What would you say your experience level is?
- Thread starter IntelligentDesigner
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
-
- Tags
- heathers mount baker provari vamo
- Status
I would say I am advanced in my area. My area is cartos and carto tanks. I do think ANYBODY has something to learn. Some people like me don't want to learn other areas. I tryed a wicked tank once and the was no TH so I have no interest in that area. Other people might say the same thing about my interests. I like all the choices in mods.
I can make decent vapor w/a bunch of different devices now but I certainly don't feel like an advanced user or expert of any of it. Maybe early intermediate I donno. One thing for sure; any vape knowledge that I do have I got from here. The local B&M is completely clueless so thank goodness for ECF or I'd be eternally relegated to using an ego w/a clearo/carto. Not that there's anything wrong w/that, but there is so much more.
Well for me if the vendors say for advance users for rba's. Then I am an a advance user. I have rebuilt Novas, the AGA-T2 and my ZAP with no problems now. But I still don't feel like a pro!!!
I have rebuilt nothing but rewicked a few, mix my own juice but do it the easy way, use 306's but still flood em occasionally. Idk you tell me...an intermediate noob? I like to give advice to noobs and usually it's pretty good I'm told so can I still be a noob myself? Probably. Ok I'm an inter-noob. Next step pro-noob. Then intermediate, amateur circuit, professional? Are these the correct steps and labels? When is one no longer a noob I guess is my question...
I just typed something about this the other day.
A year ago, I could tell you anything you wanted to know about every device on the market. If I didn't own it, hadn't used it, or at least hadn't watched and read every review about it, then it was a rare item indeed. But, since then, something really changed.
I didn't leave ecf or lose my internet connection or anything like that... But, today, I skip over all sorts of threads that are discussing items I've never heard of. A couple of weeks ago, I did my semi-annual clean our of my youtube subscriptions and I removed every single e-cig reviewer because I haven't watched any of them in months. They've become irrelevant to my youtube usage. I went through my subscribed threads on ECF and removed all but one or two because they'd also become irrelevant to my interests.
The best theory I can come up with as to the change in how I use vaping information and what information is interesting to me is: I must have still been looking for something while I was trying everything I could buy and making sure I had every detail about every different item. I guess about a year ago, I must have found what I was looking for. ... Looking through my purchase receipts, I can actually identify what changed. And, looking at the desk in front of me I see that instead of the 25 or so different vaping related items that were there a year ago, I see 3.
So, I found what I like and I'm completely satisfied with it. I think that makes me more of an 'expert' than when I knew everything about every item that could be had.
A year ago, I could tell you anything you wanted to know about every device on the market. If I didn't own it, hadn't used it, or at least hadn't watched and read every review about it, then it was a rare item indeed. But, since then, something really changed.
I didn't leave ecf or lose my internet connection or anything like that... But, today, I skip over all sorts of threads that are discussing items I've never heard of. A couple of weeks ago, I did my semi-annual clean our of my youtube subscriptions and I removed every single e-cig reviewer because I haven't watched any of them in months. They've become irrelevant to my youtube usage. I went through my subscribed threads on ECF and removed all but one or two because they'd also become irrelevant to my interests.
The best theory I can come up with as to the change in how I use vaping information and what information is interesting to me is: I must have still been looking for something while I was trying everything I could buy and making sure I had every detail about every different item. I guess about a year ago, I must have found what I was looking for. ... Looking through my purchase receipts, I can actually identify what changed. And, looking at the desk in front of me I see that instead of the 25 or so different vaping related items that were there a year ago, I see 3.
So, I found what I like and I'm completely satisfied with it. I think that makes me more of an 'expert' than when I knew everything about every item that could be had.
I've been vaping for about a month now. I may not know everything, but I don't think I need to with what I already know. I've been playing with electronics since I was a little kid and chemistry has been a reading subject of mine for years. Many of my hobbies involve working with electronics (hardware AND software) or handling hazardous chemicals. Basically, I just have a lot of experience as a geek. All of the stuff on batteries and atomizer design is not particularly new to me. I had a good idea of how e-cigs as a whole worked before I even got into using them myself. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so it's generally easy for me to figure out how things work and quickly make good use of them. I can look at an e-cig part I'm not familiar with and probably still tell you what it does and how it does it. I can take it apart in my head. Things like calculating wattage/battery strain, re-wicking, re-builds, and cleaning were things I basically already knew how to do. It was a simple matter of taking the relevant knowledge and applying it to e-cigs. With the proper tools, I'm confident that I could build my own.
I also like to read a lot, so I've just been soaking it all up lately. Experience-wise, I'm a beginner with lots of mistakes to make. But in terms of my knowledge and skills, I'd say I'm closer to intermediate or advanced. I do excessive amounts of reading on the subjects that interest me and the learning curve for this one is rather shallow because of what I already know. It's all very easy for me to grasp. A lot of it is more like a review from an e-cig-based standpoint. I'm just taking what I know and applying it to what I don't. Even the more advanced mods are very simple devices when it comes down to it. It's not rocket science - only vapor science. If you can just nail the basic idea, you can figure it out. The details aren't so important and really just come down to a mix of trial and error with personal preference. That's what makes figuring out what to buy seem complicated. It's really not, though.
It's hard to say there's such a thing as mastery in the vape world. New products are constantly being developed and the existing technology is still growing. Take a vaper from a few years ago and surround them with vapers from today and they will feel like a noob. I don't exactly consider it a skill either. To me, being a good vaper is like being really good at eating a cheeseburger or something. Sure, there are connoisseurs who can totally school you with the burger knowledge they will drop, but you don't need all of that to eat and thoroughly enjoy burgers all of the time. They may know more about burgers than you, but they're no better at enjoying a burger than you. When it comes down to it, cheeseburgers are something we all can appreciate! That's the beauty of it.
With that in mind, my setup is quite basic. My Volt spinner and T3 serve me quite well. I actually like that it's so simple. I don't feel the need for more at this point. The next upgrade will be significantly more advanced and then I'll be done assembling parts for a good long time.
I'm already mixing my own juices, which is uncommon for someone as new as me from what I've gathered. Mixing juices is really easy, though. You just have to make sure not to expose yourself to the nicotine base. I'm also using the weaker 48mg base to minimize damage from accidental exposure. That calculator spreadsheet in the DIY section really simplifies the whole process. It does the hardest part for you. DIY juicing was made out to be some high-level thing that you should only attempt if you know what you're doing (and that second part is true) but it's actually this really simple process made out to be exceedingly more complex by the fact that you can go about mixing in any number of ways, everybody has their own philosophy, and there are so many different flavor varieties that come in different forms. But at the end of the day, juicing is just juicing.
What I'm wondering is when VV will become the standard. A lot of sellers market VV devices as advanced items when really I think everyone should start with a VV battery. I'm pretty sure I am far from the only person out there who went straight to VV and thought it was a really simple thing that no e-cig is complete without. It just seems like more of a basic feature to me.
But see, it's things like that which really highlight the silliness of this perception we all have of this whole "difficulty level" thing. The difficulty factor for 90% of all things vaping is far less than that of figuring out how to drive and operate a car, which most people learn to do before they're taking care of themselves. You're not mastering a skill, you are cultivating an interest.
...unless we're gonna start having contests, which could actually be pretty neat if we can find a good way to accurately and consistently make precise measurements of vapor content. It would be totally ridiculous, but a lot of fun.
I also like to read a lot, so I've just been soaking it all up lately. Experience-wise, I'm a beginner with lots of mistakes to make. But in terms of my knowledge and skills, I'd say I'm closer to intermediate or advanced. I do excessive amounts of reading on the subjects that interest me and the learning curve for this one is rather shallow because of what I already know. It's all very easy for me to grasp. A lot of it is more like a review from an e-cig-based standpoint. I'm just taking what I know and applying it to what I don't. Even the more advanced mods are very simple devices when it comes down to it. It's not rocket science - only vapor science. If you can just nail the basic idea, you can figure it out. The details aren't so important and really just come down to a mix of trial and error with personal preference. That's what makes figuring out what to buy seem complicated. It's really not, though.
It's hard to say there's such a thing as mastery in the vape world. New products are constantly being developed and the existing technology is still growing. Take a vaper from a few years ago and surround them with vapers from today and they will feel like a noob. I don't exactly consider it a skill either. To me, being a good vaper is like being really good at eating a cheeseburger or something. Sure, there are connoisseurs who can totally school you with the burger knowledge they will drop, but you don't need all of that to eat and thoroughly enjoy burgers all of the time. They may know more about burgers than you, but they're no better at enjoying a burger than you. When it comes down to it, cheeseburgers are something we all can appreciate! That's the beauty of it.
With that in mind, my setup is quite basic. My Volt spinner and T3 serve me quite well. I actually like that it's so simple. I don't feel the need for more at this point. The next upgrade will be significantly more advanced and then I'll be done assembling parts for a good long time.
I'm already mixing my own juices, which is uncommon for someone as new as me from what I've gathered. Mixing juices is really easy, though. You just have to make sure not to expose yourself to the nicotine base. I'm also using the weaker 48mg base to minimize damage from accidental exposure. That calculator spreadsheet in the DIY section really simplifies the whole process. It does the hardest part for you. DIY juicing was made out to be some high-level thing that you should only attempt if you know what you're doing (and that second part is true) but it's actually this really simple process made out to be exceedingly more complex by the fact that you can go about mixing in any number of ways, everybody has their own philosophy, and there are so many different flavor varieties that come in different forms. But at the end of the day, juicing is just juicing.
What I'm wondering is when VV will become the standard. A lot of sellers market VV devices as advanced items when really I think everyone should start with a VV battery. I'm pretty sure I am far from the only person out there who went straight to VV and thought it was a really simple thing that no e-cig is complete without. It just seems like more of a basic feature to me.
But see, it's things like that which really highlight the silliness of this perception we all have of this whole "difficulty level" thing. The difficulty factor for 90% of all things vaping is far less than that of figuring out how to drive and operate a car, which most people learn to do before they're taking care of themselves. You're not mastering a skill, you are cultivating an interest.
...unless we're gonna start having contests, which could actually be pretty neat if we can find a good way to accurately and consistently make precise measurements of vapor content. It would be totally ridiculous, but a lot of fun.
Last edited:
I suppose I see myself as "Moderately Advanced" generally, and "Advanced" in specialty areas. I have experience with many different devices...RN4081, KR808D-1, 510, 901, 306. I've had experience with numerous juice delivery/atomizer types..including dripping atomizers, cartomizers, wicked tanks ("clearomizers"), T-tanks, and atomizer/cartridge systems. I have all the various threaded devices still in my possession (although I don't use much of it anymore). I have SafeCigs, Volts, V2s, VaporSmiths, kGos, eGos, LavaTube, Go Gos, and many others in the eGo class. I have some regulated APVs (like the eGo T Mod) and a couple of mechanicals and semi-mechanicals. I also have several VVs. Currently favoring the box mod form factor. I consider myself proficient with carto tanks, and know many tricks to get the best performance from them. I DIY my own juice and have for nearly a year...but prior to that, I was once considered a bit of an "expert" on vendor's menthol juices. I have done a modest amount of modding and rebuilding when it comes to PVs, but have not gotten into RBAs...by choice. There may come I time I get into them. But now is not that time, for me.
There is always more to learn, however. It's quite a hobby, really! Whenever I become interested in something...I tend to immerse myself in that something and become borderline obsessed. Vaping and all things electronic cigarettes is no exception.
There is always more to learn, however. It's quite a hobby, really! Whenever I become interested in something...I tend to immerse myself in that something and become borderline obsessed. Vaping and all things electronic cigarettes is no exception.
I would say I'm an "intermediate noob". I can usually tell when a newbie is having a specific problem, vaper's tongue, smoking cessation detox, and etc. If I can help someone because I have experience or knowledge in on their particular situation I do help them, or offer advice. If I don't know, or can't help them because I don't have the experience or the knowledge, I usually keep my mouth shut, mostly because I don't want to give someone bad information.
All of that being said, I'm not sure that there really is a "level" to vaping.
It can't be judged at the device level, the best device is the device that keeps that particular person from smoking be it a cig-a-like, or a provari or some giant PV that uses car batteries. Toppers arn't a good thing for determining level. Some people like cartos and carto tanks, others vivi novas and top coil clearos, others bottom coils, others prefer to only drip. Does someone who likes stardust clearos have to be a newb? No. That is like saying someone isn't a good driver because they drive a Toyota Carola. I don't think that to be "advanced" (which is undefined so far) one needs to DIY juice or rebuild attys. Those are skills that seem to be talent based. Someone good with building things might go for building doing RBAs, but couldn't formulate a juice that other people would vape (though they themselves may like it) to save their life, and conversely a juice DIYer that is at the level of "Hey <insert name> you should hang out a shingle and sell these they're great" might not be able to rebuild an atty to save their life.
Quite honestly I don't think there really is a level to vaping. Everyone who vapes from the guy who just started today to someone whose been vaping since vaping began probably has something to learn, or something that they are a "noob" at. Just my
All of that being said, I'm not sure that there really is a "level" to vaping.
It can't be judged at the device level, the best device is the device that keeps that particular person from smoking be it a cig-a-like, or a provari or some giant PV that uses car batteries. Toppers arn't a good thing for determining level. Some people like cartos and carto tanks, others vivi novas and top coil clearos, others bottom coils, others prefer to only drip. Does someone who likes stardust clearos have to be a newb? No. That is like saying someone isn't a good driver because they drive a Toyota Carola. I don't think that to be "advanced" (which is undefined so far) one needs to DIY juice or rebuild attys. Those are skills that seem to be talent based. Someone good with building things might go for building doing RBAs, but couldn't formulate a juice that other people would vape (though they themselves may like it) to save their life, and conversely a juice DIYer that is at the level of "Hey <insert name> you should hang out a shingle and sell these they're great" might not be able to rebuild an atty to save their life.
Quite honestly I don't think there really is a level to vaping. Everyone who vapes from the guy who just started today to someone whose been vaping since vaping began probably has something to learn, or something that they are a "noob" at. Just my
I thought I was safely half-way between newb and intermediate until I bought two different types of RBAs. I can't get either to work correctly, even after watching you tube tutorial videos. As a matter of fact, they produce next to no vapor and the throat hit is explosive enough to send me into an early grave. Heck, I even caught one aflame on two separate occasions. This is odd seeing as I can rebuild a Vivi Nova like there's no tomorrow. Needless to say, I've retired them into the bottom of my hardware container. It's almost a disgrace to have both an igo-l and drunker put out to pasture.
Considering the above, I feel that I have now fallen back to newb status.
All my juice is DIY, though. I've made some really foul substances, but most are definitely vapable! Right now, my all-day vape is a double RY4 mized with hazelnut. Truly marvelous.
Considering the above, I feel that I have now fallen back to newb status.
All my juice is DIY, though. I've made some really foul substances, but most are definitely vapable! Right now, my all-day vape is a double RY4 mized with hazelnut. Truly marvelous.
Last edited:
Well i started out with a really cheap cigalike kit, the Puresmoke ecig (not the makers of the Legacy, just to clarify), a week later I moved to Njoy's because my wife's uncle had a spare battery and some carts, so I picked up some extras for that. Another week and I found a local vape shop and got my first eGo-T. The T tank gave me some issues so I a month later I started dripping with 306's and another month DIYing all my juice. A few months later it was good-bye 306's, hello rba's. Few month's after that I ditched the eGo's for a kicked Bolt. Now that's gone too.
Experience level? Idk, I'm pretty sure I know of almost all the current gear that's out, and I can make some pretty decent tasting juices (sometimes), but I haven't used a whole lot, and with every new mod/rba/flavoring there is a new learning curve. Every time I get a new toy or mix up a toxic juice blend I feel like a noob all over again!
Experience level? Idk, I'm pretty sure I know of almost all the current gear that's out, and I can make some pretty decent tasting juices (sometimes), but I haven't used a whole lot, and with every new mod/rba/flavoring there is a new learning curve. Every time I get a new toy or mix up a toxic juice blend I feel like a noob all over again!
Last edited:
That part was funny as Hell! "Sure there are connoisseurs who can totally school you with the burger knowledge they will drop" ROFLMFAO!!!
I wasn't trying to put a label on vaping experience as in "you successfully rolled 35 SS wicks, 800 XP gained, level up, choose your perk, +1 to throat hit" type thing. It was kind of more of an attempt to get a grasp on what universal knowledge is out there that the majority of people might know that some of us others do not know and we might want to know.
But at least now we know who has a good grasp of what. Like, if I want to know the best way to get a hit out of a cartomizer, I might consult fourthrok or hvac999, evidently experts in cartos, but maybe a noob in RBAs. Or if I want advice on drippers, I might go to bennystrat because he can enchant his apparently. He says he has spells.
My apologies for making it seem like I was trying to label anyone or assuming any criteria for leveling up or whatever.
I would put myself at intermediate just because of the time, energy, money and hit and misses over several years of doing this. It's really more of a hobby for me, it's gadget y, I like that and I like to smoke so it's workin! But I do not build my own mods or do rebuildable attys nor mix my own juice.
I think I'm an advanced noob...
I only have ego batteries, one is a vv, though not a twist, it's a 3 setting vv and honestly I use it mostly at 3.2v anyway.
That being said, I've done loads of reading/watching, re-wicked a kanger T3, rebuilt a kanger T3, and this morning got my phoenix v3 actually working decently(of course later in the day I looked at it funny and it started getting harsh on me).
I only have ego batteries, one is a vv, though not a twist, it's a 3 setting vv and honestly I use it mostly at 3.2v anyway.
That being said, I've done loads of reading/watching, re-wicked a kanger T3, rebuilt a kanger T3, and this morning got my phoenix v3 actually working decently(of course later in the day I looked at it funny and it started getting harsh on me).
Above average and below advanced and analog free so Im happy with that. I can help others and others always help me and thats what Im loving about vaping and this forum
For some reason a fishing comparison comes to mind. There are some great bass fishermen who win tournaments or can find and catch a bass almost anywhere. There are also dedicated fly fishermen who can drop a fly precisely in a fast moving trout stream. Each one has spent time mastering what they enjoy. Another person really enjoys tying flies.
To me they are all different branches of the same hobby, versus progressive levels of skill. Which one is more advanced, the one who finds and brings home fish every time with a $20 rod and reel, or the one who enjoys tying flies?
I think a person who finds the style of vaping that they enjoy can be very advanced in that style.
We have fallen into associating each branch of vaping with a progression of skill, instead of different offshoots. If you have a branch that interests you, and you get pretty skillful, that's great. Mastery of the type of vaping you like, being able to troubleshoot and keep it working well, is real success.
To me they are all different branches of the same hobby, versus progressive levels of skill. Which one is more advanced, the one who finds and brings home fish every time with a $20 rod and reel, or the one who enjoys tying flies?
I think a person who finds the style of vaping that they enjoy can be very advanced in that style.
We have fallen into associating each branch of vaping with a progression of skill, instead of different offshoots. If you have a branch that interests you, and you get pretty skillful, that's great. Mastery of the type of vaping you like, being able to troubleshoot and keep it working well, is real success.
+1 Though I'm only a level 1.
Really, I don't see as to how it matters. For myself, I have finally killed the cravings for a cigarette and that is my prefect vape. Though I have an academic knowledge of many things in the vaping world, there are hundreds of things I haven't tried and likely never will. I dip and I drip, and though I may try new devices in the future those are likely to remain the only ways I will vape. I'm also rather enamored of my automatics, so until someone makes an automatic bottom feeder I doubt I'll move into the world of mods.
Well, if you break down the vaping experience into the three core areas, 1) power source 2) delivery system 3) e-liquid
1) power source scale 1= 180 mah auto cig-a-like battery 10 = provari, I would score at about Vamo
2) delivery system 1 = pre-filled cig-a-like 4 puff carto 10 = RBA, I would score about a Kanger T-2
3) e-liquid 1 = Wal-Mart VG 10 = DIY, I would score about a Heathers Heavenly/ Mom and Pops
Not real scientific but you get the idea.
1) power source scale 1= 180 mah auto cig-a-like battery 10 = provari, I would score at about Vamo
2) delivery system 1 = pre-filled cig-a-like 4 puff carto 10 = RBA, I would score about a Kanger T-2
3) e-liquid 1 = Wal-Mart VG 10 = DIY, I would score about a Heathers Heavenly/ Mom and Pops
Not real scientific but you get the idea.
I have no idea. I did my first mesh wick and coil last night on a couple AGAs I got in the classies. It worked really well, got a 1.0 ohm on one and 1.5 ohm on the other. Do I know why it works? Not a flippin' clue. lol
I can DIY basics and a few that only I like, my son makes a face. I can make him stuff that he likes too.
So really, the level is unknown. I like a good learning curve anyway.
I can DIY basics and a few that only I like, my son makes a face. I can make him stuff that he likes too.
So really, the level is unknown. I like a good learning curve anyway.
- Status
Similar threads
