newbie here

[temchik]

Hi everybody,

Just though I'd introduce myself and share a bit of my story, maybe it will help some other newbie

My name is %username% and I have vaping for over a month and have been 100% analog-free for a week now. I have read thousands of pages about e-cigarettes and, while I got the theory down, it's still like a deep forest when it comes to what exactly I need

First I got me an Ego-T Mega kit after my friend's recommendation and it was "meh". Did not satisfy me... Vapor was there but still craved like crazy (Once I get enough post count I may try to sell off what's left of the kit - both batteries and unused atomizer/tanks, if it's worth it...)

Then I stumbled upon a little branded kit in a local store that looked like a cigarette and while the taste and throat hit was just awful, I dripped some peach liquid into the carts and it became bearable. The battery happened to be a KR808, so I quickly ordered some blank cartomizers and have been using them since then. The liquid of choice - 18mg VG USA Virginia from TheVaporPro.

The cravings somewhat subsided after a week... Today I received some 36mg PG juice from V4L... God it's awful! The 555 tastes like garbage and KANT tastes like burning rubber. But, I decided to try mixing the 36mg PG 555 from V4L with some 18mg VG Peach from TheVaporPro in a 50/50 proportion - hmm... not bad at all and I think I just had the most satisfying smoke in a week!

Having used 100% VG all this time I think PG just won't cut it for me, too much of a hit, I literally struggle through every puff with virtually no vapor and a sore throat after...

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with all of this, I am very impatient and even a little hurdle may stop me from continuing, but this time I want it to stick.

It seems it is so subjective and personal when it comes to e-cigarettes that no single brand/combination will satisfy 2 people, it's maddening

Even the seemingly same KR808 setup from different manufacturers don't work the same and produce a different smoking experience...

Veterans, how did you settle on a particular combination of battery/carto/juice combination? Lots of trial and error (and money)?

 

[D4rk50ul]

Yes it is lots of trial and error and money, but in comparison to the $10 a pack of smokes cost me and my well being its really not that bad.

I budget myself $150-$300 a month for vape related gear which is about 1/2 to 2/3 what I would spend on smoking and I always try new things. I have tons of backups and a huge collection of juices at varying strengths. I am 100% sure I could get by with about $30-$50 a month max but I prefer to look at this like a hobby.

PG has that effect on some people, I would stick to what works. Keep in mind your taste buds will be in constant change and juice that you hate now might be your all day vape a month from now.

 

[Sicarius]

Welcome to ECF %username%

Not a vet on ECF but vaping since Screwdriver Mk1. Tried a couple of Ego's and Go-go's before buying a Provari. Saved me money in the long run.

 

[jono77]

Its all about the trial and error. Everyone seams to have different experiences

 

[jinijazz]

I second trial and error. I've tried most of non-mod devices, and settled down with eGo-C.
Juice is really subjective, online review never helped me. Keep trying!

 

[skittlepimp]

Thanks for the post. I'm looking at it from the side of every cent that I don't spend on analogues, is a penny to put somewhere else. (And that's a chunk of change). I'm leaning toward making this somewhat of a hobby, but I'm new, and who knows what I'll think about it in a couple of months.

It really helps that my friend is a dedicated Vaper. (I just made a funny....Vaper...vapor...get it?) I think she and I will be in cahoots for awhile sharing eliquids and the like.

 

[Sweeney Todd]

Hey there!

I'd suggest you hold on to your Ego-T batteries, because a $7-9 5-pack of Boge 510 LR 2.0 ohm cartomizers will breathe some new life into that unit. That's a configuration much closer to what you're doing with the 808, and it might be nice to have a unit for home use. (Always good to have a backup PV, as well.)

From what I've read on ECF and heard talking to people, every vaper's journey is different. I turned my wife on to vaping, and the two of us have had different nic strengths, preferences for juices, even preference for devices (she's a fiend for artsy drip tips, and I'm jealous of her personal charging case she has in her purse). She's the most data I have to compare and for both of us we found a couple of juices we were comfortable with and got used to using the PVs after a week or so and a half-dozen orders from various suppliers. I feel like we'll keep looking for better equipment and flavors for the forseeable future, as a hobby.

If you're interested in trying some flavors that are really different from what you've been vaping so far, I'd suggest you check out Pinkspotvapors.com . My wife loves their fruity flavors, and their Swagger tobacco mix is my go-to vape. We've had really good luck with every sample we tried tasting exactly like you'd want it to. I'm not sure of their VG/PG mix, but my wife coughs from high PG%s and PinkSpot hasn't given her any problem.

 

[kabonk]

I bought a lot of 5ml samples from a lot of different vendors when I first started but I got lucky and found juice I liked right away, as far as equipment a ego style e-cig got me to quit smoking the first day I tried it but with in a week I was buying 5v box mod then I moved on to 3.7v bottom feeding mods with a 1.5 lr attys I stayed with that for a long time before I moved on to vv mods with carto tanks.

 

[Traver]

Welcome to ECF %username%

Not a vet on ECF but vaping since Screwdriver Mk1. Tried a couple of Ego's and Go-go's before buying a Provari. Saved me money in the long run.

I'll second that. It may be hard to believe but a provari will save you money.

Even the seemingly same KR808 setup from different manufacturers don't work the same and produce a different smoking experience...

That's because when someone refers to a KR808 or a 510 they may only be talking about the thread to the carto.

 

[MegaBee]

if you are looking for one like you are currently using with a bit more oomph try a volt. Smokeless Image | Only The Best Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarettes | Wholesale Electronic Cigarettes | E-Cigarette | Best Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarette they have a couple of decent juices that I am currently enjoying, mostly so far I like their RY4. I am waiting to taste more when my next order comes. The batteries are very hardy and the auto performs just as good as the manual so for simplicity I will no longer be buying the manuals. They come with a great personal charging case that keeps one battery charging while you are using one. I recommend buying at least 3 if you are a heavy vapor and experiencing withdrawals from cigs. You can buy blank cartomizers from them and so far after using many other devices (including egos and 510's) I find these cartomizers EXCELLENT! If you want simplicity with a good vapour and throat hit nice and warm vapour like a ciggy thats where I would encourage you to go.

 

[Retriever]

A second vote for the Volt! It is a great unit and they have good customer service as well. Of course, only you can decide what is right for you, so you might have to try several things out.

 

[temchik]

Wow, so many replies in such a short period of time, thank you, guys!

I do realize that I will spend the same on vapor products in the beginning than I used to spend on cigs (about $250/mo).

I did try Boge 2.0 on Ego and coughed like a dog! I really like smooth hit and lots of vapor of VG on a regular carto, I think my "go to" setup will be 808 with regular cartos and 18-36mg Virginia/Peach mix from TheVaporPro - at this point I need to eliminate my analog addiction before I can make it a hobby.

But I can see that you guys will have me experiment further much sooner than I had thought

 

[Traver]

if you are looking for one like you are currently using with a bit more oomph try a volt

Unless you are using a low ohm carotmizer and you should not with this battery, I don't know what this means. But here is how it works.

The more power a battery sends to the coil the more juice that can be vaporized.
power = watts
More volts = more watts = more hit and vapor.
Lower ohms = more watts = more hit and vapor.

Using more watts will also drain your battery faster. A larger battery, more milliamps, will last longer.

With the same voltage you will get a lot more hit and smoke with a 2.0 ohm cartomizer than with a 3.0 ohm cartomizer. To say a battery gives good smoke and hit doesn't really mean anything. It is the combination of battery votlage and cartomizer ohms that matters.

 

[Nikkita6]

Sorry you are having a hard time finding something which satisfies you. I guess the journey is different for all of us. I made my way through fairly quickly, and was lucky enough to find something pretty satisfying straight away.

My personal opinion is that newbie's should start off simple with an analog type, and get the hang for the basics of vaping before venturing into deeper waters. Once you get the hang of vaping, and figure out what you like vs what you feel you are missing, you can then take that information and start looking for set ups that meet that criteria.

Finding the perfect juice seems to be the obstacle for most in the beginning, because I don't care what PV you start with, if you don't have juice that you enjoy, then you simply will not feel satisfied. I say work on finding juices that do it for you, and then tackle the next best PV for you.

 

[varon]

Traver is right on, as I found out, I did buy a provari early on into vaping and off analogs, I am now saving money by first; staying off cigarrettes and second by sticking with my provari, I really don't see a reason now to buy any other ecig, a variable voltage mod is so versatile that you can use different combos of cartos and juice for different types of vapes be it smooth or a little hoter.
You have now many more choices to go with than even a few months ago, a couple of less expensive units have hit the market since I bought the provari, the Lavatube being one.
IMO variable voltage is where it's at, but like others have said, everyones experience will vary.

 

[Traver]

One of the things you have to consider that when you stop smoking your taste is going to change. Even if you find something you like it may taste like nothing or worse the next day. Another thing with 100% pg your cartos may not wicking fast enough. That would alter the taste for the worse. Cutting your juice with png in the form of everclear or vodka may help. Distilled water will work but not quite as well. Personally I use 50vg/50pg.
Next is your KR808. I don't know which one you have but originally the KR808 was an unregulated 3.7 volt battery. Meaning that when fully charged it would start at 4.2 volts quickly drop to 3.7 and slowly go down to 3.2 and stop. From beginning to end your vape would be changing along with the amount of hit, smoke and flavor.

Having used 100% VG all this time I think PG just won't cut it for me, too much of a hit, I literally struggle through every puff with virtually no vapor and a sore throat after...

That no vapor part really sounds like the carto isn't wicking and a dry burn.

I don't know what you mean by regular cartos but with a KR808 it sounds like you want something around 2.5 to 3.0 ohms.
Maybe 3.0 with KR808 and 2.5 ohms with an ego. The ego a 3.7 volt battery and has a regulated working voltage of 3.4, hence the lower ohm carto.

If I were you I would get a couple of atomizers at 2.5 and 3.0 ohms. Then find some places with flavor samplers and drip. Dripping will let you try those flavors without contaminating a carto with a flavor you don't like. It is also the purest form of vaping in the sense of getting exactly what that flavor should taste like.

You can also get adapters to switch cartos between the KR808 and an ego or the other way.

 

[temchik]

Well, it looks like I need a lot more 808 batteries, one lasts me maybe an hour or two and the PCC I just got outputs 4.2V at 200mAh, so it'll take forever to charge... Thankfully I got an USB passthrough, just don't like it that much compared to cool vape of 3.7v...

I can see a lot of people are trying to go higher voltage and lower resistance, may be I will be there, just not yet... I never liked a throat hit with analogs either...

As far as my batteries go I think they are pretty decent when it comes to voltage, I get consistent vapor production down to the last puff and then it stops.

And thanks for the suggestion to keep the Ego-T batteries, I might order some 510 cartos (~3ohms for now) or maybe even smaller attys/tanks - the Mega is just too much for me, I like my cigs round

 

[clubmaster]

hello

 

[stephpd]

If LR cartos were leaving to strong a TH then try a few different resistance cartos. 2.5, 3.0 3.5. One will come close to hitting your sweet spot. No need to get a 5 pack if they're to strong for you.

Flavors of juice are a very personal preference so try a few samples from different vendors to see what you like before putting down money for larger bottles.

 

[deach]

Juice and the actual preferred device is a very personal thing. You have however been given some great suggestions here and I think you'll find your niche soon. Good luck and welcome.
Deach