So...... New to Vaping, lost in this world of Acronyms!

[channyste8]

Well, Let me start by saying Hi. My name is Stephen and i am currently a resident of the cold and wet but mostly lovely Manchester.

I have decided to look at the benefits of vaping and i must say they are numerous! Ive only tried the disposable e-cigs from a certain popular supermarket (every little helps!) and even though im sure there are so many better options, i quite enjoyed them and was overly excited about the fact that i have not had one tabacco product in 3 days!

Now.... Please can someone explain the difference between the models? I'm not going to ask which should i buy or what is best, as im sure you have been asked many thousands of times. I am unsure between 510 or a k808 .....

I would like to know which is better for those on a budget (working for the NHS )

I also dont get how you work out what nictoine level should be acceptable? I was smoking around 20 - 25 Lambert and Butler a day.... the pack says 0.8mg nicotine (sureley thats per pack, right?)

Sorry for rambling, but i really want to love vaping

All the best

Ste

 

[frosting]

Keep in mind there are many threads above this one, that are very informative and will teach you a lot! Oh ya, and welcome to ECF!



I would say take a look at some suppliers. Get an idea of whats most available, what you can afford.

Certain threads like the 510 and 306 are more easy to find for atomizers, carts, cartos you may want to purchase.

Liberty Flights I believe is also located in the U.K. so that may be a good vendor for you to look into. The Riva I've heard is good, which is basically another kind of e-Go. 510 thread e-cigg/PV with about 7-10 hours of battery life depending on use.

I was a pack and a half a day smoker and found an e-Go a great introduction into vaping. I reccommand a drip tip(they are quite cheap and attach to the atomizer) and a low resistance (LR) atomizer if you where to get a Riva/eGo brand. The "cigarette" looking e-ciggs cannot handle low resistance and will surly kill your battery much faster! You just pop the drip tip onto the atomizer. Very simple. Drip 3-5 drops, when the flavor changes, gets slightly burnt taste, add a couple more drops.

Its not always easy, you have to WANT to quit at least and it will go much smoother. Even today I kinda wanted a smoke. I just vape it away. I remind myself, it just won't be the same anymore. Analogs will never again be what I remember and that helps keep me in the clear.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Now.... Please can someone explain the difference between the models? I'm not going to ask which should i buy or what is best, as im sure you have been asked many thousands of times. I am unsure between 510 or a k808 .....

I would like to know which is better for those on a budget (working for the NHS )

The only difference is the threads. Which one is better on a budget is going to depend on how much you're willing to spend. Both are very good! You might want to check out Liberty-Flights. Take a look at the eGo and Riva kits. These don't look like cigarettes, but the battery life between charges is around 6-8 hours, so you'll get plenty of vaping time from them. The prices are great, too! I would also suggest that you read over the ECF Library, especially the "Wonderful World of Vaping" series. You'll get a lot of helpful information there.

I also dont get how you work out what nictoine level should be acceptable? I was smoking around 20 - 25 Lambert and Butler a day.... the pack says 0.8mg nicotine (sureley thats per pack, right?)

You can't really determine the nicotine level you should use based on what you smoked or how much. I would suggest getting juice in 18mg and maybe 24mg. You can always dilute the 24mg down if it's too strong by adding some PG or VG to it. Be aware that when you do this, the flavor also gets diluted. But overall, starting with two different strengths is usually best. I was a pack and half per day smoker of Ultra Lights and I started out with 18mg. That just wasn't strong enough so I moved up to 24mg. I also switched between the two for a while until I could finally settle in to the 18-20mg level. I DIY all of my juice, so I have more control over the nicotine level.

I hope this will help somewhat!

Welcome to ECF!

 

[dormouse]

Cartomizers give a more consistent vape then cartridges+atomizer - they cost $2-3 each and I can get 7-10 days use out of each by keeping it damp with suitable juice

KR8 has more hit - a real 3.7v slim mini and the standard aka 78mm battery 280/320mah size is 120mm long and the shorty/65mm batteries are 180/220mah and make a 100mm ecig. A KR8 carto works well about 7 days for me. I recommend SmokelessImage Volt (a bit more charge and fully sealed end on the manuals though a tiny partially recessed button which is a bit harder to press than the Vapor4Life style). The SmokelessImage style has the longer battery charge of the pairs I listed (i.e. 220 rather than 180, 320 rather than 280) and is also sold by Bloogplanet and Halocigs G6.

510 comes with atomizer + carts but most use cartomizers for everyday use, 510 may be a bit cheaper vs KR8 using Boge cartos (you can get them for a bit less than good KR8 cartos and Boge last about 10 days for me). I recommend only Joye or Janty brand 510 to avoid bad clones. The short ones are only 180mah and the long Joye mega xl manuals (280mah) are 128mm long with a cartomizer.

100mah is about 1 hour of moderate vaping, maybe 1.5 hours of light vaping

I STRONGLY recommend manual batteries. Easier to control your hit, easier to get a good hit, harder to damage or kill with juice leaks. Most people here use and recommend manual batteries. On a manual you can also use a drip tip on an atomizer to test juice (on KR8 use standard resistance DSE901 atomizer and drip tip to test juices) Drip tip not recommended for auto batteries so use cartridges.

You probably want to try 16-18mg nicotine. I smoked 1.5+ packs per day of .9 mg cigs and 16-18mg felt right to me hitwise and nic-wise. Aim at one level but always start with some a bit lower and some a bit higher to try too because it depends on the person. I use thin clear juices to get good carto life (PG w/ 20% or less VG and I do recommend some VG in your liquid because 18mg+can be irritating in 100% PG - you could get some 100% PG to start with though).

With either - if you buy the shorter size you get shorter battery life. I recommend at least 2 charger cables for at home, one for at work and a PCC for on the go.

Longer charge options include fat battery models (Ego, Riva 510 and others) and mods (use inexpensive removable industrial batteries you charge in an external charger). Some mods like little plastic box mods are under $20 (plus you buy a couple of batteries and a charger for them)

With any of these you main continuing cost should be eliquid to keep the cartomizers damp, and the small continuing cost of cartomizers and replacement parts. The startup cost includes buying SPARES (important) and finding juices you like.

mg - millgram measurement of nicotine strength
mm - millimeter length
mah - milliamp hours, a measure of length of battery charge
cart - a cartridge that goes on an atomizer (atty)
carto - a cartomizer (1 piece disposable combined cart + atomizer)
PG - propylene glycol, thin and lets through the most flavor, nicotine hit, nicotine irritation
VG - vegetable glycerine, thick, dulls/smooths everything PG lets through and adds thicker looking vapor

 

[channyste8]

Can just say thank you to everyone who has replied? I will look at the Joye 510's.... (thanks Dormouse!)

Ill also take a loo at the ECF library.... didnt even know it existed

Just on the liberty flights UK site now - a bit daunting, but im sure i will get to understand it if i just think about it.... Worried that bit might hurt though

Thanks Again

Ste

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Take your time, channy, while looking over the LF site. Getting started with vaping can be a little overwhelming and we've all been there. We were all new once, too! If you have any questions, you know where to ask and we'll help out as much as we can!

 

[Xiox]

Hello Stephen,

Don't worry about the many abbreviations which can get confusing at start - there is a lot of information on this forum and also a lot of helpful people who would be more than happy to help you with anything related to vaping.

The difference between the two models is that 510 is a 3 piece system - it has a battery, atomizer and a cartridge which holds the e-liquid and is refillable, while k808 is only two pieces - a battery and a cartomizer which is essentialy a disposable atomizer and a cartridge combined into one piece, which you just throw away after it's depleted.

Now all this applies only if you use these models in the way they come in the kit. Nowadays you can easily use a 510 with a cartomizer or use a k808 battery with an atomizer and cartridge. Essentially the model number just tells you what style of thread connects the battery to the heating element so you can buy compatible spare parts (for example a 510 battery will not fit a k808 cartomizer).

If you are looking for a low budget option I would guess a 510 would be a better choice - this is the most popular style of devices at the moment with lot's of suppliers so you can find cheap batteries, atomizers and whatever spare parts you need.

On the other hand if you are looking for a low maintenance device which you just buy and it works consistently out of the box I guess k808 would be better - you just screw the cartomizer to the battery and vape it. k808 batteries also last longer and give better performance then the 510 ones. I am not sure though what is the availability of these devices here in the UK.

About the nicotine strength I would recommend starting from 24 mg e-liquid and then if you feel it is too much for you, you can get a lower nicotine one or cut the one you have with glycerine.

If you have any other questions I shall be more than happy to help you and good luck with vaping

P.S. I also work for the NHS, so I know how you feel about the budget

 

[dormouse]

Ahh you are in the UK. yes Liberty-Flights.co.uk is a great shop. They have a US shop too.

BTW There is also a UK forum on ECF in National Forums and in Buying & Selling I think there are UK classifieds and UK vendor tthreads

 

[channyste8]

Wow! A lot of support! Thanks to everyone who made me feel welcome!

The information here is actually very helpful... Now I know what to look for instead of looking blankly at the page, or using the random point and click I see a lot of customers do ( I work in IT support )

 

[Kemosabe]

Im quickly learning but there are soooo many!!

 

[Kemosabe]

Can someone tell me which is more popular...PG or VG. Seems that PG is a better delivery system while VG produces more vapor, yet doesnt deliver as well and is more healthy/natural

seem right?

 

[Chrissie]

Hello & welcome Stephen

There are many really good UK suppliers - if you decide to go with Liberty Flights, use discount code ECR69 for 15% off.

Kemosabe, I use a 50/50 mix. with LR (lower resistance) atomisers/cartomisers. As you say, VG produces more vapour & PG gives more throat hit.

 

[wv2win]

The most common strength of nicotine used, based on many polls on this site and many other vaping sites is 24mg strength.

Based on what and how you smoked, I would recommend starting out with 24mg strength and moving up or down based on your own results. Anyone you compares the nicotine strength of what they smoked to what nicotine strength eliquid you should use, does not know what they are talking about. There is little corrolation between the two due to the difference in how nicotine is absorbed by the body when you vape vs when you smoke.

As several others have recommended an Ego/Riva/E-Power is a good "beginner" model. The tiny slim sized batteries end up being more frustrating than helpful for many who vape.

Good Luck