noob halp!

[HeadOnAPike]

So I been doing some research on this forum, and it seems that the Joye eGo or Riva are good places to start for my first PV. So what are the main differences between the two? How do the two differ. Is it battery life? Also, I read that the Riva is now shipping with a 3.7 volt battery. How does the voltage effect the smoking? Also, what is the tank system (eGo-T)? Also, I am assuming a higher mah lasts longer.

What brands of juice do you recommend? I am a social smoker that is pretty sensitive to nicotine. Keeping that in mind, would 8mg still be too low?

 

[AttyPops]

Bump to get HOP some help..... IDK about Rivas.

Zero nic is better..... or avoid vaping entirely if you can. I only suggest vaping as an alternative to tobacco use for those that are addicted. But, assuming you are an adult, you can make your own decisions. Try zero nic 1st if you must vape. Why have the nic at all?

 

[Stownz]

Ego and Riva are the same thing. Just different manufacturers. Ego was a popular name brand, and was stolen by a lot of the other china companies. So you never know if your gettting the real thing or not.

Mah=how long your battery will last

Voltage controlls almost everything when it comes to vaping. More voltage=stronger vapor/TH/flavor depending on the resistance of the atomizers. Both of those units produce the same voltage, regardless where you buy it from.

I mix my own juice to save money. I'm a very heavy vaporhead and I was not happy with how much I was spending from suppliers. Costs me under 6 cents a ml to make my own with 25% flavor and 20mg/ml nic.

I couldnt imagine anyone liking 8mg at the start. It will have very little throat hit. Try to order small bottles of verying str at the start.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

So I been doing some research on this forum, and it seems that the Joye eGo or Riva are good places to start for my first PV. So what are the main differences between the two? How do the two differ. Is it battery life? Also, I read that the Riva is now shipping with a 3.7 volt battery. How does the voltage effect the smoking? Also, what is the tank system (eGo-T)? Also, I am assuming a higher mah lasts longer.

What brands of juice do you recommend? I am a social smoker that is pretty sensitive to nicotine. Keeping that in mind, would 8mg still be too low?

The main difference between the standard eGo and standard Riva is the mAh. The eGo is a 650mAh and the Riva is a 750mAh. It's not a huge difference, but it is noticeable. The Riva, surprisingly, is also a 3.7V battery and the eGo is around 3.4V or 3.2V under load. So, the Riva will last about an hour longer than the eGo. Keep in mind, these are the standard batteries that usually come with a starter kit. Both brands also have larger batteries that you can purchase separately.

Voltage affects vaping by helping put out more power. More power equals more vapor and stronger throat hit. That's the quick and dirty answer. There's more to it than that, but that's the simplest way to explain it.

The eGo-T uses a cone shaped atomizer and a "clear" tank so you can see how much juice left. I haven't tried one, so I really can't tell you whether they're worth it or not.

There really isn't a way for anyone to tell you which nicotine level to use. The general rule is use the nicotine strength that will satisfy your cravings and keep you off the cigarettes. I would suggest trying 8mg and if you're still wanting a cigarette, bump up the strength a little bit. Like AttyPops said, you can always use 0mg nicotine and just vape for the flavor.

I usually DIY my juice, but when I buy I get it from either Gourmet Vapor or VaporBomb. Since you're new, I would lean towards VaporBomb. They're a little cheaper and they're juice is wonderful. Get yourself several 5ml bottles of different flavors to try so you can figure out what you like best.

Happy vaping and welcome!

 

[HeadOnAPike]

Bump to get HOP some help..... IDK about Rivas.

Zero nic is better..... or avoid vaping entirely if you can. I only suggest vaping as an alternative to tobacco use for those that are addicted. But, assuming you are an adult, you can make your own decisions. Try zero nic 1st if you must vape. Why have the nic at all?

Thankfully I have a non-addictive personality and I start and stop smoking when I want. But I don't like the smell of cigs and am sensitive enough to nicotine where I will only smoke a half a cig at a time (for about 2-3 cigs a day). I don't like the smell that's left over though, or the cost, or the carcinogens so I would rather have a PV with a smaller amount of nicotine. The nicotine helps me concentrate, as I have ADD.

If I am smoking half cigs, is 8mg enough, or should I start at 16? Is 36 the strength of a regular cig? I like camel turkish silvers, which I know has about .5mg per cig.

 

[Rosa]

If I am smoking half cigs, is 8mg enough, or should I start at 16? Is 36 the strength of a regular cig? I like camel turkish silvers, which I know has about .5mg per cig.

There really is no correlation between what you smoke now and how much mg your nic should be: some 2 pack a day smokers do well with 12mg and some 1/2 pack a day smokers still need 24mg to quit. But since you aren't addicted but nicotine has been shown to help with ADD (true), then I'd start with very low nic, like 6-8mg, and see how it goes from there.

In your case it actually helps that you are not addicted, because you won't be suffering with withdrawals like many of us did if we started with a nic level that was too low.


** a note to my fellow ECF members: I normally don't recommend that people who are not addicted to nicotine begin any kind of vaping (even at 0mg). However, because the OP has ADD the nicotine actually may benefit them.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

There isn't really a direct correlation between the types of cigarettes, how much you smoked and the nic level you should use when vaping. The general rule is to use a level that will make you feel satisfied and curb any cravings you might have.

You could get some juice with 8mg and some with 16mg and see which works better for you. If you're using the 8mg and still wanting to smoke, try the 16mg.

 

[HeadOnAPike]

So can you guys recommend a specific eGo or Riva starter kit from a specific site?

 

[WomanOfHeart]

I would try Liberty-Flights. The standard eGo is $49.99 and Riva kits are $42.99 with the 20% discount. Click the Discount Code tab at the top to get the latest code. Make sure that you also get at least 2 spare atomizers just to make sure you have a couple of back-ups.

 

[Pneathery]

Liberty flights also has a Riva 510 kit for $29.99, after you push the 20% off button on top left hand side (you have to click it BEFORE you start adding things to your cart, or it doesn't work).
The whole nicotine level is very subjective, as others have already said. The 5ml bottles are all pretty cheap, so I would buy one of each, till you find one that does it for you. I don't know if I would go all the way up to 36mg, since you are so sensitive, but if you ended up with a 24mg strength, and it was too much, you can cut it with one of a few things, either 0mg nicotine juice, straight up glycerine from a craft store in the cake decorating area, or DISTILLED water.
I smoked up to 5 PAD when I started vaping, so for me, I CHAIN VAPE 24mg, and it doesn't satisfy me sometimes, just be careful.
I guess if you are smoking, then it is WAY better that you are getting your nic fix in a way that isn't as harmful as actually smoking. Good luck.

 

[HeadOnAPike]

So it says that the eGo has a a battery that lasts 3.5 times longer than the Riva 510. Is this true? If so, I see no reason not to spend the extra $10 on the eGo.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

So it says that the eGo has a a battery that lasts 3.5 times longer than the Riva 510. Is this true? If so, I see no reason not to spend the extra $10 on the eGo.

Only if you're looking at the 900 or 1000mAh eGo batteries. The standard eGo kit has a 650mAh battery and the standard Riva is a 750mAh, so the Riva wins by a slight margin.

 

[Stosh]

So it says that the eGo has a a battery that lasts 3.5 times longer than the Riva 510. Is this true? If so, I see no reason not to spend the extra $10 on the eGo.

Sometimes the advertising is using apples to oranges comparisons. The ego or riva batteries are available in different sizes, the mah rating (milliampere hours) determines how long the battery lasts.
ego and riva are 650 and 750 respectivatly, but are available in sizes up to 1300mah (which can last some for 2 days)

 

[HeadOnAPike]

I am looking at the Riva 510 at liberty flights and there is cartomizer version. What's that and how does that compare?

 

[Buzzy]

Ecigs can be either two piece - battery and cartomizer - or three piece - battery + atomizer + cartridge. A cartomizer combines an atomizer and a cartridge together. The advantages of a cartomizer are easier to refill; slightly shorter in length; consistent vapor. The disadvantages of a cartomizer are: hard to change flavors with the same cartomizer; harder to clean; and for some, not quite as clean of a flavor (though not all agree about this). The advantages of an atomizer + cartridge: an atomizer lasts a lot longer than a cartomizer in overall lifespan; an atomizer is more easily cleaned; cartridges themselves last almost indefinitely if you change out the filler (polyfill). The disadvantages are: an atomizer is more expensive than a cartomizer even though it lasts longer; it is more complex - many do not get the results that they want until they replace the polyfill in the cartridge with a "blue foam mod."

A five pack of cartomizers cost 8 to 10 dollars. A single atomizer is 8 to 10 dollars. And they will average out on lifespan, but the atomizer still gets the edge because it can last months with care (and luck).

Check out the ECF library section, the "Wonderful World of Vaping" series for more detail.
Good luck! (And personally, I would say start with cartomizers, and then move to atomizer + cartridge if you do not find them satisfying. Cartomizers and cartridges can both be refilled, so buy some extra juice in a variety of flavors.)

 

[HeadOnAPike]

Thanks for the quick help guys! I went with a Riva 510 and got 5ml of 8mg and 5ml of 14mg juice.

@Buzzy. I went with an atomizer right before you posted that. I'll tell you guys how it goes. Finally something to smoke without the guilt, smell and harm of cigs!

 

[Rosa]

One of the reasons that I like to recommend the Riva or eGo is that they are compatible with so many different vaping methods. I recommend that you just pick one and then later you can add on different compatible parts until you find your perfect vape.

Here are a few ways you can use the Riva or eGo:

• battery + atomizer + cart
• battery + atomizer + drip tip
• battery + cartomizer
• battery + LR cartomizers
• battery + LR atomizer + drip tip
• battery + clearomizer
• battery + mega atomizer + mega cart
• battery + ego cartomizer
• battery + eGo-T atomizer + eGo-T tank


...it goes on and on... you just have to jump in and start and then ask questions and try things and pretty soon you'll figure it all out. I recommend starting with the standard basic kit and, if you can afford it, a box of 510 cartomizers.