I recently bought a Riva 510 lite package from Liberty Flights with a pack of cartomizers. I charged one overnight, looked up filling videos, and tried a cartomizer using the condom fill method. I took my time, vaped it, and it worked with a ....ty burnt taste for awhile, then stopped working. Since then I've used all my cartos with a variety of methods and flavors and have had a bad experience every time. At best it works for two puffs and won't hit. I even tried filling the normal cartridge which worked well for like a day. Is there a chance I got a bad product? This vaping thing looked a lot better than it really is.
Riva 510 disaster.
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I dropped 5 drops, waited 60 seconds, and repeated three times. Afterward, I waited four minutes beefore vaping.
If they were the boge 2 ohm cartomizers, they should work okay with just about any liquid. You want to get the filler thoroughly soaked, then blow through the mouthpiece with a tissue held over the battery end to get rid of excess liquid, and after that use the tissue to wipe any liquid off the connector.
I don't ever really wait myself. I fill it until I can see the top of the filler is wet, then vape away. Never gets burnt when I try it. There's a chance you may have prematurely burnt the poly if you tried it before it was wet enough. If you tried it, it tasted burnt, so then you added liquid, it's still going to taste burnt. Hard to get the burnt taste out if you dry burn it to the point where it burns the poly.
Hm. I guess ill have to wait until vaping is professional enough to actually pack instructions with the product.
It's up to you. Go back to smoking if that's what you prefer. We'd love you to keep vaping of course, but if you're this put off of it, then I seriously doubt anybody can change your mind but yourself. I'm sure you'll find your way back once your smokers cough becomes unbearable. When the thought of never again having to cough yourself awake in the morning and to sleep at night becomes too strong to ignore 
But on a more serious note, vaping is something that comes with practice. I don't think you'll find anybody here who just picked up an e-cig (that wasn't a pre-filled/disposable) and started vaping with no problems whatsoever. It does have a learning curve, that no instruction booklet can help with. You've got so many different flavors of juices that will taste different with different e-cigs, different ratios of pg/vg that is best for you, different choices in cartomizers, clearomizers, tanks, mods, batteries, etc. There is no set-in-stone manual that will tell you what is best. Practice makes perfect as they say.
But on a more serious note, vaping is something that comes with practice. I don't think you'll find anybody here who just picked up an e-cig (that wasn't a pre-filled/disposable) and started vaping with no problems whatsoever. It does have a learning curve, that no instruction booklet can help with. You've got so many different flavors of juices that will taste different with different e-cigs, different ratios of pg/vg that is best for you, different choices in cartomizers, clearomizers, tanks, mods, batteries, etc. There is no set-in-stone manual that will tell you what is best. Practice makes perfect as they say.
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I don't think the Riva 510 is a bad product - from my experiences. But, I have never had much success with cartomiziers. Some people though - swear by them. Personally, my best luck has been with tanks. Some people think tanks suck. I use the Joye eGo-T type tanks. (There is a type A tank and a type B tank. B has larger capacity. I use type A and it works well for me.) If you got the lite bundle kit - batteries there can be used with tanks. But you would need tank attys and tanks. LF has both but other suppliers (Totally Wicked being one other) also have. The e-liquid used is also important - in my opinion. I like tobacco flavors and I prefer 18mg nicotine juice. But a gazillion other options in theses two areas (flavor and nic level) alone. I was a 1.5 pack a day person before quitting - non-menthol. I like what LF calls "Churchill", at 18 mg nic, with pg base. Can be purchased from LF if of interest. But - overall - I would suggest not giving up just yet. Try some other options and see if you can find what is "sweet" for you.
You have identified one of the major shortfalls of this industry .. and IMO, the primary reason we will be banned or heavily regulated by the FDA at some point ..
My Boge cartos sit for at least a few hours after being fully filled with aprox 25 drops .. then get blown out .. even at that, the first few hits can be quite harsh ..
The chance you got a complete pack of defective units seems slim .. I have had one bad in a pack before .. LF took care of it .. VG liquid, especially the dark types, will cause a carto to clog, but never in my experience that quickly ..
That's a total of 15 drops. Cartos can hold around 1 ml, about 30 drops. To me it sounds like you aren't putting enough juice in the cartomizer.
I have the same device as you, and I've had some of the problems you mentioned when using juice that is too high in VG. I have the best luck with cartos in the 70/30 - 90/10 PG/VG range. 50/50 juice just doesn't wick. Also, 15 drops might not be enough to get it wet (I always use 20+). I do the 3-drops-and-shake-it-like-a-thermometer fill method, so there's no waiting required. If you don't shake the liquid down, then 4 minutes really isn't enough wait time. I agree with GIMike that once you burn it, it's going to taste burnt forever, so I'd start with a fresh one.
That said, I have gotten a couple of bad cartos out of the box (they literally smoked - yuck). There's a pretty frustrating learning curve with cartos, but if you don't give up you may yet be happy.
That said, I have gotten a couple of bad cartos out of the box (they literally smoked - yuck). There's a pretty frustrating learning curve with cartos, but if you don't give up you may yet be happy.
Sometimes you can save a carto when you get a slightly burnt taste by putting a few drops in the battery end. If it still tastes burnt after that, it needs to be thrown away.
I had that problem in the beginning too and then I started filling cartos from the battery end with the cap/condom with about 15 drops (slowly lowering it onto the cap/condom).
Then I squeeze any left-over juice (a few drops) in the top, and then add about 5-7 more drops in the top. Haven't had one burn since.
On cartridges using an atomizer, if it quits working, it often means you've flooded it. Take it off the battery, wipe off the end of the battery, and blow out the atomizer into the garbage, then re-try.
Then I squeeze any left-over juice (a few drops) in the top, and then add about 5-7 more drops in the top. Haven't had one burn since.
On cartridges using an atomizer, if it quits working, it often means you've flooded it. Take it off the battery, wipe off the end of the battery, and blow out the atomizer into the garbage, then re-try.
Not enough info
What juice are you using. If you bought VG juice, as a beginner you will have problems. You will get singed cartos, burnt taste when vaping, etc. VG is thick. It flows slowly. It likely flows more slowly than you are vaping.
If you only have thick juices currently (like VG or high VG juices), try adding a few drops of distilled water to the juice improve the slow.
if you are trying to learn to use cartos using low resistance cartos, that will compound your problems because LR cartos are not forgiving. Learn on standard resistance cartos with thin juices.
I also do not use the condom method. I fill the cartos as intended.
Did you check the threaded connections and make sure they are clean and dry? If you get that wet, the battery will flash or not work. Dry and clean. And make sure it is dry and clean before attaching to a charger.
If you think your battery is defective, then contact Liberty-flights - they are a good company
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How I fill a cartomizer (Vapor4Life for KR8 or Boge 510 for 510 which are all soft-cap w/ no inner seals and defined central air channel)
I use thin (20% or less VG) liquid or Vapor4Life WOW liquids, preferably clear liquids w/ no sediment
Filling a blank carto - I pop off the soft cap (unbent paperclip carefully in the mouth hole, not catching any wires or stuffing!). I hold some tissue against the threaded end hole. I tilt the carto and slowly drip 18 drops onto the inner wall of the carto so it slides down into the stuffing while I rotate the carto. Then I wait 15 seconds or so then I drip however many more drops the stuffing wants to soak up. Then I do clean-up. If it is leaking, I clean that up. Then I tilt the open end down into the tissue and puff hard a few times into the threaded end to clear any juice out of the central air channel (I want to see light through there). If it looks too wet above the stuffing, I gently touch a bit of tissue to the stuffing (otherwise that liquid will be gurgling or spitting in my mouth). Then since this was a fresh fill of a blank, I now let it settle. I lay the carto on different sides for 15-20 minutes. Then it should be ready to vape. If you use thicker juices than me, then you may need to let it settle longer.
As I am vaping - if the vapor gets a bit light or a bit dry or tastes bit off or the carto is getting unusually warm, I will take the carto off the battery, open it, add 6-8 drops or whatever it seems to want (I will either hold a bit of tissue against the threaded end hole just in case, or skimp on how many drops I add to make sure I avoid drips if I have no tissue). I check to make sure the threaded end is dry, give it a couple of puffs into the threaded end to make sure the air channel is clear, and continue to vape.
Note - it is easy for me to "open" my main cartos for adding juice because I replace the white end cap with a plastic or delrin drip tip (I get them at LiteCigUSA.net). So I can easily pull that out with my fingers when I add juice and it keeps my lips cool if the carto is hot.
What juice are you using. If you bought VG juice, as a beginner you will have problems. You will get singed cartos, burnt taste when vaping, etc. VG is thick. It flows slowly. It likely flows more slowly than you are vaping.
If you only have thick juices currently (like VG or high VG juices), try adding a few drops of distilled water to the juice improve the slow.
if you are trying to learn to use cartos using low resistance cartos, that will compound your problems because LR cartos are not forgiving. Learn on standard resistance cartos with thin juices.
I also do not use the condom method. I fill the cartos as intended.
Did you check the threaded connections and make sure they are clean and dry? If you get that wet, the battery will flash or not work. Dry and clean. And make sure it is dry and clean before attaching to a charger.
If you think your battery is defective, then contact Liberty-flights - they are a good company
---
How I fill a cartomizer (Vapor4Life for KR8 or Boge 510 for 510 which are all soft-cap w/ no inner seals and defined central air channel)
I use thin (20% or less VG) liquid or Vapor4Life WOW liquids, preferably clear liquids w/ no sediment
Filling a blank carto - I pop off the soft cap (unbent paperclip carefully in the mouth hole, not catching any wires or stuffing!). I hold some tissue against the threaded end hole. I tilt the carto and slowly drip 18 drops onto the inner wall of the carto so it slides down into the stuffing while I rotate the carto. Then I wait 15 seconds or so then I drip however many more drops the stuffing wants to soak up. Then I do clean-up. If it is leaking, I clean that up. Then I tilt the open end down into the tissue and puff hard a few times into the threaded end to clear any juice out of the central air channel (I want to see light through there). If it looks too wet above the stuffing, I gently touch a bit of tissue to the stuffing (otherwise that liquid will be gurgling or spitting in my mouth). Then since this was a fresh fill of a blank, I now let it settle. I lay the carto on different sides for 15-20 minutes. Then it should be ready to vape. If you use thicker juices than me, then you may need to let it settle longer.
As I am vaping - if the vapor gets a bit light or a bit dry or tastes bit off or the carto is getting unusually warm, I will take the carto off the battery, open it, add 6-8 drops or whatever it seems to want (I will either hold a bit of tissue against the threaded end hole just in case, or skimp on how many drops I add to make sure I avoid drips if I have no tissue). I check to make sure the threaded end is dry, give it a couple of puffs into the threaded end to make sure the air channel is clear, and continue to vape.
Note - it is easy for me to "open" my main cartos for adding juice because I replace the white end cap with a plastic or delrin drip tip (I get them at LiteCigUSA.net). So I can easily pull that out with my fingers when I add juice and it keeps my lips cool if the carto is hot.
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cartos are fussy indeed and it takes patience and trial and error to get it just right. I went through a half dozen brands and styles and thought most of them tasted like crap. I usually tell people just trying ecigs to start with plain carts because they are so simple and always taste perfect when topped off. They are also almost impossible to flood and in fact the 510s I use taste better when flooded and popping. I think I finally settled on the Halo G6 as cartos I can live with but I still use my ego and 510 atty/cart from time to time because it NEVER fails me while carts act up all the time for me.
I love standard resistance Boge 510 cartos on 510 manuals and Riva 510, and Vapor4Life WOW cartos on KR808D-1 manuals but I use thin juices. After about 7 months of using cartos, I find any more VG than 20% degrades the drag in a way I can feel. And juices that leave a lot of flavoring sediment behind also can degrade cartos more quickly. I have some higher VG juices I like (50/50 juices) and I drip those on an atomizer. One I cut with a similar PG juice down to about 20% VG then I use it in cartomizers.
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