Upgrade question

[bjameslynch]

I've been vaping for about a month now, and I've never been happier with it. I haven't had a single cigarette since my Riva 510 arrived, and I'm sure I never will again.

I've decided to invest some of the money I've saved not smoking, and I want to upgrade to a more powerful mod. I've been looking at a few different devices, and a few have caught my eye. The first one is the Silver Bullet. I've read and seen some great reviews of this mod, and it's within my price range at the moment.

The other mod is the Provari. Again, I haven't heard a bad word spoken about it and the ability to try out different voltages is enticing. Unfortunately, it's a bit more money than I can justify spending right now.

My question is, will the Silver Bullet be enough of an upgrade over the Riva 510 I'm currently using, or should I just wait and spring for the Provari? Also, I've read that the SB can do 6 volts by stacking batteries, but I've read multiple times that stacking is dangerous and not recommended. If anyone can give me a quick rundown on stacking batteries it would be greatly appreciated.

And thanks to everyone on this forum for helping me take the plunge into vaping. It's been a lifesaver!

 

[JTman]

Stacking batteries does carry a higher risk, but many still do it successfully. I had a provari for a while and it really is a nice device. The build in Ohm checker is a sweet perk. Dialing in the voltage to reach that perfect vape is just wonderful.

A 3.7v mod will hit harder and for a longer period of time than the Riva will (though if you have a 1000mah batt it might last about the same) The nice part of a mod is you can just swap out the battery when it gets low and just keep on vaping. Having several batteries in rotation means less time fiddling and more time vaping. And like you said (I don't personally know much about the SB) you have options for different voltages. Ive been looking at stacking 3v batts in my Reo Grand for vaping at 6v.

 

[jamezelle]

Got my provari last week and am having trouble putting it down!!! solidly built and works like a champ. I love how i can turn down the voltage for a cooler smoother vape or turn it up for a warmer vape with more TH.

 

[wv2win]

I would definitely go with the variable volt over the 6 volt option, although I would get the Darwin because it has a much longer lasting battery and automatically adjusts the power level for you which no other PV does. Nothing wrong with the Provari, however.

If I was going to get a straight volt PV, I would recommend the 5 volt GLV 2 or 3 over the 6 volt option. And another 3.7 volt PV is really not an upgrade. I would go with the 5 volt or the VV.

5 volt GLV 2 or 3: Electronic Cigarettes and E-Liquid - Great Lakes Vapor

Darwin: Nhaler

Darwin Reveiw: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ressions-newest-pre-production-prototype.html

 

[bjameslynch]

I would LOVE to go with the Darwin, but that is way out of my price range. Maybe with next year's student loan check.

 

[Nomoreash]

I would recommend VV also. The SB is a great PV but vv is so much more versatile and easy. No having to mach x ohm atty/carto to x voltage, just dial it in to what your using. Also makes things cheaper in the long run imo a sale on x ohm atty, buy it doesn't matter.

If the Darwin is out of your price range check out the Buzz Pro along with the Provari. Both are great choices the Buzz just has few less bells and whistles.

Also, if you don't already have batteries and charger which it sounds like you don't then the Provari is pretty close to the Darwin price wise. Especially if you add the extended battery cap and 2 year warranty to make things more even.

 

[wv2win]

I would LOVE to go with the Darwin, but that is way out of my price range. Maybe with next year's student loan check.

If you need to keep the cost low, a very good option is one of Ken's box mods. He has both 5 volt and variable volt. He is well supported on ECF and stands behind his products. You can get a 5 volt box mod with charger and batteries for about $57. I think his VV with batteries would run about $100.

Box Mods

I would seriously also look at the 5 volt GLV2. It has a lifetime warranty.

 

[keyzygirl]

5v is sweet.Strong enough without burning your juice.

 

[bladebarrier]

The problem with going high voltage, over variable, is that you're going to end up buying all sorts of attys or cartos to try to find what works for each juice, and you'll have a bit less selection to do it. With your Riva, or an eGo, or a standard 3.7 mod, there are tons of options, and it's usually pretty easy to know what kind of result you'll get just based on the style and resistance.

If I had a device stuck at 5v, it would be sold off within a week of the novelty wearing off, but I'm not into high voltage vaping that much, and often keep my provari at 4.2 or lower. Being stuck at 3.7v would be no problem for me, as I'm very used to what will work well at that voltage, and there are low resistance cartos now that can kick it up a few notches if that's what I'm looking for.

I'd go for VV if you're looking to upgrade, or something like the Silver Bullet, if you're happy at 3.7, but want a nicer looking device that can hold a quite large 18650 battery capable of storing about 2900mah of power, and easily able to run even those very hot (temperature wise) 1.5 ohm cartos and attys with ease, which the Riva cannot properly do.

//EDIT: You should also check out the Reo Grand, as an alternative to all of the above. It's going to cost a little more for sure, but a bottom feeder mod can be a big improvement in convenience.

 

[Boodle]

AltSmoke is fabulous. I got the BB and Silver Bullet direct from them and bought a used Omega. They're all solid products. Being female, the Omega and SB are a little large in public. I lost my BB I love the GLVs from greatlakesvapor for the way it vapes and the button is the best - no peers. They feel great in your hand and the custom, solid feel of them are amazing.

I like having several PVs at my desk with different flavors. I feel like I can taste the filler in cartomizers and they tickle my throat and make me cough. I drip or dip juice. Maybe if I used cartos I'd unscrew one flavor and put on another to mix it up and just use one PV. Today the 5v GLV has Boba's, the SuperMini - KBV waffles, the Mini - Gorilla Juice and a Kgo with Casablanca.

Whatever you decide, get what you like best. It doesn't matter what others think other than to get info to make an informed decision. Good luck!

 

[keyzygirl]

Funny thing about the 5v GLV.It self adjusts so whatever atty or carto you put on it,just works perfectly.I dont know why it works that way.It just does.There are a few videos in the GLV forum about it.

 

[wv2win]

The problem with going high voltage, over variable, is that you're going to end up buying all sorts of attys or cartos to try to find what works for each juice, and you'll have a bit less selection to do it. With your Riva, or an eGo, or a standard 3.7 mod, there are tons of options, and it's usually pretty easy to know what kind of result you'll get just based on the style and resistance.

If I had a device stuck at 5v, it would be sold off within a week of the novelty wearing off, but I'm not into high voltage vaping that much, and often keep my provari at 4.2 or lower. Being stuck at 3.7v would be no problem for me, as I'm very used to what will work well at that voltage, and there are low resistance cartos now that can kick it up a few notches if that's what I'm looking for.

I'd go for VV if you're looking to upgrade, or something like the Silver Bullet, if you're happy at 3.7, but want a nicer looking device that can hold a quite large 18650 battery capable of storing about 2900mah of power, and easily able to run even those very hot (temperature wise) 1.5 ohm cartos and attys with ease, which the Riva cannot properly do.

//EDIT: You should also check out the Reo Grand, as an alternative to all of the above. It's going to cost a little more for sure, but a bottom feeder mod can be a big improvement in convenience.

The problem with not liking throat hit is that many assume that 3.7 volts is the best you can do. I would never, ever go back to vaping at 3.7 volts and be stuck there again. From polls on this site and other vaping sites, 4.5 to 5 volts is considered the "sweet spot" for vaping with standard attys/cartos. The VV's give you the most flexibility but if that was not an option, a good 5 volt PV, especially if regulated, just plain and simple, provides warmer vaper than any 3.7 volt PV. And I also would not want to be reduced to only using LR attys which drain your batteries much more quickly and just don't hold up as well as standard attys.

Note: the GLV3 is a 5 volt feeder PV and has a lifetime warranty.

 

[MTV]

I love my SB and mainly use it at 6v with cartomizers...

 

[bladebarrier]

The problem with not liking throat hit is that many assume that 3.7 volts is the best you can do. I would never, ever go back to vaping at 3.7 volts and be stuck there again. From polls on this site and other vaping sites, 4.5 to 5 volts is considered the "sweet spot" for vaping with standard attys/cartos. The VV's give you the most flexibility but if that was not an option, a good 5 volt PV, especially if regulated, just plain and simple, provides warmer vaper than any 3.7 volt PV. And I also would not want to be reduced to only using LR attys which drain your batteries much more quickly and just don't hold up as well as standard attys.

Note: the GLV3 is a 5 volt feeder PV and has a lifetime warranty.

I don't want to start confusing the new people too much here, but voltage without resistance is an incomplete formula. Any poll regarding only voltage should be treated as purely fun, but nonsense in the real world.

Just as a quick example. Your typical 2 ohm carto or atty at 5v, is almost identical to using a 1.5 ohm carto at 3.7v, as long as both are "big battery" mods, which all that were discussed here as upgrades are.

If you swap the carto/atty out, you can achieve the same end result. The only time there would be an increase is if you used a 1.5ohm atty/carto at well above 3.7v, which I find to be painful. Some may disagree, of course, and it's a matter of preference at that point, but the world no longer revolves around the 3+ ohm attys that ego/rivas might come with, and swapping to a different resistance carto/atty is certainly cheaper than a GLV3 (which is way out of the OP's price range anyways). Of course, the SB has the added advantage of being able to swap the battery type out, and changing the voltage that way.

EDIT: I should also note that running an 18650 mod, like the SB, at a really low resistance, won't drain your batteries faster than a HV mod, at a higher resistance. The power has to come from somewhere. In fact VV models are less efficient in general, because there's a loss from changing the voltage as well. Granted that shouldn't scare people away from VV, it just doesn't equate in the real world.

 

[fright88]

Just my .02 but maybe a Buzz or Buzz Pro will work as a middle ground a bit cheaper then Provari but still VV and good battery life.

Since the Pro just came out you may be able to find someone willing to part with their origional Buzz in the classys but I would say if you can swing the extra get the pro.

Just as a note I don't own a Pro yet since I kinda want to wait for their feeder mod to come out but I have heard a lot of good reviews and had a few people recommend them.

Check out the Notcigs sub forum if you want to read reviews ask q's ect.

Good luck with your search.

 

[bjameslynch]

The box mod looks perfect! This way I can experiment with higher voltage vaping without investing a huge chunk of change. I may upgrade to the Provari later on, but If this box mod is as good as you say, it should hold me over for quite a while. Thanks!

 

[wv2win]

I don't want to start confusing the new people too much here, but voltage without resistance is an incomplete formula. Any poll regarding only voltage should be treated as purely fun, but nonsense in the real world.

Just as a quick example. Your typical 2 ohm carto or atty at 5v, is almost identical to using a 1.5 ohm carto at 3.7v, as long as both are "big battery" mods, which all that were discussed here as upgrades are.

If you swap the carto/atty out, you can achieve the same end result. The only time there would be an increase is if you used a 1.5ohm atty/carto at well above 3.7v, which I find to be painful. Some may disagree, of course, and it's a matter of preference at that point, but the world no longer revolves around the 3+ ohm attys that ego/rivas might come with, and swapping to a different resistance carto/atty is certainly cheaper than a GLV3 (which is way out of the OP's price range anyways). Of course, the SB has the added advantage of being able to swap the battery type out, and changing the voltage that way.

EDIT: I should also note that running an 18650 mod, like the SB, at a really low resistance, won't drain your batteries faster than a HV mod, at a higher resistance. The power has to come from somewhere. In fact VV models are less efficient in general, because there's a loss from changing the voltage as well. Granted that shouldn't scare people away from VV, it just doesn't equate in the real world.

The only way a 3.7 volt battery is worth much is by using LR attys, unless like you, one doesn't like a decent throat hit. And as I stated, there is a downside to being stuck with only using LR attys. They just don't hold up as well and do eat your battery charge much more quickly based on my and many others who have posted their results. Plus, you just can't get the consistency from most 3.7v devices that you get with a good 5 volt or variable volt PV that is regulated. In my experience, the LR attys turn "hot" much too quickly, also whereas that is not nearly the problem with standard attys on a 5 volt or VV device.

And on cost, the OP can get a good 5 volt or VV device from Ken's for $50 - $90 depending on the model.