Phd in Vapology?

[dragginfly]

Hi Vapers!

My first post to say hi and introduce myself.

I feel like I'm at an AA meeting. LOL

"Hi. I'm Scott and I'm a recovering smoker."

I'm from KC Missouri. Been vaping about a month.

It was a spontaneous impulse decision after seeing a
Smoke 51 demo at the mall. (The guy was good)

I had never even heard of e-cigs before then.

Ten minutes and $200 later, I was on my way with
a two battery starter kit and 10 cartos.

One week later, I was feeling like a junkie tweaking
over my equipment basically burning everything up.

Time for some research...

Landed on YouTube first and watched a bunch of
videos on refilling cartos. Then went to WallyWorld
for my USP VG... and down to the head shop for
some flavos (probably 100% PG but not sure).

50/50 or 60/40 flavored nic + VG does well with a
couple small drops of McCormicks 80 proof vodka.

So I have two Smoke 51 Duo batts (e9s or KR808-D2)
and several S51 brand cartos (the last two boxes set
me back another $43 after tax). And I'm extending
them fairly well with mixed juice and even a vodka
soaking/cleaning/drying.

It's still just too expensive and I know it should/could
cost less if I knew what the heck I was doing. Plus
it is very frustrating. Sometimes awesome vape, TH
and flavor... other times zilch.

Back to the searches...

Most searches take you to videos and sales sites
designed to SELL you on something.

I searched for more batteries... wanting to stay with
this model... and have ordered an e9 from ecig. Waiting
now for the batt, car charger, 24mg no flav base (VG+PG),
and some other odds and ends.

Not knowing how long the order would take to ship half
way around the world, and somewhat frustrated (and a
bit worried about not having power)... I searched more.

Stumbled onto this forum this weekend and wish I had
found it sooner.

Discovered honest reviews and advice from people with
nothing to gain but satisfaction of helping.

Have ordered a KR808-D1 passthrough and Mega cartos
(HR) from Nhale. Practically sitting by the door hoping
they would arrive today. (They shipped very quickly
but that was only two days ago.)

So that's my story (short version).

At this point I already do not like tobacco cigarettes or how
they taste. They don't satisfy. Truth is I did not enjoy them
much anyway and only smoked for maintenance.

The good news is I have stopped buying analogs.

Thanks for listening.

PS. The subject line?

I'm a terminally educated engineer. Details... questions...
perfection... you get the picture. I figure that in a few
months I will have earned an honorary degree in this stuff.

PPS. Wow. Just previewed this post and it is long.

Would have been much shorter if my dang batt was charged!

 

[908Tracy]

Welcome dragginfly!!!

 

[Krisb]

LOL, welcome to ECF! My husband is an engineer at a nuke plant...yup, know the type, LOL. Now, if you are like him, won't take you long to start to think of mod designs. Hopefully, unlike him, you will actually build one... he is definitely a procrastinator.

 

[trouble2k]

Yes, I do believe that many who find this forum strive toward that degree you speak of. But, everytime we think we know it all, another thread comes along to let us know there is always more to learn Besides stalking the mailman, I think it's what keeps our minds off of those darned analogs long enough to forget about them.

Based on your P.S., I wonder how long it will take you to find the Modder's forum?? Welcome to ECF.

 

[banjo]

Thanks for the excellent first post & welcome to the ECF community - a great place to hang out with nice people.

 

[classwife]

Wonderful first post !!!!!

Welcome to ECF !!!!!

 

[breaktru]

Welcome and yes it's long, I tend to speed read long posts and miss half of the important stuff. You were saying.....

 

[CooL_SpoT]

Please, please, PLEASE!!!! Never buy another e-cig product in a mall!!! Holy Mother Theresa! I had heard they were over-priced, but (and I'm sure you've already figured this out), you paid about 3 times what you should have by buying in the mall!

An example of what $200 can get you online:


1 Ego Starter kit (including 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, 5 carts, and a charger)....$69
5 cartomizers..........................................................................................$20
5 juice samples in 5mL bottles..................................................................$20
2 extra atomizers ('cause extras are always a good thing).............................$16
1 Drip-Tip...............................................................................................$ 2.50
1 eGo PCC..............................................................................................$32
1 Extra charger (again, just in case)...........................................................$ 8
+ Express Shipping..................................................................................$25
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.....................................................................................................$192.50 (+tax)


With all of that, you could try almost every facet of vaping (without getting into mods or modding, mind you) and are almost guaranteed to find a method that will work for you, AND you won't have to put out any more money for months (other than juice, which is pretty cheap, really). And AND Express Shipping will get it to you stupid fast (in all honesty, I only threw that in 'cause I was having a hard time spending all that money!).

Wow! I wish I had saved a couple hundred dollars before ordering, now! Now, I didn't do this in order to rub it in, or anything. More to help other newbies that might come along and get the impression that they may need that much money to get into vaping. You really, really don't. In all honesty, from that list, the starter kit and the juice samples are all you really need to start. So, $89 +tax +shipping will get what you need for a good while, and give you a number of flavours to try out, too.

(PS. For reference, all prices were taken from Freedom Smoke USA, just because they were the first ones I thought of. I'm not affiliated with them, don't know for sure if they're the cheapest, and haven't even ordered anything from them. I basically chose the site at random, just so I could quote some actual prices that are out there, rather than just ball-park guessing at prices.)

(PPS. Welcome to ECF, and congrats on non-ciggy-ness! )

 

[WomanOfHeart]

That's just proof that a couple hundred bucks will buy you A LOT of quality stuff and get the new vaper off to a great start! That's more stuff for less than half the price from the mall kiosk or some of these online places like GreenSmokes (cough, cough, cough...glad I got my money back!)

 

[EZVAPR]

Welcome to ECF!

 

[dragginfly]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

@ breaktru - I was speed typing for the benefit of speed readers. The half you missed was not important.

@ CooL_SpoT - Hopefully first timers will be lucky enough to find ECF before making their first purchase. If so, they will quickly see I was a compulsive idiot. Thanks for not rubbing it in. LOL

Seriously though, I could feel real bad about wasting money... but I didn't. I definitely paid much more than it would have cost for a similar (or better) product on line, but it was still worth every penny. I'm off tobacco!

(To the vendors: Please don't take that as a signal to raise prices.)

@ WomanOfHeart - Agreed. The mall products are way over priced when compared to what you could get on line with a bit of research... correction... a LOT of research.

In their defense, they are exposing the product directly to the market. The Smoke51/GreenSmoke product is based on the KR808-D2 (e9) which is very similar to the D1 recommended here. It's not a bad choice for someone like me who wants to migrate off tobacco cigs.

With their 'push' marketing they can get a higher price... and actually justify it.

Point being... don't shoot the messenger. Some good comes from what the sales people do and you can't blame them for making a living. (They would not make much standing at the kiosk demonstrating the product and educating the uninformed by telling them to go online and by direct.)


@ Everybody - Looking forward to many healthy discussions and keeping an eye on all those cool new mods!

[edit to fix line breaks]

 

[The Fool]

LOL Loved your note to vendors! Welcome to the forum! I can already tell that you are going to be a welcome addition to our little (not so little anymore) family.

In the early 90's when nicotiene patches first came on the market I plopped down $350 for a kit AND THEY DIDN'T WORK!! So I'd call $200 a bargain.

What I don't understand is why the kiosks seem to be selling inferior products? Seems like it would benefit them to do some research and sell something decent.

 

[TexasT]

Hi dragginfly.

I started out with Green Smoke too and later went with KR808D-1's. My wife still uses the Green Smoke batteries that 5 months later are still working just fine. Other than the high prices I think GS is a good product, and like you said, we're off the cig's.

Anyhow, welcome to ECF and I sure like your attitude regarding the vendors you've dealt with. Very refreshing.

 

[908Tracy]

Dragginfly,

Don't beat yourself up for impulse purchasing...I did the very same thing....TWICE! ACK! Thank goodness for 30 day money back guarantees!
I thank goodness I found this forum within 30 days of my last impulse purchase. I now am awaiting a Stainless Steel Mega eGo kit and various other wonderful goodies on the advice of a member here (thanks deback!!) and spent far less than I did either time I ordered kits elsewhere.
Hopefully we find our niche this time and can help others down the road. That's what it's all about!!! =)

 

[Eric.MD]

I've heard great things about the kr808, I think you'll be VERY happy with it. Also, yes, you got ripped off something fierce!

Thankfully, I found this forum before buying my second kit, and my first kit was a cheap POS from 7-11. I would recommend buying exclusively from those vendors who are listed on this website, Cignot and Vapure treated me very well, and I look forward to my next order via iVape!

 

[dragginfly]

Just saw all the replies. Thanks to everyone. Looks like I'm not alone. :~)

Would love to reply to each one, but in a hurry at the moment.

What I don't understand is why the kiosks seem to be selling inferior products? Seems like it would benefit them to do some research and sell something decent.

I wonder the same thing.

Two things I know for sure...

1. The people who work at the kiosk I visited are just employees. On each
return visit I was educating THEM on stuff I was learning just watching
the YouTube videos.

With everything I'm learning here, it would blow them away. But I don't
think there will be any need to go bother them with it.

2. The people who own the kiosk are in it for profit. They don't need the
BEST product to do that. They just need one they can buy cheap and
sell at a substantially higher price to cover all the offline marketing costs.

Curious though how the competition online does not drive down the price
on those models. Even the e9 (KD808-D2) prices are about the same as
at the kiosk unless you buy from China (ecig) like I just did.

Oh... that battery arrived and is defective. :~(

You can see my followup post since my orders arrived today...

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/134865-first-order-arrived-today.html

 

[DocWyatt]

The question of what the kiosks are selling can easily be explained in brands and looks. If something does not "look" like an analog - far harder to sell. It requires an education - which is not cost effective to do. Why do you think that ALL mass marketing brands choose a super mini? Performance? Hardly. It is sales.

 

[breaktru]

Just saw all the replies. Thanks to everyone. Looks like I'm not alone. :~)

Would love to reply to each one, but in a hurry at the moment.

Oh... that battery arrived and is defective. :~(

Wow sorry to hear about the defective battery dragginfly. I assume you gave it a good full charge. Is the battery making good contact with the charger? Does the charger have an indicator light?

 

[dragginfly]

Hi breakthu,

Wow sorry to hear about the defective battery dragginfly. I assume you gave it a good full charge. Is the battery making good contact with the charger? Does the charger have an indicator light?

Thanks.

Correct.

Yes.

Yes.

Using the new USB charger, the light first turned red then shortly to green.

During the transition to solid green, it switched from red to green a few times.

The end light on the batt never lit up. Not even when sucking on the terminal.

Subsequently putting it back on the charger, the light turns immediately green.

Could be that it is powering up fine and is charged, but that the automatic
switch is bad. That's my guess.

If anyone knows how to fix a auto switch in one, I'll try it. At only $12 its
a throwaway. No point trying to send it back to China.

 

[breaktru]

I know what you mean about cheap batteries when I first started I bought one for my E9 and it was a dud. Not worth the shipping to send it back.