# Looking into e-cigarettes and need help!



## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

My husband and I would like to quit tobacco, and have been seriously considering switching to e-cigs because we both LIKE smoking, but after 50-some years of doing it, it's probably about time to stop. Neither one of us are having specific health problems, but we can't hike like we used to (running out of breath under stress), and let's face it, smoking has become such a taboo thing, I hate even mentioning to people that I do. (Oh, yeah, they can smell it, if I'm standing in front of them, I know.) None of our neighbors smoke, and we have this tiny itty bitty house that fills up pretty quick when we're both smoking, and I'm embarrassed if one of the neighbors stops by. They NEVER say anything, but... It's not so bad in the summer with the windows open, but DANG, in the winter even *I* think it stinks in here when I first come in from chores outside. I'd really like to have a cleaner smelling house (and clothes and hair, etc.) but I don't want to quit smoking! I don't want much, do I? LOL!

Anyway, I've been trying to do some research on it, and came across this thread from last year:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/general-chat/509883-any-e-cigarette-users-8.html

I have to say, I learned more from that thread than from all the e-cig sites I've been perusing lately. However, I'm now more confused than ever, and I was hoping for some insight to help me make the right decision.

I smoke 2 packs a day, more or less, and my husband smokes maybe a pack and a half a day. We live 100 miles from the nearest store, so everything we order will have to be online, and I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what we'd NEED to have to be successful and use the e-cigs instead of the real ones. It's not like we can just run to the corner gas station and pick up a pack, you know? It's an all day trip.

When I first starting looking at these, I was thinking the little minis would be best - the ones that look like a cigarette. But in reading the 8 pages of that other thread, now I don't think that's my best option. Hubby picked up one of the little disposable (SIX DOLLARS!) ones last time he was in town, and I used that and it lasted for one evening and until about noon the following day before it ran out, BUT I LOVED IT! In just that short a period of time, I found I wasn't having to clear my throat so much (obviously the smoke is irritating me), and I want to switch to the electronics ASAP.

Our one holdback is money. The "cigarettes" we buy now are actually little cigars, and they're only $15 for a carton, so the e-cigs would be at least the same or maybe even more expensive, and we live on hubby's retirement/disability pay, which barely keeps us and the animals fed, without a lot of extra to go around, so I'm trying to find the best value for the money.

I was thinking of the mini because of my daily habits. I'm either flitting back and forth in the house, or out in the barn milking, out in the chicken coop, the garden, whatever. I'm never in one place long, so I want something I can put in my pocket and go. I've never seen any of the mid-sized (pen style?) ones in person so I don't know how those compare to the little disposable I tried the other day. I'd LIKE to get something that might last all day, if there is such a thing. Or two batteries if not, I guess, and just switch them out. 

I've looked at so many sites these last few days, including BoldViolet's, that I'm suffering from analysis paralysis now! LOL! I'd really appreciate some guidance, like, if you could start over from scratch, what would you get? I don't want to waste what little money we have on something that we're not going to be happy with, but on the other hand, I don't know that we're going to be able to plunk down several hundred dollars to get started, either.

Help?

~Lannie


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

2 packs is a cigarette every 24 minutes, that's way overdoing it. Cut back to 1/2 pack a day, or at least less than a pack. Your budget and your lungs will thank you. 

I am not convinced the nicotine vapor is any better for your health than the additives they put in the tobacco. It's all chemicals. My advice would be to smoke less, not switch to the fake stuff. 

But good luck whatever you decide, and you are brave for posting it. Smoking cigarettes isn't any better than smoking crack to some people and they'll let you know it!


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Hi, That was my post.. 

Since then, I have completely quit smoking cigarettes, and pretty much completely quit using my vape, pen, sipper, or box or what ever you want to call them now.. 

Best thing I ever did... Amazing how much better I feel now.. 

I started mixing my own juices and controlled how much nicotine I mixed and would realize when I could cut back some more....

I started smoking when I was 13, and I was 50 when I had my last, last year about this time... never watched the date. I was a heavy smoker and this has been the only thing that's ever worked for me.. 

I still want a smoke every now and then, but I get through that. When I have a couple beers I'll still grab my vape, and take a couple tokes, then I'm good to go for the evening.

There is so much you learn you like on the way, and that works for you, but the two things I found that make the difference is, buy good equipment, that gives you a cloud that you like, and you'll have a better chance of succeeding.

The better equipment you buy, usually the less you will have to fidget with it to make it work. the less problems you will usually have. If you can get into units with removable batteries, you spend less in the long run. If you can't replace the battery, they usually end up breaking and you spend more to replace the complete thing. They usually stay charged longer too, the rechargable that is.

Also, if you can mix your own juice, it's whole lot cheaper, and you got more control of what you are inhaling.

If you experiment you'll find what works for you, and your own way to quit... I never set any goals, I just found what worked for me...

If you have even real specific questions, just ask.. If I don't know, I bet someone else here does. A few have used or do use them... and one person here has their own vape company.

*EDIT:*

Look at units that you can vary both the voltage and the wattage.. yes, they aren't cheap but they last a lot longer than the small all in one spinner batteries and such.

The heavier unit you buy, the more abuse they can usually take. I had mine out working around the place all day in my pocket.. no hassles.. they just worked. 

I used one called Mukey Mod, but they got lots better stuff now.. Just the Mukey was in my price range.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

MO Cows, yes, I can see that, and thank you for your opinion. But what I want is help to switch, not condemnation. I'm 57 years old, and I started smoking when I was 16, because EVERYONE did back then. Doctors actually prescribed cigarettes to nervous people to calm them down. Yes, they did. Since then, after smoking was found to be bad, I've heard all the condemnation I need to hear. But just so you don't think I'm one of those "Reefer Madness" types (do you even remember that?), I don't actually SMOKE all those cigarettes. I light one, set it down to run and do something, then something else catches my attention, and by the time I remembered I lit one, it's all burned up in the ashtray. So I go through 2 packs a day, but I doubt I smoke more than half that. 

That's one of the big reasons I want to go to an on-demand system. I can have my one or two puffs and when I set it down, it doesn't burn up in the ashtray. I figure I'll be saving money, considering there won't be so much waste.

Simi, are you talking about the kind that BoldViolet sells? I think she had two on her site, and one (maybe) had the removable batteries? I can't remember now. I've looked at too many options, I can't keep it all straight.

I'll narrow my search a bit and see what I can come up with, thanks! And maybe I'll send her a PM...

~Lannie


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I quit cold turkey 6 years ago. Having the extra 14 bucks a day that I would spend on smoking 2 packs or any form of inhaling is pretty nice. I can't see leaving one addiction for another.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

OK, neeeeever mind. Thanks anyway.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

sammyd said:


> I quit cold turkey 6 years ago. Having the extra 14 bucks a day that I would spend on smoking 2 packs or any form of inhaling is pretty nice. I can't see leaving one addiction for another.


Not everyone can do that... 

Vaping wasn't addiction for me.. it was a step away from an addiction.. It just happened to use the same drug, but a different delivery system, and actually a much healthier alternative.. 

Lannie, I know there are a ton of alternatives and pieces of hardware out there. I found that once I had a device that worked good, and once I started mixing my own juices, it was much cheaper than smoking.

Find something you can afford. Figure it like this... How much do you spend on smokes in a month? If you buy a piece of hardware that costs that much, but lasts you 5 months, or even three months, you're money ahead right?

Mixing my juices cost me in a week about what cigarettes cost me for a day... You just have to pay for a few months months worth up front

The upfront cost is high, but the savings over time makes up for it.


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2015)

Buying vape supplies over the net for someone just starting out can be confusing and an expensive trial and error process. My suggestion would be to find a good local Vape shop that is their stand alone specialty. I have found most are very knowledgeable and work hard to find the right combinations for the new costumer. They are usually a rather small business and benefit by treating you honestly and right. After you become well versed you can surely find some great deals on the net.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

How would I find a "vape store?" I mean, any idea what it would be listed under in the Yellow Pages, for instance? Like I said, we're 100 miles from town, so we're a bit limited, and the town isn't very big to start with. The smoke shop there had two kinds, the little disposable ones, and another larger one, but my husband doesn't remember what it was, and I wasn't with him. We won't be going to town again for another month, and I didn't want to have to buy cigarettes again if I could help it. So I was going to order something online. Besides, now that I've decided to make the switch, I want to do it sooner than later.

So far in all my reading, I've gathered a lot of people like Kanger, and I found this one that I thought might be good:

http://www.mtbakervapor.com/e-cig-starter-kits/kanger-evod-starter-kit/

Is there anything glaringly substandard or wrong with that starter kit?

If it will be sufficient to keep me (us) going for a while, then maybe as we use it, we'll learn some things, and later we might find something else better, but hey, it's probably a good start, right?

Regarding the unhelpful posts condemning me for being a smoker, please, no more admonitions to quit smoking, OK? I've already SAID I want to get off tobacco, and I'm looking for help to reach that goal. Maybe I'll only use the e-cigs until I can wean myself off the nicotine and stop altogether, and maybe I'll use them for many years. I'm not a fortune teller. I can only live one day at a time. All I know is I want to quit inhaling smoke.

~Lannie


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2015)

google search maps "Vape shops South Dakota" it appears most are in the 2 larger cities east side and west side of state with a couple dispersed around the center.

Kanger is an acceptable brand, I have used something similar in the past and have rewound several hundred of those coils. It will get you started, learn as you go and do not give up. As far as the negative posts, talking to my cancer radiologist, doctors are split on Vaping but see it as a better choice than cigarettes.


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## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/e-cigarette-flavorings-may-harm-lungs
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/e-cigarettes-lower-immunity-flu-and-other-germs
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/year-review-risks-e-cigarettes-emerge

A few articles I found from the science magazine...


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I give up. Simi and dlmcafee, thank you very much for your posts, I appreciate you trying to help. The rest of you, go preach to someone else.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Lannie, that's one you're going to have to know going in: There are almost as many people against vaping as are against smoking, and they're not going to be bashful about telling you that. The real problem is that the government has already decided they're on the anti-side, so the haters are going to come with magazines loaded with facts, figures, and study results, dubious as they might be. 

If you take this up, and I encourage you to at least try it, you're going to get almost as many evil scowls - many coming from current smokers who buy the opposition studies they've read or heard about. But, then again, your house is not going to stink (I've used them everywhere from hotels to airplanes, and no one had a clue), and you're going to feel better, as you already saw.

I second the recommendation to find a dedicated shop- there is a lot to learn to be able to find the product that works best for you, and the offerings are VERY different. Most of the products you'll find at gas stations or the top of Google are the products that cater to low-information types, and don't generally work very well or very long. Google it and see if you find anything close enough for you to drive to. 

If you have to start online, buy that exact kit you linked to. The wife and I have a bunch of different gear, but we still have some Evod-family stuff that is in use. Even if you end up wanting something different later, nothing will be wasted in that kit. The batteries will always get use as backups, and a lot of people (myself included) like to have a couple different juices ready to use at any given time, and those two tanks will always give you two more options to keep loaded.

If you ever find the performance of that kit not meeting your needs, you can expand piecemeal from there and not waste any money. 

While you're at it, if you end up ordering from Mt. Baker, they have some decent juices as well. I've ordered from them, and nothing I got from them ended up being my favorite, but it is still miles ahead of the Chinese-mixed, gas-station junk.

Unfortunately, she doesn't sell starter kits, but, if the start-up budget allows, put in an order with TheVaporChef .com. They're a little more expensive than Mt. Baker, but still not as expensive as most of the boutique juice companies, and the quality is top notch. They also sell all their flavors in 6ml bottles for $4, so you can afford to try out a bunch of different flavors to find out what you really like. 

No matter who you order from, plan to start with juices around 12-15-18mg nicotine (depending on what strengths they offer), and 50/50 vg/pg mix (you can read up more on that later and figure out if you want to adjust after you start).

Lastly, a tip on using them; don't expect to get the best performance trying to smoke them just like a cigarette. Everyone seems to vape a little differently, but most seem to agree that they don't hit it exactly the same as they do combustible tobacco. The nature vaporized nicotine is that it absorbs best in your mouth and nose, as opposed to burned nicotine suspended in tar that absorbs best in your lungs. You can just take it into your mouth and release it from your mouth or through your nose without ever taking it into your lungs, and get the full effect and flavor. 

Good luck. I've been on and off the wagon a couple times over the last two years, but every time I get back on, I kick myself wondering why I got off in the first place.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

BlackFeather said:


> https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/e-cigarette-flavorings-may-harm-lungs
> https://www.sciencenews.org/article/e-cigarettes-lower-immunity-flu-and-other-germs
> https://www.sciencenews.org/article/year-review-risks-e-cigarettes-emerge
> 
> A few articles I found from the science magazine...


There always has to be the negative person with no personal experience... 

I smoked for 37 years... BAD SMOKE... I was getting to where I was waking up at night and couldn't breath. As in, it was so bad, my wife almost called 911 a few times, and I'm not talking over a period of time, I"m talking like my diaphragm was spasming and I could not inhale at all.

Go ahead and be negative all you want, but a year and a half later with e-cigs, I am completely smoke free. I don't vape any more either, unless I am having a real hard time when having a couple drinks. Then I will take a couple tokes off my 0mg juice and it solves my crave.

Yeah, it is, or may be unhealthy to vape, BUT, it is better than smoking, AND, it has helped thousands to quit. I've got a few friends that have quit using e-cigs.

Lannie wants to quit smoking, and instead of being supportive, you're making her want to not talk about it at all, because you are tossing negative information about something you haven't tried yourself.. 

I've tried to stop smoking for years with all the other conventional ways. From cold turkey to FDA approved drugs. Let me tell you, some of those drugs are MUCH worse than e-cigs, but the FDA says they are ok because Big Pharma is Unkle's buddy... 

Lannie, just keep asking... ignore those who have no clue...


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I can't click the like button on GunMonkey's post enough... Some very good info!

Keep on asking, and keep on doing what you want and ignore the nay sayers... I can't praise vaping enough for the true hard core smoker that wants to quit...


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

My Dh's daughter and SIL quit smokeing cigs by Vapeing. She now sells the stuff to others.


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

My wife quit smoking about two years ago and she still vapes with the highest nicotine available (36mg). Her health has improved and the house doesn't stink like it did back then.

Nicotine isn't the big problem with cigarettes, it's the tar and carcinogens in the smoke. Nicotine has its own issues, such as constricting blood vessels, making it harder to heal from bruises, cuts or surgeries, but it's not a carcinogen. I'm proud of my wife for having the courage and strength to quit cigarettes. 

I quit cold turkey about 8 years ago from a 2 - 3 pack a day habit. Not everyone can do that, so if vaping helps, I say do it. Don't listen to those who have been brainwashed into thinking that nicotine is the great satan. Just ignore them as you would anyone with extremist views. Politely or not.

Good for you two for taking this step. You might be able to quit nicotine completely over time, but even if you don't, vaping is far less damaging than cigarettes.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I recently started vaping and I sure wish I would have asked questions or found my favorite vape shop owner sooner but given my sizeable investment, I'd be happy to share my observations with you. 

Those cheap little stick vapes are not as wonderful as one may think and while they are a decent starting point, they don't enhance the flavour of your juices and really only give you more of a mist. After investing in a small herd of those and then trying several other products, I've finally hit on a fairly good solution for me. I have two battery units (eleaf 20 watt paired with a nautilus mini tank and an eleaf 50 watt paired with a kangertech sub tank which is larger).

Simi mentioned making their own juices in another thread I started and quality of juice makes a huge difference. I have a huge pile of discard juices that sounded good but tasted bad so it is nice if you can find someplace where you can sample before you buy. I find that the cheaper juices use lower quality ingredients it does affect taste but there is a lot of information about making your own. 

Given the amount you're smoking at the moment, you'd likely want to start out with juices with 24% nicotine. I was smoking about the same and my goal was not really to quit smoking but to cut back to a point that was more reasonable and in a month or so, I've cut back from about 2 packs to 1/4 pack a day. 

I smoke menthol cigarettes and quite honestly, there are no juices that have a similar taste so I have found that I have a couple favorites that I really enjoy and I use the two separate tanks for that purpose. Right now, my primary tank holds a homemade creamy orange flavor and my secondary tank holds a commercial strawberry flavor to switch things up. 

Someone mentioned Kangertech and I would encourage you to think real hard about purchasing one of their subtanks because there is a design flaw in some that causes leaking and mine would be one of those and I suspect that a less stubborn person would have given up simply because of the mess.


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

I forgot one piece of advice that I feel is fairly important. Don't buy Clearomizers that use Silica Wicks. Breathing in silica can damage your lungs in a similar fashion as asbestos, although not as fast. I spoke to our supplier about this and after some research, he stopped carrying silica wicks altogether. 

We've been getting ceramic cores made by Aspire and they cost about the same as the silica ones. There are also cotton wicks, but those take a lot of maintenance.


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2015)

This is my current set up with 3 spare batteries. Best Vaping experiece so far. I sure wish I had searched the local stores first when I switched to vaping would hae saved me a couple hundred dollars for less than satisfying experiences.

https://buyvaporizerpen.com/combo-kit/ipv-mini-2-70w-box-mod-aspire-atlantis-2-combo

I wind my replacement coils so cost of new coils for me is low, but even buying replacement because they last considerably longer works out more economically friendly than 4.00 a pack cigarettes and bad lungs.

You are right TMTex gurgling and a mouth full of e-juice aint nice.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

dlmcafee said:


> This is my current set up with 3 spare batteries. Best Vaping experiece so far. I sure wish I had searched the local stores first when I switched to vaping would hae saved me a couple hundred dollars for less than satisfying experiences.
> 
> https://buyvaporizerpen.com/combo-kit/ipv-mini-2-70w-box-mod-aspire-atlantis-2-combo
> 
> ...


In my opinion, the aspire tanks are a way better option than Kangatech and when I can justify replacing mine, that's what I plan to purchase. I'm fine with the one I have but they aren't user friendly and would frustrate a new user.

My son's girlfriend set herself up with a fairly new unit off ebay but I would strongly suggest that if someone were considering something like that, they provide us with a link so we can offer suggestions and reviews.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Oh, thank you guys so much! This is helpful! 

I checked on that one I linked that I thought I wanted to get and asked what kind of wicks they were, and they said they were silica. I asked if they could be replaced, and he said if I could find something to replace them, to let them know. :bash: I know NOTHING about this stuff, so that ended that.

At this point, I just don't think I can get my head around the whole "2-way radio" look of some of the ones that you all are recommending so highly. Maybe I just need a break-in period or something...

Can anyone recommend a pen-type one that uses non-silica wicks? Can I somehow do a search for that? I ended up doing a Live Chat with the people at Mt. Baker, and obviously got nowhere, so I don't know how to look for that type of thing. Any tips or pointers?

I KNOW I should go to the "local" (haha) shop, and I did find a couple of them listed in Rapid City, but it's 100 miles each way, and my husband will tell me to keep smoking these cigarettes until next month because he won't want to spend the $60 in gas it will cost. I want to get off them, and now that I've decided, I want to get off them NOW. I don't like to wait. :stars:

Then again, I should probably just stop whining about it and sit on my hands for a month. After 40 years of smoking, what's another month, right?

~Lannie


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

My Dh's friend owns a gas station. While they were talking I was looking at all the stuff they carry. For like 6 dollars one can buy a "vap" thing, I'm not sure how much it contains. Anyhow, maybe you can call arround to some nearby gas stations. I would not you to waste the desire you have right now to curb your smokeing.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I've used silica wicks for a long time. They are wet, not dry, so the fibers don't go getting inhaled... You inhale much worse with a regular cigarette... That's a whole 'nother subject though... 

I've had both the Kanger Pro tanks, and the Aspire... I like the hit off the Kanger better, but the Aspire is more hassle free... Personal preference on the vapor, but the hassle free part is what I've found to be better..


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Simi is right about silica wicks. The only problem is if you were to inhale the wick itself, or, maybe burn it, but that would take a lot of power, and a dry wick.

The Evod-family stuff we have is Evod2s, Evod Glass, and Mini Protank IIIs. They all use the same coil as in the kit you pointed out, Lanny, but the dual-coil version. When they get worn out, I recoil them myself, in a single-coil configuration with cotton wick. 

It takes about 5 minutes to rebuild a coil, which might be a decent thing to explore living out as far as you do. I got 30 feet of coil wire for like $10, and a lifetime supply of surgical cotton for like $4.

If the idea of a silica wick bothered you that bad, you could yank out the wick, roll a tiny bit of surgical cotton between your fingers, and rewick the stock coils in that kit in about 30 seconds. 

Either way, if you find another kit that you like better, get that instead. But the Kanger kit you pointed out is a quality piece of very reputable gear. Since it was what you dug up yourself, I'm guessing that it fit your budget and caught your eye. That wick material is really no concern (almost any stock kit you find is going to have that), and it is easy enough to change yourself.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Good point. About the wick being wet, I mean. Duhhhh.... Sometimes I wonder about myself. Usually I'm smarter than this, but it's summer, and things are hopping around here, so I'm distracted. Is that a good excuse? 

OK, it's settled then. I'll get that one I wanted. I was looking online for ceramic wicks, and found a site that explained all kinds of wicks and how to replace them and wrap coils and all that, and it seemed pretty easy. I might do that later. Maybe. I also found a place that sells the ceramic wicks, but if the silica is fine, then I guess that'll do. Only, I'll have to replace it at SOME point, right? Or will I have to get another (oh, carp, what's it called...) atomizer or tank or whatever? If I can learn to replace the parts or rebuild them, that's what I'd like to do.

I also read (somewhere, now I can't remember) that a typical small cartomizer like the ones on the disposables, only last the equivalent of FOUR cigarettes? Is that even close to true? Because if it is, that would mean that out of the two packs I burn up every day, I only actually smoke maybe eight cigarettes, because the disposable lasted half a day for me. And if they're charging six bucks for the equivalent of four cigarettes, that's highway robbery. I'm thinking it can't be right, but I don't know.

I can't thank you guys enough for helping me with this. I feel like I know a little more now than I did yesterday, and might actually be able to make a halfway intelligent choice here. 

THANKS!

~Lannie


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2015)

For the price of the kit you are looking at and what it includes it is a good deal compared to gas station e-cigs. Go for it, learn and breath better. You will adjust to what equipment is best for you over time.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

For your wicks, buy this. It's cheap, readily available, and universally accepted as safe, clean, additive-free, and non flavor-inducing. 

You take out a pinch, roll it into a string, feed it through the coil and trim it off. I've been using this box for over a year and haven't put a dent in the first inch of the roll yet. 

And all my coil recipes are saved on the top flap.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I think most of us started with the smaller stick versions at some point and it gives you a starting point and allows you time to learn what you want or need from the experience and what makes sense to you. 

My greatest frustration with the sticks was that my inhale was not warm and therefore not at all like smoking but once you have a starting point and it may just work for you. That's all my sister has ever used and she quit smoking 3 years ago and now only vapes at social gatherings. 

My son has chewed for years and he picked up a unit when he was last down for a visit hasn't bought a can of copenhagen since.


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

The silica wicks are wet, but they tend to burn in half by the coil where it gets dry. It might not be much, but that goes into your lungs. 

That's why I changed my wife's clearomizers to ceramic and why our local distributor won't carry silica wicks. I threw out a bag of 20 silica clearomizers because my wife's health is more important than saving a few bucks.

The clearomizers and coils we use are made by Aspire. They cost about the same as the silica ones and last a bit longer. We pay a bit more because we like to support our local resellers, but they're dirt cheap online. Super easy to change out, too. Just unscrew the old one and screw the new one in. 

A drop of e-liquid in the ceramic cup will prime it and keep you from getting a nasty dry hit. You don't want one of those, no matter which wicking system you use.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

OK, roll of cotton. Piece of cake. Thanks!

TMTex, I looked at Aspire's website, and there are no prices listed, which scares me. (Usually it's "If you have to ask, you can't afford it.") But providing I could find someplace selling them that listed prices, and I decided to get one, would it fit on that Kanger battery do you think? I don't know which ones are interchangeable, and I can't seem to find that information on the various websites.

The reason I was thinking about it is not only for the ceramic wick (why not, right?), but I was hoping to get a non-plastic tank, because as I'm browsing the flavors available at Mt. Baker for juice options, the ONLY ones I think I might like are maybe minty types (I used to smoke menthols way back when) and some of the fruit ones, but the fruit ones I thought might be good are listed on the "tank crackers" list.  Is a Pyrex tank OK in that respect, or does it have to be a metal tank?

I also can't find a mild tobacco flavor. I've heard both ways now: if you're coming off cigarettes, DON'T try a tobacco flavor (because it won't taste the same), or DO try a tobacco flavor because it will make the switch easier. The disposable one I tried had "red tobacco" flavor, which I later found out was one of the "robust" flavors, and it did seem a bit strong to me, but I suppose I could get used to it. I've been smoking lights forever, so that's what I'm used to. Would getting a lower nicotine level help with lessening the robustness of the tobacco flavors?

I figured I'll order that Kanger, and several small bottles of flavors to make the $50 free shipping quota  but I'm having a REALLY hard time trying to figure out which flavors to try. Whatever I get, I'll live with it until we can get back to town and visit one of those vape shops. Maybe they'll let me try a few to see if I like them better. I just can't imagine having banana nut bread all day long, or cinnabons, or MOST of the available flavors. I really like wintergreen and spearmint, but I'm afraid if that's all I have available, it will get old really fast. 

Oh, and by the way, the hubs has decided he thinks he wants to try an e-pipe, rather than the e-cig like I want. I hate to ask yet another question, but does anyone have any experience with those? Like a good one to get, or ones to run away from very fast?

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> For your wicks, buy this. It's cheap, readily available, and universally accepted as safe, clean, additive-free, and non flavor-inducing.
> 
> You take out a pinch, roll it into a string, feed it through the coil and trim it off. I've been using this box for over a year and haven't put a dent in the first inch of the roll yet.
> 
> ...


I have the ability to go that route but I'm getting conflicting answers. I was told that I needed to change my cotton only when I change flavors but I don't feel that would make sense so how often do you change yours? 

I was also told to that for cleaning, just needed to heat my coils to red hot and run water over them. Is this how you clean yours or is there a better way to handle this?


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

Lannie said:


> OK, roll of cotton. Piece of cake. Thanks!
> 
> TMTex, I looked at Aspire's website, and there are no prices listed, which scares me. (Usually it's "If you have to ask, you can't afford it.") But providing I could find someplace selling them that listed prices, and I decided to get one, would it fit on that Kanger battery do you think? I don't know which ones are interchangeable, and I can't seem to find that information on the various websites...


I did a quick google and found one that matches my wife's specs. It's evidently called a "glassomizer". About $7.50 each. Here's a link...

http://www.discountvapers.com/aspir...nless/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0

Our local distributor knows me by name and just gets whatever I need for my wife when I walk in, so I wasn't sure what it was called. I'm not that versed in vaping since I don't do it, but my wife likes it and it's helping her get better. 

I get the 5 pack of coils from him for $12.00 and they last a couple of months. She's still using her original two "glassomizers" that I got her about a year ago. They seem to last forever.

These are EGO style parts, so they'll fit any EGO battery. I'm not sure about the Kanger, but I'd bet a nickle that it's also an EGO style. It's pretty much the standard.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> OK, roll of cotton. Piece of cake. Thanks!
> 
> TMTex, I looked at Aspire's website, and there are no prices listed, which scares me. (Usually it's "If you have to ask, you can't afford it.") But providing I could find someplace selling them that listed prices, and I decided to get one, would it fit on that Kanger battery do you think? I don't know which ones are interchangeable, and I can't seem to find that information on the various websites.
> 
> ...


It is my understanding that the citrus fruits are considered tank crackers but someone else may tell you differently. I use a glass tank so it's not a problem but I did try a tank cracker that looks like antifreeze, tastes like antifreeze and has absinthe in it that's supposed to be pretty hard on tanks that I used in a system like yours that caused no damage. I also tried a lemonade before anyone told me about tank crackers and it was fine as well but if you do try something that doesn't work for you, I'm pretty sure I have a spare tank that I could send you. 

I still like to use two flavors for many of the reasons you mention. I had an awful time finding a juice that I liked so the gal at the vape store makes mine. Right now, my big tank has a creamsickle flavor that I really enjoy and my smaller unit has a creme de menthe that I just love but at a lower heat. 

I understand that you're a fair distance from a vape store and this is one of those unfortunate times because finding something you like is a lot easier when you can sample the flavor before you bring it home. 

I smoke menthol and never did find something that didn't taste icky but my idea of icky and yours could be different. I would gladly box up a bunch of flavors that I'm not fond of but I doubt if it would be any help at all because they're all Canadian products so you may have problems finding something if you do like it but if flavor becomes a big issue, please let me know and we'll give it a try. 

The best suggestion I can offer is, no matter how yummy strawberry ejuice is, it is not a good idea to vape strawberry after a tuna sandwich :yuck:


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## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

simi-steading said:


> There always has to be the negative person with no personal experience...
> 
> I smoked for 37 years... BAD SMOKE... I was getting to where I was waking up at night and couldn't breath. As in, it was so bad, my wife almost called 911 a few times, and I'm not talking over a period of time, I"m talking like my diaphragm was spasming and I could not inhale at all.
> 
> ...


I you had read the last article on the list I posted the conclusion was if you don't smoke or vap don't start because it is bad. It also said if you did smoke, vapping was less dangerous than smoking.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

wr said:


> I have the ability to go that route but I'm getting conflicting answers. I was told that I needed to change my cotton only when I change flavors but I don't feel that would make sense so how often do you change yours?
> 
> I was also told to that for cleaning, just needed to heat my coils to red hot and run water over them. Is this how you clean yours or is there a better way to handle this?


I change wicks when they get dark and skunky looking- dark liquids and/or higher wattage setting make that happen quicker. I don't necessarily change wicks with flavors, though. If the flavors seem like they'd mix, I just fill it go. If the flavors don't seem like they'd mix, I change the wick and rinse the tank. 

I've tried a hundred different ways of cleaning a coil and never found one that didn't affect the flavor negatively, so, with as cheap and easy as it is to build a coil, when they get gummed up, I pitch it and roll another one. 

The one thing with cotton: don't let it run dry or overpower your coil. Cotton will scorch easily, and it tastes NASTY when it does. When it happens, pull the wick and put a new one in. It's not going to be like you're sucking burning cotton fumes all day- you'll know it on the first hit.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

The Aspire Nautilus is about $25 or so.. the replacement atomizers for it are something like $2 if I remember right.. actually I think it was about $8 for 5 of them. Those 5 would last me a couple months, depending on the flavoring I was using in my juice...


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Lannie, regarding flavors; it seems to me like it's impossible to predict what you'll like. What you like in vapor form may have nothing to do with your tastes in food/drink. 

The only juice I've ever found that was anything close to an "all day vape" to me is mint-chocolate - I hate mint, and I'm not big on chocolate, so who'd a thunk? 

I really like citrus, as long as they're mild, but, as another poster pointed out, you have to run most of those (as well as cinqmmons (which are disgusting BTW(YMMV))) in a glass tank- which the EVODs you're getting are not. 

The best thing I can suggest is to get something sweet like a candy flavor, something fruity, and something mellow/bitter like a coffee or tea. That will help you feel out your tastes. 

Good luck with the tobacco. Never found one that actually tastes like it, and have thrown out 100s of ml of liquid trying to find it. 

As far as your question about if the store would let you try them out- yes, almost without exception. I travel for work domestically and internationally, and have yet to find a dedicated vape shop without tasters. They usually set it up like a tasting bar. They hand you a battery, a silicone tip cover (for sanitary purposes), and a menu. You taste until you find something you like. The cost of an individual drag of e-liquid is tenths of a penny, so when they sell you a bottle, they've more than made up for any tasting you've done, so don't feel guilty about tasting until you're sure - it's just the way they system works. 

Oh, and if I didn't mention it (I did), since you're buying online right now - place an order with The Vapor Chef. She doesn't post as many flavors as a lot of vendors, but they are really well thought out and balanced. Her flavors are the only ones I've ever tasted that actually taste like what they say they do - everyone of them. Some companies can do a desert flavor really well, but can't get a fruit right to save their lives, etc. If the Chef says it tastes like mango, you WILL taste mango. Her apples, especially, are crazy-spot on. She makes a strawberry banana ("Ford Prefect") that, no kidding, tastes like strawberry in your mouth on inhale, and banana in your nose on exhale. And definitely try the Unicorn Poop (it actually has a cult following on line). It is raspberry cupcake, with vanillas frosting, topped with blueberries and, somehow, it works. The flavors don't muddy up and you can make the individual tastes stronger depending on where on your tongue you draw it in. 
She's an artist. 

And every order comes with a little green army man (still not sure what that's about), sometimes a bag of party confetti (again ??), and a free 6ml bottle of some flavor that you didn't order but she thinks you'll like based on what you did order. 

Commercial over. Just check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Edit: just realized how long that post was. Sorry. Vaporchefvaporchefvaporchef....


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

simi-steading said:


> The Aspire Nautilus is about $25 or so.. the replacement atomizers for it are something like $2 if I remember right.. actually I think it was about $8 for 5 of them. Those 5 would last me a couple months, depending on the flavoring I was using in my juice...


There's a shocking difference between our prices and I'm starting to think I should start an import business. My eleaf 50W was $95, the Kanger tank that leaks continually was $65 (replacement o-rings that seem to help for a while are $5 and coils are $25 for a package of 5), my Aspire Nautilus was $55 and our juices are $20 for lesser quality juice and anything with decent flavor is closer to $30. Vape store lady makes mine for $10 and if she happens to go missing, things might get ugly in a hurry. 

Having said that, our latest tax increase just took cigarettes to just over $15/pack and after my substantial investment, I don't cough anymore.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2015)

wr said:


> I have the ability to go that route but I'm getting conflicting answers. I was told that I needed to change my cotton only when I change flavors but I don't feel that would make sense so how often do you change yours?
> 
> I was also told to that for cleaning, just needed to heat my coils to red hot and run water over them. Is this how you clean yours or is there a better way to handle this?


I rinse mine out with Everclear then rinse with water and let it dry. I recoil mine and only rinse out the tank minus the coil, never was much of a fan of trying to clean gunked up coils although the alcohol will work but will give you an interesting few hits to begin with.

On my Aspire Atlantis I just use the coil until it starts to degrade the taste or starts to lose its power. I can go a month if I want. Being sub ohm though this is not for someone with the batteries the OP is looking at, My wife uses a kanger Subtank Nano with a 1.2 coil and it would work fine on a stick or MOD.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

WR, I think you just need to find another shop. I visited one in Ottawa and one in Regina in February and prices were a little higher than the US, but about the same after the exchange rate- at least with the equipment out of China, which is pretty much everything. The juices from the US were way expensive, but the Canadian made juices were actually on the cheap side.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> WR, I think you just need to find another shop. I visited one in Ottawa and one in Regina in February and prices were a little higher than the US, but about the same after the exchange rate- at least with the equipment out of China, which is pretty much everything. The juices from the US were way expensive, but the Canadian made juices were actually on the cheap side.


Probably if I went into Calgary or a bigger city but gas would likely even things back out. 

I've had enough bad starts that it's wiser for me to stay local and when I return something defective (I've had 2 Kanga batteries fail). The nice lady would rather not charge me for my juice but I was concerned that would get old fast so she prepares 2 very nice juices for me @ $10 for the 30ml bottles. 

Now, I just need to figure out what to do with the very large surplus of juice I have that I don't like, including the stuff that tastes like antifeeze.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

VaporchefVaporchefVaporchefVaporchef... now how did THAT get stuck in my head?  Guess I'll have to go check her out.

WR, thanks for the tip on the tuna and strawberry!:hysterical: I will REMEMBER that! And thank you also for your VERY generous offer, but hopefully I can get what I need online. Very nice of you to offer, though. 

OK, so I still don't know if one of those Aspire tanks will fit on that Kanger Evod that I'm getting. Does anyone know? If it gets here by the time we go shopping at the end of the month, I'll ask someone at the vape store what might be added on that has a glass tank, because I sure would like to try some Creme de Menthe and that peach/pineapple flavor.

Meanwhile, I guess I'll start with spearmint, wintergreen, raspberry, and one of the tobacco flavors, just to see. I don't think I'm all that picky when it comes to tobacco flavor. I just don't like it too strong, so I'll see what I can do with that. And then when we visit the vape shop, I can try out some more and get some I might like better.

Hey, if I'm filling my own tank, I can mix the flavors, right? Like if the tobacco is too strong, put a little of that and a little raspberry or mint with it? I guess I could, huh? That would definitely help if I can mix them up like that.

I'm excited! I can't wait to try this out. :grin:

~Lannie


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

The Aspire is a 510 thread. It will fit anything that has a 510 thread connector. 

Yes, you can mix flavors together..


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

Lannie said:


> ...OK, so I still don't know if one of those Aspire tanks will fit on that Kanger Evod that I'm getting. Does anyone know?...


I don't know exactly which tank or battery you're talking about, but the EGO style is evidently the same as 510.

http://www.discountvapers.com/kanger-batteries-1/


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Wonderful! The specs on it say, Thread type: 510 and Ego. So it looks like it'll fit. I'll see if I can get one of those when we go to town. I'm sure the people at the vape store can help me get the right one, as well as some good e-juice that I like. :grin: I'm really wanting to try the chocolate mint - I love both of those flavors.

~Lannie


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

So... is this a good one? It has a lot of good reviews, and it's not very expensive.

http://www.vaporauthority.com/products/genuine-aspire-bdc-et-s-pyrex-tank

I appreciate any critiques you might have on it.

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> So... is this a good one? It has a lot of good reviews, and it's not very expensive.
> 
> http://www.vaporauthority.com/products/genuine-aspire-bdc-et-s-pyrex-tank
> 
> ...


I actually typed up comment yesterday on your system which was polite but sounded to me a bit too negative so I deleted. Essentially, what you've picked is a great starting point. You have to remove your tank to charge your battery but the batteries charge fairly quickly. Your tanks are smaller than mine but that only means you fill or change flavors a bit more often than I do so there's nothing wrong with that either. 

Essentially, you're starting with a better system than I did and if you like it, you can upgrade but if you don't like it, you have a small investment but I honestly think you will like it and if you don't, it's a matter of hitting on a flavor you like.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

No, I meant the Aspire tank! LOL! That's what that link was to. I was going to see if the vape shop in Rapid has any, and if so, I'll get one, because practically EVERY flavor I thought I might like was on the blasted "tank cracker" list. I ordered some raspberry, wintergreen, spearmint, and a couple of different tobacco flavors, so we'll see how those work, and then maybe later I can get better ones.

I know the Kanger starter kit isn't the top of the line, but just because I know absolutely nothing about the finer points of e-cigarettes, I figured it would be a safe place to start, considering the low price. I found an e-cig forum that's FULL of information, but first I have to learn all the language so I know what people are even talking about. As I learn, I imagine I'll want something better  but that time will come later. For now, I've got the Kanger on order and it's coming by the slow boat (free shipping, prolly "Smart"post - what a misnomer), so I'll sit back and wait now.

Meanwhile, I'll keep studying. :grin:

~Lannie


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

Lannie said:


> So... is this a good one? It has a lot of good reviews, and it's not very expensive.
> 
> http://www.vaporauthority.com/products/genuine-aspire-bdc-et-s-pyrex-tank
> 
> ...


That looks like my wife's and she loves them. 

She hasn't upgraded to one of the larger ones. It's super easy to fill and maintain. She used to ask me to change out her coils, but she's been doing that herself lately. The trick is to not overtighten the coil so you can unscrew it later when you want to change it.

Having a "passthrough" battery is nice, too. With those, you can still vape while it's charging. A nicotine fit makes recharging seem like a much longer timeframe. I have some nicotine pills and gum stashed, but she doesn't need them anymore. I still keep them, just in case.

A few months ago, she decided to try a cigarette and hated it. She put it out right away. I was happy with that outcome.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I'm sure when I upgrade later, I'll want a pass-through type. I saw a video on those, but that's one reason I got this Kanger set - there are TWO of them, so one can be charging while I'm using the other one.

I've jotted down the name of that Aspire tank, so when we go to town, I'll see if I can get one. If not that exact one, at least something similar, so I can expand my flavors. Look at me, talking about flavors, me, who HATES flavored cigarettes! My husband smokes them now and then, but I hate the icky sweet saccharine (or whatever it is) taste it leaves on my lips. UGH! Hopefully, these e-flavors won't be as sickly sweet. I sure do like it when he's smoking one of those flavored ones, because I love the smell, just not the taste.

~Lannie


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Funny thing is, over time, you'll get to where you don't taste the flavors near as much... The flavor is there, but if you use one enough, it will get to where it doesn't seem like it was what you first tried it.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

simi-steading said:


> Funny thing is, over time, you'll get to where you don't taste the flavors near as much... The flavor is there, but if you use one enough, it will get to where it doesn't seem like it was what you first tried it.


My awesome orange stuff is like that today so that's usually when I switch it up and try something else for a while.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Kinda like when I first started smoking menthols. The first one hit me with a blast, but after I'd smoked them a while, it was just normal. I still ENJOYED them, but it wasn't like that first one. Is that what you're saying?

I was browsing around that monster e-cig forum, and there was a discussion about e-liquids and what people use for all day vaping (and I learned a new acronym - ADV!). Quite a few of them said they used straight vegetable glycerine with or without nicotine. One guy said he bought his nicotine by the liter jug and glycerine by the gallon and just mixed it up as he needed it. That would have no flavor, except for a bit of sweetness from the glycerine, I would imagine. Have any of you guys ever done that? I was thinking, if I can't find a flavor I like, maybe I could just go "plain." Or do plain most of the time, and once in a while have a flavor, to keep them special. Then maybe I could splurge on some of those from Vapor Chef. 

Another link I followed, I found tobacco tinctures. (I think it was called NET - Naturally Extracted Tobacco.) Basically, they said it was tobacco steeped in glycerine for a week or two, then strained out. They claimed it was extremely close to a real tobacco flavor, however none of the calming whatever-it-is chemical. (Of course, they have THAT for sale separately.) I'm not particularly fussy about my tobacco flavor, I think I'm more in it for the nicotine, but my husband really savors his flavors. Anyway, I just wondered if anyone had heard of that. I do herbal tinctures all the time, why couldn't I do a tobacco one for my hubby?

(I'm asking too many questions now, huh?)

~Lannie


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Oh, MAN! I didn't know about STEEPING. I just got the notice that my order shipped and should be here in a few days, and then I still won't be able to try it out for a couple of weeks? Is there any way to speed it up? I read about using ultrasonic jewelry cleaners but I don't have one of those.

Apparently, I'm going to have to start planning well in advance...

Is there anything that was on my list that you know of that can be used "right out of the box?" (Raspberry, wintergreen, spearmint, and tobacco?)

Patience, Lannie, patience... (I have cows - you'd think I'd have learned patience by now...)

~Lannie


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Steeping is not always necessary. A lot of times, the juice was mixed weeks or months ago, and the flavors have already mixed. If you find a chemical or alcohol type smell, you can leave the top off (where kids and animals can't get to it, obviously) overnight, and let it breath a little. Again, not always necessary, though. My favorite vendor mixes them after receiving the order, and they get there a day or two later. Often, I just crack right into them straight out of the mailbox and I've never found that I didn't enjoy one specifically because I used them right away. 

On the topic of pass-through batteries, and otherwise upgrading your starter kit, I'd take a look at the iTaste VV. It is a pass-through battery that is variable voltage / variable wattage, and is almost the exact same size and form factor as the stick batteries that are going to come in your kit- and you can get one for about $30. 

It's the baby brother of the iTaste MVP that you're without a doubt going to see people raving about on the forum you mentioned. It does everything the MVP does (except charge your cell phone), but doesn't have the "two-way radio" profile you want to avoid. 

For $30, you'll get an advanced battery that will let you experiment with variable wattage/voltage, and will seamlessly fold right into the kit you're going to start with. 

That's the step I used to advance past non-variable stick batteries, and I'm now using a couple advanced walkie-talkies that go up to 30w, running RDAs. BUT, I specifically build my RDAs with coils that run well at around 3.5v because....wait for it... I still use the Kanger stick batteries that I started with as briefcase-backups, and my iTaste VV stays plugged into the USB port in my truck because it's handier when I'm driving. 

As long as you don't buy junk (which you're not), and you're using this as a way to get off cigarettes (rather than trying to blow giant clouds and look cool), none of the gear you buy to start with is going to be wasted money.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I used nothing but VG... PG caused me problems.. 

I'd mix it up without flavor a fair amount of times.. For me it is more about the throat and lung feeling, than the flavor.. VG also gives a heavier denser fog..


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Oh, I found a new vape shop in our town a couple weeks ago and stopped in just for grins.. 

The new box mods out are blowing my mind... using two and three 18650 batteries and putting out 150 watts... wow.. crazy stuff for sub ohming roll your own coils...


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, we've been having thunderstorms and our internet connection keeps blipping. Sometimes (only _sometimes_) I miss civilization.

GunMonkey, thank you for the little tutorial on steeping. I feel better now.  Once I get this initial batch, I'll order some more, and I'm sure I won't be opening stuff right out of the mailbox much after that. It'll probably sit in the cupboard for a while until what I have runs low. I have no idea what kind of quantity I'm going to need, though, so I guess I'd better start shopping for some more right away. I think I have six of the 15-ml bottles on the way, plus a little freebie sample.

And thank you, Simi, for your experience with the VG. I'm no connoisseur yet by any means, so I'm not "chasing clouds" and don't really know if more vapor or less will be right for me, but I guess I'll learn as I go along. If I've learned one single thing in all this, it's that there's not one size that fits all. Everybody is going to be a teeny bit different, sometimes a LOT different. But with the help and advice I've gotten here, I think I've made a decent choice to start, and then I can fiddle with it as I learn. :grin:

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Don't be too surprised if you find that some juices you thought would be yummy are pretty yucky and there are just bad vape days and nothing is really going to hit the spot. I've changed flavors 3 times today and I think I'm good now.


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2015)

http://bettievapes.com/index.php?route=common/home
WINTER Tastes like a York peppermint patty

http://www.seducejuice.com/
White Walker Not a menthol but a combination of mints that is outstanding

https://www.halocigs.com/
Midnite Apple Tobacco with a hint of apple,

I know these to be quality brands, not sure if they are available in your area but would recommend them,,all have a large selection. Be weary of some online juices the quality lacks at time and I found spending a bit more for quality juice is well worth it in taste and quality of the mixed chemicals.

Hope you enjoy your new Vaping experience


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## Possumcat (Oct 2, 2008)

Hi Lannie....I'm' not going to read over alllll the posts because I have the head cold from Hades and I'm feeling lazy tonight BUT I did want to throw in my two cents. 

If getting the vapes is an issue or perhaps they aren't going to get to you in a reliable time frame, you might consider having some patches on hand just to get you through. 

I smoked from age 12 til I was 27. I set a date to quit and over a period of a month cut back until it was THE DAY. I then started on the patches and then cut those into sections until I could go without. I even picked a time in my life when everything was in utter turmoil because I knew if I could quit then, I would feel like a pretty tough chick :dance:

Anyhoo, long story short, they didn't have e-cigs back then or I would've given them a try too as part of my quitting plan. Having the patches as a back up might be a good idea. Just a thought and BEST OF LUCK! You can do it!


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## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

Ecigs are being found to be just as if not more dangerous than regular cigarettes. I used them when I quit for a while abs started feeling awful with a constant soar throat. And I didn't buy any cheapo stuff either. As much as I don't like chemicals, the patch and gum is a better option. Just don't use chantix. A buddy of mine lost his mind on that stuff.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

PG liquids will almost always cause a sore throat. It will also cause you to feel very dehydrated, and wit some people can cause a rash...


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

And don't forget, Big Tobacco is funding a lot of "studies" with not a lot of science, because they're losing their customer base. Vahomesteaders, read some different studies. Ones you didn't find in the mainstream media. I've found e-cigarette-forum to be a great place to research. There's TONS of information there. Nobody is saying there's no danger at all with e-cigs, because they haven't been around long enough and there haven't been a whole lot of serious studies done yet. Lots of UNserious studies, but not many actual scientific controlled studies. The long and the short of it is the vapor is a lot less harmful than regular cigarette smoke, so people like me who've smoked forever are only going to benefit by switching. My plan is to wean myself off the nicotine eventually, and not smoke or vape at all. Well, maybe if there's some flavor I really like, I'll have it as a treat once in a while. No calories! LOL!

Also, from everything I've been reading, Simi is right about the propylene glycol. The more of it, the harsher the vapor. I'm starting out with a 50/50 blend, but based on how I like that, future orders will probably be higher in vegetable glycerine. Have to wait and see...

And no worries about the Chantix - I'd have to be literally on death's door to even CONSIDER taking a pharmaceutical drug. There are so many safer alternatives, like the e-cigs.

Which reminds me, my stuff should be here tomorrow! I can't wait! :grin:

~Lannie


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Lannie said:


> I'd have to be literally on death's door to even CONSIDER taking a pharmaceutical drug....
> 
> ~Lannie


Exactly the way I am.. but sure is funny how much liquor I can work on my liver with.. DOH!


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## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

Lannie said:


> And don't forget, Big Tobacco is funding a lot of "studies" with not a lot of science, because they're losing their customer base. Vahomesteaders, read some different studies. Ones you didn't find in the mainstream media. I've found e-cigarette-forum to be a great place to research. There's TONS of information there. Nobody is saying there's no danger at all with e-cigs, because they haven't been around long enough and there haven't been a whole lot of serious studies done yet. Lots of UNserious studies, but not many actual scientific controlled studies. The long and the short of it is the vapor is a lot less harmful than regular cigarette smoke, so people like me who've smoked forever are only going to benefit by switching. My plan is to wean myself off the nicotine eventually, and not smoke or vape at all. Well, maybe if there's some flavor I really like, I'll have it as a treat once in a while. No calories! LOL!
> 
> Also, from everything I've been reading, Simi is right about the propylene glycol. The more of it, the harsher the vapor. I'm starting out with a 50/50 blend, but based on how I like that, future orders will probably be higher in vegetable glycerine. Have to wait and see...
> 
> ...


My research comes from natural and holistic websites as well as some simple studies into the chemicals used to create ecigs and the vapors. I don't like big govt or big companies so I don't study their research. There is also a class action lawsuit going around for multiple ecigs blowing up in peoples mouths.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> And don't forget, Big Tobacco is funding a lot of "studies" with not a lot of science, because they're losing their customer base. Vahomesteaders, read some different studies. Ones you didn't find in the mainstream media. I've found e-cigarette-forum to be a great place to research. There's TONS of information there. Nobody is saying there's no danger at all with e-cigs, because they haven't been around long enough and there haven't been a whole lot of serious studies done yet. Lots of UNserious studies, but not many actual scientific controlled studies. The long and the short of it is the vapor is a lot less harmful than regular cigarette smoke, so people like me who've smoked forever are only going to benefit by switching. My plan is to wean myself off the nicotine eventually, and not smoke or vape at all. Well, maybe if there's some flavor I really like, I'll have it as a treat once in a while. No calories! LOL!
> 
> Also, from everything I've been reading, Simi is right about the propylene glycol. The more of it, the harsher the vapor. I'm starting out with a 50/50 blend, but based on how I like that, future orders will probably be higher in vegetable glycerine. Have to wait and see...
> 
> ...


Have you received your unit and juice yet and if so, how are you finding it?


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Yes! I spent the day yesterday fiddling with it, and thinking it was an utter failure, but I've got the bugs worked out now, and I'm officially OFF cigarettes. I'm feeling guilty because there are 5 full cartons and part of another one that Rich just bought last shopping trip, and HE won't smoke them, but I don't really want to now. I don't know. Maybe I'll have one or two a day, but that'll take years to use that up.

I had one earlier today just to see if I still wanted one and it was just meh. Not especially bad, but not good, either. I wanted to be done with it and go back to the Kanger. 

My problem yesterday is because I'm ignorant about these things, I didn't know that the wick had to soak for a while to become saturated, I got too high a nicotine level, apparently, and too high a PG level. It was AWFUL! I was going to post here and ask for help or advice but I didn't want the anti-inhaling-anything-but-air crowd to jump on me again, so I went to the e-cig forum and they helped out a lot.

Of the flavors I got, I put the tobacco in one unit, and wintergreen in the other, and both were just nasty. Just really nasty. It was making me choke and cough my guts out, plus it was giving me a bad headache. Really disheartening. But then I found out about the wicks soaking, and from quizzing me about my habits, the e-cig forum people thought maybe I needed to get a lower nicotine level because 18 was too high for the way I've been smoking.

I also didn't know that the tops of the dropper bottles come off so you can screw on the needle dropper tip, so you should have seen the production with the cows' med kit, me, a syringe and needle, and bottles of e-juice. :hysterical: Once I figured out how to work the BOTTLE, everything got easier! (I'm not kidding you, I know NOTHING about this! )

Anyhow, this morning I remembered they'd sent a little 10 ml freebie bottle of a mint flavor in 0 nicotine and max VG, sooooo... I poured half of the wintergreen back into its bottle (after taking the dropper tip off, LOL!), and ALL of the tobacco into its bottle (that one needs to age a long while I think), half-filled the one empty tank with raspberry and then topped both tanks off with the 0 nicotine mint flavored VG, and I LOVE IT! It doesn't "bite" me anymore, I don't choke on it, and it's really nice, flavor-wise.

I found out if I suck on a Ghirardelli dark chocolate chip, inhale a bit of that raspberry mint flavor, and then slowly let it all out, I get chocolate raspberry with just a bit of a cool finish. It's almost like having dessert!

Anyway, I call this a rousing success, and whether I finish off those regular cigs or not, I don't know, but I don't really want them now. I like this a LOT better. :grin: And not only do I like it better, I'm already noticing a huge difference. My breathing, which I hadn't realized had got so bad, is clear, and I'm not doing that clearing the throat thing all the time. And that's just in 24 hours! Wowza!

I still haven't ordered those glass tanks, though, and I need to do that tomorrow, because that will open up the choice of flavors I can get, and I'm really wanting to try the orange dreamsicle and creme de menthe. I think I could go forever on those two and the chocolate raspberry.  I thought I wouldn't like the flavors, but I really do. It's very strange...

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> Yes! I spent the day yesterday fiddling with it, and thinking it was an utter failure, but I've got the bugs worked out now, and I'm officially OFF cigarettes. I'm feeling guilty because there are 5 full cartons and part of another one that Rich just bought last shopping trip, and HE won't smoke them, but I don't really want to now. I don't know. Maybe I'll have one or two a day, but that'll take years to use that up.
> 
> I had one earlier today just to see if I still wanted one and it was just meh. Not especially bad, but not good, either. I wanted to be done with it and go back to the Kanger.
> 
> ...


I can't speak for the two brands that you may want to buy because the nice lady at the vape store makes mine but in a pinch I've used a commercial dreamsicle (Mr.Good Vape) that's wonderful. 

If I don't fully wash my kanger tank daily, it leaks like a sieve so I've taken to changing flavors every time I clean it and by changing daily, I do notice the taste. Don't be afraid to send anyone of us a pm if you have a question and don't feel silly because everyone of us has gone through the same thing at some point. 

I didn't care for the wintergreen either but it was a heck of a lot better than the menthol but seemed to leave a bitter oily taste in my mouth.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Cleaning the tank every day? What if there's still juice in it? I mixed it up in the tank and don't have a bottle to pour it back into. But if I wait until the tank is empty, then would I just take out the atomizer and rinse the empty tank with water? Do I have to do anything to the inside bit (that IS the atomizer, right?)? I know eventually I have to change that out, but I don't know how to tell when that would be. So far I've only gone through a little over half of the juice in the tank. It's only a 1.6 ml tank, so I'm guessing I won't be spending an excess amount on juice, right? Say I only use a max of 1 ml every day, that's a whole month on one 30 ml bottle of juice. Wow. That's LOTS cheaper than smoking! Not only can I breathe better now, but I'll be saving money, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.

I know I'll have to replace parts and things, atomizers and batteries and all that, but until something quits, I don't know the frequency of that, either. Is there any reason the tank itself would need to be replaced? It's just the atomizer that gets switched out, right?

I'm sorry for all the "simple" questions. I'm learning, though. 

~Lannie


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

There are bound to be a few flagged plays at the beginning. It is a surprisingly complex undertaking, trying to recreate something as easy and consistent as a cigarette. 

18mg may be too high. Usually, it is recommended that pack-a-day smokers start with 12-15-18mg, though some even start with 24mg, so, even if your smoking habit was a little less than average, it may be too high but it probably still in the right ballpark. 

If you don't want to waste the juices you bought, you can try cutting them with some straight VG or PG. It will also cut the flavor a little, but will let you experiment a little with nicotine levels and VG/PG ratio, so you have that much better perspective on what you want for your next order. The wife got quarts of it, cheap, on Amazon, but I'm sure Simi can recommend a specific source since he made his own juice, if he's still watching this thread. 

Condensed version on difference between VG and PG:

PG provides the throat hit (which is a desireable component to most want-to-be-ex-smokers) as much, or almost as much as the nicotine. PG carries flavor really well and adds almost none of its own, but it doesn't contribute much to the cloud and smokey effect of the juice. Some people have low tolerance to it and it irritates their throat. 

VG is very smooth, and makes a heavier, cloudier vapor. It doesn't provide, or add to the throat hit in any appreciable way. It doesn't carry the flavoring a as well and some people think it adds a little of its own. Some people have sensitivities to it, but not nearly as much as PG. It is much thicker and doesn't wick as well or quickly in small wicks, small coils etc.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> Cleaning the tank every day? What if there's still juice in it? I mixed it up in the tank and don't have a bottle to pour it back into. But if I wait until the tank is empty, then would I just take out the atomizer and rinse the empty tank with water? Do I have to do anything to the inside bit (that IS the atomizer, right?)? I know eventually I have to change that out, but I don't know how to tell when that would be. So far I've only gone through a little over half of the juice in the tank. It's only a 1.6 ml tank, so I'm guessing I won't be spending an excess amount on juice, right? Say I only use a max of 1 ml every day, that's a whole month on one 30 ml bottle of juice. Wow. That's LOTS cheaper than smoking! Not only can I breathe better now, but I'll be saving money, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.
> 
> I know I'll have to replace parts and things, atomizers and batteries and all that, but until something quits, I don't know the frequency of that, either. Is there any reason the tank itself would need to be replaced? It's just the atomizer that gets switched out, right?
> 
> ...


You don't have to do anything special with yours, mine is a tank with a known design flaw and I'm in a work slowdown so I won't replace it until I have a bit more job security. In my case, I had a couple juices that came in glass bottles so I pour into that when it starts leaking and pull the whole stinking thing apart and clean it, refill and go. 

Anything is cheaper than smoking in Alberta because ours just crept over $15/pack but yes, it is much cheaper and even cheaper yet if you start making your own juice. 

Your tank should not need to be replaced unless you did something crazy and actually broke it but you will chance coils periodically but you'll know when that needs to happen.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Sorry, I only answered half your question and part of my answer was misleading. 

If you want to change flavors, you can rinse out your tank with hot water but dry it well or you get some humidity. I don't always change my coil when I change flavor and it kinda depends on which tank I'm using. On one, I simply wipe residue from the last juice off my coil and a couple good hits will get rid of the residual taste but if they truly weren't compatible in any way, I'd likely change. 

We may be having a dialect issue I think because what we call an atomizer would be the entire innards of a tank or tank without glass and what I refer to as a coil is the replacement heating device.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Wow, we only pay $15.00 for a whole carton of the ones we smoke. USED to smoke! LOL! But with our income and both of us doing it, it got a bit expensive. I don't know what we would have done if the price was ten times as much. Without this e-cig, I don't think there's any way I could quit without killing someone. I tend to get a bit "cranky" when it's been too long between smokes.

OK, I think I understand the terminology, and I'm talking about the atomizer. I've had it out when I was adjusting the juice in the tank, but I haven't taken it apart yet (I'm afraid of breaking something), so I have not yet seen the coil and the only part of the wick I see is the teeny end bit that sticks out the holes on each side. Hopefully, once we take one apart, I'll see how it works and it will make more sense. Rich is an electronics type guy, so I know he'll get it.

GunMonkey, that's a great idea, and I heard another one as well. Buy the same flavor, but with zero nicotine, then play with the nic ratio without losing flavor. If it ends up too low, buy one in the middle and go from there.

I think I've figured out that I don't want throat hit. That's the part that hurts and grabs my throat and makes me cough, so I can do without it. I seem to be doing fine with the 25/75 (approx) mixture I made in the tank this morning. If I can replicate it, it's a good one for me for all day, I think.

Tomorrow we're going to order some glass tanks for me, and a bunch of small bottles of juice in various flavors, but lower nicotine and PG content, and I'll start experimenting with different ones. It'll be a fun project, I think.  I have an account at Essential Depot (I get my lye for soapmaking there), and I heard they carry the good PG and VG, so I'll get some of that, too, and then I guess it will be time to shop the flavor stores and start thinking about DIY. I want to try out a few already-made ones for a while, though, so I don't make a huge mess right off the bat. Once I know what flavors I (we) like, and what the different attributes are (density, gunkiness, and so on), it'll make it a lot easier to make our own. I think! LOL! It all SOUNDS easy, but remember, I'm the one that couldn't figure out how to work the little plastic bottle! OMG, I still can't get over that! :hysterical:

~Lannie


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

WDon't forget, either, that the technique is a little different than smoking a cigarette as well. It's the hardest part to explain, but you'll get a feel for it eventually and everyone is a little different in their preferences. I don't usually take mine into my lungs, but roll it in my mouth and sometimes let it out my nose. If it hit my setup the same way I would a cigarette, I'd be coughing like mad. 

Too, there after you get the juice roughly how you like it, you'll find wattage and airflow factor just as much in dialing it all in. The tiny little air holes on your eVod tanks don't let a lot of air through. Less restrictive flow will cool down the vapor, dramatically, and let you take a puff with MUCH less effort, giving you more control of how you draw the vapor out and what you do with it. Many of your upgraded tanks with have adjustable airflow, but you can always go back and drill out one or more of the air holes of your existing tanks with a cordless drill. It's a common mod, and all of my Kanger tanks have one or two 1/16" holes. 

Also, slightly higher wattage/voltage seems to make things smoother to me. At some point, it starts burning your juice and making things harsh and nasty, but, in moderation, I find it makes it more controllable and consistent. You'll figure out voltage, wattage, and ohms, and it'll let you dial everything in to where you get a perfect vape and every hit is identical. 

As complicated as it all seems like it can be, it'll all gel and you'll be able to predict your preferences and make future equipment and juice purchases with confidence. 

You're on the right track.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I kinda hold mine in my mouth before it goes into my lungs. 

Everybody will tell you that you'll know when it's time to change your coil and most people tell you your juice tastes burned but I find it tastes like dirt. 

GunMonkeyIntl, I was just thinking I could select my juices with confidence and I'm sitting on a batch of 'fruity goodness' that has a rather offensive pineapple flavor overpowering everything that is destined to join the other at one time great ideas.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I know this is a newbie remark, but I like my EVOD just fine. I can adjust the way I draw for hotter, cooler, thicker, softer, etc. I've been figuring out these things over the last couple of days, and I need less vapor in the morning, but more as the day goes by, so I have to remember, slow and SHORT in the am, but slow and long in the pm, and sometimes fast and long (for less throat hit, I think). Anyway, I'm VERY happy with it, and as long as it lasts, I can't see any reason to get anything else.

These little 650 mah batteries that I thought would be insufficient are more than good for me. I went all day yesterday, from 4:30 am to 9:30 pm on one fully charged battery, and this morning when I put it on the charger, it was recharged in less than two hours. The booklet says it will take four hours to recharge a fully discharged battery, so I guess I'm only using half of it all day (?). No need for the bigger battery for me, which is nice because the replacement 650 is cheaper than an 1,100. 

I did order three of the Aspire glass tanks, and a pack of atomizers for them, so I can expand my choice of juices, which I'm locked up about again. I keep reading reviews and this person says these guys are great and that person says they stink and every time I think I've got something figured out, I second-guess myself and then do nothing. So I've not ordered any additional juices, and I know I need to, in case they need to sit for a while to "age."

At the rate I'm going through it, the juice I have should last me well over a month, probably two, so I'm in good shape, but only have raspberry and various mints, so I'd like to try some of the other ones once I get the glass tanks. I got three different colors (that's all I could find), so I'll have three to choose from, plus any non-tank crackers in the polycarbonate tanks that came with this kit. Anyway, I'm still overwhelmed, but now it's just by the endless number of juice suppliers and the variety of juices available. I want to get good ones, but not horribly expensive ones. So I keep reading... LOL! I'm starting to get cross-eyed.

The great thing, though, is I haven't had a single cigarette in two days now, and I don't even WANT one. When I smell Rich light up, it's not offensive to me yet, but it's starting to get kind of eeeeuuuwwwwww... hopefully his e-pipe gets here soon and he starts using that. I don't want to EVER become one of those "reformed smokers" that yells and carries on about people stinking up their space. I was one of the stinkers for so long, and the reformed smokers were WAY worse than people who'd never smoked as far as preaching and discriminating, and I don't want to be one of those people. It might be hard, but I will NEVER say anything to Rich or anyone else who smokes.

I'm just glad I'M off them now. My stamina is already much improved, after only a couple days. That's AMAZING to me. And no more coughing, unless I inhale my spit or my coffee or something, but I'm goofy and do that a lot, so that's nothing new. But that little eh,eh,eh smoker's cough is gone. YAY! My sinuses seem clearer, too. 

Anyway, I'm going on and on, but really I just want you guys to know how much I appreciate the help and encouragement to do this. I didn't realize until I quit, how MUCH I had been wanting to quit, but never tried because I knew I'd fail. This has made it painless. Oh, and my 9% nicotine level (after I cut the 18% 50/50 with the 0% nic stuff) is more than sufficient. I think I can go with that or even maybe a bit lower, when I order new liquid. I'm actually glad I haven't ordered any new stuff yet, so I could know this before I ordered.  Otherwise I would have had a constant headache, and I hate headaches worse than just about anything.

THANK YOU ALL!

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> I know this is a newbie remark, but I like my EVOD just fine. I can adjust the way I draw for hotter, cooler, thicker, softer, etc. I've been figuring out these things over the last couple of days, and I need less vapor in the morning, but more as the day goes by, so I have to remember, slow and SHORT in the am, but slow and long in the pm, and sometimes fast and long (for less throat hit, I think). Anyway, I'm VERY happy with it, and as long as it lasts, I can't see any reason to get anything else.
> 
> These little 650 mah batteries that I thought would be insufficient are more than good for me. I went all day yesterday, from 4:30 am to 9:30 pm on one fully charged battery, and this morning when I put it on the charger, it was recharged in less than two hours. The booklet says it will take four hours to recharge a fully discharged battery, so I guess I'm only using half of it all day (?). No need for the bigger battery for me, which is nice because the replacement 650 is cheaper than an 1,100.
> 
> ...


Juice is an ongoing adventure for me but I'm kinda getting things narrowed down after a large number of epic fails. 

I have found that not all commercial juices are made equal and since simi has already addressed the PG/VG issue, I'll stick to my personal findings.

I have found that some of the very inexpensive juices are inexpensive for a reason and that's usually inexpensive ingredients. I think I've tried most of the 'too cheap to ignore' flavors at my local store and while the actual hit was decent taste, there's a funny aftertaste. 

In my location, juices are shelved according to price and I tend to stick with the top shelves and it's not because I'm a price snob, it's the better ingredients, less icky aftertaste. 

Not all 'quality' juices will be to your liking but certainly better quality ingredients does provide a better flavor and ultimately making your own would allow you to control quality and flavor. 

I have also discovered that artificial pineapple (even as a background), peach and raspberry just taste like chemicals to me and I haven't found any juice that contains these that I actually like. 

Taste of juice also varies with the nicotine level. I've found that generally the higher nicotine value, the more flavor of the juice but amount of heat can actually totally change the flavor of a juice. My creme de menthe (which is made for me) is awesome at a lower temperature but at a higher temperature, I feel the creme is lost and the menthe is so pronounced that I really don't care for it. 

I usually operate 2 tanks, one is my all day juice and the other is my, I need a hit of something different.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I have no idea what my heat level is - I guess I'll have to go by feel. Or I should say, taste! LOL!

I think I'm going to order some from BoldViolet because she's got a lot of flavors I'd really like to try and the ones that have reviews are excellent. So I'll start there and learn as I go.  I had the impression that a lot of people here (or at least several) had ordered juice from them, and the consensus is they're pretty good? I think I remember reading that, anyway.

~Lannie


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Here's where I bought all my VG, nicotine, and flavors from.. 

http://wizardlabs.us/

I bought the 250ml bottle of 100mg nicotine, and I've still got half of it left after almost a year of using it... 

I went through about 4 bottles of the 500ml VG liguid, and I can't tell you how many bottles of flavoring I went through, but it was a LOT.. 

Some of my favorites were Honeysuckle, Hybiscus, Dragon Fruit.... 

I'd mix a lot of the flavors together too.. Oh, the Peach is tasty to.. 

It was SO much cheaper... I'd mix the flavorings at 20% and I'd adjust the nicotine to the levels I was needing.. 

You can find a lot of calculators on the web to give you the amounts of liquids to mix together, but after a while you see the math is pretty simple..


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Thanks, I've heard of them. Wizard Labs, I mean. Thanks for the link! My hubby is in the process of looking into different flavoring suppliers, because I'm finding some of the liquids have food coloring in them (WHY?), and a lot of them have Yellow #5, which I'm allergic to on my skin. I don't have a problem eating something with Yellow #5 in it, so maybe in e-liquid it would be OK, but I'd really rather not if I can help it. So Rich wants to learn how to DIY it. He's just now starting to look into the different ingredients that different flavor suppliers use. That might be a difficult task, but he's persistent, if nothing else! LOL!

I did order a variety of different flavors from Ares, and I can't wait until they get here. I will try to let them all sit for a little while first, so they'll be good when I try them. I have peach coming in that order.  I love peaches, so I hope the liquid is nice. I'm sure it will be. Like I said, I have nothing to compare to yet, so I might like something that everyone else says tastes like dog turds, who knows? :hysterical:

I told a friend of mine yesterday, via e-mail, that I had finally quit smoking and was using e-cigs to stay off the tobacco, and how easy it was and that I didn't even want to smoke a cigarette anymore, and she congratulated me for "trying to quit." Trying? I'm done smoking. That's it. Now that I know how much icky feeling was due to inhaling the smoke, I won't light another one. But she's never smoked, so she probably thinks vaping is just another way of smoking. I don't know how to explain this to her... Oh, well, whatever. What counts is how *I* feel. And I feel great!

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

It's funny how people think and funnier that those who think they're being supportive aren't as supportive as the believe. 

When I started a thread in families regarding quitting and using vaping to help me along, Simi had suggested that he had started vaping, smoked as he wanted and eventually came to quit smoking and that's the system I've used. Some days are better than others but even on a super bad day, I still never smoke more than half of what I was yet there is always someone telling me it won't work, how vaping isn't quitting or some other less than helpful suggestion. 

I've been suffering for a few days from a dry, smokers kinda cough and finally concluded the PG/VG ratio is significant and got rid of a rather nice flavored but very inexpensive orange dreamsicle juice I'd been using as a substitute until I get in to pick up the yummy stuff that's being made for me.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I'm not even sure if the PG is what I didn't like. It was that first day, and I was using the fresh 50/50 blend, plus the wick might not have been fully saturated so I could have been suffering from "dry hits" or something. The next morning, it was much better, but I still cut it with the 0% nic VG mint flavor, and that's been good for me, so I think I'll do better on higher VG, lower PG. Apparently, I don't care about throat hit, and the VG is nice and smooth and doesn't hurt me or make me cough. 

Since I've been using this e-cig with the raspberry menthol flavor, and Rich has been smelling it all over the house, he says now HE thinks his cigarette smoke smells bad. Before he was just so-so about switching, but now he says he can't wait for his e-pipe to get here so he can start using that and ditch his cigarettes. Frankly, I don't actually mind the smell of his smoke so much, but I guess it will be pretty nice when there's no more smoke in the air at all. Then I have to start cleaning... OMG, what a job that will be. We've lived here for 11 years, and the guy that owned this place before us lived here for 17 years, and he was a very heavy smoker, so this place is saturated. Well, I guess, one room at a time...

I read all the previous threads here I could find on vaping before I finally started this one, and I had decided to do the same thing you and Simi did. Just keep smoking here and there if I felt like I wanted one, and use the vapor the rest of the time, but I must have REALLY, deep down inside, wanted to quit, because I only had two or three regular cigarettes after I got this e-cig. The last one didn't taste very good, and the raspberry mint flavor/smell is lovely to me, so I decided that was that. I feel so much better now, even if e-cigs went out the window tomorrow, it would be a struggle, but I think I'd stay quit. I had no idea how much damage I was doing on a daily basis, because it sneaks up on you slow-like, you know? I knew I was getting short of breath occasionally with exertion, but I didn't know HOW bad it had become. Now I do, and I don't want to go back there. I'm so glad for these things, and you guys, because if not for this little battery operated e-cig, and you guys helping me understand how it all works and what to expect, I wouldn't have even tried to quit.

~Lannie


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

And THIS is why you shouldn't order crap from China.  Rich got his e-pipe in the mail today, and the plug for the charger is a European style (the prongs are round instead of flat). I told him not to get that one... but it was that one at $42.00 or one of the ones made in Europe for $150.00 to $300.00 and he's the King of Scrooge, so of course he ordered it from China. Gah! He says he can make an adapter for it, but I told him to complain to whoever he ordered from and tell them to ship a U.S. type charger ASAP. Yeah, like _that_ will do any good.

And I think I'm ready for another flavor now! After 6 days of the same raspberry/menthol, I'm starting to taste more menthol than raspberry and it's bothering me a tiny bit. The only other flavors I ordered with it were mints and tobacco, so I've been using the raspberry cut with the zero nicotine mint that was the freebie bottle. 

This morning I tried not inhaling, thinking that would reduce the "ache" I feel from the menthol, so I just held it in my mouth for a few seconds and exhaled slowly through my nose, but all THAT did was make me nic-sick! LOL! My other flavors should be here early next week, so I'll have to "tough it" until then.  It's not SO bad, but I surely will enjoy having a few other flavors to change out to. After a few days of something else, this raspberry mint will be awesome again. 

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> And THIS is why you shouldn't order crap from China.  Rich got his e-pipe in the mail today, and the plug for the charger is a European style (the prongs are round instead of flat). I told him not to get that one... but it was that one at $42.00 or one of the ones made in Europe for $150.00 to $300.00 and he's the King of Scrooge, so of course he ordered it from China. Gah! He says he can make an adapter for it, but I told him to complain to whoever he ordered from and tell them to ship a U.S. type charger ASAP. Yeah, like _that_ will do any good.
> 
> And I think I'm ready for another flavor now! After 6 days of the same raspberry/menthol, I'm starting to taste more menthol than raspberry and it's bothering me a tiny bit. The only other flavors I ordered with it were mints and tobacco, so I've been using the raspberry cut with the zero nicotine mint that was the freebie bottle.
> 
> ...


I'm going to guess that the is charger one like yours that you screw onto the battery and if so, he may be able to use yours because they are fairly universal.

I do feel your pain on flavors and I've had one of those weeks where nothing was quite working to the point where I was standing in my local vape store and a young fellow came into look for something new and I could pretty much answer every question he had on flavors but still couldn't find what I really wanted so I went home and started mixing and matching. Nothing positive yet but my tank has is really clean.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

wr said:


> Nothing positive yet but my tank has is really clean.


:hysterical: Always look on the bright side!

Actually, his charger is different, because he has the large removable battery. He was an electrician in a former life  so he fixed it. He still complained and told the company to send him the right charger (not much chance of that, though), but in the meantime, this one works.

I got my Aspire glass tanks today. They look so nice! And HEAVY! They feel like they're really good quality. I hope I like their performance as well as I like the look of them. The juices I ordered from BoldViolet are currently cooling their heels in Bismarck, ND... but I should have them on Monday.

And I must be really easy to please, because today my raspberry mint tastes good again. LOL! I way overordered mint flavors with the initial order, because they were supposedly OK to use right away, and I figured I used to smoke menthols and liked them, BUT... it does get a little monotonous. The raspberry is really nice and I'd use that by itself except the nicotine level is too high. Rich ordered some plain vegetable glycerine the other day so he could cut my 18mg tobacco flavor (that I don't like but he does), so maybe when that gets here, I can cut the mints with that, too (and the raspberry, boo-hoo) to tone them down and make them a bit more palatable.

It's definitely a learning experience, but I'm having fun with it, and it's one week now since I've had a real cigarette, so I'm feeling pretty good about everything. :grin:

~Lannie


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

OK, you guys, I need some serious help here. I got those Aspire glass tanks, and they don't work with my battery. I mean, they fit, but the ohms are too low apparently, and I'm getting nothing meaningful out of it. Teensy bit of vapor, but no nicotine (or something), and WAY too much air, even if I put tape over one of the air holes.

I asked over on the e-cig forum and have been overwhelmed by techno-geek-speak. I don't understand a word of it, other than they all tell me that since I've been vaping for a WHOLE WEEK now, I'm no longer a beginner and I need MORE POWER and I should immediately order a walkie talkie style thing and use that or else I'll be severely disappointed for the rest of my natural life. Oh, and they're also saying I can't use max VG in the Aspire tank because it's too thick.

OK, I LOVE THIS EVOD, tiny little battery that it is. It lasts me all day, I get wonderful vapor, it's dependable, and SIMPLE. When these batteries wear out (they also told me my batteries were probably wearing out, after a whole week of use), I'm most likely going to just get more of these exact same ones. All I need is a tank to go on it that has pyrex, so I can use all these wonderful juices I just got that are considered tank crackers. That's all I want, a glass tank that will replace the plastic one that came with this.

I went to Kanger's site, but it's hard to understand (to me as a newbie) because it's written in English by someone in China who's not fluent in English, but I THINK it said that this particular 650 mah battery was compatible with several kinds of tanks, one of which is the ProTank that has a glass tank on it. I looked up a site that sold ProTanks, but couldn't find what ohms the coils are. The ones I have now are 2.5 ohms, and that makes a perfect amount of vapor for me, but the ones in the Aspire tanks are only 1.8 ohms and I guess they don't burn hot enough (?) - I'm not sure what the problem is.

Is there ANYTHING I can do so that I can use these other juices without having to throw out this setup (which is perfectly good and I'm ecstatically happy with), and buy all new equipment? That just seems too extreme. There has to be a glass tank replacement for this somewhere, I just don't know how to find it, and obviously I don't know enough to even get the right one for me, since the Aspires are a total fail at this point. I'll keep them in case one day I do get a bigger battery, but at this point in time, I don't foresee the need. For ME. But then, I'm not a techno-geek or gadget collector. I think that's my main problem. 

~Lannie


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

OK, never mind, I think I found something. Now if THIS doesn't work, I'm going to scream. But hopefully it will. 

~Lannie


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> OK, never mind, I think I found something. Now if THIS doesn't work, I'm going to scream. But hopefully it will.
> 
> ~Lannie


What did you find? I hate when people think you must buy more and you will only be happy if it's done the way they do it.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I know... I realize they're only trying to help, but how to explain my non-tech self to a tech-geek? It's hard. LOL!

I ended up calling Mt. Baker and just ASKING them what would go on my battery and have the same head as these, and they said the mini protank 2, so I ordered four of them (for different flavors), with spare glass and spare coils. 99% of the reviews on this tank were excellent, five-stars all the way, and the few that weren't sounded like either they were using the wrong juice (complaints the coils gunked up in a matter of hours), or something was broken on it when they received it. I didn't read all 175 reviews, but I read a lot, and most of them gave it high marks, so I hope I made a good choice.

And in other news, just 5 minutes ago, Rich ordered an iStick 30 that will take those Aspire tanks (he doesn't want to waste money on tanks that will never be used! LOL!). He's not crazy about the looks of it, but it's been so highly recommended that he decided to give it a try. And who knows? I might like it, too, eventually. I'm perfectly happy with the combination I have right now, but you know, sometimes things change.

Either way, we'll have another one around here, and I can try it out, or we can switch back and forth, or whatever. I seem to have hit my stride as far as a full, satisfying vape, and the way I'm drawing now I use a bit more battery, so my 650 only lasts until late afternoon/early evening. But I have two, so I just switch out for the fully charged one and put the expended one on the charger, and I'm good to go. The iStick has a 2200 mah battery, so that should last quite a while. If I decide to get one of those someday. 

~Lannie


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2015)

The i stick is a great box mod and will handle your aspire tanks well. Remember the heating coil preformance has to do with ohms and the lower that is the higher the draw on the battery. I imagine your batteries are the stick type that have a mini circuit board in them that limits it for a higher ohm than the aspire tank coils are wound at. I had the same thing happen to me in the beginning, don't feel alone there.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I use two isticks. I have a little 20 that gets a lot of use and fits my hand nicely and my preference is my 50. It's a bit more solid and I get a bit more heat but I'm not using it at full capacity. 

I should warn you that the shade they sell as red is bright pink.


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2015)

Lol,,I've ordered a lot of stuff directly from China were most of the e-cig stuff is made, I think their color charts are different of something.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Lannie, your mini pro tanks will work great with your batteries. I doubt they're wearing out already. I'm on an overseas trip right now and used my first batteries during my several lay-overs to get here. They will wear out over time, but they are lithium ion and will last quite a while. 

What you're finding with your aspire tanks, i think, is the ceiling of their usable power. As you dig into this further you're going to find the ohm's-law (the techno talk I assume they're dropping on you over at the forum) is going to become important to have a working knowledge of. 

Your batteries should put out around 3.7v when fully charged, dropping down as it discharges. This is where variable wattage or voltage batteries come in handy. You can find a setting that works well for a given tank/coil/resistance, set it to that, and it stays there until it runs out of power- giving you a very consistent performance until then. 

You may need to get a variable power source to work with your aspire tanks, or you may be able to find coils with different resistance to work with the batteries you have. 

Regardless, I'd recommend making your next upgrade on the battery side. Between the mini pro tanks and aspires, you have reasonably advanced tanks. A variable battery of some sort will let you start experimenting with that side and figuring out where your voltage needs to be to make them work well. Inversely, you will also start figuring out what sorts of coils you can get to work well at the 3.4-3.7v that your regular batteries run at, and go back to getting the desired performance using those.

As pointed out by another poster, the eLeaf sticks are a good, inexpensive place to start out, and don't have the two-way radio form factor your wanting to avoid. Also look at the iTaste VV I mentioned earlier. I bought a new tank before this trip and went into a cape shop for the first time in about a year, and I didn't see them anywhere, where everyplace had them a year ago, so they may not be as easy to find anymore.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Lannie said:


> I know... I realize they're only trying to help, but how to explain my non-tech self to a tech-geek? It's hard. LOL!
> 
> I ended up calling Mt. Baker and just ASKING them what would go on my battery and have the same head as these, and they said the mini protank 2, so I ordered four of them (for different flavors), with spare glass and spare coils. 99% of the reviews on this tank were excellent, five-stars all the way, and the few that weren't sounded like either they were using the wrong juice (complaints the coils gunked up in a matter of hours), or something was broken on it when they received it. I didn't read all 175 reviews, but I read a lot, and most of them gave it high marks, so I hope I made a good choice.
> 
> ...


You've had a while to experiment a bit with your unit and juices and I was hoping for an update.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

I'm so sorry! I should have updated, shouldn't I? 

I have decided I LOVE my EVODs. The mini protanks are awesome, because I can put any flavor I want in them, AND I've learned how to clean my coils! :hobbyhors It's so simple and only takes a few minutes, and WHAT a money-saver! Not that new heads are that expensive, but some of my juices seem to clog them up pretty quickly. Now that I can clean them easily, I'm not worried about which flavors I vape too much of.  I know they won't live forever, but I'm getting more use out of them than if I just tossed them when they were clogged, so that's good. I thought I had plenty, but didn't take into consideration I have six tanks now, all with different flavors, so I go through more coils than if I just had one tank and one flavor.

Figuring out when they were clogged/dirty was another discovery for me. I was thinking the juice was icky, or I was getting "vaper's tongue" or something, and then it occurred to me, "Well, how long has that coil been in there?" LOL! Put a new one in, and WOW, what a difference!

Rich is loving his iStick, also. He had it on the charger yesterday, and used the e-pipe while it was charging, and hated it. He said now that he's used to the iStick, the pipe is TERRIBLE. He has the Aspire tanks for the iStick, and they work perfectly on it, but he's using a slightly higher voltage, like 4.2 or 4.8 or something. More than my 3.7 volts, anyway.

I made a friend (another redhead, LOL!) on the e-cig forum, and she's sending me one of her EVOD variables that she's blinged up. I was expressing a bit of green envy at all the fancy batteries she posted pictures of, so she's sending me one, what a sweetheart! It's just like my current ones, but variable voltage, so I can try that out a bit and see if I like it. If so, then when it comes time to order replacements for my batteries, I can get that style instead of the non-variable, but like I said, I'm perfectly happy with these that I have right now. I'm never going to be a cloud-chaser, just a humble tootle-puffer  and these are excellent for that. I do like the flavors, though.

I love all the flavors I got from BoldViolet, except for three that still need some steeping, and they'll be good, but it's hard to wait. My absolute favorite is her bittersweet chocolate mixed with ANYTHING. With peach, it's divine, with strawberry, it's heavenly, what can I say? Oh, I still have six of the little 3 ml sample bottles I haven't gotten into yet, because those all require a bit of aging, but they're starting to smell pretty good! 

I've hit my stride on technique now, too, and have been going through a LOT more juice than when I first started, but OH, YUM! Long slow draw until I can taste sweet, then nice slow inhale, and even slower out through my nose. I probably look pretty funny in my ecstasy, but oh, it's so good! I'm burning through my batteries quicker, too, but it's easy enough to swap them out and put the used one on the charger for an hour or so. It doesn't take very long to charge them. 90 minutes if they're completely dead.

Oh, and Monday I had an appointment at the dentist for a cleaning. I first went in back in December for an abscessed tooth, and found out I had really bad gingivitis (that was news to me), and had to endure a demeaning lecture from the dentist about not having my teeth regularly checked, but I only had two little cavities along with the abscess. He said I needed a deep cleaning, though, so I had that done 4 months ago, and the two cavities filled (not bad for not having seen a dentist in over 25 years, huh?). But anyway, when I went in Monday, I told them I'd quit smoking 3 weeks ago and they were all ecstatic about that, and the hygienist said my gums were looking SO much better now, good and healthy pink instead of whatever they were before (I don't really want to know...). So that was good news, too. Maybe after a few more visits to the hygienist, we can cut it back to once a year, if I continue to behave myself.  I won't start smoking again, though, and that's a FACT. Now that I've been off them for a while, I can see how much difference it makes, and I never want to go back there. I will NEVER criticize anyone else who smokes, but I've decided it's just not for me anymore. 

So all in all, everything is going great! Rich just ordered some DIY supplies, because he wants to try his hand at that. Hopefully, he'll be good at it, but we'll see! LOL!

~Lannie


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