Some basic questions.

[Fattlestar]

Hi everyone. Been vaping for about three weeks now. Currently I have a Nautilus Mini and an iStick, (and the cigalike I started on at first, Green Smoke kit. Still using it here and there to use up the prefilled cartos that I bought with it).

I have a few questions, hopefully they are pretty easy to answer. I've asked them before to other forums, but I'm just trying to get a handle on stuff still so I thought it would be worth asking here as well. It's worth noting that I'm not interested in building coils or DIYing juice or anything like that yet. Mostly sticking to options that are as close to the ease of just "buying a pack".

1: Maintenance. I'm waiting for some juice in the mail (lots really, from different places), and since the little bottle I got from the local B&M is tapped, I took the Mini Naut apart, washed it with warm soapy water and then rinsed it for a few minutes. I twisted up some paper towel and also used some q-tips to dry out the tough to reach places, then left it apart on a paper towel to dry for a while. I didn't wash the head, I just blew out excess juice and q-tipped the open end a little and set it aside. Is this going to be sufficient for changing flavors?

I don't care if the first part of a fresh juice is a little contaminated with the previous. I have watched a couple of videos on dry burning BVC's, but as I've only run 18ml through this coil, I'm not sure it's really worth risking. Also keep in mind I won't be doing overly sweet flavors - primarily sticking to tobacco, vanilla, coffee, caramel and chocolate flavors. No fruits yet. Also everything I've ordered is 50/50 pg/vg.

Also, if that's enough washing, can I do this when changing to other flavors again? I know people will suggest changing the coil every time or buying a bunch more clearos, but I'm just starting out here, that seems like an expensive option and I'm really tapped for the month as it is.

2: Cheap, but good, clearomizers. Should I get Aspire K1's, Mini Protank 3's, or a couple of each? These seem great at around 8 dollars. K1 has BVC's. Note that I'd rather not get into bridgeless atomizers right now for taste testing, even though that is the cheap option. I just need a few tanks to keep me going while I figure things out. I can afford one more right now (with a pack of coils). I'm leaning toward the K1. There appear to be other options in that price range, but they don't seem as well-liked as well as these two.

3: Without going too deep into ohm's law - My Nautilus Mini came with 1.8ohm coils. The pack of replacements I bought are 1.6ohms. On the 1.8's I've been doing between 8 and 12 watts. What range should I be sticking too with 1.6's? Will the 1.6ohm coils have a different lifespan compared to 1.8's? Is there a difference in flavor, or something else that I should be aware of when switching to different resistance coils?

4: Other non-istick mods with similar ranges. I've been looking around for something else as a backup. I stopped my order on an MVPv2 because, honestly, I've found my "best" wattage for vaping on the nautilus is over 11 watts, which the MVP won't really do. I've seen a lot of devices that do 3 to 15 watts, which seems perfectly good for my purposes as a beginner. But which one? Cost is an issue.

Sorry for the wall of text.

 

[Fattlestar]

Also, as to number 2, would it be better to have four tanks that are smaller and don't have adjustable airflow, or two tanks that are larger and do have adjustable airflow?

 

[Roger Schaeffer]

I have a Protank 3 and with the new coils[have not tried the .8 sub ohm's] its a decent tank as is the PT3 mini. I picked up a Nautilus from a online Vender a couple of weeks ago for $25 shipped,but that holds 5 mils. I have found that refilling my Tanks before they go below 1/3 full makes them work better. SO for your needs smaller taks might work like the PT3 3mils and the PT3 mini 1.4 mils

 

[Fattlestar]

I think the PT3's look nice enough, but it really seems like I might as well get an Aerotank, since they are basically the same thing but with an airflow controller. The PT3Mini is primarily an option because of the very low price point.

I'm finding that on the Nautilus Mini I'm refilling twice daily, I'd much rather have something that holds more. But I also want to be able to change flavors freely. It's a difficult decision on a budget! Adding ANY additional topper will help with that though, so I'm not stuck on the Nautilus. Would be nice to have interchangeable coils all around though, but again, not necessary.

 

[Countrypami]

Hi everyone. Been vaping for about three weeks now. Currently I have a Nautilus Mini and an iStick, (and the cigalike I started on at first, Green Smoke kit. Still using it here and there to use up the prefilled cartos that I bought with it).

I have a few questions, hopefully they are pretty easy to answer. I've asked them before to other forums, but I'm just trying to get a handle on stuff still so I thought it would be worth asking here as well. It's worth noting that I'm not interested in building coils or DIYing juice or anything like that yet. Mostly sticking to options that are as close to the ease of just "buying a pack".

1: Maintenance. I'm waiting for some juice in the mail (lots really, from different places), and since the little bottle I got from the local B&M is tapped, I took the Mini Naut apart, washed it with warm soapy water and then rinsed it for a few minutes. I twisted up some paper towel and also used some q-tips to dry out the tough to reach places, then left it apart on a paper towel to dry for a while. I didn't wash the head, I just blew out excess juice and q-tipped the open end a little and set it aside. Is this going to be sufficient for changing flavors?

I don't care if the first part of a fresh juice is a little contaminated with the previous. I have watched a couple of videos on dry burning BVC's, but as I've only run 18ml through this coil, I'm not sure it's really worth risking. Also keep in mind I won't be doing overly sweet flavors - primarily sticking to tobacco, vanilla, coffee, caramel and chocolate flavors. No fruits yet. Also everything I've ordered is 50/50 pg/vg.

Also, if that's enough washing, can I do this when changing to other flavors again? I know people will suggest changing the coil every time or buying a bunch more clearos, but I'm just starting out here, that seems like an expensive option and I'm really tapped for the month as it is.

2: Cheap, but good, clearomizers. Should I get Aspire K1's, Mini Protank 3's, or a couple of each? These seem great at around 8 dollars. K1 has BVC's. Note that I'd rather not get into bridgeless atomizers right now for taste testing, even though that is the cheap option. I just need a few tanks to keep me going while I figure things out. I can afford one more right now (with a pack of coils). I'm leaning toward the K1. There appear to be other options in that price range, but they don't seem as well-liked as well as these two.

3: Without going too deep into ohm's law - My Nautilus Mini came with 1.8ohm coils. The pack of replacements I bought are 1.6ohms. On the 1.8's I've been doing between 8 and 12 watts. What range should I be sticking too with 1.6's? Will the 1.6ohm coils have a different lifespan compared to 1.8's? Is there a difference in flavor, or something else that I should be aware of when switching to different resistance coils?

4: Other non-istick mods with similar ranges. I've been looking around for something else as a backup. I stopped my order on an MVPv2 because, honestly, I've found my "best" wattage for vaping on the nautilus is over 11 watts, which the MVP won't really do. I've seen a lot of devices that do 3 to 15 watts, which seems perfectly good for my purposes as a beginner. But which one? Cost is an issue.

Sorry for the wall of text.

1. Yes... that will be sufficient... I wouldn't use soap on them though. Some soaps leave a residue... Instead use a high proof clear liquor. You might get funky flavor for the first 5-10 hits... after that it should start tasting good again.
2. Anything Aspire is good, I personally like the BDC/BVC or VN tanks the best... Protank 2, AeroTanks, my fav little cheapy is the GS-H2 or H3.
3. Watts/Volts is all about your flavor preference. You really just need to play with it until you find YOUR sweet spot. I run 2.1-2.5ohm coils.
4. Well... if you don't want an iStick or MVP... my next suggestion would be a Vamo or VaporShark.

 

[Fattlestar]

When you say Aspire BDC tanks, do you mean like the ET-S? (I've been eyeing the ET-S BVC for a while because of the capacity and capable of using BVC's, and again low low price).

 

[UncleRJ]

First of all, Welcome to the VU!

Here are some options for you that won't cost a lot.

The Kanger T-2 is a great top coil clearomizer that you can get for a whopping $2.99 each.

http://www.vapingme.com/kanger-t2-sunfire-1-7-1-9ohm-clearomizer-cartomizer/

And a pack of 5 replacement heads for $2.99

http://www.vapingme.com/kanger-t2-sunfire-70mm-long-wick-replacement-atomizer-coils-5-pack/

The complete units will last you quite a while and the heads should last you at least one week each if you are using tobacco, coffee, caramel and chocolate flavors, all of which tend to gunk up heads more than other E-Liquids. These are easy to fill from the top and being a top coil device they deliver a warmer vape watt per watt than the BCC devices since the coil is closer to your vape hole I have been using these for years now. While I mostly use RBAs, I use the T-2s when I am out and about and want something a wee bit stealthy. And they do hold 2.6ml of E-Liquid as well. And at that price you can have one clearo for each flavor/

And since the T-2s are eGo threaded you will need one of these to adapt to your Istick.

http://sweet-vapes.com/apvs/eleaf/eleaf-joyetech-510-ego-adapter.html

 

[Fattlestar]

Thanks UncleRJ!

I'll check some more reviews for the Kanger T-2. I'll admit at the onset I'm a little wary. When I first started researching vape gear, I noticed lots of older reviews of top coils having some issues that were solved with the newer bottom coils. I have no experience, so I can't say for sure, but isn't it like taking a step backward in the technology to use a top coil when bottom coils are readily available? I do understand that a warmer vape at a lower wattage is desirable, though, so thank you for pointing that out.

Also, I'm not very into the idea of anything plastic. Glassomizers are more expensive but, even though I don't have much interest in "tank cracker" e-liquids, it seems to make more sense to use something pyrex or metal.

The PRICE on those are incredible, which I can't deny. Five heads for 3 dollars is almost unthinkable compared to what I've been spending on BVC's. But, BVC's are hailed as the best prebuilt coils.

The iStick did come with a 510 to Ego adapter. I'm hoping that's the same as what you linked! Some initial impressions from others say that the adapter isn't the best but will do.

 

[UncleRJ]

The only complaint that I ever had with the T-2s is the plastic tank which is fine as long as you don't use tank crackers. Which I do.

That being said, I still use them from time to time. Take your time and do your research.

I hope you find what you are looking for!

 

[Countrypami]

When you say Aspire BDC tanks, do you mean like the ET-S? (I've been eyeing the ET-S BVC for a while because of the capacity and capable of using BVC's, and again low low price).

Yes... here's a couple that I own...
https://www.myfreedomsmokes.com/tanks-atomizers/clearomizers/bdc/aspire-et-s-bdc-glassomizer.html
https://www.myfreedomsmokes.com/tan.../aspire-vivi-nova-s-bdc-glassomizer-9521.html
http://www.vividsmoke.com/aspire-vivi-nova-s-bdc-rainbow-finish.html?search=aspire&page=2
Just watch that if you get one of these... when you order more coils.. you get the BDC/BVC and NOT the Nautius coils.

 

[Fattlestar]

Thanks for the recommendations!
Today there was a sale, and on impulse (usually bad to buy on impulse) ordered a Nautilus full size and an MVP2. The Nautilus was 15$ and the MVP2 was 28$ so it seemed silly to not jump on that.

Now though, mild buyer's remorse. I've read a million good reviews of the MVP2, and figured why not have it as a backup battery. Nautilus gets great reviews too, and uses the same heads as my mini, which is a plus. I think I did well, but I'm getting that itchy feeling that I shouldn't have!

(Normal MVP2 kit, too. Has an iClear 30 in it, but that's a crappy clearo, right?)

42$ total, think it was the right buy?

 

[SusanP4]

I think it's fine. You'll enjoy using both and the prices are great. Did that Nautilus come with the BVC coils? If not you may want to get some.

 

[Fattlestar]

No, it's an older BDC kit, but I have a pack of 1.6ohms that I got when I bought the Naut Mini. I'm pretty sure those work in the full size.

 

[UncleRJ]

Thanks for the recommendations!
Today there was a sale, and on impulse (usually bad to buy on impulse) ordered a Nautilus full size and an MVP2. The Nautilus was 15$ and the MVP2 was 28$ so it seemed silly to not jump on that.

Now though, mild buyer's remorse. I've read a million good reviews of the MVP2, and figured why not have it as a backup battery. Nautilus gets great reviews too, and uses the same heads as my mini, which is a plus. I think I did well, but I'm getting that itchy feeling that I shouldn't have!

(Normal MVP2 kit, too. Has an iClear 30 in it, but that's a crappy clearo, right?)

42$ total, think it was the right buy?

You done GREAT!

Much, much better gear than I had when I first started.

But in my defence what you are getting had not been invented yet!

And the Iclear 30 is a very decent clearo. Got some myself to use in stealth vaping and I rather like them.

The only clearos that I outright call CRAP is anything that starts with CE.

Years ago, they were the the best (and just about only) clearo on the market.

And IMHO sucked unless you got a batch that kinda sorta worked and did not taste like ass.

If you do want to purchase some good (like really good) clearo's, the Kanger T-2s can be had for $3 each.

http://www.vapingme.com/kanger-t2-sunfire-2-4-2-6ohm-clearomizer-cartomizer/

These will last you a good long while. Months even if you don't break them.

And you will need extra heads for them. $3 for a pack of 5 heads.

http://www.vapingme.com/kanger-t2-sunfire-70mm-long-wick-replacement-atomizer-coils-5-pack/

The heads normally last at least a week.

And I still use these for when I am out and about and trying to vape (AKA Stealth Vaping" under the radar so to speak.

 

[Fattlestar]

I'm going to get at least one Kanger t2 to try it out, based on your double recommendation. I'm on a budget and having some extras for different flavors outside of my Nautilus tanks will be a blessing. Those prices are still astounding!

I've avoided CE stuff. When I started, almost every flashy site seemed to want me to buy an ego pen and a CE-4/5 topper for 40$, which I'm glad I dodged those bullets. I appreciate that they help people get off of cigarettes, but those kits really seem weak compared to other options in the same price range.

I'm glad that you guys think the MVP2+Naut at that price is OK. I do my research but nobody can research everything perfectly, so it's good to get opinions from more experienced folks. Appreciated.

Is the iClear 30 really okay? I'd like to be able to use it. I just keep reading about them gurgling and flooding and leaking and etc. But it seems like all clearos get those issues and usually they are just little fiddly situations that often end up being user error or minor defects that need to be replaced.

 

[MoserCooks]

Is there a way to control the precise tempreture your juice is burning?

 

[Fattlestar]

I'm not sure how to answer that. I know that VV/VW mods allow you to control the precise power you give to the heating element. I think that's as close as it gets, but I'm new.

 

[Countrypami]

Thanks for the recommendations!
Today there was a sale, and on impulse (usually bad to buy on impulse) ordered a Nautilus full size and an MVP2. The Nautilus was 15$ and the MVP2 was 28$ so it seemed silly to not jump on that.

Now though, mild buyer's remorse. I've read a million good reviews of the MVP2, and figured why not have it as a backup battery. Nautilus gets great reviews too, and uses the same heads as my mini, which is a plus. I think I did well, but I'm getting that itchy feeling that I shouldn't have!

(Normal MVP2 kit, too. Has an iClear 30 in it, but that's a crappy clearo, right?)

42$ total, think it was the right buy?

Hey!... You got a great deal!!... iClear30 is not crappy at all... very reputable clearo.

 

[OBDave]

Great advice from Countrypami and UncleRJ, and you done great on your purchase, no need for remorse! You're way ahead of the game as compared to where I was less than a year and a half ago as far as what's available technology-wise...

The only thing I haven't seen addressed is your question about the effect of different ohm coils - generally a lower ohm coil will burn hotter with the same power (voltage) applied to it, but if you're using a device in wattage mode, your mod will automatically turn down the power it delivers to the coil to give you the same result as you had with a higher-ohm coil (1.8) when you swap it out for one with lower resistance (1.6).

Happy vaping, and welcome to VU!

 

[Fattlestar]

OBDave, thanks for addressing that.

So, does that mean I will need less voltage for a 1.6ohm coil compared to a 1.8ohm coil to achieve the same vape?

Asking just to know, I think I understand the "auto" wattage thing. If I set the watts and change resistance, it will adjust voltage based on the new resistance.

 

[OBDave]

You got it - wattage is the end means of measuring the power you're generating, (to keep it simple for now) a calculation of volts applied to a certain ohm resistance. VW devices (as compared to VV that comprised most of the market when I started out) have been called a "set it and forget it" solution - you find a power setting you like, and whatever resistance head you screw into the device, it's going to deliver the same vape. EDIT to add that if you're in VV mode, you'd need to turn down the voltage to achieve the same result, though the difference between 1.6 and 1.8 is going to be pretty minimal.

Of course, different juices will taste different at varying power levels - I have some that I like at 7-10 watts in a clearo, others that I prefer closer to 40 watts on my dripper. That's just something you're going to have to play with on your own, to find the sweet spot for whatever flavors you end up adding to your rotation...

 

[Fattlestar]

I've definitely noticed the flavor difference on juices at different power settings. I do have to dial it in with each new juice I try.

I ask about the 1.6 to 1.8 because the high end of the MVP2 is lower than my iStick - and I sometimes find juices that taste really great at 11.5 to 12 watts. So, if I use a 1.6ohm instead of the 1.8 on the MVP2, I was just wondering if I could achieve that same flavor with the lower max output. I'm not sure how much that 0.2 difference really means, though.

 

[OBDave]

I believe the MVP2 goes to 15W, so you should be fine if your happy range is 11.5-12W. Watts are watts, if your device says it goes to 15 watts, it can do it with a 1.6, a 1.8, or whatever ohm coil - with the more basic devices I think your lower ohm limit is going to be in the 1.2 range, with about 4.0 at the high end...

 

[SusanP4]

The MVP2 goes to 11 watts.

 

[Fattlestar]

I clean my Nautilus Mini about every day as I've been switching juices a lot. I've noticed a buildup of "juice gunk" at the lower end of the drip tip (just inside the area near the o-ring on the drip tip) and the well in the upper hardware that the drip tip connects to whenever I go to Q-tip it before rinsing. Is this normal?

 

[OBDave]

Totally normal to find residue inside your drip tip - I use pipe cleaners to clean mine out, Q-tip should be fine as well...

 

[Fattlestar]

Thanks Dave, I'm glad it's normal. Pretty much anything that goes wrong right now I panic over because I think I've done something wrong.

I think I got my first dry hit yesterday from one of the coils I've been using off and on for about a week. It's a 1.8ohm and it's seen maybe five different flavors, probably 20ml. I tried priming methods again just to see if it wasn't wicking, but still bad burned juice taste. Is it dead? Should I try one of the dry burning methods tutorialed on youtube for BVC's? Or just set it aside as the first soldier lost?

 

[OBDave]

We all hit that "it's not my mod, it's me!" phase - no worries.

If you want, you may be able to hang onto that coil and rebuild it - for me, too much of a PITA. If I roast a wick on a pre-built coil, it gets circular filed - not worth the time trying to rehab it, if you got a week's worth of use for $2-3 I'd call that a bargain. A week for me = 5 packs of smokes = $30 or so...versus a $10 bottle of juice and a $3 coil, that's a win.

 

[Fattlestar]

Yeah, I got a fair amount of use out of it, although I'd hoped for more (20ml seems like not so much to me for a coil life, but I do realize not all coils are the same since they are mass produced and some juices/power settings will eat them up).

I won't rebuild, I've seen Aspire BVC's rebuilt but they are a serious pain compared to say Kanger's. I've not even considered rebuilding because it's too fiddly for me right now, just getting acclimated with the fire and forget hardware.

I'm on the edge of the price smoking cost me before. But I did the RYO route and a pack worth only cost me about 2$ (but I was smoking 50 cigarettes a day). I'm still recovering from my initial purchases, and while juice is fairly inexpensive, ordering from a lot of places and getting a lot of flavors that I just can't stand to vape adds up too.

I just need to find the happy place where I have a couple of juices I can reliably enjoy and I'm just buying coils and juice. I'll have a Nautilus Mini, Nautilus full size, an iClear 30, iStick, and MVP2 shortly. That feels like a good amount, except I'm feeling the need to get some more clearos (the more inexpensive types). But I think that that point I will be spending a similar amount to what I was while smoking. One month since I quit, feeling good about that despite the 360$ I've spent on vaping gear.

 

[OBDave]

Hey man, check my sig line - I'm just now breaking even money-wise...and in another month or two I'll probably drop a few hundo on new goodies for me and the wife, which will push me back into the red. At least we're not smoking, right?

I've taken to tinkering with RDAs like I never could with RYO - did that for a while in my early twenties, but even after I got good it would take me close to an hour to stuff a pack's worth of tubes and once I got off the wacky tabacky and took on multiple jobs (and had a kid) I just didn't have the time to sit around chain-smoking while manufacturing the next day's supply.

If you were good at RYO and you care about your budget, stay the F away from rebuildables - instead of 2-3ml a day of high octane juice I'm now roasting like 10ml of 3mg, and looking to DIY juice to cover the cost (though I've just found a killer local shop that will mix on-demand for about 1/4 the cost of most pre-made juices. 50ml for $14? America, F yeah!

 

[Fattlestar]

Yeah, I get it. RYO was a serious pain for me, and really was about half of the reason I quit. Cranking out 50 a day took a large chunk of time. And yeah, at least we aren't smoking

Although people keep telling me to get into rebuildables (at another forum), I just don't want to spend TIME. And going through more ml's a day isn't appealing to me, but - I imagine the flavor is pretty amazing.

That's an incredible price for juice. The two B&M's near me do on-demand mixes too, but at close to premium prices (12$ for 15ml). I'd be all over 50ml for 14$. I ordered a boatload from vapewild.com last week and I'm going through a bunch of their flavors (super cost effective, but hit or miss on the juices for me, some good some bad). 3$ for 10ml and 19$ for 120ml ~ pretty great, but not local (Located in Texas I think).

 

[OBDave]

I was a huge MBV fan for a while, though going through some of the massive supply I've built up (forcing myself, I can't stand to waste money spent on juice), I'm not nearly as impressed these days...my local shop that's been thoroughly impressive is http://vapeeuphoria.com/ but their site is apparently down for a few days. This stuff blows away a lot of the name brands I've bought and is comparable to some of the best "premium" juice lines commonly stocked in SoCal stores...if they start shipping nationwide (which looks to be the case), I'd be on it like stink on a pair of week-old underwear (if the lab wasn't a few blocks from my office).

 

[Fattlestar]

I'll bookmark them, that's a fairly strong review and if the prices stay with shipping it's worth a shot. Finding juice has been the worst part of the experience so far for me.

I've avoided MBV as people continuously talk about "chemical" tastes in their flavoring. I am considering ITCvapes though. Lots of decent reviews for them (but steep times are pretty, well, steep). Affordable.

Considering trying Halo because their flavors are so well received, but really pricey. Might be worth it to find one that really suits me.

 

[OBDave]

The one premium internet line I really want to pull the trigger on (and was about to until I found VapeEuphoria) is NicoTicket - I've heard nothing but crazy-positive kudos from them, but given the volume the wife and I are going through (she now has me building RDAs for her too), I'm all about the value.

Good luck whatever route you go!

 

[Fattlestar]

I did end up ordering a couple T2's, if I like them I'll order more for backups and flavor tasting. They barely cost more than a BVC coil, so seems like a good thing to have around.

Had my first issue with flooding the Nautilus - gurgling like crazy on a new 1.6ohm head. Unscrewed the coil and there was a little juice in the base hardware. Cleaned all of the tank up and wiped off the coil, then assembled the whole thing again after filling. Seems to have fixed the problem, although I can't figure out why it happened in the first place. Didn't screw the coil in tight enough maybe?

Still waiting on my MVP and Nautilus full size, the site I ordered from was overrun during the sale and while my order is confirmed I still don't have tracking info. I hope the MVP2 has enough power to get a good vape from BVC's.