Newbie wanting to get into mods

Hi, a newbie here. I am looking to get into mods, slowly. It is a totally alien world to me and I have spent today searching the web and getting lost on youtube review videos.

I just got an itaste MVP from a shop near me and it is great, but my little Kangertech tank is just dripping and gurgling like crazy, and this itaste is good but I would rather have something a bit better looking that I could take out with me at the weekend...also, that would last a night out drinking and lots of vaping.

I was looking at some mods and something like an "Innokin iTaste SVD Deluxe Kit" looks like it could be good, or, "Authentic Sigelei-20w(20 watt) Mod". With one of the new Aspire Atlantis Tanks or maybe something like a Kanger Aerotank Mega Dual Coil Clearomizer? I don't even know if these tanks and mods would work together, or if there are better tanks etc more suited.

Then I see the "TNT Mechanical Mod(Fit 18650/26650 Battery)" and think of how cool it could look with a red or black tank. But, it seems like this might be too technical a mod for me?

So, my question is...are the above mods good for a newbie, and would those tanks be suitable and get the best out of the mods? My wants would be: something nice to look at, good vape, and good battery life.

Ok, the first question I have to ask is do you have any interest in building your own coils?? It is really easy and will give you a great vaping experience. I am using a Stingray X clone and an EHPRO Kayfun Lite Plus Clone as I type this. I have been using the Kayfun tanks for over a year and they are extremely easy to wick and build.

That said, if you are not into building, I would go for the new Aspire Atlantis tank or the Kanger Sub-tank (when they are available) because I am hearing a lot of goof things about both of them. As far as mods go, if you are not rebuilding, I would stick with regulated for adjustment purposes. I would try and get something that goes at LEAST up to 30 watts. Otherwise, if you decide you want more than 20 watts, you will be stuck buying an entirely new mod. If you have 30 watts already, you do not have to use all 30 watts, but if you want it, it is there.

This is just my 2 cents. If you need any help on the rebuilding, PM me and I will try to get you pointed in the right direction. There is an up front initial cost for some wire, wicking material, and an Ohm Meter (which I believe to be EXTREMELY important if you are going to rebuild using mechanical mods). But this cost is really not that much and will easily pay for itself when you are done buying replacement pre-made coils for the Aspire or Kanger products.

CV

Thanks for your answer! And, to answer your question, yep I would definitely like to build my own coils (but I had put that as a future endeavor)...although the idea does make me nervous as I have never been good with such things - hence why I was starting off slow. Those "EHPRO Kayfun Lite Plus Clone" looks good, I just googled. Does this mean (sorry newb questions coming) you build the wick into the tank each time e.g not pre prepared ones you have made prior?

30 watts is good info. I will reconsider my idea for those two mods that I referred to. I saw on some shop websites...it didn't show wattage...or maybe I am looking at the wrong stats. Any tips for a nice 30 watt mod?

I think I might take you up on your info offer about building!

For mods, I highly recommend the sigeli 100W, though you may want to wait for the plus version (no screws, spring loaded connection pin). It goes between 10 and 100 watts up to I believe 8.4 volts. Not perfect, but very good and they stand behind it with a warranty.

For the kayfun clone, you build a coil and wick it. It is considered an RTA (rebuildable tank atomizer). If you want an RTA, I love my orchid but there are a lot out there. A lot of people like kayfuns, but there are a lot of RTAs out now that are better imo (support dual coils, more airflow, more juice channels). I believe kayfuns and a lot of RTAs will come with a pre built coil and silica wick that you can slide right in, but I have never used those. I build my own with a cotton wick. If I could do it all over again, I would get a Sigelei 100W, an orchid V4, an onslought RDA and infinite CLT2 RDA and save some money. But there is so much out there that the best way to find what is perfect for you is to try things out.

Welcome and glad you found us.

Drinking and vaping?

Wow, what a concept !

OK, you want good stuff to take on the go and be active with it.

Me I like regulated mods that offer a lot of nice features and keep you from hurting yourself.

And I like RBAs (rebuildables) but if you are out clubbing or whatever it kind of kills the mood if you have to excuse yourself from your date, go to your car and bring out your tools.

So I am kinda thinking that you want what I call "Plug and Play" gear where you just pop in a new head and fill with some E-Liquid and you are good to go for the next dance.

What is you budget and we can go from there?

@OB61887: The sigelei 100W looks cool but for my outside bar/club use I would prefer something non box shaped. For home, however, I would happily use that. And, Kayfuns look awesome! Silly question but would a Kayfun be viable with the "TNT Mechanical Mod(Fit 18650/26650 Battery)" e.g get a black or red Kayfun tank plus this mod?

@UncleRJ: Drinking and vaping my good sir, but only the finest malts! Regulated mod sounds good as alcohol will consumed with said mod. My budget I think would be $100 for the mod, and $50 for the tank, I guess I should add some on top for the batteries and charger. I would be happy to pay a princly sum, however, for a battery that lasted and a tank that did not leak, plus vapes big enough to satisfy a drunken fool.

What are the risks of unregulated? And, in theory could plug and play be a second tank pre-prepared - this could be a back-up plan as to not offend said ladies?

The industry standard is a 510 connection. So a kayfun should fit on any mod. I believe it is a 22mm atty so it will sit flush on most 18650 mods and smaller than 26650 mods. For the TNT mech mod, it will not be flush but it will fit. And I think any atty would look awesome on that mod.

The risks of a mech mod apposed to a regulated are:
-You can build as low as you feel comfortable. This runs the risk of giving you battery to many amps. If you are building on a mech, get an ohm ready, and read up on ohms law and battery safety. You don't have to be an expert. If you sub ohm, be familiar. If you build below .3, know what your doing.
-It will not auto shut off. Most have locking rings (the TNT does) that will prevent accidental fires, but if you release the locking ring you have the risk of accidentally firing it to long.

You can get quality tanks for ~$30. However you will want wire (recommend 28 gauge for starting), a precision set of screw drivers for wrapping (there are many options but this is my favorite and cheap) and organic cotton (I like koga cotton), a butane torch (only needed imo for 26 gauge and above). The initial purchase will probably be around $50 but once you get it all it should last a long time. The only things you need to buy again are wire and wick and if you get these from a place like amazon apposed to many vape sites, you get lots for cheap.

UncleRJ said:

Welcome and glad you found us.

Drinking and vaping?

Wow, what a concept !

OK, you want good stuff to take on the go and be active with it.

Me I like regulated mods that offer a lot of nice features and keep you from hurting yourself.

And I like RBAs (rebuildables) but if you are out clubbing or whatever it kind of kills the mood if you have to excuse yourself from your date, go to your car and bring out your tools.

So I am kinda thinking that you want what I call "Plug and Play" gear where you just pop in a new head and fill with some E-Liquid and you are good to go for the next dance.

What is you budget and we can go from there?

Click to expand...

Just wanted to correct something here. If you are using a Kayfun you will not have to run out to the car to use tools. There is a fill screw on the bottom, so at most you will need a small phillips screwdriver in your pocket with your juice to refill. To be honest though, if you fill your Kayfun before you go out to the club, you probably will not need to do anything but vape all night, because the Kayfun holds a good amount of juice.

Mouth to Lung hits - vs - Direct Lung hits...................I wanted to touch on this, because the method you use to vape will make a HUGE difference in what you want for vaping gear.

Mouth to Lung hits are basically the same a smoking a cigarette. You suck the vapor into your mouth and when your mouth is full you open your mouth and inhale. Direct Lung hits are like smoking that stuff they are legalizing in Colorado.

The biggest difference in these 2 methods is AIRFLOW. If you are mouth-to-lung hitting a Kayfun will work perfectly and is the easiest tank to build (IMHO). If you are lung hitting you will need something with more airflow. I have a LEMO RTA (Rebuildable Tank Atomizer) and it is as easy to build as a Kayfun but has 3 times the airflow so I can lung hit it.

I think this is where a lot of people get confused because nobody seems to ask this question and they all assume you are vaping just like them. But the difference in these 2 methods will make or break a vaping setup.

For instance - If you are Mouth-to-lung hitting (which I kind of assume you are) a 100 watt mod will never get used. You can't mouth to lung 100 watts because without lung hitting on an RDA (Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer) you will never achieve the airflow needed to vape that hot. You will just burn up you juice and wick. I Need to say however, having any regulated mod that will give you more battery capacity (2 or 3 batteries instead of 1) will allow you to vape longer without the need to change batteries as often. (That was redundant - man I am soooo not an english major! HEHE)

I actually use both methods depending on where I am and what mood I am in. At home or work I blow clouds by lung hitting at 40-75 watts with an RDA like the Patriot, Mephisto, or Plume Veil or a RTA like the Fogger V4 or LEMO. But when I am out and about I usually use a Kayfun (RTA) and run it on a DNA30 at 18 watts or a mech mod. I build my Kayfuns at about 0.70 to 0.80ohms with a Cotton wick (Japanese Cotton) and they hit excellent.

Sorry to be long winded here but I think it is important to know what method you will be using so I can better guide you to the proper equipment at the best price. You seem to have a great budget for your equipment so that is a great start. If you would like to go over the equipment you will need for either method please feel free to PM me and I will help as best I can.

Happy Vaping!
CV

dbuk said:

Thanks for your answer! And, to answer your question, yep I would definitely like to build my own coils (but I had put that as a future endeavor)...although the idea does make me nervous as I have never been good with such things - hence why I was starting off slow. Those "EHPRO Kayfun Lite Plus Clone" looks good, I just googled. Does this mean (sorry newb questions coming) you build the wick into the tank each time e.g not pre prepared ones you have made prior?

30 watts is good info. I will reconsider my idea for those two mods that I referred to. I saw on some shop websites...it didn't show wattage...or maybe I am looking at the wrong stats. Any tips for a nice 30 watt mod?

I think I might take you up on your info offer about building!

Click to expand...

I almost missed this question. With a Kayfun once you get the coil built and onto the deck, all you have to do is replace the wick every few tank fulls. This is really easy and only takes a few minutes. Depends on the juice you are using as well. Some juice you can run 5-8 or even 10 tanks full before changing the wick. Some other juices will gunk up your coil and wick faster so you will have to dry burn your coil and replace the wick more often.

CV

Here is a video that shows you the kayfun deck and how to dry burn and replace the cotton wick. The Kayfun in this video is a 3.1 (not a lite plus) but the deck and wicking is the same. The biggest difference is the lite plus fills from the bottom (which I VERY MUCH prefer). The side fill holes on the 3.1 version typically LEAK.

I think I shall get a Black Kayfun, and I will try to find a red tank glass for it, and get the TNT Mechanical Mod. I like the idea of making this a learning project e.g building own coils, learning about power/batteries. Whatever happens the outcome will be a lot better than what I currently have. Do people sell "newbie kits" with the gauge, ohm meter, etc ?

Someone recommended 30 watts..could I get 30 watts on that mod? Sorry so many questions, and so many more to come

"The risks of a mech mod apposed to a regulated are:
-You can build as low as you feel comfortable. This runs the risk of giving you battery to many amps. If you are building on a mech, get an ohm ready, and read up on ohms law and battery safety. You don't have to be an expert. If you sub ohm, be familiar. If you build below .3, know what your doing.
-It will not auto shut off. Most have locking rings (the TNT does) that will prevent accidental fires, but if you release the locking ring you have the risk of accidentally firing it to long."

This part is way beyond what I know. I have no idea what "build as low", "ohm", "sub ohm", "build below 3" etc, and when you say "firing it too long"...do you mean when the mod is turned on it keeps burning vape even if I am not sucking?

Also, thanks folks for all the helpful info! I am a bit out of my depth but I guess I need to make this jump.

I think you must have typed that reply while I was typing mine

Oh, mouth to lung I think! And, I should look at this as this being my first mod...but playing with more in the future. Replacing the wick every few tanks??

dbuk said:

I think you must have typed that reply while I was typing mine

Oh, mouth to lung I think! And, I should look at this as this being my first mod...but playing with more in the future. Replacing the wick every few tanks??

Click to expand...

Yep, depends on juice. I will give a quick breakdown on Ohm's law. PLEASE reply if you do not understand this.

OK.......Ohms law is used to calculate Watts which is the amount of energy put forth. In our case it will stand for HEAT.

Here is an ohms law calculator and build helper website - Steam Engine.org

When vaping we use batteries Called Lithium Batteries. There are different variations of lithium chemical compounds some of which can be very dangerous and some not as dangerous. Most vapers stick to IMR or INR batteries as their chemistry has lower internal resistance and much less chance of thermal runaway. (Thermal Runaway is when a battery is loaded to much and will continue to get hotter and vent without chance of stopping it) This happens when a battery is shorted out and the lower the resistance you run on a coil, the closer you get to a dead short and the more amperage a battery has to use to keep up with the current draw. These batteries all run a nominal voltage of 3.7 volts. At full charge they should read at 4.2 volts.

Ok, now if you know what your battery can handle as far as amperage, and you do not go over that boundary, they are 99% safe as can be. I say 99% safe because there is always the 1% chance you will get a battery with a manufacturers defect. But I have 4 Samsung INR18650 25r batteries (20 amp - 2500 mah), 10 Sony IMR18650 VTC4 batteries (30 amp - 2100 mah), and 4 Samsung INR18650 20r batteries (22 amp - 2000 mah) and have never had any of them give me any problems.

Mechanical Mods vs Regulated Mods.......................

On a mechanical mod your wattage is only adjustable due to your resistance in your coil build.
So, lets do a few calculations to get your familiar with this terminology.

If you build a single coil around a 2.4mm drill bit or pin using 28 gauge kanthal at 8 wraps you would have approx 1.50ohms. Now all batteries will drop their voltage a little under load. So the lower ohm build you use the more voltage drop you will get. Of course all batteries are different too, so the Samsung may not drop as much as the Sony or vise versa. So for my calculation I used 4.0 volts for a mild voltage drop with a fully charged battery.

With the Steam Engine Ohms Calculator - If you put in 1.5ohms and 4.0 volts you would be pulling 2.67amps and 10.67 watts.

So as you can see, this is a Extremely tame build. No danger of venting a battery here.

Now lets go to the other side of the spectrum.

If I built dual coils (running 2 coils in parallel so you cut the resistance in half) made from 20 gauge 5 wraps each around a 3mm pin than each coil would have about a 0.2ohm resistance. Running both in parallel would cut that resistance in half to 0.1ohms.

So 0.1ohm build at 3.8 volts would be 136.9 watts and pull 37 amps out of the battery. Is this a safe build? Not really. Can it be done without blowing up a battery, YES. But I would not recommend it.

Anyway, so there is a little bit of the info. I am running out of time so I gotta go for now. Hopefully this helps you.

CV

Perfect thanks. Time for me to read, re-read, and try to understand your info.

Ok, so apart from December being a month of cramming info on batteries, volts, ohms etc, I have compiled two possible lists from your helpful info:

Option one:

TNT Mechanical Mod(Fit 18650/26650 Battery) - €55.94
http://www.ecigwarehouse.co.uk/tnt-mechanical-mod.html

My only worry with this mod is the firing people mention e.g keeps firing when not in use?

EHPRO Kayfun Lite Plus Clone Black - £32.99
http://www.provapes.co.uk/collectio...2/products/kayfun-lite-black-v2-dual-air-flow

Coloured windows for kayfun lite - £5.95
http://www.cloud9vaping.co.uk/SvoeMesto-Kayfun-V31-Centre-Window

Option two:

Hana Modz clones - £58.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hana-DNA-30-Mod-Clone/dp/B00L9WXNSY

Are the clones safe? Same question about firing.

Aspire Atlantis Tank - £29.99
http://www.ukecigstore.com/aspire-atlantis-tank.html

Could this really handle 30 watts? With shop bought coils?

orchid V4 - £22.99
http://www.greendogvaping.co.uk/tobeco-orchid-v3-and-v4-clone-1398-p.asp

-- and --

USB powered ohm-meter - £12.95
http://www.cloud9vaping.co.uk/ohm-meter

Batteries
28 Gauge wire
Cotton

Of course the chances are eventually I might want both

*edit: the more I think about it the more I like option 2

I have 3 of these Kayfuns, and are the version that I like the best of the clones IMHO
http://101vape.com/rebuildable-atomizers-tanks/365-black-kayfun-lite-plus-v2-clone-by-ehpro.html

All the red tank sections I could find look more pink than red.
http://www.eciggity.com/short-m-tank-clone/
They also have the EHPRO V2 Kayfun
http://www.eciggity.com/kayfun-lite-plus-v2-by-ehpro-larger-airflow-hole/

If you are looking for a colored Kayfun be sure to check and make sure that the anodizing si not inside the tank. I personaly dont like anodizing anywhere it will touch my juice.

@Oggy thanks for the tips! Kayfuns look really good! Maybe I just go with all black . This will be my first mod type tank etc

Let me continue where I left off..................Mech vs Regulated.

Ok, I have told you a little about mechanical mods. 1 of the biggest advantages of a mechanical mod is no electronic board to go bad or die on you. A good mechanical mod if taken care of and kept clean can last you a lifetime.

So for mechanicals lets look at the pros and cons.

Pros............................

1. If taken care of, lifetime use without failure.
2. Cost - Mechanical mods (clones) cost a lot less to buy than regulated mods.
3. Only your battery limits how low ohms you can build.

Cons ............................

1. No Safety built in. You MUST know what you are doing with a mechanical do prevent blowing your face off. (Dramatic I know but true)
2. As the battery life dwindles, so does your vape. Think of ohms law I discussed earlier. If you have that 1.5ohm build on a new battery at 4.2volts you could be vaping at 11 watts or so, but as that battery starts to lose it's charge to lets say 3.4 volts you would be down closer to 7 watts. The variation in wattage gets more dramatic with super sub-ohm builds like a 0.25ohm build for instance.
3. Over-discharge of your battery - Letting a battery get below 3.2 volts is bad for the batteries and will significantly shorten their life.

Now lets look at regulated mods.

Pros ...........................

1. Safety - I would be lying if I told you this isn't one of the biggest advantages of a regulated device. 99% of Regulated mods have built in protection against shorts in your coil builds and overheating. Most also have reverse battery protection. They also have over-discharge protection so you won't kill your batteries by letting them go under 3.2 volts.
2. Adjustable - If you build a coil and want 0.7ohms but it comes out to 0.9ohms, no worries, you can just turn up the mod a little to compensate for the higher ohm coil. If your juice is starting to burn a little and taste a little off, just turn it down a little and try again.
3. Battery life / Consistency - If you have a mechanical running a 0.8ohm build, after a little while when that battery gets under it's 3.7volt nominal voltage, your vape quality will start to diminish. It other words, that sucker is gonna start hitting like shit! HEHE In a regulated mod with Boost technology like the DNA30 for example. If you set it at 18 watts, it will give you 18 watts until the battery is depleted.

Cons...........................

1. Cost - Typically a regulated mod will cost at least twice as much as a mechanical mod.
2. Reliability - Regulated mods no matter how well built will eventually fail like all electronic devices. Some in a week, some in 6 months, some in ten years. You just never know.
3. Size - Because of the electronics involved, you just can't have a regulated mod with any kind of battery life without a little more bulk. The mechanical will always win the size battle. If you are looking for something a little smaller and discreet but still have an amazing vape, you cannot beat a mechanical mod.

In Conclusion - If you have $100 to spend on a mod, I would try to stick with regulated for the time being until you get a little more experience. With boxes like the Sigeli 100 Watt mod you would be set for a long time (as long as it keeps working) . Twin 18650 battery life would be great and you can venture into any kind of RDA, RTA, or rebuildable you want to and have the power to enjoy it.

CV

Well put.

@Chainvapor Perfect, that has given me a decision. I can play with rebuildable tanks while on a regulated mod, and once I feel confident then maybe get a mech mod. I have the fear of mech mods now

The Hana Modz clones have really got my attention, so am very tempted to get one plus an Aspire Atlantis Tank and a Kayfun tank or Orchid V4 - so I can start playing with rebuildable tanks, with the back up of having a normal one. Then in a while I will venture into mech territory.

Thanks again for the great info! It was/is a huge help.

dbuk said:

@Chainvapor Perfect, that has given me a decision. I can play with rebuildable tanks while on a regulated mod, and once I feel confident then maybe get a mech mod. I have the fear of mech mods now

The Hana Modz clones have really got my attention, so am very tempted to get one plus an Aspire Atlantis Tank and a Kayfun tank or Orchid V4 - so I can start playing with rebuildable tanks, with the back up of having a normal one. Then in a while I will venture into mech territory.

Thanks again for the great info! It was/is a huge help.

Click to expand...

Just to help here a Hana clone will not push enough power to get a good vape on an Aspire Atlantis. If I am wanting to blow clouds with my hana clone I build the coils around 1.6 ohm. I really like my Hana it has been a very good "work" mod and has taken a beating and still going strong. Hope this helps.

I run my atlantis on my hana with my RDAs on my Sigelei. The hana can handle the atllantis at 30 watts, but I don prefer my sigelei at 35. But I hate adjusting the pin every time I switch them out. Although, right now the Sigelei is available for $80 which makes it hard for me to look at other less powerful options.

@OB61887 so it would work? Is there a downside? Or, would you recommend I get a Kayfun tank or Orchid V4?

I recommend the Orchid, but that is just me. They are both good. I like the dual coil and more airflow. Check out http://vapingunderground.com/thread...famous-mickey-mouse-ears-orchid-builds.32290/ for building an orchid if you go with it. Knowing how to wick it helps with leaking.

It depends if you want to build your coils (orchid) or not (Atlantis). If you are up for it, the orchid is more vapor and flavor for me.

Thanks for the link. And, when you say leaking....is leaking common even if wicked well?

No. When well wicked, it does not leak. If you over wick it the airflow sucks. If you under wick it then leaking occurs.

OB61887 said:

I run my atlantis on my hana with my RDAs on my Sigelei. The hana can handle the atllantis at 30 watts, but I don prefer my sigelei at 35. But I hate adjusting the pin every time I switch them out. Although, right now the Sigelei is available for $80 which makes it hard for me to look at other less powerful options.

Click to expand...

Any downsides of Atlantis on the Hana, always have to run at 30 watts? I was thinking about getting both tanks, one to practice building on, and the other being the atlantis as a backup.

And, once again, many thanks for the info chaps!! This has been a huge help.

The only con is that it caps at 30 watts. You can run lower but you wont get as much vape.

I am currently on 3.4 volts, so unsure how much of an improvement 30 watts would be...but I assume huge. If only Sigelei coloured versions of their 100watt box! I saw they had colours for their 30 watts. You get lots of vapour at 30 watts with that tank?

The only clearomizer I would take over 15 watts is the Atlantis. Others would get a burnt taste. For a protank, 15 is even high. I stayed around 12.

"Just to help here a Hana clone will not push enough power to get a good vape on an Aspire Atlantis." What do you class as a good vape?

Also, one final question....does the Aspire have glass tank that can be replaced e.g. with a red one?

I woundnt recomend a kafun for a first time builder but at least there are plenty of videos. In hind site i wish someone had told me to buy quality gear when i started. I would go with a dripper, something where you can easily learn building coils on. As far as the device id probably go with a regulared box mode either a dna 40 or something like a ipv 3. This allows you to fine tune your vape experience and grow.

@mjt thanks for the info. I think I am going down this path. A Hana clone, plus the Aspire Atlantis, and then get something like the Kafun to play/practice with.

That sounds like a good plan @dbuk

The atlantis gets a good vape compared to other clearomizers at 30 watts. It gets a much better vape imo between 35-40 (more vapoer and more dense). Also, my new favorite RTA is the billow. I would recommend that over a kayfun.

Just wish that Sigelei came in red
I love the look of the hana.

J-wraps will fict that for you. www.jwraps.com/category_s/2187.htm

Got to love the wraps