What's next for a better vape? RBA's?

[tearose50]

Tearose 50, I'm using juice with 24 nic in it already and the juice is 80pg/20vg. I do like a good throat hit, if I went with some 70pg/30vg juice would that still give me a good throat hit? And what gives a good throat hit? From what I understand pg and nic give the throat hit but I could be mistaken.

Plus I have been wanting an analog lately, but just chain vape when I do then it passes.

That's great you handled that urge by just vaping. Kudo's. It can take some work to get through those cravings as we de-tox from whatever that other stuff is in those analogs that our bodies want. The good news is that I haven't had one of them in quite some time, even when around all the triggers and other analog users.

I started with 50/50 because I couldn't figure it all out or what it was I was wanting or missing. Your data is correct, PG is flavor and throat hit and VG is plume. I understand the most popular blends are 80/20, 70/30, or 60/40 (PG is the first number). I just buy the blend most recommended by the supplier for that flavor as I don't like all one or the other.

I read quite some time ago that a couple of drops of vodka in the bottle would up that throat hit...but I never tried it. Yes, nic level does affect it too. I find the 18 to be much more robust or heartier than 12. I did use a lot of 24 at first, but since I do tend to vape a lot, it was too much for this X heavy smoker. Only you can see what your body needs.

I ended up not trying to figure it all out when I learned about different vape styles. I started vaping more like a pipe --- puff, puff, puff and then inhale. No 5 second pulls for me. I found flavor and enough cloud to know my equipment was working enough of a challenge and haven't tried to replicate analog throat hit.

Mostly I just kept at it and am very glad I did.

(And, I think it could be good to try 70/30 or 60/40 blends.)

 

[SilverZero]

EDIT: Wrong thread.

 

[nickrw99]

Dude ignore all this nerd talk. Get a 510 atomizer and try dripping. I think you will be very happy with the vape you get from dripping. RBA/RDA's are cool and it is a hobby a lot of us get into when we get more into vaping. However, at 5 weeks in, there are a lot of other option you can try before actyually building your own. Additionally, building your own coils can be a frustrating and tedious process, not to mention dangerous if you are not careful. It is not something to be taken lightly and you HAVE to do some research before attempting to do it yourself.

You have a good setup right now. Have you tried other clearo's than the EVODS? Personally, I like Vision Vivi Novas. They are not as reliable as the BCC setups, like your EVODS, but give a warmer, more flavorful vape.

I totally agree with Jazzi Mike. I have vaped for 2 years - started with typical cartomizers, then tried the tank setup where you have to punch your cartos with a nail and then slide it into the tank. Got tired of the flooding and burnt carto taste so at a friend's recommendation, i moved to a vapor king 901 drip atomizer with empire drip shield and never looked back. You'll need a 510 adapter for this atomizer, but I truly think these are the best ones and you can buy them in bulk for a fair price. I tried the clearomizers when they first came out, but went right back to the 901. A week ago I got my first RBA. While I love the RBA, it's just a different vaping experience (like a clearomizer on steroids) and so i rotate between the two depending on how i feel. When i got my RBA at a local vape shop the guy asked me how i currently vape, i showed him the 901 and he made fun of me and called me "way too old school". But you know what...it works and it is a good, dependable vape experience. And so far, yes building coils at first is SUPER frustrating as Jazzi Mike said. I still haven't got it just right yet, but i too like to tinker so i'll get there eventually.

 

[The Hook]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I'll be looking into a few things before I jump into anything.

 

[Baditude]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I'll be looking into a few things before I jump into anything.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/448133-end-coming-i-can-feel-wind.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/baditude/4454-7-advice-tips-vapors-looking-try-their-first-rba.html

 

[kimbo55]

The next thing for me is SS rope wick w/ribbon wire in my Genesis set ups. Was convinced to try it after a JCWest You Tube vid.

 

[The Hook]

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/448133-end-coming-i-can-feel-wind.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/baditude/4454-7-advice-tips-vapors-looking-try-their-first-rba.html

Baditude, thanks for the links, I need more time to sit down and read it all but I well.

 

[Moogle]

As a newb who went the RBA route a bit too soon I would advise trying rebuilding a Protank or the like first. Possible try a SS wick for better flavor and performance. RBAs take awhile to master. I'm not advising against them, just plan ahead and have a suitable alternative. Common problems can be leaking, hot spots, bad flavor or worse a battery problem if you don't have short protection. Just my opinion.

 

[jefsview]

just watch you p's, q's, and ohms.

Won an RDA. Love it. Still use iclears, but vape the RDA daily. But it can be dangerous if you go sub-ohm on a mech. Learn as much as you can, and then have at it.

 

[Katdarling]

I will say this about RBAs: it takes time and effort; but little money; less than using anything else. And the vape is decidedly superior.

Anyone who tells you that RBAs vape worse than their standard devices are wrong; harder to get going maybe, but the vape is better. I rarely say something so definitely, but it is true. No, it is not a matter of personal preference, because if you know what youre doing with RBAs you can tweak it which ever way to match your exact preference. So the "personal preference" argument is invalid in terms of vape quality.

Many people do prefer more standard devices over RBAs due to the simplicity of use; many dont like having to tinker and fiddle. This is a legitimate reason; RBAs are not simple to use and have a learning curve. But dismiss all arguments that use "vape quality" as a point.

Old School (and proud of it) vaper here, and I must beg to differ with you. I have tried NUMEROUS RBA set ups, varied pretzel-esque coils, eliquids, ohm-age, you name it. I do not like the vape from an RBA. Are you saying I like a worse vape because I really prefer the vape from a well-saturated and primed carto in an exquisite tank? Are you really saying that what I like is "wrong"? LOL, I doubt it as I'm sure you know there is no right or wrong when it comes to taste.

I think this is truly a great thread, you guys, really great, inspirational and informative.

I totally agree with Jazzi Mike. I have vaped for 2 years - started with typical cartomizers, then tried the tank setup where you have to punch your cartos with a nail and then slide it into the tank. Got tired of the flooding and burnt carto taste so at a friend's recommendation, i moved to a vapor king 901 drip atomizer with empire drip shield and never looked back. You'll need a 510 adapter for this atomizer, but I truly think these are the best ones and you can buy them in bulk for a fair price. I tried the clearomizers when they first came out, but went right back to the 901. A week ago I got my first RBA. While I love the RBA, it's just a different vaping experience (like a clearomizer on steroids) and so i rotate between the two depending on how i feel. When i got my RBA at a local vape shop the guy asked me how i currently vape, i showed him the 901 and he made fun of me and called me "way too old school". But you know what...it works and it is a good, dependable vape experience. And so far, yes building coils at first is SUPER frustrating as Jazzi Mike said. I still haven't got it just right yet, but i too like to tinker so i'll get there eventually.

Love that expression! "like a clearomizer on steroids"!

Wish I knew the store where they said you were "way too old school". I'd put up my (incredibly old and measly) dukes and and and... then I'd laugh and teach them a thing or two about atomizers ala old school. Bet they couldn't answer the question, "What is blue foam?"

 

[nickrw99]

Love that expression! "like a clearomizer on steroids"!

Wish I knew the store where they said you were "way too old school". I'd put up my (incredibly old and measly) dukes and and and... then I'd laugh and teach them a thing or two about atomizers ala old school. Bet they couldn't answer the question, "What is blue foam?"

If you're ever out in Los Angeles Kat, I'd love to see you go toe-to-toe with this guy and teach him some things. "Old school" pfffft I love my 901's!

 

[sawlight]

I had a couple of friends start vaping recently, both went to B&M's and followed the advice given them and got clearo's, they've tried numerous types and have been completely unhappy with them! I've converted both to carto tanks and they love them, they work, offer good flavor, easy to maintain, and THEY WORK!
As for RBA's, I have a few, I'm VERY mechanically minded but they still seem to cause me nothing but fits for the time being. Love the flavor, when they work, but they are for play, the carto tanks are what I use day in and out!

 

[evilfrog]

If you're ever out in Los Angeles Kat, I'd love to see you go toe-to-toe with this guy and teach him some things. "Old school" pfffft I love my 901's!

901s rule!! A day without a 901 is like a day without coffee!
...but I like the rdas too (with mesh and micro coils). And genesis. And 306/i06s.
All of them have their uses, and all are worth trying.

Cartos are good if you need to mute a sharp flavor, but overall they taste kinda grainy to me. I still break out the old carto tank with an 801 fusion once every few months, but I avoid them when possible....

 

[Kanj.nguyen]

Old School (and proud of it) vaper here, and I must beg to differ with you. I have tried NUMEROUS RBA set ups, varied pretzel-esque coils, eliquids, ohm-age, you name it. I do not like the vape from an RBA. Are you saying I like a worse vape because I really prefer the vape from a well-saturated and primed carto in an exquisite tank? Are you really saying that what I like is "wrong"? LOL, I doubt it as I'm sure you know there is no right or wrong when it comes to taste.

I do know there is no right or wrong when it comes to taste, and thats exactly why i said what i said. While there may be a "carto vape" or a "clearo vape", there is no such thing as an RBA vape because you make it yourself - it is not a rigid, well-defined or unique concept. RBAs are what they are because they can be tweaked to suit any taste, including yours. You can mimick any kind of device you want - thats why theyre called rebuildables. Some taste can be harder to match than others, so if you say you prefer carto tanks for the "vape quality", it is because you never managed to tweak it to your liking and gave it up for the simplicity of other devices.

Think about it this way: you can choose either to build your own house, or buy a ready-built house. The built house is quite lovely, but if you have the skills, time and general capability to build your own to match your exact taste of a house, it is always better. It is not a matter of personal preference because you are given the potential to have exactly what you want.

If you want X (that is, X gives you the maximum utility), and one option allows you the potential to have exactly X, whereas the other option is Y (note that Y is at most X by definition of X) then if you have the capability of utilizing that potential, the mathematically logical choice is the first one. So the question is not which one is bigger between X and Y, because X is a variable and not fixed; the question is how big can you, the user, make X.

 

[tearose50]

Simplicity of other devices.

I like that.

I prefer that.

 

[tyler1200]

I'll admit I like the simplicity of using a carto tank, but all I really use are RBA's and RDA's now, partially just because I like tinkering around with them.

 

[Katdarling]

If you're ever out in Los Angeles Kat, I'd love to see you go toe-to-toe with this guy and teach him some things. "Old school" pfffft I love my 901's!

Welp, it just so happens the I'm out in Los Angeles quite often, and I love to dance. Set me up with this fellow.

Love love love 901s too! And another fave is the Slant Coil by Vapage. Tried them?

 

[ph0kused]

That's awesome when you get a B&M owner like that, took the time to explain and show you how to get a better vaping experience.

I hope he also mentioned battery safety though. If you are using the wrong type of batteries you can get into a lot of trouble really quickly. .3 ohms is insanely low and can be really dangerous (that's 12 amps and 46 watts right there...)

He did, he went over all the do's and don'ts when it comes to batteries. He recommended specific battery types that he's been using for 3+ years running sub- 1.0 ohm. Told me to go out and get a multimeter so I can avoid using batteries running the incorrect power when running .3 ohm coils.

He said he's had a bunch of trouble using the wrong battery types when he was learning back in the day, and shared his dangerous experiments, and what to look out for when there may be a battery problem. Heat, popping of the juices, burning smells etc. Every time I go to rebuild my coils, I religiously check my voltage & charge.

Always running pulse tests first before I attach my atty and put it to my face. Using AW-IMR batteries. He made me feel very comfortable when building my first coils. I even drove back there and showed him my coils before I put them in my rda, he checked my battery, checked the coils, said I was good to go.

Nice to see a Vape Store thats cool enough to spend 20 minutes with an existing customer walking them through a potentially dangerous setup, to make sure I'm staying safe. I didn't pay him anything, he insisted that I bring my first coils back to him to check it before I hook it up. Highly recommend Empire Vape in Norco, California.

 

[InTheShade]

If it wasn't a 2600 mile round-trip, I'd go pay them a visit - sounds like a legit store owner. Congratulations, having that support locally is invaluable.
I'm out in the sticks here, keeping my coils in the 1.5 range, enjoying the heck out of my vape.

 

[Mixtape]

The Iclear is pretty cool. You can get some amazing clouds and intense throat hit with an RDA. The question is, do you want to take the time to wrap the coil? If the answer is 'yes' then I'd go that route. I did and never looked back.