Umm...Wow! Need someone patient to walk me through a huge transition!

[Keekers]

I feel like I did when I first didn't understand what vaping was or TH...

I read the Sticky Posts but still am completely lost.
I am thinking about transitioning to a Reo from a Vapor4Life stealth battery.

I have no idea what any of this means. Batteries, voltage, squonking, testing the voltage or something like that?
I know what a cart is, PG/VG and umm ejuice 8-o

Can I use any ejuice with the Reo or do I need to use theirs?

Sorry this will be quite a process to walk me through this...and someone patient!

 

[Della Cirque]

It is SO easy once you have a REO in your hand. And the REO sub forum is full of helpful information and people.

You can use any juice. Squonking is mashing on the juice bottle to feed your atty or cartomizer. (you can use either with a REO) Batteries...depends on which model you are looking at. Testing the voltage on your batteries and atties is simple too, once you have them in front of you and a multimeter.
Stop by and ask any questions in the Lounge...almost always somebody there. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/reos-mods/95123-reo-lounge-reo-grand-opening-sale.html

 

[Rhapsodies Fire]

Lucky for you...the majority of us are patient Welcome, Kristinz

First, yes, you can use any ejuice with this device.

Take your time...there is much to learn, it is easy to pick up.
Some of the terminology here is our own...not helpful for most who are in your position. But you're in luck. We've made a glossary for our lingo.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...urements-parts-terminology-2.html#post2660181
Its not a complete vaping glossary, mind you, but it may clear up some of our lingo for you.

This device is bigger than many of the cigarette looking type pvs. It is also non-proprietary, meaning that you can use different batteries, atties, cartos etc. It basically allows you to tune it to your liking, some are more varied in how many battery options there are than others. The grand can do 3.7, 5 and 6v. The mini can do 3.7 and if you're careful, 6v.

If you are not familiar with how these work, here are a few links that might be helpful. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...guides-reo-other-accessories.html#post2654486

I would love to walk you through the battery useage and tips...but I have to leave for work. But I'm sure there are a ton of folks here that will give you a hand with that. I'll check back in this afternoon to see if there is anything I can add.

By the way, I'm Lisa. PM me if you need anything.

 

[karmakatie]

Youtube videos are amazing for watching how people use a bottom feeder! That's how I learned it, and just trial and error ie experimenting.

 

[Mudflap]

Spend some time in the tips & tricks stickied thread here. Go slow and don't try to absorb everything all at once.

Reos aren't hard to use and maintain and they're so much more convenient than cig-sized batteries and cartos.

 

[Della Cirque]

(click to enlarge)
Lisa has better pictures posted in the REO sub forum...but I can never find them when I want them.

The wooden one is a Woodvil, with a 18650 battery. Slide the door on, squonk (mash) the juice bottle, press the firing button and vape yourself into oblivion.

The gold is a REO mini and showing where the atty/carto connection is. (the mini uses a 14500 battery)

 

[Keekers]

Thanks everyone! You've made me a lot less nervous about these things haha! What is the catch cup? This is a dumb question I should know by now but is there any way I can load my e-juice into the bottle without using a syringe?

I'm just so scared once I get it I'll break it. (overfill it, do something wrong with the battery, etc.) Do I need a battery meter? I read that somewhere.

 

[Della Cirque]

The catch cup catches any juice overflow...once you get your squonk down, it stays clean and dry. It's there though for those overzealous moments. The juice bottle unscrews from the cap and you can fill it easily by pouring juice in.

Battery meter (multimeter) is nice, but not an absolute must. I used it constantly when I first got my REO, but now rarely use it. Just charge the battery when you first notice a drop off in vapor production. I do still test attys occasionally to prevent shorting.

edit to add....don't be scared of breaking a REO, it is almost impossible. There is one still being used that got ran over by a truck.

 

[Delilah718]

...and don't be scared about any juice getting into the unit -- the metal REOs can be washed right under your faucet with mild detergent -- it is mechanical and won't get damaged

on your REO

and...

 

[sinnyc]

....I'm just so scared once I get it I'll break it...

If you did break it you'd be a member of a vanishingly small group.

The REO bodies are built like tanks - they've literally been run over by cars and come out OK other than some scratching and scuffing. Since REO's are mechanical devices, there isn't much to physically break. As for issues with overfilling/over-squonking, well; there's nothing to worry about there other than perhaps your atomizer. The REO itself will be fine. Even in the case of a battery failure (an extremely rare event) you'd be able to either fix the damage yourself or send it in to Rob (the creator/manufacturer) and have the repairs done for you.

- Tim

 

[pianoguy]

Glad to see you made your way here, you'll find lots of good folks who love their REO's and are more than willing to help.

I started out on KR8 equipment, too, and used that for much of my first year. Like you, I got tired of constantly refilling and topping off cartos, and running out of battery.

Firstly, you'll want to know that most of the REO models are threaded for a 510, so your KR8 cartomizers won't work without an adapter. Personally, I prefer the 510 cartomizer offerings that are available now to what I used to use. I think you would be amazed at the performance of a low-resistance cartomizer (1.5-2.0 ohms) compared to what you are currently using. You can use either atomizers or cartomizers on the REO - I have found cartomizers to be more consistent and less fussy, but that's just my opinion. You'll find lots of good discussions on various atomizers and cartomizers here that people have used.

The REO's don't come with batteries or a charger, so you'll have to purchase those separately. Rob also sells extra parts such as battery springs (which are designed to collapse in the event of a short), fill tubes, bottles, caps and o-rings. There is a good thread in the stickies that discusses batteries, chargers and so forth:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...if-reo-your-first-mod-what-you-will-need.html

I generally get about a week's worth of daily use from a new carto on my REO Grand (4-5ml per day). I usually fill a new carto before using it, but some folks just put a new carto on the REO and squeeze to fill the carto - my wife does this and it works fine for her. Here's my routine with my Grand - I start out the week with a new carto, and every night I top off my bottle and put my battery on the charger. Vaping doesn't get much easier than that.

The REO may look expensive, but it is built to last. I've used and abused my first 2 REO's every day for over a year, and am convinced that they will outlive me. They are also a low-risk proposition - if for some reason you don't like your REO, they sell quickly in the classifieds and hold their value. I know I'd be money ahead if the REO's had been available when I first started.

Best of luck, and happy reading! ;-)

 

[pianoguy]

I dug up an old picture from back in November of 2010 when I got my Grand - this shows the relative size. From left to right - a Super-T Precise P-10, a V4L XL, a WetBox (these were a cheap plastic bottom-feed mod), a REO Mini, and a REO Grand:

 

[Keekers]

Wow!!! It sounds like a great investment! I hope not to run it over with my car but that's very good to know that it will survive

I'm really excited!

I am used to using cartomizers, I used an atomizer once before and it seemed difficult to use. Are the atomizers better? That's two pieces right? Is the advantage of using an atomizer vs cartomizer the fact that an atomizer won't burn? I keep topping off my carts so they don't burn.

Oops I didn't see the extra posts before I posted this. I tried to like both of the posts but I couldn't do it! Thanks for the pictures pianoguy and great information! So you use the carts and they work great? Also, I'm a little confused to what the springs are for in case of a short? Can you explain that to me? Thanks

 

[lostknitter]

I think with a REO, since your juice is in a bottle within the REO, and you can squeeze (squonk) the bottle as needed, the advantage is that for some, the atty's provide better flavor. I don't taste much difference between attys and cartos, so I use cartos on my REO, as for me, they provide a more consistent vape. Be assured that which ever you prefer, you can use them on your REO.

 

[pianoguy]

With an atomizer, you use a drip tip on the REO. Early on, atomizers used cartridges with some filler that you'd load with juice, hence the "2-piece" designation. Since the juice comes from the REO, no cartridge is used with the atty, just a drip tip to act as a mouthpiece. Most folks also use a drip tip with their cartomizers, too - it just replaces the little rubbery plug on the mouth end of the carto.

Atomizers typically will last much longer than cartomizers, but they cost more and require some maintenance. Some atomizers come shipped with nasty primer fluid in them, so they must be cleaned in some fashion before use (there are a couple of vendors such as avidvaper and ikenvape who don't use this primer fluid). Some folks think atomizers taste better than cartomizers - I have found that the cartomizers available nowadays don't seem to "color" or mute the flavor as much as they used to. I just like the no-maintenance aspect of the cartomizers, and they are more pocket-friendly IMO (no residual drops of juice).

 

[pianoguy]

For a carto user, it is nice to have a few atomizers handy, as it is easier to test a new juice with an atomizer. You can just drip a few drops in and try it out, rather than filling up a whole carto.

 

[Keekers]

I keep getting more excited.

So the carts would have to be purchased through REO? Or are there just different sizes on websites that will fit? Will the carts still burn like they would in a regular ecig?

If I were to purchase a mini REO now, I know there is a "everything you need to get when you order your first REO section" but what would you suggest? I want to stick with carts since I'm used to them.

Does everyone use the Pila IBC charger? I'm worried about the battery section stating how I should always make sure my battery is not overcharged or undercharged.

 

[lostknitter]

You can purchase cartos from Rob on the REO site, but it isn't necessary. Your REO can use most any 510 threaded carto or atty. I use Boge 2.0LR cartos from CrystalClearVaping.com. 15 Cartos for $20 with free drip and free shipping, also use ecf5 for another $1 off. As far as what you need, if you are getting a Mini REO, the recommended battery is an AW IMR 14500, one place to get them is RTDVapor, quick shipping and a good person to work with, he also has chargers that will work, including the Pila. I don't have a Pila, but will let others address the reason why you might want one. I would order an extra spring from Rob when you order your REO, they are designed to collapse in case of a short to prevent damage to your REO. They are extremely easy to replace in case of a short which is usually caused by an atty or carto.

 

[pianoguy]

While I'm sure Rob would be happy to have you buy cartos or atty's from him (the 1.7-ohm SmokTech he has are excellent cartos), just about any with a 510 thread will work just fine - if you have any doubts, just ask here before you buy, as there are a select few that have been a problem. There are lots of good sites, such as Crystal Clear Vaping mentioned above, avidvaper, ikenvape, clouds of vapor, vaporkings, madvapes and many others. The key to not burning a carto is to keep it wet, which is one of the advantages of a bottom-feeder such as the REO. As I mentioned, I typically get about a week's worth of use out of a carto, which for me would be the equivalent of filling it 20 or more times, before tossing it. Longevity of a carto often depends on what kind of juice you use - heavy, dark juices tend to clog up cartos faster. Regardless, you should get more life out of your cartos if they can be kept wet.

I've had my Pila charger for over a year, and it has been terrific. It charges much faster than the old TrustFire TR-001 I started with, which I now keep at the office. I think it was worth the extra money.

 

[redeyedancer]

Welcome kristinz84 Thank you to all of you for helping