ddavelarsen

I'm in agreement with pretty much everything you folks have said. Honestly Brian, I don't think my life has anything to do with anyone else's. At least insofar as it's inside my own home. The fact is, prohibition does not work. Human beings are hardwired to enjoy consciousness adjustments; we've been doing it for 200,000 years and some ridiculous law isn't going to affect that at all, regardless how seriously it's enforced. The only thing prohibition does is create criminals where there weren't any before. Pure ignorance. But another thing humans are wired for is being judgmental. Too bad about that; it's only destructive. I believe in freedom - total freedom so long as that doesn't impose on someone else's physical welfare. And I practice that freedom. As to the nicotine ban at this hospital; that's just silly. Many people have gotten so politically correct that they've left the planet. Living in a fantasy is not sustainable. Banning nicotine will, like everyone noted, only reduce the number of qualified employees. Nicotine itself is harmless in the concentrations humans use it, and every rational person understands that. I suspect this policy is doomed.

Alas, too many replies that I want to respond to and never been able to get "MultiQuote" to do anything... Jeff, getting this for the Droid was my first thought. Don't worry, someone will, and it'll be free. KuyaDave - good on you! Except for that Bing part. Please don't support convicted and unrepentant felons by allowing their products/"services" into your home or computer! There is no need. Fully functional and ethical alternatives exist. OSS rules. GDub, heh. We see eye-to-eye more often than not. Droid rocks. iPhone - well, Apple is a game changer and they are generally okay in my book. But that business with ATT is just not okay. Kept me from ever considering an iPhone. Folks I am very opinionated, insist on ethical business practices, and vote with my dollars. M$ is so deeply corrupt they haven't gotten a dime of my money in over 12 years and never will. Apple is getting kind of uppity too lately and falling out of my favor a bit over time. But I'll probably always at least have a Mac even if it's not my primary machine. Their other products? Uh-uh. Bad business arrangements. I believe in freedom. We don't quite get full freedom with the Droid, but ... closer. Yes, I love my Droid. Everything an iPhone wanted to be except sexy. And I'm sure not sexy, so that's okay too. If I were a programmer I'd fill this hole today. Sigh.

The PTB mod that the OP showed is what I use when I'm driving too far for dripping to cover. I find that it works far better than any poly filler, and once you've made a couple, that's all you need. They're easy to clean for flavor changes. One downside to carts IMO, is the lost juice when you do clean them.

How's it coming, brother?

Welcome vBear! You have found a good place. You'll see. Ok, I heard about this electronic cigarette from a co-worker. However, I have yet to see one other than photos on the web. I started doing some research and found this forum, after viewing some youtube videos. I have been reading these forums for a few hours and have noticed that are a lot of good folks here willing to spend there time answering questions about this whole e-cig craze that seems to be getting started. I have to wonder why? Are you guys and gals selling this stuff? If you are just hanging around here answering questions and not making a profit off of selling this stuff then people are really jazzed about this whole concept. The people posting here only care about helping new vapers find their way and getting their own learning curve reduced. We exchange a lot of experience which helps everyone to be more successful and happier in their new life. Several excellent and trustworthy suppliers frequent this forum. They are our friends, in that they also care about our success. Customer Service is generally unsurpassed anywhere compared to the suppliers at VT. I have very intrigued and seriously considering getting into this. But first I have a few questions of my own. I am just going to lay them out there. General Questions: How long have electronic cigarettes been around? Not sure exactly; 4-5 years? Gaining real traction in the last 2 or so years. How safe is the vapor? (How easy is it to overdose on nicotine?) Because there are no current scientific studies of the longterm effects of vaping, we say vaping is "far safer" than smoking analogs. The immediate health improvements that vapor realize is a good indication of that. Because I was a heavy smoker, the concept "overdose on nicotine" is a joke to me; I simply cannot imagine that. But I know that some people have in fact gotten too much nicotine for their comfort. My recommendation would be to start with a small amount of 18 or 24mg juice and adjust the strength based on your own experience. Why does Firefox think vapor is not spelled correctly?! (well that one is a little off topic :/) I had to teach my Mac how to spell our language. I'm still working on that occasionally. How long have you been vaping? Since November 1st. Did you start vaping to quit smoking, or for just a "safer" switch? Honestly, curiosity. Like everyone else I'd tried everything to quit. When my first not-quite-sufficient products actually did relieve some of the problems with not smoking, I got more curious and eventually found this forum. It's been all good since then. Did it work? Yes. How long did it take you to quit? About a month before I stopped buying analogs altogether, but my analog use tapered to near zero within two weeks after getting my VP2. Can you give a good reason too start using an electronic cigarette other than health reasons? 1) Money. After the initial cost it's far less expensive than smoking, regardless your local tax structure. 2) If you're a gadget freak, you will be in hog heaven. 3) Vaping tastes so much better than smoking it will blow your mind; soon, smoking will be actively unpleasant compared to vaping. Choice and Price: In your experience, have you actually saved money by switching? Not yet; I've only just begun. That part is more of a long-term issue. Keep in mind that our lifestyle choice is under attack by negative people and it seems prudent to "stock up" many of the consumable supplies. Compared to cartons of cigarettes, what was your start-up cost? I tell people it'll cost about $200 to get fully set up initially. Others don't stock up the way I have and will spend far less. Expect a minimum of $100. What is the difference between a 510 and a pen-style? (Man I hope that's not the same thing) Others have nailed this one better; essentially, size. Because it's larger, a penstyle (801/302) may dissipate heat better. Is there a comparison chart for all the brands and/or models? Yes, but I can't seem to locate it on my drive. I'm afraid you might find it as confusing and overwhelming as I did. Better, maybe, to just ask questions here. Usage: On average, how long does a bottle of juice last you? I use about 15-20 ml per week. On average, how long does a battery last before you have to buy a new one? Dunno; haven't replaced any yet. On average, how long does a vaporizer last before you have to buy a new one? The standard answer is that an atomizer lasts a month. That is an average. Keep spares. Compared to smoking a normal cigarette, do you have to reload (rejuice) your e-cig? If so, how many times? I direct drip because I feel I get the most consistent vape that way. I drip 2-3 drops on the atty and get 3-4 good hits before dripping again. Don't drip and drive! Use a cart or have a friend drip for you when driving longer than a few hits will cover. Compared to smoking a normal cigarette, is smoking an e-cig as satisfying? Goes both ways. There is more than nicotine in analogs that we're addicted to, and vaping does not contain those potentially harmful substances. I've felt some dissatisfaction in that regard. This said, vaping feels and tastes so much better than smoke, and once you find a nic level and a device that provides the throat hit you like, you will never want to smoke again. There is a learning curve that includes adjustment to vaping in addition to finding what works for you. Once the juice is loaded into the cartridges how long does it take to evaporate before it's unusable? About a day. You may find that carts are not your favorite way to vape. I smoke Pall Mall light 100's and smoke about a pack and a half a day. I smoke 4 or 5 before work, and one on the way to work in the car. I smoke one (sometimes 2) between morning and lunch, 2 or 3 on an hour lunch break, and 1 (sometimes 2) before I get off work. One on the way home, and about 10 to 15 in the afternoon. (Wow! I never wrote it all out like that before! I seriously smoke way too much!) I need something that I can take to work and not have to worry about fiddling with during the day. And I need a battery that will last all day. What would be the best "package" to start out with in a situation like this? That's a tough one! This is where personal preference comes in. I'll describe myself and you can compare this to other's experiences. I smoked about 25+ Pall Mall non-filters a day; that wasn't enough to satisfy my nicotine urge but it was all the smoke I could tolerate. I loved the nicotine and the heavy throat hit. Today I find that 48mg juice and 5V of power lets me squeak by. I think this is about equivalent to normal "Full Flavor" analogs. I have not found the equivalent of non-filters. Many vapors were "Lights" smokers; vaping is more likely to work for them. Vaping can be a serious struggle for heavy smokers like me. I hope at least one person is willing to spend the time to answer these questions. I feel like it's a lot to ask, but there does not seem to be any one place to get all of these questions answered. If you respond, thank you very much! vBear, far more than one person here will be willing to help you! That is why we're here. Good luck in your investigation. I hope you choose to make that healthier choice for yourself and your loved ones. And I want to congratulate you on your excellent series of questions; they really got to the heart of the issue. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for your concern Michelle, both for me and for vapers generally. But honestly, I laughed when I read that. I think most vapers used "Light" analogs of some kind. In contrast, I was actually a heavy smoker - non-filters and cigars until I choked on the smoke; and that was still not enough nicotine to satisfy my craving for very long. Half an hour, maybe 15 minutes until I'd fire up another. 48mg of nic is a huge reduction in my nicotine uptake. It's been a real struggle to cut back that much, particularly the last few days for some reason. And you addressed one of my own concerns, that the FDA will regulate the nic to such a low level I'll be back on non-filters. That would just be a shame. If all there was, was 24mg juice I would not be here. Vaping would be like smoking "Light" analogs, which honestly, is nothing; colored (a little) air. Not a substitute for actual smoking. I've seen "Light" smokers take a drag off one of my analogs and choke, eyes bugged out, act like they're going to lose their lunch. Me? I could hot-box three or four Pall Malls before going back to my desk. There is a very big difference, one I think very few people actually understand, between "Lights" and 'real' cigarettes. It concerns me a great deal. I think all those "Light" smokers could make vaping impossible for those of us who really cannot quit smoking, by believing that 24mg of nic is "strong." Cripes, I could drink shots of that paltry stuff... ... Hmm ... ==>(Joke! )<== As to the flavorings, thank you again! I'm really looking forward to blending my own juice. The idea of mixing nutty flavors with fruits is very intriguing. All kinds of ideas are rolling around in my head. And hey! I've bought bottles from Specialty Bottle before too. I went by there the other day in fact, looking for good mixing and storage possibilities. Thanks for the selection, that's just right.

Yeah, it's very tempting for that reason but I'm having the same dialog with myself - immediate gratification or wait for a big batt... It ain't an easy choice. But having sat through a movie in the theater tonight, I'm convinced that a big batt unit is the way to go. It would've been silly to fight with the PT and its cable and a battery pack... I'd have missed big portions of the movie! The Joker is going to be a nice slim(er) size for pocket carry vs the Silver Bullet. I'm still debating 5 vs 6V. That's a tough one.

You're right about that. I've noticed that some sellers on eBay do include "knifes" along with "knives" in their titles, just to catch those searchers who may not be the best spellers...

I recently got my first 510s, and based on Brian's recommendation - I have not tried it on them yet!

I know exactly what you mean! I can barely vape anything else. I now know there's a Silver Bullet in my future...

Welcome totalchaos! You found a great place and congratulations on deciding to start vaping. I can't answer your question about the Volcano, sorry. But I can say that once you've negotiated the product selection and learning curves, you'll be on the road to a smoke-free life. And a healthier, longer, happier life. Ask all the questions you can dream of; most of the people here can actually answer them. One thing I can say is that we all start with a flavor similar to the brand of analogs that we smoked, and end up thinking and talking about every other flavor under the sun. You'll be amazed and pleased outta your gourd when you realize you can get your nic fix and have it taste good too! Also, be aware, no juice actually tastes like an analog. There's a huge difference between the taste of burning stuff and steam. Good luck and have fun!

The way flying has gotten the last few years, if it's at all possible I drive everywhere. Fortunately I don't travel much. That said though, having my bags locked up from even TSA - and very careful tracking - sounds like a great idea. I'm all for it. But why buy a starter pistol? I have real ones. (The answer is, because many of the places one would travel to you can't even have a gun.)

Man I did the same thing the other day - had juice on my fingers from dripping, rubbed my eye - OW!!! Good thing juice is water soluble, it washed out quickly and I recovered in no time. But lesson learned.

Coop is a legend among knife makers for his incredible photography. I've said probably too often for years, craftsmen always benefit from professional photography. Jim Cooper is one of the top knife photographers of all time. Recently he added a gallery of all of the photos he's taken over the years. This is just an incredible collection of photos of the finest knives ever made. If you don't understand why anyone would ever care about knives... Check this out. Jim Cooper's Gallery

"Secure your checked bags -- fly with a gun POSTED BY CORY DOCTOROW, SEPTEMBER 24, 2006 2:04 PM If you want to keep your checked valuables from being stolen while you fly, just keep a gun in your suitcase. Many airports won't let you effectively lock your suitcases when you fly, and the new limits on carry-on luggage thanks to moisture-terror-hysteria mean it's open season for unscrupulous TSA employees and baggage handlers who want to help themselves to expensive cameras and other valuable in checked bags. But once you add a gun -- even a starter pistol -- to your luggage, it gets extra-locked, gains new tracking privileges, and is subject to heightened scrutiny all the way to your destination. A "weapons" is defined as a rifle, shotgun, pistol, airgun, and STARTER PISTOL. Yes, starter pistols - those little guns that fire blanks at track and swim meets - are considered weapons...and do NOT have to be registered in any state in the United States. I have a starter pistol for all my cases. All I have to do upon check-in is tell the airline ticket agent that I have a weapon to declare...I'm given a little card to sign, the card is put in the case, the case is given to a TSA official who takes my key and locks the case, and gives my key back to me. That's the procedure. The case is extra-tracked...TSA does not want to lose a weapons case. This reduces the chance of the case being lost to virtually zero. It's a great way to travel with camera gear...I've been doing this since Dec 2001 and have had no problems whatsoever."

Okay, since no one jumped in here in the first fifteen seconds, here's another: Sukyaki Western Django. Anyone seen that? No? Where you been, under a rock?! Sukyaki Western Django is a Japanese (?) Western; takes place in a failing mining town in Nevada, but all the characters are Asian of one stripe or another. The costumes are out of sight, the story is like King Lear or something, the language is hard to follow until about the third viewing, but it's the weirdest movie I've seen in a long time. Soon as I saw it I knew I had to have the DVD and I (made sure I) got it for Christmas. Watched it Christmas day, and several weekends since. Just gets better every time. What a great freakin movie!

I dig movies. And the weirder or scarier or cheesier the better. Last night when my connection went down my wife and I (well, she went to sleep, so "I") watched Paranormal Activity. Yikes! That's one freakin scary movie. There's nothing overt about it; everything happens off cameral or invisibly. But if you have an active imagination (which I'm blessed cursed with), this is about as freaky a movie as you will find. IMO anyway. Scared the living crap outta me; I kept thinking about the screams all day... You seen any good movies lately?

Whew - I was beginning to think I was the only one in the room who liked that movie. Happens to me all the time... If I have time tonight I might take that topic to the lounge. Maybe we can get folks over there talking about movies. In fact...

Wow, you ladies just rule. Mike, I'm a nicotine freak; can't get enough (literally - never gotten enough). That's part of the reason I'm getting educated about DIY juice, to make sure I can know what I'm vaping. Right now I'm doing 48mg, which is the strongest I can find. I'll try that level in my first DIY run to see how it does but will consider upping it until I finally feel satisfied without having to breathe vapor... As to TH, the bigger the better, I say. I vaped a while with my VP2 at 3.7V, and got by okay with it - until I got the VP PT at 5V and that changed everything. Now I think I need 6V... Surprised? A 6V batt is in my future somewhen. Having to plug in the PT everywhere I go is a real pain in the neck, but I wouldn't go anywhere without it. So far I've only used 801s but some 510s came today and I'm breaking the first one in as we speak. I like it so far; clouds of vapor. Michelle, I haven't tried the Flavourart stuff yet. Just heard about it and read their website, and it does sound very good. They take vaping seriously and make flavors for vapers. I'm going to have to try them, and Tasty Puff. They're both at the top of my list. I'm not too worried about over-sweetness yet, but maybe I'm naive. I'm such a hound for nicotine, TH and flavor that I'd be perfectly happy if my juice was so strong I could quit eating. I had not considered nut flavors at all until you'd mentioned it a couple of times. Now I know I'm going to include a couple of nuts in an early order. Can you suggest some nut flavors and something that would go well mixed with them? It's reassuring that the seemingly small amounts of flavorings will stretch out so far. Helps me justify spending on them - so long as I don't start thinking I need the whole cornucopia! Getting off the flavor subject for a minute, what do you folks use to mix your stuff in? Just drip into the carry bottle? That seems to make good sense for experimenting with flavors, but what happens when you make up a batch? Or do you, even? Okay, one last question: I've heard people say some juices/flavors work better at higher voltage than others. Do any of you have any concrete data on this? Which juices/flavors and why? That's clearly something I'm going to have to address, as I've no doubt that I'm going to be vaping ever-higher voltage until I hit nirvana... Thanks for sharing all your wisdom.

Now that's good info, as I've been wondering how much flavoring to use. But given your description of just a couple drops of TP per 10 ml, I presume you're speaking of Lorann's here? Since I have a while to wait for my budget to catch up to me (), I can play around with shopping lists like a kid at Christmas. I'm digging that. Thanks for all the help and ideas, ladies!

That looks great man! Coffee sprayed out my nose with the 'shed' remark!

Man I just can't get enough vapor at 3.7V - if I could find one I'd use a nuclear power source. But from Chris' comment I think I need to switch out my atty, it's starting to taste a little sharp. I sure don't mind burning through juice if that's what it takes to get loads of vape and decent flavor. Next up: 6V. I really gotta say - the last couple days have been very difficult for me. Not enough vapor, not enough nicotine. It's almost time for a hot, harsh, nic-laden non-filter analog...or 60. I'm about to pull my hair out! Which would really hurt, so I'm holding off on that for now.

Yeah, by all accounts Austin rocks! At this point I don't think anyone could pay me to live in CA. And this is supposed to be a progressive state? Cripes, Iowa makes this crap look like heaven and believe me - Iowa is NOT heavenly. But at least we have concealed carry and *** marriage and working on medical marijuana (it'll get passed some day). Still, they're haven't acknowledged e cigs yet, so I guess I shouldn't speak too loudly. They'd probably screw that up too. Politicos are not exactly the sharpest tacks in the drawer...

I think that's the best description of politicians I've ever heard. Right on!

That's a worthy position Mr FTJoe.