The Sidesho Gong Show... (My review in novella form)

[BlondieLocs]

Okay... So it's not the Sidesho producing the Gong Show. That's just my life in general... I've been meaning to post this review for over a month now, but between this server, and that computer... And moving... and well, you know. (Tony, you can finally eat your words... ) I've also been using the Sidesho for over a month now, so consequently this review is a novella. Feel free to skim...

Quick background for you. I started smoking when I was 16 years old - I'm now 34, so that makes it 18 years, or more than half of my life. I've tried to quit on a few occasions. Tried the patch first. Ha! There's something wrong with my body chemistry - the damn things would NOT stick. I actually duct taped one to my arm once in sheer frustration. (Note to self: don't ever try the Birth Control Patch!) Tried the gum - oh gee, yummy. Not to mention the lockjaw. And cold turkey? Well, I lasted a whopping 3 days before the ex told me to go have a cigarette because I was such a ...... (Hey. There's a reason he's the ex!)

So it was mid-August, right after I bought yet another package of Nicorette (hey... If I multiply the 10% success rate by all the times I've failed it should work eventually, right? ), that I first discovered e-cigarettes. I ran across one of those ubiquitous Blu ads online and was instantly hooked. Then I noticed their shipping time. Fortunately (for me!), I'm a Google ...... When I see something that interests me (or seems to good to be true, or is outlandish, or even just because) I just *have* to Google it. They made those commercials for me. You know which ones I'm talking about... But I digress.

Where was I? Oh yes - Google led me, among other places, to this forum. I spend the better part of a week reading EVERY post on the different models available (I am not exaggerating here...) and their different pros and cons. The conclusion I came to was that what I desired in an e-cigarette was something that actually looked like, felt like, and smoked like an analog cigarette. This was of über-importance to me. I did not want to walk around town looking like I was puffing away on a crackpipe or screwdriver. I did not want to have to push a button to smoke. That would require too much coordination - especially when I'm driving while drinking coffee, curling my hair, and putting on mascara in the rearview mirror (good thing I drive an automatic).

So I finally settled on the M401 - and then on the Dragon from TrueSmoker. And thank God I did. The transition from smoking to vaping was instantaneous. I got my first e-cig on August 28th and have had a whopping 3 analogs since - and those were just to see if they would still satisfy the cravings. Nyet. They taste like .... I almost threw up the last time I had one.

Anyway... This finally brings me to Modern Vapor and the Sidesho...

 

[BlondieLocs]

I was just getting ready to place an order for a second 401 kit when I saw Bandit's review of the Sidesho on this sub-forum. (We were kinda stalking each other that day, or I never would have seen it.)

So first order of business: CUSTOMER SERVICE. Let me start by saying that Tony truly does want your business. And proves it!

I sent my first email to Tony on the 4th of September with a couple of questions about the differences between the M401 and the Sidesho. He answered promptly. And gave me his phone number to call if I had more questions. About a week later, after Bandit had posted his updated review, and I exchanged a couple PMs with him on the subject, I decided to give the Sidesho a go.

Another few emails with Tony were exchanged, and then I called him about placing an order. Tony was great with me on the phone and via email - he's extremely knowledgeable about his product and will go out of his way to make your experiences with Modern Vapor a success. (Tony and I have since spent so much time on emails and phone calls that I'm beginning to think he's my new boyfriend.)

I wanted a custom order with different colour options than he offered on his website, and he was more than happy to oblige me with my requests. (Let me add here that if Tony continues to do this, it's a fabulous bonus! However, I personally would not be upset if it could not remain this way as he continues to get busier.) I wanted to see as much of the colour options available as possible, so my first order consisted of a starter kit with a pink PCC, cig one: a stainless battery with pink LED and a black atty, cig two: a blue battery with blue atty. I also ordered the white atty with the pink logo and a package of pre-filled carts in pink. Tony was also kind enough to throw in a few extra blank cartridges for me to play with in black, blue, and white.

I also have a different Bill To: address than my Ship To: address. I sent Tony an email confirming this, and no problem there either. (Note: some vendors do have problems with this, so it's always good to check first before you order, and send an email to let the vendor know if you are going to do this.)

So what happens next? PayPal. UGH! PayPal decided to delay authorizing my payment, which in turn obviously delays shipment. Apparently the .......s have the wisdom and omniscience to decide that Modern Vapor may be a "high-risk" vendor - and choose to review payments sent to such high-risk vendors, such as those selling electronics, etc. according to their website. Tony noticed that they were doing this and immediately let me know via email that there would be a delay, and that if the payment hadn't been authorized by the next day he would ship regardless. (Of course, it did get authorized the next day anyway.) Tony now has a merchant account allowing you to pay by credit card and bypassing the PayPal Gods completely, so this would no longer be a problem.

 

[BlondieLocs]

Even considering this little delay, Tony's shipping is lightning fast. I placed my order early Friday morning, and received it on Monday afternoon. Unheard of IMHO! Of course Tony can't take all the credit for what USPS does (hey, sometimes they take longer to get packages across the country than they should too!), but he definitely deserves kudos for getting his packages handed over to them in a timely manner.

Next up: PRODUCT and PACKAGING. My first thought when I opened my little package was simply: WOW! I really like what he has done with the overall design of the Sidesho and its packaging. Very classy and professionally done. Great job of packing for shipping, too. This is an excerpt of the email I sent to Tony regarding my first impressions:

Have to say I loooove the packaging and design. We obviously have very similar tastes.

Couple notes so far. The prongs on the charger I received were bent. So badly that they wouldn’t go anywhere near lining up with the adapter. I panicked for a bit, then bent them out (Very carefully – they did NOT want to move J. Was terrified of snapping them off.) Might want to check those before you send out kits.

Right now I’m playing with the stainless batt on the white/pink atty and a pink cart. I like the look... That’s what I’m loving about what you’ve done – so many different color combos you can make.

Only thing I’m wishing was different right now is the PCC holes for the carts and the fact that there are no plugs for the blanks. Do you think the manufacturer would make the inserts so that you can fit a cartridge and atty into every slot, rather than just one, or would that be another 50, 000? (ugh) Have you come up with a solution for plugs for the blank carts?

Instructions it came with are a little confusing – as to be expected. I assume the PCC is fully charged when the LED on the charger turns green? What does the LED on the PCC do? (Sometimes it’s flashing red, sometimes it’s solid red.)​

First thing to note about this email - again going to Tony's stellar customer service -

 

[BlondieLocs]

This is a blast... I keep getting server errors every time I try to post the rest of my review... *sigh*

 

[BlondieLocs]

UGH... I'm having a ..... of a time posting all this... bear with me while I edit, and edit, and edit....

 

[BlondieLocs]

First thing to note about this email - again going to Tony's stellar customer service - right away Tony offered to replace the charger in question. I told him it wasn't necessary as I was able to get it working, but he did it anyway. He's also since been able to locate and source plugs for the blank cartridges, and is currently working with the manufacturer on an upgraded PCC, so he really does listen to what his customers' wants and needs are. He also emailed me his only little "Tips and Tricks" document which he is working on to replace the manual that comes from the manufacturer - much appreciated as I don't speak Engrish.

Now, back to the product itself... I'm sold, I'm hooked, stick a fork in me - I'm done. I was a bit sceptical when Tony told me how much lighter and smoother the draw is on the Sideshow compared to the 401 - the 401s I had tried were the newer, improved models and the draw on these already fantastic. But seriously, folks... This is not a joke. It's almost like sucking air through a straw - nothing to it. After I got used to it, I had to go back to my 401 and compare. I can't even use the thing anymore. And the throat hit - MY GOD! So I tried an analog - I couldn't even get the draw and throat hit off an analog that I get off this thing!!

Next comparisons of note: THE ATOMIZER AND CARTRIDGES.

 

[BlondieLocs]

People like to say that the 401 atty is made for dripping or dipping. These people have NOT seen the atty for the Sidesho. They actually look comical sitting next to each other. I'm not a big one for dripping myself (I'm too lazy), but if you are the Sidesho atty will be your Holy Grail. Break in on these was negligible. I'm pretty much a chain vaper, so your results will vary and I don't like to put time estimates on these things for this reason, but suffice to say the atty breaks in extremely quickly and vapor production and taste definitely increases along the way. I do recommend blowing out the primer fluid and re-priming with new juice, but I recommend this for any atty.

The cartridges - again, no contest. Just take a look at the side-by-side pictures that have been posted of the Sidesho vs. 401. The Sidesho carts are undeniably huge in comparison. I'm still trying to figure out why the manufacturer thought it was a good idea to put that stupid divider at the bottom of the cart, but whatever. The carts as they come do the job, and do it well. But in the effort to build a better mousetrap, I've tried a few cart mods as well. I was using PTB on the 401 and decided to try it on the Sidesho as well. Infinitely better - better draw, better wicking, better throat hit. But still not perfect. As most of you have probably read by now, I have since discovered what I think is the end-all, be-all for cart filler - the aquarium filter pads mentioned in other posts (Tony posted an email I sent to him regarding this in another thread). I'll respond to that thread in question with my comments, as it is not a direct relation to my review.

THE BATTERIES and PCC: The batteries DO last longer than the 401 - again, I won't comment on actual time as YMMV with your vaping habits, but definitely last longer. At first, I found them to be quite sensitive, like the 401, however not as much so. The 401 batteries would go off when I was driving with the stereo on. The Sidesho batts do not. I did find the Sidesho batts sensitive to wind, however - if I shook them (like a thermometer... You know, that little trick we do to get the last of the juice in the cart to the atty) they would go off. I'm not noticing this much at all anymore, so perhaps the batteries have a bit of break-in time also. I have taken my Sidesho out clubbing and to karaoke. No problems there either. I personally, as previously mentioned, prefer the auto battery to the manual so this is a HUGE plus! (Tony mentioned to me when I was about to place my last order that he did still have a few of the manual batteries in stock with more on the way, and I was delighted to be able to tell him that I did NOT find them necessary or desirable.) And as far as cutoff goes? I've never reached it... And I take loooong, slow drags.

The PCC is obviously a fabulous item, and also one of the reasons I initially switched to the Sidesho - the 401 at the time did not offer a PCC. (I've heard there is one in the making, but now I really don't care.) It is designed well, does what it is supposed to do, and it looks SHARP. I now have one in each of the offered colours - so I can match it to what I am wearing that day, of course. I have seen some questions regarding the PCC and charging, so I will address these with what I have found (the answers may also be posted on other threads). When charging the PCC, it is finished when the light on the wall charger turns green. When charging the battery in the PCC, the LED on the side of the PCC will be a solid red. When the battery is finished charging the red LED will flash on and off. It is advisable to unscrew the battery when it is finished charging, but I have not always done so - sometimes a girl just falls asleep, or forgets, or whatever. What I have found, is that the battery will be fine, but the PCC will need to be charged more frequently. Unless you leave it in long enough that the battery has been drained and charged around 4 times, in which case you've drained both.

Also to note, do NOT screw the battery in too tightly on either the PCC or the atomizer. I destroyed a battery this way. The contact on the battery will be pushed down too far so that it won't touch the contact on the atty or PCC. This is when you will notice that the atty won't heat up, or that the LED on the PCC is blinking rapidly (I saw this mentioned in another thread). You may be able to fix this, by gently pulling the contact back up with tweezers or a paperclip, but be CAREFUL. When I attempted this the contact actually came out of the battery... So now that battery, although it still has a charge, is useless. The pink LED (which I would actually consider more fuchsia than pink) still looks pretty and I blow on it from time to time just to see it though.

Oh, one more tip I've found - if you find that your Sidesho is not producing the vapor it should be - even though the atty is heating up, and the battery is working - try cleaning the contacts of the battery and atty with a q-tip dipped in alcohol. You'd be surprised how quickly juice can gunk up those little holes.

Since my first order, I have placed two others. This, to me, speaks volumes about Tony, Modern Vapor, and the Sidesho. I'm a fickle consumer. To get me to order from the same place more than once, the product has to be impressive and the customer service stellar. My second order consisted of a second starter kit - this time with the blue PCC, the red with white LED w/red atty, and another stainless with white LED w/black atty. I also included the USB charger with travel adapter - a definite must have for road trips! Oh, and Tony replaced the blue atty I had that ended up defective (again, because he's just that awesome of a guy). A couple of days ago, I ordered another couple replacement batteries in stainless - because in addition to breaking the one battery, I lost my blue Sidesho one night in a drunken stupor. (Don't ask.)

And just because you wanted to know... My current favourite colour combination is the red atty on the stainless battery with a black cart. That, my dear readers, is the absolute best thing about Modern Vapor and the Sidesho. There is a different colour combination to match every one of my ever-changing moods!

 

[Bandit]

All I can say after reading that abortion of a post is....



http://subtletimes.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/.......jpg
























Nice job girlie.. even though the server was not playing well with you, you got your point across!

 

[Bandit]

(Tony and I have since spent so much time on emails and phone calls that I'm beginning to think he's my new boyfriend.)

Hey, I thought I was your new boyfriend? Dammit, so I guess all those nude pics I sent you were in vain.

Even after you made that special request, and I sent you the pic of me with a tub of mayonnaise, rubber gloves, chicken feathers and 4 bottles of Pepto Bismol. I thought "well, she's kinda freaky, but I think I may be in love".....

 

[BlondieLocs]

All I can say after reading that abortion of a post is....

All I can say is...

 

[Bandit]

 

[BlondieLocs]

Hey, I thought I was your new boyfriend? Dammit, so I guess all those nude pics I sent you were in vain.

Even after you made that special request, and I sent you the pic of me with a tub of mayonnaise, rubber gloves, chicken feathers and 4 bottles of Pepto Bismol. I thought "well, she's kinda freaky, but I think I may be in love".....

Well, I thought about having more than one boyfriend.... but then came to my senses.

 

[BlondieLocs]

Dammit, Bandit... since when do we make a mess out of MY threads???

 

[Ez Duzit]

Now here's something you don't see too often. Someone helping to hijack their own thread.
You go Blondie.

 

[Inultus]

Great review, answered many questions that I've had, and I totally agree with you about the cig looking and feeling like an analog. Also, the color combo thing. Not that those are what sold me on the Sidesho (that would be the vapor, battery life and size of cart compared to the size of ecig), but they are great extras.