Overwhelmed Newbie - Need Help!

[JenniferMoore143]

* I'm reposting this here because when I posted it in the "Ask the Experts" area, I didn't get the type of answers I'm looking for. Please Help! *

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking on here for about a week, and it's time to come out of the shadows! I was first introduced to e-cigs about 8 months ago when a friend showed me his. Then recently my mother was told about these forums and mentioned them to me. I am highly interested in them but there is SO much information here, and on many other websites, that I am extremely overwhelmed by "Information Overload" that it actually brought me to tears today! PLEASE HELP!!

I just turned 34 in Oct. and have been smoking since I was 16, although I remember my first cigarette at about age 13-14. Even though smoking has been a contributing factor into the deaths of 3 of my loved ones, I have yet been unable to quit after countless tries. (I did quit once, for 4 months.)

2 months ago I was smoking 1 to 1.5 packs a day of Marlboro Lights. I am currently averaging about 10-12 cigs a day of Doral Ultra Lights. My ex-husband, and dear friend, is also interested in e-cigs. He smokes 3/4 to 1 pack a day of Marlboro Menthols.

As I said earlier, I am extremely overwhelmed by information, and I need your help. Time is starting to get thin as my goals are to "Go Vapor/Stop Smoking" by Christmas/New Year's at latest. If you wouldn't mind taking a moment or two to answer just a few quick questions, I would greatly appreciate it.

A. VG juice recommendations for the equivalent of what we are currently smoking. (Flavor wise and nicotine content). I have researched and come to the conclusion that VG juice is the route that I'd like to go.

B. General E-Cig Starter Kit recommendations: I have done a lot of reading. Color is no concern, size is big concern! I want one that is very close in size and length to a standard analog cigarette w/ good battery life. (I am self-employed and in my car 50% of each day, and he is full-time National Guard Computer Tech who works 10-12 hrs a day.)

C. More specific Starter Kit recommendations: Experience, as a newbie, with the Joye 510 & DSE901. I have seen that these are the two most popular e-cigs used by newbies. For anyone who, on a newbie level, has actually used both of these models, can you please give me a general comparison in your opinion, of the button (manual) vs. no button (automatic)? I'm having a very hard time w/ the idea of the button right now. It's not how I would hold an analog cig, etc.

D. USA Vendor/Supplier recommendations, the closer to Atlanta, GA the better, for Starter Kits & VG juice. Vendors who give a discount for ECF members would be even more awesome ... LOL!

Thank you so much in advance for your assistance. I have read a lot in the newbie section, but again, multiple threads and multiple websites have seriously overwhelmed me, so having it in one thread would be a huge help!

-Jennifer

 

[Sun Vaporer]

Jennifer--your question was answered in the Expert's Forum.

See http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-newbie-needs-help-asking-recommendation.html


Thank you,


Sun

 

[JenniferMoore143]

No, my questions were not answered to my liking in the expert area, and as they suggested, I have reposted here (see the note at the very top of this post marked with **) to get much more detailed answers.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

No, my questions were not answered to my liking in the expert area, and as they suggested, I have reposted here (see the note at the very top of this post marked with **) to get much more detailed answers.

Jennifer --The Experts refrain from recommending specific Suppler's or model types as these are personal choices for obvious reasons.

Thanks,


Sun

 

[Kent C]

JenniferMoore says: * I'm reposting this here because when I posted it in the "Ask the Experts" area, I didn't get the type of answers I'm looking for. Please Help! *

Sorry about that... we're still figuring out how to do that right. But glad you posted here.


A. VG Juice recommendations for the equivalent of what we are currently smoking. (Flavor wise and nicotine content). I have researched and come to the conclusion that VG Juice is the route that I'd like to go.

You won't get any 'equivalency' between the flavors from tobacco consumption and atomized juice. The best bet is to get the widest variety of flavors through samplers - small bottles - offered by many vendors. Here's some:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-try-lot-flavors-minimal-cost.html#post796633

And here's my subjective take on some of the more prominant flavors:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...lavour-recommendations-please.html#post700068


B. General E-Cig Starter Kit recommendations: I have done a lot of reading. Color is no concern, size is big concern! I want one that is very close in size and length to a standard analog cigarette w/ good battery life. (I am self-employed and in my car 50% of each day, and he is full-time National Guard Computer Tech who works 10-12 hrs a day.)

Your size requirement lessens your choice of some very good performing ecigs. Imo, the closest to the size of a cig and still give a good performance is the 510 (my top suggestion), the 901, and while I've only a little experience with these - the KR808D1 - a 'two piece kit' - a battery with a combination atomizer/cartridge. The others are 3 piece kits with a battery, atomizer and cartridge separate.

The two piece with the 'cartomizer' - you buy them prefilled and throw them away when done - when done that way - they are easy to use and more expensive. However, there is a 'workaround' for refilling those cartomizers if you want to save money and it is a bit more work.

With the 3 piece units, you can again get prefiiled cartridges but they are open to where you can add ejuice to them when they are dry/vaped. And you keep adding to them for a while - say a month, tops, before you can start using another cartridge. Of course you have to refill as you go along.

C. More specific Starter Kit recommendations: Experience, as a newbie, with the Joye 510 & DSE901. I have seen that these are the two most popular e-cigs used by newbies. For anyone who, on a newbie level, has actually used both of these models, can you please give me a general comparison in your opinion, of the button (manual) vs. no button (automatic)? I'm having a very hard time w/ the idea of the button right now. It's not how I would hold an analog cig, etc.

The general take on the 510 is that it is a vapor machine and it can run hotter than the 901 - some think that enhances the flavors, some think it subdues them. I think it does both depending on the flavors - some take well to the more heat - tobacco, coffee, menthol. Some don't - fruit, vanilla, chocolate, etc.

Here's my take on the manual/auto thing:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...g-electronic-cigarette-primer.html#post505870

While experiences differ I've seen a few reports on 901 manual buttons not being the best engineered. There's a recent post where someone lost 10 out of 10 buttons on the 901. Doesn't mean you would of course.


D. USA Vendor/Supplier recommendations, the closer to Atlanta, GA the better, for Starter Kits & VG Juice. Vendors who give a discount for ECF members would be even more awesome ... LOL!

One of the best deals on the Joye510 (there have been recent clones/copies lately that are a bit less) is from cignot.com:

Joye 510 NO BOX

...and you can get some juice while you're there - see the sampler link above for cignot's sampler bottles and try others. (You'll be getting more advice ;-).

I'll let other fill you in on where to get the 901 and the cartomizer models.

Thank you so much in advance for your assistance. I have read a lot in the newbie section, but again, multiple threads and multiple websites have seriously overwhelmed me, so having it in one thread would be a huge help!

Thank you Jennifer and welcome to the ECF forums!

 

[WTF D00D]

Im a noob also, I got blus and was disapointed, got a CHUCK and Ill never look back...lol

 

[MX5]

Ok, I'm new here too, what's a CHUCK??

 

[MickiO]

Ok, I'm new here too, what's a CHUCK??

A Chuck is a battery mod, to hold bigger re-chargable type batteries, to get 3 or 4 days in between charges. You can have one made for an 801, 510, or a 901 atomiser to screw onto. And you can also have them customised with your favorite color, pix, name, or design on them.They are available here:THAG BUILT: A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing!

 

[Posidon]

Ok, I'm new here too, what's a CHUCK??

Check the "How to spend a Saturday" thread in the suppliers forum at the very bottom of the home page. (can't link yet)

 

[MickiO]

No, my questions were not answered to my liking in the expert area, and as they suggested, I have reposted here (see the note at the very top of this post marked with **) to get much more detailed answers.

Jennifer, the closer in size an e-cig is to a cigarette, the shorter the battery life will be. (Anywhere from 1-4 hrs for 510 & 901 e-cigs)x



Would you consider going with a longer e-cig, that lasts through the day? xSuch as an dse 801? Great vapor,much better flavor than the 510 & 901, and the battery's last between 8-15 hrs, depending on where you buy them and how much you vape.x

 

[JenniferMoore143]

Jennifer, the closer in size an e-cig is to a cigarette, the shorter the battery life will be. (Anywhere from 1-4 hrs for 510 & 901 e-cigs)x

Would you consider going with a longer e-cig, that lasts through the day? xSuch as an dse 801? Great vapor,much better flavor than the 510 & 901, and the battery's last between 8-15 hrs, depending on where you buy them and how much you vape.x

The longest in length I would go would be equivalent to a 100 length analog. I held a writing pen up to my mouth and "puffed" on it awhile ago, and it just stuck out way too far for my visual comfort ... LOL!

 

[smokingisbad]

I had a manual 901 and a manual 510...The difference to me is simple I did not quit smoking with the 901 but I did with the 510!!! Hope this helps. GL and Welcome!ps..then again some people are different.If you youtube 901 vs. 510 I am sure you will find good reviews.

 

[Madame Psychosis]

Welcome! This place is definitely overwhelming but once you get past the learning curve, you'll find out that it all makes some sense!

I'm a very recent newbie (one month vaping) and I've been a complete information sponge so I can tell you at least what I've learned....

First, this is the odd (fun?) thing about vaping:
You really don't know what you'll end up wanting.

At first, I too thought I wanted an automatic battery model that was close in size to a regular cigarette, because it would simulate the experience. Turned out that neither of those (small + automatic battery) really satisfied me.

The automatic batteries, while some people like them, feel odd (the 'primer puff' you have to give to activate the battery, etc.). I ended up liking manual batteries better for the control they give you.
And I ended up liking longer batteries because it wasn't so bad as running out of battery life constantly. (Always a trade off -- if you want great battery life, you need something bigger/longer).

If you're in the car constantly, you should look into getting a USB passthrough (and a USB-to-cigarette-lighter adapter) for your e-cig. Most models -- the 901, the 510, the KR808 -- have them available. A passthrough is simply an e-cig battery with a cord coming out of the end that plugs into your computer, a wall outlet, or your car cig lighter so it constantly powers the battery. People who take long drives or chain-vape at their desks often love passthroughs because they totally eliminate worries about battery life.


If you're getting a 510, I highly recommend Cignot. They have a great price on the 510 kits, a pass-through (and a car adapter) for the 510, and a lot of small bottles of VG liquids (try some of the Ecopure flavors!). And they have great customer service, too.


But, if you're spending a lot of time in the car, and really want something you don't have to fuss with in terms of dripping or cart modifications, I would highly suggest you look into the KR808D-1 (a.k.a. the KR808D, the KR808, the 808, the Vapor King, or other brand names). It uses cartomizers -- disposable cartridge+atomizer units that hold a lot of juice and last for the equivalent of many cigarettes.
I'm really coming to appreciate cartomizers for their convenience in the car. You can buy pre-filled cartomizers, and when you've used them up, refill them with your juice of choice.
So if you're interested in the KR808D-1, some of the best-reviewed U.S. vendors are Vapor4Life and Nhaler (check out their subforums under "Supporting Suppliers") and Mist-Stix, plus others I'm forgetting. Vapor4Life has the biggest selection of cartomizers that I've seen. They both have passthroughs, starter kits, etc. For more information on the KR808 you can look at the model specific forum.


Ultimately, you just have to take the plunge. Once I had my first e-cig in hand, I was able to navigate these forums finally with a sense of direction - if that makes sense.
It's hard to go wrong with any of these models and if you have problems, this is the best place to ask questions.

Good luck!

 

[knifesideleft]

In my personal opinion I would highly advise against the smaller ones. I started with a 901 and wanted something that more resembled regular cigarettes. So I sold my 901 to someone who was interested in quitting and bought one that was around the size of a 72. It was absolutely terrible. I actually tossed it out after a week. Then I moved onto another one which was slightly bigger (normal cig sized) but it was also terrible. I wish I had the model names for them.

Anyway in my experience I found that at these sizes the performance just isn't good enough to even slightly satisfy me. The vapor was insignificant and the battery life was fairly short as well. I actually went back to smoking after 6 months of being cigarrette free becase of how inadaquate they were.

Finally I bought a 510 and found it perfect. Its slightly bigger then a 100 though at 112mm I think but you get used to it. If you really want to have something smaller then that I would advise that you first start out on larger ones. Had my first purchase been a 72 or 80 sized pv I think I would have given up completely on them and still be smoking today. So while at first the bigger ones seem too large you eventually get used to them and possibly even like them more. I'd also highly recommend a pass-through eventually if you spend a good amount of time sitting somewhere near a power outlet/usb port/car lighter since you won't have to worry about charging batteries.

 

[Kent C]

If you really want to have something smaller then that I would advise that you first start out on larger ones. Had my first purchase been a 72 or 80 sized pv I think I would have given up completely on them and still be smoking today.

Great feedback! I esp. like the part above, and wonder how many people are out there smoking because of having tried the smaller ones. We know of many that went further but what about the ones we don't hear from? Thanks for posting.

 

[535cheetah]

this is all in my opinion .... the 510 is about the length of a 100 analog, all "commercial" e-cigs are not going to have great battery life... its just the way it is. i own a 510 and i have one battery on the charger while puffing on the other, each batt last me about 45min-1.5hrs. But then again im a chain vaper too, as you might not be. either way the battery is not goin to last you all day on any e-cig. unless you go for a modded "homemade" e-cig.
as far as the manual battery (button) vs auto batt (not button) this is where alot of new people make the mistake... they want somethin that resembles a analog smoke as close as possible, but the more it looks like a real cig, usually the worse they work overall.
manual batt pros: take as long of a hit as you want, save batt life , no false hits.
manual batt cons: takes a pinch more effort, doesnt feel exactly like real cig, button could be pressed if e-cig was put into your pocket = (has never happened to me, and happens very rarely overall from what i hear)

autobatt pros: handless if you like, easily puffed on, feels more real
autobatt cons: you can only take a small predetermind hit before it cuts off, some e-cigs have known to "turn on" just by going to a bar and listening to loud music with auto batts.

VG juice: your going to get less throat hit, but more vapor... also i guess its just a pinch more safe then PG myself i like mixing half pg and half vg to get best of both

i too was overwhelmed with info ... brain melt down in the beginning... but i finally said screw it and took the plunge and picked one....
good thing is its not like buying a car, they are not tons of money and wont be stuck with it if you dont want. (you can sell them pretty easily if you dont like it, for just about what you bought it for)

soooo.... if you wanna take the plunge, here is exactly where i got my stuff from..... straight to the point go to Joye 510 with PCC
get the manual batts, VG juice - i would start with 18-26mg of whatever flavor you want and see if thats enough nicotine or to much for you. the ladies at that store are very nice and great customer service along with good prices on starter kits!

again this is only my opinion, you may choose a diff store, model, juice,batt.... ect.... good luck and welcome to the site!!!

 

[JenniferMoore143]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I've decided to take the plunge and go the Joye510 route via Cignot. And since they offer a choice in batteries, I'm gonna go for one of each, auto & man, so that I can try them both out!

As for liquid vendors and mixing suggestions, etc ... keep 'em coming ... I'm still slightly overwhelmed.

 

[Kent C]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I've decided to take the plunge and go the Joye510 route via Cignot. And since they offer a choice in batteries, I'm gonna go for one of each, auto & man, so that I can try them both out!

As for liquid vendors and mixing suggestions, etc ... keep 'em coming ... I'm still slightly overwhelmed.

Jennifer,

"Slightly overwhelmed" from "overwhelmed" is an improvement. When the 510 comes in (good choice), that condition will lessen and much of what is talked about here will begin to get clearer once you have ecig in front of you. Reality will begin to work it's way back ;-)

I hope you ordered juice too. If not email them and have them add some.

 

[TaketheRedPill]

* I'm reposting this here because when I posted it in the "Ask the Experts" area, I didn't get the type of answers I'm looking for. Please Help! *



Hello everyone,



2 months ago I was smoking 1 to 1.5 packs a day of Marlboro Lights. I am currently averaging about 10-12 cigs a day of Doral Ultra Lights. My ex-husband, and dear friend, is also interested in e-cigs. He smokes 3/4 to 1 pack a day of Marlboro Menthols.





A. VG Juice recommendations for the equivalent of what we are currently smoking. (Flavor wise and nicotine content).

suggestion: Nicotine content: 11mg/6mg for lights 18mg/6mg for regular

flavorings: Mild7, Virginia, Kant, Parliment, Winston, Marlbro, add a menthol (not mint) for menthol - tobacco flavors are not exact, some people may blend two or three to get a taste that's custom. Stronger tobacco flavors are Dunhill, Hilton, 555, TAB (turkish american blend), Turkish


B. General E-Cig Starter Kit recommendations:

suggestion: M401 automatic - about 1/4 inch longer than a 100's cigarette /KR808D-1 cartomizer model - about 1/2 inch longer than. 510/901/801 atomizers are encased in a tube, the 401 atomizer is not, it's 'exposed'. 401 batts - more than 3 hours.




C. More specific Starter Kit recommendations:

suggestion: Auto for you + 401 cigarette lighter adapter and usb charger for M401 OR KR808d-1 cartomizer model for you, auto+passthru for hubby. Hold off on the 'mods' until you decide vaping is for you. Start with a kit, a few bottles of different level eliquid and go from there.




D. USA Vendor/Supplier recommendations, the closer to Atlanta, GA the better, for Starter Kits & VG Juice. Vendors who give a discount for ECF members would be even more awesome ... LOL!



Suggestion: undersubforum "buying and selling" 'suppliers forum" coupon thread. Also under 'suppliers forum' latest and greatest sales, click on a few vendors and see what state they're in! regardless where they are, with prioritymail thru the USPS, it will be two-three day delivery.

Hope this helps!

TTRP

 

[535cheetah]

as far as juice goes..... i was a 2 pack a day marlboro meduim smoker...

so i mainly vape mar-bro PG 36mg now. although i do mix some VG into sometimes, to cut the throat hit and give me more vapor sometimes....

like i said before.... for you ... i would start out with 18-24mg of whatever flavor you think you like be it a cigarette or fruity flavor and go from there...
symptoms of not enough nicotine MAY be : jitters, shakey feeling, not being able to think straight, anxsious feeling, not being able to sit down... jittery... THIS WAS JUST MY PERSONAL EXP... im in no way a health professional or anything of that sort.
to much nicotine MAY be: night sweats (other members help me out here??) i have not had this EXP.. only hearsay

sites I use www.myfreedomsmokes.com - easy to use and pick your flavors and MG and taste great too!!! great customer service as well

i have also used diyflavorshack good stuff as well

every one is diff though, diff taste buds ect.. so really its all personal pref, and trial and error in this area.

these are just all My opninions ..... you may decide to chose diff companies,juices ect.