Using cartomizers with the GG

[mamu]

I bought some KR808D cartomizers from Drew at nhaler.com and have been giving them a go off and on this past week.

These cartomizers are also known as DPV9 / Nebula / Zeus / KR808D-1, in addition to KR808D.

First off, this was my first order from Drew (sub-forum Nhaler) and I just gotta say - WOW - Drew delivers on customer service BIG time - I will definitely be a repeat customer.

I bought 16 mg cartomizers in several flavors, but to be honest, I don't remember exactly what flavors I bought and what flavors Drew gave me as extra goodies hahaha!!

So I have Mint, Camel, Coffee, Green Tea, Vanilla, Cherry, Watermelon.

My first experience with vaping the GG with the cartomizer was a bit strange. The throat hit and flavor were definitely there, but the plumes of vapor I was used to with the GG was not. It was a kind of dry vapor throat hit.

Of course I'm running this puppy at 6 volts so that might be the issue with the vapor production. After vaping a bit, I put it aside and switched back to my 510 atty and liquid.

Later that day I put the cartomizer I had tried earlier back on and this time I noticed a difference in the vapor production. More vapor this time and more warmth, but still a bit on the dry throat hit side as compared to what I was used to. So then I was wondering if these capsules need a "breaking in" period.

After vaping that capsule dry, I totally took it apart. It was interesting to see how the cartomizer is designed and the fact that you can actually re-fill them if you pop off the mouth tip and inner O-ring.

Over the past week I've tried all the flavors, except Camel - that was purchased for my son. I must say I do like them all, but my faves are Mint and Green Tea.

I am VERY impressed with the cartomizer's atomizer - works absolutely great with the GG - not a glitch at all. It seems such a shame to toss these cartomizers when the atty is working so great. We ALL know how finicky attys can be hahaha!!

From what I've read, each cartomizer has a capacity equal to about a pack of ciggies. I'm not sure that's true because they don't last very long before they go dry. But considering that I was using them at 6 volts - juice hog mania - they're definitely not going to last as long as using them with a standard 901 battery.

PROS:
- atty/cart in one piece
- atty works great with the GG
- flavors come through very well with the GG
- good throat hit
- no messy liquids to fuss with
- no cart filler to fuss with
- no flooded attys
- can top off if you choose to
- very clean in that you simply screw it to the GG and you're good to go. I like this feature very much! When I want to go out and about I simply screw one on and out the door I go! I have a vacation to Rome coming up and I can see how this will be very very nice. I won't have to take any attys or carts or liquid with me. Woo-hoo to that!

CONS:
- has a "breaking in" period before you get full effects
- vapor hit on the dry side
- doesn't last very long
- has a round mouthpiece (my preference is a whistle tip mouthpiece)
- vaping with one takes a bit of getting used to

I'm not sure these cartomizers are for everyone because the vapor and throat hit are different - like I said a bit on the dry side. But for about $2 per cart, I'd recommend you give it a go - just don't stock up until you know if you like them or not.

 

[Judge Mental]

Nice review, mamu - as always.

Interesting... I've never had any luck with the cartomizers. I had/have 4 different batteries and couldn't get any of them to work. I even tried a 901 battery with no luck. The draw was very 'airy' like sucking through a straw and I got next to no vapor at all with the nebula type batteries. I couldn't get a draw at all with the 901 battery.

I even sent my batteries to Drew to check out for me (what a sweetheart he is). He said they were all fine.

So last night I tried one with the GG. Very hard draw and it got very hot very quickly. Nearly burnt my lips. Then I tried with 3.7v - nothing.

I don't understand why I seem to have a problem with them. Maybe it's the carts themselves? It's a shame because I have tons of them and I'd like to make them work for the convenience sake as you say.

 

[mamu]

Suzi - when I tried my very first one I thought it was not working either.

So I just kept puffin away at it puffin puffin puffin and then it kicked in.

But then - I'm a stubborn lil cuss doncha know

I'm tokin on a green tea one right now - absolutely smooth and yummy!

For me, they all have had a breaking in period before they work quite right.

They get warm - but not hot hot. I'm not sure what's up with yours to get that hot.

I should have put in my review the type of draw you get with these.

It's the "tight/packed" draw you get with the 901 atty. Not at all the "light/airy" draw that you get with an 801 atty.

If you're looking for the 801 atty type draw, you will be disappointed in these cartomizers.

 

[Judge Mental]

With the 901 atty I get no draw at all - even sucking as hard as I can. If I loosen the cartomizer up a bit I get a very tiny bit. It's the nebula type batteries that are all airy.

I dunno - I'll experiement a bit. But I've never understood why I can't get them to work when everyone else seems to have such good luck with them.

If I can't get them to work, I'll send them to you. I have a boat load.

Off to work - will check in later.

 

[mamu]

My son uses the Camel cartomizers on his 901 batts.

I've noticed he takes short, stacky type drags at times.

Like very short puff puff puff then a long drag.

 

[EDO]

Nice review, mamu - as always.

Interesting... I've never had any luck with the cartomizers. I had/have 4 different batteries and couldn't get any of them to work. I even tried a 901 battery with no luck. The draw was very 'airy' like sucking through a straw and I got next to no vapor at all with the nebula type batteries. I couldn't get a draw at all with the 901 battery.

I even sent my batteries to Drew to check out for me (what a sweetheart he is). He said they were all fine.

So last night I tried one with the GG. Very hard draw and it got very hot very quickly. Nearly burnt my lips. Then I tried with 3.7v - nothing.

I don't understand why I seem to have a problem with them. Maybe it's the carts themselves? It's a shame because I have tons of them and I'd like to make them work for the convenience sake as you say.

You have the wrong batteries with the wrong caps. If you have large hole batteries then you need the catomizers with the small notches. You probably have the cartomizers with the large notches and batteries with larges holes. Take a steel file and file down the carttomizers...so that the nothces are half of what they are now. THen you'll get very good perfomance.

Also if you at any point feel the ato getting hot...throw it away isnce that means you burnt throught the cart material. I always open up the carts before vaping. These carts are hand made and hand filled at the factory. You have to check to make sure they did things right. If the cart is underfilled...you'll burn through the cart in less than 30 hits for sure. IF the cart is overfilled...it will never vape properly. A cart is filled properly when it is moist looking but not wet. If it looks wet blow out some liquid if it looks dry add some liquid. Do not vape these dry...again you'll burn through the cart. SO every 30 hits add 4 drops of liquid through the battery end...throw away after 250 hits.

 

[EDO]

@Mamu...if the hit is dry and the caps don;t last long...it means you started vaping them when they were dry. Look at my comments to judge mental....these carts are hand made. I have vaped a couple of hundred of these and have opened all of them up before and after I use them. ONly 10% of them are filled correctly. It takes about 20 seconds to open them up and check to see if they did things right. Add liquid if it looks dry and blow out some liquid if the cart looks very wet....you want the cart to look moist but not wet.

If you're using them with the GG....you have to top off regularly. IT is very easy just do it from the battery end. If you don't you'll be vaping cart material....with out knowing it. One of these lasts me the whole day...and I vape a lot. But I have to top off from the battery end every 30 hits. It is far easier and better to top off from the battery end and to do it regularly.

 

[Judge Mental]

You have the wrong batteries with the wrong caps. If you have large hole batteries then you need the catomizers with the small notches. You probably have the cartomizers with the large notches and batteries with larges holes. Take a steel file and file down the carttomizers...so that the nothces are half of what they are now. THen you'll get very good perfomance.

Also if you at any point feel the ato getting hot...throw it away isnce that means you burnt throught the cart material. I always open up the carts before vaping. These carts are hand made and hand filled at the factory. You have to check to make sure they did things right. If the cart is underfilled...you'll burn through the cart in less than 30 hits for sure. IF the cart is overfilled...it will never vape properly. A cart is filled properly when it is moist looking but not wet. If it looks wet blow out some liquid if it looks dry add some liquid. Do not vape these dry...again you'll burn through the cart. SO every 30 hits add 4 drops of liquid through the battery end...throw away after 250 hits.

Thanks EDO. Gosh, I don't know which carts I have to tell the truth. I got most of them from Eastmall and some from Drew so I don't know if they're the large notches or not since I have nothing to compare them to. Drew still has my batteries so I'm not sure whether they have the large holes or not. If I had to guess, I'd say they were the large holed batteries. Like I said, Drew tried them out and said they were working fine. But I don't know which cart he was using when he tested it. Soooo confusing... Wouldn't it just be easier to get the correct batteries (with the smaller holes?) rather than try to file all the carts down? And where would I find these? Or in reverse - who has the carts with the smaller notches.

That gave me a headache.

 

[wegster]

Heh, EDO beat me to it. As far as I can tell, all of the cartomizer carts, except for the greencig carts, are made the same place, and as EDO said, QC and filling, varies.

Look for our 'burning cartomizers' thread if you want reason to make *sure* you keep them filled properly. Ahhh heck, here it is:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...moke51-etc.html?highlight=burning+cartomizers

EDO covered the batteries/cartomizer holes bit.

If too hard of a draw, you can *try* (don't yet have my GG, so can't confirm with the GG adapter) just loosening it slightly, works for me on some misc cartomizer/battery combos for e9/u9/KR/greencig etc

 

[EDO]

Thanks EDO. Gosh, I don't know which carts I have to tell the truth. I got most of them from Eastmall and some from Drew so I don't know if they're the large notches or not since I have nothing to compare them to. Drew still has my batteries so I'm not sure whether they have the large holes or not. If I had to guess, I'd say they were the large holed batteries. Like I said, Drew tried them out and said they were working fine. But I don't know which cart he was using when he tested it. Soooo confusing... Wouldn't it just be easier to get the correct batteries (with the smaller holes?) rather than try to file all the carts down? And where would I find these? Or in reverse - who has the carts with the smaller notches.

That gave me a headache.

Of all the devices out there...I really think the KR808d perform the best....the problem is that so many different versions of it came out at the same time. Some of the batteries have 4 holes some 2 holes....some large holes some small...some carts have large notches and some small. Eastmall started out with the large 2 hole batteries and later on they switched to the 2 small hole batteries. IF you like a harder draw then you can get the small hole battereis from them and test it out. Another trick is to turn positive contact so that the channel on the positive contact isn't aligning with the holes....that will make the draw a little harder.

As I said before....a lot of the carts aren't filled right....so that could be yet another reason your not getting good hits....and it feels like your drawing on a straw. IF everything is in order the KR808d is in my opnion the best 3.7 ecig out there bar none. To me it is far better that the 510 and that is saying a lot. The problem is that it took me a month to master it....most people give up on it way before that.

 

[Judge Mental]

Of all the devices out there...I really think the KR808d perform the best....the problem is that so many different versions of it came out at the same time. Some of the batteries have 4 holes some 2 holes....some large holes some small...some carts have large notches and some small. Eastmall started out with the large 2 hole batteries and later on they switched to the 2 small hole batteries. IF you like a harder draw then you can get the small hole battereis from them and test it out. Another trick is to turn positive contact so that the channel on the positive contact isn't aligning with the holes....that will make the draw a little harder.

As I said before....a lot of the carts aren't filled right....so that could be yet another reason your not getting good hits....and it feels like your drawing on a straw. IF everything is in order the KR808d is in my opnion the best 3.7 ecig out there bar none. To me it is far better that the 510 and that is saying a lot. The problem is that it took me a month to master it....most people give up on it way before that.

I guess I'm in that category. I got my original batteries (kit) from Eastmall along with the carts - both at the same time. No joy. Then I got batteries and carts from Mist Stix - still no joy. I ordered carts from Drew - nope. I aligned the screw looking thing on the top as someone suggested - nada.

I don't think it's the carts (I've dripped a couple of drops into the battery end). I either get no draw at all sucking really hard. Or it's really 'airy' and there's no vapor. And I nearly burned my lip trying one with the GG.



(wegster... I've read the burning cart thread.)

 

[EDO]

Man... this is though since I can;t see what exactly that you have. Look at all you batteries and compare the holes see if you have small and large hole batteries? Hopefully in the bunch you will see some that have the different holes sizes so that you can tell whats what. DO the same with your carts. Always Match the small with the large...ie small hole batteries with carts with large notches and vice versa.

Have you ever opened the carts up from the beginning? If you have carts that are over filled....they just won't vape at all. Lately all my carts from eastmall have been overfilled. I have to blow out about 5-6 drops worth before they start to vape. Three month ago all their carts were way under filled. I had to put 3-5 drops worth to get the cart moist or else it would seem like I was vaping on the cart material....very dry vape with a ton of throat hit....not much vapor.


If you get things right it will produce tons of vapor similar to the 510 and more throat hit than the 510. And it will do this consistently for 250 hits as long as you top off every 30 hits.

 

[EDO]

I almost forgot....Drew does sell the greencig carts...If you want to try those out....they are very good. THey are much more consistent and can be used with you KR808d batteries. They last a long time...they last about 100 X 5 second hits. After that you can add 5 drops for every 40 hits. They will last about 400-500 hits. It will last longer if you allow for airflow and not tighten the cartomizer all the way. With my lightvaper I can make those last 2 days easy.

 

[Judge Mental]

Ahh, EDO... I can't do that right now. Drew has all my batteries. I told him to hang onto them until my next order so he wouldn't have the added expense of returning them to me. I know they're all (4) two holed batteries and I'm guessing they're the large ones.

There's not much I can do until I get them back from Drew. Would you mind if I PM'd you when that happens? I do appreciate your help.

EDIT: Drew sent me a GreenCig cart to try. It did produce a tiny bit more vapor but I still had the same problems basically.

 

[mamu]

If you're using them with the GG....you have to top off regularly. IT is very easy just do it from the battery end. If you don't you'll be vaping cart material....with out knowing it. One of these lasts me the whole day...and I vape a lot. But I have to top off from the battery end every 30 hits. It is far easier and better to top off from the battery end and to do it regularly.

Thank you so much for this tip EDO.

I had no idea to top off via battery end.

 

[Di]

I almost forgot....Drew does sell the greencig carts...If you want to try those out....they are very good. THey are much more consistent and can be used with you KR808d batteries. They last a long time...they last about 100 X 5 second hits. After that you can add 5 drops for every 40 hits. They will last about 400-500 hits. It will last longer if you allow for airflow and not tighten the cartomizer all the way. With my lightvaper I can make those last 2 days easy.

Give us a vid of this edo, show us how you do it from the battery end please, ----------

 

[Judge Mental]

It's really easy, di. Just put a drop on the battery end of the cartomizer and it sucks it right in.

 

[Di]

It's really easy, di. Just put a drop on the battery end of the cartomizer and it sucks it right in.

ha ha ha ,------ suz, you tellin' this lil bunny ----

Oh its easy --- ha ha ha ----

I am the original, help me I need a light bulb changed -----

but if it is that easy, I am sure I will be able to figure it out----

I am looking forward to getting the cartomizers--
they sound like the easy- no fuss - no muss -- solution,
if they work for me,
I might just have to clean out some poor suppliers stocks ------

saves buying attys, and juice too.......
we shall see ---------------------;-)

bunny runs off to find goldcard !!!!!!

 

[mamu]

I am looking forward to getting the cartomizers--
they sound like the easy- no fuss - no muss -- solution,
if they work for me,
I might just have to clean out some poor suppliers stocks ------

saves buying attys, and juice too.......
we shall see ---------------------;-)

It's definitely a vape that takes a bit getting used to.

But overall it's worth it for the convenience of the get up and go moment.

I can't see it replacing my main vape with attys, carts, and liquid even though I wish it would.

 

[Judge Mental]

You can do it, di - nothing to it. Let us know how it works. I seem to be the only one that can't get the things to work.

PS - Ikenbunny is TOOOO cute.