NoOb PoSt - let's see if I have this right (and hopefully not a duplicate...)

[daev]

I'm sick of smoke, and all the health & social negatives it engenders. So I find myself here, as I am definitly, long-time addicted to nicotine and the whole "put the little thing in your mouth and suck" (!!) thing. I've been smoking a pack and a half a day of these mini-cigar things (Cheyenne), which are basically a particular company's way of getting around cig taxes by using very light cigar 'baccy in a cig tube. All that means is that they are a bit stronger than almost any cig, nicotine wise, i imagine. About $14 a carton. Very cheap. Really nasty. I've tried a few (expensive) higher dosage disposable e-cigs, and they seemed to meet my addiction's needs just fine for the time they lasted. Which leads me to believe that vaping is my best option, considering the outright failures I have had in quitting. (25 years of smoking)


After a day of pouring through the forums, and looking at multitude of sales outlet sites, I have come up with something of a list. If I am making some error, or if I've missed something, please please please tell me!


Seems like folks recommend the mid-size body style for a first PV. (Though i am tempted to just dive right into mods with their generic batteries.) And VV gets a lot of raves as well. As an electrical engineer, VW sounds like an even better thing, with less fiddling and more vaping. So I found this:
$39.54 iTaste VW V3.0 7-in-1 Variable Voltage Rechargeable 800mAh Electronic Cigarettes Set - vv-3.0 at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
It comes with battery, chargers, and 5 1.6mL clearomizers.


First set of questions. Is it safe to buy this Innokin Itaste VV/VW V3.0 from Fasttech.com? I saw a few comments about them and was wondering if its worth the risk to save some dollars. If someone thinks/knows it's a rip-off, what would be my next option for a deal on the Itaste? Is it worth getting anything from FastTech? Is this Itaste a good choice for a first e-cig?


Second question. I've seen a bit in the forums about the bottom coil vs top coil preferences. These are replaceable dual coil units. Do I still need to get bottom coil and top coil units to try out?


Next question. This unit can be used as a passthrough, if I understand the term correctly. It can be used while it is plugged in and recharging. I work from home, and spend the majority of the day solidly lodged in my desk chair. Do I still want to get a second battery to start? How long do these things last? (Given, for a VW, getting two for ~$40 each at FastTech wouldnt be too painful.)


I thought I'd also get a 3mL clearomizer as well to try out. (replaceable dual coil Innokin)


And then there is the question about juice. If I read the forum posts correctly, 4 drops equals a cigarette. Pharmacists say 20 drops per mL. Lets say 15 drops per mL for added viscosity. (Is that right?) At 30 cigs a day, and 210 a week, that means 840 drops, or about 56mL of juice a week. And since I'm currently smoking watered down cigars, I imagine 24mg potency is a must to start out on, with maybe some 18mg for late night if I find I can't sleep.


So, 60mL at 24mg per week. And if I want to keep my budget the same, I have to get that shipped to my door for about $14.


The disposable e-cigs i mentioned earlier tasted like air. (But, then, so do cigs compared to these mini-cigars!) So I'm pretty sure I won't need to get something tobacco-y tasting. And I dearly want to stop smelling like the ... end of an ashtray. Something berry like maybe. Or cappuccino-ish. Heck, I could probably get away with unflavored. I just don't know. Cig taste has never ever been a factor in which cigs I bought, always just strength and cost. Hence the Cheyenne's. Also, from what I have been reading here, most peeps prefer a 50/50 PG/VG mix, though 70/30 or even 75/25 seems to be available at lower prices.


I'm willing to try out a mess of different flavors and types to begin with, but eventually I have to be able to get the flavor/mix i want, at 24mg (and 18mg) strength, at some PG/VG mix that agrees with me, at 60mL per week for $14 or so. Is that possible?


Any and all suggestions will be entertained!

 

[Myrany]

Generally from my experience with fasttech if it SAYS it has a name brand then it is genuine. In this case Inokin. So the mod itself should be decent. Personal experience with clearomizers from fasttech, they are hit or miss.

If you are going to order juice from somewhere other than fasttech maybe pick up a GLASS (Pyrex) Kanger Protank and some extra replacement heads for it.. That gets you a bottom coil that is glass so no worry about using juices in it that will crack/cloud/melt plastic. Also since you are an engineer you will probably be able to pick up the methodology of rebuilding the heads on the Kangers easily enough so those replacement heads can be rebuilt many times (lots of videos on how to do this out there) That is for the future after you get comfy vaping, just putting it out there that it is possible.

You want multiple of everything. Backups are critical. Backup battery device, backup clearo's and heads, and a backup charger. You never know when you will drop/break/loose something and if it is all you have that can be a disaster to your quitting efforts.

THe drops to ML conversion of juices just doesn't work too many variable there. To give you a ballpark most people I know vape 3-5ML a day. Hopefully that will help you sort the amount you need.

 

[daev]

Generally from my experience with fasttech if it SAYS it has a name brand then it is genuine. In this case Inokin. So the mod itself should be decent. Personal experience with clearomizers from fasttech, they are hit or miss.

If you are going to order juice from somewhere other than fasttech maybe pick up a GLASS (Pyrex) Kanger Protank and some extra replacement heads for it.. That gets you a bottom coil that is glass so no worry about using juices in it that will crack/cloud/melt plastic. Also since you are an engineer you will probably be able to pick up the methodology of rebuilding the heads on the Kangers easily enough so those replacement heads can be rebuilt many times (lots of videos on how to do this out there) That is for the future after you get comfy vaping, just putting it out there that it is possible.

You want multiple of everything. Backups are critical. Backup battery device, backup clearo's and heads, and a backup charger. You never know when you will drop/break/loose something and if it is all you have that can be a disaster to your quitting efforts.

THe drops to ML conversion of juices just doesn't work too many variable there. To give you a ballpark most people I know vape 3-5ML a day. Hopefully that will help you sort the amount you need.

excellent! brand names only from fasttech, pyrex rebuild-able tank for future use, backups of everything all noted. and if i'm only using 5mL a day, it's even cheaper. yay!

 

[Berylanna]

Dunno about Fastech, I have a Gripper.

No way you can get by with only 1 topper or only 1 battery unless you want to keep smoking. You need one to charge, clean, fill, etc.

But if you want to START with only 1, then get the passthrough, get a topper (top coil or bottom coil), play with them, see what you think. Then for your second purchase, get the opposite of what you got the first time.

Here's where you are confusing people: people who just want to test vaping usually get a Blu disposable for $10 and try it, or another disposable. They are overpriced for regular vaping (horribly!) but because they do not come apart, they behave better than inexpensive rechargeable+cartridge kits.

But people who want VW are typically dedicated vapers, and we NEED to not be stuck without our vapes, PERIOD. Can't go to the gas station at midnight and get something acceptable. (Well, maybe times have changed, but that is what we are used to.)

So the advice is normally for a full safety net via redundancy, not for an expensive setup to see if you might like to vape.

 

[Vander615]

The little kit you showed is an Innokin kit and includes the Innokin IClear 16 Clearomizers.I would say you are safe as far as quality you are getting on your tanks.

 

[daev]

Dunno about Fastech, I have a Gripper.

No way you can get by with only 1 topper or only 1 battery unless you want to keep smoking. You need one to charge, clean, fill, etc.

But if you want to START with only 1, then get the passthrough, get a topper (top coil or bottom coil), play with them, see what you think. Then for your second purchase, get the opposite of what you got the first time.

Here's where you are confusing people: people who just want to test vaping usually get a Blu disposable for $10 and try it, or another disposable. They are overpriced for regular vaping (horribly!) but because they do not come apart, they behave better than inexpensive rechargeable+cartridge kits.

But people who want VW are typically dedicated vapers, and we NEED to not be stuck without our vapes, PERIOD. Can't go to the gas station at midnight and get something acceptable. (Well, maybe times have changed, but that is what we are used to.)

So the advice is normally for a full safety net via redundancy, not for an expensive setup to see if you might like to vape.

considering i've spent about $40 on disposable e-cigs already, which seemed to work, and that im not afraid to drop $100 bucks on something that looks really promising, VW seemed like the way to go. (i HAVE vaped before, just not nicotine...) if i can get a workable VW for the price i found, buying 2 units costs $80, plus liquid. i mean, why start with something cheap that i might hate (leading to failure) when i can get something that most folks think is a do-able long term answer? up front cost is not what i worry so much about. its the monthly recurring costs of liquid and supplies that define what the total cost is.

as you say, though, i would be smart to get 2 of everything.

 

[Myrany]

considering i've spent about $40 on disposable e-cigs already, which seemed to work, and that im not afraid to drop $100 bucks on something that looks really promising, VW seemed like the way to go. (i HAVE vaped before, just not nicotine...) if i can get a workable VW for the price i found, buying 2 units costs $80, plus liquid. i mean, why start with something cheap that i might hate (leading to failure) when i can get something that most folks think is a do-able long term answer? up front cost is not what i worry so much about. its the monthly recurring costs of liquid and supplies that define what the total cost is.

as you say, though, i would be smart to get 2 of everything.

If you can keep your hardware buying in check the juice and replacement heads for the clearo's really isn't that big an expense. Partiuclarly if you later decide to DIY juice and rebuild the heads you already bought rather than toss them out. WOrd of advice keep those old dead heads for later rebuilding if that sounds at all interesting.

At this point my vaping costs me less than $10 a month BUT I rebuild heads and make my own juice which are both something more advanced.

My point in even mentioning this is the cost does go down if you control your spending on the hardware. Most of us however end up turning vaping into a hobby and you know how expensive hobbys can get.

 

[3percenter]

Welcome! I smoked for 26 years. Here is the setup I used - no cravings so far (I'm a noob as well)

Got a Lavatube V2 and a Kanger protank 3 days ago - smoke free for 3 days. This setup actually is working for me. Tried patches, gum and the V2 cigs - still had cravings. With the current setup no craving so far (fingers crossed). Using Blue Water Punch liquid. Volcanoecigs.com

 

[Myrany]

Welcome! I smoked for 26 years. Here is the setup I used - no cravings so far (I'm a noob as well)

Got a Lavatube V2 and a Kanger protank 3 days ago - smoke free for 3 days. This setup actually is working for me. Tried patches, gum and the V2 cigs - still had cravings. With the current setup no craving so far (fingers crossed). Using Blue Water Punch liquid. Volcanoecigs.com

There are many great PVs out there. I ended up with a Vamo myself because when I looked at the volcano it only did VV not VW and the Vamo does both.

Gratz on 3 days!

 

[Bill's Magic Vapor]

Seems like folks recommend the mid-size body style for a first PV. (Though i am tempted to just dive right into mods with their generic batteries.) And VV gets a lot of raves as well. As an electrical engineer, VW sounds like an even better thing, with less fiddling and more vaping. So I found this:

$39.54 iTaste VW V3.0 7-in-1 Variable Voltage Rechargeable 800mAh Electronic Cigarettes Set - vv-3.0 at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

You need two batteries, so try this one with that set:

$24.80 iTaste VV Voltage Adjustable 800mAh Rechargeable Battery - two digit display / with USB charging cable at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

First set of questions. Is it safe to buy this Innokin Itaste VV/VW V3.0 from Fasttech.com? I saw a few comments about them and was wondering if its worth the risk to save some dollars. If someone thinks/knows it's a rip-off, what would be my next option for a deal on the Itaste? Is it worth getting anything from FastTech? Is this Itaste a good choice for a first e-cig?

Yes, I'm on my 8th order from Fasttech. Average Delivery about 10 days, ranging from 8 days to 15 days. Prices are unbeatable and the Innokin, Kanger, Kamry, etc. are the genuine article, so no quality problems. Yes, the iTaste 3.0 is an excellent stick battery to begin. There's nothing better. Like the twist, BUT also variable wattage, Ohms meter, battery detector, LED display, +/- buttons and smaller than the Twist/Spinner form factor. BUT YOU NEED TWO.

Second question. I've seen a bit in the forums about the bottom coil vs top coil preferences. These are replaceable dual coil units. Do I still need to get bottom coil and top coil units to try out?

Suggest you try the evod. These from Fasttech are excellent:

$24.78 EVOD Electronic Cigarette Round Mouth Atomizer (10-Pack / 1.5mL) 10-pack - 2.4

With these replacement heads:

$4.58 EVOD Electronic Cigarettes Atomizer Heating Core (5-Pack) 5-pack - 2.4

Next question. This unit can be used as a passthrough, if I understand the term correctly. It can be used while it is plugged in and recharging. I work from home, and spend the majority of the day solidly lodged in my desk chair. Do I still want to get a second battery to start? How long do these things last? (Given, for a VW, getting two for ~$40 each at FastTech wouldnt be too painful.)

Not a true passthrough, but will work close enough. The USB micro connection charges the battery and then the battery is used in vaping. You still need a backup battery. The $25 kit above also has it's own charger.

And then there is the question about juice. If I read the forum posts correctly, 4 drops equals a cigarette. Pharmacists say 20 drops per mL. Lets say 15 drops per mL for added viscosity. (Is that right?) At 30 cigs a day, and 210 a week, that means 840 drops, or about 56mL of juice a week. And since I'm currently smoking watered down cigars, I imagine 24mg potency is a must to start out on, with maybe some 18mg for late night if I find I can't sleep.


So, 60mL at 24mg per week. And if I want to keep my budget the same, I have to get that shipped to my door for about $14.


The disposable e-cigs i mentioned earlier tasted like air. (But, then, so do cigs compared to these mini-cigars!) So I'm pretty sure I won't need to get something tobacco-y tasting. And I dearly want to stop smelling like the ... end of an ashtray. Something berry like maybe. Or cappuccino-ish. Heck, I could probably get away with unflavored. I just don't know. Cig taste has never ever been a factor in which cigs I bought, always just strength and cost. Hence the Cheyenne's. Also, from what I have been reading here, most peeps prefer a 50/50 PG/VG mix, though 70/30 or even 75/25 seems to be available at lower prices.


I'm willing to try out a mess of different flavors and types to begin with, but eventually I have to be able to get the flavor/mix i want, at 24mg (and 18mg) strength, at some PG/VG mix that agrees with me, at 60mL per week for $14 or so. Is that possible?

Based on your smoking history, I would start at 24 mg/ml for the first few days/weeks. a 60/50 or 50/50 mix of PG/VG is a good place to start. The $14 per week is certainly possible, but, remember, the first few weeks/months are going to be spent finding the right gear and juice and you may not save a lot at first. So what? You're not smoking, and VapeQuest has many rewards in addition to saving money. Regarding juices -- two words -- Sampler packs. Several places have them. I got my first sampler packs from MFS:

E-Liquid - Sample E-Liquid - MyFreedomSmokes.com

They have tobacco, menthol, mint, exotic and drink sampler packs. I would get most of them to start, find your juice, order more in the right strength for you. In the long run, this will save a lot of money. 20 samplers is about $40, but not $100, or more to find out approximately what you like. You can also get some in VG, some in PG and see for yourself about the differences. You can combine flavors to "create your own." VapeQuest is half the fun, and part of the reason that Vaping so often becomes a hobby for us. Good Luck, welcome aboard, Power up and Vape On!

 

[Berylanna]

as you say, though, i would be smart to get 2 of everything.

So, that is the point. The evod is bottom coil, there are others. The ViVi Nova and the CE4 are each top coil, there are others.

But top-coil and bottom coil vape quite differently, so if you need to start with 2 "toppers" anyway, it was suggested you start with 1 of each so you'll know which you like.

 

[daev]

So, that is the point. The evod is bottom coil, there are others. The ViVi Nova and the CE4 are each top coil, there are others.

But top-coil and bottom coil vape quite differently, so if you need to start with 2 "toppers" anyway, it was suggested you start with 1 of each so you'll know which you like.

Ok, let me see if I'm understanding you. What you are saying is that, though it may be nice to have a fancy battery, what might be more important to focus on for a good vaping experience (besides the actual juice itself) is the thing that holds, heats, vaporizes, and delivers the juice into to your mouth and throat. Which, frankly, makes a lot of sense!

And we have evods and klanger protanks and other clearomizers with bottom coils, and vivi novas and ce4s that are top coil clearomizers, and that i should try them out. What other major types do we have, or is there a noobie FAQ I've stupidly missed? (not unlikely, lol) There are the dual coils, something called a RBV/RDV dripper i saw in one thread (Phoenix RBA dripper, which apparently holds about 12 drops), and a dizzying array of terms and materials; SS/aluminum/acrylic/pyrex/dripper/cartomizer/atomizer/clearomizer/drip-tip/tank/etc. etc. ad infinitum!!

Hep! Hep! I drownin in new stuff! Someone throw me a line!

 

[Berylanna]

Ok, let me see if I'm understanding you. What you are saying is that, though it may be nice to have a fancy battery, what might be more important to focus on for a good vaping experience (besides the actual juice itself) is the thing that holds, heats, vaporizes, and delivers the juice into to your mouth and throat. Which, frankly, makes a lot of sense!

And we have evods and klanger protanks and other clearomizers with bottom coils, and vivi novas and ce4s that are top coil clearomizers, and that i should try them out. What other major types do we have, or is there a noobie FAQ I've stupidly missed? (not unlikely, lol) There are the dual coils, something called a RBV/RDV dripper i saw in one thread (Phoenix RBA dripper, which apparently holds about 12 drops), and a dizzying array of terms and materials; SS/aluminum/acrylic/pyrex/dripper/cartomizer/atomizer/clearomizer/drip-tip/tank/etc. etc. ad infinitum!!

Hep! Hep! I drownin in new stuff! Someone throw me a line!

Worry about dual coils, RBV (whatever that is), drippers, etc after you're vaping. Just get one top coil and one bottom coil to start. If/when you need another unit, get more of the one you like best if you like it a LOT, or get a different brand of top/bottom, whichever you liked better.

I'd suggest Vision Vivi Nova for top coil, and Busardo rated Kanger T3 the best bottom coil, but that was before the evod. I can't say because I've tried the evod and find it too airy, but my Kanger MT3s only arrived last night and has not been tried yet.

First, learn to vape. Then, learn to vape better. (The Vivi Nova, evod, Kanger T3s (MUST have the 's' !) all have replaceable heads, you'll need some from the beginning -- you'll have to switch them out AT LEAST to clean, and possibly to replace, sometime in the first week or two. I'm now getting more like a month between switching heads on my Novas, I don't know if that is because I'm better at vaping or they're better at making heads. Dunno about the CE. The heads for the Nova and evod are both rebuildable, I'd guess the others might be also, but you won't want to get into that for awhile.

Back in the Dread of Deeming days, rebuildability was everyone's top priority, so now a lot of things are rebuildable. But now you have at least until October, possibly another year after that, before you have to get into that.

 

[daev]

You need two batteries, so try this one with that set:

$24.80 iTaste VV Voltage Adjustable 800mAh Rechargeable Battery - two digit display / with USB charging cable at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Ok, I'm sold on two batteries. The one you just recommended brings up two questions.

First, it is VV but not VW. Does this really matter? Please excuse my annoying tendency to dip into electronics, but the only reason we would need VW is if the coil resistance changes significantly as it heats up and cools down, or if these resistance characteristics varied from coil to coil when you change carts, right? If resistance is constant, all you need is VV. (Watts = Volts x Current = (Volts^2)/Resistance) And why aren't things using Temp as the control variable, like in vaporizers for certain other substances? (Admittedly, temp is important for those other things because you only want to volatize certain things without setting the rest on fire!)

Second is, again, its VV but not VW like the first one i chose. Am I only going to use this second cheaper one in emergencies if my main one dies? Or am I going to be using it regularly, charging one while using the other, and swapping when the active one needs recharging?

Yes, I'm on my 8th order from Fasttech...

Cool. That should save a few bucks.

Suggest you try the evod. These from Fasttech are excellent:

Evods, check! But do I really need 10 to try out? I get 5 of the Itaste dual coils with the one I chose already. maybe one of those evods and a Klanger protank knockoff? and maybe vivi nova and CE4 knockoffs? I ~am~ supposed to be experimenting here, and as you say later on in your post, I might as well experiment early, saving money and increasing satisfaction for the long term. I have the play money, why not use it for something that could save my life.

Based on your smoking history, I would start at 24 mg/ml for the first few days/weeks. a 60/50 or 50/50 mix of PG/VG is a good place to start. The $14 per week is certainly possible, but, remember, the first few weeks/months are going to be spent finding the right gear and juice and you may not save a lot at first. So what? You're not smoking, and VapeQuest has many rewards in addition to saving money.

Amen. Not inhaling smoke would be a very good thing. Last month I dropped $130 on my first SSD drive, and my PC now runs 3 times as fast. This month I'll use my play money to try and get rid of inhaling smoke. That sounds like a much more worthwhile investment/experiment to me.

Regarding juices -- two words -- Sampler packs. Several places have them. I got my first sampler packs from MFS:

E-Liquid - Sample E-Liquid - MyFreedomSmokes.com

They have tobacco, menthol, mint, exotic and drink sampler packs. I would get most of them to start, find your juice, order more in the right strength for you. In the long run, this will save a lot of money. 20 samplers is about $40, but not $100, or more to find out approximately what you like. You can also get some in VG, some in PG and see for yourself about the differences. You can combine flavors to "create your own." VapeQuest is half the fun, and part of the reason that Vaping so often becomes a hobby for us. Good Luck, welcome aboard, Power up and Vape On!

Took a look at MFS, but their samplers are 18mg max, so they're out. After a bunch of foruming and surfing, besides the liquids from Fasttech (which sort of scares me ;> ), Bulk E-Juice seems to have the best deal around for samplers, at $9 for five 5mL bottles. So unless someone tells me that their product is utter crap, I'll probably be trying them out first.

 

[daev]

Worry about dual coils, RBV (whatever that is), drippers, etc after you're vaping. Just get one top coil and one bottom coil to start. If/when you need another unit, get more of the one you like best if you like it a LOT, or get a different brand of top/bottom, whichever you liked better.

I'd suggest Vision Vivi Nova for top coil, and Busardo rated Kanger T3 the best bottom coil, but that was before the evod. I can't say because I've tried the evod and find it too airy, but my Kanger MT3s only arrived last night and has not been tried yet.

First, learn to vape. Then, learn to vape better. (The Vivi Nova, evod, Kanger T3s (MUST have the 's' !) all have replaceable heads, you'll need some from the beginning -- you'll have to switch them out AT LEAST to clean, and possibly to replace, sometime in the first week or two. I'm now getting more like a month between switching heads on my Novas, I don't know if that is because I'm better at vaping or they're better at making heads. Dunno about the CE. The heads for the Nova and evod are both rebuildable, I'd guess the others might be also, but you won't want to get into that for awhile.

Back in the Dread of Deeming days, rebuildability was everyone's top priority, so now a lot of things are rebuildable. But now you have at least until October, possibly another year after that, before you have to get into that.

Fair enough. One thing at a time, then. And thank you.

Could I ask what exactly is going to happen in October? Is there some looming FDA event scheduled?

 

[daev]

If you can keep your hardware buying in check the juice and replacement heads for the clearo's really isn't that big an expense. Partiuclarly if you later decide to DIY juice and rebuild the heads you already bought rather than toss them out. WOrd of advice keep those old dead heads for later rebuilding if that sounds at all interesting.

At this point my vaping costs me less than $10 a month BUT I rebuild heads and make my own juice which are both something more advanced.

My point in even mentioning this is the cost does go down if you control your spending on the hardware. Most of us however end up turning vaping into a hobby and you know how expensive hobbys can get.

Ah, hobbies...

 

[Berylanna]

Fair enough. One thing at a time, then. And thank you.

Could I ask what exactly is going to happen in October? Is there some looming FDA event scheduled?

I lied, I didn't try the Evod, I tried the VapeOnly bcc, and found it too airy.

Take a look at the Legislative forum under Electronic Cigarette News on ECF. The FDA has announced they're going to do their "Deeming" in October. We don't know what they are going to do. They could do anything from banning/criminalizing anything but big-corporation cigalikes, to declaring those as acceptable for lowering your insurance by 33% ('tobacco users' can be charged an additional 50% premium under Obamacare) and leaving the rest regulated as either tobacco products or just out in the consumer product space. We have no idea.

E-cigs could become effectively banned or they could become reasonably regulated or anything in between. Many of us have, therefore, learned to make our own batteries from scratch, and acquired sets for which we can rebuild the only part likely to go bad, leaving the issue of nicotine-containing juice the only area where we are not self-sufficient.

But there is no reason to learn to rebuild heads on a unit you don't like, so first find out what you like best.

 

[etrick]

Try ecblends for samples. $2.50/5ml bottle. The dragon blend series are excellent. You can tweak on the site to your liking and retry them. Most are yummy right away but if let set for a couple weeks to blend or "steep" they change. My wife uses the dragons tear which is strawberry cream and excellent. They have a bazillion combinations.

We have a few dozen tanks and batteries and I really like my evods. Much smoother and more vapor without much fiddling as a beginner. As they age I have to blow out a couple drags before inhaling or they taste a little dry. Havent tried rebuilding yet I just buy heads, they're cheap. Depending on what I vape, they last several days or a week or two. So a couple five packs will keep you stocked up for a while. Save em for rebuilding experiments later.

I'm still on basic batteries, no vv/vw or mods or anything. The evods are the best combo I've found with a basic 510 battery to stow in your pocket. Gonna get an itaste to play with though. Once I get a good juice to stick with ill likely snag a vamo or something. But the twists or an itaste oughtta give you some experience with that at an affordable entry fee.

I quit may 3rd but would still bum one every few days, until the day I got my evods. I now prefer them even with the handful of flavors I'm not fond of. They just perform excellent. Even out in the heat, in our shop where temps hit 100 degrees, they are great and much better in yhe heat than sucking on analogs.

This forum is amazing too btw, a huge help. Good luck!

 

[bikerbeagle]

I'm sick of smoke, and all the health & social negatives it engenders.

Sadly, you are going to find that much of the "social negatives" are also associated with using e-cigarettes as well. Many businesses and individuals treat them the same.

First set of questions. Is it safe to buy this Innokin Itaste VV/VW V3.0 from Fasttech.com? I saw a few comments about them and was wondering if its worth the risk to save some dollars. If someone thinks/knows it's a rip-off, what would be my next option for a deal on the Itaste? Is it worth getting anything from FastTech? Is this Itaste a good choice for a first e-cig?

I've never had a problem with the things that I've ordered from Fasttech, but if you are that concerned - or don't want to wait the 2 weeks to get it - you can get the iTaste v3.0 from ivape.net for $35 (doesn't come with the clearomizers or the outlet adapter) if you use their "itastevv" discount code.

Second question. I've seen a bit in the forums about the bottom coil vs top coil preferences. These are replaceable dual coil units. Do I still need to get bottom coil and top coil units to try out?

To be honest, if you get the iTaste v3.0, I'd go with the top coils (the Clear16s that come with it). The main difference is that top coils need to be turned on their side or upside down to get the liquid to the top of the clearomizer. On bigger mods that stand upright, bottom coils are easier, but the iTaste is small and, because of it's square shape, practically begs to be sat down on it's side rather than upright which is perfect for top coils.

Next question. This unit can be used as a passthrough, if I understand the term correctly. It can be used while it is plugged in and recharging. I work from home, and spend the majority of the day solidly lodged in my desk chair. Do I still want to get a second battery to start? How long do these things last? (Given, for a VW, getting two for ~$40 each at FastTech wouldnt be too painful.)

If you can afford 2, get 2 ...but I'm not so sure you'd need 2 given you are stuck to a computer all day. Two devices are useful for people who may go to work during the day with one, come home and swap out to the other one for a night out on the town ...or, of course, in case you break one or it stops working (hence the, "if you can afford it" suggestion).

I thought I'd also get a 3mL clearomizer as well to try out. (replaceable dual coil Innokin)

The bigger clearomizers are going to look a little ...um, awkward, and be rather top heavy on the smaller iTaste (my personal opinion). If you are truly going to be vaping primarily at home, you really have no need for a larger delivery system since you can top off/fill up pretty much at your leisure.

And then there is the question about juice. If I read the forum posts correctly, 4 drops equals a cigarette. Pharmacists say 20 drops per mL. Lets say 15 drops per mL for added viscosity. (Is that right?) At 30 cigs a day, and 210 a week, that means 840 drops, or about 56mL of juice a week. And since I'm currently smoking watered down cigars, I imagine 24mg potency is a must to start out on, with maybe some 18mg for late night if I find I can't sleep.

You are way over-thinking this. On average, I think most people go through about 2.5-3.5ml per day ...give or take with obvious exceptions. Your usage will vary, of course, but even if you go through twice that amount, that's still only 42ml of juice each week (3 15ml bottles).

I'm willing to try out a mess of different flavors and types to begin with, but eventually I have to be able to get the flavor/mix i want, at 24mg (and 18mg) strength, at some PG/VG mix that agrees with me, at 60mL per week for $14 or so. Is that possible?

In the sense that "anything is possible", yes, but likely? ...no. Not for $14, but under $20 is definitely doable.

 

[notsoogood]

Hi Daev! So glad you found your way here! This place is amazing and has so many fantastic people! Welcome my friend!