Hi

[smokeless2013]

Hi , I am very new to vaping and really discovered the alternative to smoking through e-cigarettes on the internet because I wanted to quit smoking. I have tried a few brands but I find them very expensive with a few other issues. So, I am here to learn about vaping and the products.

[Viper Ron]

Welcome to the forum

[bcartervol98]

Welcome! I think you will find vaping exponentially cheaper than smoking cigs, at least I have. My weekly expense has gone from $150 a week to around $30 for the wife and I. Once you buy your starter kit, a couple extra batteries, and find the delivery device (clearomizer, atomizer, tank, etc...) all that is left are replacement coils and liquids.

Just take the time and spend the money to get decent equipment, thats the biggest mistake I see people make; myself included at first.

My start up kit was from VapeDudes.com and was their eGoT starter kit with 2 1000mah batteries each fitted with a CE4 clearomizer, charger with wall adapter, and 3 bottles of liquid for $38.95. Then I bought 2 Vision Spinner 1300mah from Sweet-Vapes.com for $24.95 each and added an extra wall charger for $10 with wall adapter. I have found I like the Kanger T2 (Ego CC long wick clearomizer) the best and have found veteranvaper.com to be my top source for these. They are around $5 each and replacement heads are $2 each when you order 10 or more. VapeDudes is my go to liquid supplier however Sweet-Vapes also has some good flavors including the best tobacco out there imo, in their "Traditional Tobacco".

So basically I got 4 batteries, 2 chargers, 10 clearomizers and 10 replacement heads for around the same cost as a week of smoking, and these will last me probably a year or more. All I buy now is liquid.

There are a lot of ways to justify smoking over vaping, but cost is not one of them in my opinion.

[smokeless2013]

Thank you Viper Ron.. I am looking around the site for info on the products here, wow a lot of info. Not sure where to start.

I have been smoke free for just over two months and want to stay that way. If anyone has a suggested direction where to start I would appreciate it. I do a lot of my own research when looking for stuff, so I don't mind doing my own homework. I just need a little education here so I know what I am looking for. Thank you for any suggestions.

[smokeless2013]

thank you bcartervol98 you must have been posting the same time as my above post... I will read your post...

[bcartervol98]

thank you bcartervol98 you must have been posting the same time as my above post... I will read your post...

Ask anything, there are no stupid questions. I love helping people avoid the same mistakes I made at first. So many start with Blu, V2, or others without realizing you can get quality products a lot cheaper that work a lot better. The batteries I have last me 24-36 hours. I have yet to have two dead batteries at the same time, I could get by just fine with the starter kit but I like the Spinners higher voltage setting for my tobacco flavor.

[smokeless2013]

Thank you bcartervol98, that was very helpful. I will look at those products. I wanted to respond to your comment "There are a lot of ways to justify smoking over vaping, but cost is not one of them in my opinion". I hope I did not give that impression. I quite smoking because I don't want all those poisons in my body anymore. And to be honest - I have smoked as long as I have because I like smoking, I just don't like all the poisons in cigarettes. So, finding Vaping is good news for me.

[Viper Ron]

I agree with bcarter the spinners are easy enough for a beginner and powerful enough for old vets. Let us know what your using and what you would like to improve on from there

[smokeless2013]

ya that is what I am using right now, Blu, not liking them. I also got Green Smoke, they or ok, but again, batteries, cartomizers (waiting to show up in mail) which is a issue for me, cause I do not want to go back to cigarettes. I think all in all I have tried 5 different brands.

[smokeless2013]

Hi Viper Ron and bcarter, thank you so much for your help,

to answer your post Ron, I am using Blu now,(only because they are easy to get) I have tried Altera Cig, Green Smoke, Cig20, and others I just can't remember the names, but they were basically the same. Besides costs, my concern is. Sometimes these e-cigs have liquid coming out the cartomizers. One brand had white stuff coming out every time I inhaled, quite those and sent them back. I want to educated myself more on Vaping and have more control over the product, what I mean is, knowing that it is working in good order so I am getting a good clean Vaper.

[bcartervol98]

There is not enough difference in Blu,V2,NJoy Pro, or any other "stick" rechargables to tell in my opinion. The first thing I and especially my wife had to get over is the quality stuff doesnt look or feel anything like a real cig. I bought a "Topaz" kit before finding this forum and got help with real e-cig type products.

I never thought you were using expense as an excuse, I didnt mean to come off that way. I just pointed out that you said it was expensive so I knew you had to be using Blu or some other "Mall-Pharmacy" kit that are overpriced and borderline garbage.

I have also found I prefer my smaller eGoT 1000mah batteries for certain flavors over the Spinner. Regular batteries without the variable voltage settings usually run about 3.5-3.7v and for my fruit flavors and spearmint I prefer about that range of voltage. WIth tobacco and coffee flavors I prefer it to be at 4.0v or just above and thats where the spinners come in handy. One thing to understand is resistance and voltage, there is a great chart on here somewhere that shows this. My T2s come standard with 1.8ohm resistance and to me, anything above 3.8v tastes burned so I keep a few 2.2 -2.4ohm resistance on hand for those few flavors I like the higher voltage with. Right now I am in my office, at my desk, vaping VapeDudes Spearmint in 24mg 70%pg 30%vg at 3.5v and loving life!

[CascadianExotics]

Welcome to VaporTalk, and your new addiction!!! You'll thank us later when your wallet recovers.

Personally, I recommend keeping things simple and cost-effective. There are a myriad of devices, and Vaping styles out there. Any one variation added to the pot (ie: variable voltage, like on the aforementioned Spinner / Twist) will just add to the confusion for someone just getting into this hobby / lifestyle.

The first three things you need to know are:

1) how to properly draw off an e-cig

2) your nicotine strength tolerance

3) your "go-to" flavor

Standard eGo kits can be bought cheaply enough just about anywhere. Surevapes.com sells multi-packs of cartomizers at dirt-cheap prices, so you can get boxes with different resistances to play with while on the hunt for a good juice flavor, and nicotine strength that suits you.

After mastering the art of the draw, and nailing down a cartomizer resistance, nic strength, and flavor that suits you, the sky (along with the cash in your bank account) is the limit!!!

[bcartervol98]

Hi Viper Ron and bcarter, thank you so much for your help,

to answer your post Ron, I am using Blu now,(only because they are easy to get) I have tried Altera Cig, Green Smoke, Cig20, and others I just can't remember the names, but they were basically the same. Besides costs, my concern is. Sometimes these e-cigs have liquid coming out the cartomizers. One brand had white stuff coming out every time I inhaled, quite those and sent them back. I want to educated myself more on Vaping and have more control over the product, what I mean is, knowing that it is working in good order so I am getting a good clean Vaper.

The cartomizers on the stick batteries always leaked on me when I first started before finding better options. That was what led me to this forum in the first place. I have never gotten liquid in my mouth with my Kanger T2 Ego CC longwick Clearomizers from The Veteran Vaper.

The keys are

Battery (I prefer Ego Style over everything else, get at least 1000mah or Spinner 1300mah)

Delivery System (I prefer Kanger T2 for ease and cost of replacement heads)

Liquid (VapeDudes is my #1, Sweet-Vapes #2, no #3 as of yet)

Charger (Kits come with one but you can buy separate for about $10)

Its that simple. It is easy to make it complicated and tough but once you break it down to the basics it is not that complicated at all.

[Viper Ron]

Most of us are using a bigger battery now a days. It is more like the size of a cigar instead of cigarette size. In these batteries the higher the MAH, the longer the battery will last. I use a Vision Spinner 1300MAH.

[bcartervol98]

I second the "mastering the art of the draw" comment. When I started I woudl take a hard drag, inhale, take another, inhale, and another, inhale and hold it like i was smoking "something else". Then I found a longer solid slow draw held in my mouth for a bit then inhaled produced the throat hit I was looking for. I also agree the Nic % is something to nail down. I use 24mg right now, and do not see backing that down any time soon. I also prefer more PG than VG because I like a god throat hit.

Another piece of advise is to not get too married to one flavor because you will stop tasting it after a while and when we quit smoking our tastes change. Flavors I loved at first are now just "ok" and flavors I wasn't crazy about are now my favorites.

Its an evolution type thing for me, I am thoroughly enjoying vaping now more than ever, because the guesswork is over. I know what set up I like, and have found 4-5 liquids I can vape all day. I do not see myself ever progressing to a "Mod" or anything like that as long as my batteries are replaceable once they wear out in a year or so. Ego style batteries should last around 300 charges, and I get around 24-36 hours between charges and rotate batteries. By my math my batteries should all last between 1.5 and 2 years.

[smokeless2013]

ok I have a question. Is PG/VG ratio the smoke density? (per say.) and if so - What is a good PG/VG ratio? I am kinda like the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, I like a lot of smoke. Don't know what PG or VG stand for as far as getting a lot of smoke. For example - 100% PG, 30% VG 70% VG, 50/50, 70% PG 30% VG, or 100% VG

[smokeless2013]

wow, I don't know if my internet is slow tonight or what. just got all the replies. thank you all so much. will take a moment and read it all. may find some answers to my question.

to bcarter - "I never thought you were using expense as an excuse, I didnt mean to come off that way. I just pointed out that you said it was expensive so I knew you had to be using Blu or some other "Mall-Pharmacy" kit that are overpriced and borderline garbage."

no biggy - all in just conversion. clarity is a great tool and sometimes I do not do that well in text. I was not offended at all.

[smokeless2013]

wow, thank you guys so much. With all that info I have got a much better idea! I think I understand the basics and need to just try a kit with some of the great suggestions to find my Vap. I am still not completely sure about the Vapor ratio, VG/PG but I gotta start somewhere.

again thank you guys.... I really appreciate all your help!

[CascadianExotics]

ok I have a question. Is PG/VG ratio the smoke density? (per say.) and if so - What is a good PG/VG ratio? I am kinda like the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, I like a lot of smoke. Don't know what PG or VG stand for as far as getting a lot of smoke. For example - 100% PG, 30% VG 70% VG, 50/50, 70% PG 30% VG, or 100% VG

Great analogy!!!! I'm a bit like that caterpillar, myself. Let me break this down for you. Theoretically, more VG=more vapor. However, you can get little vapor from 100% VG juice, and conversely get a ton of vapor from high % PG....all by using the right (or wrong) combination of equipment. Vapor is made by heating e-liquid, and drawing air across the heating element. Thus, more heat + more air flow = more vapor. Heat is produced by sending electrical power to a coil of resistance wire. More power does not necessarily mean more heat. 5 volts (the maximum a Spinner will put out) across a 3 ohm (standard resistance) coil will only produce around 7 watts of power. However, a fully charged Mod battery (4.2 volts) across a 0.8 ohm coil will produce over 22 watts of power!!!! This power is all for naught if you do not have the proper air flow. More power means you need a more airy draw on order to take advantage of the heat produced. What this means for you is this: If you get a standard eGo (3.5 volts) with a Low-Resistance cartomizer (1.5 ohms), and learn to properly draw off that setup, you will produce a ton of vapor in no time flat!!! Hope this wasn't too confusing for you. :p Edited June 19, 2013 by CascadianExotics

[Uma]

Welcome to VaporTalk, Smokeless!

Man oh man, how I love your Avatar. My heart jumped the moon when I saw it. It is the spitting image of my beautiful mare who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge last year. If there's a way to steal your avatar for my desktop, I'd do it.

You've acquired some great answers, I agree with them all.

If you need more oooooomph, pick up the Vision Spinner... you can vape it at the mild 3.7 or dial it up in power to 4.8 punch... most of us vape it at 3.8 to 4.2 area for most juices). It's a great battery. (get 2, so you can charge one while vaping one).

The PG or VG? I would get one of each and see which one you like the most or the one that likes you the most.

I like the 80/20 mix (pg/vg) because I'm more of a flavor nut than a vapor nut. Yet, most of my flavors are 50/50 go figure.

But, by having my favorite flavor in straight pg and also in straight vg, all I have to do is mix the missing one into my bottle. (I get them in the same nic strength too, so that I don't dilute my nic dosage). I also like to have it in Zero nic, so that I CAN dilute my nicotine dosage when wanted or needed.

If that's a mouthful up there, which I'm sure it is, then I'll sum it up like this: 80/20 or 70/30 (heavier on the PG) is a good way to get started.

[bcartervol98]

The "Throat Hit" that mimics smoking to a certain degree, as well as the flavor, comes from the PG(Propylene Glycol) and the vapor production comes from the VG (Vegetable Glycerine) in the liquid. I prefer 70 or 80% PG and 30 or 20% VG depending on what the vendor offers. I find I get plenty of vapor from those mixes as well as a nice throat hit even at the lower voltage I like for most flavors. With that said, all flavors are different. Some 80-20 produces more vapor than other 80-20 mixtures. Its all about finding what works for you. I like a good throat hit and strong flavor, so I go with a higher PG mixture. Also PG is thinner and more easily absorbed by wick type delivery systems like the Kanger T2 I use. Pure VG is difficult to use in a lot of clearomizers using the wick system because of how thick it is.

[smokeless2013]

Hi CascadianExotics, thank you so much! that is really helpful

Great analogy!!!! I'm a bit like that caterpillar, myself. Let me break this down for you.

LOL , thanks... and it is true... now if I could only find a mushroom big enough to hold me. hmmmmmm ???

hi UMA,

Man oh man, how I love your Avatar. My heart jumped the moon when I saw it. It is the spitting image of my beautiful mare who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge last year. If there's a way to steal your avatar for my desktop, I'd do it.

glad you like it. that was one of my horses, and I added the wings. sorry to hear about your girl. I have had many horses that have gone home too, it is hard to see them go after so many years of friendship. That is my logo for one of my business, so I hope you don't steal it, that would not be cool.. But, maybe I can help. Do you have a picture of your girl? I would be happy to spread her wings for you. ...oh, thank you for your help. and I really appreciate the welcome too

[smokeless2013]

hi bcarter, thank you - PG(Propylene Glycol) - VG (Vegetable Glycerine) that is what I needed to know.

A lot of information here from everyone. I really do appreciate it, but I will need to back up a bit and try to simplify my choices or it will be a week before I place my order. LOL

again thank you all.... going to go shopping and have a look at all your suggestions.

[Tam]

Looks like you've gotten a lot of really good information and suggestions. My personal preference as well as a recommendation would be to go with the Vision Spinner. Even though I do have the 1300 mAh, I prefer the 900 mAh Spinner as it's thinner (diameter-wise) than the 1300. The 1300 is also heavier.

As for PG/VG ratios there are many places out there that sell juices in 5 ml amounts. EC Blends, my personal favorite, has them for $2.99 each so you can try all kinds of different flavors and different ratios.

more VG = more vapor, a little sweeter flavor (usually), and less throat hit (smoother vape). It's also thicker so be aware of that when you're filling up a cartomizer or clearomizer/tank

more PG = more flavor, harder throat hit, thinner juice (but it could mean less vapor)

I'd start out with a 50/50 mix and go from there.

Good luck! And don't be afraid to ask questions. As you've probably noticed...you'll get more answers than you wanted.

[smokeless2013]

Hi Tameiki, thank you for your suggestions. I am glad you talked more about the ratios between PG/VG because I am not really big on a huge throat hit even tho I like a lot of smoke. That was really helpful. here is a question... LOL ..How do I get a banner count on my profile that - " I have been smoke free for..." Love that...