Earthling789

I just got my FT shipment today (USPS tracking still shows the package in Chicago, lol), and I must say, if they are clones, they are the best ones I've ever seen, lol. Most likely, based on the packaging, they are overstock, new-old-stock from a forgotten warehouse, or they are (most likely) ones that could not be sold retail because their packaging is mis-marked. The large box (which contains the 10 smaller packages) has the check-mark on 1.5 Ohm, and 8 out of 10 of the inner boxes have the check-mark on 0.5 Ohm (the other two weren't marked)... BUT, I've checked every coil, and they are clearly marked 1.2 Ohm, and the two I randomly metered are reading 1.17 and 1.19 Ohms respectively. From what I can tell, the coils with the white grommets are the "original" subtank OCC coil builds. They later shifted to using red grommets/o-rings, and then shifted to vertical coils while still using red grommets/o-rings. I don't know what it is about those original designed coils, but they do last longer, taste better, and are far less prone to leaking! @FXRich agrees As for getting them in the VT store... I'm all for it, even if they will cost me a few cents more than China-direct sales... it's worth it to know the supplier and receive faster shipping times Although you are correct... I'll not need any for quite some time, but there are hundreds of other members and VT shoppers that would love to snag a 5-pack for $7.50, when everyone else has them for $9-12 (usually on sales). I'm also okay with clones... as long as they are good clones, it won't bother me a bit! The horizontal heads are so much easier to work with for re-wicking and for rebuilding, too, but if they are cheap enough, I won't care about rebuilding them unless I have no choice... I've got dozens in my "to be rebuilt" box right now, and someday I'll be bored enough to rebuild them

Yep, I'm well aware of the "ships in 4-days" feature, lol... but this order was ONE item... a box of 50 1.2 Ohm OCC subtank coils, which were in stock. They did ship next day after ordering, it's just the issue of waiting a forever for Chicago's custom's office to get off their rear-ends! Can we say "Union (mob) job"?? lol

I decided to check tracking and get an update on my coil order from Fasttech... They were shipped from China and only took 12 days to hit Chicago after I submitted the order... and they've been held hostage at the Custom's warehouse since 7/5 (probably actually arrived on the 1st)... Clearing customs usually only takes 4-7 days, so this is ridiculous! At this rate, I might see them by August?

That's a good haul, Edna... but don't worry about spending any inheritance just yet, lol... in a few more months you'll spend very little on vape-gear to maintain what you have. I've spent maybe $300 in the past 12-15 months, buying coils, DIY stuff, batteries, and a couple of subtank mini kits (to save back for a rainy day). Three years ago, I would have spent that same $300 in six or seven weeks of buying analogs!!

I had several teeth extracted a few years ago, and vaped without any issues afterwards, but I changed from mouth-to-lung airflow to a more open direct-to-lung airflow, which reduced the chances for getting a dry socket. As a side-note... a lot of dentists don't know the facts on vaping, and will tell you false info regarding how bad it is for your teeth. One of my favorites is that "PG is very bad for your teeth"... ummm... if it were bad for your teeth, it wouldn't be a chief ingredient in mouthwash and toothpaste, lol. Another biggie is "All those sweet flavors in vape are like sucking on sugar all day"... ummm... no, that is also false because while there are sweet flavors and sweeteners in some vape flavors, they are not nearly as bad as drinking a cola or eating a candy bar. Also, since I started vaping, my hygienist and dentist could not be happier with my check-ups. Vape does not stain my teeth like tobacco (or coffee) did, and my cleanings take 10 min! My dentist has also said my teeth and gums are healthier now than they were 5 years ago.

Welcome to the forum Russell!

I don't want to sound like an a$$, but I'm pretty sure the TFV8 hasn't been on the market for a year... I think it was only released a couple months ago? The TFV4 has been around for quite some time, though. If that is the rig you prefer, then why not replace it with the same tank and a similar mod? If you're looking for a reliable 150W+ mod, I would suggest the Wismec RX200 or RX200S? They use three batteries and easily handle 200W and any tank you can put on it.

Funny you should mention Peanut Butter... I just mixed a fresh batch of creamy peanut butter with a hint of vanilla, and even lighter tones of banana, honey, and graham cracker. It tastes good as-is, but it will be even better in a day or two! While that one sits, I'm working on the Smores I made last week. Then there's my three go-to ADVs: Multiple Vanilla blend with Bavarian cream and a hint of Black Cherry and Cuban Cigar spice Chocolate cordial Raspberries Peanut Butter Cup ice cream

I forgot to post this last week... I took advantage of a GearBest USA warehouse flash-sale, and picked up two more 50W Kanger Subbox kits for $30/each. They're white and the kit includes the RBA+, spare glass, o-ring kit, and two drip-tips... I wasn't complaining about the color choices (only had white), I do like the white, which looks awesome with black or purple o-rings! These kits (mod + tank) were only $2 more than just buying the subtank mini by itself! I also recently received my Kanger BDC 1.2 Ohm coils for my Aerotanks and KPT3 mini... 100 coils for $1.99/box, which makes them $0.40 each

My confirmation of shipping was received on July 2nd... but that just means they created a label. It may be weeks before it actually leaves mainland China, and my packages seem to be shipped to Panama, and then delivered by pack-mule to the US border in AZ where carrier pigeons fly it to the US Customs office in Chicago (where it will sit and rot for another week or two), before being released from hostage-status to the USPS for final delivery (about 3-days, whereas I can drive to Chicago in 6-hours).

I'll not hold my breath for either one, lol... and I'll not take that bet... The last order from Fasttech took about 6 weeks, but it didn't get shipped out of China for nearly a month. So, maybe this order will get here next week, since I didn't order anything but coils in THIS order, and they shipped around the same time as yours? I'm about to give up on ordering from China, at least for anything I need within 3 months... my last (China warehouse) order from Gear Best was placed in late January and delivered (partially) in April. I'm STILL WAITING on two of the non-vape items! The order I placed with Gear Best (US warehouse) last Tuesday was delivered on Friday.... So, now, if I can't get it from their US warehouse, I won't buy from Gear Best anymore (and their prices are frequently higher than VapeNW, 101Vape, or SweetVapes... unless there's a sale or closeout).

That was FAST... I'll probably see mine sometime before Labor Day, lol

@Edna Thanks for the link for glassware and equipment. Their prices aren't bad on glassware, stands/stirrers/etc seem to be very competitive pricing, and shipping is cheap (if using economy shipping method). Wizard Labs and Amazon are also inexpensive ways to purchase glassware which are both quality and low-priced. I usually add in a piece or two of glassware when ordering from Wizard Labs (to bump myself to free shipping levels in my cart), and I've ordered several quality pieces from Amazon... you can't beat 2-day shipping if you're a Prime member

Tam is right on the money... most of us hit that "wall" within the first 2-4 weeks, depending on the level and frequency of our smoking addiction. Your body is finally detoxing all those 4000-10,000 chemicals out of your system, and it can be a bad feeling for some people. The way to push through it is to vape a slightly higher Nicotine level throughout the day, and maybe even higher in the mornings to give you that jump-start? Tapering down before bedtime to a lower level is a great way to ensure you get better sleep, and as always... DRINK MORE WATER! When I had issues sleeping, and irritability in the mornings/afternoons, I was using 18mg all day long (with a 1.8 Ohm coil in my tank). I switched to a 1.5 Ohm coil and used 24mg juice in the first hour or two in the mornings... 18mg during the day, and about 3 hours before bedtime, I dropped to 12mg... then 6mg in the last hour before bed. Yes, I had to have multiple tanks (at that time I was rotating about 10 tanks with different nic strengths and flavors). I also cut out coffee and cola, and increased my water intake to roughly 4-liters per day on average... some days, 6-8 liters in a day! Within a week, I noticed a major change in my sleep and mood... I slept through the night and was a much more pleasant person to be around

To add to BeBop's info... there were a LOT of Vision Spinner II "clones" released into the market in the past year, and even reputable shops may have purchased these knock-off's thinking they were genuine articles. These knock-off's are inferior to the genuine Vision products, and have spotty operation on charging, especially if charging from "dead". If you do have a genuine product, Bebop's advice of connecting them to the charger, wait for the blink or lights-out condition, then disconnect from the charger, wait a moment, then re-connect to the charger... this will continue the charge cycle... usually... If you simply must have an eGo-style battery, I would suggest changing brands to KangerTech, JoyeTech, Innokin, or Smok... but I highly recommend a variable-voltage / variable-wattage box-style battery over the eGo-style for reliability. Even tiny units like the eLeaf nano are VERY small and lightweight (even though they are box-style, rather than pen-style), yet still provide 1000mAh (or higher).

Rich gave some good ones, especially with the Aspire Nautilus and Kanger Aerotank. A couple of other goods ones from Aspire would be the Triton (V2 is the better version) and the Triton Mini (mini Nautilus with a sub-tank look), and from Kanger, I would recommend the Subtank Mini. The Aspire tanks I've listed above can be operated with 1.6 and 1.8 Ohm coils, and the Kanger Aerotank can use coils from 0.8 to 2.2 Ohm... the Subtank mini can use a VERY wide variety of coil resistances for greater "growing room" in the future. Any tank you get to put on it should be started out at a low Voltage/Wattage, vape, step up a bit, vape, repeat... until you get a slightly burnt taste... then turn the Voltage/Wattage down a step or two... that is the sweet spot for that coil and juice combo. There is no "magic number" for operating a tank/coil at X-volts... every person has to play with that a bit, even when you change coils because no two coils are 100% exactly alike.

This was one of the intended goals of the FDA's overreach through their deeming regulations.... to discourage anyone from taking up vaping (or at least vaping that wasn't backed/approved by Big Tobacco). At this time, don't get discouraged, and don't give into Big Tobacco (and Big Government)... start vaping now and begin your life away from analogs... forever! As @Tam suggested... get involved with, and join CASAA. You'll always have the most up-to-date info about vaping regulations and receive info on what you can do (and when) regarding political activism for vaping.

True point, Comp... graduated cylinders are great for mixing anything larger than a 30ml bottle, but when mixing small batches (5-30ml) I rarely use my graduated cylinders and just measure straight into the bottle, using 1ml, 3ml, 5ml. 10ml, and/or 20ml syringes. I opted for a larger assortment of syringes so I could measure VG/PG/Nicotine "in one pull"... nothing worse than trying to count out 18ml of VG (for a 30ml bottle), using a 3ml syringe, and getting interrupted by the phone ringing... and trying to remember "was that 12 or 15 ml I just put in the bottle?" after you get off the phone, lol Agreed, pipettes aren't ideal for accurate measuring, but they are cheap (can get 100+ for a couple bucks), and do a good job of topping-off a graduated cylinder or for counting drops (on those really small batches). They're disposable, too... so that makes them a winner in my book... less things to wash/dry when I'm done mixing

DIY liquids is a great way to develop what you like and try many different flavors with very little investment. One thing I do is start with 5ml batches (no nicotine, which saves $), and try a new mixture... if I don't like it, I can dump it... if I do like it, I can tweak it with different ratios and possibly adding or removing a flavor to change it dramatically. Once I dial in on a flavor I like, I can add the nicotine, which does alter the flavor slightly, but you can always tweak it to counteract nicotine. Oh, and BTW, keep a notebook handy so you can write down your ratios, flavors, and changes. That way you can reproduce the same flavor over and over and over again, in any quantity you want. Compenstine is a great resource for DIY, and many of us here DIY and can offer tips and tricks, too BTW, getting started in DIY is not very expensive... VG, PG, Nicotine, a few flavorings, glass or plastic bottles, a few syringes or pipettes for measuring ingredients, and a beaker or two (or medium-sized Pyrex mixing/measuring cups) is all you need to get started. You don't need a full chemistry set or lab... I started out on my kitchen table using a couple Pyrex measuring/mixing cups and three syringes... although NOW I have a small lab

The battery in the sub-vod will not self-discharge very much, if sitting on a shelf (turned off). My SO has a sub-vod which sat on the night stand in the bedroom for roughly 4 months. It was fully charged when she sat it aside, and 4-months later, we put it on the charger, expecting it to be nearly dead... it reached full charge in about 20 minutes and has performed perfectly since then, so I'd have to guess it lost 10-15% power while in storage for 1/3 of a year, and has not suffered any damage from non-use?

Yes, they exist, and they are pure hype... yes, you can get caffeine in a vape, but your lungs (and mouth) do not readily absorb caffeine. In the digestive system, caffeine is absorbed in the 97-99% rate, and hits the bloodstream within 20 minutes (and stays there for an hour or two). In the lungs, it is absorbed in the 25-45% range, and hits the bloodstream within 5 minutes... but also dissipates SO much faster. Also, the average cup of coffee or tea provides 200+mg of caffeine per 6-8oz (about 40-60mg/oz).... the avg caffeine vape is under 10mg/oz

Hahaha... I've no idea where that came from, Comp... since FXRich posted it... Sorry about that Rich!

Wow, thanks Comp!! At 85-cents per, and white-grommet to boot... these are a steal! The last "good deal" I got on these was from 101Vape when they had them for $4.99/5-pack. The 1.2 Ohm white-grommet horizontal coils are simply the longest lasting and best tasting OCC coils I've tried.... They're also the easiest to re-wick/rebuild because the white o-rings are sturdier, IMO I'll be placing an order this evening, along with a couple other goodies I need

@InstantGMP... why do I suddenly get the feeling you are a "compliance company", much like a "financial adviser"?? Both are interested in collecting the fees associated with "helping", rather than assisting anyone with an end-result....

Since I've moved away from "commercially manufactured juices", and mix my own (DIY), I've not had any issues with stains on my teeth (or in my tanks). The flavorings I use do not contain food-colorings or additives. I think @Jeffb is right... you're experiencing staining due to food color added to the juice to give it a pleasing color in the bottle. Many companies do this... Chocolate should be brown... Strawberry should be red... Blueberry should be blue... when in reality, very few flavorings are the color you expect, and most of them are, in reality, clear or slightly tinted.