The Real Truth Behind E-Cigarette Disinformation

Illinois rakes in almost $788 million a year in cigarette taxes. 788 MILLION!

Cook County (highest tax rate in Illinois) rakes in MORE than 25 MILLION annually.

Now wait for it… the FEDERAL government rakes in more than 17.1 BILLION dollars annually on cigarette taxes.

Is there any question about why the government would be up in arms and spreading disinformation about a product that is TRULY helping people stop smoking cigarettes? Big Politics and Big Tobacco HATE e-cigarettes, and the FDA is their puppet.

Did you REALLY think the government cared about your health?

*All states have these types of outrageous tax incomes on cigarettes*

When in Doubt -- STEEP

Ever get that bottle of e-juice in the mail and unwrap it with all of the excitement of a child unwrapping a present on Christmas morning, only to take a quick vape and have all that excitement go up in a puff of vapor? UGH, YUK! Sometimes an e-juice just doesn't taste good. That's not a "doesn't taste like I expected, has a different flavor that I thought, or I don't like that flavor---it's it tastes like ... manure (as polite as I can say that).

I had one like that. I didn't care for it when it came, but it didn't taste like what it was labeled to be. So, I put it away for two weeks to steep and hoped it would come together. When I tried it after two weeks it was HORRIBLE. I thought oh no, this is really a bad juice. I didn't throw it away though, I just tossed it back in the juice box and left it there. I happened to go through the box last week and took it out. It had been in there, probably a month. I decided to see if it was still terrible and if it was I was going to toss it. Lo and behold, it actually tasted just fine, and was the flavor it was supposed to be. I was quite amazed. It is still not my all time favorite, but I like it well enough to use it up now.

Don't toss away e-juice that doesn't taste good right off the bat, or doesn't taste like what you thought it would right from the start. When in doubt--steep! Put it in a box (dark place) out of sunlight (keep it relatively cool) and let it just sit for a few weeks. If it isn't good then, let it sit for a few more weeks. 

If it still isn't good after a month or two... the garbage is a good place for it at that point.

Kayfun v 3 es Review

Recently I won a contest on the e-cigarette-forum board offered by VaporEngine.com. The contest gave away ejuice every week and once a month, for a three month period, a Kayfun v3 kit. I won the very last kayfun kit!

It arrived today and it is just great.

The black drip tip and black tank window I had on hand. The original kit comes with a silver metal drip tip and a choice of both solid silver or clear plastic window tank. So, with my black tank window I have three options for using this tank.

I love the fact that this Kayfun allows you to use any drip tip you like to further customize the tank. Not all Kayfun versions (either original or clone) allow it. This one does require a drip tip adapter, but it was included with the kit and is easy to use.

It looks pretty cool on my black Vamo V5 I think. The draw on this Kayfun is fairly tight, but completely acceptable.

I recently purchased a cheap ($14.00) clone version of the Kayfun Lite v1 and it has a very similar airflow. I had hoped the V3 with it's adjustable airflow would allow just a smidge more air in, but the vapor production is very good anyway on both of the units.

I have read many posts on various forums of new Kayfun users having such a hard time getting a good build (coil and wick construction) on their Kayfuns. I am not sure what the problem is with that. I have never had any difficulty with either of the Kayfuns, the older clone or this new original version.

I apologize for not taking pictures of the tank it the tear down mode. Here is a stock copy pic from one of the websites that sells Kayfuns to show how the tank looks broken down into pieces.

The Kayfun does indeed produce very nice vapor and flavor, almost comparable to a dripper. Quite frankly, no current tank can really equal a drip atomizer for flavor and vapor, but the Kayfuns come as close as a tank can get, and provide the convienience of not having to constantly add liquid to the atty. The very, VERY large 4.5 ml holding tank on the Kayfun means it will last a very long time. One tank lasts me roughly a day (using it alternatly with either a dripper or another tank).

There are Kayfun mini tanks that can be purchased separately (it's on my wishlist) that hold a smaller amount of liquid and fit on the Kayfun and Kayfun lite bases. There are also many different colored window tanks to customize Kayfuns to your mods, and the actual Kayfuns also come in several color varieties including the stainless steel I have pictured here, black, gold, bronze, brushed steel, chrome, black chrome, blue and even rainbow.

Helios RDA Number 2

I just have to make another post on the Helios RDA. I got my second one today. The first Helios RDA I got was one I ordere with my Vamo V5 and I have been really enjoying the performance. Even though I got it back then, I didn't mention it too much in my Vamo post. I hadn't really had time to decide if it was going to be a great atty or just a good one. I knew it wasn't a stinker, but it takes time to decide if you're really going to love a piece of equipment. Now I know.

The Helios is a drip atomizer, which means there is no holding tank and you have to keep adding juice in drops as you go. I love the RDAs (stands for rebuildable drip atomizer) that have side air intake rather than post air intake. That way if you over load the atomizer with too much liquid, it may drown the coil and make vaping difficult to impossible until you get rid of some of it, or it may drip out the sides through the air openings, but it WON'T drip down into the battery connection. I now avoid contact post air vents as much as possible.

This little powerhouse really works great. I have two versions of it (both are clones). The first is the most tradtional style with air vents on each side of the top cap, the second has just one set of airholes on one side of the cap. I actually like them both very much.

These atomizers come with FOUR posts. It is actually a traditional 3 post setting that would allow users to do dual coils, and even quad coils, but the center positive post actually has two screws in it so it is even easier to put dual coils in, they don't have to share a center screw. All of the screws have post holes for the wire to go through, which I like a lot more than the basic screw setup that requires users to wrap the wire on the screw as it is tightened to keep it in place.

(edited to add a picture that showed the post set up on the Helios deck.)

The black Helios is a sleek, beautiful piece. You can just see the air "ring" at the center of the top cap that turns to open or close off the air openings, and let users select the desired air strength.

Even though there's only a two hole opening on one side of the new Helios I just got, everything else is the same, and the ring works the same to allow for airflow adjustment. I actually like the single sided air opening, and it works really well.

There are several other atomizers I have tried so far, and a couple more I'd like to try in the future, but I LOVE the Helios so far. It is my favorite of the ones I have used up to this point.

Smok Ace and the Smok 2.0 Ohm RDA

I got a new toy this week. A shiny, pretty hot pink Smok ACE and a matching RDA from Smok in hot pink. They  make a pretty pair, but I am going to review them separately since I like one, and the other leaves a lot to be desired.

The Smok Ace

Luckily, the Smok ACE is the one that I like. While I still have to say I prefer it's immediate cousin the Vamo V5 to it, I do love the lightweight feel of this piece.

The Smok ACE is, for all intents and purposes a match for the Vamo in looks. It has the same 'face' with the two top adjustment buttons and the larger firing button. Some people call it the "clown" face, but I love how easy it is to adjust the two of these devices.

The Smok ACE is a little bit taller than the Vamo. Only by a small amount, however. The fact that it's made of thick alumium makes it MUCH lighter than the Vamo. That's its main selling point.

Here is where the two begin to differ greatly and why I still prefer the Vamo V5. (NOTE: Only the 'official' Vamo V5. Other versions, and it is a much 'cloned' device for some reason in spite of its already low price point.) The Official Vamo V5 has a few more menu options, and the display screen shows THREE readouts at once when pressing the fire button. At a glance I can see the resistance of the atomizer, the battery power level and the voltage (or wattage depending on how its set to perform). Any of the three are viewable on their own by pressing the proper display buttons.

Not only can you toggle through the menu and change from voltage to wattage settings, you can also change what shows on the display, and you can also make the vamo count the number of puffs you take (not really sure why you would, but I suppose if you are really concerned about how much you vape that would be a nice feature). You cans also change from RMS settings to MEAN settings. RMS is much more accurate though.

The Smok Ace only shows the current voltage (or wattage) on the readout when firing, and while you can change between voltage or wattage from the menu, that is the only function it has. It does not have an RMS/MEAN option or any way to read out the remaining voltage of the battery.

I LOVE the looks of the Smok Ace. It is a pretty thing and there are many colors to choose from. I got mine from myfreedomsmokes.com. They have incredibly fast shipping, great service, an active forum on the ECF forum, and very nice prices. They also carry many extras, accessories, juices and DIY juice supplies.

The Smok 2.0 Ohm RDA

On top of the Smok ACE in the picture above you'll see the RDA. It comes in a wide variety of colors, and is a very nice size unit. There is also a mini version for anyone interested in having an easy to use, single coil RDA for a vaporizer like the Ego or other similarly sized devices.

I was actually surprised (pleasantly) at the size of this piece when it came. The pictures made it look so much smaller. That's where my love for it ended, however. I'm afraid it just isn't a good performer, and along with that, when I went to remove the top to change the coil (hoping the performance issue was a factory coil thing -- no) I had to use a pliers to grip the 510 connection and pull. I do that occassionally with other similarly structured RDAs and while it isn't the best thing to do, it's better (in my opinion) than pulling on it while it's connected to a vaporizer and risk damaging the 510 connection on it. Most RDAs handle it fine. This one, I went to screw back on to the vaporizer when I was done and it wouldn't screw on. I looked and the thread was totally crushed in where the pliers had been.

I managed to 'reshape' the thread ring with a pair of tweezers. That's how amazingly malable that ring is. Got it hooked back up, and it read out fine, but it still had bad air intake. This is a problem with this particlar device I came to find out after some research. So, I took it apart again and punched a hole in the side just where the coil sits.

It works a little better now, but I'm afraid I simply can't recommend this RDA to anyone. It isn't made well (although for the price I suppose you can't really be too mad. It only costs about $6.00). I can deal with having to make better air supplies, I can deal with fussy build requirements, but that mashable thread ring has me at a total stop. If it weren't for that I might give it a less than perfect score, but I wouldn't count it out because it has a lot of great attributes too.

Into the Breach, and Onto the World of Mods

As I said at the start of my other post today, Oh I have so much to tell you all. I know I have been quite remiss in my postings here. I'm sorry about that. It has been a long and exciting few weeks around here.

I didn't mean to go off on a rant before, but now that's out of my system. Now on to the really exciting things around here.

I have been vaping for quite awhile. I never really thought I would get into making my own e-juice, but I did recently. I never thought I would get into building my own coils, but I did recently.... and I REALLY never thought I would get into mods.

I have always been a diehard Ego (and Ego-type battery) fan. They're great little devices and they do the job. At least they do a great job if you are content using carto and clearomizers and tanks. If you really want the most out of your rebuildable atomizers and tanks, however, evenutally you are going to move on to the wonderful world of mods.

My very first mod is the VAMO V5.

It is not an expensive mod by any means. It is what you  might call an entry level mod, but it does just about anything a high-priced mod can do. It is stylish, and has a great weight to it. It is sizeable so it can handle both 18650 and 18350 batteries. Mine came with two 18350 batteries, and I'm waiting on some 18650s to come in the mail today.

I'm not going to go into great detail about what it does and doesn't do. There are a million places online where that information is covered very well. I am going to say that I really like this device. It works really well, and you can't beat the price.

It has a full menu that allows you to easily make the selections you desire, and operates in either voltage or wattage mode. Here's one of the only things I will say about the Vamo... it has a lot of clones out there with the same name, so quality issues can be a problem. The reason I say this is because my son and I both got a VAMO V5, but not from the same place. He bought his from a local brick and mortar store. (You'd think that would be better, especially since he paid several times more than I did). His is good, but not exceptional, the differences mostly in the options he has available in the menu. Plus, my display shows me at a glance the ohm, battery life and voltage (or wattage) I'm using every time I press the fire button. His only shows one of those things, he can choose which one, but he can't see all three at once.

So, if you buy a VAMO be sure it is certified rohs/ce, at least that shows it comes from a strong company with quality control. The rest you may not be able to control. Since even its original manufacture is from China, it can be difficult to ascertain which type of Vamo you are going to get. The one I bought assured that it was an authentic Vamo,... but anyone can say that. I got lucky.

I suppose that is one reason for the people who really love the expensive mods like ProVari (I would kill for one, but may never be able to afford one), are so adamant about them. When you buy a ProVari you know what you are getting.

For those of us that can't afford an expensive mod, however... the Vamo V5 is a really nice option even in its lesser forms.

I have more to come in the next few weeks. Hope you check back often.

I am also waiting for my very first order from Fasttech, a clone mechanical mod. That is a real first for me. I will tell you more about that one when it gets here.

And finally, I am about to pull the trigger on a SmokeTech Ace, a VAMO like mod that is a little lighter weight, made of aluminum instead of the heavier steel of the Vamo. There are good and bad points about that, but the Vamo is quite heavy and I would not really want to go out and run errands with it. I like the looks of the Ace too. It comes in a variety of colors. I'll let you know more about that when it gets here.

Obama Care Sucks

Oh I have so much to tell you all. I know I have been quite remiss in my postings here. I'm sorry about that. It has been a long and exciting few weeks around here.

Part of the excitment hasn't really been a fun type of excitment. I'll get just a tad political here and say Obama care really sucks. The people who love it seem mostly to be those that work at jobs that do not provide medical insurance, BUT never are really all that sick to begin with. For those people, it is a relief to know they have insurance now. The joke is on them, however, if they ever really do get sick. Because just wait until they try to use it.

My saying that isn't based on just my own experiences with what happened the last couple weeks. I have friends who are having severe issues with the program. These people have serious medical problems. I'm sure Obama care is just fine for bandaide solutions, minor procedures and the like. My situation (not really 'mine' but I was involved) is with my sister-in-law, a long-time Type II diabetic who is a double amputee and has had quad-bypass, high blood pressure and is legally blind (all from the diabetes). She has no car and can't drive, but is on dialysis three times a week. Her previous insurance covered the expenses along with medicade (spelling?). However, the medicaid portion was transfered to Obama care, of course, after it passed, and as it trickled down, or it finally got to her case, it cancelled her transporation services. Oh sure, it covered the dialysis, but now she couldn't get to it.

Her daughter has a car but it's too high and my SIL can't get into it. So I've been going three times a week to take her to an all-day long dialysis appointment. It didn't help that my car is falling apart. I don't really care, because I rarely drive anywhere but the couple of blocks to the grocery store once a week. I don't really need a car much. It has been particularly hair raising over these two weeks though, and my SIL had called all day long every day trying to find a solution to her problem, and at each turn and every contact she found, they said she would have to get in touch with her social worker at public aid to get approval. Well, she called every day at least once an hour and never got an answer. The voicemail transfer would say "voicemail full" and that was all she could do.

Finally, one of the case workers at the dialysis center called and the public aid office answered right away. Uh huh... so FINALLY my SIL has transportation again.

I am really sorry to rant like that. I didn't mean for it to be that long, but it was very annoying. Beyond the horrors of Obama care, what really got me was the public aid office pointedly not answering their phone. At one of her treatments, a person who worked there told my SIL that his wife worked at a public aid office and they never answered their phones! What is that about? I'm sure the only reason they finally answered when the guy from the dialysis center called is that the call showed up on the public aid offices call waiting as a medical center, and they didn't think it was a person calling for help, they thought it was an official medical business call. That's just wrong on a lot of levels, as far as I'm concerned.