Ok so I am new and completely lost

[BatFanBob]

Ok heres the story....I was diagnosed with the early stages of COPD about a month ago...having been a pack to pack and a half a day smoker for 30+ years I guess I wasn't too surprised. I need to get off the tobacco competely and ASAP....I saw someone with an e cigarette in a store and asked them about it. I told my wife about the conversation shortly afterward.....

For my birthday a couple weeks ago I received a DSE-901 e cigarette and a bottle of Totally Wicked juice, 30ml Marlboro High...I did what the bottle said and I have to be honest, it wasn't very satisfying and certainly no replacement for my tobacco cigarettes. There was very little "vapor" (which I think is a mostly psychological but necessary thing) and not much of a "throat hit" (see I have been reading LOL) and believe me I have tried for the last couple weeks.

So I searched the net and found this forum. I have been reading adamantly for days now and have learned a little about this but not enough to enhance my e cig experience...

VG, PG, analog, 70/30, 80/20 etc.....really confusing for an old man. I am trying my best to learn and make the e cig thing work with a goal of eliminating my tobacco dependency all together. I realize this is not going to be an overnight process, but with my experiences so far, it doesn't look promising to ever get off the tobacco.

I guess what I am asking is for someone to maybe explain the terms I see here in most threads and perhaps suggest what I can do to enhance my e cig experience. I realize this is a pretty generic request but one has to start someplace. Everyone was new at some point.

Any help, explanations or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....Sorry for the long read and thanks for any help....Bob

 

[txtumbleweed]

Hey welcome to the wide world of vaping. You have made the best decision ever. I too have been diagnosed with moderate to severe COPD after smoking for over 50 years. I quit smoking 18 months ago and I've been vaping ever since. I searched for 18 months to find the right PV that would last me all day and give plenty of vapor and hit. I would recommend the Go-go or Echo. They both have 1300 mah batteries that will last around 18 hours of steady vaping and have 3 ml cartomizers that will last 12 hours of steady vaping. My favorite juice is the Chinese Menthol 24 mg from Madvapes and various tobacco blends I use for a change of pace. I never smoked menthol cigarettes but it satisfies my nicotine desires. You can get a 50 ml bottle for 10.99 and that should last you close to two weeks. Menthol, 50ml, 24mg

The best price on Go-go's is here for 49.00 for a kit Home | Go-goUSA.com

The best price for Echos is here for 45.00 for a kit. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...old-has-echo-e-cartomizers-7.html#post3514317
Good luck to you and if you ever have any questions pm me anytime.

 

[Coiso]

I there, i'm also a e-cig newbie with little more than a month vaping and I've tried from the start good and bad vaping.

The first reason was the e-cig device, I wanted a mini with a look of a cigar not a big battery. I've got a good version of the e-cig automatic battery m602c smart pcc starter kit. But the cartos that came with it just aren't at the kit quality level producing little vapour amounts.

Than I moved to try the BMF cartos with that kit and my vapor life changed, now it gives me more vapour(smoke) and throat it than some cigars gave me.

Some try tanks and love it, some try then and feel the vapour is to cold, some like drip tip, and others like cartomizers. I think it's really a question of you seeing what better suits you and what's the option that gives you more cigar like vaporing.

The other issue is the e-juice flavor. Lucky for me I've began with Malboro flavor wich I think is the Usa Mix on some vendors, and then I've been trying some, loving ones, not loving others, it's a process until you find what better suits you.

The secret it's not to give up. Right now I don't really even think of a cigar, just of the nicotine amount of the e-juice, I like to start with 24mg/ml and then move to 16mg/ml along the day, because I'm using cartomizers and hardly i'll vape more than 1ml per day, but with the tank system vaping 3 or 4ml per day I would have to use lower nicotine levels in the e-juice.

My goal not to feel stressed with lack of nicotine is to complete about 16mg of consumption per day so it matches the 20 cigars I used to smoke per day, not to exceed it, not for now to lower it.

Hope you can get to what suits you best.

 

[Sandybeach40]

You should get a mod. You will get tons and tons of vapor and throat hit!

Don't let all the gibber jabber make you dizzy. Its simple

Best thing I can tell you to research. Big Battery's, Low Resistance Attys, Drip Tips, Good Juice,

 

[dormouse]

901 is a softer airier hit, not the best choice for TH in my opinion

And with juices - juices bases are some ratio of PG and VG, from 100% PG to 100% VG
PG - thin, lets through the most of nicotine TH & irritation, the most flavor, and makes thin quickly disappearing vapor
VG - thick, dulls/smoothes everything PG lets through, makes thicker more persistent vapor

For tanks and cartomizers I think high PG juices work best. 20-30% VG, and I think my cartos work well longer w/ 20% juices that have no sediment (clear lighter colored juices)

For atty and cart (not the best way to vape IMO) you can use any PG/VG

If you want the best hit, you need to skip slim ecigs and get something like Ego or Riva 510 or a mod or anything with battery > 450mah so you can use low resistance atomizers and cartomizers which create more heat and heat enhances hit.

Juices - I don't think hardware vendors are the best place to get juices. I think juice vendors are the best place to get juices.

And don't expect ecigs to taste like burning paper and leaves, tar, and 4000 chemicals and carcinogens. And they are not going to give you a suffocation buzz like the carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in cigs does.

If you find juices you like and get equipment that can provide what you want then they can be better than cigarettes. Most people can switch near-immediately and totally to ecigs including people who have smoked longer than you, like I did. I am not that fond of 901. The carts are annoying. It's much harder to find good cartomizers for them. And the PCCs I saw won't accept manual batteries. Most people here use and recommend manual batteries for better control of your hit, less work, and batteries that are safer from being damaged or killed by juice leaks.

 

[studio52]

You Tube has many video reviews that are both interesting and educational. Try Grimm Greens videos and Dr Vapor has a lot of good stuff...will help you a lot in the long run to know whats out there as far as mods, attys carts etc.

 

[bobsyeruncle]

Well, analogs are another term for cigarettes; i.e. the things you are currently trying to give up.

E-Juice for electronic cigarettes is made up of Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerine (VG), Nicotine juice, and flavouring.

If your e-juice is all PG and no VG, i.e. 100% PG, then you get lots of flavour and plenty of throat hit, but no vapour.

If your e-juice is all VG and no PG, i.e. 100% VG, then you get lots of vapour, but not much flavour or throat hit.

For a lot of people, a good mixture of PG to VG is 70% PG and 30% VG. Some people are sensitive to PG, but a mixture of PG and VG is often ok.

You'll have to figure out how much nicotine you want in your juice. For most people, 24mg is plenty high and then some. 18mg is a moderate amount, and 11mg is light.

If you absolutely need a cigarette (analog) at certain times of the day, e-cigarettes can still help you cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day.

Regarding your DSE 901. I think it's a decent e-cigarette, but if you need to dramatically improve the vapour, you might want to look at the Echo. An Ego, Riva or e-Power system are also an improvement, but they're not as strong as the Echo.

Is that a good start?

 

[phonicwater]

i can only tell you what worked for me. i bought the Joye eGo-T - eGo Tank Type A from cignot.com with the 1000mah and lr atty. i found it to be very easy to fill and the battery lasts all day. now that i know vaping is for me i will be attempting to buy a ali'i vv.

 

[VeeDubb65]

Good advice so for, but I'll add my $0.02

While I love tank systems, I wouldn't recommend one from the little bit you've explained about yourself. They tend to mute the flavor just a little.

I'm sure your doc already beat you over the head with how serious COPD can become if you don't take care of yourself, so leave well enough alone there except to encourage your to be careful. If you start having any odd reaction to any juice you try, stop and find different juice.

Speaking of which, you got good descriptions of the functional differences between PG and VG, but just in case you haven't already found it I'll explain what they actually are.

PG = Propylene Glycol. This is the stuff idiots refer to when they say there is anti-freeze in ecigs. Of course, they're idiots. the stuff in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, and it will kill you. Propylene glycol on the other hand is described as generally safe by the FDA, and it's found in just about everything from shaving creme to food products to asthma inhalers. With few exceptions, this is considered to be EXTREMELY safe.

VG = Vegetable Glycerin. This is soap. Well, sort of. Glycerin is a byproduct of the soap making process. (no, I did not get this information from Fight Club. Fight Club just happend to be right in this case. Their recipe for napalm however, is not any good) Good soaps leave the glycerin in, cheap soaps don't because the glycerin can be skimmed off and sold to make even cheaper soap (or dynamite) like those clear soaps with a lame toy inside to get your 6 year old to use soap in the tub. What makes it "vegetable" glycerin, is that the fat used to start the process comes from vegetable oil rather than tallow (animal fat). People use VG instead of PG for a variety of reasons, but usually because they like the bigger cloud of vapor more than they like good flavor and throat hit, or because they have a bad reaction to PG. It is important to note that a high VG content will prevent some e-cigs from functioning properly and/or reduce the lifespan of the atomizer. However, don't be scared off by all that. It's MUCH safer than a marlboro.

Whether we're talking about PG or VG, this is the base. In other words, the basic fluid that the nicotine and flavors are added to. Many liquids contain a blend of the two, to achieve a particular balance of flavor, throat hit and vapor.


I also must completely agree that the 901 is on the lite side. Let me ask you a couple questions.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how important is it that your ecig look and feel like a cigarette? In your answer keep in mind that as a general rule, larger e-cigs outperfom those that look like a real cigarette.

A "super-mini" is the exact same size as a real cig, and they range in performance from total crap to not so crappy. The crappiest example would be the blu-cig, and the best example of a "not so crappy" super-mini would be the revolver elite. After a year of vaping, I still keep my revolver elite around as a backup, and for situations where blending in is important.

A mini is roughly the proportion of a real cig, but noticeably larger. Most are a little thicker than a camel wide, and about as long as 100's, slightly longer in some cases. The two most popular are the 510 (which uses a separate atomizer and cartridge by default) and the KR808 (which uses a cartomizer by default). In both cases, there are many variants, adapters and derivative products.

Then you've got your full-size e-cigs. The most well known and accepted model being the Joye ego. These range in size, but most of them are more cigar like than cigarette like. You get more battery life, better performance and MANY options, but at the cost of size and looks. Some, like the Boge Leo, come in styles that a cigar smoker would appreciate.

At the extreme end you've got mods. Let my lay it out there, the best of these look like you're sucking on a screwdriver, and the worst of these look like you're sucking on a coffee maker. They tend to be huge, and hugely expensive, although there are reasonably priced mods out there for those who don't mind smoking a deck of cards or a flashlight. On the other hand, if performance is your number one priority, these can be an EXCELLENT option. Great battery life, infinitely customizable, and often very well made by skilled craftsmen who take pride in their work.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how important is having a great big cloud of vapor when you exhale? For me, I'd say 2-3. As long as there's something, I'm happy.

3. How much throat hit do you want? If you have trouble answering that, maybe tell us exactly what your preferred brand of cigarette was. Did you smoke camel menthol lites or terryton unflitered?



My other suggestion, is to try different flavors. The tobacco flavors mostly taste like tobacco rather than tobacco smoke. If you want a smokiness, try a coffee flavor. One of my all time favorites is blending a tobacco flavor with a coffee flavor. (yes, you can do that)



Edit - Okay, so that was a lot more than $0.02 worth. If I had to pay by the letter I'd be broke. Oh well, I hope it helps.

 

[Phiniac]

You should get a mod. You will get tons and tons of vapor and throat hit!

Don't let all the gibber jabber make you dizzy. Its simple

Best thing I can tell you to research. Big Battery's, Low Resistance Attys, Drip Tips, Good Juice,

+1 get a mod.

I suggest a mod that allows you to change the voltage (ie: a variable voltage mod) this will allow you to change the voltage you are vaping at and find your "sweet spot". Your "sweet spot" is the voltage that gives you the best vapor, flavor and TH for your personal taste. A variable voltage mod will grow with you as you choose new and different atomizers, cartomizers or tanks! I tried several models before deciding to get a mod and if I had just started with the mod it would have saved a bunch of time and money. I have chosen a Buzz Pro from notcigs.com for my first mod and am waiting for them to be available (should be about two weeks) but a search for 'variable voltage' should give you a bunch of info to make a choice.

 

[VeeDubb65]

Okay, one last thing, which I must post explicitly even though you probably got the idea from my mega post above.....


I really don't agree with the suggestion of a mod. Mods are big, expensive, very difficult for many people to transition to direct from cigarette because they can be cumbersome, and in the case of a variable voltage mod they can even be complicated to use.

As a person who was just diagnosed with a serious and life changing health condition who is also trying to transition from 3 decades of cigarettes to vaping, I think that's the last thing you need.

You will find a general tendency for many people to automatically recommend either an ego or a mod to every single person. An ego is rarely the right choice for a first e-cig, and a mod is almost never the right choice. Before you shell out the hundreds of dollars required for a high-end variable voltage mod, I would encourage you to try a few cheaper options first. Once you've figured out what you really want and need, you'll be able to make an informed purchase of a high end mod IF you want one at that point.

 

[Phiniac]

Okay, one last thing, which I must post explicitly even though you probably got the idea from my mega post above.....


I really don't agree with the suggestion of a mod. Mods are big, expensive, very difficult for many people to transition to direct from cigarette because they can be cumbersome, and in the case of a variable voltage mod they can even be complicated to use.

As a person who was just diagnosed with a serious and life changing health condition who is also trying to transition from 3 decades of cigarettes to vaping, I think that's the last thing you need.

You will find a general tendency for many people to automatically recommend either an ego or a mod to every single person. An ego is rarely the right choice for a first e-cig, and a mod is almost never the right choice. Before you shell out the hundreds of dollars required for a high-end variable voltage mod, I would encourage you to try a few cheaper options first. Once you've figured out what you really want and need, you'll be able to make an informed purchase of a high end mod IF you want one at that point.

In my experience that is not the case. I started vaping in 2009. I smoked over a pack a day for 26 years. I was never able to quit analogs totally, so I was vaping and smoking at the same time. Finally after 9 mo's of vaping I stopped and went back to over a pack a day. The reason I quit vaping was because I was not able to find a PV that satisfied my needs. I spent a bunch of money trying different e-cigs looking for one that worked. I started with the blue, then a 510, then a janty stick, spent more money on different atomizers to fit the janty stick, then a tornado and none did the trick. I began vaping again about a month ago.

Not every mod is a huge box mod. You have the ProVari, you have the Infinity and you have the Buzz and probably others I have not researched. Yes, they are larger then other choices, but not that much. If you need to quit smoking due to your health who cares what your ecig looks like or how big it is as long as will satify the urge to smoke. If my health was in immediate danger and I had to walk around vaping on something the size of a salami to not smoke analogs, I would.

The infinity has a very simple wheel you turn to change the voltage, the ProVari has a button you push to change the voltage. While the current Buzz is more complicated needing a screw driver, the Buzz Pro coming out in two weeks or so will also have the wheel that the infinity has. You do not need to mess around with meters, simply turn the wheel until you hit the spot that you enjoy.

All three have a regulated output which keeps the voltage the same, so the performance does not degrade as the battery dies. Another reason I stoped vaping, I was fustrated with the fact that as my battery would die, my ecig performance did as well. regulated output could have made the difference for me.

They do not cost hundreds of dollars The Provari costs $159.00, the Infinity under $100 and the Buzz Pro will be $139.00! That is a ton less then I spent trying all the different models I tried. I personally have never suggested a mod or ego to anyone until now. Had I not been so stubborn, wanting something that looked like a cigarette, wanting something that was small etc. and listened when others suggested a mod to me, I might have continued vaping instead of going back to smoking and definately would have spent hundreds of dollars less.

As far as being complicated goes, there are tons of very helpful people on this board who will walk you through anything!

In the end, we do not have to agree, I am just sharing my experience and what would have made me not only a more succesful vapor but one with more money in my pocket!

 

[Nicko]

I will soon order the Silver Bullet from AltSmoke. Extremely easy to use. I really looking forward to it since I have outgrown my eGo.

 

[Phiniac]

It looks really nice, and a good price, but not much info on the altsmoke page I came to from google, is it variable voltage.

 

[wv2win]

Okay, one last thing, which I must post explicitly even though you probably got the idea from my mega post above.....


I really don't agree with the suggestion of a mod. Mods are big, expensive, very difficult for many people to transition to direct from cigarette because they can be cumbersome, and in the case of a variable voltage mod they can even be complicated to use.

As a person who was just diagnosed with a serious and life changing health condition who is also trying to transition from 3 decades of cigarettes to vaping, I think that's the last thing you need.

You will find a general tendency for many people to automatically recommend either an ego or a mod to every single person. An ego is rarely the right choice for a first e-cig, and a mod is almost never the right choice. Before you shell out the hundreds of dollars required for a high-end variable voltage mod, I would encourage you to try a few cheaper options first. Once you've figured out what you really want and need, you'll be able to make an informed purchase of a high end mod IF you want one at that point.

I COMPELTELY disagree with this advice. Follow this advice and just prolong your frustration and unhappiness and confusion.

Most people looking to replace cigarettes are looking for something that simulates the "inhaled feel" of a cigarette. You will not get that with small, cigarette look-a-like models. And no matter the size of the battery on your PV (personal vaporizer), it is no more complicated to use than a cigarette sized model, unless pushing a button before you inhale is complicated to you.

Models with bigger batteries (some call them mods), are much better at simulating the inhaled feel of a cigarette because they produce warmer vaper and do it more consistently for a longer period of time - thus, less frustration and more satisfaction. The other part of the throat hit (inhaled feel) equation is nicotine strength - higher providing better throat hit. So I would suggest you at least get a RIVA 510 or 901 and 24mg nic strength liquid and some blank cartomizers that you fill with the liquid.

If you really want consistency, warm vapor, long battery life and less frustration, then get a good 5 volt PV such as the GLV2 from: Electronic Cigarettes and E-Liquid - Great Lakes Vapor . It is no more complicated than pushing the button and then inhaling. If you want to start with the RIVA which is the size of a slim cigar, then here is a well supported supplier to check out:

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510

Don't let people scare you away from better models or try to get you to spend more money just to be frustrated at the results.

Rule of Thumb: the more it looks like the real thing, the worse the performance.

 

[Phiniac]

I COMPELTELY disagree with this advice. Follow this advice and just prolong your frustration and unhappiness and confusion.

Most people looking to replace cigarettes are looking for something that simulates the "inhaled feel" of a cigarette. You will not get that with small, cigarette look-a-like models. And no matter the size of the battery on your PV (personal vaporizer), it is no more complicated to use than a cigarette sized model, unless pushing a button before you inhale is complicated to you.

Models with bigger batteries (some call them mods), are much better at simulating the inhaled feel of a cigarette because they produce warmer vaper and do it more consistently for a longer period of time - thus, less frustration and more satisfaction. The other part of the throat hit (inhaled feel) equation is nicotine strength - higher providing better throat hit. So I would suggest you at least get a RIVA 510 or 901 and 24mg nic strength liquid and some blank cartomizers that you fill with the liquid.

If you really want consistency, warm vapor, long battery life and less frustration, then get a good 5 volt PV such as the GLV2 from: Electronic Cigarettes and E-Liquid - Great Lakes Vapor . It is no more complicated than pushing the button and then inhaling. If you want to start with the RIVA which is the size of a slim cigar, then here is a well supported supplier to check out:

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510

Don't let people scare you away from better models or try to get you to spend more money just to be frustrated at the results.

Rule of Thumb: the more it looks like the real thing, the worse the performance.

Thank you! That is what I wanted to say, you just did it much better!

 

[Nicko]

Here is a link to AltSmoke. AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | Happy Holidays!

 

[wv2win]

Thank you! That is what I wanted to say, you just did it much better!

Thanks. Considering the hundreds of thousands that use better battery PV's, telling someone that they are too "complicated" is like telling them they don't have the intelligence to get on a computer, find this forum and ask the question. It makes no sense.

 

[Bdbodger]

New vaporers tend to start with a ecig that looks like a real cigarette but they soon want to move up to something like an ego . That's OK they can always give their starter kit to a friend . Ego's are versitile you can use a cartridge , a tank or a cartomizer which are all standard 510 threading so you can use the same battery on each . After you have been vaping for a while you may get the urge for a mod maybe or maybe not . Ego type ecigs are readily available and fairly cheap . If you want a different experience with them you can try atomizers or cartomizers of lower resistance .

 

[Nicko]

No, the Silver Bullet is not variable voltage, but you can use different batteries to make it a 6 volt. They don't recommend this for safety reasons but many people are doing this.