Chainsmoker: What should I Buy?

[addict]

Thank you all very much for taking the time to help me. I’m still trying to get things straight in my head, so I’m afraid I have some more questions:

Chrissie, Pinkerbell, Brian and Gothiclord: I notice that lots of people recommend the Riva but I think I recall seeing a mention that the battery is not strong enough for using long term at low resistance. I’m inclined to rule out the Riva because I suspect that I will need to use low resistance for a quite a while. Am I foolish to rule it out for that reason? I’m in no hurry to buy……still have a large stock of cheap cigs from holidays.

Sandra: No, I don’t like menthol. Right now, for me it’s a regular ciggie taste or nothing. The Vape Esacape Vision says it’s a 900 kit. Does that mean that I would be confined to using products designed just for that kit? I have seen lots of mention that getting something compatible with a 510 is important. Am I correct in thinking that 900 is the strength of the battery and 510 has something to do with how the bits screw together. In short, would that 900 kit be interchangeable with 510 bits?

Onedayillquit: Thanks for simplifying things for me. It really helps. There’s very little mention about battery chargers. Does the quality of charger vary. Can I buy, for example, a Provari battery and and Ego charger and must both the battery and charger be the same brand? What’s the difference between a cartomiser and a clearo?

Johanino: I think you’re right about my needing stronger nicotine levels. Reckon that’s where I’ll have the most trouble. I had a look at the Premium Ego Style starter kit. Noticed a comment that the charger is “a bit wimpy”, which is rather offputting. I’m hoping for hassle free from the start.

Booblay: I’m leaning towards the Provari or the Ego Twist as suggested by Globalbloke. The extra outlay for Provari might prove to be foolish if vaping doesn’t work, but this being my last chance to kick the habit I intend to persevere so something durable could be more cost effective in the long term.

Bigg and Ant: The El Toro looks good but the highest nicotine strength seems to be 18mg, which might not be enough for me. I suppose it’s a matter of trial and error, so I’ll give it a try.

Globalbloke: I had more or less settled on a Provari until I read your reply. Now I’m not so sure. You’re right that I’ll need to crank up the voltage. What do you mean by delivery system? Even as I type, I know that this is a really stupid question, but where exactly does a Vivi Nova fit in with a twist? Is it an extra attachment?

Again, many thanks for all your advice. When I found this forum I thought I wouldn’t need to join - that I could find out everything from reading lurking and reading others’ Q&A, but thanks to you kind people this thread is making a huge difference to me.

[Globalbloke (Tim)]

Addict - The twist is effectively just a battery with a base you can turn (like a volume knob) to turn up or down the voltage and create more or less vapour. Because this is only a battery you need to screw something on the top you can add juice to to actually create the vapour. So I have linked to a popular tank system which effectively you just unscrew, pour juice in, screw back and vape, nice and easy. The other things I linked to are carts, these again just screw onto your Twist (like the Elite cartridges you were using) and you can fill them up with whatever juice you like. Again having some laying around just in case of a tank failure is always a good idea.

As an example (ignore the tank, this is just my favourite tank):



Hope that helps

There is a golden rule in vaping, backups for your backups, so even though you may get a Provari anyway, these twists will give you a great introduction and when you decide to upgrade to a Provari you can use these as a backup just in case you lose it or break it so it's not money lost

[giles]

Welcome to the site (fellow) addict

Chrissie has watched loads of us go through this, so her advice is probably best.

Only two things to add:

The Riva is quite a bit bigger than a cigarette. If you think it possible that that will put you off using it, or will stop you using when you are e.g. at the office, Then (either instead of the Riva or as well) get a 510 kit for example www.ecigwizard.com/shop/en/electronic-cigarette-starter-kits/186-510-get-started-kit.html - £10 is nothing for a bit of extra confidence and a spare. The 510 battery will only last a couple of hours before needing to be recharged, so buy a spare or two. I'd buy automatic batteries since you are just starting. The same cartomisers, juices etc. will work as on your Riva. (The Riva battery lasts all day).

Most flavours of juice seem to contain PG. I think it worth getting a pure VG juice as well - some people react a little to PG, and you will be using quite a lot of it. NUCIG do a reasonable Marlborough flavour www.nucig.co.uk/product_p/elq-mrl.htm (but I wouldn't buy anything else from them).

Main thing is to get started. You'll understand all this better when you do. It may not be right first time, but you will find something better than the stinkies, and the cost is low enough so that you can afford to experiment.

[GothicLord]

The riva won't take anything below 2.0 ohms, but at that resistance will belt out 8 watts. If you are looking at using anything below 1.8 ohm resistance, then I would advise something like an ego twist or similar VV device. It may be better though to start with a standard kit, and see how you go with that 1st, before looking at lower resistance toys

[Chrissie]

Addict, this thread is a a bit old (most folks now use cartomisers or clearomisers rather than atomisers these days) But it could still help you with the basics -

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=newmembers&thread=2349&page=1#74660

You can use Boge LR cartomisers on The Riva, but you are right, anything with an even lower resistance, it's better to go for an ego or a big battery mod of some kind (Provari is one of many big battery mods).

All the kits we have linked to have a standard 510 fitting, the 650, 900 1100 etc depicts the mAh rating - the higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last between recharges.

No you wouldn't be able to use an ego/Riva charger on the Provari. The Provari. like other big battery mods is a holder for a battery that is taken out & charged in a suitable Li-ion charger.

[Anne (fuzzy)]

Oct 8, 2012 15:14:06 GMT addict said:

The extra outlay for Provari might prove to be foolish if vaping doesn’t work,

As you don't sound as if you're 100% certain you're going to stick with vaping yet, maybe you could try a lavatube until you are? You could always sell it at a later date in the classifieds section.

www.liberty-flights.co.uk/product.asp?id=159

www.ecigwizard.com/shop/en/mod-batteries-18650-etc/98-lavatube-18650-battery.html

[vapourized]

Hi addict,
I won't give you any more advice on what to get as I think it may confuse the issue but just to say that I had the same mentality as you before starting to vape. Because I has a very heavy smoker ( more than what you smoke a day and probably for a lot longer too) and I just didn't think that a e-cigarette would cut it for me - how wrong I was!!

Like you, I wanted to still feel as if I was smoking but not and the biggest thing that worried me when I look back was the Nicotine hit - or the lack of it, would I have enough.

I started off with the one's you buy in Tescos etc but within a couple of days being on here I had bought a Riva and started on 18mg Nicotine juices which after a while I found that I was vaping this stuff virtually all day long, I then changed to 24mg Nicotine and that was much better.

I went from 60+ a day (sometimes 80 at weekends) to zero 4 weeks ago today. If someone had said to me that that was going to happen then I just wouldn't have believed them but it did. I still can't believe that I gave up something that I thought I really loved and needed virtually overnight when everything else had failed but I did. I actually enjoy vaping now more so than I did smoking strange as it may sound.

Oh, and don't worry if like me, you fancy a real smoke a week or so later - I did and as I still had an 'Emergency' pack still at hand I took one out and lit it up - it tasted really horrible and I just kept asking myself how on earth did I smoke at least 60 of those a day and for so long.

You're probably not going to get the right tasting juice for you straight away unless you're lucky but if like others have said you get some different flavoured tobacco and either 18 or 24mg then you won't be too far off the mark. I have about 5 - 6 batteries always charged up and plenty of my favourite juices (always tobacco flavoured) so I'm never without and that simple set-up satisfies my needs at the moment, I might go for the more exotic stuff a bit later on but at only 4 weeks into vaping then I'm quite happy with what I have .

Good luck in whatever you decide on getting and let us know how you get on.

Graham

[andym]

I dont think you could go far wrong with a Lavatube and Vivi Nova Tank.it will afford you to "tweak" the voltage and use different resistance atty heads to find your "sweet Spot"I stopped overnight using an Ego 1100mah battery but it didnt quite give me exactly what i wanted.the Lavatube fitted the bill perfectly.I dont vape Tobacco juices just incase i am tempted to go back to the stinkies,i love the fruit juices,but then each to their own.i started on 24mg nicotine but now use 18mg.One thing to remember is the Vaping is NOT like smoking.There is a slight technique to having a drag on an e Cig compared to a real fag.I started vaping caramel/vanilla juices as they are sort of Neutral neither tobacco flavour nor fruit.I did have the odd craving for a real fag but a few blasts on my e cig and it was sorted.Its a bit like the old Martini Advert

"Anytime,AnyPlace,Anyhow!"

Good luck and welcome.

[ant]

Oct 8, 2012 15:14:06 GMT addict said:

Bigg and Ant: The El Toro looks good but the highest nicotine strength seems to be 18mg, which might not be enough for me. I suppose it’s a matter of trial and error, so I’ll give it a try.

If you look at Puros you will find it only comes in 24mg :-)

[addict]

Just two more questions and then I promise not to ask any more:

1. What is the difference between PG and VG juices?

2. Is all that vapour really necessary? I'd rather not have to go outdoors to vape just because the e-cig throws out as much steam as a boiling kettle. Does reducing the vapour lessen the hit from the juices?

I'm getting there. Thank you all so very much. I'm going to spend a few days reading and re-reading all your advice by which time I think I should be good to go. I really don't care what the e-cig looks like so long as it's effective. I stopped worrying about appearance the day I retired from work. Nowadays it's comfort before style all the way.

Fingers crossed that this will work for me and in the not too distant future I can come back on here and encourage someone else to kick the ciggies for good.

[Brian]

Dont worry about questions. We dont think any are silly and as you can tell, we all asked at the start and now are simply repaying by answering for you and other new guys.

PG gives a better throat hit, but some have found it causes slight itchiness.

VG tends to give more vapour and is sweeter. Also is gloopier and so most go for 70PG/30VG for a easier to vape consistency.

[Globalbloke (Tim)]

And unlike smoke vapour dissipates quickly so you shouldn't feel the need to go outside. I can vape in the pub all night creating plumes of vapour and no one minds because it doesn't linger (and smells pretty decent as well)

[Deleted]

Only place you need to worry about too much vapour is NHS places LOL (most have banned them - at least north of the border ), US planes and Stagecoach buses. First is fine. Trains are fine. Starbucks is a bit iffy. Don't know of anywhere else .

Depends where you live I guess? More and more folk are using e-cigs now so it's not so much a prob. If you want less steam coming out go for more PG (more throat hit if that's a prob). If you want more steam go for a stronger VG base (gloopier, sweeter and more steam)

Jane

[Chrissie]

Addict, as Brian says, please don't worry about asking questions - that's the main reason for this forum, to help everyone as much as possible

If you get to the point of narrowing down what you think will be best for you, let us know & we can give you the pros & cons on your choices to help you make a final decision. We can also check a shopping list for you to make sure you are going to order everything you need to get up & running. Plus, hopefully find you a discount code, depending on were & what you decide to go for

[Brian]

Also.... If you hold the vapour in your mouth for 1-2 seconds and exhale slowly, there will be hardly any noticeable vapour.
And definately no nasty smell of smoke.