Posted by Eric on April 3, 2013
Viper Vapes has recently become a featured supplier here at Vaping Guides and I’ve spent some time perusing their offerings. Among the various eGo style batteries that are on offer, I found an old friend in the eGo LCD. This take on the eGo was my favorite for a long time before I gave each of the three that I had to new vapers looking for a better experience.
I always liked the LCD feature because I could instantly tell whether a battery had a decent charge or not. The indicator bars were not necessarily accurate, but the puff counter definitely was. I knew that a battery with a hundred puffs on it already was not going to get me through the day.
It’s somewhat curious that this feature hasn’t made it into any of the new eGo offerings such as the Twist. I know that I frequently grab a Vmax instead of the twist to throw in my pocket, even though the Twist is less bulky. The simple reason is that I can easily see how much battery life is left in the Vmax, whereas the Twist is only a best guess. In any case, it’s nice to come across the eGo LCD again and I may just have to pick one up for old times sake.
Categories: Batteries
Posted by Eric on March 26, 2013
Madvapes now has a great $51.99 Vivi Nova kit from Smok Tech available. Dubbed the Kear (not sure where that came from), the kit includes two 1.8ohm Vivi Nova tanks and two 900mAh eGo style batteries along with a charger. There are even two additional coils to rebuild the Vivis with. This kit would make a great starter kit as well as a fantastic step up from a first ecig.
The Vivi Nova tanks have gained a reputation for being easy to use and very dependable. They are simple to fill and provide a clear view of how much e-liquid is remaining, something very important for new users. Mating them to a 900mAh battery can mean up to a days worth of troublefree vaping. The fact that Madvapes is including 1.8ohm Vivi’s with the kit is also noteworthy, as this is a perfect resistance for use with the eGo style batteries.
For those of you considering your first kit, remember to add e-liquid to your order! Madvapes also has a great selection of very inexpensive e-liquids to make your order complete. They aren’t necessarily the best flavors we’ve tried, but for the price they’re hard to beat.
Categories: Uncategorized
Posted by Eric on March 21, 2013
It struck me again today that electronic cigarette companies seem to be a little behind the curve when it comes to introducing their product. I saw a lady pick up a Blu disposable at a drugstore. It was obviously her first electronic cigarette purchase, and I was sorry to that her first impression was going to come from that model. I’ll reserve my judgement on Blu – this post is about disposable ecigs in general.
As an entry point, disposables make a lot of sense. The sub $10 price point is a lot more attractive than the $40 minimum for a kit. Unfortunately, all of the disposables I’ve tried have been poor representations of what companies really have to offer. The vapor, flavor and intensity are weak compared to the rechargeable kits and cartomizers that the same companies sell.
Vendors such as V2 and Smokeless Image offer great single battery starter kits for less than $25 that address the problem to a certain extent. One battery is still a significant handicap for a new user, but at least they’re rechargeable and the kits do include full flavor cartomizers.
What I’d like to see are truly excellent disposables that give a new user a great first impression of what electronic cigarettes are really all about.
Categories: Atomizers and Cartomizers, Uncategorized
Posted by Eric on March 18, 2013
V2 Cigs is offering some great coupon codes, valid on March 18th and 19th. Now’s a good time to make the switch to electronic cigarettes with one of the easiest kits around or to just stock up on KR808 cartos.
Use promo code “Save35” at checkout when you spend $200 or more and get 35% off the cost of your entire order. “Save30” gets you 30% off orders totaling $150 or more and “Save25” gets 25% off orders of $100 or more.
Categories: Uncategorized
Posted by Eric on March 8, 2013
After awhile just about any electronic cigarette atomizer or cartomizer will start to lose flavor, taste burnt or just plain provide less satisfaction. I’ve been using a Smok Tech rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA) for a few weeks and lately it has not been performing well at all. I wasn’t getting any burnt taste, but there was very little flavor or throat hit and decreased vapor. It was time for a new wick and coil and once I pulled it apart the cause was obvious. The wire of the coil is now surrounded by a ball of charred residue and the wire is not even visible around the wick.
The picture above shows what has been going on with the coil during a month’s worth of use. A lot of the buildup is likely due to a dark thick e-liquid that has gunked up atomizers and cartomizers in the past. The exposed coil of the RDA makes it easy to see the condition, but the same thing happens in atomizers and cartomizers as well. It will be interesting to see what the new one looks like after a month of only clearer juices.
Categories: Atomizers and Cartomizers
Posted by Eric on March 6, 2013
Many electronic cigarette users (vapers) become dissatisfied with particular e-liquids over time. Even favorite all-day vapes become ho-hum after awhile. The solution is to regularly change flavors, or at least try a different one when the one in use gets bland. Taste buds seem to get desensitized over time and changing flavors can really make a difference.
Categories: Uncategorized
Posted by Eric on March 5, 2013
One of the first questions a new electronic cigarette user usually asks is, “how much juice do I need?” This is an important question, because running out of e-liquid can leave you buying cigarettes until your juice order comes in. It also has a direct impact on the recurring cost of using an electronic cigarette.
There is no exact answer as to how much e-liquid you will use. The amount varies depending on the type of equipment being used, how often you vape and how long you inhale. 5ml per day is probably a safe estimate and is likely on the high side for most new vapers. The number is a good one though, because it equates to just over a 30ml bottle of e-liquid per week. A good idea for all new vapers is to have at least a 30ml bottle in reserve and plan on using 120ml a month. As you try different flavors you will probably find that you build up a pretty good supply of half full bottles that didn’t quite make it as your favorites.
Categories: E-Liquid
Posted by Eric on February 25, 2013
There was an interesting link on ECF today to an article in the Los Angeles Post entitled FDA Charges Exposed. The article is about a year old, but it is good to know that at least someone is trying to get the word out that the design of the FDA is inherently corrupt. Allowing drug companies that fund the FDA (and our politicians) to essentially police themselves and dictate policy sounds like a ridiculous idea but it’s how the system is set up. Only politicians can change it, but they are also supported by big pharma. Bringing the FDA to heel seems a little like tilting at windmills, but we can hope!
Categories: Uncategorized
Posted by Eric on February 23, 2013
Reminder from South Florida Vapers… We are meeting up this Sunday, Feb. 24th, at 1 p.m. at Maguires, 535 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL. We are extremely lucky to have Clouds of Vapor and Good Life Vapor sponsoring us this month. They will both be out if you need any supplies and also to try their flavors 🙂 Free Raffles also sponsored by Boca Vapes and JWraps!
Categories: Uncategorized
Posted by Eric on February 15, 2013
Cartomizers and tanks are great at holding lots of e-liquid and atomizers are good for dripping a few drops at a time. Smok Tech has recently introduced a Rebuildable Drip Atomizer (RDA) that just happens to be a great in-between solution. Dubbed the Octopus because of its 8 wick setup, this atomizer is not only easy to rebuild, but can be saturated with 10 to 15 drops of juice, making it a great flavor tester. The throat hit and vapor are excellent. I bought mine at LiteCig, and Madvapes is handling them as well.
Categories: Atomizers and Cartomizers, Uncategorized
