Is there a point anymore? Why isn't everything 510?

[CraigHB]

I've been using the 510 connectors. I've become accustomed to those so for no other reason, that's what I would like to see become a standard. I never thought about the male versus female argument. I don't really see any advantage in the placement of one connector gender over the other. I have had issue with thread wear so if anything, that would be the most important consideration.

A lot of standards are set merely by popularity, either by market politics or by consumer demand. As it stands, the 510 is way ahead offering more options than any other connector style. When I first started vaping, my number one concern was battery capacity. My next concern was what to put on it. Finding something that worked really well for me was a trying task. I tried a lot of different stuff and the 510 connector gave me the biggest selection.

As far as people getting discouraged by kiosk and gas station e-cigs, I feel those are people just looking for a reason to stay with the cigs. I didn't start with a very good kit either, but that only motivated me to find something better, which I did. That crappy e-cig showed me that vaping could be a real alternative. I felt like my switch to vaping was a pretty big change in my life and can see where some people might feel anxiety about that. Vaping is not without its pitfalls. It's certainly easier to light up than to deal with the routines involved. However, we all know it's well worth it, but for someone with no experience, it can be daunting.

I think no matter how mainstream vaping becomes or how the quality improves in off-the-shelf PVs, there will always be those who would rather smoke, health risks, expense, bans and all. I've come across a few people like that already myself.

 

[Hotwire]

ok i get where your coming from now.

i'm not totally offended by these crap models, i'm offended by the price that they have the nerve to charge. it's almost criminal.

considering you can get eGo-style for $30 now, these mall kits should be $10 max. unless you're buying a handmade mod, you shouldn't be spending more than $60 for a kit, tops. if these mall kits were cheap people could write them off as just being cheap crap. but when you're paying $100, you expect $100 product.

i got lucky that i ordered a 510 kit to start with, i damn near chose it blindly. had i come across a kiosk i probably would have gone with that. and in all fairness it would have been my fault for not doing research but i would have chalked it up to a "live&learn" experience instead of writing e-cigs off completely.

Right on. I almost got an npro duo but didn't have a debit or c/card at the time as I lost them, so couldn't order until new card came through. Stumbled across a JantyKorea (I live in Korea as an esl'er) booth in the meantime and got my ego-t.

If I had have got the npro and it was lame, that would have made me think that e-cigs and even forums like this were huge scams fueled by people trying to make money off of them and I would have written vaping off and probably too discouraged to try another model.

Serendipidy (sp?) for moi?

Also I agree with other posters that say you have to know how to make them work.

I have grown into a pipe smoker's type drawing style where I inhale for the first draw then whilst exhaling most of that through the nose, I then take a second draw at the same time... Tons of vapor and very satisfying for me. 5 of those and I feel pretty satisfied compared to several shorter normal cigarette type inhale / exhales.

 

[Crumpet]

I agree. But even and KR8 seems a tad pointless these days now that cartomizers are available for the 510. I'd love to see more variety of colors for 510 cartos and there is nothing stopping manufacturers from building KR8 batteries with 510 threading as the new standard cig-sized batteries.

I have a PigCig by LeCig and it is a fat Ego-style kr808....lasts all day with heavy hits. I can use my 808 cartomizers as well as having the option to use a megacarto which I love. So, to me it's the size of the battery that gives longer performance regardless of the style.

 

[FantWriter]

The more I think about this, the more I become convinced standardization would be a very bad thing.

It would make people think that you can mix and match anything and get good performance. Since that simply isn't true, it'll put off many people new to vaping.

Take, for example, the 510. Small, lightweight, low power, attractive styling. With a proper 2.5-3 ohm atomizer, it's perfect for light vaping. Slap on a LR carto, use it to replace a 2 PAD habit, and you'll be burning through batteries faster than juice.

808: larger, moderate power. For those new to vaping, the carto is ideal because there's virtually no fuss and worry. Slap on a 501 atomizer and cartridge, and the thing becomes a yardstick, needs frequent refilling, and the vape is very specialized (some people absolutely loving it, others hating it).

eGo, etc: High power, fewer recharges, brick. Very little relation to the sensual aspects of smoking. Perfect for those who are into big hits, too cumbersome for the casual smoker.

To make all these completely interchangable would be like letting people put the tires for a Focus on a Buick -- there are some combinations that just shouldn't be done without the user knowing they're taking a risk.

Which is where adapters come in. They're cheap and widely available. They also let the user know that what they're doing isn't exactly Kosher, and they can't complain to the designer/manufacturer if their project isn't perfect.

A note about threads:
I said in a previous post that the male thread should be on the battery. So why is the 510 female? Probably because the reasons for that configuration don't significantly come into play when it's used as designed.

Lithium batteries generally last two years. Being a low power battery used at high C, the 510 batteries die even faster. The designer probably figured a year, max. That's around 700 reassemblies (attaching the atomizer in the morning, placing the battery on a charger at night).

A significant factor is that they will be mated with an atomizer. The threads on a $14 atomizer are going to be a much better grade than the threads on a $2 carto, meaning less wear, fewer metal particles scraped off with each use. Also, refilling is done to the cartridge alone, meaning oil/gunk will not be getting on the threads which mate with the battery.

Compare that to what happens to an 808 --
Heavy users are going to be replacing the carto twice a day and putting it on the charger each night -- three assemblies a day.
Because the battery is larger, it's operating at a lower C, so life is probably close to two years.
Carto threads are going to be low grade and in soft metals (because of manufacturing cost), meaning more wear, more metal particles created.
Cartos are refilled whole, meaning more oil/gunk on the threads.
This added debris will be pushed to the bottom of the female thread during each assembly.

So the 510 endures perhaps 700 clean reassemblies while the 808 suffers from 2100 problematic reassemblies.

The light-duty use the 510 is designed for doesn't preclude the use of a female thread on the battery, but anything (like the 808) which must work far longer in a less-forgiving environment should be made properly.

 

[JonnyVapΣ]

To put the male vs female threading simply; which would you rather throw into a pocket full of change?

 

[Zen~]

To put the male vs female threading simply; which would you rather throw into a pocket full of change?

Ummm... Lemme think...

It's female, right?

If you can show me a female that likes being thrown into a pocket full of change, I'll show you one kinky woman!

 

[txtumbleweed]

I like the 801 attys much better than the 510's, better taste and bigger carts. I don't know if is the thread design or not but 901's and 801's provide much better taste. I use a 801 atty with an Indulgence 18350 900 mah batt or a 18650 3000 mah when I want 24 hrs or so without recharging.

 

[Hotwire]

eGo, etc: High power, fewer recharges, brick. Very little relation to the sensual aspects of smoking. Perfect for those who are into big hits, too cumbersome for the casual smoker.

Not at all. Ego is my first ever pv and I find it satisfies all the sensual aspects of smoking - nice cloud of good tasting chemicals that gives me a headrush.

Simple.

 

[FantWriter]

To put the male vs female threading simply; which would you rather throw into a pocket full of change?

Even the smallest coin (dime) is too large to touch the center pole of an 808.

A pocketful of coins probably also has dirty lint. The spacing between the center pole and the female thread is deep enough and wide enough to collect all kinds of stuff, while the space between the center pole and male thread is sealed, so the 808 is better for such abuse since the carto can be easily washed -- cleaning out a battery connection has inherent risks.

 

[JonnyVapΣ]

Even the smallest coin (dime) is too large to touch the center pole of an 808.

A pocketful of coins probably also has dirty lint. The spacing between the center pole and the female thread is deep enough and wide enough to collect all kinds of stuff, while the space between the center pole and male thread is sealed, so the 808 is better for such abuse since the carto can be easily washed -- cleaning out a battery connection has inherent risks.

It's settled, then. Everything should be 808.

 

[Zen~]

Even the smallest coin (dime) is too large to touch the center pole of an 808.

Ummmm... no.

I can short an 808, 801 or 901 with every coin I have tested thus far...

 

[IOU]

To the OP. I think the main reason you see cheap stuff at 7/11, gas stations etc, is simply because this is what the distributors for these places are pushing. They are buying the absolute cheapest e-cigs on the market and making big profits.
As far as the 510, KR8 issues; I personally like the KR8, it was the first good e-gig I got my hands on after my terrible first experience with really bad free e-cig. The biggest drawback to the 510 (which I use more than the KR8 now) is the propensity to leak. Even if not overfilled, due to the pressed fit of the cart, they can leak in your pocket, or when laid down on a flat surface. I also like dripping when at home or the office, but it is definately inconvinient to drip while driving.
In my car I use a KR8 passthrough. It is very simple to screw on a new carto if necessary.
I really love my Rivas and eGOs with 1.9 LR attys, but for traveling I tend to throw a KR8 in my front pocket and a fresh PCC in my back pocket. The PCC for the Riva/eGO is a little too large to throw in your pocket.
I personally just love all the options available to us vapers. You could never have so many great options with analogs.