I need advice on buying my first mod

[Jesse_James2112]

I've never vaped before and I want to break my addiction to dipping tobacco. So I want to give vaping a chance.

I have some questions I hope someone can answer.

I've spent all day looking into vaping, trying to get familiar with the terminology etc.
Looking for sales on mods, I come across a “Eleaf iStick power Nano and Melo 3 starter kit.” for a cheap price, and I think “perfect”.
But then I read the disclosure from the manufacturer that due to Melo 3 atomizer being sub-ohm, it is recommended to not use higher than 6mg nicotine juice.

Well, my plan was to get 6mg, 12mg, and 24mg, and figure out which works best for me.
As I understand it, the problem is that an atomizer that “burns” too hot will either make the nicotine hit too harsh on the throat/lungs, and or produce a harsh burnt taste. Considering I haven't been a regular smoker in 20 years, and haven't even had the off cig in about 8 years, my throat & lungs aren't going to be able to handle a hard hit.

So is it possible to buy a different atomizer or cartomizer for this mod?
Reading the specs on this thing, it appears so, but as confusing as all this is, I don't know. For the mod, the specs are:
Operating Wattage: 1.0 to 40.0 W
Built-in 1100mAh Battery
Temperature Control: 100-315C / 200-600F
Resistance: 0.1 – 3.5 ohm in Variable Wattage/Bypass Mode
Resistance: 0.05 - 1.5 ohm in Temperature Control mode
Atomizer size: 22mm Diameter

So can I just slap on any 22mm diameter atomizer?

And what ohm atomizer should I be looking for to handle 24mg nicotine?

Also, to anyone that replaced cigarettes with vaping nicotine, once you found the mg that was right for you, about how much juice do you go through per day?

Any help on buying my first mod would be appreciated. I'm looking for something as cheap as it gets, I just want to be able to put nicotine into my blood stream.

 

[Letitia9]

Welcome to VU. I am not the right person to help you. I have never used dipping tobacco. Eleaf a solid mod and will serve you well. Yes you can use other tanks with 510 connection. I'm just not sure which. I would lean towards Kanger Subtank Mini. It would accommodate the nic levels you're wanting. High nic will give pretty hard throat hit even with higher vg. Just hangout, someone will be along soon that can advise you better.

 

[vapemesilly]

The mod is fine. The Kanger Subtank Mini is probably a good choice. Coils can be had at .5, 1.2 and 1.5 ohm which should pretty much cover any nicotine strength you choose.

 

[Jesse_James2112]

This is a little more complicated than I thought. The advised Kanger atomizer is about $30, a package of 5 coils for it is $15, for a total of $45, which is more expensive than the entire starter kit I am looking at.

I'm thinking it might be cheaper to just find a starter kit that comes with a 1.5 ohm coil.

Here's something else confusing, if the compatibility of an atomizer and the box is determined by connection, such as 510, than what determines the coil compatibility and tank compatibility with the atomizer?

Another thing that's got me confused is that atomizers come in RBA and RTA. The RBA has to have the juice dripped on it after every few puffs (that seems really annoying), and the RTA I hear are hard to build... and I really don't want to build an atomizer. I'm looking for one pre-built and ready to go, and I don't even know what those are called.

I'm also wondering if the built in battery might not be a good idea. Would the battery last me all day?
I'm thinking maybe it would be better to have a removable battery (but then I'd have to buy a charger too).

 

[Letitia9]

RDA=dripper
RTA=rebuildable tank
RBA is compatible with a tank that also uses drop in coils. The Kanger has drop in (stock) coils and a rba. I'm not familiar with current kits. If you find a tank you can vape under 20w you can get a day out of 40w mod with internal battery. I personally prefer dual 18650 mods. Have you taken a look at Aspire Nautilus tank yet? I'm afraid I won't be much help.

 

[IMFire3605]

This is a little more complicated than I thought. The advised Kanger atomizer is about $30, a package of 5 coils for it is $15, for a total of $45, which is more expensive than the entire starter kit I am looking at.

I'm thinking it might be cheaper to just find a starter kit that comes with a 1.5 ohm coil.

Here's something else confusing, if the compatibility of an atomizer and the box is determined by connection, such as 510, than what determines the coil compatibility and tank compatibility with the atomizer?

Another thing that's got me confused is that atomizers come in RBA and RTA. The RBA has to have the juice dripped on it after every few puffs (that seems really annoying), and the RTA I hear are hard to build... and I really don't want to build an atomizer. I'm looking for one pre-built and ready to go, and I don't even know what those are called.

I'm also wondering if the built in battery might not be a good idea. Would the battery last me all day?
I'm thinking maybe it would be better to have a removable battery (but then I'd have to buy a charger too).

Hmm, where to start.

First question would be this, are you looking at a Mouth to Lung Device (MTL) [similar to the draw of smoking a cigarette or sucking a drink through a straw] or Direct To Lung (D2L) [similar to the way you take a hit off a water xxxx pipe] with major clouds or fair clouds? This will narrow down your tanks/atomizer list considerably and then you can move to the next step the mod itself.

MTL Tank, best advise would be the Aspire Nautilus Line, Original Nautilus, Nautilus Mini, or the Newer Nautilus 2, this is IMHO the best MTL tank line on the market, has been for the past 2 to 3 years, with simple drop in pre-made coils.
D2L Tank, best IMHO is the UWell Crown Line, followed by the SMOK Baby Beast and Big Baby Beast tanks
Tank that can do both MTL and D2L, the Kanger Subtank Mini (bottom fill) or Toptank Mini (Top Fill) with its large range of coil resistances.

Remember also, lower the Ohm Rating on a coil, the higher the watts needed to make that coil function, watts = heat and more juice vaporized, more juice vaporized = more nicotine exposure per volume.

Aspire Nautilus with a 1.6ohm coil (1 to 1 ratio) vaporizing 12 or 18mg nic juice in the 8 to 15watts range
Kanger Subtank Mini with a 0.5ohm coil at 25 to 30 watts, 30watts/15watts of the Nautilus = 2, so a 2 to 1 ratio of nicotine exposure, 2 X 12mg = 24mg, or 2 X 18mg = 36mg exposure. 12mg/2=6mg, see how these numbers are basically lining up to determine needed nic strength vs Coil Ohms and Watts??
SMOK Baby Beast with a 0.25ohm Coil at 45watts, 45watts/15=3, or a 3 to 1 ratio per volume, 12mg/3=4, so about a 3mg woould work here.

Mods, internal battery mods have their advantages, no extra charger needed or extra batteries needed, however the big draw back is, Li-Ion batteries do not last forever, 6 months or so heavy abuse, to about 18months gentle use, that battery will eventually just die, and all said and done, you now have a mod without a replacement battery, basically a nifty little paper weight. If the USB charging port breaks, again, you left with an expensive paper weight.

My recommendation for an internal battery mod, maybe look at the Eleaf iStick40w TC, same wattage range of that mini iStick but double to triple the Mah of the mini, it is older but you raised the valid point, 1100mah could leave you hanging in the middle of the day, where 2200 to 3000mah will have plenty of power for the whole day.

My recommendation for a replaceable battery mod, the Eleaf iStick Pico 75W, team that up with a pair of Samsung 30Q 3000mah 20amp 18650 batteries and a Nitecore i2 2bay charger, while one battery is charging the other is in use in the mod, giving you a good battery rotation. *Do not buy batteries off Ebay or Amazon, to many fakes being sold, you want Authentic "Name Brands" from the Big 4 Primary Manufacturers (LG, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic/Sanyo)*
US/Can/Mex
Liionwholesale.com
illumn.com
imrbatteries.com
orbtronic.com
RTDVapor.com

EU/UK
fogstar.co.uk (UK)
batteriesplus.co.uk (UK)
nkon.nl (Netherlands)

However there is also one other very viable option that is very price point effective, and I'd buy 2 of them, old vaping addage, have back ups for your backups
You might look at the Joyetech Ego AIO (All-In-One), internal battery, USB charged, tank and mod are one piece, top fill cap with a child safety lock, top air flow control, and has multiple Ohm rated coils for both MTL and D2L style vaping
http://www.myvaporstore.com/Joye-eGo-AIO-All-in-One-Starter-Kit-p/joye-eoaio.htm ($18.99 plus shipping), nice compact, fits in a shirt pocket and can be hidden in the hand easily, and one of the easiest coil heads to prime, screw the coil onto the top cap, fill juice to the line on the glass tank, close it up, let it sit for about 10 to 20 minutes, and away she goes, ready to go, nothing to adjust other than the air flow, the mod adjusts itself to the resistance of the coil, very great beginner setup and will let you decide later if vaping is for you, then you can jump down "Alice's Rabbit Hole"

 

[SpectoVia]

I had good luck with the first sub-ohm kit that I bought. I'm full on squonking at home, but I still use this set up for excursions out of the house. It has an Amigo style tank and Amigo coils are not cost prohibitive. And $49 is not a bad deal; comes with eliquid too.

http://www.smoketip.com/SmokeTankXL-Kit_p_275.html



I got this kit from a gift certificate to a local B&M. It has TC that the other doesn't. I like the Veco tank, but I wish it had a larger capacity (2 ml).

https://www.elementvape.com/vaporesso-tarot-nano-80w-tc-starter-kit

 

[Jesse_James2112]

I appreciate everyone's patients with me, and the recommendations.
I have some more questions though.

1. Isn't it cheaper to buy high levels of nicotine, like 24mg, and vape at a low temperature, to save eLiquid, as opposed to vaping low nicotine like 6mg, at a higher temperature, which gives more nicotine per puff, but uses more eLiquid per puff?

2. Now when it comes to watts and ohms, this may be where I am getting my electricity wrong.
If a 0.5ohm coil was being fed 20 watts equals a temperature of 200f (hypothetically).
Would feeding a 1.0ohm coil 40 watts equal the same temperature? Or would it be 10 watts to equal the same temperature? Or does it not even work like that?

3. Aren't there temperature controlled mods where you tell it what ohm your coil is, and how hot you want it, and it converts the wattage for you? So instead of adjusting watts and swapping coils, just set the temperature?

4. And while this is kinda redundant because it may get answered in the other questions, couldn't I buy a coil, of any ohms, and just get the temperature I want by raising and lowering the wattage?

 

[IMFire3605]

I appreciate everyone's patients with me, and the recommendations.
I have some more questions though.

1. Isn't it cheaper to buy high levels of nicotine, like 24mg, and vape at a low temperature, to save eLiquid, as opposed to vaping low nicotine like 6mg, at a higher temperature, which gives more nicotine per puff, but uses more eLiquid per puff?

2. Now when it comes to watts and ohms, this may be where I am getting my electricity wrong.
If a 0.5ohm coil was being fed 20 watts equals a temperature of 200f (hypothetically).
Would feeding a 1.0ohm coil 40 watts equal the same temperature? Or would it be 10 watts to equal the same temperature? Or does it not even work like that?

3. Aren't there temperature controlled mods where you tell it what ohm your coil is, and how hot you want it, and it converts the wattage for you? So instead of adjusting watts and swapping coils, just set the temperature?

4. And while this is kinda redundant because it may get answered in the other questions, couldn't I buy a coil, of any ohms, and just get the temperature I want by raising and lowering the wattage?

#1 - Yes, this is generally seen in Mouth to Lung devices, higher nicotine with a higher Ohm coil, at lower watts or volts, for example purpose, say a device using an Aspire Nautilus /w 1.6ohm coil at 8 watts with 12mg nic, can range in mili-liters of juice consumed a day about 4 to 6ml, where a UWell Crown tank /w 0.5ohm coil in 25 to 30 watts setting with 6mg nic range, can consume double, almost triple the juice consumed in a day to about 20 to 30ml.

#2 & 3 & 4 - In theory it should work that way. But with Temperature Control (TC) in vaping, the mechanic works as the mod (power device) is reading the resistance of the coil wire hundreds, even thousands of times a second, as metal in the wire is fed power it heats up, as it heats up, its electrical resistance increases, the mod detects this increase and calculates the temperature of the wire based on the resistance increase curve of that wire. TC Mode also requires some specialty wires in the coil that have a very detectable TC curve, namely Ni200 Nickel (TC Mode Only), Titanium T1 (TC Mode Only), and Stainless Steel 316L (Can Be Used in TC or Wattage Modes), the other 2 most common wires Kanthal A1 and NiChrome (60 or 80) can not be used in TC mode. The first reading of the Ohms of a coil need to be done at cold, room temperature, your better TC capable mods take this reading and lock this resistance in (stores in the mod memory) and uses that reading as the coil baseline to do its calculations on wire temperature during operation, as example a mod using an Evolv DNA200 control board. Watts can be used to gauge roughly what temperature you want, mostly seen in most just variable wattage devices, yet for temperature purposes in vaping, the mod continues to fire at the set watts continuously and the wire continues to heat up on a wattage only mod or TC mod set into wattage only mode. A true TC mod, the wattage setting is the initial ramp up setting, it monitors the wire resistance, then once the guessed temperature setting is reached, it ramps the watts down and begins to PWM (pulse width modulate) the wattage to maintain that set temperature. You are also not taking into account how a coil is cooled from melting down, this is done through the evaporation of the liquid being vaporized and depending on the airflow of the tank/atomizer the cool air being directed at the coil to hit the coil then carry off the vaporized liquid.

 

[SkoldVape]

Hmm, where to start.

First question would be this, are you looking at a Mouth to Lung Device (MTL) [similar to the draw of smoking a cigarette or sucking a drink through a straw] or Direct To Lung (D2L) [similar to the way you take a hit off a water xxxx pipe] with major clouds or fair clouds? This will narrow down your tanks/atomizer list considerably and then you can move to the next step the mod itself.

MTL Tank, best advise would be the Aspire Nautilus Line, Original Nautilus, Nautilus Mini, or the Newer Nautilus 2, this is IMHO the best MTL tank line on the market, has been for the past 2 to 3 years, with simple drop in pre-made coils.
D2L Tank, best IMHO is the UWell Crown Line, followed by the SMOK Baby Beast and Big Baby Beast tanks
Tank that can do both MTL and D2L, the Kanger Subtank Mini (bottom fill) or Toptank Mini (Top Fill) with its large range of coil resistances.

Remember also, lower the Ohm Rating on a coil, the higher the watts needed to make that coil function, watts = heat and more juice vaporized, more juice vaporized = more nicotine exposure per volume.

Aspire Nautilus with a 1.6ohm coil (1 to 1 ratio) vaporizing 12 or 18mg nic juice in the 8 to 15watts range
Kanger Subtank Mini with a 0.5ohm coil at 25 to 30 watts, 30watts/15watts of the Nautilus = 2, so a 2 to 1 ratio of nicotine exposure, 2 X 12mg = 24mg, or 2 X 18mg = 36mg exposure. 12mg/2=6mg, see how these numbers are basically lining up to determine needed nic strength vs Coil Ohms and Watts??
SMOK Baby Beast with a 0.25ohm Coil at 45watts, 45watts/15=3, or a 3 to 1 ratio per volume, 12mg/3=4, so about a 3mg woould work here.

Mods, internal battery mods have their advantages, no extra charger needed or extra batteries needed, however the big draw back is, Li-Ion batteries do not last forever, 6 months or so heavy abuse, to about 18months gentle use, that battery will eventually just die, and all said and done, you now have a mod without a replacement battery, basically a nifty little paper weight. If the USB charging port breaks, again, you left with an expensive paper weight.

My recommendation for an internal battery mod, maybe look at the Eleaf iStick40w TC, same wattage range of that mini iStick but double to triple the Mah of the mini, it is older but you raised the valid point, 1100mah could leave you hanging in the middle of the day, where 2200 to 3000mah will have plenty of power for the whole day.

My recommendation for a replaceable battery mod, the Eleaf iStick Pico 75W, team that up with a pair of Samsung 30Q 3000mah 20amp 18650 batteries and a Nitecore i2 2bay charger, while one battery is charging the other is in use in the mod, giving you a good battery rotation. *Do not buy batteries off Ebay or Amazon, to many fakes being sold, you want Authentic "Name Brands" from the Big 4 Primary Manufacturers (LG, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic/Sanyo)*
US/Can/Mex
Liionwholesale.com
illumn.com
imrbatteries.com
orbtronic.com
RTDVapor.com

EU/UK
fogstar.co.uk (UK)
batteriesplus.co.uk (UK)
nkon.nl (Netherlands)

However there is also one other very viable option that is very price point effective, and I'd buy 2 of them, old vaping addage, have back ups for your backups
You might look at the Joyetech Ego AIO (All-In-One), internal battery, USB charged, tank and mod are one piece, top fill cap with a child safety lock, top air flow control, and has multiple Ohm rated coils for both MTL and D2L style vaping
http://www.myvaporstore.com/Joye-eGo-AIO-All-in-One-Starter-Kit-p/joye-eoaio.htm ($18.99 plus shipping), nice compact, fits in a shirt pocket and can be hidden in the hand easily, and one of the easiest coil heads to prime, screw the coil onto the top cap, fill juice to the line on the glass tank, close it up, let it sit for about 10 to 20 minutes, and away she goes, ready to go, nothing to adjust other than the air flow, the mod adjusts itself to the resistance of the coil, very great beginner setup and will let you decide later if vaping is for you, then you can jump down "Alice's Rabbit Hole"

I agree with all of this... the pico is always what I recommend for a first external battery mod but I always think the subtank mini is a better option than nautilus as it has an RBA for if he wants to build a couple of months down the line.

 

[Jesse_James2112]

OK, I know what i am looking for. You see, I have to go in for a tooth extraction, that means I can't be sucking, such as sucking on a cigarette. So I am looking for maximum air flow. I want to do direct to lung.
I'm beginning to suspect the warning on sub oHm tanks that you can't vape high levels of nicotine, is a warning for people who have no wattage or temperature control. After all, couldn't I just lower the temp or wattage when vaping high nicotine juices? So am I running away from sub-oHm tanks for no reason?
Also, there is a vape store near me that sells Aspire - Zelos Starter Kit for $60. It says there is an air flow control, but the description also says it's perfect for mouth to lung (and I'm wanting direct to lung). The store doesn't have in-stock anything else with air flow control.
Anyhow, I know what my needs are now, maximum air flow.
Also, let me see if I got this straight. RTA is a type of RBA, with a tank, and RBA means I can change coils and wick, rather than having to throw away the whole atomizer. Right? I don't have to hand wire my own coils with an RBA? assuming I'm right, than I would like an RTA, because I want to change out old coils, and I want a tank because I'd rather not have to drip juice on a wick every time I take a puff.

 

[SkoldVape]

OK, I know what i am looking for. You see, I have to go in for a tooth extraction, that means I can't be sucking, such as sucking on a cigarette. So I am looking for maximum air flow. I want to do direct to lung.
I'm beginning to suspect the warning on sub oHm tanks that you can't vape high levels of nicotine, is a warning for people who have no wattage or temperature control. After all, couldn't I just lower the temp or wattage when vaping high nicotine juices? So am I running away from sub-oHm tanks for no reason?
Also, there is a vape store near me that sells Aspire - Zelos Starter Kit for $60. It says there is an air flow control, but the description also says it's perfect for mouth to lung (and I'm wanting direct to lung). The store doesn't have in-stock anything else with air flow control.
Anyhow, I know what my needs are now, maximum air flow.
Also, let me see if I got this straight. RTA is a type of RBA, with a tank, and RBA means I can change coils and wick, rather than having to throw away the whole atomizer. Right? I don't have to hand wire my own coils with an RBA? assuming I'm right, than I would like an RTA, because I want to change out old coils, and I want a tank because I'd rather not have to drip juice on a wick every time I take a puff.

RTA is rebuildable tank atomizer & RDA is rebuildable dripper atomizer.
There are lots of sub ohm tanks, my favourite being the baby beast & you can use an RBA base if you end up wanting to build. Personally I'm fine with the pre made coils but the RBA is decent.
It's all down to personal preference & people will recommend different things.
I tried lots of tanks both MTL and DL an personally I like both but sub ohm alot more.
My suggestions are the big baby beast or the Freemax fireluke.
Hope this helps.
The big baby & fireluke both have very big airflow an I leave my airflow wide open.
Think these would suite you well

 

[SkoldVape]

Oh btw vaping high nicotine in a sub ohm tank is harsh as fuck but I do know people that do, personally I use 6mg sub ohm & 18mg MTL

 

[inspects]

OK, I know what i am looking for. You see, I have to go in for a tooth extraction, that means I can't be sucking, such as sucking on a cigarette. So I am looking for maximum air flow. I want to do direct to lung.
I'm beginning to suspect the warning on sub oHm tanks that you can't vape high levels of nicotine, is a warning for people who have no wattage or temperature control. After all, couldn't I just lower the temp or wattage when vaping high nicotine juices? So am I running away from sub-oHm tanks for no reason?
Also, there is a vape store near me that sells Aspire - Zelos Starter Kit for $60. It says there is an air flow control, but the description also says it's perfect for mouth to lung (and I'm wanting direct to lung). The store doesn't have in-stock anything else with air flow control.
Anyhow, I know what my needs are now, maximum air flow.
Also, let me see if I got this straight. RTA is a type of RBA, with a tank, and RBA means I can change coils and wick, rather than having to throw away the whole atomizer. Right? I don't have to hand wire my own coils with an RBA? assuming I'm right, than I would like an RTA, because I want to change out old coils, and I want a tank because I'd rather not have to drip juice on a wick every time I take a puff.

I've had a wisdom tooth extracted while vaping mouth to lung, if you haven't vaped in the past one of those low ohm sub tanks will probably make you gag or choke half to death. You may wish you had a mouth to lung setup. You just gently draw on the atomizer, it's not like you're trying to suck a thick milkshake through a tiny straw.

 

[snake94115]

I've never vaped before and I want to break my addiction to dipping tobacco. So I want to give vaping a chance.

I have some questions I hope someone can answer.

I've spent all day looking into vaping, trying to get familiar with the terminology etc.
Looking for sales on mods, I come across a “Eleaf iStick power Nano and Melo 3 starter kit.” for a cheap price, and I think “perfect”.
But then I read the disclosure from the manufacturer that due to Melo 3 atomizer being sub-ohm, it is recommended to not use higher than 6mg nicotine juice.

Well, my plan was to get 6mg, 12mg, and 24mg, and figure out which works best for me.
As I understand it, the problem is that an atomizer that “burns” too hot will either make the nicotine hit too harsh on the throat/lungs, and or produce a harsh burnt taste. Considering I haven't been a regular smoker in 20 years, and haven't even had the off cig in about 8 years, my throat & lungs aren't going to be able to handle a hard hit.

So is it possible to buy a different atomizer or cartomizer for this mod?
Reading the specs on this thing, it appears so, but as confusing as all this is, I don't know. For the mod, the specs are:
Operating Wattage: 1.0 to 40.0 W
Built-in 1100mAh Battery
Temperature Control: 100-315C / 200-600F
Resistance: 0.1 – 3.5 ohm in Variable Wattage/Bypass Mode
Resistance: 0.05 - 1.5 ohm in Temperature Control mode
Atomizer size: 22mm Diameter

So can I just slap on any 22mm diameter atomizer?

And what ohm atomizer should I be looking for to handle 24mg nicotine?

Also, to anyone that replaced cigarettes with vaping nicotine, once you found the mg that was right for you, about how much juice do you go through per day?

Any help on buying my first mod would be appreciated. I'm looking for something as cheap as it gets, I just want to be able to put nicotine into my blood stream.

Just 1 question first.
What Brand did you use to dip?