69 replies to this topic

[Hannamrj]

hifistud, on 26 July 2010 - 11:54 AM, said:

Join the throng - all are welcome, and you don't even have to have been born up here - we take imports, too!

P.S. the North East is the best place in the world. Wild horses & all that.

[Cat]

We look forward to meeting you Richard, at the OK Diner, as Hifi said, we are currently getting another local N.E.E.S. up organised and we would love for you to join us, and the Mrs of course..

As Hifi also said, join us at Vapourtrails, we shall be there at 9pm tonight, for VTTalk, a show where chat pose the questions for our guest and ourselves to answer...

[Hannamrj]

hifistud, on 11 January 2012 - 12:16 AM, said:

Now, then, Richard - we'll be having a meet in February - venue probably the OK Diner on the A19 north of Billingham, date to be confirmed...

And you might want to have a look at www.vapourtrails.tv

Dave near Sunderland

Thanks very much Dave. That's about an 80 mile round trip from Prudhoe I reckon. But it would be worth it to meet up with what seems to be a great bunch of folk.

[Hannamrj]

Cat, on 11 January 2012 - 08:32 AM, said:

We look forward to meeting you Richard, at the OK Diner, as Hifi said, we are currently getting another local N.E.E.S. up organised and we would love for you to join us, and the Mrs of course..

As Hifi also said, join us at Vapourtrails, we shall be there at 9pm tonight, for VTTalk, a show where chat pose the questions for our guest and ourselves to answer...

Thanks GG. I've checked out Vapourtrails & it's a really cool & useful site. Probably won't make it tonight as I teach piano until late on a wed. Then I must eat! AS I said to Dave, the OK Diner is a long trip from Prudhoe but I'm sure it would be worth it. And no Mrs or signicant other so no need for the usual permissions!!!

[Hannamrj]

Thanks to everyone for your warm welcome. Looking forward to meeting you at a NEES Up soon! 2012 will, I'm sure, be a pivotal year in the world of e-smoking. Watch out for a response from the tobacco companies this year!!!!

[Cat]

Our shows are Sunday through to Thursday, 9pm start, except Mondays, which is an 8pm... you are welcome to join us any night..

Re OK Diner... yes its about 80 miles round trip for me too, but, worth it, as the food down there is glorious, and the company even better...

Last time, Ben from UK-Eliquid/EcigWizard, and Paula from vapourworld, came along, so we had the opportunity of buying and trying some new products, and Ben drove from Peterborough, and Paula from Hull, I not forgetting our own presenter, RoadhogUK who drove up from Hereford, so it promises to be a great event, well worth the trip..

[Hannamrj]

Cat, on 11 January 2012 - 12:33 PM, said:

Our shows are Sunday through to Thursday, 9pm start, except Mondays, which is an 8pm... you are welcome to join us any night..

Re OK Diner... yes its about 80 miles round trip for me too, but, worth it, as the food down there is glorious, and the company even better...

Last time, Ben from UK-Eliquid/EcigWizard, and Paula from vapourworld, came along, so we had the opportunity of buying and trying some new products, and Ben drove from Peterborough, and Paula from Hull, I not forgetting our own presenter, RoadhogUK who drove up from Hereford, so it promises to be a great event, well worth the trip..

Sounds like a fun night out on all counts. Would make a change from the driving range!

[frankm0fnj]

Hi guys ,names frank from Gateshead. Just starting vaping hunting kit etc. just found this section & thought I'd say hello.
Can u tell me any local outlets for kit or liquid ?
The type of person I am ,I'd rather go & have alook & a feel ,than buy off the web cheers for now. Frank

[Hannamrj]

frankm0fnj, on 11 February 2012 - 06:57 PM, said:

Hi guys ,names frank from Gateshead. Just starting vaping hunting kit etc. just found this section & thought I'd say hello.
Can u tell me any local outlets for kit or liquid ?
The type of person I am ,I'd rather go & have alook & a feel ,than buy off the web cheers for now. Frank

Hi Frank. Tricky one mate. You can get Vapestick at Costco & Nucig from a couple of local chemists but that's about it locally. I've been doing a lot of research for a press article. If you want to give me a call, I'll talk the options through with you if you wish.

[Cat]

Hi Frank and welcome..

North Shields here..

There is nowhere to buy anything worthwhile Im afraid.

If you want to try something to see if this switch to vaping is for you, then maybe a trip to a Tesco to see if they have the disposables in stock.

The nearest shop as such is in Blackburn over in the North West, other than that, its the online route Im afraid.

There are a fair few of us up here in the North, so you wont be alone, and plenty of folk to guide you.

Join us on www,vapourtrails.tv tomorrow night at 9pm, where you will see a show for vapers, always a good place to chat to folk and get some ideas of where to start and what to buy.

We are hoping to organise a local meet up shortly, and you would be more than welcome to join us.

meantime pop along to VTTV as suggested, if you cant make it tomorrow, we are there at 8pm Monday and Tuesday to Thursday at 9pm..

[Hannamrj]

Cat, on 11 February 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

Hi Frank and welcome..

North Shields here..

There is nowhere to buy anything worthwhile Im afraid.

If you want to try something to see if this switch to vaping is for you, then maybe a trip to a Tesco to see if they have the disposables in stock.

The nearest shop as such is in Blackburn over in the North West, other than that, its the online route Im afraid.

There are a fair few of us up here in the North, so you wont be alone, and plenty of folk to guide you.

Join us on www,vapourtrails.tv tomorrow night at 9pm, where you will see a show for vapers, always a good place to chat to folk and get some ideas of where to start and what to buy.

We are hoping to organise a local meet up shortly, and you would be more than welcome to join us.

meantime pop along to VTTV as suggested, if you cant make it tomorrow, we are there at 8pm Monday and Tuesday to Thursday at 9pm..

Ah yes, I forgot about the disposables at Tesco. So that's quite a few places to try stuff in the North East then.

[frankm0fnj]

Thanks for the advice Richard it was greatly appreciated.
I've also registered with vttv ( grandma grump, sorry don't know what else to call you)

[Hannamrj]

No probs Frank. Glad to be of help. Just hope I was able to cut through all the techno-babble for you. Vaping's becoming more complicated than wine & some of the stuff I've seen is like reading an engineering manual.

I'm not criticising the hobbyists...it's just that I'm one of the majority that wants a simple, quality, effective an economical solution for my smoking needs.

As a pipe smoker, I need a product rather like like a 20+ a day cigarette smoker. Whilst there are no doubt several solutions, the one that's provided the best one so far is the JACVapour Vgo with the 950mAh battery & using the Megacarts & Desert Ship e-juice.

The battery goes comfortably more than a day. On top of that, the Megacart takes nearly 3ml of juice & will usually make it through a normal day too. If in any doubt, just take another cart with you & screw it on if the other one runs out.

All the best, Richard

[Rusty]

The best (and cheapest) solution out there atm for a pipe smoker is the Mikropipe - just over £40 delivered with internal 18350 battery and eGo switch. Add any 510 connected atty/carto/tank and a comfortable mouthpiece and you are off

[Hannamrj]

You may be right. However, a pipe smoker doesn't necessarily need something that looks like a pipe. Also, because of the way a pipe is smoked longevity of the battery & cart is very important.
The JACvapour Megacart also has a mouthpiece similar to a pipe & is softer.
On top of that, the Vgo is very smart to look at & draws admiring curiosity rather than concern.
And it lasts all day. Even the smaller 650mAh battery will run around 10 hours.
Used with the smaller XL cart 5/6 hours of vaping is possible whereas as the 950mAh/Megacart combo will go 8/10 hours!
As I said earlier, it's this type of combination that best suits the heavier smoker as well as pipe & cigar smokers.
Choosing a solution that looks like what you smoke is not only more expensive to run but invariably attracts the wrong type of attention.
I was using my Vgo in the restaurant of a top London hotel recently, As you should in such circumstances, I was not producing huge clouds of vapour. That would not be respectful. The restaurant's head honcho was more amused than concerned & was fascinated with the whole idea. He and a few customers hadn't even heard of e-smoking before. Now they know!

[Rusty]

I use an SDK at work,,suits me BUT there is a myriad of choices out there and they are mostly good

[Cat]

Hi Frank, and the name is Cat... at least thats what Im known as on the net, and a Grandma who is a Grump, is what I am...

As Rusty and Hannamrj have pointed out, the choice is vast, and because it is vast, it is confusing to someone starting on their vapourtrail..

I was lucky, when I started there were only a handful of choices, so half an hour debate with my daughter, Sav, who also started vaping the same time as me, was all it took to decide what to start with.

Today its not that easy...

Firstly lets get it straight, an ecig is not a cigarette, pipe or cigar, and will replace non of these things..

Initially that is what you are going to be looking for as everyone who switches does..

For some this can never be accepted, and those few fall by the wayside and go back to cigarettes.

Its an alternative device for delivering nicotine..

And along with it, can come some of the best experiences of your life, providing you accept its not a cigarette and dont try and emulate that experience.

Yes it can be held in a similar way, yes it can be inhaled, and yes it can produce something that vaguely resembles smoke..

But as you are not burning anything, it cannot replicate the taste, nor the experience.

So that said...

Your next question is, how and what do you smoke?

A pipe smoker, may indeed need the feel of a pipe in the hand, a cigar smoker, tends not to inhale a great deal, and so on...

All these things are relevant to where you start..

These disposables are fine to try out at low cost, as they give you a general impression of how you will adapt to the changes in habits..

For example Im addicted to the hand to mouth thing, so initially something light weight was on my agenda, and I settled for a 'mini' which was a DSE901, but the short battery life that came with the smaller ecigs that fit between your fingers was a big turn off for me, so I quickly moved on to something a bit fatter with a longer battery life..

So that said, you will already realise that a larger battery means a bigger device and longer vape time..

Anyway... you get my meaning, I dont mean to go on and on...

Switching over to ecigs does take away a lot of what you feel you enjoy about smoking a cigarette, but in turn it also opens up a HUGE new world, none of us had ever experienced before, and that is the world of flavour...

I know at this stage that sounds revolting to you... but believe me, its far more enjoyable than you could imagine..

Anyway, hope I have helped a bit..


Cat

[Hannamrj]

I have to say that Cat's advice is the best I've ever seen from anyone. Frank & me had a chat on the phone last night & he'd got confused with all the information, a lot of it conflicting, available on the internet.
Hopefully, what Cat has said & last night's chat has cut through Franks's fog.
He's a 40 a day roll up smoker & has to travel long distances at times.
The larger battery & cart combo is the only answer.
Well done Cat...a VC for you - Vape Counsellor!

[Cat]

Thank You rj, but undeserved praise..

I am so glad I started out 3 years ago, and not now, I wouldnt know where to start..

Forums can be as much of a hindrance as they are of assistance, as they are a mixed bag of enthusiasts as well as the every day vaper who just wants an ecig that works..

I have changed from an enthusiast to an every day vaper, simply because it all got too in depth for me..

I saw no reason to have to understand ohms, and when the first vaper started talking in ohms, I gave up being a staunch enthusiast...

At this precise moment, I am sitting here using a Darwin, with an Odysseus on the end..

Now ask yourself this, is this any different to a larger battery with a cart on the end?

No, its not, its just an adaptation of that very system which delivers the flavour that I personally require..

So there we have made a choice which could sound complicated, a lot less complex..

My initial advice to Frank is this..

Dont sit there and say, Im not going to smoke another roll up..

That sets yourself up for failure, as you instantly will feel deprived. The term switching, has its uses, as it is a relaxed way of changing your habits. Once you find that set up that suits you, you gradually switch to it, and for every roll up left in the tin at the end of the day, you congratulate yourself..

Some folk never stop the cigarettes entirely, some do, its not the end of the world, either way, you are in a better position than you were smoking 40 a day...

So take the pressure off yourself first and foremost...

Ban the word 'Quit' and substitute the word 'Switch' and its going to work for you...

We are all here to help you Frank...

Edited by Cat, 12 February 2012 - 11:14 AM.

[Hannamrj]

There you go Cat. You've now proven you deserve the VC tag.
You've re-iterarated some of the things I said to Frank.
Although a minority have turned vaping into a scientific hobby, the vast majority want, as you so succinctly put it, "an e-cig that works." for them of course...without all the techno babble.
Let me say though, I'm not decrying the enthusiasts. In fact, it's good that e-smoking can actually become an absorbing hobby without the costs & the risks of a real cigarette.
For most of us, the formula is simple - bigger battery & bigger atomiser (or cartomiser) = longer use between charges of electricity & nicotine juice. The only other choice is between pre-filled or refillable.
My son & his Mum use SkyCig. They're totally satisfied with that solution as they weren't heavy smokers to start with. All three of us have never smoked since.
That was because we adopted your method - we switched rather than quitting.
And when you smoke a Darwin, you've definitely switched. It looks nothing like traditional smoking.
So, I fully agree. Switch to something that looks different too.
Well done Cat. You're a VC star.