StringDancer

I've been using the eGo for quite awhile now, and am definitely sold on the device. Got tooled up with batts and chargers, and have been vaping contentedly. But it's still 3.7 volts, and one reads all these glowing reviews about higher voltage mods. So I'm thinking I should try one. So... based on experience, what's your opinion on the best, most robust and dependable higher-voltage mod out there today... and why? Please mention specific voltage (5, 6, whatever) for purposes of comparison, and why you think one voltage is better than another. I'd like to stick to 510 attys, but general info regarding 801s would be of interest, too. And if you would, include links to source sites. TIA

I have a mega eGo batt ( I call it a "meGo"). It definitely is the longest-lasting battery I've used to date, lasting me (a pretty heavy vaper when I'm lounging about) a good half-day. The assembled length from the battery end to the tip of the mouthpiece is 5 and 5/8". Shorter than a standard 801 penstyle, maybe (don't have any 801s left around to compare it). I use it mostly around the house, just because the standard eGo batts fit in your pocket easier. But I wouldn't hesitate to take it on the road, either, it doesn't look at all weird. EDIT: I use it once a day, usually, as the re-charge time is maybe 3-4 hours. I use it, then let it charge overnight. If it lasts for 300 charges (about the average, I think, no?), then in theory it should last almost a year before it craps out. Might also mention that the switch on the one I have has a more robust feel than the standard eGo batts. More of a distinct click when you hit it, which I like.

To contemplate our worthless government outlawing ecigs or juice is frustrating as hell. But ya know what... I've already made up my mind that if ecigs or juice ever truly become impossible to buy, either over the web or through the black market... I'll just quit nicotine and be done with it. There's no way I'll go back to analogs, paying the insane sin taxes to this bone-headed government and enduring the grief that goes along with smoking in this health-nazi country. Think about it for a second. Already, with ecigs, we're consuming less nicotine than we did as smokers. And as a result, I personally find it much easier these days to go longer between vapes without cravings, say at a movie or whatever. I know beyond a doubt that if I set my mind to it, I could just let go of vaping and move on with life, fueling my determination with the general disdain and disgust I feel these days for our incompetent government and the corporations that control it. Old Andrew Jackson was right when he warned us of the dangers of corporate power usurping the liberties of the common people. I'd prefer to happily vape away for the rest of my life, but if the morons pulling the strings think they can yank me back to my old addiction, they will be sorely disappointed. I'm done with tobacco, the FDA, Big Pharma and all the elected, corporate-owned nincompoops running this country into the ground. They can all kiss my keister. Glad to get that off my chest. I feel better now.

I love the eGo. I have 4 standard eGo batts and one of the mega batts, which just goes on and on and on.... Will no doubt buy another "meGo" batt in the future. We've come a long way in just the 15 months or so since I hooked up with ecigs. When I think of the pitiful little 401 I started with.... HA

Order placed here, as well. Looking forward to the LOOOOONG vape!

Very cool. It almost makes up for hardly ever seeing any new VaporTalk vids these days. Almost.

Can relate. Wifey and I are both on third marriages. Do it till ya get it right, I guess. One of the best things about vaping is knowing I'm no longer subjecting my honey to the downsides of smoking. She was very understanding, bless her heart, and didn't give me too much grief about my nasty habit. But was she ever pleased to see me finally quit tobacco! She enjoys the aromas of my vaping now, no more hiding in the garage. As for Memorial weekend, it's a working weekend for me too. Got a gig with my duo tonight and a solo guitar engagement for Sunday afternoon. No rest for the wicked.

I just got a VP-1/801 back from VaprLife after they serviced it, and they did a fine job. Pretty quick turn-around, I had it back maybe 10 days after shipping it off. They replace the switch and the atty connector as a matter of course, clean and polish, etc. The thing looks brand new, and performs like it, as well. I've got a Spade doing the same thing (sticky switch), so I'll be sending that off soon. Since I've switched over to 510 attys (first the Spade and now the eGo), I'm bundling the VP-1 up with three 801 attys and some batts and chargers I have laying around and giving it all to a good buddy of mine who wants to vape but is on a fixed income. Anyway... thumbs-up to VaprLife. Cheaper to fix a VP-series unit than have to buy new any day.

So why don't Chinese manufacturers just come to the states and make the things over here?

My thoughts, exactly. Placed an order for a second kit last night. With four batts and two chargers, I'll be good to go for awhile.

So the other day wifey buys a used swing-set for the grandkids, and enlisted me as driver to man the Blazer and trailer and go pick it up. We go get the swing-set and drive on home. We're chatting, I'm vaping, and as we pull onto our street I tuck my new Janty eGo in my lap to begin my approach. I back the trailer where I want it, and get out to unhitch. I spaced out that I had put the e-cig in my lap, so as I get out of the Blazer, the eGo falls to the ground, unbeknownst to me. I unhitch the trailer, get back in the Blazer to pull it into the garage. As I turn off the engine, I think of my e-cig, and I go, "oooooh CRAP!" (Well, maybe something a bit more graphic) Sure enough, I had not only dropped the eGo onto the gravel drive, but had then rolled over it with the Blazer! But when I find it, the only damage (besides some scratches) was the battery section was sort of cocked loose from the switch section. I pushed the battery back square with the switch, and take a drag, expecting extreme regret. Was I ever surprised to learn that the unit seemed none the worse for wear. Vapes just fine, switch is solid and lights up as it should. The connection between batt and switch seems pretty tight. The black finish has a couple scratches, but nothing major. The case itself didn't buckle or break, and the batt charges up just fine. While I wouldn't recommend this process to test the durability of the Janty eGo, I can report that the unit passed with flying colors. Getting absent-minded as one grows older isn't a lot of fun, I can tell you.

POSSIBLE SCENARIO Noob: "Sorry, but smoking's not allowed in here." Vaper: "Well, good thing I'm not smoking, then." Noob: "Whad'ya mean? I see smoke comin' outta yer mouth." Vaper: "Oh this isn't a cigarette. It's a personal vaporizer. What you're seeing is just water vapor. You see, I have this lung condition [saying to him/herself, 'yeah, my lungs are addicted to nicotine'], and the vapor eases it for me." Noob: "Oh... I see. Sorry to bother you." Goes away feeling like a schmuck for confronting a poor soul with a lung condition. The Vaper laughs under his/her breath, and vapes away contentedly.

I've kinda settled on AwesomeVapors Banana 24mg. I'll toss in a little cherry now and again, but I really like the banana. Lost my taste for the tobacco flavors after a couple weeks post-smoking.

I got my Janty eGo a couple days ago, and I'm loving it. It's all the earlier posters have said it is. I'm wondering about the time it takes to recharge a batt, though. It's claimed to recharge in 1.5 to 2 hours. But using the wall plug, it takes mine several hours, like 5-6 or so. I would think plugging it into AC rather than a USB port would be best, but maybe I'm wrong on that. Just switched it over to a spare 2.0 USB port to see if it cuts down on the recharge interval. Report to follow.

As I observe, it comes down to desire, as always. We... though cultural and habitual exposure... desire nicotine. I heard there was actually a part of the brain that only becomes active upon exposure to nicotine. Is that hard-wired or what? Until recently, the easiest way to get it (though not the best, nor was there a 'good' way, really) was to smoke it. With e-cigs, that has changed. The wondrous advancement this represents should never be overlooked. If it can ever be said that my life 'was saved', it will no doubt be my adoption of e-cigs which that day marks. I'm fairly certain neither church, political party nor drug will ever credibly claim that influence. Ouster, stay with it, bro. The other side is right around the corner.

Thanks, I'll give it a try. Shoulda thought of that myself. Duh.

Love my Spade, but I find over time that the switch gets a little dicey... I have to press it harder to get it to fire. I'm thinking there might be juice clogging the thing. I've often taken an air hose to it to blow out excess juice, which seems to help. But now it's getting to where I have to press so hard to get it going the ball switch hurts my digits. Is there a way to clean these things up, or is there just a shelf-life to the Spade? I've had mine maybe 3 or 4 months at most.

Been awhile since I posted here, and I suppose that's because my vaping life has been cruising along so nicely. But I have some questions now. I'm thinking of buying a Joye/Janty eGo, and I know there are plenty of eGo users here. I understand the battery life is damn good... but what about the longevity? I'm used to the easy/cheap replacement factor of the Spade with the 10440 batts. I've got like a dozen of them now. But with the proprietary eGo batt, how long will the battery last, or how many charges will it take, before it simply craps out? I'm trying to get a grid on what I can expect to spend after several months of vaping on batteries.

Everything I've read on the matter suggests nicotine is just about equal to caffeine in terms of deleterious health effects. Nicotine has a constrictive effect on blood vessels, so if you're a candidate for stroke or heart attack, weaning off the nic would probably be smart. I usually vape 24 mg, but lately I've taken to vaping 18 in the late evening when I'm wanting to wind down.

Yes, the Spade ships with 2 protected 10440 batts with 1 charger. All the 10440s I've bought are of the the protected variety (I've about 12 of them now, with 4 chargers). I can load up and take off for an overnighter and not worry about having enough batts to get through it.

I bought the VP-1 almost 6 months ago, and have been extremely pleased with it. Got the 801 model, and it took a beating for all these months without a hiccup. But I have this bad habit of laying the thing in my lap when I'm in the easy chair watching the plasma, and I would sometimes forget, get up, and there goes the e-cig rattling across the tile floor. Last week was one too many times, I guess, and my worn old VP-1 finally gave up the ghost. Having nothing but an old 510 kit lying about, I was pretty desperate to get a replacement. I opted to go with the Spade from Chris and Sean here at VT. I have plenty of 510 attys, and decided a change of pace would be good. Ordered it late last week, and today my new Spade kit came sliding to a stop in my mailbox, all the way from California to Indiana in what... 4 days? Having a healthy stock of fully-charged 10440 batts at hand, I was ready for it. Back in business. Thanks the the prompt service, guys!

Here's when a man needs a shotgun. As soon as those buggers cross the threshold, you own 'em. Bet that woulda got BofA's attention real quick.

I started vaping almost a year ago, and for most of that time I continued to use carts and dripped into the filler. Over the holidays, after reading countless posts here in VT recommending direct dripping, I changed over, and I'm sure glad I did. Benefits I've seen from direct dripping include: * better flavor, and none of the burnt taste I'd sometimes get when I used carts * my 801 atomizers last MUCH longer. I'd sometimes go through an atty a week when using carts, but now my atty lasts a lot longer, sometimes 3-4 weeks. I'll let them drain and rest while using another atty, and this also seems to help prolong atty life. * I had this notion that by using carts I wouldn't have to top-off as often. I'm finding no evidence of this when compared to direct dripping. I'm adding drops just about as often, maybe even less. * and lastly, there's much less waste of juice and messy components when direct dripping. I'm conserving my juice and don't have to constantly keep a damp rag around to clean juice oozing out between the atty and the mouthpiece. Don't know why I was so slow picking up on the advantages of direct dripping, but I was. Live and learn.

Here's an article I saved some time ago regarding the inventor of the ecig: A high-tech approach to getting a nicotine fix The electronic cigarette -- a gadget that looks like the real thing and delivers nicotine without smoke -- is established in China, and companies are taking aim at the U.S. market. By Barbara Demick April 25, 2009 Reporting from Beijing -- Hon Lik used to light up first thing in the morning. He smoked between lectures at the university where he studied Oriental medicine, between bites at lunch, in the lab where he researched ginseng health products. He'd usually burn through two packs by dusk and smoke a third over dinner and drinks with colleagues. It wasn't until his father, also a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer that Hon finally kicked the habit. Hon's story could be that of any other nicotine-addicted, middle-aged man in China, where 60% of the men smoke. What distinguishes the 52-year-old pharmacist and inventor is that he found inspiration in the addiction. One of the strangest gizmos to come out of China in recent years, Hon's invention, the electronic cigarette, turns the adage "where there's smoke there's fire" on its head. It doesn't burn at all. Instead, it uses a small lithium battery that atomizes a liquid solution of nicotine. What you inhale looks like smoke, but it's a vapor similar to stage fog. (Take that, smoke-free bars!) It even has a red light at the tip that lights up with each drag. "It's a much cleaner, safer way to inhale nicotine," said Hon, blowing curlicues of e-smoke as he showed off the cigarette in his Beijing office. (He says he doesn't smoke anymore, except for such demonstrations.) Hon got his first patent on the e-cigarette in 2003 and introduced it to the Chinese market the next year. The company he worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, was so inspired that it changed its name to Ruyan (meaning "like smoke") and started selling abroad. This year, it's planning a big push in the United States. A disposable e-cigarette called the Jazz ($24.95 for the equivalent of five packs) is due to hit 7-Elevens in the Dallas-Fort Worth area shortly. Many rival versions, all made in China, are making their way to the U.S., sold mostly over the Internet by small marketing firms. Unlike nicotine patches and gum, electronic cigarettes are designed to be fun. There are regulars and menthols, as well as chocolate and strawberry. A company in Japan is selling one that is charged by the USB port of a computer. The e-cigarettes aren't marketed as a way to quit smoking, but as a smoking alternative. "It's safe smoking -- like smoking with a condom on," said William Taskas, a Canadian distributor who is marketing a product called Smoke- Stik. What makes the electronic cigarette more than just the latest curiosity from China is the enthusiasm it has inspired among respected anti-tobacco activists. "This is exactly what the tobacco companies have been afraid of all these years, an alternative method of delivering nicotine that is actually enjoyable," said David Sweanor, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa who specializes in tobacco issues. "It took the Chinese, who are very entrepreneurial, and not burdened with all kinds of regulation, to take the risk." Even without smoke or fire, electronic cigarettes are sparking controversy. Australia, Canada and Hong Kong have banned them on the grounds that they have not been sufficiently tested for safety. "The way they were being sold, there was no control. A kid could buy it and take too many puffs. You could overdose on nicotine," said Ronald Lam, tobacco control chief of the health department in Hong Kong, where 800 shops were raided last month and the entire e-stash confiscated. The Food and Drug Administration last month confiscated shipments from three Chinese companies on the grounds they were making false health claims. The agency said in a recent letter to prospective importers of electronic cigarettes that it had not decided on their legality, but was "evaluating them on a case-by-case basis." Although they're not kicking Marlboro off the shelves in China, the electronic cigarettes have a small but loyal following. "They're quite popular with both men and women," said Sun Shujuan, a clerk at the tobacco counter of the Beijing City Department Store. Each day, she sells one or two of the reusable cigarettes (a $145 appliance), and a much larger number of the replacement cartridges, which run $9 for the equivalent of five packs of cigarettes. "We have many repeat customers." Chinese smokers complain that the electronic cigarettes are expensive (most brands here are still less than $1 a pack) and can't be easily shared. In China, cigarettes are the essential lubricant for opening a conversation -- the smoke offered to the cop who has pulled you over, the pack held open by a salesman approaching a prospect. "What is the point of having cigarettes if you can't give one to a friend?" said Liu Hai, who works as a driver and lives in Chengdu, in Sichuan province. The United States is considered a far more promising market because of the higher price of cigarettes and the prohibition on smoking in many indoor spaces. "When you're in Minneapolis in the winter, it's a lot more attractive to spend $24.95 on an electronic cigarette than it is to go out to smoke where it is 20 degrees below," said Alex Chong, chief executive of Ruyan America, the Minneapolis-based U.S. affiliate of Hon's company. E-cigarettes are already sold legally in some British pubs, where smoking is banned. Even though the devices are not yet widely available in the United States, the battle lines are being drawn. The electronic cigarette marketers refrain from calling e-cigarettes a smoking-cessation aid -- in part because under U.S. law, if they made any health claims, they would be subject to FDA approval. Bill Godshall, head of Smokefree Pennsylvania, estimates that at least 100,000 electronic cigarettes have been sold in the United States. (The gizmo got a boost last month when Leonardo DiCaprio was photographed smoking one on a bicycle.) "You have these abstinence-only extremists who want to eradicate all nicotine product. But as you've seen, whether we're talking about sex or alcohol or nicotine, abstinence doesn't really work," said Godshall, who has collected 4,000 signatures on a petition to allow e-cigarettes to be legally sold in the United States. Chong, of Ruyan America, said his company was willing to put its product up for safety testing to win U.S. regulatory approval but not immediately, explaining that it is a $20-million, three-year process. He said that seven laboratories the company commissioned to test the product found no dangerous level of chemicals. Inventor Hon says the idea of the electronic cigarettes came to him in a dream in 2000: Coughing and wheezing, he imagined he was drowning, until suddenly the waters around him lifted into a fog. He gave one of the first prototypes to his dying father. "It was too late for my father, but not for me. I switched over myself to electronic cigarettes."

Nice find, Dave. I've always had a thing for knives, even before I was a boy scout. Those are the most beautiful specimens I've ever seen, and you're right, the photography is impeccable. Thanks for posting the link.