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Need HELP, new to vaping

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Hello,

I recently purchased a SMOK ProColor 225W TC starter kit on eBay (the green one!). I received it today through the mail and then had the item I bought verified right away for its authenticity through the SMOK site with my smartphone. It worked. This is my first time buying a vaper. I need to know what are the pieces required for me to have to make this device work, that of which is not already in the box. I see the product is missing a battery/batteries and e-juice. Is that all I need to get now? And what type of battery do I need? I need to know the exact type of battery so I can make sure to get the right one/ones. Can all e-juices work? Please help me because I'm a spaz with this kind of stuff. So I could really use the help.

PS- I've already read the manual that comes with the kit. It's so tiny and simple... which I consider to be a major bummer because the kit was so expensive to begin with and it's really not easy to get started. I'd have expected it to come with better instructions!!!

As for how to recharge the device, it wasn't mentioned how to do it in the manual, but I'll figure that out once I have all the pieces required to make my vaper work.

I just really need to make sure my vaper works!!! So please do help me with my questions. I don't need to vape urgently because I quit smoking cigarettes nearly 5 years ago and this is just some kind of backup for me in case I have a really bad day... but I need to make sure my vaper works ASAP... you know, in case something's wrong with my vaper due to shipping and whatnot!

Thanks my fellow vaping forumites,

annabanana

:banana:

In the picture below, you can see the different pieces that were included in my starter kit box.
 

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BKTOAD

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Batteries- only sony, samsung, or LG. Others have inflated ratings.

Charger- don’t skimp here. I would stick to efest or nitecore

Juice- with this setup, you should be good with just about any ratio of pg and vg. Nicotine amount needed would be based on several things, including what wattage you run and simply how much nicotine you want and can handle. Everybody is different.

Replacement coilheads for your tank. These need to be replaced every 5 to 10 days depending on many variables.
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year

Sorry about that! I don't know how to delete the message I posted above. It got all messed up. :(:eek:

So, if I understand correctly, I'm going to need to buy batteries, a charger, replacement coil heads for my tank and e-juice.

Seriously, I thought the kit would include nearly everything... but it really doesn't include much! And for the price I paid... Does the kit really not include a charger?

What kind of Samsung, Sony or LG batteries will my device need? Is there a specific wattage or something (AA, AAA...) that my batteries need? Like I said, I'm new to this stuff. Don't hate me.

Also, if I'm getting this right, all juices should work for me then. I'm going to go for ones with very little nicotine...

Lastly, I'll have to look around for the PDF of the manual (I'm really hoping that there is one)! It upsets me that the kit didn't come with at least a notice where there's a link to it!

Thanks,

annabanana

:banana:
 
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BKTOAD

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Battery size is 18650. A couple that i would recommend would be
LG HG2
Samsung 30q
Samsung 25r

Only buy batteries from recommended vendors like
Illumn
Liion wholesale
Imrbatteries

I would suggest starting with 3mg/ml nicotine juice. But it really depends on a lot of variables. Mostly wattage you are going to vape at. For example, in these wattage ranges, this is the nicotine concentration I personally would use:
10w = 12 mg nic
25w = 8mg nic
40 w= 6mg nic
80w= 3mg nic
Over 100w= 2mg nic
 

BKTOAD

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
But, since you have not used nicotine for a while, your ideal nicotine strength is likely lower than the examples I have given.
 

Khassy

Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Yeah, when they refer to something as a kit, they mean mod and tank are included. Batteries, as with most things, are sold separately unless it's a device with a built-in battery.

I'm not sure about the device you have but most mods can be charged with a USB cable, but it's highly recommended that you get a stand-alone charger instead. And extra batteries if you can, so you can switch them out as needed and have a fresh pair ready to go. However, if you do carry extra batteries with you, whether in a bag, pocket, handbag, etc., make sure it is in a plastic carrying case, not loose. Loose batteries cause bad things to happen.

I would recommend starting at 3mg nicotine. That's a good starting point. If you need more, you can always move up. I vape with 0mg but I quit smoking years ago. I sometimes do 3mg if that's all that's available, but since I make my own juice now, I don't want to have to mess with adding nicotine. :)

Oh, and welcome to VU. :)
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I love you guys.

:hearts::stars::vino:


Based on all your recommendations...


Strongly considering purchasing: https://liionwholesale.com/products...mah-flat-top-wholesale-lot?variant=1038201992

Will this type of battery be ok for my device? How many will I need?

As for the charger, I assume it's for charging the batteries? How about this charger: https://liionwholesale.com/collecti...bay-li-ion-battery-charger?variant=1306357444

And now as for the coil heads and e-juice, maybe I can just get them at my local vaping store? There's one at the mall next to where I live. (I try to buy the most I can off the Internet because in-store prices are insane these days compared to what you can get on the Internet... Anyway, this little parenthesis is really besides the point, right?) Otherwise, I'll need to know a good place to get those and what to get precisely!

Here's some information that may help you to understand what I have:

Here's what was included in my kit...

- 1 x ProColor Mod
- 1 x TFV8 Big Baby Tank
- 1 x V8 Baby-Q2 0.4 Ω Dual Coils (pre-installed)
- 1 x V8 Baby-T8 0.15 Ω Octuple Coils ((--- what's the difference?
- 1 x USB Cable ((--- what is this for?
- 1 x Replacement Glass Tube
- 1 x User Manual
- Spare Parts

SPECIFICATIONS

ProColor Mod

--- Size: 85x46x30.2mm
--- SPower Range: Max 230W
--- Resistance Range: 0.1Ω-3Ω (VM)/0.06Ω-3Ω (TC)
--- Temperature range: 200 degrees F-600 degrees F/100 degrees C-315 degrees C

TFV8 Big Baby Tank

--- Material: Stainless steel
--- Size: 24.5 x 56 mm
--- Weight: 60 g
--- Capacity: 5ml
--- Thread: 510

PS- None or very little nicotine in my e-juice is what I want! Like I said, I quit smoking in early 2013 and I don't intend starting that up again.

Sincerely,

annabanana

:banana:
 
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BKTOAD

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I would get 4 batteries. That way you can have a backup set, charged and ready to go. If you plan on vaping very sporadically, might be ok with 2 batteries (1 set). Backups are always good though. Especially if it is the difference between buying smokes cuz you dont have charged batteries and buying an extra set of batteries

Might as well start with zero nicotine juice if you are no longer addicted to nicotine. No reason to dance with the devil and get hooked again. Just my $0.02
 

Khassy

Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Those batteries and charger are good. Those are the same ones I use. Your device requires 2 batteries. But like BK suggested, I would recommend getting four so you can have a couple of spares. Also, while you are buying them, throw an extra battery case in. They're dirt cheap and you'll have them on-hand should you need them.

The difference between the dual coil and the quad coil is the dual coil has two coils and the quad has four. :) Other than that, its a matter of preference. There are a lot of other coil options that are sold for the Baby Beast, too. And it's all just a matter of preference.

The USB cable is for charging the batteries in the mod, as well as for updating the software. Software updates are on the Smok website.
 

Khassy

Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Oh, and yes, you should be able to get coils and juice at your local store, although you may find that online stores are cheaper. Your local store should also allow you to sample different flavors so you don't have to blindly guess what you might like.
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
:yes:

Perfect! I'll get four of the batteries mentioned above, a charger as mentioned above and a battery case (https://liionwholesale.com/products/quad-18650-case?variant=14996911620) off of Liion wholesale' site.

I'll wait to receive these items through the mail before I get any coils or e-juice. How many coils do you think I'll need?

Finally, as you can see in the picture below, when I open to bottom part of my vaper, there's this huge space... What's that for?

Thanks,

annabanana

:banana:
 

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annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
30 $ shipping and I live 2 minutes across the border into Canada... it costs as much for the shipping as it does for items! :cry:

Just kidding... I don't mind! Thanks, guys!

I'll keep you updated on how things go from here!
(I hope the batteries will fit)

:cheers:
 
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BKTOAD

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
30 $ shipping and I live 2 minutes across the border into Canada... it costs as much for the shipping as it does for items! :cry:

Just kidding... I don't mind! Thanks, guys!

I'll you updated on how things go from here!
(I hope the batteries will fit)

:cheers:

Ouch on the shipping. I am sure there must be a reputable battery supplier in Canada. Might have even been worthwhile to get those items at your local shop instead, with the shipping prices. Sorry. All my best ideas are in hindsight.
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
It's okay! I'll survive.

Are you sure the batteries are big enough to fit? Each of those two round spaces are like 2 cm in diameter.
 

Khassy

Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Yeah, the batteries will fit. 18650 is the right size for those holes.

As far as how many coils you'll need, it depends on how often you use it and what kind of vape juice you get. Some can get weeks' worth of use from a coil, others a couple of days.
 

Polargirl

Silver Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Ouch on the shipping. I am sure there must be a reputable battery supplier in Canada. Might have even been worthwhile to get those items at your local shop instead, with the shipping prices. Sorry. All my best ideas are in hindsight.

Reddit says that the following link has the best battery prices in Canada. The site claims to have the most vaping supplies in Canada. You might want to check them out and maybe buy your future vaping supply needs there since everything is shipped from within Canada.

http://www.canvape.com/Default.asp

You can also check out the following link for battery stuff:
http://www.batterycanada.com/
 
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annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Reddit says that the following link has the best battery prices in Canada. The site claims to have the most vaping supplies in Canada. You might want to check them out and maybe buy your future vaping supply needs there since everything is shipped from within Canada.

http://www.canvape.com/Default.asp

You can also check out the following link for battery stuff:
http://www.batterycanada.com/

Thanks! And I'll definitely do a better job at shopping around in future. I'm just really impatient to get my vaper working.
Yeah, the batteries will fit. 18650 is the right size for those holes.

As far as how many coils you'll need, it depends on how often you use it and what kind of vape juice you get. Some can get weeks' worth of use from a coil, others a couple of days.

Yes. The size of the batteries is 18650. It is 18mm diameter 65mm long.

Thank God! Such good news!

Thanks all!
 
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annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
BTW, I got my Starter kit through eBay from a business located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, so I'm pretty sure I'm bleeding money at this point. :confused: LMAO
 

BKTOAD

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Odd as it sounds, you would probably pay way less for shipping from China than from USA to Canada. Possibly even free shipping from China.

Would wait for-freaking-ever though.
 

dcarpentier

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Just on the off chance, as a new vaper, that you're not familiar with some of the online videos where people mistreated 18650 batteries.. take the recommendation of keeping the 'loose' batteries (ie, when not in charger or in device) in the tube/container to protect from shorting.
These batteries are not "AA" or such.. they have *extremely* high current capabilities and cause a great deal of havoc if shorted out.
95% of the videos where people have flames or sparks flying out from a pocket or purse and due to battery contact with keys/coins etc
 

Polargirl

Silver Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
No worries. Money comes and goes, but vaping is love.
Even if money does, there is more time spent on vaping love if your supplies aren't delayed crossing borders.

The Canvape site has very good prices compared to US sites as well.
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
@ BKTOAD

I know what you mean. I've got something on its way right now from HK. And I've bought a couple of things before from China. Amazing customer service and prices, but it takes forever to get here. Sometimes, it's worth it to just wait though.
 
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annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Even if money does, there is more time spent on vaping love if your supplies aren't delayed crossing borders.

The Canvape site has very good prices compared to US sites as well.

Of course! As I said, I wouldn't commit the same mistake twice. I'm just really trying to find a way to get started now.
Just on the off chance, as a new vaper, that you're not familiar with some of the online videos where people mistreated 18650 batteries.. take the recommendation of keeping the 'loose' batteries (ie, when not in charger or in device) in the tube/container to protect from shorting.
These batteries are not "AA" or such.. they have *extremely* high current capabilities and cause a great deal of havoc if shorted out.
95% of the videos where people have flames or sparks flying out from a pocket or purse and due to battery contact with keys/coins etc

Great message! Thanks so much! I'll check it out. (note- I'm a very prudent person, safety is always important)


 
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annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
As a short addendum to what dcarpentier said....
Free battery case with every battery purchase at Li-Ion.

View attachment 93313

I ordered one for 99 cents off their site just earlier tonight along with my batteries and charger!
Battery vendor suggestion: IMR
Battery Knowledge/Safety suggestion: Battery Bro (Mooch)

HTH :)

In future, I'll probably be buying my supplies from businesses closer to home... ones that won't cost me so much in shipping. Thanks however for your suggestions, and I'm sure those are kickass businesses that will grow to be even more amazing in the industry, all in time! ;)
 
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Battery size is 18650. A couple that i would recommend would be
LG HG2
Samsung 30q
Samsung 25r

Only buy batteries from recommended vendors like
Illumn
Liion wholesale
Imrbatteries

I would suggest starting with 3mg/ml nicotine juice. But it really depends on a lot of variables. Mostly wattage you are going to vape at. For example, in these wattage ranges, this is the nicotine concentration I personally would use:
10w = 12 mg nic
25w = 8mg nic
40 w= 6mg nic
80w= 3mg nic
Over 100w= 2mg nic



Good to know
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Yipee! I got my stuff in the mail just a couple of days ago and I'm SUPER impressed with it!!! (see the attached photos) 10/10 :p

Questions:
  • Can my tank take max VG?
  • What's the difference between VG and PG? Which should I use? (considering that I care a great deal about my health)
  • Are there any things I should know when/about purchasing e-juice?
  • Are there any types of e-juice that might be harmful to my tank?
I went to the vape store at my local mall today. They have a ton of different kinds of e-juice... I'm a bit overwhelmed. (PS- my brother swears by the "12 Monkeys" brand, but he has a different vaper than me.)

Is there anything else to inform me about, for instance... something to do with my recharger and the batteries that I just purchased? You know I'm stupid... so if you think I know something that you think I should know - because it's so obvious -, chances are I don't know shit about it. o_O

:vapemail:

Thanks!!!
As a short addendum to what dcarpentier said....
Free battery case with every battery purchase at Li-Ion.

View attachment 93313

I just got two of these in the mail with my order!
 

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Khassy

Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
VG is vegetable glycerin. It's thick and is what causes the big clouds some people like. PG is propylene glycol. It's thinner and is what gives the juice more flavor. Therefore, higher PG will give you better flavor, higher VG will give you bigger clouds.

Charge your batteries to full before using them. Never carry them loose in a handbag or pocket, always carry them in the case. Don't leave them on the charger for long periods of time.
 

Polargirl

Silver Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
VG is vegetable glycerin. It's thick and is what causes the big clouds some people like. PG is propylene glycol. It's thinner and is what gives the juice more flavor. Therefore, higher PG will give you better flavor, higher VG will give you bigger clouds.

Charge your batteries to full before using them. Never carry them loose in a handbag or pocket, always carry them in the case. Don't leave them on the charger for long periods of time.

Can batteries be left in the charger long enough to be fully charged or are you saying a nearly depleted battery should only be recharged in incremental sessions until full?
 

Khassy

Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Can batteries be left in the charger long enough to be fully charged or are you saying a nearly depleted battery should only be recharged in incremental sessions until full?

I mean don't leave the battery in the charger for a week or longer. :D You can fully charge a depleted battery without any problem.
 

SteveS45

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Chargers normally shut down after fully charged or a set amount of time has passed. Sometimes to charge batteries to 100% it requires removing them and reinserting into the charger to reach 100%. A charger will see 97% as fully charged even though you feel it should be 100%.
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
VG is vegetable glycerin. It's thick and is what causes the big clouds some people like. PG is propylene glycol. It's thinner and is what gives the juice more flavor. Therefore, higher PG will give you better flavor, higher VG will give you bigger clouds.

Charge your batteries to full before using them. Never carry them loose in a handbag or pocket, always carry them in the case. Don't leave them on the charger for long periods of time.

VG it is then! I'mma create some almighty clouds. (I also heard VG is better for your health)
Chargers normally shut down after fully charged or a set amount of time has passed. Sometimes to charge batteries to 100% it requires removing them and reinserting into the charger to reach 100%. A charger will see 97% as fully charged even though you feel it should be 100%.

That's good to know!

THANKS!!!
 
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JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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(I also heard VG is better for your health)

This is debatable - a few people are very sensitive to either PG or VG

For instance, if I have high VG for more than a day or so, it builds up in my throat and creates a thick mucus that is hard to hack out - and I am far from the only one to have that experience

A few people out there get a scratchy throat from PG or other symptoms

The majority of people can vape either or both just fine - but the current trend in juice is very high VG
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
For instance, if I have high VG for more than a day or so, it builds up in my throat and creates a thick mucus that is hard to hack out - and I am far from the only one to have that experience

Ah, that probably explains me hocking goobers. Might need to get back to about 40PG/60VG mix, been using 30-10PG/Max VG mix. I started out on the panacea of 50/50, which did alright to a point.
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I went to the vape store at my local mall today. They have a ton of different kinds of e-juice... I'm a bit overwhelmed. (PS- my brother swears by the "12 Monkeys" brand, but he has a different vaper than me.)
Is there anything else to inform me about, for instance... something to do with my recharger and the batteries that I just purchased? You know I'm stupid... so if you think I know something that you think I should know - because it's so obvious -, chances are I don't know shit about it.

Well, please understand I am not writing this with any mean intentions at all. You live in the United States I would presume. IMR Batteries company is run from the great state of Texas. The rate of delivery for them to ship batteries in the CONtental UNited States is nominal (meaning not enough to be concerned about. Notice how I spelled CONtental UNited States, lots of military folks will say things in acronym form so that is CONUS. We also use the term POTUS to mean President Of The United States.)

Mooch's site I linked to, Battery Bro, has lots of valuable and helpful information about using batteries. He takes quite some time and effort to test batteries so as to help us as consumers be aware of good practices by battery making companies, as well as shady or bad practices by them. Mooch knows a lot about batteries and electrical stuff and I believe he works at it professionally. :) It might be considered something good to learn about how to be safe when using the batteries like we as vapers do.

Questions:
Can my tank take max VG?
What's the difference between VG and PG? Which should I use? (considering that I care a great deal about my health)
Are there any things I should know when/about purchasing e-juice?
Are there any types of e-juice that might be harmful to my tank?

Most tanks ought to be able to handle max VG well enough.

You'll want to watch out for diacetyl when you buy ejuice. The link goes to a vendor's site but has more information regarding diacetyl. It might or might not prove toxic, the general consensus is we try to avoid it simply because if we use it there's more chance for health risks and vaping is about harm/risk reduction in large part. There is another chemical which also has some controversy looming. Right off I'm indisposed as to recall what it called, I took out a memory chip in my IBM brain figuring I would soon go to bed. :)

It depends on your tank and the flavor of the ejuice. Back a while ago, tanks used polycarbonate plastics as the reservoirs. These type of tanks had problems with citric acid from flavors like orange, lime, lemon and also from cinnamon and some menthols. The chemicals in these flavorings reacted with the plastic, which turned a chemical reaction to a physical one. The tanks would get stuck screwed to their bases, you could try as hard as could, but ultimately you wound up breaking the plastic off and it would crack. This is what we mean when we talk about "tank crackers" in the juices.

I hope this has all been helpful. :) Hope too, I didn't read as being a fussy butt or mean. If I did, I apologize, I did not intend such. Excuse me love, need to fight that dastardly insomnia monster. :)
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
@MyMagicMist

You would presume wrong. I'm Canadian, born and raised in the great country of Canadialand. :cool:

I'm aware of the whole FLOTUS/POTUS thing and the terms "continental" or "continental United States".

I'll watch out to make sure there's no diacetyl in the e-juice I buy, as well for any other chemicals that might be dangerous for my health.

Thanks for the info, I'll keep it in mind for when I go shopping for juices later this month.
 

annabanana

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
This is debatable - a few people are very sensitive to either PG or VG

For instance, if I have high VG for more than a day or so, it builds up in my throat and creates a thick mucus that is hard to hack out - and I am far from the only one to have that experience

A few people out there get a scratchy throat from PG or other symptoms

The majority of people can vape either or both just fine - but the current trend in juice is very high VG

love it.
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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ECF Refugee
VU Challenge Team
Member For 5 Years
You'll want to watch out for diacetyl when you buy ejuice. The link goes to a vendor's site but has more information regarding diacetyl. It might or might not prove toxic, the general consensus is we try to avoid it simply because if we use it there's more chance for health risks and vaping is about harm/risk reduction in large part

I would not say there is a general consensus in the vape community to avoid dyketones - I would say there are vapers who avoid it

Dyketones are in some flavorings (and that means some juices) and it is the ingredient that spawned the "vaping causes popcorn lung" myth

I smoked cigarettes for 37 years before quitting for good with vaping. As there has never been one single case of popcorn lung associated with vaping (or smoking for that matter) I personally do not worry about it - but don't blame people who do.

People can make up their own minds about it - but telling new vapers to avoid it because there is a concensus it untrue and helps perpetuate negative myths about vaping

Popcorn lung is a very rare disease - and it is associated with working with powered form of Diacetyl in microwave popcorn factories for a prolonged (20 years+) period of time.

According to Dr. Michael Siegel, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at Boston University School of Public Health (and a long-time tobacco critic) vapers who use juice with Diacetyl are "...on average, exposed to a daily dose of nine micrograms of diacetyl, compared with 6,718 micrograms for smokers."
 

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