There doesn't seem to be a lot of love for the 808

[Arker]

I have nearly 50 years with tobacco, mostly fine hand rolled cigars and pipes in the last decade. Over the years, there have been many places that permitted cigarettes but banned pipes and cigars. We were considered a nuisance to many cigarette smokers. Where most tobacco smokers stick with cigarettes, it seems to me almost all of the vaping community quickly evolved from e-cigarettes to "e-cigars." An eGo is essentially a thin, 35 ring gauge size, while the 22-23 mm PVs are as big as the largest commonly available cigars, 58 - 60 ring gauge. They produce as much or more "smoke" as big cigars, in my experience. I find this an interesting phenomena.

If you're staying off tobacco with "ciga-likes," my congratulations. May you and they live long and prosper.

I preferred cigars myself and the only e-cig that I have found that I liked better than my 808s happens to be a disposable electric cigar. "Smokeless selects" you can find them online and in some stores. And much like real cigars, they are just too damn expensive.

I tried for a little while to try to duplicate the experience but really made no progress. It's not the juice they use, because I reloaded with the most awful tasting juice I had and they were still great. If I could get something like this in a rechargeable at a decent price I would be all over it. I have torn them apart and they are simple, disposable battery, atomizer and cartridge looking very much like an oversized carto, all wrapped up and topped with a soft rubber tip.

The tip is nice but I know that cant cause the difference in taste. And while the larger rechargeables are closer to the size, they dont look like it, or taste like it. Clearos dont seem to come close.

 

[NicoHolic]

I didn't duplicate the cigar/pipe experience until I got my first mechanical REO Grand with a Reomizer 2.0 RDA using 0.5 - 0.8Ω cotton-wicked micro coils with 50/50 24 mg/ml. That was about three weeks into vaping. I've since kept forgetting about the stash in my coolidor.

This is pretty expensive, but I wonder if you've seen it? Basically an eGo battery with a 3.5 ml "smilomizer" (large carto).

 

[Arker]

I had not seen that, but it looks great.

The price isnt that bad actually, that goes on my wish-to-try list for sure.

Did I hear right that the 'smilemizer' is 808 threaded? I could try those on my existing batts?

 

[NicoHolic]

Did I hear right that the 'smilemizer' is 808 threaded? I could try those on my existing batts?

I think it is 808. You can find more about it in the Vapor4Life vendor forum here. I guess it isn't all that expensive in light of a $300-$600/month cigar habit (why I switched to pipes and tobacco by the pounds).

 

[Arker]

I think it is 808. You can find more about it in the Vapor4Life vendor forum here. I guess it isn't all that expensive in light of a $300-$600/month cigar habit (why I switched to pipes and tobacco by the pounds).

Well I wasnt patient enough to ask and wait and I may wind up regretting it, but I did search that forum and a couple others and also the v4l site and wound up ordering a couple to try out.

Best I can tell it IS a straight-up 808 connector and will physically fit my batts. But the zeus batteries are much higher voltage. Despite this, I did find at least two different people saying they were using them with regular batteries and they were working fine, so I am going to try.

If it actually works well enough to use the lower voltage should result in longer life. If it doesnt I will have to dig out my unregulated passthrough, which will get a good deal closer to the design voltage when plugged into the right power source. Will be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[NicoHolic]

I do that sometimes. Please come back to this thread and let us know how they worked out for you.

 

[Arker]

Well, I got it from the mail, filled it up, gave it 5 minutes to soak in, then stuck that smileomizer on a bloog 808 xl auto bat, took a draw, and got plenty of vapor. If it works this well at 3.6volts I am scared to think of what it would do on a Zeus, IIRC those things are 6volts.

On the downside, I got V4L 'cuban cigar' juice to go with it and this stuff is a bit different. I might learn to like it, or it might mellow after a little oxidation.

Either way I think these smileomizers may be just what I am looking for though. Obviously I havent had it long enough to verify the useful lifespan but most people seem to find them lasting long enough to be more than worth what I paid.

 

[NicoHolic]

Thanks for reporting back, Arker! IIRC, the Zeus are 5 volts, which compared to your 3.6 is about a doubling of power (voltage squared). Please let us know if your impression of them changes. Merry Christmas!

 

[Arker]

Hmm so I ordered two. And a bottle of juice cause I was low. In retrospect I should have ordered known juice even though it would have meant more shipping.

So I am low but I have just enough of an aged and known taste here to give it a try.

It was a pain to drip enough juice into the first one to really get it loaded, so this time I thought I would be smart and use a needle. And found out when they say 3.5ml they apparently mean absolutely no more than that. I might have had 3.51ml, and got it coming out the tube. Fortunately it seems nothing was damaged in the process.

Anyway, the second one, loaded with pure Bogarts Blend from Bloog, is without a doubt the best cartomizer I have tried so far. I dont even really like the Bogies (I got it many months ago to try it, and wound up deciding I preferred to mix it with 555 instead of taking it straight.) But I like this cart.

 

[mcol]

I too enjoy a Smileomizer now and again. Yes they will work on cigalikes as well as bigger 808 devices.
I don't use them exclusively because of the price, but they are different in a good way.

 

[Arker]

I too enjoy a Smileomizer now and again. Yes they will work on cigalikes as well as bigger 808 devices.
I don't use them exclusively because of the price, but they are different in a good way.

The price honestly doesnt seem bad to me. I have been using mine for about two weeks now and it's still going strong. I paid $7.50 per, I realize that is a sale price (still on!) but I shop around and almost never pay full price for carts to begin with, that's still less than I expect to pay for 5 carts, and it's already lasted as long as they would have.

So if you have both types of batteries, is there a real noticeable difference when you stick it on a zeus? Have you tried with a volt spinner or something similar?

 

[mcol]

The price honestly doesnt seem bad to me. I have been using mine for about two weeks now and it's still going strong. I paid $7.50 per, I realize that is a sale price (still on!) but I shop around and almost never pay full price for carts to begin with, that's still less than I expect to pay for 5 carts, and it's already lasted as long as they would have.

So if you have both types of batteries, is there a real noticeable difference when you stick it on a zeus? Have you tried with a volt spinner or something similar?

The Smileos on the cigalikes produce more vapor/flavor than with a smaller carto.
Smileos on a Dial A Volt/Spinner produces more vapor and taste, cuz the
power of the batt. On the Zeus it's about the same as the Dial A Volt, just that
you cannot adjust the volts like you can on the Dial A Volt. So it's a full
5 volts the whole time. Sign up for their email specials and occasionally you
can get 15-20% off the price of them (it would be under the specialty priced
items not the regularly priced items). Then stock up.

 

[JJOOHHNN]

I do like the Zeus and the Dial a volt but my Dial a Volt broke. To be fair most devices would have broke under these conditions.

When I say broke I mean the battery become two parts. The top portion pulled clear off and the tube was slightly bent.

 

[Arker]

Well I still like my smileos and they are eventually going to drive me to buy a zeus or something I believe.

They work best on my pass through. On a new battery they work pretty well but they do seem to drain those batteries quickly.

Fortunately I have a lot of batteries though

 

[VapieDan]

...at least not on the general forums. I'm not sure why. It seems a bunch of people wanna steer newbies toward mods right away, but I don't think everyone who takes up vaping necessarily wants to toke on something that looks like a flashlight or a mini-ICBM. I like the smaller form factor of the 808 even though I gotta change batteries every couple of hours.

I agree. I started with 808's and they worked. I also found the hand to mouth habit was very important to me. Far more than I suspected since even the 808's required a great deal of getting use to. High nic levels can be had with the cig-a-likes and that should do the trick.

 

[ZoSo823]

I use Smokeless Image devices. I have 2 78mm manual batteries that are my preferred "travel" option. I take them to work with me, and even on a heavier vaping day, they last me through the work day. I also own one of their X2 battery. It's a 900mah "ego style" that has 808 threads and ego style threads as well. It's nice to be able to use the cartomizers and their nano clearomizers on both style batteries. I also have a few iclear 16 clearomizers and some T3's that are more convenient for home use while vaping the larger, longer lasting battery.

 

[willowize]

I've been vaping since 2009 and I have several (510) APV's, RBA's, etc. I still use my Volt 78mm auto batts and Mega Battery Charging Case (V2) daily when I'm out and about. I prefer the Volt CE3 Cartomizer - Bottom Coil and I will always love the 808 for flavor. the CE3 (though inconvenient w/needle fill) is the better of all the clearo's, carto's that volt offers flavor wise.

 

[PeteC2]

FIrst off: If it works for you...then it works, and is good!

I don't find anything wrong with the 808D1 format save for its limitation as far as clearos/tanks, and in fact to this day enjoy my Halo Triton for easy on-the-go vaping. I also often take a mini eGo 350mah battery with an evod clearo as my choice for small, stealthy vaping.

I really do not care for the cigalike battery format...whether 510 or 808, simply because I vape too heavily for the capacity of either mini-clearomizers/cartomizers, or 180 mah cigalike batts to give me sufficient vape time.

For a lighter vaper however, and anyone who is satisfied with a limited choice of clearos/tanks, I think the 808D format is just fine.

 

[Evie Luv]

I like the 808's, I first used Bloog and now I use Halo G6 for work and in public and the Halo Triton for home. If I had to start with a flashlight, rectangle box, or grenade I would have never started vaping. Vaping is a journey and most people began that journey with 808's. I'll never understand why in the new members forum these huge mods are recommened for beginners. To me that is like telling a 16 year old new driver they have to start out in an 18 wheeler because you can go further with the larger gas tanks and you have 18 gears instead of 4 or 5. Seriously, it's crazy to me.

 

[Amy87]

I like the 808's, I first used Bloog and now I use Halo G6 for work and in public and the Halo Triton for home. If I had to start with a flashlight, rectangle box, or grenade I would have never started vaping. Vaping is a journey and most people began that journey with 808's. I'll never understand why in the new members forum these huge mods are recommened for beginners. To me that is like telling a 16 year old new driver they have to start out in an 18 wheeler because you can go further with the larger gas tanks and you have 18 gears instead of 4 or 5. Seriously, it's crazy to me.

I feel exactly the same way! And beginner or not, some people just don't want to venture into complicated set-ups. I use 808's for the same reason I drive an automatic car, I don't care about speed or power, I just want to get from point A to point B in the easiest way possible. Just put it in drive and go. When I want to vape, I don't want to do anything more involved than filling up a tank, screwing it on a battery and vape. Call me lazy, but that's the most work I want to put into it.