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I second what everyone has said here about start ups costs, hardware, back ups, finding what works, etc. So far I have an ego kit (which I adore) and an ego tank kit (which I also adore and couldn't resist because everyone was raving about them). So that means I have two chargers (because if one went bad, I would be screwed without a charger!), um, 4 batteries, I bought some cartos (can't quite get the dang Taryn spin down right but I'm working on it), 6 attys, and some juice. And I want more juice. BUT...I think of people who have other hobbies. Like I have a friend who is into wine, and she and her husband buy it by the case, just to try new flavors, etc. Other friends are into pipes, and they can't resist a beautifully made pipe, or some amazing tobacco for that special occasion. For me, vaping is also a relaxing and fun HOBBY through which I've met some kind, intelligent, and creative people here. Had some relaxing times sitting with my cup of coffee and my shiny new ego Tank - you see what I mean? Smoking analogs wasn't even a hobby or a pleasure for me anymore. It was a terrible, stinking, make-me-sick addiction - it was money that I HAD to spend. Vaping money is fun to spend. And hey - you can't take it with you, right?

I'm just sort of glanced over this post but what exactly is your budget? I agree I would go directly to the source that's what I do. Most people don't realize, but most Alienwares are actually Asus machines. (The lighted keyboard gives it away) Dell (who now owns Alienware) purchases them in bulk from Asus, (as well as other manufactures) brands them, then rapes your soul with the cost. There are actually only a few manufactures that create laptops - Compal, Quanta, GVC, Clevo and Asus. Asus stands out because they actually sell their own product. This is unusual for a wholesale manufacture but sweet for the consumer. I have the G73 (I need the power on the go obviously) but Asus laptops are NOT expensive. I'm guessing your looking at the Gaming line. Asus creates "lower" end laptops that are very close to spec. The main difference between "gaming" laptops and standard laptops is the dedicated video card. Most laptops use integrated video (shares the system ram) whereas a gaming machine will usually use a custom dedicated video card with it's own memory. If you tell me your budget I might be able to find a decent machine for you.

here is a video I just watched about the e-cig you have...

I just bought some Raspberry extract and added some to my bottle of menthol, and I can taste a light hint of raspberry in it..

Very funny, Brian, very funny. LOL @ Uma!! Okay, so I looked at the eclipse. But I'm still drooling over the Ali'i. What was the topic of this thread? Oh yeah! The cost of vaping vs analogs. I think a person could buy a new device just about every month - along with needed supplies of attys, batteries, and juice - and still come out ahead in the long run. And that's only if there are that many devices a person would want to try. I had to try a lot of them out to begin with, but then that wore off. I always wanted a juice feeder, so that's why I ordered those now, but I really don't see me getting anything else for a long time. If the juice feeders turned out to not work for me, I'd go back to my BSB and eGo (and Mark Mod) and be perfectly happy. I've got my backups, I love vaping, I'm healthier, I'm breathing better, I'm happier, I've met a lot of great people, and I'm way ahead money-wise. What more could a person ask for?

Well, Brian, I doubt Nanna wants to hear from me on this subject. But...here goes... I couldn't taste any of the juices for the first 3 months. None. At all. Then I found Tasty Vapor and got the Atomic Fireball (which has apparently changed it's name to Atomic Cinnacide since then). I could taste that one!! And man did I love it!! I'd been on the forum, hearing all about all these wonderful tastes and I couldn't taste any of them, so it was great to finally taste something. It was so good that I ordered again and got enough to last me for 6 months. Later, I tried a few other flavors from Tasty Vapor and although I could taste them, they weren't as "flavorful" to me. I tried one that was a lemonade something or other that just seemed to have a chemical taste to me. I tried orange and cherry. Both were just okay to me. Although I was nervous about it, I did try the black licorice and I loved that one. I can't vape it much, but every once in awhile I do and it's always good. I have wondered if it's not just because both of those are such strong flavors. I kept buying juices, trying from everywhere I could find, but I still couldn't taste any of them. Really. It wasn't that they were bad, I just couldn't taste anything. I was told that my taste buds would come back to life (that they were in bad shape because I had smoked for 34 years), but that really never happened for me. From what I've been able to tell, it does happen for everyone else, but not for me - for the most part. I have been able to barely taste a few, but it's so very light that it's pretty much nothing and after using them for a few days, I can't taste them at all. After I'd been vaping 5 or 6 months, a friend mixed up some homemade juice and sent it to me. One of those was the Mr. Bean (flavoring) from Liquidxpress. I could taste them!! And they were good!! That got me into doing some of my own mixing. I bought some Lorann's flavorings (which is what they mostly use in the Tasty Vapor juices) and could finally taste it all. I don't care for some of the flavors, but at least I can taste them. I added the flavorings to all those other juices I'd ordered to "up" the flavor of them and was at least able to use up all the liquid I'd bought and couldn't taste - so it didn't go to waste. There are several people on this forum who can't stand the Lorann's flavors, but I've tried all the other flavorings, too, and I still can't taste them. We aren't supposed to discuss mixing except in the DIY forum, so I won't say any more about that here. I've been vaping for 17 months now and I'm still at about the same place with tastes as I was when I started. I ordered a couple more juices just last week and although I do get a hint of some flavor, it's not enough to say what that flavor is. There just isn't much there. I've realized that I will probably never be able to taste the pre-made juices and I'm okay with that. I still love vaping and I'm happy with the flavors I can taste, so I just stick with them. I've got two flavors I use all the time (Atomic Cinnacide being my main vape - along with a coffe) and one I use every now and then. It's good enough for me. I don't know of anyone else who has gone so long without really being able to taste liquids. A couple of people here do need stronger flavors though. I'm probably the only one who has had such a hard time tasting - after so long anyway. Your taste buds will probably perk up one of these days, like everyone else, so don't let my story scare you. As I said, I seem to be the only one with this problem.

Nanna consider yourself lucky that you found a juice that you love so fast. I have tried 60 or more flavors and haven't found that WOW juice yet. But for now I am vaping Backwoods Brew " Casablanca " this juice is really good. For the juices you have you would see around the forums that people say to steep your juice for a week or more because some juices get a lot better. I have had some juices that taste really nasty when I first tried them but after waiting a couple of weeks it was totally different, I liked it. So let the ones you have sit for awhile and try them again in a week. I had the same issues with the juices I bought and I to thought it was my taste buds but as you will find out all juices are different from all vendors so keep trying sample juices. So in that way it doesn't break the bank and you get to try a lot more. If I where you buy a lot more of the juice you love because we all know that it's not a good thing to run out. Try out Dulce from vapor Talk store it's a good vape but for me it's good but for you it might taste bad. Also juices change flavor with different voltages, some juices are bad at 3.7v but at 5v it's good. Good Luck

If you're hearing a sizzle, that's a good sign. I would check the package like Chris said just to make sure they are prefilled. If they are, try another one to see if it does the same thing. Unlike a cigarette, you want to take a longer slow drag from your ecig. This is a concept I had issues with when I started, but you want to take a gentle draw, don't pull on it like you would with a regular cig.

Boiling again probably won't do any good. It sounds to me like in the process of doing a dry burn, you've charred the wick. Inside the atomizer, under the triangular-shaped piece that you see(this is called the bridge, and it's covered in metal mesh, a sort of steel wool-like material), there is a white thread-like material known as a wick. Over time, unless you're SUPER careful to keep the atomizer wet at all times(which isn't very likely when you're a newbie), you will eventually char the wick, causing this exact thing you've described(good flavor at first, still good vapor, but then after a few drags, burnt taste, despite the atty being clearly wet). I've done the same thing myself several times. It will cause you to overfill and flood your atty, yet still produce a burnt taste, which leads to much confusion. Anyway, what you'll want to do is remove as much of the wick as possible with a pair of tweezers. The problem I find with this, though, is that it's next to impossible(at least for me) to remove the whole wick(or the part that's actually charred, as that part tends to be closest to the coil, which is next to impossible to see with the bridge in there. So, when I start getting the burnt taste all the time, I just take out the bridge and the wick in one shot. There are at least a few videos on youtube on how to remove both of these, and I will post one in a minute. But, before I do, I want to explain something. I find that while trying to debridge certain 510 atties, pulling on the bridge tends to pull the whole internal portion of the atty closer to the top of the atty tube(the part that surrounds the coil, wick, bridge, and whatever else is inside that thing. So, what I do to avoid breaking the atty altogether is stick something(I use my tweezers) down into the atty and hold there with one hand, pushing on the whole internal portion, but away from the bridge itself. Then I insert a pair of needle nose pliers, grip the bridge from both sides, squeeze it together, and start yanking/wiggling til it comes out. Then I hold a flashlight in my mouth while I remove as much of the wick as I possibly can with the tweezers. That should solve your problem, and as you're removing the wick, you'll notice parts of it are black. One more thing before I post a link to a youtube video of this procedure... Note that when you remove the bridge and the wick, your atomizer will be more prone to flooding, since the wick and the mesh on the bridge act as a buffer or liquid holder and keep it from just flowing thru the atomizer. You will also be unable to use a cartridge with the atomizer, which means you'll need to drip. And finally, sometimes while vaping, usually the first few drags after dripping more liquid, some of the liquid will bubble and fly up, landing on your tongue. It's not that big of a deal for the most part. I don't really mind it all that much, but with high voltage or low resistance atomizers, it can get pretty darn hot. I've actually gotten a small burn on my tongue as a result of this. Considering the information I just provided, you might be thinking "well then why do I want to do this?" Well, you can either just deal with the burnt taste, use another atomizer and waste this one, or you can do what I suggested and still be able to use it. This is one of the unfortunate parts of vaping. Wicks get burnt sooner or later, at least in my experience. So if you don't drip already, I say get used to doing so. Some people, like Noxious, remove the wick immediately upon switching to a new atomizer to avoid this mess altogether. I don't know about anybody else specifically, but she prefers to leave the bridge in. To me, it doesn't really matter. In fact, I sort of like it better without the bridge, because one way I know for sure I'm out of juice is to be able to see the coil light up red, which is easier to see without the wick and bridge in the way. And now, without further adieu, here is a video. And here is one about removing the bridge, in case you're interested. And finally, ONE LAST PIECE OF INFO: I personally clean my atomizers by soaking them for a few hours(usually overnight or sometimes even longer) in rubbing alcohol. Some people seem to think this is a bad idea, but it's kept my atties alive for about 5 months. I still have my very first Blu atomizer from the kit I bought this summer. I know for a fact that rubbing alcohol breaks down organic compounds, which VG is. I'm not so sure about PG though. Also, dry burning does work to burn some of the gunk off the coil, similar to how a self-cleaning oven works. However, you want to be careful when you do it as you can ruin the atomizer by letting it dry burn for too long. Should you choose to soak your atties in rubbing alcohol, I specifically use only 91% isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and I rinse my atomizers thoroughly with water, blow the excess water out, and then let the atomizers dry for a few hours before using them. What Chris said about atomizers needing more liquid than normal after cleaning IS true, but I'm guessing since you did a dry burn, you charred your atomizer. It would help to double check your wick before you do any of this, but like I said, it can be hard to see. And, your wick will probably become charred eventually anyway. Sorry for the gigantic wall of text, but I hope it helps. Good luck, and happy vaping!

You know on the 20th of this month it will be 6 months vaping for me and no analogs, but there are still times that I want to smoke one. I don't, becasuse I remember how they taste and smell and its just nasty. You will get there but go easy on yourself it may take awhile to get over the hump for you, but it will happen. If you slip and have one it is NOT the end of the world, it is just a slip, go back to vaping and keep on keeping on....it is so worth it.

Erika, You are growing by leaps and bounds since joining this forum on Feb 5th. Nothing holds you back! Thats how I know you are going to be smoke free. Boy, what a difference a day makes! Your already filling cartos. What next? Can't wait to see!

I'm thinking about heading over to the local cake supply store for flavoring and CVS for PG. Any suggestions?

No, that's not correct. E Liquid strengths are measured per ML. A 10ml bottle that is 24mg in strength contains 24mg per milliliter. You get about 1MG of nicotine per analog usually; but, this depends on the analog. If you're using 1ML a day at 24MG that's equal to 24 analogs. I go through about 3ML a day at 16MG (16MG x 3ML=48MG/analogs). I was only smoking 3/4 a pack of analogs a day so my intake of Nicotine is way higher with an eCig than it was with analogs. Furthermore, it doesn't matter how much liquid is in a bottle, the strength is not dependent upon volume. That also means a 10ML bottle of 24mg juice would have 240mg of nicotine in it (24MG x 10ML). Likewise, a 30ml bottle of 24mg e-liquid would have 720mg of nicotine in it (24mg x 30ml).

Great post Nana!! I've been stocking up backups (on Nana's great advice!!) for a year now and I still am not even close to Jeffb, Nana, Brian, and Mark's stash... but I love trying!! lol. One of these days I'll be completely ready for the Zombie wars and sit back relaxed in my hideout for many years. Hubby limited me to 20 bucks less per payday than I would have spent on analogs. When you're smoking 2 packs a day and craving 3 or 4, that really adds up to a lot of money burnt. The 20 bucks saved each payday during my first 8 months of vaping went towards a sweet little entry level laptop by Acer. True, it broke the first month, and is finally now in the repair shop, but even so, we were able to purchase one! That never would have happened had I of stayed with analogs. My next "big" purchase will be an Ali'i or an eClipse. yeahhhhh If it were analogs, it would be an extra carton in the freezer lol.

You will start saving money at some point. Well, for the most part. Some people (and don't worry Brian and Uma, I won't mention your names) keep buying and buying. LOL If anyone tells you that I'm one of those people who keep buying, don't listen to them. Just because I have more than one juice box mod on order means nothing. Nothing at all. LOL Okay, seriously, I am on the saving end right now. When I started, I was probably spending more each month on vaping supplies than I was on smoking, but not by much. I started with an M401 unit (spent $70 on that and probably another $50 on cartridges). About a week later I ordered a 901 and some juice (spent $65 there). I used the first unit for two weeks, so that cost me about $40 more than I would have spent on smoking. First lesson learned. The second unit I used for two weeks which saved me about $15. over what I would have spent smoking during that time. I next ordered the 801 with the same results as the 901. Then I ordered the 510 and the VP2 on the same day. I used those units for a couple of months (and saved quite a bit over smoking) before getting the Spade and then a couple of weeks later, the VP/PT. At that time I ordered just over $100.00 worth of juice. But the juice lasted for several months, so although I spent a lot up front, you have to figure out how long it will last. After another month I had to try this new device called the eGo. Everyone was raving about it, so I got one. It was the device that was perfect for me. I was completely satisfied so I didn't buy anything else for 4 months - except for attys. I bought a Black Silver Bullet then because I'd heard so much good about it. Between my BSB and ego, I didn't feel the need for any other devices for the next 7 months. Then I realized that those really weren't enough backups and I ordered a Provape1. At that point I figured I was done. Until I heard about the new juice boxes available and ordered those. See what I mean? But I probably won't buy another unit for quite some time now. I know I've saved hundreds at this point, so even though I've spent quite a bit in the last two months (because I've also started stocking up on more attys lately), I'm still on the savings end of things. Once you find the perfect unit or units, all you really need to buy is attys and juice. If you start out with the right unit (unlike me), you can be saving within weeks. I never worried too much about what I was spending (although I did try to keep it at or below what I would have spent smoking) because I considered it an investment in my health. I still feel that way about it. As far as backups go, it's a good idea to have at least 3 batteries on hand. If you only have two and one dies, then you don't have anything to vape while the one battery charges. That won't be the case if you have 3. Attys, I would recommend having at least 5 on hand at once. Juice...depends on how much you use. Figure out how much you'll use in a week, multiply that by four so you know how much you'll use in a month and then keep at least a months worth on hand. I kept 6 months worth on hand at first - more now. A backup charger is a really good idea. If your charger dies, then you have no way of vaping when a battery dies. I have a car charger, too. If the power goes out, I don't have to worry about not being able to charge a battery. And I have an adapter so I can plug in and vape in the car. As far as all the, better, more powerful, variable voltage, cool, nifty, just gotta have them, new units...well, if you are like some people I know, you just won't be able to help yourself. But you can still be saving money.

I too bought all the stick "cigarette looking" batteries at the beginning. I was a very heavy, nervous smoker for 30 yrs 2-3 ppd and could blow through the stick batteries in well under an hour. Like 30-45 mins, ESPECIALLY when driving....or watching tv. I was rotating 6 of those batteries. I use KR808 devices and had accumulated between my husband and myself hundreds upon hundreds of cartos....so I didn't want to switch to an ego or some other device that the 808 cartos wouldn't work on. I think for most people starting we want something that resembles a cigarette as close as possible. But even the XL batteries do not have a good battery life even though they say 4-6 hours vaping....I guess if you smoked half a pack a day or something that might be true, but i got NOTHING near that kind of battery life. Now I have basically the 808 version of the riva....it is 750mah, and fully charged I get under 5 hours life, even though others get 8-12 (which is how it is marketed). I wouldn't get anything with less mah than this. The good thing is that with the turbo charger these batteries are fully charged in two hours. I don't know if I would have liked it in the beginning because it looks nothing like a cigarette. It is shorter and thicker, and it comes in gold or black, so doesn't look at all like a cig. BUT it is much better battery life than the small stick type batteries. The flavors vary A LOT. The same flavor from 5 different vendors will all be different. I too am into the coffee type flavors...cappuccino, pumpkin spice, white chocoate, etc....they are smoother type flavors, not sticky sweet. In the beginning I liked the fruity flavors. The flavor thing sort of evolves...what you like in the beginning may not be what you like down the road as your taste buds recover from the smoking. You might also want to stick to vendors of liquid like vapor renu (vaporrenu.com) where you can get double and triple flavor, 4 different levels of thoat hit and various other options. They custom blend all their liquids, per your order, when you order. Many other places give you a choice of mg and that is about it...it is all just premixed, prepackaged stuff. I haven't had anything yet from vapor renu that I didn't at least like....so far none that I won't vape or dislike. Right now I am vaping the aforementioned three flavors...alone and in various combinations with each other.....I get their stuff regular strength, can't even imagine it double or triple flavor. Another great thing is the price, they are the cheapest price I have found anywhere, but the best liquid. But flavor is very personal and subjective. Don't be afraid to try flavors because really the stuff I am vaping a year ago I would NEVER have thought I would be vaping. It is a journey and it does change over time. But that is part of the fun. Like everyone says, no flavor tastes like tobacco....mainly because no matter what you do, you aren't burning tobacco, and that is part of the taste of a cig. Plus a huge part of taste is smell and there just is nothing that smells like a cig except a cig. But that really turns out to be a good thing. I NEVER EVER thought I could quit smoking. I tried everything through the years and even during the various "quittings" I knew it wouldn't last...I missed the ACT of smoking. To me that is the best thing about vaping....I get to do the inhaling, exhaling, having the thing in my hand, etc. Blowing the vapor is about as close as you could get to blowing smoke.....I love it, so does my husband, he was a much lighter smoker so while he really likes vaping, I love it. I can't say enough about it. Anyway, welcome, glad you are making a healthier choice for yourself!! Lots of great people and info here!

Hi, First off let me apologize for the long post.I am thinking about switching to vaping to try and quit cigarettes. My goal is to one day be off nicotine. I've tried the patches, gum, you name it. None of them seemed to be enough for me to quit. I heard about vaping over a radio station that advertised Vapormate which IMO when I looked into is kind of expensive and seems iffy. Right now I am smoking about pack a day of Marlboro Lights. Main reason for wanting to quit is health issues, I have gastrointestinal problems as well as esophageal issues and I know analog smoke and its chemicals is irritating both as well as my lungs. I am thinking of getting a Ego, cause of its battery life and reviews seem to be just a 510 with better battery. I'm not really sure how all this works just yet. so correct me if I get this wrong. I wondering about starting out on a 12MG Liquid so if I refill 3 times a day that'd be equivalent to about a pack of Marlb then weening down to lower doses. Not sure if thats true or thats how it works out but read somewhere a pack contacts somewhere around 34MG of nicotine. Wheres the cheapest place to buy all of my stuff at once to get me started? I'm guessing I will need the Joye Ego, 2 Attys, Juice, and empty cartridges to fill and carry with me. What would be a good flavor to start with I like Marlb taste, Turkish taste, Cherry sounds good too or a mix of flavorful tabacco with a hint of cherry. Any input at all would be great to get me on the right track, I appreciate yall's time and look forward to learning more. Adammg

My multipack of Tornado batteries came today and I have a couple happily charging. I did pop one of my 510 cartos on & gave it a quick vape, I couldn't wait, lol. I'm wondering, does anyone here know if the cone can be used if you're using a cartomizer? I really like the look of the cone, but they look like they might be too tall to use that way. I don't want to order any if they won't work for me.

the entire bottle is 24mg thats 2.4mg of nic per ML you cant take that as a factor when thinking how much to vape to = a cig.