Bought a Kayfun 3.1es, I think the maker is A-mod. Haven't got it set up yet but I am very surprised at the quality of the build. I am dammed excited! Stock pic.
I need to order some coil building supplies, I ordered an ohm volt checker this morning because I don't want to have to fiddle with th Vamo
I am also about to drop the hammer on a Magma clone, really like the overall design.. Debating on a higher watt regulated mod or a nice small mech. Even buying all this crap I am way way ahead of the game compared to smokes. I suppose I will have to stop using that excuse pretty soon An interesting side not on comparing the vape costs to the cigarette cost is..... a vape as much as I dam well want. Smoking Camels, Winston, Marlboro reds etc. I was always (almost) curbing my desire because of the cost.
My Kayfun Lite Plus is a 1:1 clone by EHPro. I use it almost exclusively with my Vapor Shark rDNA. One of the problems I see with your atty is that it will only take the included drip tip. Most will take any 510 type tip. (I have a CherryVape and a longer CherryVape clone. I like a cool vape.) You'll find it's pretty fun to wrap your own coils. As far as wicking a Kayfun (and it's clones), it's a bit tricky until you get used to it. A little too much cotton and you'll flood. Not quite enough and you'll burn. I've found the best way is Phil Busardos method. It's simple and works.
In this vid, Pbusardo is comparing the Kayfun with the Russian 91% and is building the Russian but since the 2 devices are basically the same, the build is the same. Start at about 19:40 or so. BTW, he shows how to top fill. I've found that it's much less messier (and you don't lose any juice) if you fill from the bottom fill hole (or side, depending on where it is on your 3.1). It takes a few seconds longer but it's worth it.
I'm working on getting into dripping. Although I'm almost to the point now that I only vape when I'm home, even though I carry the iTaste with me everywhere 95% of the time. Still on analogs, but 1 pack or so every 2 weeks.
Found a couple new carts at the local shop (E-Titan). One is the H-2 clearomizer (replaceable coil bottom feed) and the other is the T-3. Not fond of the T-3 honestly, every pull I take off of it tastes burnt, even with a brand new, properly primed wick/coil. And I get very little vapor from it compared to the H-2.
They're still cheap tanks ($8 max I think) and the coils are $2 each. But they are effective and work well so far. Still have my Aspire BDC tank, but kinda "hybridized" it with an H-2/T-3 coil/wick instead of the bottom feed dual coils. Can't find replacement coil heads locally for it unfortunately.
If anyone has a basic mechanical mod setup they want to get rid of on the cheap, something I can use to learn the art of dripping with, let me know Not sure I want to justify spending huge amounts of cash right now on a new setup, although I would like to get a Nemesis clone with an RDA eventually...The battery in the iTaste is starting to lose its capacity, used to get double the puffs off of it at the same settings (close to 600 puffs originally before recharging, now down to about an average of 250-300 on a good day)
Havn't even had it out since I first looked at it. I think it came with an adaptor. Need some supplies and been busy busy. Hardly even been here lately and that not normal at all I also got one of those Eleaf volt ohm jobs, should save some screwing around with the mods for ohm checking.
I succumbed to the urges for another shiny reward for 11 weeks of the smokes and ordered an authentic Innokin SVD this morning.
I have a knock off Vamo from Ali express on the way too, heh, sucker is born every............... sheet mang 17.10 shipped is worth a gamble? I could best that in 5 minutes at the casino
I am still ahead $ wise. One of these days I will stop buying and the true savings will start. Maybe after a Provari joins the stable
Edit: oh, but there is that Magma to think about, think that will be next.
[This message has been edited by Red88FF (edited 10-01-2014).]
Still have my Aspire BDC tank, but kinda "hybridized" it with an H-2/T-3 coil/wick instead of the bottom feed dual coils. Can't find replacement coil heads locally for it unfortunately.
If anyone has a basic mechanical mod setup they want to get rid of on the cheap, something I can use to learn the art of dripping with, let me know Not sure I want to justify spending huge amounts of cash right now on a new setup, although I would like to get a Nemesis clone with an RDA eventually...The battery in the iTaste is starting to lose its capacity, used to get double the puffs off of it at the same settings (close to 600 puffs originally before recharging, now down to about an average of 250-300 on a good day)
I buy local when I can but the local B&M only sells authentics and I'm not convinced clones (especially the 1:1 clones) aren't just as good. As far as Aspire coils, they're all over the place online.
Figure on spending between $50-$100 for a "basic" mech mod/dripper atty (clone). Expect to pay 3-5x that for authentic. I paid about $70 for my Panzer mech mod and Helios atty (both clones). If you think you're into vaping for the long haul, I wouldn't bother with a mech mod and go straight to a good, high quality regulated mod (like the VS or Hana). They aren't cheap but other than putting a battery in them backwards, you can't hurt them. Being regulated, you can't blow them up, either. That's one of the few things I insist on being authentic. You just can't beat a DNA30 chip. The Vapor Shark DNA (non-replacable battery) is about $170 and the rDNA (replacable 18650 battery) is $190. I've seen the Hana modz for as low as $220. (I like the VS better as it's more compact.) Anything you can do with a mech mod, you can do with a GOOD, regulated mod. (Don't bother with the clones like the Chana (Hana clone) or the home built box mods.)
How long have you had your MVP? I've had mine a couple months and before I got my Vapor Shark, I chain vaped constantly. It still works as well as it did when it was new. Do you have the v1 or v2? (v1 is VV only/v2 is VVVW.) I have a v1 I'd sell ya for $25 plus shipping. I used it for all of a week before I got a v2. I've only used it as a backup once or twice since then. You can't really tell how the battery is on a reg mod going by puffs. Have you upped your voltage/wattage? Used a different resistance coil? Forgot to plug it in? Tried a different charging cable?
I love my MVP however I have been using my DNA 30 a LOT lately as I have been doing a lot of desk jockeying at work lately so I may as well carry around everything for the DNA. I rarely use my Nemesis mod anymore nor my sub ohm dripper, while it was fun blowing huge clouds I found out I like the flavor more than the amount of vapor I can get. I picked up a Aerotank mini a few weeks back and I LOVE it, puts my damn kfun to shame along with my IBTanked and its tough, Ive dropped my MVP off a crane with this tank attached and it made it out alive with no thread damage. I rarely use my mods anymore but yet once a week I end up buying a tank and juice for no reason. I'm still trying to get through all my Mount Baker I bought 4 weeks ago.
I've been considering building a regulated dual battery box mod myself. I've sourced all the parts with a .15 ohm 100 watt regulator PCB. I may start without the PCB and add that in later on. The PCB I'm looking at looks like it just came out so I'm thinking of waiting for some updates for the software before buying one. That or just going with the smaller .2 ohm 50 watt version. The PCB comes with a USB attachment for programming and presoldered leads for the atomizer, button and batteries. The up and down buttons you have to attach yourself, but with all the electronics stuff I've done in the past, I think I can handle it. Still, I may just build it without the PCB basically making a mech mod in box form for now. I'd use a mosfet to fire the atomizer so I don't have to worry about ruining a momentary switch or having it weld itself closed. I've actually started ordering some of the less expensive parts so when snow gets on the ground in a couple months and work slows down I can start working on it.
Basically something like this.
Although I'm thinking about adding a voltage display until I get the regulated PCB.
I've seen setups like the one above with the batteries in series and a potentiometer to adjust the output voltage. I've also seen units like that one with a USB charging circuit built into it. Sure I could probably buy a Hana DNA30 for what it will end up costing to build the 50 or 100 watt version, but the fun of building it myself is appealing to me. My main worry with the Hana is the .4 ohm bottom. The coils I use are in the .3-.4 ohm range usually so I'd have to be real careful and maybe add a winding to make sure I never went below the .4 it's rated for.
I buy local when I can but the local B&M only sells authentics and I'm not convinced clones (especially the 1:1 clones) aren't just as good. As far as Aspire coils, they're all over the place online.
Figure on spending between $50-$100 for a "basic" mech mod/dripper atty (clone). Expect to pay 3-5x that for authentic. I paid about $70 for my Panzer mech mod and Helios atty (both clones). If you think you're into vaping for the long haul, I wouldn't bother with a mech mod and go straight to a good, high quality regulated mod (like the VS or Hana). They aren't cheap but other than putting a battery in them backwards, you can't hurt them. Being regulated, you can't blow them up, either. That's one of the few things I insist on being authentic. You just can't beat a DNA30 chip. The Vapor Shark DNA (non-replacable battery) is about $170 and the rDNA (replacable 18650 battery) is $190. I've seen the Hana modz for as low as $220. (I like the VS better as it's more compact.) Anything you can do with a mech mod, you can do with a GOOD, regulated mod. (Don't bother with the clones like the Chana (Hana clone) or the home built box mods.)
How long have you had your MVP? I've had mine a couple months and before I got my Vapor Shark, I chain vaped constantly. It still works as well as it did when it was new. Do you have the v1 or v2? (v1 is VV only/v2 is VVVW.) I have a v1 I'd sell ya for $25 plus shipping. I used it for all of a week before I got a v2. I've only used it as a backup once or twice since then. You can't really tell how the battery is on a reg mod going by puffs. Have you upped your voltage/wattage? Used a different resistance coil? Forgot to plug it in? Tried a different charging cable?
I've looked at the local shop where I get my e juice. He carries mainly mechanical mods, which I would prefer honestly due to their simplicity. I've played with a couple of the Innokin regulated mods (coolfire 1 and 2) as well as the MVP's and the DNA30 mods. I think if I went the regulated way, I'd honestly get the DNA50 from Cloupor. But all his stuff at the local shop is way too pricey, cheapest being about $160-$180 for a basic mech mod (regulated mods are around $200). He carries a lot of King brand stuff, which was the mech mod he uses personally. Tried it and I did enjoy the flavor, its definitely much better than my VV3.0 with tanks.
I have the iTaste VV 3.0. Variable voltage/variable wattage. I keep it at a constant 3.7-3.8 volts, or I stick to 7.0-7.5 watts usually (prefer adjusting by the .5 watts over voltage, its easier "set and forget" compared to going in .1 increments with voltage)
I bought it back at the beginning of June. As far as charging it goes, I use it until it dies completely then charge it overnight. When I first got it I could go a full week without charging, now I'm lucky to go a day, usually its dead by the time I get home from work. I suspect the battery is shorted or just going bad. Have tried different volts/watts as well as different coils (most coils check out between 2.1 and 2.3 on the built in ohm meter with the lowest ever being 1.6 using the Aspire BDC coils rated at 1.8)
Ideally I intend on quitting vaping entirely once I can finally get away from the analogs. Kinda why I want to go with a mechanical Nemesis mod and an rDA. Cheaper in the long run but if I decide later I want to use it with 0 nicotine juice, I can keep it around.
Kris, any chance you'd be willing to part with that Nemesis of yours? If its mech, I'm interested, no need for the rDA, mainly interested in the tube/battery, I'll get an rDA and drip tip later on (eying up a couple on ebay, either an Enigma or an autodripper setup, not sure yet, possibly even a Genesis style dual coil setup)
[This message has been edited by Xerces_Blackthorne (edited 10-02-2014).]
I think if I went the regulated way, I'd honestly get the DNA50 from Cloupor.
I have the iTaste VV 3.0. Variable voltage/variable wattage. I keep it at a constant 3.7-3.8 volts, or I stick to 7.0-7.5 watts usually (prefer adjusting by the .5 watts over voltage, its easier "set and forget" compared to going in .1 increments with voltage)
As far as charging it goes, I use it until it dies completely then charge it overnight.
The difference between the Evolv DNA30 and the other chips are quality. I never really understood the need for 50 (or 100 or 150) watts. I can go to 30 watts and rarely use that much. The most I generally push is about 20-22.
You have the adjustments backwards. On all chips I'm aware of, watts are increased in .1W increments while volts are increased in .5V increments. That's why a variable wattage device is "better" than a variable voltage device (and why the DNA30 chips are VW only).
As far as your device going bad, I think the problem is that you're letting the battery die completely. Once it gets down to about 1/4-1/3, recharge it. Li-ion batteries don't have a memory so it's ok to charge them at less than zero output. I think letting them die completely is what kills them. I had a phone that I did that to and I had to replace the battery twice. After I started plugging it in at 15-30% battery capacity, it held up.
Khw --- A regular at the local B&M built one using (2) 26650s. Massive contraption and heavy as hell but impressive nonetheless. There's someone over on the Vapor Talk forums (Promeus?) who builds regulated box mods. If you get on over there, you might ask him for some tips. I think he'd help you as long as you told him it was for your own mod, not to sell.
Khw --- A regular at the local B&M built one using (2) 26650s. Massive contraption and heavy as hell but impressive nonetheless. There's someone over on the Vapor Talk forums (Promeus?) who builds regulated box mods. If you get on over there, you might ask him for some tips. I think he'd help you as long as you told him it was for your own mod, not to sell.
I'll have to sign up over there and do some looking around. With working in a machine shop for 11 years and my certification in electronics, I don't think building one myself is outside my range of skills but having someone to ask if I get stuck would be nice. My major hang-up right now is deciding what type of enclosure I want to use for it. I can go with the Hammond box like in the pic above but I want something with easier access for changing batteries. I don't want to have to remove and replace screws to change the battery. They sell a magnet set for the Hammond box that allows you to put magnets in the screw hole on the box and drill out the head on the lid pressing magnets in there. Then the magnets hold the lid in place. I like that idea better and if I don't find something with a slide on and off battery door I will probably end up going that way. I've been looking whenever we go to a thrift shop for something more unique and functional but haven't found it yet. If I really wanted to cheap out I could use an Altoids mint box since it's door is hinged but durability wise, i don't think it will hold up.
Bought a VTR today............... this shiit has to stop. And on that note have you guys checked out "the big dripper" yet? whish I had held off on the Kayfun but I suppose no reason I can't have both. Well except I am spending more than I did smoking. Should be even again in a few weeks.
My major hang-up right now is deciding what type of enclosure I want to use for it. I can go with the Hammond box like in the pic above but I want something with easier access for changing batteries. I don't want to have to remove and replace screws to change the battery. They sell a magnet set for the Hammond box that allows you to put magnets in the screw hole on the box and drill out the head on the lid pressing magnets in there. Then the magnets hold the lid in place. I like that idea better and if I don't find something with a slide on and off battery door I will probably end up going that way. I've been looking whenever we go to a thrift shop for something more unique and functional but haven't found it yet. If I really wanted to cheap out I could use an Altoids mint box since it's door is hinged but durability wise, i don't think it will hold up.
What about a single screw in one corner just to ensure you don't lose the cover and magnets on the other 3 so it doesn't slide open on it's own?
There are a bunch of misc boxes out there that could probably be adapted. I just got a "gift" in the mail from MarkTen (those little cigarette looking "vaporizers"). It was a plastic case with a sliding cover that holds one of their USB chargers and 2 of their little batteries (thinner but longer than an AAA battery). I think it might be a little thin for an 18650 but I'll check it out and see. If it would fit one, I'll send it to you. If not, at least it's an idea about what's out there. I agree that an Altoids box is too weak. I've seen them but I can picture having it in my hand and I push myself up from a chair. Squish. If I can crush it in my puny hand, it's not something I want. I'll stay on the lookout for interesting boxes.
Odd. My Vapor Shark (DNA30 chip) adjusts watts by .1 increments. Most of the higher end VV mods adjust volts by .5 increments. My v2 MPV adjusts them as you say.
Got a mechanical mod today. Won a gift certificate at bike night Thursday and cashed it in and then some. I've never seriously vaped (taken hits off of others) but I'm a somewhat habitual smoker and enjoy a hookah so the starter kits the guy was pointing me to just weren't going to do it for me since I knew I'd be chasing clouds after a short time anyway.
Odd. My Vapor Shark (DNA30 chip) adjusts watts by .1 increments. Most of the higher end VV mods adjust volts by .5 increments. My v2 MPV adjusts them as you say.
Interesting, I did NOT know that. All mine are .1 for volts .5 for watts. All mine must be the "lower end" vw mods. Great, now I want one of those too
The Vapor Shark (DNA or rDNA) is an excellent mod. I can't say enough good stuff about it. It IS pricey at close to $200 but sometimes quality costs, especially when it comes to a regulated mod. Not only are you paying for the box and wiring but also for an authentic chip. Anyone with some time and a CNC can perfectly replicate a piece of metal (like in an RBA/RTA/RDA) but it's a bit more involved (and expensive) to duplicate electronics and much less of a chance of getting it right. Most of the off-brand regulated mods have iffy chips. That's why my cheap ass paid what I did for my VS.
I don't know if anyone would be interested here because the flavor selection is not huge but I found a supplier that sells 30 ml bottles for about $5. I figured for the price I'd order a couple of flavors and see if they were any good. My favorite is the Banana Creme as it's got a pretty good throat hit and a pleasant flavor. We've also tried the strawberry, strawberry banana and cinnamon which we like. The blueberry jellybean is good but has a real strong throat hit. The creme brulee is... interesting... It's not a flavor I would want as a daily vape and it's a bit odd the first couple of uses but it grew on me. It's not something I would order often though. We bought a 10 ml of the bubblegum, wife wanted to try it. It's not a real strong flavor but it's actually pretty good. Especially if you just add a couple of drops to the strawberry on your cotton in your dripper. I don't think I'd order a 30 ml of it as I don't think we would use it up that quickly, but for an occasional for something different flavor, it's not bad. There are a couple of other flavors we will eventually order 10 ml bottles of to try but a $30 order of 30 ml bottles covers a month of daily use flavors for us. We still buy the occasional special flavors at our local stores, but our daily use flavors we've began getting from here.
Edit: Ugh, just checked and they are down for maintenance until the 8th. They are adding new flavors so it will be interesting to see what they add. I know they had several flavors on e=bay that they didn't have on the website, but you couldn't get the nic in them on e-bay. So I imagine they will be adding some of the flavors they have on e-bay that they didn't on the website.
[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 10-06-2014).]
Dam that is a good price. I have been doing the killer juice sales that they do Thurs through Sunday night. The guy puts a couple of flavors on at 99 cents for 15ml and a few other at 1.99 Nice for trying things out. He apparently just discontinued the plastic bottles though so the regular price went up BUT if you end up liking one enough, you can get the 120ml for 25. Not as good as your deal but pretty close.
I have pretty much been following this thread from the start and had purchased a kamry k101 with a nimbus atomizer for my fiance to help her in her quest to quit. The vape definitely helped her cut back by about a half a pack a day and she enjoys it, however she has completely stopped smoking now going on her third day with only a vape and was inquiring about something more like an e-cig because there are times at which she feels she needs something between her fingers that size to push off the feeling of grabbing a smoke so I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on the e-cigs, Goods and bad, what to stay away from.
I have pretty much been following this thread from the start and had purchased a kamry k101 with a nimbus atomizer for my fiance to help her in her quest to quit. The vape definitely helped her cut back by about a half a pack a day and she enjoys it, however she has completely stopped smoking now going on her third day with only a vape and was inquiring about something more like an e-cig because there are times at which she feels she needs something between her fingers that size to push off the feeling of grabbing a smoke so I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on the e-cigs, Goods and bad, what to stay away from.
What strength e juice is she using? I'd suggest changing it up for a different nicotine mg juice.
As for the psychological aspect of it (having something between her fingers), if she really wants to try an "e cig", I'd suggest the Fin disposables. about $6 for one and out of all the ones I've tried, their flavors were the best and I could actually tolerate the throat hit on them (compared to the Blu, nJoy, etc).
But I'd definitely suggest trying a different nicotine level first. Personally I find that if I use the 18 mg juices I tend to smoke more analogs and get cravings more often (so I'm constantly vaping the 18mg), I've found with the 12 mg that levels off a bit and I can get through the day without needing to vape much or resort to analogs (last couple days not so much). Currently working down to 6mg and plan to stay there for awhile. The flavors get better at the lower mg levels I've found.
[This message has been edited by Xerces_Blackthorne (edited 10-12-2014).]
Well my wife tried the box mods my daughter and her fiancee bought and really liked it so I got the green light to go ahead and order the rest of the stuff to make them. I made hers a basic one just like what they have, two 18650's in parallel with a 195 amp mosfet to act as the switch triggered by a momentary switch. Mine isn't done yet because I'm still trying to source some parts so I can wire it up to either have the batteries in parallel or series at the flip of a switch and also an master power switch since I will sometimes toss in in one of my work bags or in my pocket. If I can't find a switch that will fit I'll probably do a dual parallel like hers until I pick up a Raptor 120w regulator for it (or other regulated power board).
This is how hers came out.
[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 12-20-2014).]
Speaking of work.....my workplace has a non-TOBACCO incentive on the health care insurance. If you agree to not use TOBACCO, you get $35/pay period (2 weeks) off your insurance premium. (Our premiums are super high.) Only one catch....they randomly test for TOBACCO use by swabbing your mouth for nicotine. I sent an email to those in charge of the insurance program(s) and they said, if I got "caught", I'd have a chance to explain why I tested positive for nicotine yet didn't use TOBACCO. I can prove I vape (I have plenty of receipts for juice and I can show them hundreds of dollars worth of equipment) but I obviously can't prove I don't use tobacco. Policy DOESN'T forbid nicotine use, just tobacco. In my mind, nobody would spend the money I do on vaping if they were also a tobacco user. The big downside to this is that they CAN terminate you if you can't prove you don't use tobacco. Not really sure what to choose on this one. An extra grand/year would go a long way towards paying my medical bills (a couple months of meds runs more than that until I meet my deductible) but it wouldn't be worth losing my job over. How do you PROVE you AREN'T doing something?
Don't do it. Too much to lose. The insurance company is not going to give you a break so they can charge you less if they don't HAVE TO. From what I have been hearing they consider nicotine ejuice to be a tobacco product. Which in all except rare cases of a alternate extraction base, it is.
Seriously though, I don't vape so I can "smoke" where your not allowed to. I treat it like smoking so if smoking isn't allowed somewhere I won't vape there either. However, I must say that the absence of the stale smoke smell is very pleasant.
[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 10-30-2014).]
I have a lot of family members who smoke and know a lot of people that are now vaping. I am all for people going this route. I posted the video as a little humor. I applaud anyone who is working towards a healthier life style. At my work we have had to discuss with two people that vaping falls under tobacco use policies so they need to follow those laws. We have had them start trying to use the vaps in the store. I have a question though. If someone that has a heart issues and congestive heart failure. has to watch amount of fluid intakes how would vapping effect them. My father just refuses to quite smoking. Hes 53 3 heart attacks had stopped smoking for over a year then the stress got to him and he went back to smoking. I wondered if the vapor with nicotine would help him.
I have a lot of family members who smoke and know a lot of people that are now vaping. I am all for people going this route. I posted the video as a little humor. I applaud anyone who is working towards a healthier life style. At my work we have had to discuss with two people that vaping falls under tobacco use policies so they need to follow those laws. We have had them start trying to use the vaps in the store. I have a question though. If someone that has a heart issues and congestive heart failure. has to watch amount of fluid intakes how would vapping effect them. My father just refuses to quite smoking. Hes 53 3 heart attacks had stopped smoking for over a year then the stress got to him and he went back to smoking. I wondered if the vapor with nicotine would help him.
Well I'm glad I took it as humor then . As to the other part, I'll do some looking and see if I can find anything that discuses if it's a viable option in that kind of situation. It will take me a couple of days though between work and Halloween tonight.
Don't do it. Too much to lose. The insurance company is not going to give you a break so they can charge you less if they don't HAVE TO. From what I have been hearing they consider nicotine ejuice to be a tobacco product. Which in all except rare cases of a alternate extraction base, it is.
As far as I know, it's not an insurance thing but a workplace thing (I'm not going to divulge my workplace...they tend to snoop). They are very specific about non-TOBACCO use (which is why I capitalized that every time). E-juice doesn't have ANY tobacco in it. That's the whole point of e-juice.
Dammit. I see that friggin' spider again. I'll come back and discuss this more tomorrow.
Honestly, I think the fake cigarettes are sort of a waste of time. I think they're overpriced and you really have to work at drawing on them (just because of the way they're built). Personally, I'd rather spend my money on a good mod and a tank (or RDA) of some sort.
How about eGo-CTwist with a EVOD2 tank? I just picked one up.
I haven't used the twist but I have used the eGo-C. I had some of the clearomizers, protank and another style I don't remember the name of off the top of my head. Over all, it's not a "bad" set up, it just depends on if it fits into your life good enough. For me working in construction, it would constantly flood when I tried to use it while working. At home, it worked fine but out in the hot sun not so much. I ended up going the mech mod/RDA route because it is more consistent in function (drip the juice on and vape/rinse repeat, nothing really to flood). I can use it all day long everyday and just drip more juice on when needed and swap out batteries when one dies (I have several batteries I keep charged). Doing that, I now no longer smoke any cigarettes. I like it over the little cigarette looking ones to because the draw is no where near as restrictive so it "feels" more like smoking. Plus the little cigarette looking ones, unless you buy the cartos and put juice in them yourself, are limited to tobacco flavors. With the eGo-C style, regulated mod or mech mod you have a BUNCH of different flavors out there that can get you away from the taste of tobacco.
Tried it out at the shop. Initially it was turned all the way up when I hit it. WOW!!! What a throat hit. Monkeyman, you're right. Nothing compared to the Blu. I will run it about half way I think. It's charging now. I still may use the Blue at times for convenience factor, but this seems pretty good. But I'm brand new to this. You guys think I picked up a good system to start?
I haven't used the twist but I have used the eGo-C. I had some of the clearomizers, protank and another style I don't remember the name of off the top of my head. Over all, it's not a "bad" set up, it just depends on if it fits into your life good enough. For me working in construction, it would constantly flood when I tried to use it while working. At home, it worked fine but out in the hot sun not so much. I ended up going the mech mod/RDA route because it is more consistent in function (drip the juice on and vape/rinse repeat, nothing really to flood). I can use it all day long everyday and just drip more juice on when needed and swap out batteries when one dies (I have several batteries I keep charged). Doing that, I now no longer smoke any cigarettes. I like it over the little cigarette looking ones to because the draw is no where near as restrictive so it "feels" more like smoking. Plus the little cigarette looking ones, unless you buy the cartos and put juice in them yourself, are limited to tobacco flavors. With the eGo-C style, regulated mod or mech mod you have a BUNCH of different flavors out there that can get you away from the taste of tobacco.
Thanks for the reply. I sit at a desk all day so it should fit that way. Blu has about 8 flavors or so. But it don't compare to what I got. Now I think I have to study on some of these acronyms to be a part of the conversation!
Originally posted by Jason88Notchie: Thanks for the reply. I sit at a desk all day so it should fit that way. Blu has about 8 flavors or so. But it don't compare to what I got. Now I think I have to study on some of these acronyms to be a part of the conversation!
RDA or RBA Usually refers to different styles of atomizers. RD rebuild-able dripper and RB rebuild-able typically tank style or hybrid tank/dripper.
Dripper means you have the heating coils and wick easily available and you drip juice right onto them. After a few vapes, the juice will be used up and you drip some more on.
Tank would be one where the juice is held in a tank that the wick soaks the juice up from. These will last longer between juice applications than a dripper but "can" flood.
Sub Ohm, means having a coil setup on your rebuild-able whatever that is lower than 1 ohm. For instance the coils I use in mine measure out to .3-.4 ohms typically.
Mech Mod is generally a device that houses a battery which uses no circuit boards to regulate the power or wattage. These typically come in a "tube" style but in the pictures above, while using a mosfet as a switch, you can see a box style mech mod I made for my wife and part of the one I just finished for myself today.
Regulated Mod, is like your eGo-c Twist. They have a circuit in them that will allow you to adjust voltage, wattage or both. These run a rather large gambit from the eGo-C style to regulated boxes with replaceable batteries that can handle sub ohm loads.
18650, 18500, 18350 or 22650 are cylindrical lithium battery sizes typically used in mech mods or regulated mods with replaceable batteries. If you go the route where you use one of these you will want to make sure you get the high drain versions and usually non protected otherwise if you sub ohm on a protected one you will burn out the protection circuit and the battery will be useless. There are of course other batteries used, AA size is common in England for example. Some people also use lithium "packs" when they make a DIY mod like what I built but I prefer the ease of the 18650.
Drip Tip is the piece you draw the vapor through. These come in various shapes and sizes from slugs to ming vases to muffler and so on. This is just the tip though, not the complete atomizer.
Atomizer would be the unit that contains the heating coils and juice used to produce the vapor.
510 is going to be the most common style of screw connector used on atomizers and power sources to connect the two together.
Wick is whatever material is used to soak up the juice for the coils to heat and turn into vapor. This can be any number of things from multiple forms of cotton, bamboo, stainless steel screen, hemp or silica strands and probably other things I've yet to see used.
A1 Kanthal or Nichrome is the wire used to make the heating coils. You can get it in various gauges, and in the case of nichrome grades (60 or 80 that I've seen). The different gauges are rated in ohms per a specific length with the smaller wire being higher in resistance than the larger wire. I typically wrap a 3/32" coil for mine and use a 5/6 wrap for the 26 gauge wire and a 6/7 wrap for the 24 gauge (both come out to about .3-.4 ohms for a dual parallel coil build).
6/7, 8/9, 9 etc. Wrap is used to indicate how many times you wrap the wire when making a coil. 5/6 would count 5 wraps if looked at from the inside and 6 if looked at from the outside. 9 would be 9 complete wraps counted from inside or outside. 5/6 and so on are usually the "easy" wraps that don't take much fancy bending to get the coils into the posts on your atomizer as the wires will both exit on the same side where as a single number wrap has the wires going in opposite directions when completed. So with a 9 wrap for example, you would have to bend one wire around and send it back to the same side as the other so you can put it in the posts. Now different atomizers have the posts set up different ways, so some will lend themselves to one or the other more easily but typically the posts are in line with the coil off to one side or the other or both. Some however have 2 posts and you put the coil directly between the 2 posts (usually this is seen on tank style rebuild-ables).
Carto is a e-juice holder/coil system that looks like a cigarette butt.
If I think of anything else I'll add it in .
[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 11-06-2014).]
What an amazing post!! Thank you!! I am going to refer to this many times as I learn about vaping. I think you broke down things in a way I can understand along with others that maybe interested in this.
There are 3 or 4 ingredients in all quality juices. VG, PG, flavoring and (sometimes) nicotine. VG is vegetable glycerine. This is a thick liquid that adds "bulk" to the vapor but does nothing for the flavor. If you vaped 100% VG (like Rip Tripper does in his videos), you don't taste much but you can fill a room with the vapor. PG is propylene glycol. This is a thinner liquid that doesn't do much for vapor production but "holds" most of the flavor. (It's also a food grade antifreeze.) Some people have a natural allergic reaction to PG but not many. If this is the case, find a juice that is all VG with a heavy flavoring. Flavoring is just what it sounds like. Without it, you wouldn't taste anything. Most is food grade, some is pretty inferior. For the most part, premium juices cost what they do for a reason. Nicotine is the same nicotine as found in tobacco but in a liquid form. You can get juices in nic strengths anywhere from 36mg to zero. (I've only seen 36mg once and didn't dare to try it.) Zero, 6, 12 and 18mg are the "normal" strengths although a lot of the premium brands are coming out with 3mg juice primarily for the drippers. If you drip, you'll probably want a slightly lower nic content. 18mg = full flavored analog, 12 = light analog and 6 = an ultra light (more or less). (An analog is a "traditional" cigarette since the original e-cigarettes were considered digital or electronic.)
You can either buy premixed juices (I do) or try your hand at mixing your own (like I think Khw does). Mixing your own is worlds cheaper but there's a talent for it. Two drops of this flavoring, 1 drop of that, 10 drops of something else. Does it suck? Will it taste better once it's steeped (just like tea)? I don't have the patience for it myself. I've found a few commercially prepared flavors that I like so I stick with them. Giantvapes.com is a good place to find premixed juices. The premium brands aren't cheap. I pay anywhere from $20-$30 for a 30ml bottle of most of my juices. Between that and the initial cost of my devices, that puts my monthly cost close to what I was spending on tobacco. While I'd like to save money, I know what I'm doing is better for me, healthwise, so in the end it's still worth it. If you mix your own, you can get by for around 1/10th the cost ($2-$3/30ml) once you get done with the trial and error. I only tried mixing my own once or twice. I found that I was mixing some pretty perfumey flavors. Maybe steeping would have helped, maybe not. Like I said, I don't have the patience for it.
As far as wrapping your own coils (whether you use an RDA or an RBA/RTA), it's easy to do and you'll save TONS of money over the prepackaged coils you need for something like the Kanger tanks. (I have 2 Kanger tanks and love them but rarely use them as the coils cost close to $3 each.) I think, using 28ga Kanthal, each inch of wire = .46 ohms. So, if you were to wrap a coil using 3" (whether it's around a 5/16" or 1/2"), you'd end up with about a 1.4ohm coil. Seems like it works out about right but I've never actually measured the wire length. The higher the coil resistance, the cooler the vape. (I stay around 1.4-1.6ohm coils as I like a cooler vape. When I drip, I stay closer to 1ohm but occasionally wrap a sub ohm coil. I rarely get below .5 unless I'm experimenting.)
Wicking material....I use Japanese cotton. It comes in 3x3 sheets. I cut off about a 1/4" wide strip and thread that through my coil. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to use. The cheapest wick you can use is generic cotton balls (like you'd find at Walmart). If you use those, it's best to boil them for about 20 minutes. Again, I don't have the patience to do that. A 100' spool of Kanthal is less than $10 and a bag of cotton balls is about 2 bucks. With that, you could have enough material for a year. Using Japanese cotton, I'll spend closer to $50/year. Still a good deal to me.
Mods....Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with a good (i.e. Evolv DNA30 chip) regulated mod. There are cheap ones that are...well, cheap and good ones that are excellent. I have a mid to upper price range regulated mod that I swear by (Vapor Shark rDNA....just under $200) and a much cheaper iTazte MVP v2 (less than $50 but no DNA30 chip and is limited to 11W) that is a good backup. I also have a Spinner 2 (similar to an eGo) that works well for what it is. It's small so it's easy to stick in my pocket and it was dirt cheap so if I break it, I'm not concerned. I have a nice Panzer mech mod that only gets used as a base for my Kayfun when I'm building a new coil/rewicking. It doesn't put out the same power that my VS does. If I had an outside job, I'd probably use the mech mod all the time as it's a bit more forgiving than a regulated mod. You could soak a mech mod (WITHOUT THE BATTERY) in water and, once it was dry, it would be fine. Not the same with a regulated mod.
NOTE: DO NOT GET LI-ION BATTERIES WET. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO:
That's not meant to scare anyone, just to make you aware. If your batteries get wet (more than just a drop or 2 of water), take them out of your device and put them somewhere they can 1) dry out or 2) burn in peace (if you're quick with a shovel, dig a hole and drop them in...just don't cover the hole).
Back to todays lesson. There are 2 different kinds of equipment, authentics and clones. Authentics are what's made by the original manufacturer (Kayfuns are made by Svoemesto...if you buy from Svoemesto, you get an authentic Kayfun) and clones are made by others. Sometimes, clones are inferior and 99% of the time, they're much cheaper. My RDA is a Helios clone and I think it's just as good as the authentic. My Kayfun is a clone made by EHPro and I think it's actually BETTER than the Svoemesto authentic as EHPro has "fixed" one of the "problems" with the Svoemesto version (the air hole is 2mm on mine v 1.5mm on the authentic). Some vapers refuse to use anything other than authentics. Personally, I'll buy a clone any day except for a regulated mod.
Jason --- Once you start wrapping your own coils (and you will eventually ), post up some pics of your stuff and your builds.
