Newbie here, just got a 510.

[mjt]

Hello, newbie here. I've been considering an e-cig for a couple of years. Finally broke down and ordered a 510 starter kit and recieved it yesterday. I haven't had a smoke in 24 hours now. The longest period I've gone in 22 years since I started smoking.

I tried Chantix, Gum and slowly cutting back. Never made it longer than two hours. The Marlboro flavor I got kind of tastes like crap, so I'm going to trying menthol, coffee and Raspberry. My cartridges are black, so I am having a hard time trying to tell when I need to refill and how many smokes an 18mg juice in a standard 510 cartridge is equivalent to.

 

[VapingRulz]

There's no point in trying to compare how much e-liquid you consume to how many cigarettes you used to smoke. It's different for everyone and there's no direct correlation between vaping and smoking. Most importantly, vape as much as you need to in order to stay off the analogs.

 

[Ericnuke]

It's my understanding that a standard 510 cartridge is equivalent to between 3 to 5 cigs. Not sure how much you smoked but for me I was a pack a day smoker and now that i'm vaping I tend to go through 3 to 4 510 cartridges in a normal day. So for me it looks like each cartridge is about 5 smokes.

 

[Kostlich]

congrats on the switch! you could always try some CE2 from gotvapes, they are clear and ive heard good things about them. Also if you are a fan of menthol try getting some menthol drops, they go good in a lot of flavors (mainly fruity ones!)

 

[Boodle]

22 years and it's OVER You're on to bigger and better things. Congrats on being tobacco-free. 24 hours. That's huge. Don't spank yourself if you need a cig. Not saying you will. But if you do, you really are in control now. You haven't 'blown it' if you need a cigarette while a battery is charging or you run out of juice. Vaping is so much more enjoyable you're right back at it.

You'll know when to add a few drops to your cartomizer when the flavor changes or drops off. Don't wait until you get a burnt, nasty taste. You want your cartomizer nice and damp but not drippy or slurpy looking or sounding. If you get too much in there, take a little piece of tissue or paper towel and rub it between your fingers to make a little absorber. Put it in the top of the cartomizer and absorb the excess. You should see light right down the middle of the cartomizer.

Vape when you like and drink lots and lots of water. I don't know how much you smoked daily but 18mg isn't that high. There are people that start at 36mg or 24mg. Don't worry about getting too much nicotine. You'll feel icky if you get too much with a headache, heart pounds or maybe anxiety. Be aware, that's all. And you're in the midst of detoxing from 4000 chemicals your body is used to getting every hour or so from cigarettes - water is the answer to escort those built-up toxins out as fast as possible. For me after the third day I felt much better. I don't think it had a thing to do with vaping. I'm convinced it was detox. The only downside of vaping is that it dehydrates you. Remember the water. Listen to your body. You're doing fan-freaking-tastic

 

[Boodle]

There's no point in trying to compare how much e-liquid you consume to how many cigarettes you used to smoke. It's different for everyone and there's no direct correlation between vaping and smoking. Most importantly, vape as much as you need to in order to stay off the analogs.

Well said!

 

[luvinitall]

Congratulations,I think you said that your using carts so the best thing I could tell you is to keep them full and wet so the filler doesn't burn, and be sure to have extras on hand.

 

[KeysBum]

There's no point in trying to compare how much e-liquid you consume to how many cigarettes you used to smoke. It's different for everyone and there's no direct correlation between vaping and smoking. Most importantly, vape as much as you need to in order to stay off the analogs.

+1...........

 

[Survivors Mom]

Way to go mjt! I hope you love vaping as much as I do! I've been lucky enough to not even want a cig after 38 years of smoking... but that's just me. And I'll tell ya, I feel like smoking is just one more thing that doesn't have control over my life anymore! Got rid of the husband, got rid of the acid reflux, got rid of the cigs, now if I could just retire.

 

[P1NkY]

Hi mjt, congratulations and welcome! The 510 was also my ticket to being smoke-free, so I definitely know the feeling
I also use cartridges+atomizer, so trust me on this: when it's time to refill, you'll know! Harsh, burning taste that's hard to ignore. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to "sense" when your cart is about to run dry before the dreaded burnt taste. The flavor and vapor will start to drop off noticeably before it runs completely dry.

Most people avoid this altogether "topping off" their carts after say, 5-8 good puffs (dripping some e-liquid onto the cart filler until it looks wet) or ditching the carts altogether and getting some cartomizers, which is an atty and larger volume cartridge all rolled up in one package, making your 3 piece 510 into a 2 piece.

Most people prefer cartomizers (cartos) over cartridges (carts), as they are a bit less hassle and vape longer between refills. I honestly don't know yet, as I haven't tried 'em... :O

 

[dormouse]

Most people don't use the cartridges except when starting out. Most switch to using cartomizers and for slim 510 the Boge ones around 3 ohms are the ones for slim 510. The hotter lower ohm ones are only for the fat long-charge batteries like Joye Ego and Riva 510. I recommend manual batteries always but especially with cartomizers because if a cartomizer leaks it will do it right over the hole in the threaded end of an auto battery (can damage or kill the auto battery).

Cartomizers have limited lives but they hold more juice, should need juice less often, keep your favorite flavors separate from each other (not mixed in an atomizer), and in general provide a more consistent and trouble-free vape. You do have to keep them damp or they can singe adding a bitter taste. I use thin juices (PG w/ 20% or less VG) and I avoid ones that seem to drop a lot of flavoring sediment in the carto (that stuff will clog up attys and cartos). I can usually get 10 days use out of a Boge.

 

[madjack]

...good info from boodle(she keeps her kit in a basket)...............................

 

[pnc81498]

Newb myself 5 weeks just be sure to have extras on hand at all times, You ordered that 510 for a reason stick with it and congrats. In a day or 2 them analog smoking friends are going to smell funny....

 

[mjt]

I have no idea what I'm doing yet. In fact all the info kept me away for two years. I ordered a 510 starter kit from ecigg.org. I have no idea what the ohms are and I think I already screwed up my atomizer. I've been sucking on semi-dry cartridges I think. Still, I have not smoked yet. I ordered two more atomizers and 24 cartridges. I also ordered a 24mg bottle. I should have ordered that in the first place. I'm a pack a day to 1 1/2 packs smoker. Knowing what I know now, I'm amazed I made it this far.


I've also sucked the juice right out of the cartridge several times and it's not tasting to good .


Thanks for all the kind words.

 

[mjt]

One more thing. Does everyone hold in their vape a little to get a better effect?

 

[dormouse]

Cartomizers won't dump 1/2 their juice the way carts do sometimes. I only use atomizers to test new juices and vape some thicker ones and occasional juices. My fave thin juices go in cartomizers.

 

[kinabaloo]

One more thing. Does everyone hold in their vape a little to get a better effect?

Sure; and exhaling at least some slowly through the nose is good too.

 

[hiram13pm]

Sure; and exhaling at least some slowly through the nose is good too.

Too true. When vaping, the nicotine is more readily absorbed by the esophagael lining & the sinuses than it is by the lungs... remember, there's no tar to make it "stick" in your lungs anymore. Plus, hold it in long enough, and you're getting the first steps of "stealth vaping", lol.

You're probably going to get overwhelmed with info; everybody who's been there loves to help a noob, but don't let it make you nuts. Remember, these are all just opinions. For what it's worth, here's my opinions:

The 510 is what I started on, and it's a great unit; it got me off a 1.5 PAD, 26 year habit that was killing me. You will most likely (but not necessarily) eventually move on and 'up' to a higher voltage or larger battery, but don't worry about that right now. Just stick with this during the break-in time. Don't try to track how much you vape, just do it as much as you need to stay off the real ones. You'll probably vape a LOT at first (I did), but after the newness factor wears off, it'll become second nature & you'll be using a lot less liquid.

Stock up on juice... a 24ml bottle would last me about a week. As a newbie, I'd suggest getting large bottles of what you know you like, and with every order get a few small & cheap bottles of other flavors. Try a lot, even what sounds "weird"... you might be surprised at what you like. I honestly never thought I'd want to "smoke" something that tasted almost exactly like a Belgian Waffle...

Cartomizers, ohms, wattage, voltage, CE2's... these are all things you'll learn about soon. Stick with what you know works for right now, and take your time exploring the forum (and 'window shopping' the vendor's sites). Trust me, it'll all make sense eventually! I'd suggest looking up "dripping" here for your first step outside of the Manufacturer's Instructions box, if you have a manual battery to do it with.

Heheh... just wait until you discover "mods".... heheheh....

Oh, and lastly... you're what, about 2 or 3 days in? Be forewarned... in about another week, you're going to suddenly realize that you need to wash everything you own.

 

[mjt]

Hiram, I'm not yet 35 hrs without a smoke!!!! I'm currently chain vaping because I have weak juice 18mg and I think my atomizer is screwed up.

 

[hiram13pm]

Oh, I started at 25mg & stayed there for my first year. I mix my own liquid, so I can minutely control the strength of everything... I'm down to 21.333 mg/ml now... in about another 2 weeks, I'll drop it to 20.

If you're in a pinch for liquid (wow, this is like deja-vu... same thing happened to me my first week), check out cignot.com. She doesn't have the "premiere" liquids, but Cignot has a wide selection of flavors that are pretty good, not overpriced, and Cignot is LEGENDARY here for both customer service and (importantly) shipping speed. It's where I send a lot of newbies just starting out. If you need it FAST, get it there. To AZ would probably be 2 or 3 days. If you ordered right now, you'd probably see it Friday (maybe even Thursday). No kidding.