Electronic Cigarettes--an introduction to, and my views after 9 months.

[SiBurning]

That's an excellent price for all that juice plus an ego-t kit. Get some 1.5-1.8 ohm attys and cartos (not the ego-t ones) and you should be fine for a while. You might also want an ego-t cone to make it look better with the thinner parts. Just don't try to hard to get the tanks and ego-t atomizers to work. I have a pile of unused tanks and attys that I just gave up on. Occassionally one might work for a while, but mostly they don't.

A PM's fine, but it's better to share most discussion and get other opinions.

 

[mattymatt]

That's an excellent price for all that juice plus an ego-t kit. Get some 1.5-1.8 ohm attys and cartos (not the ego-t ones) and you should be fine for a while. You might also want an ego-t cone to make it look better with the thinner parts. Just don't try to hard to get the tanks and ego-t atomizers to work. I have a pile of unused tanks and attys that I just gave up on. Occassionally one might work for a while, but mostly they don't.

A PM's fine, but it's better to share most discussion and get other opinions.

I have noticed that if you put the ego tank in wrong it will leak, and that gest very anoying. I also think that the flavor on the ego-t is not as good as the 510. Having said all that, for the moment I am happy with it and I am almost off of real cigs!!!

 

[BenjamanBarker]

Great thread!!! i Have a question a big part of me smoking is the oral fixation and manipulation of the cig in my hands do you have a Ecig you would recommend that is good and close to the size of a cig?? i am glad i saw this thread before i bought the gas station one like i almost did 2 days ago!!!

 

[SiBurning]

There are smaller batteries. The original Joye 510 is pretty small.

You might want to try the KR808D-1 (aka krate) style. It probably gets more love in this size from the hardcore vapers. It's a different fitting, so nothing's compatible with the 510 parts. I actually like it better, and think the fitting is better designed--the mod has a male fitting, so the air hole is easier to place--on the 510 style, the "air hole" is often just the screw's grooves. On the down side, there's a rather limited range of cartos and attys for them, which also means the 808/801 parts will be more expensive. Of course, you can get adapters to mix parts from the two kinds. http://bloogplanet.com and http://www.litecigusa.net specialize in them. (LiteCig also does the DSE901.) Those aren't endorsements, just a heads-up for places that stock a few. I got a larger version, the Elite-808 from http://www.cigeasy.com. The only problem with it is the bright blue LED makes it more obvious than I'd like. (And even this larger size doesn't last long.)

One important thing I neglected to mention (because it's primarily a question with the smaller mods) is that you have to choose between automatic and manual batteries. The automatics sense when you inhale so you don't need to push a button. The issue is that this usually means the battery is open (to sense airflow) and any leaks will get inside causing problems (which I haven't even looked into). With the manual ones, you need to press a button while inhaling.

I think there are larger batteries in the KR-8 style. Here are some random words from my notes: diamond, stealth, IGO (1300 or 650 mAh), glv, 650mah Kanger kr808 VGO. I think some of those are names various vendors use for their e-cigs. I know the I-Go and V-Go are supposed to be larger batteries, even using the e-Go like naming.

 

[kalasgrand]

Really a wealth of information on the electronic cigarettes , nice share thanks for sharing this article , Personally I feel electronic cigarette are best because they don't have all the other harmful chemicals than usual tobacco cigarettes

 

[Captain Pete]

Really a wealth of information on the electronic cigarette , nice share thanks for sharing this article , Personally I feel electronic cigarette are best because they don't have all the other harmful chemicals than usual tobacco cigarettes

What, you think Propylene Glycol is harmelss?

 

[SiBurning]

PG vapor can be harmful to children under 4 years of age, as well as cats. They aren't able to break it down, so it builds up in the body. Wikipedia refers to a study where it causes "increased risk of developing numerous respiratory and immune disorders in children, including asthma, hay fever, eczema, and allergies, with increased risk ranging from 50% to 180%" though the concentrations aren't given there.

In adults, it's "Generally Recognized as Safe" (by OSHA & US FDA) in any realistic dose. There is the potential for an allergic reaction to it. Also, there are some potential issues of irritation, particularly along with infections. Finally, there's a potential environmental issue because it doesn't oxidize in normal temperatures in the environment.

There's some medical studies that have tried to link PG to liver, kidney, and other related problems, but none has proven the case in normal adults at any realistic concentrations. If you have any kind of liver, kidney, urinary, or reproductive issues (and maybe asthma, eczema, etc.) you want to look into this more closely--if nothing else, PG can cause irritation which may have consequences. The related compound ethylene glycol does have these dangers, and it's been suggested that the same symptoms can develop from PG at much higher doses.

Weighing all of that, I'm not comfortable calling PG safe. Clearly, it can increase the risk of a child developing asthma and other problems, and can also be dangerous for cats. It also has potential for people with certain health issues. But it raises some questions. In what concentrations? Are those concentrations realistic? And is it enough to open the window? So it might be wise to take precautions around children and cats. There's also the potential for nicotine and other chemicals from flavorings to remain in the vapor and be inhaled. The same questions apply. On the other hand, there's absolutely nothing to suggest any kind of danger to a normal, healthy adult that won't be reversed by simply removing the vapor. Of couse a lack of evidence doesn't mean it's safe.

BTW, there are people who vape 100% VG. It's probably safe to say that VG is a heck of a lot safer, but I'd do more research if I had any of those health issues.

You obviously shouldn't be getting health advice on an internet forum. There's a lot of hype and interest involved on both sides of the vaping issue. If you're concerned, please do your own research and make an informed decision.

 

[mattymatt]

Great thread!!! i Have a question a big part of me smoking is the oral fixation and manipulation of the cig in my hands do you have a Ecig you would recommend that is good and close to the size of a cig?? i am glad i saw this thread before i bought the gas station one like i almost did 2 days ago!!!

I purchased the 510-t because it was close in size to a real cig. All gas station electronic cigs suck in my opion.

 

[mattymatt]

What, you think Propylene Glycol is harmelss?

I have no idea how safe it is, but I am a 2 pack a day smoker so it has got to be safer than that.

 

[wolfmanxiii]

I have no idea how safe it is, but I am a 2 pack a day smoker so it has got to be safer than that.

Yeah totally more dangerous man! And parabens are gonna give all of us wet-shavers cancer...

 

[itsmedave]

My wife and i were using the Luci system but the battery just didn't last long enough for me, so I got a new setup yesterday. I got an eGo-T from a local market yesterday which came with 2 cigs, 5 bottles of liquid, and several free refill tips for $70. It's a lot bigger than the Luci, but the battery is much stronger and you can actually see how much liquid you have left. I'm pretty pleased with it. I don't really view it as safe, but it's cheaper than real cigarettes and I get the same satisfaction as I did from a real cigarette. The dealer had some really wild flavors that were pretty good, but I ended up going with 3 tobacco bottles and 2 Coffee bottles. I sampled Moonshine flavored (sorry it's the hillbilly coming out in me) and it tasted pretty close to moonshine, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Rum, and several more. The unit is much larger than my previous one, but I'm pleased with it.

 

[Otto.D.Hans]

Thanks for all the great info here! I have been considering getting an ecig to give up the real ones! Glad I found this since I was almost about to buy the gas station version to give it a try but now wont!!
I did notice there is a cignot store near my work and looking on line they seem to have the Joye 510 do you have any thoughts on this one?? Thanks again for the great info!

 

[Heespharm]

Love the 510t more than my blu cigs.... Been smoke free for 2 months now!... I suggest buying the pass through for home use.... Much more convenient!l they will never replace cigarettes but they make the withdrawal suck 1000 times less

 

[SiBurning]

The Joye 510 is the one that everyone copied. The _only_ problem is the battery is small. Of course, that's a good thing in the right circumstances. It's a standard 3.7 volts, so I'd match it up with 1.5-1.8 ohm parts. A couple of small 510s can be the basis or start of a nice setup, but I'd augment it (later if you decide) with a mod that takes large separately chargeable batteries. (The Darwin being among the few really good exceptions that have large, built-in batteries.)

The thing is, a larger battery doesn't just last longer, it also delivers more current, and it's the current that heat up the coil. For a given battery chemistry, there's a direct relationship between capacity (measured in mAh or Ah) and how much current (A for amperes) it can deliver continuously. So the maximum current is specified in terms of capacity (C). The standard size Joyetech 510 devices store about 200mAh (150-220?) and has a 4C rating, which means it can only deliver 0.8A of current over long periods of time. AW IMR batteries are rated at 15C, so my 18650 size (wikipedia on battery sizes) that stores 1600mAh can deliver 24A continuous current. Other battery chemistries allow that size to hold as much as 3000mAh, and can deliver 18-24A. A typical setup with 3.7V and a 1.5ohm atty wants 2.5A of current, so a 510 will wimp out at some point. Maye you don't vape that heavily, and maybe you do. Those C numbers are for continuous use, and the battery can supply a much larger short burst, but take a long drag and a small battery will noticeably wimp out. They're not bad devices. In fact, the Joyetech 510 pretty much set the standard. But you can do much better. And there are times when you'll appreciate the difference.

A lot of the long term vapers recommend simple mechanical devices with separate batteries. You can get a solid fixed voltage mod for $25-40us, consisting of a tube with a 510 or other connector, place for the battery, and a mechanical switch. These are purely mechanical and can last a long time. You need to add a charger and some batteries. (You also need to learn something about batteries or battery care because these lithium batteries are complicated and can be dangerous without electronic protection. This is one reason it's worth paying extra for a mod with electronics inside, though many of the batteries have some electronics inside already. You need to be careful about which you get--some aren't safe to run down too far, so they're not good candidates for this kind of device.) That and a couple of 510s is all you really ever need unless you want to play around with different voltages for different juices or moods or something like that. Many of them can handle 1.5 cell batteries for 5V tooting, and some can fit a pair of smaller 3.7s for 7.4V power hitting. That's about the extent of the mechanical ones. For more variety/tuning, or a more stable voltage (a plain lithium battery might start at 4.2V and drop to 3.3V as it's used) you need some kind of voltage regulator. Also, be careful of the power rating of the mod, especially the switch. The vendor will usually tell you how much electric current it can handle at a given voltage, and that sets a lower limit on the resistance of the atty. (If you use a higher voltage, you need to learn Ohm's Law: V/R=I... look it up. There's also a formula for power.)

...

Lately, I'm using 306 style atomizers in a drip shield. It's a lot more forgiving of how much you drip. A drip shield is a tube that fits over the atomizer, sealing and enclosing it, with air holes near the mouth end. This provides a place for overflow, which then flows back into the atty. The advantage over the 510 style is they work well when flooded. Don't ask me why. I have no idea. On the other hand, you can't run them at all when they're dry or you'll burn them out, while a 510 can sometimes be run dry. The 306 uses the same 510 screw-on connection, so they fit onto my mods. The main physical difference is that they're open instead of being inside a tube. A 306 drip tip fits over the entire atomizer and extends away to your mouth, while a 510 drip tip just fits inside one end of the 510 tube. The 306 (with a normal sized drip tip) is shorter than a 510, but with an extender/adapter, you can get a perfect fit for a 510 drip shield, so you probably want the adapter. You might find a larger 510-size drip tip or a 306 drip shield, but they're pretty rare. Also, the sizes are anything but standard, so you may have to mix and match or order from a single vendor. With this setup, I don't have nearly as many problems overfilling (which causes leaks) or underfilling (which destroys atomizers). Leaks are so infrequent--about 2-3 small leaks a day vs every 10 minutes--that I don't pay much attention. There's a drop of chocolate stain on my shirt I got while typing this to prove the point. Or to rub it in. It's especially nice with the VapeMate (that dripping thing with a bottle attached) since I never could get the hang of a perfect 2-3 drop squeeze. I got the drip shields and tips and some 306 attys (several of each) from EmpireMods.com. I didn't order an extension (because I already had some), but they added one gratis, probably figuring I'd need one with that setup.

I still like using cartomizers, at least with thing liquids. Don't know if I'll go back to the 510 atty route. The 306 can handle 5-10 drops at a time, and I want to refill the standard size cartos somewhere between 10-15 drops, but the 510 atty can get flooded occasionally with just 3 drops, so I'm tempted to just use 2 drops at a time. OTOH, those carto tanks are good for a day, but if you play with it absent minded and carelessly pry the end off--which is easy to do on some of them--it's a lot of juice on your lap or laptop.

Sheesh! Too much information.

 

[Optionyout]

I just invested in a Kgo which is on the way. Can anyone recommend some must have vapor flavors? I have a tobacco one and a vanilla coffee bean coming but those were just guesses.

 

[SiBurning]

I just invested in a Kgo which is on the way. Can anyone recommend some must have vapor flavors? I have a tobacco one and a vanilla coffee bean coming but those were just guesses.

Tastes vary. The most commonly repeated advice I hear is to buy from a vendor that specializes in liquids, not from a hardware vendor. Most hardware vendors will have at least a little juice, and vice verse. Also, make your first order a sampler of small sized bottles, and try a variety of flavors. One vendor might do great tobaccos, another might have delicious bakery flavors, etc. Once you taste for yourself, you can explore the vendor a bit deeper, or move on to another vendor (which you should do either way).

 

[Ammoseven]

I'm a Volcano e-cig guy myself. I've been using the Magma (510) system since around January. The hardware is nice, I use the cartos/ clearos (don't wanna deal with any of that poly fill crap in the L118 starters), and their e-juice is the only good stuff I've found (the worst being MVS). In the long run it is cheaper and poses less health risks.

 

[mrchilli]

Excellent thread!! I've been vaping for two and a half years now - it's literally been a life-saver!!

 

[IronHammer]

Been vaping e-cigs for over 3 years now. The fiddling with parts is a pain in the butt! That being said, I absolutely LOVE the feel of a solid vape. It is every bit as satisfying as real cigs were to me but without all the stick and crap. I tried a real cigarette last month for the first time in about 7 years and I HATED it. I could never,ever go back to real cigarettes.

However, a good maduro is a fine thing! I just wish I could smoke cigars everywhere I go.

 

[bluesbishop]

I searched for vaping...and found this thread...GREAT first post!! I have quit my 1.5 pack a day habit thanks to Vaping....and now going down it is as crazy as a hobby for me as wet shaving!

Some great juices by vendors like backwoods and others.....I have found i seldom go for a tobacco flavor...really dig the malty toffee...and of all things ...blueberry....

Been using eGo style 900mAh with Clearomizers....and just ordered a eGo Twist with a dual coil tank....great post...wish other smokers would try this....it has helped me to stop smoking and find something I enjoy more.

Some great video located here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/GrimmGreen