I’m going to try and keep this short as I’m on a phone, but I need advice to stick with it this time. I’ve been smoking for 30 years now, tried vaping in 2008 with the dse-901 Kanger 808d-1. That lasted a few months, and ended with some foul juice turning me off on it. Tried again in 2014 with an eSmart, but it didn’t take at all that time. About a month ago I got a ce4 cart and 510 variable voltage battery from a dispensary, and figured I’d give it a go again. I wondered off to the local vape store and picked up some juice to see if I could stop analog again. The new salt nic juice was a big hit with me, and solved one of my biggest issues with switching before. Taste was another big one, but I figure my cheapness last time was to blame. I was mostly using dekang. So after using the ccell for a few days, I can’t even touch an analog, and picked up a few Boulder rocks and enough juice to last till I get paid again. I’d like some input on where to go next. I know I need better equipment, and should start mixing my own for several reasons, and will need better hardware for that, as well as flavor output. Rebuilding atomizers and tanks isn’t something I think I’d be good at, as I don’t see well, so I’m thinking about using ce4 cartomizers for flavor testing and maybe a smoking Nord or lost vape Orion for daily vaping. A big 18650 just isn’t something I see myself wanting in my pocket. I’m thinking about a diy kit from nicotine river, to get me started. Flavor suggestions are also welcome.
Some issues I need to be mindful of: lactic acid build up. I cannot hydrate enough to purge so I have to keep PG(I think) down.
VG tends to be soapy tasting to me, could have just been the VG I’ve tried before.
Flavor burn. My first attempt ended with a coffee juice ruining my taste buds. It was great at first, but after a few days, it got so bad analogs tasted good again. Could have just been the cheap stuff, but I’m thinking heavier flavors might be best be careful.
I have a high nic/heavy hand to mouth addiction. I will need to be mindful not to drink my e liquids as if my vape were a straw.
I like vanilla, caramel, ry4 tobacco flavors, liked an orange mango guava I tried at the vape store, but haven’t figured out what else I really like or don’t… Other than I hate coconut.
I would suggest that you get a variable wattage device with removable batteries and a tank to suit your needs. I use a vaporesso polar amongst others with a cascade tank and mesh coils…this is a loose direct lung draw. It really gives you the nic hit. In fact any sud ohm coil tends to. If you do go that way be careful or how high strength your nic salts are. EG. I use 36mg nic salt in my mtl pods but wouldn’t use that in my sub ohm tanks because it would be too much.
With regard to DIY you need to do a bit of research here or another forum for the kit you need…basics are scales, vg, pg, nic base (usually 100mg) and some bottles. Then of course you need flavours. my advice is to go on the recipe site here and find something that you like the look of and then get the flavours you need to mix it. IMO stay clear of the kits as they are not very cost effective and the flavours don’t tend to be the best.
What I use now, the boulder rock, is a pod. The two I’m deciding between currently are also pods, the Nord and Orion dna go. The rock is ok, well, for the price it’s great. Feels like a Magpul vape. Silica wicks are nice, and the pod will melt before it will, but flavor is muted, and I find myself chain vaping chasing flavor, which mutes it more. For ADV though, a pod system seems best, and something like the two I’m looking at will have more flavor than the rock. As for flavors though, I’m thinking of ordering the nic river kit, trying to go for fruity stuff like fruit rings, Skittles, or pebbles for a simple 1-3 flavor to make sure I gave something to vape, some ry4 style, a vanilla, caramel or two, some tobacco, not sure which yet, I did like 555, and prefer kamels, camels, honey toasted tobacco, and smoother cigs like that. Djarums were nice, but any kratek flavor I’ve tried seemed weird… Maybe a pumpkin pie? Also some flavor enhancers.
Planning on Single flavor samples, then each with enhancers to sample that, then trying more advanced layering.
As for testing, is there any simple method? Best I could come up with is ordering bulk ce4 carts… Not looking to rewick an atty all the time.
AAh…well for your style the orion dna pod is very good although some haven’t got on with it. The new one from tony B and Pal looks really good as you can replace coils. So maybe that will work as a tester for you as well. Here’s a vid from mike vapes…
TBH most people test with an RDA so that they can keep easily rewicking for a new taste.
NB both these pods are fine with the higher vg liquids although you probably should go much above 70% VG 30% PG.
Nord is good. 0.6 coil is restricted DL, and the 1.2 (or 1.4, can’t remember) is a proper MTL. I got good flavor from it and i’m not a pod person at all
Yeah, both Nord and Orion both have replaceable attys. The only limit I see to pod life really is seals and heat breakdown. The Nord has more choices for attys, a 0.6, a 1.0, and a 1.4 I think, where as the DNA go only has two, but I’m guessing the Go could easily outperform with even minor tweaking, but I think the Nord will be enough. Either might be ok for testing flavors, but agree something more open and accessible is essential. An RDA is ideal, but rewicking is too much of a PITA for my tired eyes and arthritic hands. A 60 cent ccell could be used a few times with progressing flavors, then cleaned by soaking and re-priming.
As for PG/VG sensitivity, I think I have to be careful of both. I’d ultimately like to find a completely different carrier, maybe something like what MMj companies put in their disposables. For now though, I’ll stick with what is tested, and try to go for high nic and stronger, less subtle, flavors to keep flavor chasing and nic craving down with less intake of vapor, but that’s the best solution I can think of. As for consistency of juice in a pod, I can always try and substitute other things like DW to thin VG to wicking viscosity.
Ok, I know I’m redundantly posting, but I had a thought for flavor testing. Does anyone know of a good source for older 510 or 901 attys and tips? Preferably 510, but I suppose an adapter would work too
That site, while it has everything conceivable in production, doesn’t seem to have what I’m thinking of. I’m looking to have a good drip atty setup for testing. As my daily driver will be a pod system, I doubt I need an RDA which would require its own battery, and would probably be to different in flavor to test for pods, and would probably spoil me in the end. I have a few 510 batteries lying around, variable voltage, so I could try and tailor then to be similar to the pods in flavor production. A simple non-rebuildable setup would be great. Something like the original joyetech 510.
Everything is about finding what works best for YOU.
The 2 most important things for me were.
#1 the right level of Nic I needed to stay off analogs
#2 a few simple flavors I could vape all day - any time of day - and no matter what mood I was in. It might be 1 or 2 subtle weaker single flavors you like… like a SF mint or custard or fruit. Strong flavoring stuff may be good sometimes, but it’s no good if you can’t stand to vape it whenever you need it, anytime of day or night.
Later you 'll find some good strong flavorful recipes you like, and the right setup you like also.
Small POD Size was important to me also for a long time… but checkout the size of some single 18650 MODs like these. I already had 4 18650’s just being wasted on flavor testing with an RDA. But now they are awesome and preferred to have for vaping with an RTA vs PODs.
Smaller mods (pocketable)… there’s probably a few others you can find.
Smok AL85 (if you want to use a smok - it will fit up to 25mm addys)
Vapresso SWAG (will only do 22mm addys)
For a good starting RTA that will do very tight to loser MTL and a very decent airy restricted-DL The Damn Vape Fresia 22mm RTA. It will give you almost every kind of vape hit so you can try and test them all to see which kind of vaping you like the best.
With Building you have flexibility. The option to build higher ohms for nic salts or lower if you want to try other juices, and the cost out of this world. For around $12.00, you can made around 100 coils and wick them as much as you like.
Good luck again, hopefully you will find something to make it stick!
Right now, I’m feeding a hand to mouth and nic habit first. I can’t be constantly lifting a mod every draw. RDA and RTAs are great for people that can use them, but with my vision and other issues, that heavy battery and atty decks being as small as they are, even a velocity is to easy for me to mess up. Cheap, semi-disposable, low wattage attys that I can screw on a 510 battery or usb passthrough to test flavors a few drops at a time is what I’m looking for. As for adv, I have a creme brulee, a tobacco, and a Ry4 from my local shop, varying nic depending on my current craving. When I start mixing, I want to pick flavors that can be adv for low nic, some strong, but not heavy flavors for flavor fix, and some enhancers and a few others to round it out and keep it varied.
In time, I hope to curb the triggers and not be chasing a hand to mouth or nic habit as much as a random “flavor shot”
The G.O.A.T. RDA was designed with vision impaired people in mind. While this takes care of the coil making problem it doesn’t take care of the wicking problem. Possibly a pack of COTN threads or Firebolt cotton with the aglets could help with ease of wicking.
So, a GOAT RDA at about 28, coils at 12, and a mod to run it. I feel this misses the other points. First, if I go with that kind of setup, nothing I could comfortably Carey and vape all day could compete for flavor. Second, if I can get 100 ccell cartomizers (or preferably, something that’s just an exposed coil with no wick, like the dse 901) for the same price, and run them on USB passthrough built on a dead battery, it would be easier to unscrew the cart and screw another on, and wouldn’t require a whole nother Hobby with that much more kit to buy… Ohm meters, 18650 batteries and chargers, and such. I’m trying to learn one thing at a time. If I can find a reasonable way to test a few drops, with out diving down yet another rabbit hole, great.
I am trying my best to decipher so am sorry if i got anything wrong. The best atomizers to test on are rebuildable since u can replace the wicking material between flavors(if that picky). Anything rebuildable would of course require some basic tools, yet i mean basic. You dont have to buy what u dont need and i built coils for a year without a jig, use a screwdriver. As far as ohm meters go, you might buy one if your device doesnt have one but trust me when i say a cheap mod that reads resistance will give ya more miles then an ohm meter. There are so many pod systems out today and they are realizing that we like rebuildables so more are available. i personally prefer a small setup like a pico size for the pocket. You will find a decent device and rta will save you a ton of money and headaches. Gl to u!
Ok… I can see why it may seem like I’m trying to nail down hardware, and I am new again, so will be expanding my hardware, but will be sucking on these rocks until next month when I pick up a Nord. If that can’t produce good enough flavor, I’ll step it up to an Orion dna go. I DO NOT want anything big , bulky, or heavy, even for testing flavors. Some cheap old school attys like the dse-901 is what I’m looking for. I have some 510 batteries already, and could grab an adapter. I have absolutely no desire to build anything vape related, other than tailoring my own flavors. As I said in an earlier post, I could pick up some clearomizer ce4 carts that would do, just wondering if I’m trying to reinvent a wheel someone else has already done, or if there is something still in production like the 901. Again, not trying for anything rebuildable. Also, flavor shots seem appealing as first, but I would rather vape a simple single or double flavor, and spend my efforts on slowly developing my own sense of what I like and why.
Great advice… Same here, I use the (blunt end) of drill bits to wrap coils for any ID (Inner Diameter) I need. And even tho I have a multimeter to measure Ohms… Never even used it. Every coil I calculated on the Steam-Engin Coil building site matched almost perfect when I put it on my MOD that read Ohm’s
