The New Guy

[samson]

my name is samson. i have been looking into the whole e-cig idea for a long time. But every time i get on a site i am just overwhelmed with information. i have learned a lot by searching on these forums. hopefully all my unanswered questions can be answered.

1. when i think e-cig i come up with the most popular sites on the internet that you find when you use the search engine, but when i get done surfing through the forums here i never read about those sites i always read about sites that i have never heard of and companys i never knew existed. why is that?

2. i smoke about half a pack to a full pack a day of kool 100's. i havent been smoking very long but i would like switch over to a more healthy alternative. what type and company would everyone suggest i go to?

3. What in the world are all these acronyms and what do they mean? i see all sorts of other things all over these forums and i feel like i've stepped into a foreign land. i try to figure it out for my self alot of the time but i think it would be easier if i just took a minute and asked my questions and got the answers for them from those who really know.

That is really all i need to know but anything else you think i should know would be more than welcomed.

thanks,
samson

 

[dormouse]

Beware stuff that comes up in a search engine. There is a whole seedy upper crust of ecig rebranders who stick their own name on some Chinese model, jack up the prices 100-400% and look real slick with "testimonials" and "24-hour help" and lots of fake "review" sites claiming they are the best.

We usually buy on the ground level, in the reasonably priced multibrand hardware vendors like LiteCigUSA.net, Liberty-Flights.com, Cignot.com and others. We also use some reputable rebranders that only charge a reasonable premium for the special colors etc and offer blank carts and juices and carts that are not crippled for refilling - an example of a good rebrander is Vapor4Life.com which sells a KR808D-1 model.

Some of the most popular models used here, starting with the smallest and shortest battery life

Joye 510 (180mah, 2-3 hours for a light-moderate vaper, 1/2 that for a heavy vaper)
Joye 510 w/ mega xl batteries (280mah so 60% more charge, 128mm long w/ a cartomizer)
KR808D-1 (and Vapor4Life) - standard battery is 280ah

fat battery models - much longer charge and ability to use hotter harder-hitting low resistance parts
These have 650mah+ batteries (some batteries are 1000mah or more)
Joye Ego - the original
Riva 510 - a clone

510 is a 3-piece that can be used as a 2-piece with mainly blank cartomizers (few decent prefilled ones)
KR808D-1 is a 2piece with lots of prefilled and blank cartomizers, can be a 3-piece w/ a DSE901 atty

both have various adapters available for using each others parts

I vape 510, Riva and KR808D-1

Depending on your smoking habits and needs for battery life, one of those might be good for you. Keep in mind that prefilled is just a small convenience. It is not economical to exist on prefilled only since they do not last as long as the ripoff sites claim. You will be adding eliuid whether you start with prefilled or blank. Cartomizers are very convenient compared to cart+atty

Which acronyms? Many are underlined here and if you hover over those the definition appears.

PV is an ecig

PG and VG are glycerin types used int he eliquid base - PG lets through more TH/irritation/flavor, VG dulls all that and makes more vapor, and most people like juices with a blended base, for example 70pg/30vg

3-piece ecig is battery + atomizer (aka atty - part that vaporizes liquid) + cartridge (aka cart)
2-piece ecig is battery + cartomizer (aka carto - a disposable combined cart and atty)

510 and KR808D-1 (aka KR8) are models. All slim ecigs are made in china and they have model numbers which are also used to describe what threading an accessory is intended for. 510 cartomizers fit on 510 ecigs.

many people here also abbreviate vendor names (V4L is Vapor4Life, BWB is Backwoods Brew, FSUSA is FreedomSMokeUSA etc)

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Hi samson. Welcome to ecf. Glad you found us. I did the same thing(searching the internet) when I decided to look for ecigs. Boy, there is a lotta crap out there.
At the top of the page is a link to the registered forum suppliers. They are monitored by ecf......so members here highly recommend them. Tell us what you are expecting from using an ecig so we can better help you and suggest things. You will pick up the lingo quickly.....also look towards the top of this page for the stickies. They have loads of info.

sas

 

[samson]

i want to be able to have a e-cig pull it out and get the same relaxed feeling i get from a cig. i smoke because i get stressed and when i want one i have to have one. i just do not like paying out the nose for cigs and then feeling like im going to cough up a lung every two days. i feel like cigs are a hassle to carry around and leave a horrible mess in their wake. so i just want be rid of them and enjoy something that gives me the same satisfaction. If that makes any sense at all.

 

[samson]

SOOOO helpful. that was what i was looking for. now what is the difference between using a prefilled cartridge and dripping?

samson

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Of course it makes sense. Since ecigs are a nic replacement/alternative system your cravings for nic will be non-existant. so tell us. What kind of battery life are you interested in? e.g. a Joye 510 is a 180mah battery. That means it will last approx. 2-3 hours to a charge. There are other systems have have bigger batteries that last 3 times or more as long. I see Dormouse has given a wealth of info for you.(above post) so we need your feedback on what you would like to get out of an ecig. Does size matter? Costs? The look of the ecig? Those kinds of things.

sas

 

[samson]

size is very important seeing as im very very much on the go. i wouldnt mind a 2-3 hour battery life aslong as i have a way to recharge it on the go. costs not a big issue. i wouldnt like to pay more than 100 for a whole set for now. i dont mind so much for look but i would like something black other than that i do not care really. i would like for it to give me a solid hit so i dont have to keep vaping to get the feeling i want.

samson

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

SOOOO helpful. that was what i was looking for. now what is the difference between using a prefilled cartridge and dripping?

samson

Difference is convenience(pre-filled) and dripping (much better vapor and taste)

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

size is very important seeing as im very very much on the go. i wouldnt mind a 2-3 hour battery life aslong as i have a way to recharge it on the go. costs not a big issue. i wouldnt like to pay more than 100 for a whole set for now. i dont mind so much for look but i would like something black other than that i do not care really. i would like for it to give me a solid hit so i dont have to keep vaping to get the feeling i want.

samson

20% off your whole order!
This is a link to liberty-flights with a 20 discount. Have a look around. You can get a Riva 510 whole kit--for $29.99 + 2.99 shipping....order xtra juice with any system you decide on.
Dormouse suggested Vapor4life.com look there also......they have loads of prefilled cartomizers but the batteries are not as strong as say Joye eGo or Riva 510.

sas

 

[Credo]

If you spend much time near a computer consider starting off with a single ego type passthrough fat battery. These are 650ma fat batteries that have a charger 'built in'. It can be plugged in charging while you use it. One of these will last a light to moderate vaper several hours away from a usb port.

If you're in the car alot...grab a car AC to Usb power supply. These things are common and cheap...as they work for ipods, ereaders, some cell phones, etc...

One nice thing about this approach is that the money you would otherwise pump into a second battery, chargers, and other such gadgets can instead be devoted to liquids or various types of cartomizers and atomizers to seek out your favorite.

Yes, the ego battery is going to be a little larger and heavier than the regular 510, 808, 8/901 batteries...but...it'll outlast a pocket full of the others. At some point, if you like vaping and want a light 'mouth hanger', you can always pick up a hand full of small/light batteries compatable with your 510 stuff if you decide you really want them. Or...you might decide instead to pick up even 'bigger' batteries.

Either way, I can almost guarantee you'll get your money's worth out of that first ego passthrough.

As for stuff to consider trying out with that first passthrough battery:

Regular 510 Atomizer and carts. OR eGo Tank system.
That first battery can probaly be found in a nice 'kit' with your choice of atomizer and cart type and possibly even some juice or cartomizers. Or, you can just buy the battery for cheap and pick out the bits one by one.

Starter kits are usually a better deal at first.

Just as an example, I got a setup like this (link) from Got Vapes for my GF because it would let her try a little of all worlds and she could decide which works best for her. It has a regular 510 atomizer and lucid or smart carts.

Along with that kit, I added:
A drip tip.
A pack of CE2 fluxomizers at 2.4ohm,
A regular pack of cartomizers.
A low resistance 510 atomizer.
An ego Tank Atty w/tanks.

No, you don't have to do all this in one pass if you're on a budget. Just pick a kit with the atomizer or cartomizer set-up that seems most interesting to you and try the rest as you go.

regular cartomizers.Cartomizers have an atomizer (heat coil) and cartridge all in one piece. These are for packing lots of puffs on the go with minimal messing with bottles of juice. Fill a few to have with you all ready to vape.

CE2 cartomizers from (any from 2.4 - 2.8 ohms should be fine).
These are just another type of cartomizer that use wicks instead of poly filler. They can hold from 1 (regular size) to 2 (XL) ml of liquid.

LUCID and Smart Carts. Cartridges require a seperate atomizer to go with them. Regular cartridges consist of poly filler where you drip juice. Lucid and smart carts are newer cartridge types for 510 atomizers. They are a kind of hybrid between a tank and regular poly filler cartridge.

 

[jlarsen]

i want to be able to have a e-cig pull it out and get the same relaxed feeling i get from a cig. i smoke because i get stressed and when i want one i have to have one. i just do not like paying out the nose for cigs and then feeling like im going to cough up a lung every two days. i feel like cigs are a hassle to carry around and leave a horrible mess in their wake. so i just want be rid of them and enjoy something that gives me the same satisfaction. If that makes any sense at all.

The good news is that just about any reputable ecig will satisfy your needs. The bad news is that still leaves you with a lot of options, and nobody can really tell you which will be the best for you. If you want convenience, then you probably won't be into direct dripping. But either a 2 or 3 piece system would still give you the convenience you're looking for, but you might have to experiment with both to see which you like best. A tank system might be even more convenient in the long run, but also comes with more of a learning curve (from what I understand), so probably not best to start out with.

It takes a bit longer for the nicotine to get into your system by vaping, but we're only talking like seconds or minutes, and the same is true for all vaping systems.

Then you have to consider battery size and life, and if you want your cartos/carts prefilled, or if you want to fill them yourself. Then you get into choosing flavors.

Sounds really overwhelming, and it can be, and at the same time not so much. Whatever you start with, you'll be getting your nicotine fix, and in the meantime you can do more research and tailor your next purchase to better suit you. You can spend too much time researching, and you can also spend too little. In the end, most vapers will end up eventually dumping their first ecig and getting something that matches their needs and habits better. Some do it relatively soon after starting vaping, others much longer.

But if the first one you get is good enough to get you off analogs (regular cigarettes) than you're better off in the long run. As long as the first ecig you get isn't total garbage, it probably won't matter much at first while you're figuring it all out. Like dormouse said, searches turn up a lot of cr*p and scams. The forum vendors are trusted and used by thousands of forum members. There are slight variations in price for equal systems from vendor to vendor, but you can't really go wrong with any of them.

You'll probably spend a bit more to get started, but once you quit analogs and have vaped for a while, you'll start saving money, especially if you don't turn it into a hobby and start buying every type of ecig and accessory that comes on the market.

Don't worry too much about knowing all the specifics of every system to start out with, get a little more information, then pick one and go with it. You can be perfectly happy with a 510, not knowing anything about 901s or 801s. You can always learn more later.

If you don't smoke often, you'll probably be happy enough with a smaller battery size. But if you get stressed and reach for your ecig only to find that it isn't charged, that wouldn't be good. Because that is a nicotine need of yours, you might want to invest in a passthrough (IF you are near a USB port much of the day).

Of course you want to save money too, and you will in the long run. Don't expect to save in the short run. If you buy a starter kit that is much too small for your need just to save $10, you could end up with something that doesn't work for you. But there is also no need to dump hundreds in your first few weeks, though some vapers do and are still quite happy with their purchases.

 

[Silversmyth]

+1 Riva from Liberty Flights

 

[jlarsen]

size is very important seeing as im very very much on the go. i wouldnt mind a 2-3 hour battery life aslong as i have a way to recharge it on the go. costs not a big issue. i wouldnt like to pay more than 100 for a whole set for now. i dont mind so much for look but i would like something black other than that i do not care really. i would like for it to give me a solid hit so i dont have to keep vaping to get the feeling i want.

samson

Every answer leads to more questions. A larger device would last on the go without recharging. A smaller one needs to be recharged, but most small systems either come with or have optional case chargers that can be purchased to charge them on the go.

You can also get USB and car chargers, and USB passthroughs for continuous use if you are at your computer or in your car.

Most ecigs are offered in black or a handful of colors, but black is usually a choice.

If you're willing to spend $100 to start, then you have a lot of options, and you can easily get a system that meets all of your needs. Sometimes people can get away with a $30-40 starter kit, depending on their needs, but then it is more likely they'll want something pricier in the future.

The only one I'd steer you away from is Blu. Though it works for some, most end up hating it, and few stick with it. I know from experience, as well as reviews and complaints on the forum. Blu has a decent charger case, and good flavors, but that's about where the positives end. Battery life is deplorable.

I have, and love, my Halo element. You'd be at about $105 for the starter kit and a charger case for it.

My brother has an eGo, which is highly recommended by many forum members. Much longer battery life, but maybe less ability to charge on the go, but you might not need it cause the battery lasts all day as it is. You can get eGo starter kits from liberty flights and altsmoke, as well as others for well under $100.

Volcano also sells similar kits. I can attest to Halo and eGo, but not volcano, I've never used them. But I've spent a lot of time on their site, and looking at other's recommendations and reviews. They seem to have good systems for good prices, their volcano and magma kits appear to be comparable to Halo and other small battery ecigs, and their inferno seems to be comparable to an eGo. The inferno kit comes with a 1000 mAh battery, and a passthrough. You might want to ask around on the forum for anyone that uses the inferno, and see if it is well recommended. You'd have one long life battery to take on the go, and the passthrough to use at home. It comes in three colors including black. If and when I make another purchase, and the leap to a larger battery, I'm considering the inferno along with the eGo.

 

[phish828]

anyone tried Backwoods brew honey flu and Maxboro? They taste the same to me just wondered if its just me

 

[Silversmyth]

The Riva 510(lite bundle) for 30$--OR the ego for about 10 more are the best (and cheapest) starter kits around.
(At liberty Flights)
SO many ways to go with either of these kits it is unreal .
Anyway you want to vape you have a solid starting point with either one.
Riva has 750mah batteries and eGo has 650mah.
These last me from 6:00 AM till after I get home from work and longer.
Just wish I had started with either one
Took me about 3 weeks after I quit to find this little piece of heaven known as ECF.
As to the language of vaping--look at top of new members forum at the "Abbreviations" thread.
Will help with all the jargon used here.
I smoked for almost 48 years and quit New Years eve.
Never going back
Get some juice- a starter kit--and don't look back .

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

anyone tried Backwoods brew honey flu and Maxboro? They taste the same to me just wondered if its just me

BWB are freshly prepared when you order them. I have only tried the honey flu but had to let it set a couple of days for the flavors to meld. Right before bed, take both the caps off and place in a dark cabinet. This allow air to get to it and ages it quicker. Next day, you should see a difference.

sas
and remember to shake the bottles before using them. This also helps mix it all up. But shake only after you put the caps back on....lol