Woe the learning curve.

[VON]

i also was a long term ciggy user 43years,have not smoked 1 ciggy in 8 months.the 1st time i used an e cig. i said ya know!! this thing is doable! dont get me wrong there have been good vape'n day's and bad vape'n day's and the bad vape'n day's can be very bad!!!!!but ya know as of now i'm of a mindset that i'll never give this up.or at least untill it is of my choice!!

I am with you on that. I was/am a heavy smoker for 20 some odd years and this is the only thing that has worked for me. I even used that stupid computer thingy to taper me off cigs...I mean NOTHING worked for me.

I hope our government doesn't ban these things, because it will mean I am back on the anologs and certain death for me.

BTW- I know my wife is sold on these vaporizers (I think it was a mistake to name them e-cigs)...my art studio(which is my garage) has aired out and doesn't stink anymore.

 

[k lady]

A couple of questions I've really wanted to ask a "vet":

1. Are you still, or perhaps again, using the stock filler that comes in the carts? I imagine you've tried them all (mods) and am curious as to what has been consistently working for you.

2. Do you try to clean your atties or do you treat them as "disposable" parts? If you clean them, what have you found works best?

3. How do you treat a new atty to alleviate that gawd awful taste? I've read everything from cleaning to blowing to burning off. It almost makes me cry when I've buggered up a perfectly broken in atty and am resigned to unwrapping a new one.

 

[frogbmth]

OK here are my answers, beware these are just my personal choices

1. Given up on cart filler completely except in cartomizers. I sometimes use a fresh cart in my JantyStick and KBC but when I am done I throw it out. I cant be doing with messing about with filler, its non stop messing about

2. I blow them out from time to time with a can of air, but don't soak them in cola or anything. I find they clog and go wimpy real fast if you use VG, the ones used with only PG seem to last me. I have one with six months on it and it's only ever had PG in it, it produces massive clouds still and the draw hasn't gone tight. I suspect VG kills atties much faster than PG and that foul taste only seems to come from VG for me.

3. I blow it out with a can of air, dry it, flood it with a load of pure PG, blow it out again and then prime it with juice for use. Works for me

Andy

 

[Caesarea]

Following answers are personal and may not suit your vapestyle. Other people will have other answers!!!

1. Any cart is just a glorified filter for me - if prefilled I'll keep it from totally drying out by keeping the surface moist but I won't waste juice in it - I use a needlepoint bottle to drip with. An empty cart is OK too or just the mouthpiece the atty came with. I don't like vapourised filling materials - none of them can be good for the lungs. I can't be bothered with straws, fluval snippets or the like. Pull off mouthpiece, drip, shove mouthpiece back on.

2. Blow out and drain atties but never clean them. Vape plain VG (Ecomix) to chase away a flavour I didn't like or no longer want.
3. Have only ever had that roasted socks flavour problem with 801 atties with carts on penstyle batts. Don't use 'em much any more except on a 3.7v box mod - the consistent battery life may help break the 801 atties in quicker and keep them cleaner tasting and I drip very sparingly with 801s using mouthpiece and no cart.
Cheers,

C.

PS should say I mostly use 901 and 510 atties on battery mods.

 

[k lady]

OK here are my answers, beware these are just my personal choices

1. Given up on cart filler completely except in cartomizers. I sometimes use a fresh cart in my JantyStick and KBC but when I am done I throw it out. I cant be doing with messing about with filler, its non stop messing about

So, you drip directly onto the atty? I'm currently using a 510 (own a 901 also, shelved as I'm trying to master one at a time!) and use a USB connection while at home on the computer. Spend many hours at work during the week, cycling through recharged batts. I can't see how frequent dripping ("non stop messing about," for me) would be feasible at work, so I'm currently filling up round carts and plugging them with a bit of the blue foam as the stock fiber material had me pulling out my hair within a week! What am I missing?

2. I blow them out from time to time with a can of air, but don't soak them in cola or anything. I find they clog and go wimpy real fast if you use VG, the ones used with only PG seem to last me. I have one with six months on it and it's only ever had PG in it, it produces massive clouds still and the draw hasn't gone tight. I suspect VG kills atties much faster than PG and that foul taste only seems to come from VG for me.

I haven't tried VG as of yet. Six months on an atty could be some kind of record, from what I've read!

3. I blow it out with a can of air, dry it, flood it with a load of pure PG, blow it out again and then prime it with juice for use. Works for me

Just reading that word "flood" makes me cringe 8-o! I guess you can tell what I've had issues with lately, and yes, I'm sure there's a clue as to why in my comment to #1 above.

Andy

Thanks so much for the input, Andy. I'm hoping to find a good solution for my personal wants/needs by learning from others!

 

[Slickstick]

If you don't mind dripping all the time that is the way to go. The best filler for a cart, for me, is the blue foam. I have heard that a straw mod's makes it better. I will try that soon. I use thick VG. I like the vapor. We are all looking for a better material and bigger cart mods. I have a manual titan. My atty's are 3 weeks old and working fine. I have cleaned some before by boiling them 3 minutes and then dunking them in isopropyl alcohol and then blowing them out. Then drip on the wick before attatching a wet cart. Keep the wicks wet. I will not clean them until I have to. The old ones I cleaned are dead. Most likely because I pulled out the wicking material inside thinking it was loose polyfill. I cleaned them when I didn't need to. Everything I tried has filled my mouth full of liquid at least once except dripping cartless.
Take this with a grain of salt I have only been vaping three weeks.
But I have been ALL OVER these and other forums learning and trying new stuff.
Hope this helps!

 

[k lady]

Following answers are personal and may not suit your vapestyle. Other people will have other answers!!!

1. Any cart is just a glorified filter for me - if prefilled I'll keep it from totally drying out by keeping the surface moist but I won't waste juice in it - I use a needlepoint bottle to drip with. An empty cart is OK too or just the mouthpiece the atty came with. I don't like vapourised filling materials - none of them can be good for the lungs. I can't be bothered with straws, fluval snippets or the like. Pull off mouthpiece, drip, shove mouthpiece back on.

OK, I can picture the needlepoint reaching in far enough to drip a few drops directly onto the atty. How many drops so as not to flood? How long, or how many goodly draws, does this last on average? Did you go through the whole replacement cart filler debacle at some point?

2. Blow out and drain atties but never clean them. Vape plain VG (Ecomix) to chase away a flavour I didn't like or no longer want.

Do you do this on a regular, say daily, basis or just when they start to act up? How long does a well cared for atty last you? Do you prefer only VG or do you use PG liquids also?

3. Have only ever had that roasted socks flavour problem with 801 atties with carts on penstyle batts. Don't use 'em much any more except on a 3.7v box mod - the consistent battery life may help break the 801 atties in quicker and keep them cleaner tasting and I drip very sparingly with 801s using mouthpiece and no cart

By "mouthpiece," do you mean basically an empty cart or is there another gadget that's escaped my notice? If using a cart with filler, do you ascribe to the opinion that there IS a proper way to seat it in relation to the atty bridge or its base? I forgot to include this particular question in my initial post, but I'm very curious to read your answer.


Cheers,

C.

PS should say I mostly use 901 and 510 atties on battery mods.

Thanks in advance, Caesarea, for taking the time with this "newbie"....

 

[k lady]

If you don't mind dripping all the time that is the way to go. The best filler for a cart, for me, is the blue foam. I have heard that a straw mod's makes it better. I will try that soon. I use thick VG. I like the vapor. We are all looking for a better material and bigger cart mods. I have a manual titan. My atty's are 3 weeks old and working fine. I have cleaned some before by boiling them 3 minutes and then dunking them in isopropyl alcohol and then blowing them out. Then drip on the wick before attatching a wet cart. Keep the wicks wet. I will not clean them until I have to. The old ones I cleaned are dead. Most likely because I pulled out the wicking material inside thinking it was loose polyfill. I cleaned them when I didn't need to. Everything I tried has filled my mouth full of liquid at least once except dripping cartless.
Take this with a grain of salt I have only been vaping three weeks.
But I have been ALL OVER these and other forums learning and trying new stuff.
Hope this helps!

It sounds like you and I are on the same path in our quest to replace the dreaded stinkies with something that is not only infinitely more pleasurable but socially acceptable as well. As with any technology and the bright minds that advance it, I only hope the imperfections are soon a thing of the past which will prompt more and more people to make the switch and stick with it. I don't care how great it is, many will give up if it's too much of a hassle and the problems can't be worked out .

Thanks for the input!

 

[frogbmth]

The 510 isn't the best device to drip with, two drops is all that it will take and you can still flood it. If pulling the cart off and dripping from a bottle into the atty each time you want a vape session is not practical for you, dont sweat it as it isn't the only way.

It sounds like cartomizers might be the answer you are searching for

 

[Caesarea]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Caesarea
Following answers are personal and may not suit your vapestyle. Other people will have other answers!!!

1. Any cart is just a glorified filter for me - if prefilled I'll keep it from totally drying out by keeping the surface moist but I won't waste juice in it - I use a needlepoint bottle to drip with. An empty cart is OK too or just the mouthpiece the atty came with. I don't like vapourised filling materials - none of them can be good for the lungs. I can't be bothered with straws, fluval snippets or the like. Pull off mouthpiece, drip, shove mouthpiece back on.

OK, I can picture the needlepoint reaching in far enough to drip a few drops directly onto the atty. How many drops so as not to flood? How long, or how many goodly draws, does this last on average? Did you go through the whole replacement cart filler debacle at some point?
Nio I don't reach in with the needlepoint. What it does is deliver very precise and small drops - no flood risk as with eye-droppers. How long? 30mins to 1 hour - never count the draws. No - cart modding has never interested me - yuck to the mess and fiddling.

2. Blow out and drain atties but never clean them. Vape plain VG (Ecomix) to chase away a flavour I didn't like or no longer want.

Do you do this on a regular, say daily, basis or just when they start to act up? How long does a well cared for atty last you? Do you prefer only VG or do you use PG liquids also?

Only when there is a gurgly draw - not often on a battery mod. Atty lasts about 3 minutes on 6volts, so I just don't go there!
At 3.7v 2- 3 weeks (801) and a month or more 901/510.
Use PG and VG - switching over when fed up of one.


3. Have only ever had that roasted socks flavour problem with 801 atties with carts on penstyle batts. Don't use 'em much any more except on a 3.7v box mod - the consistent battery life may help break the 801 atties in quicker and keep them cleaner tasting and I drip very sparingly with 801s using mouthpiece and no cart

By "mouthpiece," do you mean basically an empty cart or is there another gadget that's escaped my notice? If using a cart with filler, do you ascribe to the opinion that there IS a proper way to seat it in relation to the atty bridge or its base? I forgot to include this particular question in my initial post, but I'm very curious to read your answer.

Mouthpiece = the cap or cart the atty came with.
The only alignment that seems to me to be crucial in my PVs is with the 510: Eclypse's photo of the 510 shows the correct alignment of cart and atty to avoid cart plastic melting/burning. See Below*
The 801s I have left have all been low bridge.


Cheers,

C.

PS should say I mostly use 901 and 510 atties on battery mods.

*
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/27201c0ca10f0a7c6daa_19.jpg
__________________

 

[DC2]

A couple of questions I've really wanted to ask a "vet":

1. Are you still, or perhaps again, using the stock filler that comes in the carts? I imagine you've tried them all (mods) and am curious as to what has been consistently working for you.

2. Do you try to clean your atties or do you treat them as "disposable" parts? If you clean them, what have you found works best?

3. How do you treat a new atty to alleviate that gawd awful taste? I've read everything from cleaning to blowing to burning off. It almost makes me cry when I've buggered up a perfectly broken in atty and am resigned to unwrapping a new one.

When you were talking about an Ask-A-Veteran forum, these are exactly the kinds of questions I figured would be asked, and exactly the ones I doubt that even the veterans can agree on.

So it was funny when I saw this post a few minutes later.

 

[k lady]

DC2,
Ah, but this newbie cum novice, and I'm sure I speak for the majority, isn't looking for complete agreement amongst the vets. I hope that notion doesn't keep them/you from answering. The problem with posting a question in the "New User's Forum" is that you're apt to get answers from newbies with even less experience than you have, some with advice that could be downright dangerous 8-o, or at the very least takes you off on a wild goose chase with advice that has been debunked months ago, unbeknownst to you! It's like the proverbial "blind leading the blind!"

Caesarea,
I finally understand . I'm trying very hard NOT to be a "barmpot" and have you throw up your hands in exasperation , but that one confused me as I'd only heard of the needlepoint applicator being used to inject liquid into, or past, filter material. Your description cleared that right up, thankyouverymuch!

 

[Caesarea]

DC2,
Ah, but this newbie cum novice, and I'm sure I speak for the majority, isn't looking for complete agreement amongst the vets. I hope that notion doesn't keep them/you from answering. The problem with posting a question in the "New User's Forum" is that you're apt to get answers from newbies with even less experience than you have, some with advice that could be downright dangerous 8-o, or at the very least takes you off on a wild goose chase with advice that has been debunked months ago, unbeknownst to you! It's like the proverbial "blind leading the blind!"

Caesarea,
I finally understand . I'm trying very hard NOT to be a "barmpot" and have you throw up your hands in exasperation , but that one confused me as I'd only heard of the needlepoint applicator being used to inject liquid into, or past, filter material. Your description cleared that right up, thankyouverymuch!

Barmpot? mhhhh...Nah the little long-nosed bottle has no actual needle -

PS I posted my reply without having noticed Frogbmths - in fact there is a common desire to avoid cart filler futzing - one way or another...

 

[k lady]

The 510 isn't the best device to drip with, two drops is all that it will take and you can still flood it. If pulling the cart off and dripping from a bottle into the atty each time you want a vape session is not practical for you, dont sweat it as it isn't the only way.

It sounds like cartomizers might be the answer you are searching for

You're probably right about the cartomizers in terms of ease of use without risk of atty flooding, but it seems like going backwards at this point. Also, I cringe thinking of the papery taste inherent in cart fillers, which I suppose is why so many find dripping to be their favorite method. That pure, unadulterated taste just can't be beat!

I have faith some clever person will invent a PV that lets you load a small vial of liquid that delivers a drop directly onto the atty. I've seen a prototype on this site, but it looks to be mounted to the side resulting in a bulky device. If you could load a slim 3ml vial like a batt and perhaps depress a manual switch that would drip a drop or two while firing up the atty at the same time....well, that would be just the ticket!!

In the meantime, I'll keep trying different equipment and practices as I am determined to stick with it. Again, thanks so much for taking the time, frogbmth.

 

[k lady]

Barmpot? mhhhh...Nah the little long-nosed bottle has no actual needle -

PS I posted my reply without having noticed Frogbmths - in fact there is a common desire to avoid cart filler futzing - one way or another...

I seeeee said the blind woman to the deaf cat!! There is a bottle out there that has a needle sticking out the end that causes the liquid to travel along the needle; I've used one to apply sewing machine oil. These are indeed different - I'll poke around the Supplier's forum for a source and order a couple. Thanks for the tip

 

[jj2]

My dream of life, to be labeled a Veteran at ECF.

Only half joking. Even when it happens, I imagine I'll still have things to learn.

 

[k lady]

My dream of life, to be labeled a Veteran at ECF.

Only half joking. Even when it happens, I imagine I'll still have things to learn.

Looks like you're pretty close to realizing your dream!!

My dream of life involves being able to walk out my door to fantastic blue water where I can swim, snorkle or scuba anytime I want. By the time I can afford it, I'll likely be too old and feeble to do it!

 

[Robertogee]

What everybody else said.

I'm a 45+ years heavy smoker. Haven't had (or wanted) an analog since I got my kit (I've still got 4 cartons of Indian reservation analogs in my cupboard).

Guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I didn't really intend to "quit" smoking. Somebody introduced me to e-cigs Halloween night, said they were his third brand to try, and recommended them heartily (V4L). I researched them (thank you, ECF) and ordered the Ultimate Ultimatum kit.

People congratulate me for "quitting." I say I haven't quit: it just feels like I've switched brands. Nothing to it. (Besides no tars and no 4000 carcinogenic chemical compounds, that is.)

Obviously, I enjoyed smoking all those years.

I REALLY enjoy vaping! I enjoy refilling cartomizers. I enjoy recharging batteries. Enjoy the PCC and Passthrough. Enjoy the juices, flavors, strengths. Enjoy sharing e-cigs with smoker friends. Enjoy handing out cards from V4L to those who're interested (EVERY smoker is).

NO side-effects or "symptoms" like some have mentioned.

Somebody wrote, on another thread, "It all sounds too good to be true."

I wrote back, "Well, for me it is."

Sure, there's a tiny learning curve about how to vape, how to refill, what you do and don't like, flavors, strengths, etc.

For me it's all fun and makes what had become a dirty, filthy, anti-social habit "cool" again.

And did I mention BREATHING and renewed ENERGY and cutting my annual smoking expenses to one-twelfth what they were?

That's right. At the rate I'm vaping and feeling completely satisfied every day, wherever I am; a FULL YEAR'S VAPING costs me what ONE MONTH'S SMOKING used to cost.

Amazing enough, to me.

But what's REALLY amazing to me is that it was instantaneous. From the moment I received my kit.

As I say, for me it's really more like switching brands of analogs. Only e-cigs are a "brand" with infinite flavors, configurations, nicotine concentrations, none of the analog tar-pollution and carcinogens . . . and the all-important "cool" factor, heh, heh.

 

[k lady]

What everybody else said.

I'm a 45+ years heavy smoker. Haven't had (or wanted) an analog since I got my kit (I've still got 4 cartons of Indian reservation analogs in my cupboard).

Oh how funny, I have 8 cartons of the same in my fridge!! Thinking I should go pass them out at the homeless shelter!

Don't get me wrong - I am ever thankful I stumbled upon ECF and had the same instant success you did . I've just gotten to a point I'm sure every new vaper does where I'm trying to refine my vaping methods to achieve a consistently pleasurable experience. Not all days have gone that way .

 

[mbolack]

Oh how funny, I have 8 cartons of the same in my fridge!! Thinking I should go pass them out at the homeless shelter!

I know what you mean! I have 4+ cartons of menthol cloves on my shelf. Haven't even wanted one since June 6, the day after I got my first 510. I have tried to figure out what to do with mine, too, and I considered the homeless shelter. But, considering they have now been banned, it seems like a mean thing to do to take them over there. If someone really likes them, they can't get more, you know? So here they sit.

I, too, am enjoying all of the folderall that goes along with e-cigging. The flavors, the mixing... I don't even mind the maintenance and restuffing the carts. The routine is fun, and experimenting is even more fun.