Placing my 1st order VOLT - questions

[SteveI]

Sorry... My mistake. The passthrough in the kit is fine. I was in left field. The x2 battery has a passthrough function as well.

The batteries u ordered are the little cigarette sized batteries. The passthrough is basically a device that looks like a battery with a cable permanently attached. Basically it means that as long as you are near an outlet, you do not have to worry about having batteries charged up. After 2 or 3 days of vaping, you should find a rhythm that works for you. We had different habits as smokers, and I've found the habits change with vaping.

 

[NatashaR]

Sorry... My mistake. The passthrough in the kit is fine. I was in left field. The x2 battery has a passthrough function as well.

The batteries u ordered are the little cigarette sized batteries. The passthrough is basically a device that looks like a battery with a cable permanently attached. Basically it means that as long as you are near an outlet, you do not have to worry about having batteries charged up. After 2 or 3 days of vaping, you should find a rhythm that works for you. We had different habits as smokers, and I've found the habits change with vaping.

That's alright... I've spent some time in left field.

Right... and I just wanted to pass-through to WORK when and if used, re: the upgrade to the 1.5 plug.

Question.. when you first started vaping, did you vape ALOT or along the same lines as when you smoked? I'm guessing one vapes more than one smokes.. at least in the beginning...?
And like what habits changed.. for you?

 

[charlzrocks]

As for SI flavors....I like and have heard others love the 555 and Ry4 flavors. The only other vendor that I have tried is Johnson Creek. They are kinda pricy but have some really good flavors there as well. Always try to read the reviews associated with each flavor you want to try. SI and JC provide areas for customer reviews on all of their juices and equipment which I have found to be Very helpful. Good luck and welcome to the Smokeless Image VOLT family!

 

[SteveI]

That's alright... I've spent some time in left field.

Right... and I just wanted to pass-through to WORK when and if used, re: the upgrade to the 1.5 plug.

Question.. when you first started vaping, did you vape ALOT or along the same lines as when you smoked? I'm guessing one vapes more than one smokes.. at least in the beginning...?
And like what habits changed.. for you?

My personal experience might be different than others. My first ecig was a convenience store purchase. Even tho I smoked lights, I went for the 24 mg nic. The disposable claimed to be 2 packs worth. Once I tried it, I thought, after 26 years of smoking this might work. [I have tried many different ways and failed over the years.]. I made myself a promise to slowly wean myself off of cigarettes within 1 month. The first ecig lasted about a week as I slowly reduced my smoking. My new found optimism led me to search on line, and out of pure luck, I found Smokeless Image and stocked up. By the 3 week mark, I realized I hadn't had a cigarette in 2 days, so I technically quit early... haven't looked back.

The simple answer is YES. Once I stopped smoking I was vaping MUCH more. Call me sensitive, but all the smoking restrictions bothered me. Being able to shut my office door and vape instead of heading outside.... Being able to smoke at my desk at home... Not having to go out when it is windy, or raining, or snowing.... I fully enjoyed being able to vape where I sat was priceless, almost like it was in the 80's.. So yes, I enjoyed myself, still do. I smoked up to a pack a day. Now, I vape instead, typically 2-4 mls, 1 ml is a full carto.

Also, SI cartos are very durable, they can be refilled many many times. The capacity of the standard carto is 1 ml. Once you get started, you will find that a slim battery will run out of power before you use up a carto. A good trick is, when you swap batteries, top off the carto. Most likely, if you don't, the carto will run dry before the second battery dies out. Topping off will avoid drying out the carto and burning it. I don't use cartos any more, but they are great.

As you go through the sample packs, keep track of the flavors you find are acceptable. As soon as you have a few, order bottles. The cartos come nicely labeled so you can keep track of the flavors. Good luck.

 

[NatashaR]

My personal experience might be different than others. My first ecig was a convenience store purchase. Even tho I smoked lights, I went for the 24 mg nic. The disposable claimed to be 2 packs worth. Once I tried it, I thought, after 26 years of smoking this might work. [I have tried many different ways and failed over the years.]. I made myself a promise to slowly wean myself off of cigarettes within 1 month. The first ecig lasted about a week as I slowly reduced my smoking. My new found optimism led me to search on line, and out of pure luck, I found Smokeless Image and stocked up. By the 3 week mark, I realized I hadn't had a cigarette in 2 days, so I technically quit early... haven't looked back.

The simple answer is YES. Once I stopped smoking I was vaping MUCH more. Call me sensitive, but all the smoking restrictions bothered me. Being able to shut my office door and vape instead of heading outside.... Being able to smoke at my desk at home... Not having to go out when it is windy, or raining, or snowing.... I fully enjoyed being able to vape where I sat was priceless, almost like it was in the 80's.. So yes, I enjoyed myself, still do. I smoked up to a pack a day. Now, I vape instead, typically 2-4 mls, 1 ml is a full carto.

Also, SI cartos are very durable, they can be refilled many many times. The capacity of the standard carto is 1 ml. Once you get started, you will find that a slim battery will run out of power before you use up a carto. A good trick is, when you swap batteries, top off the carto. Most likely, if you don't, the carto will run dry before the second battery dies out. Topping off will avoid drying out the carto and burning it. I don't use cartos any more, but they are great.

As you go through the sample packs, keep track of the flavors you find are acceptable. As soon as you have a few, order bottles. The cartos come nicely labeled so you can keep track of the flavors. Good luck.

You were fortunate w/ your convenience store find. I bought some e-cigs from a smoker's outlet here years ago and they was horrid. So horrid that I did not even attempt it again. But then last week, I started exploring e-cig again, as I MUST quit smoking. THankfully, I found ECF and was directed to SI. LOL

And I have those same smoking restrictions. Not in the house, not in the car (I cheat), not at the office, not in public.... yada-yada. Self-implemented to prevent MORE smoking, TBH. But, I hear ya.... makes ya hate winter.

SO... I can refill the pre-filled cartos that I've already ordered? Should have ordered some more batteries, I think Maybe even another charger....? How long will a battery stay charged?

What are you using instead of the carto? I want to try a NANO clearomizer, perhaps..... looks like an easier way to keep track of fluid level....

 

[drummerskey]

I, too, vaped a lot when I first started. I found the gas station one first, liked the concept and started reading. I ordered SI stuff about two days later. I had no plans to quit.....I just wanted to smoke in the bars and anywhere that I couldn't. One day, I ran out of cigarettes and I just didn't buy any more; for like 3 months. I started smoking again because I am lazy and I didn't want to clean, re-fill, organize, mix and whatever else I was doing but I am back after about month and a half. You read my other post, I went to the dentist and they said I couldn't smoke for a week and I said "okay" and just quit again. It has been a week with no smokes.....to easy in my opinion. I do vape a lot still but you don't need the "full cigarette" timeframe, just a couple of puffs and keep going. It is funny that those smoke breaks that I used to take and now, I don't know what to do with that time. Don't stress yourself if you continue to smoke for a bit. Anything less than what you were doing is positive. Don't try to lower your mg's too quickly either. If you never smoke again, perfect....if it takes you a bit, cool but keep some 24mg around just in case you get a hard fix and when you are ready, just stop smoking. My buddy did it that way.

You can drip niquid/juice into cartos....more of a top off and you can re-fill them but they can only be re-filled 2-3 times in my opinion. You have to do it with the same juice though.

You can never have too many batteries. I have 4 small 78's (cigarette sized) and three X2's and I rotate them around. I have a few chargers too; one at home, one at work and one in the car. The X2's have a pass-thru feature and I ran out of battery one day with the small ones, freaked out while charging and bought the X2's that day. Never a problem since. The batteries do have a shelf life, just keep that in mind.

Again, this is just personally - but I had a bad experience with the Nanos. I was a Beta tester and a lot of others had issues after a bit too. The clearo is a good starting point. There are no working parts, it can be cleaned, you can change flavor after a clean and they last a while. They cannot be turned upside down (good for work or home) and that is the downside. The CE3s are my personal choice but they are quirky. They are cheap so if they break, so what but they can leak if not filled properly, they can leak after a lot of use, you need to fill them a specific way and taking them apart to clean can be a chore but they can be turned upside down, you can see how much juice you have left and when they work, they are brilliant. The Nano cannot be used with different juices...it doesn't clean out and has the same polyfill that your carto does so once the juice is there, it is there. They are also prone to leak and flimsy in my opinion. I just ordered the T3 so I cannot comment on those.

One other tip, go for a lower nic juice at night. Too much nic at night can make you edge-ee and make it hard to sleep and drink lots of fluids while vaping.... especially if you are vaping your face off.

 

[NatashaR]

As for SI flavors....I like and have heard others love the 555 and Ry4 flavors. The only other vendor that I have tried is Johnson Creek. They are kinda pricy but have some really good flavors there as well. Always try to read the reviews associated with each flavor you want to try. SI and JC provide areas for customer reviews on all of their juices and equipment which I have found to be Very helpful. Good luck and welcome to the Smokeless Image VOLT family!

Thank you. I can see that I've still a LOT to learn!

 

[NatashaR]

I, too, vaped a lot when I first started. I found the gas station one first, liked the concept and started reading. I ordered SI stuff about two days later. I had no plans to quit.....I just wanted to smoke in the bars and anywhere that I couldn't. One day, I ran out of cigarettes and I just didn't buy any more; for like 3 months. I started smoking again because I am lazy and I didn't want to clean, re-fill, organize, mix and whatever else I was doing but I am back after about month and a half. You read my other post, I went to the dentist and they said I couldn't smoke for a week and I said "okay" and just quit again. It has been a week with no smokes.....to easy in my opinion. I do vape a lot still but you don't need the "full cigarette" timeframe, just a couple of puffs and keep going. It is funny that those smoke breaks that I used to take and now, I don't know what to do with that time. Don't stress yourself if you continue to smoke for a bit. Anything less than what you were doing is positive. Don't try to lower your mg's too quickly either. If you never smoke again, perfect....if it takes you a bit, cool but keep some 24mg around just in case you get a hard fix and when you are ready, just stop smoking. My buddy did it that way.

You can drip niquid/juice into cartos....more of a top off and you can re-fill them but they can only be re-filled 2-3 times in my opinion. You have to do it with the same juice though.

You can never have too many batteries. I have 4 small 78's (cigarette sized) and three X2's and I rotate them around. I have a few chargers too; one at home, one at work and one in the car. The X2's have a pass-thru feature and I ran out of battery one day with the small ones, freaked out while charging and bought the X2's that day. Never a problem since. The batteries do have a shelf life, just keep that in mind.

Again, this is just personally - but I had a bad experience with the Nanos. I was a Beta tester and a lot of others had issues after a bit too. The clearo is a good starting point. There are no working parts, it can be cleaned, you can change flavor after a clean and they last a while. They cannot be turned upside down (good for work or home) and that is the downside. The CE3s are my personal choice but they are quirky. They are cheap so if they break, so what but they can leak if not filled properly, they can leak after a lot of use, you need to fill them a specific way and taking them apart to clean can be a chore but they can be turned upside down, you can see how much juice you have left and when they work, they are brilliant. The Nano cannot be used with different juices...it doesn't clean out and has the same polyfill that your carto does so once the juice is there, it is there. They are also prone to leak and flimsy in my opinion. I just ordered the T3 so I cannot comment on those.

One other tip, go for a lower nic juice at night. Too much nic at night can make you edge-ee and make it hard to sleep and drink lots of fluids while vaping.... especially if you are vaping your face off.

OH MY... I'll not be a happy camper if any of these cartos leak in my purse. And I had not considered that a carto might be needed for each flavor. And here I THOUGHT I was taking the "simple" route.

 

[drummerskey]

cartos don't leak unless you re-fill and over-fill it but that would be as soon as you over-fill it.

If you want really simple, keep with the cartos and just buy new ones when the run out. No filling, no mess....it just would require a new one each time = more money which is why most move on to other things. The only real down side to the cartos is that 1. you cannot change flavor and 2. you get that cotton/polyfill taste.

It is pretty simple and if you think about it, $2 per carto really isn't bad as compared to smoking...you just have some upfront cost.

 

[SteveI]

Cartos are the easiest route. My sister uses them and is happy with the convenience. Filling them as a little awkward at first, but you will get used to it. I have tried all the other carto/clearos from SI except the nano.

T3 - large, will only fit with big x2 batteries.
x2 clearo - works on both large and slim batteries, but looks kinda funny on the little one.
CE3 - works on both, slim, learning curve to fill, need syringe.
Nano - never tried, possibly least reliable of the bunch.

Regarding leaks, the carto is the best bet, unless you seriously overfill. 2 batteries is the minimum to get going, and the passthrough should give you an edge. You really don't know what you need until you get started. It will come down to how much you vape, to know how frequently you will have to recharge. My sis chains all day, so for her 3 little batteries were not enough, so I bought her a pink 650 for Christmas. She refused to use a big battery until she saw it was pink, lol.

 

[NatashaR]

cartos don't leak unless you re-fill and over-fill it but that would be as soon as you over-fill it.

If you want really simple, keep with the cartos and just buy new ones when the run out. No filling, no mess....it just would require a new one each time = more money which is why most move on to other things. The only real down side to the cartos is that 1. you cannot change flavor and 2. you get that cotton/polyfill taste.

It is pretty simple and if you think about it, $2 per carto really isn't bad as compared to smoking...you just have some upfront cost.

Hmmm... ok. Food for thought, as I just presumed that I'd some point I'd be refilling my own... i.e. less ordering and more cost effective.

Cartos are the easiest route. My sister uses them and is happy with the convenience. Filling them as a little awkward at first, but you will get used to it. I have tried all the other carto/clearos from SI except the nano.

T3 - large, will only fit with big x2 batteries.
x2 clearo - works on both large and slim batteries, but looks kinda funny on the little one.
CE3 - works on both, slim, learning curve to fill, need syringe.
Nano - never tried, possibly least reliable of the bunch.

Regarding leaks, the carto is the best bet, unless you seriously overfill. 2 batteries is the minimum to get going, and the passthrough should give you an edge. You really don't know what you need until you get started. It will come down to how much you vape, to know how frequently you will have to recharge. My sis chains all day, so for her 3 little batteries were not enough, so I bought her a pink 650 for Christmas. She refused to use a big battery until she saw it was pink, lol.

LOL.. I guess I'm not too swayed by colors yet... as what I ordered is all black. Now I've seen some pretty GLASS stuff on this site that I admired, but not too charged up about colored batteries & cartidges.

Are there compatible refillable cartos/clearos from other suppliers that work w/ the Volt that do NOT require a syringe?

 

[SteveI]

There are a few different standards, and unfortunately, SI's is not the most common. To ensure compatibility of hardware, it would be easiest to just stick with SI for now.

EDIT: In terms of cartos, many people say that SI's carto is the best. I haven't tried others so I cannot confirm. However, I can say that my experience was very good.

 

[NatashaR]

There are a few different standards, and unfortunately, SI's is not the most common. To ensure compatibility of hardware, it would be easiest to just stick with SI for now.

EDIT: In terms of cartos, many people say that SI's carto is the best. I haven't tried others so I cannot confirm. However, I can say that my experience was very good.

And these cartos that come pre-filled can be refilled a few times? As long as it's the same SI flavor...?

 

[NatashaR]

I do have yet another question.... if someone likes to switch flavors thoughout the day.... do you just take a carto off & add a diff one to the battery you are already using? Or do you keep several batteries w/ diff cartos on them already ready to go...?

 

[drummerskey]

Yes, they can be refilled with the same juice a few times......it isnt that they won't work, it is that they can taste pretty gross. If you plan to refill them, you should instead top them off with a battery change (I think I saw that somewhere), just a few drops in the top. When they taste gross, toss it.

I have a small camera case that I keep with me, I usually carry about 5 different flavors during the day. All you have to do is unscrew one and screw on another to change flavors (this is the case for everything)....pretty easy. I also keep two batteries with me and I have a few at home and a few at work. SI has a case too but it was too long for my pocket. I would suggest either keeping the stick battery charger with you OR the pass through so you don't lose power.

Please, ask all the questions you want. We all had a lot when we started.

 

[NatashaR]

Yes, they can be refilled with the same juice a few times......it isnt that they won't work, it is that they can taste pretty gross. If you plan to refill them, you should instead top them off with a battery change (I think I saw that somewhere), just a few drops in the top. When they taste gross, toss it.

I have a small camera case that I keep with me, I usually carry about 5 different flavors during the day. All you have to do is unscrew one and screw on another to change flavors (this is the case for everything)....pretty easy. I also keep two batteries with me and I have a few at home and a few at work. SI has a case too but it was too long for my pocket. I would suggest either keeping the stick battery charger with you OR the pass through so you don't lose power.

Please, ask all the questions you want. We all had a lot when we started.

Thanks Drummers I appreciate all the info. My order from SI should be here tomorrow. And then I'm sure ill have a bunch more questions!

 

[NatashaR]

Soooo... it's here! Nice little piece of equipment, very simple. One battery charged and I've tried 4 flavors thus far.... grape, cherry, ice menthol, watermelon. Sad news is, I guess my taste buds are off on safari, as so far they all taste the same! They sure do SMELL good, tho! LOL... good grief.
HOWEV.... I can see myself continuing to do this. And I AM going to continue to do this, as I am currently shelling out some serious big dollars on my teeth & gums. Problems caused by bone loss... some of which is hereditary (I did not have much mouth bone to start with), but greatly exacerbated by smoking analogs for too **** long. I AM going to quit smoking cigs. SO SI, the VOLT and I are going to become close friends. Hopefully, at some point, my taste buds will show up and join the party.

I had ordered 3 samplers and since I am a menthol smoker a pack of the ice menthol. And now I have questions.... AGAIN (hello)

1. In your experience, from SI, what are the strongest non-tobacco flavors? Either pre-filled cartridges OR e-liqs... I open to either. After this experience, I don't ever want to taste tobacco again, as I've just realized that EVERYTHING tastes like a freaking ashtray. No mas. I probably will prefer fruity flavors. I'm willing to fill my own.
2. Does the nicotine strength lessen the "other" flavor?

Any tips would be appreciated. I'm here to stay and determined one way or another to make this work. I told my dentist today that I was ordering the VOLT and quitting smoking. He's not very familiar, but he was VERY supportive and wants more info and to know how it goes.

TIA!

ETA: I am using the rubber mouthpieces to protect my teeth... but did not really notice a diff in taste...?

 

[JoAnnW]

Congratulations on your new adventure! I, like you, am an ex-menthol smoker and started with Ice Menthol. I also sampled the other menthol flavors which were also very good but my first choice was the Ice Menthol. You didn't say what nic level you have but in my experience, the higher the nic level (24mg), the flavor is more bitter but the TH is much greater. I purchased different nic levels... starting at 24mg... which was too strong for me. The flavor in 18mg is better and satisfied my cravings. Occasionally I needed hits of 24mg because of the initial withdrawal symptoms from giving up analogs. Now after 4 months, I find 12mg is very satisfying and the flavor is perfect, especially for the sweeter flavors.

A word of caution from one menthol person to another. Change up flavors throughout the day (between menthol and non-menthol). It's good you have some fruit flavors in your collection to prevent "menthol mouth" and drink LOTS and LOTS of water. Also, welcome to the club as far as tastebuds go. We all go through that!

You also must sample the liquids from the new Niquid's collection. I love most that I've gotten.

Good Luck in your journey and Happy Vaping!

 

[NatashaR]

Congratulations on your new adventure! I, like you, am an ex-menthol smoker and started with Ice Menthol. I also sampled the other menthol flavors which were also very good but my first choice was the Ice Menthol. You didn't say what nic level you have but in my experience, the higher the nic level (24mg), the flavor is more bitter but the TH is much greater. I purchased different nic levels... starting at 24mg... which was too strong for me. The flavor in 18mg is better and satisfied my cravings. Occasionally I needed hits of 24mg because of the initial withdrawal symptoms from giving up analogs. Now after 4 months, I find 12mg is very satisfying and the flavor is perfect, especially for the sweeter flavors.

A word of caution from one menthol person to another. Change up flavors throughout the day (between menthol and non-menthol). It's good you have some fruit flavors in your collection to prevent "menthol mouth" and drink LOTS and LOTS of water. Also, welcome to the club as far as tastebuds go. We all go through that!

You also must sample the liquids from the new Niquid's collection. I love most that I've gotten.

Good Luck in your journey and Happy Vaping!

Well, this is disgusting, at best. I had no idea my taste buds were fried. I'm not even using the menthol cartos, as what's the point?

I'm going to order some blanks today and some of the new niquids. I started w/ mostly 24s, but I am going to order some more 18s and start working my way slowly down. What are your fav Niquids?

 

[JoAnnW]

Well, this is disgusting, at best. I had no idea my taste buds were fried. I'm not even using the menthol cartos, as what's the point?

I'm going to order some blanks today and some of the new niquids. I started w/ mostly 24s, but I am going to order some more 18s and start working my way slowly down. What are your fav Niquids?

Yes, definitely get the blank cartomizers and maybe a clearomizer or three. As far as my favorite Niquid's flavors...

1. Sinnamon, #1 favorite, This is straight cinnamon... Must keep this always!!
2. Strawnanna Smoothie, exactly like drinking a thick strawberry and banana milkshake/smoothie.
3. Butterscotch, like Werther's and Brach's butterscotch candy
4. Biscotti, yummmm... smooth and very lightly sweet, like almond cookies
5. Sinnabun, like cinnamon buns warm from the oven

Menthol favorites:

1. Bahama Blizzard, blend of oranges and cranberries.. great for cleansing those tastebuds
2. Southern Freeze, delicious blend of peaches and strawberries

Next on top of my "to try" list is Blueberry. As you can see, I just love the Niquids line.