CascadianExotics

IMO, the Helios is probably one of the most versatile RDAs in terms of allowing you to do single coils as well as multiple coil setups while being able to deliver proper airflow for any desired configuration. Well-made clones can be obtained for under $20. However, as has already been mentioned, if you want a good, cheap native single coil RDA, then I'd go with the Igo-L.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not trying to push anyone who isn't ready for whatever reason into something for the sake of making another convert. Though, if I may make a suggestion, you might want to go to your local vape shops or get on the good ol' Facebook to see if there are any groups local to your area that hold vape meets. There, you can meet up with people and get some personal attention to help you better prepare before you decide to take the plunge. My friend that got me into vaping didn't finally kick analogs until I got him into rebuildables...which was a pain in the arse to do as he was always so cynical of the notion right up until the day he tried one of my builds. Next thing I know, homeboy was blowing up my phone with an infinite number of questions...which I tried my best to answer. But, it wasn't until we went to a vape meet and met good builders that either of us really got the hang of advanced things like proper setups, and DIY juice making. You're definitely doing the right thing by holding off until you're ready. Just remember to Keep It Stupid Simple, and not sweat the possibilities of outrageous coil builds until you can properly wrap a wire around a drill bit, attach it to a deck, and thread your wick. Everything else will come in time, and builds get easier with each successive one you do...successful or not.

No worries. Like I said in the first part of the post, rebuildables have changed a LOT in the span of a year. When I first got into rebuildables, we were using mesh wicks, and IMR chemistry batteries so safety was absolute paramount!!! Not only that, but mech mods were friggin' outrageously priced. A cheap Sigelei POS would cost over $50...my Sigelei #8a cost me more than a Vamo at the time...so, if you fried your $120 EHpro mod (which was still cheaper than an authentic mech), that was that. So, safety has been permanently drilled into my head from pushing the limits of what a cheap mech and Efest can do with a RSST and Igo-L. Nowadays, anyone can use a mech even if you aren't rebuilding anything. You just drop in a Kick (which are now way cheaper and more available than they were last year), and vape hard. Even beginners are getting into the world of RBAs and RDAs due to the advent of using cotton wicks, cheaper (and more reliable) mod fuses, and the plethora of tutorials out there. Mechs have gotten cheaper too. These days, $50 is steep for a stainless steel EHpro clone. Honestly, rebuildables are the way to go. It's cheaper and easier than buying cartos and filling DCTs. And you get the satisfaction of being able to custom tailor your vape without relying on the limits of PCB-laden regulated devices.

Rebuildable atomizers are not as difficult and scary as they were a year ago. You don't need to drip, but it can be fun every once in a while. A basic setup can be had for around $150 (mod, tank, batteries, charger, ohm meter, wick and wire). However, if you go that route, you will spend $200 more over the course of three months in order to find out that you'd have been better off if you had droppped an extra bill to start. My suggestion would be to get a couple of good mechanical mods (Hcigar, Tobeco, and EHpro make great replicas for around $40 a pop), a simple RDA (Trident, Helios, or Patriot clone...all can be run in single to multiple coil setups and cost under $20 each), and a Kayfun Lite Plus. Of course, a clone may be $30 cheaper than the real thing, but it sounds like the Kayfun is the device that you'll use most often, so I'd sink your money there. I can also assure you from personal experience that the KFL+ clones are more than $30 worth of trouble to get working properly. You will also need batteries and a charger. I recommend Sony 18650VTC4 batteries, and a Nitecore Intellicharge I2. The batteries will cost $9 each and the charger around $20. An Ohm meter is REQUIRED!!! DO NOT SKIMP ON THIS!!! A good one can be found pretty much anywhere for under $20. 50 feet of 28gauge Kanthal will run around $7, and a bag of organic cotton balls will cost $2. You probably will not find everything you need in one-stop shopping. I recommend checking out the following vendors as you can knock out a good chunk of what you need at any one of them: 101vape, 88evape, LnH, Venerable Vaping, and Eciggity.com Good luck!

Oh yeah.... Picked up a Hcigar Nemesis from 101vape, and some more DIY supplies from both RTS and OneStop DIY Shop.

@Imedic: Well, after a couple hours with the Turtleship, I'm finding that all the problems people complain of aren't there. It has battery ventilation, a firm battery seat, and a nice switch...though, the magnetic switch upgrade would be fantastic!!! My big complaint about the order is that the Aqua did not come with the hybrid pin as advertised. I know that the pin itself is carried by other vendors, and is a quick $2 fix.

Just pulled the trigger on a trifecta of Tobeco clones from 88evape: Aqua + Origin and a Turtleship v1

Looks like imma have to pull out a few of my beauties, and post more pics. Those beardies are sweet Happy Vapor!!! And, Bushwick...carpets just require more time spent with them, and solitude. Kind of like a Retic. They get really stressed as display animals, and prefer to deal with one keeper / handler.

Tee hee hee... Yeah, this thing is garbage. Tried many times to fix the problem. Went and bought a Kayfun instead. Way happier, and probably won't ever return to gennys unless I find one that really blows me away.

Woah...back from the dead, lol!! Thought this thread was long buried... After almost 14 months of no cigs (and having a more sophisticated palate thanks to having my taste buds return), RY4 is still my go-to flavor. Even now that I have been almost exclusively DIY-ing (with exceptions to my favorite Tobaccos like Boba's and Kamino), finding the perfect RY4 still remains elusive. Though, if I find a new variant on the flavor, I absolutely cannot help myself, and will buy it, or try others' diy creations. Still, Ginger's RY4 is my go-to...However, my buddy stumbled upon a recipe for a dead-ringer clone. So, probably will be making my own Ginger's from now on. Miomi e-liquid in Olympia has a DRY4 that's pretty tasty. And, VaporTalk's Dulcis is a good standby. Of course, I have my own take on the flavor...but if I shared the recipe, I'd have to kill you all, lol!!!

Both are good mods made by the same company. It's the design that makes the KTS prone to bottlenecking the current flow. I'm sure there are workarounds for that, but I've used a RSST with a 0.7 ohm build on the KTS with no issues. I've also used a 0.4 ohm dual-coil RDA setup with minimal heating issues. Always meter for shorts before using a build on anything, and keep your contacts clean. When in doubt, use a mod fuse or a Kick to regulate the setup. Or, don't use at all until you are sure. Good luck!!!

If that were the case, and you were in fact sans a bottom insulator, your mod would fire every time you attached an atty. If you were missing a top cap insulator, you would hard-short your battery by merely making contact with the top cap. Photo showing the insulator on the KTS: Hot buttons are caused when the current is bottlenecked by the switch assembly. Similar to a guitar amp going to a speaker. If the speaker resistance is too great, the power backs up, and blows the amp at its weakest point (usually a tube or fuse). Conversely, having too little resistance will draw too much current and burn out the power supply. The fact of the matter is that KTS mods are not designed for sub-ohm setups, nor do they tolerate buildup on the contacts, or improperly set up attys. Your best bet is to go over the checklist I posted a few posts back, and deduce the problem there.

Lol. Yeah, I've noticed when people hear the words "mod problem," user-error rarely ever factors in to the equation...but, I guess that eagerness just comes from being both a mod geek and a person driven to see others to succeed at the vape game. Which is the ultimate goal here, right? On topic: Out of all my mods, the vast majority are all side-firing pinky buttons. Despite being inherently flawed in design, I love the Steampunk aesthetic of that mod style. Great for using Gennys, too. Just memorize the button location in relation to the air hole, and you won't ever have to guess where it is when you get one of those 'wake-you-out-of-a-dead-sleep' midnight vape craves.

Could also be a short in whatever atty he is using. The only time my KTS button heats up is when I had a short...usually due to this one particular genny that was nothing but trouble. Check atty, clean contacts, and if that doesn't work, replace the button. Hoosier Vapes sells them for a couple bucks.

The Adam mod, iSeason, the MKB-TS (gg replica), and also a bunch of Sigelei mechs all have that side-fire "pinky button" switch going on. Unfortunately, flush buttons like the Natural aren't too prevalent amongst side-mount pinky buttons. Now, I didn't see if you have a KTS (china gg) already, but I do recommend getting one. The button, though not as flush as the Natural, has a short throw, and is comfortable enough to be to your liking. If absolute flush is key, there are plenty of top-fire "thumb button" mods available too...the Poldiac (which has a truly flush switch) and the Roller (switch still considered low-profile) are both great thumb botton mods.

Finally got some insider knowledge on this one... According to my sources, rumor has it that the mystery ingredient is a flavor originally manufactured in China, and no longer made...except by a chemist at TFA. And that flavor is only sold to AV for the production of Boba's and Good Life Vapor for the production of El Kamino. So, anyone with a long-time knowledge of DIY flavors manufactured in China who may be able to shed light on this subject, please come forward!!! There is no telling what I'd do for the knowledge should the FDA get their way and ban internet sales. I absolutely cannot live without either my Boba's or Kamino!!!

Thank you, everyone!!! This is the longest I've ever been without a smoke in the last 23 years...and I'm sure it only gets better from here!!! If some idiot like me can make it this far, there's gotta be something to this method. Words alone cannot express how grateful I am for the opportunity, and the endless encouragement this forum and community have provided. From the deepest regions of my heart, I thank you all!!!

Can't remember off the top o' my head, lol!!! Google Eciggity coupon code. Something will pop up...

Boba's Bounty....is there anything else???

Eciggity.com Yeah, you gotta shell out $50 for it, but EH Pro makes good stuff. Pro tip: The tank is $0.01 short of the free shipping mark. They sell a full-length clear tank for the Kayfun separate for like $6. Get that, use the 10% coupon code, and you get the setup plus tank for $51 with free shipping.

Soooo....for my one-year smoke free present to myself, I pulled the trigger on an EH Pro Kayfun / Russian 91% clone and a 50ml bottle of El Kamino!!! Next payday (which will be a much bigger check), I'm sure an Hcigar Nemesis to put the Russian on and some Boba's is in order!!!

Woo-Hoo!!! I made it!!! One year ago today I received my first kit, and started an amazing journey. Thanks to everyone here on VaporTalk, the transition was made much easier than I thought it would be. Never did I think that quitting smoking could be so much fun, nor did I anticipate the amount of new friends I would make. Cheers to you all!!! Let's keep on vaping!!!!

ChocoBacco by Miomi....killer juice from a killer local juice maker!!!

Antiquated moral superiority, perhaps? Look, I know "THAT kind of talk" is verboten here (which I will happily take a warning for in order to get this off my chest). But, get with the times....no one, except the blindly ignorant and the War on Controlled substances really cares about herb shops anymore. Master Sun Tzu once wrote that war (no matter what the war is) will impoverish all parties involved. This dumb war not only sucks our tax dollars, but also turns seemingly intelligent individuals into mindless, principle-oriented automatons, and denies medical patients an alternative to Big Pharma and its side-effect ridden money-pit. Therefore, I ask: If all of us vapers are fighting against Government, FDA and Big Corporate (Big Tobacco and Big Pharma) regulations...why are you promoting it? Live and let live, brother...

No, just a Mexican Red Knee I've had for a few years now. Had her since she was a baby, and she's now about 6 inches. Though, I do have a 10 inch Brazilian Salmon Pink which is technically considered a bird-eater. Just to clarify: Ground dwelling tarantulas generally DO NOT eat birds. It is the tree-dwellers (arboreal tarantulas) that do.