Disclaimer:
Before this party starts, I'd like to start by mentioning that sensations such as taste and perception of heat differ from person to person, and tend to be quite subjective. Atomizers, Cartomizers, tank systems, various ohms, and voltages are perceived differently from user to user as well. I also may use nicknames that are not common for equipment.
Background
I have tried many different atomizers and cartomizers. For atomizers, I have used the "Bullet" 306, "Tonsil Tingle" 510, "Flavor Stack" 901, and the "Cool Runner" 801. I have used these with cartiridges and de-bridged for direct dripping. I have also used each of these at standard resistance (3.7v and 5v) and low resistance (3.7v). For atomizers, my favorite combination has to be standard-resistance 901 at 5v, which gave me excellent flavor/TH/vapor production.
As for cartomizers, my experience with these started out very rough. After a few that burned very easily, I ignored their existence and continued using atomizers. I really wanted to use cartomizers for the fact that they hold much more liquid than a cartridge and don't leak. I tried some pre-filled cartos and some blank cartos that I filled myself. After the first few burned, I was overcome by the feeling that I would never find a decent carto that would perform as well as the 901 at 5v. I remember a few vaping sessions sitting on my couch, mod in hand, carto attached, dreading the final moment where the carto burns and is forever ruined after just a few hits. True story.
Months and months after my first unholy encounter with cartomizers, I heard about Dual-Coil cartomizers.
This is vaping as it should be
Upon arrival, I knew that the Smoktech dual-coil cartomizers would change everything for me, in terms of vaping. From what I read, I could use them on my 3.7 mod and my 5v mod, without burning them. My skepticism almost stopped me from ordering the DC cartos, but my curiosity and desire for a dripping alternative encouraged me to buy them. I started using them on my 3.7v, and I was immediately pleased. Lots of vapor, near-"dripping" flavor, and the throat hit was intense but smooth. For a couple of weeks, the DC carto was used exclusively at 3.7v. Sure, my battery life was cut in half, but the performance of the carto was more important to me. No messy dripping, no constant refilling, and no leaking.
I got brave one day and attached my "Fog Machine" DC carto to my 5v mod. My thought at the time was "1.5 ohms at 5v? This must be some form of textbook insanity". I was blown away by how much flavor, vapor, and TH came pouring out of that carto, and it did not burn!
For about 6 months now, I have been faithfully using dual-coil cartos at 5v. They have great longevity, lasting between a week and 2 weeks, and the convenience of no leaking and a good e-liquid capacity make them the perfect vaping product for me. They have worked flawlessly, and I never get a bad one. Some have a stiff draw, but most are a nice, semi-airy draw: reminiscent of my DSE-901 days. These have been my primary vapor producers.
And then there were 3
A week ago I decided to do some casual web browsing, and during this browsing I stumbled upon the Triple Coil Cartomizer. "You are kidding me. You must be joking!" I thought. "What a gimmick!"
After some reading, I pulled the trigger and bought a 3-pack from Totally Wicked E-Liquid. Now, this was not an easy purchase, seeing as the price difference is dramatic between the DC and TC cartos. We're looking at double the price for these TC cartos. "These better be worth it". Logic tells me that with 3 coils, individually rated at 5 ohms, that the vapor should be roughly the same as DC, but with slightly better flavor. More heating surfaces should release more flavor, but the lower individual resistance should calm the TH down some. Theories are fun!
Put that theory into practice, please
Once I filled the TC carto, I plugged it into my 5v mod and took a few hits. My first impression was the flavor being a bit "cleaner" than the DC, and the vapor temperature was a little cooler than the DC. Satisfying clouds of vapor, just like the DC, but without the Chuck Norris-style round-house kick to the throat. It still packs a punch to the tonsils, but not as harsh.
The coils don't fire up quite as fast as the DC coils do, but once they are hot, they work together beautifully to deliver a vapor unmatched by any other carto that I've used. The clouds are thick and the flavor is awesome. Overtones are at full-value, and the the subtleties are apparent. This makes complex juices very enjoyable, and "baseline" juices bold.
Comparing the 2 cartomizers, I have found that the TC cartos provide superior flavor and a more relaxed TH, while still giving me clouds of vapor. Production of vapor appears to be identical between the 2 cartos. The DC cartos hold their own with better TH (which is important to me at times, especially when I'm stressed), and they don't need as long of a drag to pull the same volume of vapor as the TC cartos do. The price difference is huge. If I want a cheap DC carto, I can buy a 5 pack for $10, but the TC cartos look to be universally $5 per carto. Longevity at 5v remains to be seem, but seeing as each coil is running at 5 ohms, I predict at least 2 weeks of use per carto.
Wrap it up
Staying hungry for new ways to vape has led me along many paths of discovery, and I am always wondering "what's next?". I am a technology enthusiast (custom computer building, photography, smartphones, home and car audio/video, etc), I build my own mods, and I'm always keeping up with what's new. I am a few months behind with the TC cartos, but I have found my new vaping toy, the Triple-Coil "Juice Hog" cartos. If I had to choose between DC and TC cartos, then I would easily choose the TC cartos.
Before this party starts, I'd like to start by mentioning that sensations such as taste and perception of heat differ from person to person, and tend to be quite subjective. Atomizers, Cartomizers, tank systems, various ohms, and voltages are perceived differently from user to user as well. I also may use nicknames that are not common for equipment.
Background
I have tried many different atomizers and cartomizers. For atomizers, I have used the "Bullet" 306, "Tonsil Tingle" 510, "Flavor Stack" 901, and the "Cool Runner" 801. I have used these with cartiridges and de-bridged for direct dripping. I have also used each of these at standard resistance (3.7v and 5v) and low resistance (3.7v). For atomizers, my favorite combination has to be standard-resistance 901 at 5v, which gave me excellent flavor/TH/vapor production.
As for cartomizers, my experience with these started out very rough. After a few that burned very easily, I ignored their existence and continued using atomizers. I really wanted to use cartomizers for the fact that they hold much more liquid than a cartridge and don't leak. I tried some pre-filled cartos and some blank cartos that I filled myself. After the first few burned, I was overcome by the feeling that I would never find a decent carto that would perform as well as the 901 at 5v. I remember a few vaping sessions sitting on my couch, mod in hand, carto attached, dreading the final moment where the carto burns and is forever ruined after just a few hits. True story.
Months and months after my first unholy encounter with cartomizers, I heard about Dual-Coil cartomizers.
This is vaping as it should be
Upon arrival, I knew that the Smoktech dual-coil cartomizers would change everything for me, in terms of vaping. From what I read, I could use them on my 3.7 mod and my 5v mod, without burning them. My skepticism almost stopped me from ordering the DC cartos, but my curiosity and desire for a dripping alternative encouraged me to buy them. I started using them on my 3.7v, and I was immediately pleased. Lots of vapor, near-"dripping" flavor, and the throat hit was intense but smooth. For a couple of weeks, the DC carto was used exclusively at 3.7v. Sure, my battery life was cut in half, but the performance of the carto was more important to me. No messy dripping, no constant refilling, and no leaking.
I got brave one day and attached my "Fog Machine" DC carto to my 5v mod. My thought at the time was "1.5 ohms at 5v? This must be some form of textbook insanity". I was blown away by how much flavor, vapor, and TH came pouring out of that carto, and it did not burn!
For about 6 months now, I have been faithfully using dual-coil cartos at 5v. They have great longevity, lasting between a week and 2 weeks, and the convenience of no leaking and a good e-liquid capacity make them the perfect vaping product for me. They have worked flawlessly, and I never get a bad one. Some have a stiff draw, but most are a nice, semi-airy draw: reminiscent of my DSE-901 days. These have been my primary vapor producers.
And then there were 3
A week ago I decided to do some casual web browsing, and during this browsing I stumbled upon the Triple Coil Cartomizer. "You are kidding me. You must be joking!" I thought. "What a gimmick!"
After some reading, I pulled the trigger and bought a 3-pack from Totally Wicked E-Liquid. Now, this was not an easy purchase, seeing as the price difference is dramatic between the DC and TC cartos. We're looking at double the price for these TC cartos. "These better be worth it". Logic tells me that with 3 coils, individually rated at 5 ohms, that the vapor should be roughly the same as DC, but with slightly better flavor. More heating surfaces should release more flavor, but the lower individual resistance should calm the TH down some. Theories are fun!
Put that theory into practice, please
Once I filled the TC carto, I plugged it into my 5v mod and took a few hits. My first impression was the flavor being a bit "cleaner" than the DC, and the vapor temperature was a little cooler than the DC. Satisfying clouds of vapor, just like the DC, but without the Chuck Norris-style round-house kick to the throat. It still packs a punch to the tonsils, but not as harsh.
The coils don't fire up quite as fast as the DC coils do, but once they are hot, they work together beautifully to deliver a vapor unmatched by any other carto that I've used. The clouds are thick and the flavor is awesome. Overtones are at full-value, and the the subtleties are apparent. This makes complex juices very enjoyable, and "baseline" juices bold.
Comparing the 2 cartomizers, I have found that the TC cartos provide superior flavor and a more relaxed TH, while still giving me clouds of vapor. Production of vapor appears to be identical between the 2 cartos. The DC cartos hold their own with better TH (which is important to me at times, especially when I'm stressed), and they don't need as long of a drag to pull the same volume of vapor as the TC cartos do. The price difference is huge. If I want a cheap DC carto, I can buy a 5 pack for $10, but the TC cartos look to be universally $5 per carto. Longevity at 5v remains to be seem, but seeing as each coil is running at 5 ohms, I predict at least 2 weeks of use per carto.
Wrap it up
Staying hungry for new ways to vape has led me along many paths of discovery, and I am always wondering "what's next?". I am a technology enthusiast (custom computer building, photography, smartphones, home and car audio/video, etc), I build my own mods, and I'm always keeping up with what's new. I am a few months behind with the TC cartos, but I have found my new vaping toy, the Triple-Coil "Juice Hog" cartos. If I had to choose between DC and TC cartos, then I would easily choose the TC cartos.
