Newbie here looking for some final advice(before purchase)

[onionbro94]

Hi everyone

I've been a smoker for 6 years and after several failed attempts to quit cold turkey, I've decided to try vaping. I quickly realized that there was quite a bit to learn/read about as I was overwhelmed by the amount of choices available(and the lingo). After a few days of reading I think I may have figured out what I need, but I'm still unsure of whether this is the right choice. Please forgive me for this wall of text. I'll try to type it out in a way that's easy on the eyes.

First some info about me.
1) I smoke Marlboro gold Advance (Reds if advance isn't available). Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out it's nicotine content.
2) I smoke around 8-9 cigarettes daily. During the weekend I end up smoking around 15-20 due to alcohol.
3) All I want is for a vape to satisfy my cravings. I'm not even sure if its nicotine that I crave or whether its the feeling of my lungs filling up with smoke and the subsequent exhale. What I know is that I NEED a smoke after breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also NEED it when I drink tea/coffee/alcohol.

From what I read online it seems a MTL setup is best suited for me. I decided on Vaporesso Armour Pro + Innokin Zenith tank.

So the questions/doubts I have are :-

1) Is the above setup a good choice? Or is it too much for my needs?
2) Does the mod come with a battery or will I have to buy it separately?
3) How often will I have to replace coils? Also I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but do the coils come with wicks? Or am i supposed to stuff it with cotton myself?

4) What nicotine juice should I get? I know that the flavor is something I should figure out for myself but I have no idea about the concentration.

5) Is it safe to carry the above setup around in my pocket? Is it bad if I leave it in my car?Temperatures can rise up to 40 deg celsius during summers.

6) Will the smoke produced from the above setup be obscenely large? I don't want to attract too much attention to myself as people still aren't too understanding of vapes here.

I considered getting a vape pen instead of a mod cause it's easier to use and noob friendly, but the issue is - battery charge. I leave my house around 8:00 am and return only by 5:30 pm. I won't be able to charge it once I'm outside.
Juul is out of the question cause it's too expensive to maintain. Also I think I'll end up consuming more nicotine than I do now.

I'd like to apologize in advance for any silly questions I might've asked or might ask. Also thanks for taking the time to read through this.

 

[HigherStateD]

Hi everyone

I've been a smoker for 6 years and after several failed attempts to quit cold turkey, I've decided to try vaping. I quickly realized that there was quite a bit to learn/read about as I was overwhelmed by the amount of choices available(and the lingo). After a few days of reading I think I may have figured out what I need, but I'm still unsure of whether this is the right choice. Please forgive me for this wall of text. I'll try to type it out in a way that's easy on the eyes.

First some info about me.
1) I smoke Marlboro gold Advance (Reds if advance isn't available). Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out it's nicotine content.
2) I smoke around 8-9 cigarettes daily. During the weekend I end up smoking around 15-20 due to alcohol.
3) All I want is for a vape to satisfy my cravings. I'm not even sure if its nicotine that I crave or whether its the feeling of my lungs filling up with smoke and the subsequent exhale. What I know is that I NEED a smoke after breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also NEED it when I drink tea/coffee/alcohol.

From what I read online it seems a MTL setup is best suited for me. I decided on Vaporesso Armour Pro + Innokin Zenith tank.

So the questions/doubts I have are :-

1) Is the above setup a good choice? Or is it too much for my needs?
2) Does the mod come with a battery or will I have to buy it separately?
3) How often will I have to replace coils? Also I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but do the coils come with wicks? Or am i supposed to stuff it with cotton myself?

4) What nicotine juice should I get? I know that the flavor is something I should figure out for myself but I have no idea about the concentration.

5) Is it safe to carry the above setup around in my pocket? Is it bad if I leave it in my car?Temperatures can rise up to 40 deg celsius during summers.

6) Will the smoke produced from the above setup be obscenely large? I don't want to attract too much attention to myself as people still aren't too understanding of vapes here.

I considered getting a vape pen instead of a mod cause it's easier to use and noob friendly, but the issue is - battery charge. I leave my house around 8:00 am and return only by 5:30 pm. I won't be able to charge it once I'm outside.
Juul is out of the question cause it's too expensive to maintain. Also I think I'll end up consuming more nicotine than I do now.

I'd like to apologize in advance for any silly questions I might've asked or might ask. Also thanks for taking the time to read through this.

1) I can't speak directly to the quality of that particular mod, but vaporesso has a good reputation from what I hear. That tank is well regarded also.

2) it will most likely not come with a battery, you will need a high drain li-ion cell. That mod can take one battery at a time, and can accept several sizes. The numbers of the battery correspond to the size, so an 18650 is 18mm wide, and 65mm tall. That mod can also accept bigger batteries, either 20700 or 21700, both are 70mm tall, and 20 or 21mm in diameter. An 18650 should last you at least a day, a 20 or 21 you should get at least two.

3) coil life varies. Expect a week or two at least with your stated usage. Juice choice can change this though. Sweeter or darker juices "gunk" the wick faster.

4) nic level is variable. If I were you, I'd start with 3-6, but the common suggestion is a bottle of 0, and a bottle of 12. Blending to find the right level. You may NEED more in the morning, or with alcohol.

4) safe enough to carry in a pocket, if turned off. Mods have key locks, but some go as far as removing the battery. A battery case is advisable if that is the route you take. I would NOT leave it in a car, as the tank WILL leak, at best, or it could ruin your battery, or worse.

6) cloud size and density can be controlled. MTL style usually has less than DTL, as us the case with lower wattage. Higher PG ratio juice also, and holding it in longer will reduce visible clouds also.


ETA: drop in coils come prebuilt wick included.

Hope that helps.

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

 

[Eskie]

Hi and welcome. The Zenith is a great tank to start out with as you can set it up to vape much like a cigarette experience as far as draw. It won't produce a ton of cloud and the low power requirements mean the battery will last all day (or it should). The coils are pre-made drop in coils that come already built with cotton and everything. Nothing to do other than put a new one in (after priming, that'll come up a little later).

The mod takes replaceable batteries of various sizes. The 21700 size batteries will last longest and I'd recommend a Samsung 40T from a reliable vendor. If you're in the US IMR batteries, Illum, RTD and some others are good. I'd advise a separate charger. They work better than the ones in the mod and aren't too expensive. Get them from the same companies. Never buy batteries on eBay or Amazon as lots of counterfeits out there. BTW, at the power needed by a Zenith coil a 40T battery will last you a few days before needing to be recharged. A smaller battery like an 18650 such as a Samsung 25R will last you at least a full if not 2 days.

For juice taste is personal so I'll offer no opinion. Chances are a juice with 12 mg nicotine will work well for a half to occasional 1 ppd use. If it's too much go to 6 mg.

Priming a coil. This will make your experience good or frustrating. Factory coils have the cotton really packed in and it needs to be fully saturated to perform well, otherwise the cotton will burn and taste like crap. Place several drops on the top of the coil (where the mesh and cotton are visible). Let it soak in. Place in the tank. Fill the tank. Let it sit for maybe 15 minutes to soak. Take some unpowered draws, in other words, just suck air through the mouthpiece without pressing the fire button. This also helps draw in juice. Start at a low power/wattage setting, maybe 6 or 7 watts. Take some puffs. Put it down. Go up 1 or 2 watts. Take a few puffs. Put it down. When you get the taste and little cloud production you like, stop, that's the power setting that works best for you. If you're using something like their 0.5 ohm plexus coil, it'll probably be 12-14W. If their "mtl" 1.6 ohm (or 1.8 don't recall) it'll likely be 10W. Start out with the airflow holes a open. When the power is good you can close down, or turn to cover, some of the air holes until the draw feels best for you.

Good luck and plenty of folks here to help you out if you run into more questions or problems once you start.

Edit; sorry, don't leave your mod in your car to bake in the sun. It's not good for any of the components. Pocket carry in hot weather is fine, if you don't pass out from the heat it'll still work ok.

Edit 2: pretty much as @HigherStateD wrote

 

[Daniel Forsyth]

Welcome to ECF
I can't vouch for the Vaporesso Armour Pro but I have had a Zenith tank for a fair while now.
The Zenith is a very easy to use tank that sounds like it would suit you very well.
The coils that are made for this tank, the Z coils, last longer than most. Some claim they get close to a Month use out of one coil
Myself I get about 3 weeks from each coil

 

[onionbro94]

1) I can't speak directly to the quality of that particular mod, but vaporesso has a good reputation from what I hear. That tank is well regarded also.

2) it will most likely not come with a battery, you will need a high drain li-ion cell. That mod can take one battery at a time, and can accept several sizes. The numbers of the battery correspond to the size, so an 18650 is 18mm wide, and 65mm tall. That mod can also accept bigger batteries, either 20700 or 21700, both are 70mm tall, and 20 or 21mm in diameter. An 18650 should last you at least a day, a 20 or 21 you should get at least two.

3) coil life varies. Expect a week or two at least with your stated usage. Juice choice can change this though. Sweeter or darker juices "gunk" the wick faster.

4) nic level is variable. If I were you, I'd start with 3-6, but the common suggestion is a bottle of 0, and a bottle of 12. Blending to find the right level. You may NEED more in the morning, or with alcohol.

4) safe enough to carry in a pocket, if turned off. Mods have key locks, but some go as far as removing the battery. A battery case is advisable if that is the route you take. I would NOT leave it in a car, as the tank WILL leak, at best, or it could ruin your battery, or worse.

6) cloud size and density can be controlled. MTL style usually has less than DTL, as us the case with lower wattage. Higher PG ratio juice also, and holding it in longer will reduce visible clouds also.


ETA: drop in coils come prebuilt wick included.

Hope that helps.

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

Thanks a lot for replying. I'll keep everything you said in mind. I suppose I'll buy 2 - 10ml bottles of 6mg and 12mg and test what's best for me.

Edit : I'll be sure to get a battery case. I read about the dangers of carrying around batteries in your pockets along with things like coins, keys, etc.

 

[HigherStateD]

Thanks a lot for replying. I'll keep everything you said in mind. I suppose I'll buy 2 - 10ml bottles of 6mg and 12mg and test what's best for me.

Edit : I'll be sure to get a battery case. I read about the dangers of carrying around batteries in your pockets along with things like coins, keys, etc.

You mentioned that you think the nic may not be as important to you as the action. Something to consider might be trying a 0nic cinnamon flavor. It might just be the placebo you're looking for.

Another kit to check out might be the geekvape aegis solo. It only takes 18650 Batts, but is very durable. If your set on a bigger battery, the vandy vape jackaroo. Both will take the zenith tank.

YouTube is a great way to see what these kits look like in hand and operate.

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

 

[onionbro94]

Hi and welcome. The Zenith is a great tank to start out with as you can set it up to vape much like a cigarette experience as far as draw. It won't produce a ton of cloud and the low power requirements mean the battery will last all day (or it should). The coils are pre-made drop in coils that come already built with cotton and everything. Nothing to do other than put a new one in (after priming, that'll come up a little later).

The mod takes replaceable batteries of various sizes. The 21700 size batteries will last longest and I'd recommend a Samsung 40T from a reliable vendor. If you're in the US IMR batteries, Illum, RTD and some others are good. I'd advise a separate charger. They work better than the ones in the mod and aren't too expensive. Get them from the same companies. Never buy batteries on eBay or Amazon as lots of counterfeits out there. BTW, at the power needed by a Zenith coil a 40T battery will last you a few days before needing to be recharged. A smaller battery like an 18650 such as a Samsung 25R will last you at least a full if not 2 days.

For juice taste is personal so I'll offer no opinion. Chances are a juice with 12 mg nicotine will work well for a half to occasional 1 ppd use. If it's too much go to 6 mg.

Priming a coil. This will make your experience good or frustrating. Factory coils have the cotton really packed in and it needs to be fully saturated to perform well, otherwise the cotton will burn and taste like crap. Place several drops on the top of the coil (where the mesh and cotton are visible). Let it soak in. Place in the tank. Fill the tank. Let it sit for maybe 15 minutes to soak. Take some unpowered draws, in other words, just suck air through the mouthpiece without pressing the fire button. This also helps draw in juice. Start at a low power/wattage setting, maybe 6 or 7 watts. Take some puffs. Put it down. Go up 1 or 2 watts. Take a few puffs. Put it down. When you get the taste and little cloud production you like, stop, that's the power setting that works best for you. If you're using something like their 0.5 ohm plexus coil, it'll probably be 12-14W. If their "mtl" 1.6 ohm (or 1.8 don't recall) it'll likely be 10W. Start out with the airflow holes a open. When the power is good you can close down, or turn to cover, some of the air holes until the draw feels best for you.

Good luck and plenty of folks here to help you out if you run into more questions or problems once you start.

Edit; sorry, don't leave your mod in your car to bake in the sun. It's not good for any of the components. Pocket carry in hot weather is fine, if you don't pass out from the heat it'll still work ok.

Edit 2: pretty much as @HigherStateD wrote

Thanks! This was very helpful.

Good battery life is always a plus. What I forgot to ask in my original post was - How long does it take to recharge them? I read that overcharging is an issue and could be dangerous. I'm assuming this means I shouldn't leave it to charge while I go to sleep.

Thanks for the info on priming. I'd read briefly about it's importance earlier, but didn't pay much attention. I'll remember this too.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Welcome to ECF, onionbro94.

 

[onionbro94]

You mentioned that you think the nic may not be as important to you as the action. Something to consider might be trying a 0nic cinnamon flavor. It might just be the placebo you're looking for.

Another kit to check out might be the geekvape aegis solo. It only takes 18650 Batts, but is very durable. If your set on a bigger battery, the vandy vape jackaroo. Both will take the zenith tank.

YouTube is a great way to see what these kits look like in hand and operate.

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

Ah right. If I can eliminate nicotine from the start, that'll be a huge win for me. The aegis solo looks good. I've noted it down mainly for its size. I wanted something that won't feel too uncomfortable in my pocket(jeans).

 

[onionbro94]

Welcome to ECF, onionbro94.

Thanks! I was surprised by how active this forum is. I'm definitely sticking around.

 

[HigherStateD]

Thanks! This was very helpful.

Good battery life is always a plus. What I forgot to ask in my original post was - How long does it take to recharge them? I read that overcharging is an issue and could be dangerous. I'm assuming this means I shouldn't leave it to charge while I go to sleep.

Thanks for the info on priming. I'd read briefly about it's importance earlier, but didn't pay much attention. I'll remember this too.

Recharging of batteries depends on size of the battery. A 3000maH battery will take an hour and a half to charge if the charger is 2A charger. I keep three in rotation. One charging, one resting, and one in use. As mentioned, a reputable source, as counterfeit batteries are around.

I don't want to overload (pardon the pun) you with info, but Battery Mooch is the user here who is our resident battery guru. Samsung 40T and 25r are good choices, as would be a Sony VTC5A or 6A



Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

 

[onionbro94]

Welcome to ECF
I can't vouch for the Vaporesso Armour Pro but I have had a Zenith tank for a fair while now.
The Zenith is a very easy to use tank that sounds like it would suit you very well.
The coils that are made for this tank, the Z coils, last longer than most. Some claim they get close to a Month use out of one coil
Myself I get about 3 weeks from each coil

Wow 3 weeks! After making some rough calculations I discovered vaping is definitely going to be cheaper than smoking. If a coil can last for 3 weeks this just got even better for me

 

[onionbro94]

Recharging of batteries depends on size of the battery. A 3000maH battery will take an hour and a half to charge if the charger is 2A charger. I keep three in rotation. One charging, one resting, and one in use. As mentioned, a reputable source, as counterfeit batteries are around.

I don't want to overload (pardon the pun) you with info, but Battery Mooch is the user here who is our resident battery guru. Samsung 40T and 25r are good choices, as would be a Sony VTC5A or 6A



Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

"One charging, one resting, and one in use." Nice! I like this system. 1.5 - 2 hours of recharge time is not bad. Just need to unplug it before going to sleep.

As for finding a reputable seller, I'm from India and I have no idea about which site is legit and which isn't. Most probably I'll end up ordering it from outside the country. The idea of getting counterfeit batteries is a bit scary.

 

[jim_87]

Welcome @onionbro94 ! You made a great choice choosing a Vaporesso brand mod. It also seems you have been researching the do's and don'ts of vaping. Glad you joined, any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[HigherStateD]

"One charging, one resting, and one in use." Nice! I like this system. 1.5 - 2 hours of recharge time is not bad. Just need to unplug it before going to sleep.

As for finding a reputable seller, I'm from India and I have no idea about which site is legit and which isn't. Most probably I'll end up ordering it from outside the country. The idea of getting counterfeit batteries is a bit scary.

Yeah, the resting is important with high drain. We abuse these batteries on the discharge l, so I try and pamper them otherwise. An hour or so is fine though, and I go through 2-3 3000maH cells a day, so two may be plenty for you, as you'll be vaping at much less wattage than I do.

As for pockatability, my biggest mod fits nicely in my jeans.

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

 

[Eskie]

Just note coil life depends on a few factors. Obviously how much you vape in ml, volume, if you vape 2 ml a day it'll last longer than 5 ml a day. The amount you can vape is probably a better measure of coil longevity. The type of juice matters. Commercial sweet juices will gunk up a coil faster than say a make yourself juice with limited sweeteners. I'll assume you're buying commercial so that affects the calculation. Finally the power. Push a coil hard with more power than you really need will shorten the lifespan. The wattage ratings that are stamped on coils are very rough guidelines at best. It's not unusual to find a coil and tank work well for you below the "recommended" wattage, which is why determining that yourself is important.

As to sources in India I'm afraid I can't help, but perhaps others from the area may pop by with some tips.

 

[DeloresRose]

Thanks a lot for replying. I'll keep everything you said in mind. I suppose I'll buy 2 - 10ml bottles of 6mg and 12mg and test what's best for me.

Edit : I'll be sure to get a battery case. I read about the dangers of carrying around batteries in your pockets along with things like coins, keys, etc.

Ditto what’s been said. Get extra batteries. I get my batteries from Liion wholesale, and they send a battery box with each two batteries purchased. Otherwise, they’re usually a buck or less. Well worth it.

Also, I don’t have that model, but I’ve had very good performance from my Vaporesso mods. I do have that tank, and can recommend that. So I think you’ll do just fine with the gear you’re considering.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

I DO have the Vaporesso Armor Pro. It's a sleek little beast of a mod with a good board. Easily pocketable! I am not generally an MTL vaper, but I have used the Innokin Zlide (the poorer cousin of the Zenith), and it is a fine MTL tank.

For the charger - especially if you're gonna go with the 21700 cells (highly recommended) - I don't think you'll find a better charger than the Enova Gyrfalcon All-44. I use the All-44 and the All-88 (which would be serious overkill for an individual with a single mod), and love them! I've used many others, but nothing else compares.

Speaking of single mods, I always recommend a backup. Not at first, but later on, you'll run into a situation where your primary mod quits or your primary tank has a burned coil or broken glass and it's gonna be a day or before you can get a replacement pieces parts. Having a backup can save you. I have backups for my backup's backup... I may have gone off the deep end LOL

Nothing more to say other than Ditto... you're getting lots of decent advice, here.

 

[HigherStateD]

I DO have the Vaporesso Armor Pro. It's a sleek little beast of a mod with a good board. Easily pocketable! I am not generally an MTL vaper, but I have used the Innokin Zlide (the poorer cousin of the Zenith), and it is a fine MTL tank.

For the charger - especially if you're gonna go with the 21700 cells (highly recommended) - I don't think you'll find a better charger than the Enova Gyrfalcon All-44. I use the All-44 and the All-88 (which would be serious overkill for an individual with a single mod), and love them! I've used many others, but nothing else compares.

Speaking of single mods, I always recommend a backup. Not at first, but later on, you'll run into a situation where your primary mod quits or your primary tank has a burned coil or broken glass and it's gonna be a day or before you can get a replacement pieces parts. Having a backup can save you. I have backups for my backup's backup... I may have gone off the deep end LOL

Nothing more to say other than Ditto... you're getting lots of decent advice, here.

You didn't go off the deep end, you just sampled the available offerings in an attempt to discover your unicorn setup. ;p

Sent from my XT1765 using Tapatalk

 

[dsites]

I highly recommend the Innokin T18ii. It's easy, cheap, and lasts all day. I'd also consider a strength of 18 or 24 ml (to start with). Don't worry about the initial cost because once you dial it in, vaping is extremely cheap. The 1 liter bottle of juice I started on in March ($20) will probably last me to the end of the year. Flavoring would add to the cost but not much. Jump right in because you'll be glad you did.