I had so many difficulties when I first received my first starter kit--and shopping for other e-cigs, I was hoping to help out others like me who are completely overwhelmed by the choices out there.
Be aware that this posting is rather long but I hope it will provide thorough information for anyone attempting to quit smoking using the electronic cigarette
devices.
It will be a little expensive at first, but will eventually level out & once you’ve quit smoking or even gotten down to just smoking in the morning and after meals, you’ll find yourself saving money AND losing that morning cough.
Over the course of nearly a year, I’ve probably poured about $800 (funded
through eBay & our junk-filled closets) into e-cigs by trying out different things and ordering from higher priced stores because I didn’t know any better.
I was buying those Little Cigars at $17 a carton; like a cigarette but wrapped in cigar paper. At the height of my smoking career I was up to 3 packs a day on weekends; 2 packs per day on weekdays. Add it up. I currently average about $50 per month, sometimes less, on supplies such as atomizers and liquid. And to think I was previously paying $25 per carton for no-name cigarettes from Indian Reservations. Not quite the $50 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes, but bad enough for someone making not much more than minimum wage.
It’s sad to see someone truly give up over the frustration of e-cigs, cost of finding what you like, & I was one of those people myself for a period of time. For a bit, I truly hated those people who quit smoking the second they got their starter kit. (but yes, I am happy for them all the same) For some, it’s the small things that can cause the biggest battles. I hope this helps if you are about to give up on e-cigs and by all means--don’t give up on something that may help you to quit smoking that awful
tobacco weed.
Some of the links show up in blue as their website titles--helpful to know if you are new visitor here on the forums
901 (automatic)
Like many newbies, I was really, really frustrated starting out & I didn’t “get” a whole lot of what I was reading until I received my first DSE-901 starter kit--which I overpaid for by the way.
Once I got my 901, I understood. After learning first hand about it, it is the easiest to begin with. You’ve got three pieces to contend with: Battery, Atomizer, and mouth piece or otherwise known as Cartridge which contains a sort of batting that holds nicotine liquid.
The battery is rechargeable and lasted me about 1 month with heavy usage. After a while I was toting around at least four batteries and had 2 to 3 chargers going all day at work, then all day at home. Keep in mind I am a HEAVY user. (smoked 3 packs a day--vape twice as much ha ha)
Fairly simple to use. Screw the battery onto the atomizer. Load batting inside the cartridge with e-liquid (known as e-juice and other names but essentially is all the same thing) Push the mouth piece into the atomizer and inhale as you would with a cigarette.
The 901 is what I would solely recommend for beginners. It’s lightweight, about as thick as a cigarette, a little longer. You drag on it just like a cigarette & it’s light enough that you can clamp down on it with your teeth and take off--just as you might with a cig in your mouth.
The batteries have an auto shut-off to prevent you from overheating your atomizer. No worries. No fried/overheated atomizers. It’ll feel warm, hot even--but don’t worry, it’s normal and safe.
Push button manual batteries are also available. You must push a button to make it work instead of just inhaling. These batteries are sealed & are great for dripping.
Dripping is when you drop 1 to 2 drops of liquid directly into the atomizer--ditch the cotton wad in the mouth piece. It provides a little bit stronger hit--about the difference between a full flavor cigarette and a light cigarette. Dripping being more like a full flavor cig.
Dripping is not for automatic batteries as the liquid will eventually seep into the battery itself and cause it turn on & off by itself for long periods of time, basically cooking your atomizer. More on this later….
My take on it
I was happy for those who said they quit smoking soon as they 1st tried the e-cig but I hated them all the same time! I was frustrated! Why isn’t it hitting as well as it was before? Is it the atomizer, the battery, is my cartridge dry? Do I need a new battery altogether or just a freshly charged one?
It was recommended to me that I go from 18mg strength juice to a higher level. I switched to 36mg juice and quit smoking at work completely.
Regular cigarettes still hit harder though and were still oh so satisfying in the morning & after supper. I needed something stronger or I was never gonna quit cigarettes….
The GG Nano with 901 connector
I have learned a LOT since buying this thing. The GG Nano is no longer in production but my foley with it will help newbies understand about voltage.
The 901 battery runs on 3 volts. It is the voltage that provides the feeling a harder hit or lighter hit, so to speak.
You can buy modified versions from folks who are quite mechanically inclined and savvy in the garage--which I am so not.
The mods are all the same thing: Battery holders with an atomizer attachment. This allows you to buy bigger, cheaper batteries and vape all day long! The GG Nano came from Greece and after shipping, cost me about $200 but I was desperate for something & had no idea what to go with. The choices are practically limitless and I was confusing myself with all the info.
My take on it
The GG Nano ran on a single 3.7 volt battery. Almost immediately, I didn’t like it. It was bulky, heavy and there was no resistance--like sucking on a straw. Eventually I returned it for a loss of $50 but I needed to move on. I researched voltage & found a cheaper way to test all that out.
I will say that liquids tasted better; the flavor was more pronounced. I found that I could tolerate some of the nastier sample liquids I had bought when using the Nano. There are many who swear by this thing and that’s fine; each to his own.
The GG forum is a bit…just not for me. It’s regulars at the time gave a sense of a….how should I put this….a young feel. (not everyone of course. Some were very helpful) At the age of 28 I felt like an old fogey. There’s good information there but you must sift through screen-sized images of bunnies and things like that. I also must say that all my emails to smokejuice were answered with lightning speed. However if repairs were to be needed, mailing to Greece is just too expensive--something I had not considered at the time of my purchase.
………………………………........................................................................................
It was at this time I went back to the standard 901 automatic and began dripping directly into the atomizer. In my opinion, dripping offers a slightly stronger and more consistent hit. I was hooked and especially after trying 36mg liquid. I could eat small and not need to smoke a cigarette as long as I had my 36 mg liquid. And no stupid batting to change out, squeeze out, etc. I always hated cartridges, even though I continued to use an empty mouth piece.
It hadn’t occurred to me that the liquid was slowly, bit by bit, seeping through the hole in the battery that allows air to automatically pass through the atomizer--in other words, the liquid had seeped into the battery itself. My batteries had begun to turn on by themselves and stayed on without my knowledge. It cooked an atomizer into ruin. I was told that 901 manual batteries (with a push button) were sealed so that liquid could never seep into the battery itself.
So I went with the push button batteries which wasn’t so bad and got me used to needing to press a button each time I needed nicotine. Good prep for working up to a mod.
And yet, I was still half smoking, half vaping.
………………………………..................................................................................
510 Pass Through with a 5 Volt Kensington Battery
The Kensington is essentially a backup battery for laptops, cell phones, etc. It has a USB plug so a USB Pass Through can be used with this. A Pass Through is a battery with an end of your choice, be it 510, 901 or 801. I tried 901 and 510 pass throughs hooked up to 5 volts of pure pleasure.
So far, I liked this the best with a 510 atomizer. It hit smooth & strong, like a cigarette (but not burning throat strong) and the battery lasted for 2 straight days with CONSTANT vaping. I even got a deal on it. Normally $60, I scored one on Amazon.com for $35 shipped.
I would suggest buying a gently used one on eBay if you’d like to test out 5 volts on the cheap. It will give you an idea of what a 6 volt hit will be like.
I constructed a pouch hooked to my jeans and ran the pass through cord up my shirt and used it all day at work--around the house when I was sitting for a while. Still, the cords were not practical. I dreaded going to the restroom at work and dealing with the cord, the pouch, the cord to my MP3 headphones attached to another pouch--all attached to my belt. I needed to go cordless.
At this time, when I used a pass through, or going free with a standard 901, I was ending each work day with serious headaches. My main issue was that at work I had stopped smoking altogether. Didn’t crave it, didn’t want it. However I kept that darn thing clamped down in my teeth. Even if I wasn’t vaping, it had become a sort of pacifier. It was comforting just have it there in my mouth--all day. Thus--the headaches & sore teeth.
The Chuck
THAG BUILT: A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing!
The Chuck comes in a couple of different varieties. The Little Chuck is made for a single 3.7 volt battery, The Chuck may hold two 3 volt batteries and a sleeve is available is you’ve got those longer batteries sitting around the house.
Custom graphics, plain colors and metallics are available with your choice of connector. I ordered one in my faithful 901 with plain color.
I also must state here that the 510 on a pass through did seem to hit a little better than the 901 when I was using my Kensington. My decision to go with a 901 fitting was simple--the 901 atomizers are cheaper. Also, I was trying to get my mom started on a 901 automatic and I figured it would just be easier if I had extras in case she needed them.
I researched, read everything, and bugged the heck out of literally everyone on the forums to figure out what mod I wanted. I had no idea what made each better or worse than the next and I drove myself absolutely insane trying to sort out and remember the details of everything. I drove all the regulars here insane as well. Go ahead and ask anyone! I was confused, confusing myself further and really just wanted to avoid another purchase like the GG Nano.
1st IMPRESSION….COUGH COUGH!!!! Whoa that’s a hit!!!! Back up a sec. I got my Chuck, but not my 3 volt batteries. I had some 3.7 volts left over from the Nano and couldn’t wait so I tried it. After about 3 hits, my atomizer was completely fried. Unusable! Lesson learned. I awaited impatiently for my 4 batteries & charger coming from an eBay purchase at $10
As with the Nano, flavors were much more pronounced. Everything just tasted better. After dripping with a 901--never using more than 2 drops of liquid--I quickly discovered this beast would require minimum 3 drops each time. The liquid does burn up quickly, but I was using it less, needing it less often. I no longer needed to have it permanently attached to my mouth. It was much more satisfying to my nicotine needs.
And while it does use more liquid--liquid is the cheapest part about using e-cigs.
Each hit is smooth, consistent and delivers each time. The batteries needed are dirt cheap, last all day (2 days for lighter users) and charge in about 2 hours.
While The Chuck is bulky and heavy--I actually quit smoking using 24mg strength liquid. Me. She Who Tried Everything. I have tried, nicotine gum, lozenge, patches, hypnosis, Chantix, Antidepressants, prayer and lots of crying--everything but acupuncture. I quit smoking after trying for countless times for eight years. After smoking 3 packs in a day. I quit smoking. I began smoking at the age of 15. I began trying to quit smoking at the age of twenty.
Oh and also, I am five feet tall and I have very short nubby fingers, like little sausages. I was afraid the Chuck would be too large for my hands and I have not had any problem in this area. It’s slender and the button is high up on the device and comfortable in my short fingers.
CUSTOMER SERVICE….Don’t expect daily updates on how your Chuck is going and don‘t get nervous if you don‘t hear anything at all for a while.. I kind of get the feeling that the creator, Jeff is one busy dude. If you picked a plain color, expect your Chuck in about 2 weeks. Watch for an email with tracking info and you’ll have it a couple days after that.
Don’t be tricked into spending more for a warranty with other companies. Jeff is wonderful about fixing your broken Chuck and most times I suspect, you just pay shipping. Really a super guy here. In my first instance, my Chuck quit working. Liquid was seeping out of the button area and into the battery compartment. I emailed Jeff and he offered to fit it with a new atomizer threading and fix everything. Very cool. With no backup, I went back to alternating my trusty 901 and smoking.
In the second instance, I stood my Chuck upright on a table at work and WHAM! Knocked it right onto the floor, where it landed quite hard. The button was all jacked up; it was broken in a bad way. I explained to Jeff what I did (yes, lesson learned) and I’d pay whatever he needed by money order, paypal, visa--just fix it please!!
Jeff, being the good guy he is, said just send it with $5 for return shipping. What a neat guy!
I also ordered a second Chuck for such occasions because I can be clumsy at times. As of today, I am waiting on my backup Chuck and just mailed the broken one a few hours ago, actually.
Cigarettes taste just awful to me and they don’t seem as satisfying. I had gotten so adjusted to the Chuck that cigarettes just don’t do it for me.
With the Chuck, waking up was a bit difficult as I am groggy and my contact lenses are not in yet. The first morning I attempted to wake up and not smoke, I dripped 3 drops into the atomizer and missed every time!
It’s take a little practice at 4:30 in the morning.
I experimented by eating a HUGE dinner and afterward, reached for my Chuck immediately. I decided that if I REALLY wanted to smoke, I could and would. I was fine. I didn’t even want a cigarette.
CARE & DURABILITY….The Chuck is made well. The button is in a logical position and has just the right amount of resistance. Newbie drippers should know that liquid will build up & squirt from the atomizer’s air hole. The Chuck has a reservoir built in for this occasion. I keep a little wad of paper towel in there to soak it up & change as needed. Each time I change my wad of towel, I remove the atomizer and wipe up the threading connector very well. It is also recommended to swipe it with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swap every now & then to keep things clean & running smoothly. I also blow out my atomizer about 2x a day to avoid excess liquid from getting a crazy overflow.
Lay it down--don’t do as I did and knock it off a table because you stood it upright. It’s durable, but is also an electronic device with pieces and parts. Don’t go throwing it down the stair to test that. I’d also recommend purchasing a backup if you like it so much that you quit smoking. When my Chuck broke, it was like those time I was smoking 3 packs a day and was in a situation where I could not smoke at all. I was really depressed for a couple days. Even now, the 901 just ain’t cutting it. Not strong enough. And these cigarettes are really nasty!
PRICE…This is what ultimately made my decision. There’s the Super T and the Screwdriver and so on, but The Chuck comes at you for only $80 shipped & right here in the USA. After all the money I had poured into e-cigs, $80 sounded like a real bargain! The price includes customized graphics--although it may be a month for delivery on the special stuff. Suppose it’s really just not your cup of tea, you can always sell it in the classifieds section of the forum.
Quick Tips for Newbies
Get a cheap starter kit--to test it out. Split it with a friend. I do recommend the 901--the batteries and atomizers are cheaper for the long haul. But if you find you prefer something else, pay the extra dollar or whatever for what works for you.
Keep it simple ALWAYS! To refill a dry cartridge, simply fill the cotton wad. Get one of the tiny bottles to keep in your pocket for easy use. Keep your batteries charging & in constant rotation.
Looking for a tobacco flavor liquid? Order a small bottle of each flavor & go from there. It’s very hard to go by other’s opinions--only your own matters. Research simple thing like sweetness, no sweetness, etc and taste test for yourself.
Have lots of flavors you hate? Mix with a plain good flavor (like vanilla--very versatile) to make it tolerable if you feel funny abut selling it.
Frustrated? Start out by just playing. Continue to smoke and use your e-cig at convenient times. When it seems like the 901 isn’t hitting hard you may be over working the battery. Step away & come back….or buy a Chuck. Don’t give up
I started in April 2009 and have only just now gotten to the point of not wanting a cigarette. Some quit right away because the e-cig is so much better (hate those people, right? Ha ha) Sometimes you gotta play with it, find out what works best for you.
If you always need to smoke after eating, try a snack when you can't smoke but can use your e-cig. See if you live
Read everything. Watch videos. Ask friends.
When I got my mom started on her 901, she called me every day--and that’s fine. I know how agitating it can be at first. She smoked for 35 years, has asthma, emphysema and copd. Has tried everything--even acupuncture & group therapy with church friends. She “played” with 901 for months and has now been cigarette free for nearly a month.
Play around with flavors. I’d figured I’d be stuck on tobacco flavors liquids but found that I truly enjoy coconut. Test them cheaply in 10ml sized bottles for around $3.50 Anything from cotton candy to cappucino. Cures a nicotine craving AND a sweet tooth!
When you’re ready to quit smoking, buy in bulk because 7-11 doesn’t carry atomizers.
CHINA--CHEAP STORES
Ruyan
Wholesale & Retail Best E-smoking Supplier
EastMall not sure what’s up…my bookmarked link brought me to a “not found” page
Health Cabin
Healthcabin Electronic Cigarettes - Wholesale and Retail
Best-E-Cig
BestEcig-Newest Mini E-cigarette|E-cigarette|wholesale e-liquid
USA--I need it now & I don’t wanna pay $15 for a bloomin’ battery!!!!
COUPON CODE SUPPLIERS LIST
Electronic Cigarette Coupon Code Master List - Electronic Cigarette Forum
Search the suppliers board for stores located in your area of the country--then compare prices. Keep a list & remember to check on stores’ shipping prices. Some can get liquid or batteries, etc to you within 2 days. Costs a little more but well worth it when you consider that 7-11 carries cigarettes for a whopping $7 per pack but no atomizers.
Buying a Mod? Check out eBay and Deal Extreme for super deals on super cheap batteries and chargers. Remember to get protected batteries only
GETTING RID OF CIGARETTE STINK
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...755-have-advice-removing-cigarette-smell.html
I have a Mazda 3, a small 4 door car that reeked of cigarette stink. I filled a bucket with plain old vinegar, baking soda and water. I scrubbed literally every nook and cranny, the upholstery--everything. Took about 2 buckets and 2 to 3 hours. Car no longer smelled like an ashtray but vinegar smell was stout for about 2 weeks. Still smelled better than before. I’ve also read that you can place scented candles in the car and as the sun comes out & heats them up, the scent will fill the car.
I haven’t tried the vinegar thing with clothes yet because I keep going back & forth between smoking & not smoking at all.
When not smoking, the smell of the mattress drives me nuts. Can’t afford a new one. You can buy allergen zipper bags that completely cover the top mattress & zip close.
I’m cheap so I take an old blanket, wash it, then saturate it with heavy fabric softener (like Gain) in the rinse cycle. I place the old blanket on top of the mattress but under the fitted sheet.
Currently I take fabric softener & water to a spray bottle. (about 1 part fab softener to 3 parts cold water) Test carpet, drapes, etc on a hidden seam if you have nice things as fab softener may pull color. I spray EVERYTHING & the room smells a bit better & it’s cheaper than Febreeze--which is simply a cover-up just like anything else. Pair with Air Wick plug-ins for a lasting cover-up scent. (good till you can at least rent a carpet shampooer)
Plants that clean the air: Peace Lilliles, Bamboo Palms, Rubber Plants, English Ivy, Lady palm.
Check plants for toxicity in children & pets here:
ASPCA | Non-Toxic Plants
Plant ease/pain of care:
PlantCare.com - Indoor House Plants Database
DO NOT GIVE UP!
