

I second the straw mod for the cart. Ive only been vaping for a few weeks myself and was having the same issues with the cart but, it has been acting a ton better with the straw.

 

[Deschain]

The suppliers page is sort of a free for all as regards location.

I use www.misteliquids.co.uk because I like their juice, prices and service.

Several other UK based suppliers...

vapefree - Welcome

SmokeJuice - HOME

Electronic Cigarettes, Electric Cigarette, E-Cigarettes, E-Cig, E-Liquid

E-Liquid

E-Cigs.co.uk, Online Store

iVapour Elixir | PG E-Liquid ? VG E-Liquid ? Cartridges ? Spares | For all electronic cigarettes or e-cigs

ECIS Electronic Cigarette

There are probably loads more out there (and there is Totally Wicked themselves of course...I believe their juice is good stuff).


.

 

[nick30uk]

Thanks Deschain, book marking this.

Cheers, Nick

 

[Kurt]

First, welcome!! Glad the 510 is enjoyable to you. Your progress with not smoking analogs sounds just like mine was. Now it is about 3 a week total.

I agree with everything deschain says! She took the words out of my mouth.

Some things I might add. What you are describing with topping off fairly often is related to wicking. It means the juice is not flowing towards the atty well. This is actually totally normal for the 510 and it its shortcoming, IMHO. I think the original straw-mod thread is under a title like "Improved method of filling carts" or something similar. It will do two things: allow somewhat better cycling of juice in the cart as you vape, and also allow a port to easily inject juice into a cart from the bottom up with a syringe, if you choose to get one for filling (recommended, but admittedly hardcore!).

Another way to get better wicking is to add a few drops of vodka to the juice. Not too much! Too much will make the juice too thin and the vaping too gaseous (try it to see what I mean). The thicker the juice the harder it is to wick properly...which is just not going to happen 100% with the 510. A little vodka also can add to the throat hit.

Some people play with different filler materials, like fluval, poly fiber, or various rolled cloth-papers (tea bags, etc). Sometimes these can work really well, and then in another cart they don't...at least for me, and I am still learning. In my experience the original filler is about the best, but it will eventually get frayed and a little singed. At that point it is time for a new cart or new filler.

One thing, though, for all fillers it is best to keep the filler material as close to the top of the cart as possible without it going above it. Looking at the cart from the side, you should not see the filler. Then the atty bridge sort of pushes in a little bowl in the filler, and is always in contact with the filler and juice.

I agree that your taste will improve over the next several days, but I have not heard really great things about TW's flavored juices in general. Their 36 mg unflavored is a good, easy entree level mixing juice, although their juices are on the high end of prices. But you will learn a ton, and have a lot of fun!

Vape on!

 

[nick30uk]

Thanks for advice Kurt much appreciated. Think I'll check out this straw mod in the next few days.

Will also try some other juice as well - Deschain, the link misteliquids.co.uk doesn't work - is it mispealt or site down - tried googling it but nothing came up?

Thanks.

 

[DC2]

The liquid in the top of cartridge tends to burn off fairly soon (8-10 drags or so) but there is still plenty in there futher down towards the mouth piece. The vapour becomes weak so I need to either top up or agitate the wool in the cart to make the liquid surface more - is this the norm?

Yes, this is the norm.

The solutions are pretty much as follows...
1) Look into using different filler materials
2) Look into using the straw modification
3) Use the thermometer method

Personally, I use the blue foam for filler now.

But I had good luck using the thermometer method with stock filler material.
I just got tired of shaking the thing like a thermometer though.

When not in use, I've read conflicting advice about the position of the Ecig, stand it up on the mouth piece to stop atty flooding, but then surely the liquid then moves away from it and causes the issue I describe above?

You pretty much nailed it.

Here are your "best method" ways to stand your electronic cigarette...
1) When completely full stand it cartridge side down to prevent leaking and flooding
2) When getting empty stand it battery side down to allow gravity to help wicking
3) In between the two, use best judgment or set it down on it's side

I bought 5 flavours of juice, Marlboro, Minty Choc, Choc, Coffee and Vanilla but all of them taste VERY similar (excluding the mint choc which does give a menthol type taste) which is a sweet, almost licorice rizla type taste - I assume is this not normal?

Your taste buds may improve in the very near future.

 

[Scottbee]

It certainly sounds like you have a wicking problem. This can be do to a combination of things.. not just the cart, but the atty too. Some people work to get the perfect cart (straw, PTB, etc..), then they put it on a different atty and it floods the heck out of it! Go figure!

Since your 510 sounds like it is starved for fluid (which is the way I personally like to set mine up), just try a couple of quick tests (before you go nuts on cart mods). In-between vapes, try standing the PV "up" with the battery end down. As you mentioned and observed.. this will help with the wicking action. Also.. between vapes.. try lightly tapping the battery end of the PV on a surface.. back of your hand.. leg.. whatever. Some people even whip them like a thermometer.

See if these vaping "tricks" improve the situation.

 

[DC2]

While the last two posts above recommend the thermometer method as a possibility...

1) It should never be done with an unsealed (automatic) battery
2) It takes a bit of practice, awareness, and common sense to get it right

The problem with the thermometer method is having a good feel for how much juice you have in the cartridge and where it is likely to be. If you shake it too hard for the circumstances, it will leak out the battery holes where the battery meets the atomizer.

But after you get it down, you can seriously vape a cartridge dry with standard filler.
But you'll probably wipe up a fair amount of juice off your 510 during the course of your journey.

 

[Scottbee]

Most of the things that I truly enjoy have a bit of mess associated with them.... ;-)

 

[DC2]

Most of the things that I truly enjoy have a bit of mess associated with them.... ;-)

I'm assuming you are referring to barbecuing.

 

[Scottbee]

Uhhh.. yeah. Sure.

That and eating spaghetti. ;-)

 

[Brewster 59]

well my friend I switched to ecig a couple of weeks ago and pretty much all my flavors kinda taste the same. Some are a little smoother and maybe some a little sweeter than others with a slight taste of what the flavor is suppose to be. I do like to store my attys standing up because it helps them to drain and I am hoping they will take longer to build up crud. I also like to clean the atty once a week with hot water and I do think they give better hits after being cleaned I also this will make them last longer.

 

[Iambuza]

With flavors tasting the same you really have to clean your atty when changing flavors as you will taste the flavor of the previous fill linger in the new flavor. What I have noticed is the sense of smell that comes back faster for me than taste(sometimes I wish it wouldn't come back so strong, like when the dog goes for a roll in the mud and insists on lying under my feet)

 

[nick30uk]

Thanks all - some really useful advice here for me. Cheers.