I started this FAQ page section for those who are new to vaping.

If other member s or guests have recommendations, comments, suggestions, and corrections, please pm me so I can amend. FYI, this is not meant to answer ALL questions. These are Common Q&A's usually a sked by NEWBIES. What is an E-cigarette? ** An E-cigarette is an electronic and battery powered d evicethat simulate smoking like a regular cigarette (analog). It provides inhale d doses of nicotine by way of a vaporized solution. It is also called PV or PERS ONAL VAPORIZER. Its vapor acts much like tobacco smoke, allowing long time smoke rs an alternative that can be inhaled and exhaled like traditional smoking. What are the main parts on an E-cigarette or PV? ** There are 3 main parts namel y the Battery (or body with battery inside of a PV mod), the Atomizer, and the C artridge. Battery supplies power to the atomizer. An atomizer is the part where the heating coil is located. This burns and heat the juice you put in it or on y our cartridge which will produce a decent amount of vapor that look like the rea l cigarette. A Cartridge is where you put the liquid and is usually stuffed with polyfill (a sponge-like material like an aquarium filter) inside. You will then attach it to your atomizer and this serves as your cigarette tip / mouthpiece. BATTERY This is the largest and, in my opinion, the most important of the three component. Most can be recharged using a number of different devices like wall c harger, car adapter, and USB chargers. For best results choose a push button battery. This allows you full control of t he amount of vapor produced with each puff. The manual batteries last just as lo ng or longer than the automatics and perform twice as well. The automatic versio n is not recommended. ATOMIZER This is the small center piece that actually creates the vapor and the heating coil is placed in it. Most e-cigarette companies use similar atomizers. With the exception of the built in or disposable versions, all atomizers require some minor cleaning and maintenance to maintain optimum performance. Clean, sto re and use as recommended and this component is basically fail proof. Most atomi zers last about a month if used regularly, or longer if used casually. CARTRIDGE It s the small piece on the end that looks and acts somewhat like the fi lter of a traditional cigarette. One end slips into the atomizer and the other h as a tiny hole that allows you to draw the vapor out. This unit contains a fiber that holds the flavored nicotine liquid. You can buy pre-filled or empty cartridges that can be filled using the refill liquids. The e-liquids come in a variety of flavors and honestly, many brands and flavors are similar in terms of quality. What is Dripping? ** DIRECT DRIPPING is the process wherein you put juice direct ly on your atty. Most of the Direct Drippers use a Drip tip. - Pull the mouthpiece from the atomizer - Best is to remove the fiber-part from the cartridge, ore use the empty cartridge that came with your cigarette. - Put 2-3 drops of eliquid straight on the atomizer - Put back the cartridge without t he fiber and vape away !!

Drip Tip has a hole where you put the liquids on without the need to remove it. It saves you time dripping juice in the atomizer. Sample pictures of Drip Tips.. . How much an E-cigarette cost? ** There are ton of sellers here in our thread and usually offers variety of PV's and ranges from 1k to 8.8k. We usually advice ne wbies to get starter kits. I would like to purchase a PV for myself and I have a limited budget but I want something that is close to a real cigarette when it comes to performance. What w ould you recommend? ** We usually advice newbies to get Starter Kits and all of our sellers here have them in stock. You may want to check on Takatak Boys secti on here in PVF to check their prices and offers. Starter Kits cost around 1k to 2.1k.Here are some links to our sellers' websites... E-shots PCRUS Better Than Cigarettes Puff Daddy's Just Like Smoking Holy Smokes Green Puff Vapeking E-pipes MyVape Vape Ville Are E-cigarettes Safe? ** E-Cigarettes are still not completely tested for safet y but just looking at the way they work versus smoking, they seem like a hell of a better option if you were to continue smoking. They may also be a great way t o quit, but that depends on you just as it would if you went on the patch or too k medication. For me I wanted the social part back without the cancer. This prov ides that for the time being. Check these threads for medical infos regarding Ecigarettes... Safety And Health Concerns Thread Does it taste different than a real cigarette? ** The Smoke you inhale is VAPOR so it feels slightly different but the taste and sensation is very similar to sm oke, as it is warm and fills your lungs the same. You can get special flavors as well to simulate your cigarette, but obviously it will never be 100% the same. Which is probably good. Do I need to have more than one e-cigarette? ** This really depends on you. As w ith all electronics, malfunctions can happen. Can you be ok for a few days waiti ng for replacement parts or warranties to be fulfilled? If not I suggest a secon

d one, however you can also just carry replacement parts with you as well or hav e them on hand so you never find yourself in a bad state of withdrawal and the n eed to go back to regular cigarettes. Either you can look to the place you purch ased your e-cigarette for backup parts. Ok, but what parts should I have extras of? ** You should have a backup atomizer , battery, and charger, just in case one of these malfunctions. Some things to c onsider is having extra e-cigarette nicotine liquid with you or cartridges as we ll to last until your next shipment can arrive. What are e-liquids or e-juices? ** E Liquid is the term used to describe the nic otine that is in electronic cigarette cartridges. Many of the electronic cigaret te manufacturer s cartridges are not meant to be refilled, however, many people ch oose to refill their old e-cig cartridges instead of continuing to purchase new ones to reduce waste and minimize cost. You can also find e liquid in a greater number of flavors than what your manufacturer may sell. When e liquid is dripped onto your e-cig atomizer directly, the act is referred to as dripping. What Ingredients Are in E Liquid? ** Typically, the e liquid mixture contains ni cotine in liquid form, food-grade propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerine ( VG), and a flavoring mixture. PG and VG are the components in e liquid that are used to produce a vapor when the e liquid is vaporized. What are Nicotine Strength? ** Similar to electronic cigarette cartridges, e liq uid can be purchased with varying levels of nicotine. The nicotine strength typi cally ranges from 0 mg to 36 mg per ml in the container. What is Steeping? ** Steeping is a process that allows you to make your e-liquids more flavorful. You do this process most especially when the juice is newly concocted and the fl avor has not yet fully set in. How To Steep An E-liquid? ** This is very simple, you just have to open the cap of your ejuice including t he dropper. Then store it in a dry place where the ants won't be able to reach i t eg: Cabinet. And make sure it's properly protected from direct sunlight. Let i t stay for 24hours. Then after a day, put the dropper and cap on, and keep it un used for one more week. After a week, you can now use the e-liquid and see if th e flavor has improved. How Much E Liquid Equals a Pack of Cigarette? ** The exact amount of E Liquid so lution that equates to a packet of cigarettes varies. Generally 1 ML of e liquid will give an average smoker the equivalent of one packet of cigarettes. This wi ll vary based on the size of your e-cig and the amount you inhale on your vapor smoke. Is there any reason why you would get the liquid in your mouth? **Some people wh o switch from smoking to e-cigarettes are used to pulling really hard on them. W hen you change make sure to take softer longer pulls on your e-cigarette. It wil l produce better vapor and you will not get liquid in your mouth. How do I know when to recharge the battery? ** Most of them have lighted tips or buttons that blinks a certain number of times to indicate that battery needs re charging. Starter kits usually come with at least one spare battery so that you can continue using the device while the battery is being recharged. How long do the batteries typically last before needing to recharge? ** Electron

ic cigarette batteries will last hours or days before re-charging, depending on the style and the make of the battery (pen-style, mini, cigar etc.) and intensit y of usage. Longevity will vary by individual as well. For PV mods, you'll be needing a real lithium-based batteries like 18650, 18350, 16340, etc. It depends on the rated "mAh" (milliampere per hour). For example, a 650mAh usually last a day or two depending on how frequent you use it. The hig her the "mAh", the longer the battery life. How long do batteries take to recharge? ** This vary by style (pen-style, mini, cigar etc.) but on average, a new battery may need to be initially charged for a bout 3 hours. Subsequent recharges should take about 1-1.5 hours. Most chargers have light indicators that turns from red to green when the batter y's fully charged, so there is no guess-work in determining when the charging cy cle is complete. What are PV mods? ** PV mods usually are modified devices than regular e-cigaret tes and are operated by rechargeable lithium batteries. They are usually bigger in size. PV mods uses batteries that you can interchange variably according to y our specifications and preferences like 3.7v, 4v, 5v, 6v, 6.4v, 7.4v. How much are PV mods? ** PV mods are a bit pricey than regular e-cigarette. They cost around 3.5k to 8.8k (or more). Few examples are: Indulgence, GGTS, GGTB, T he Chuck, Silver Bullet, Prodigy, ProVari, etc. Different types of Atomizers: These are for use on Fat Batts (i.e., eGO-type) and mods of at least 450 mAh. If you are vaping with a standard skinny e-cig (e.g., penstyle, mini, or super-min i), you need not be concerned with these things. LR stands for low-resistance (for use on 3.7V or less batteries). HV stands for high -voltage and, although that is the term such attys go by, it really is a misnome r. They are used on high voltage mods, but the atomizers are high resistance. Wh en appropriately matched with the voltage of the fat batt or mod, LR and HV atom izers are quite safe [do make sure to keep your atty constantly moist] and can d ramatically enhance the intensity of the vape (vapor, flavor, and throat hit). To understand this HV and LR stuff, it helps to be familiar with Ohms Law which really isn t a big deal to grasp. If this non-techie (i.e., yours truly) can do it , anyone can: * Power (measured in watts) is the intensity of the vape. 6-8 watts is the spot for most vapers. sweet

* Current (measured in amps) is what can burn out atomizers. Roughly speaking: a round 1.5 amps is fine; 2.0+ amps is risky. But watts and amps are not properties of atomizers or batteries. They are derive d from atomizer resistance (measured in ohms) and battery voltage (measured, of course, in volts). The formulas are: * Watts = Volts X Volts / Ohms * Amps = Volts / Ohms So we need to balance battery voltage with atomizer resistance to get an ideal v ape intensity (6-8 watts or so) without burning out the atomizer (i.e., not let

those amps get too high). If the voltage is too low and/or the atty resistance i s too high (relative to each other), the watts are low and you get a wimpy vape (little TH, vapor, and flavor). On the other hand, if the voltage is too high an d/or the atty resistance is too low, the amps are high and you can burn out the atomizer. Caveat Regarding Resistance and Voltage Numbers In what follows and throughout the vaping community we refer to atomizer resista nce and battery voltage as a set number, e.g., 2.3 ohms and 3.7V. In fact, atomi zer resistance should be viewed as +/- 0.1 ohms, e.g., a 2.3 ohm atty is more like 2.2-2.4 ohms And actual battery voltage drops considerably from fresh off the charger to stop ping. The nominal voltage is more of an average or midpoint. For example, a 3.7V tery starts out at 4.2V fully charged and drops down to 3.2V before demanding to be recharged. [Part of the appeal of high mAh batteries is that they stay at th e higher end of the range longer than a low mAh battery.] Standard (510) Atomizers A standard 2.3 ohm 510 atty on a 3.4V eGO (i.e., a typical eGO/Tornado, Riva, or Hello 016 kit) generates a safe 1.5 amps but only 5 watts of power: not bad, bu t not intense enough for many vapers. That same atty on a 3.7V mod (or Kr8 battery) yields 6 watts and 1.7 amps: nice vaping with little risk of atty burnout. [NOTE: Other atomizers (e.g., 306, 801, 901, and Kr8 cartomizers) have different standard resistances.] Example of a Standard Atomizer: HV Atomizers * Most HV atomizers are 4.5 ohms resistance and are intended for use on 6V mods (u sing two 3.0V batteries). This results in 8 watts of vaping (very nice) and 1.3 amps current (a conservative level). * Some HV attys are 3.5 ohms, intended for use on 5V mods: 7 watts and 1.4 amps. [BTW, 3.5 ohms is the resistance of a standard 801 atomizer. Unsurprisingly, pr ior to the advent of LR and HV atomizers, the 801 was very popular with users of 5V mods like the Prodigy V1 and V2.] * Others are 5.2 ohms, intended for 7.4V mods (using two 3.7V batteries): 10.5 w atts (too high for me, but good for some I guess) and 1.4 amps. So a correct matching of these HV atomizers with these 5.0, 6.0, and 7.4 voltage l evels delivers a powerful yet safe vape. Example of an HV Atomizer: LR Atomizers LR atomizers are intended to yield vape intensity (watts) on 3.4V or 3.7V simila r to what the higher voltage mods deliver. But some of them generate atomizer-bl owing current. bat

The further you push the amps above 1.5, the greater the risk of burning out an atomizer (although I wouldn t worry too much about anything up to 2.0 amps). * The typical resistance of LR atomizers is 1.5 ohms. Vapers routinely use such 1.5 ohm LR attys on 3.4V egos (7.7 watts and 2.3 amps) all the time: excellent v ape intensity but notice that suppliers warn about limited life spans of such LR atomizers. [Used on a 3.7V mod, the amps are 2.5 and start out at 2.8 amps when the battery is a fully charged 4.2V.] There is no physical danger in such high amps nothing blows up. It s just that these 1.5 ohm attys die faster than standard (or high) resistance atomizers. Another consequence of the high amps created by 1.5 ohm LR atomizers is that the y should only be used on batteries of at least 450 mAh. Otherwise, you risk dama ging the battery as well. * I like to use 2.0 ohm LR atomizers on my 3.7V mod: 6.8 watts (which is great f or me) and 1.85 amps (pretty safe). On an eGO, that would be a fairly satisfying 5.8 watts and non-risky 1.7 amps. Example of an LR Atomizer: Pictures of Different Atomizers and Cartomizers

Atomizer and Battery Combination 3.7V - You can use LR or Regular Atomizer *LR atomizers should be used with 480m Ah batteries or higher. Using LR Attys on batteries with lower mAh can strain th e battery. 4V - You can use LR or Regular Atomizer *When LR Atomizer is used in this volt, you will notice that juice burns faster than normal. 5V - Regular Atomizer should be used to acquire good taste and good vapor. 6V - You can either use a Regular Atomizer or an High Voltage/High Resistance At omizer. *If Regular atty is used, most probably the vapor is hot. And if HV is u sed, just good enough for anyone who wants their vapor not so hot, just like me. 7.4V - You can only use HV/HR Atomizers with this volt. MOST COMMON BATTERY USED IN PV MODS * These batteries are very common and can be purchased locally. Most of Pinoy Va pers use this in their PV Mods.

OTHER BATTERIES THAT CAN BE USED IN PV MODS * Most of these batteries are difficult to find and can be purchased online.

BATTERY COMPATIBILITY WITH ATOMIZERS

* 1 x 14500 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x 14650 3.7v f or a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x CR2 3.7v for a total of 3.7v ( Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x CR123A 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR ato mizer) * 1 x 16340 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x 17340 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x 17500 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x 17670 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular o r LR atomizer) * 1 x 18350 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x 18500 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 1 x 18650 3.7v for a total of 3.7v (Regular or LR atomizer) * 2 x 15270 3.0v for a total of 6.0v (R egular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x CR2 3.0v for a total of 6.0v (Regular or HV/HR a tomizer) * 2 x CR123A 3.0v for a total of 6.0v (Regular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 16340 3.0v for a total of 6.0v (Regular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 17340 3.0v for a total of 6.0v ((Regular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 14500 3.2v for a total of 6. 4v (Regular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 16340 3.2v for a total of 6.4v (Regular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 17340 3.2v for a total of 6.4v (Regular or HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 14500 3.6v for a total of 7.2v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x CR2 3.6v for a tota l of 7.2v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 16340 3.6v for a total of 7.2v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x CR2 3.7v for a total of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 14500 3.7v for a tota l of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 16340 3.7v for a total of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 17280 3.7v for a total of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 17340 3.7v for a to tal of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x CR123A 3.7v for a total of 7.2v (HV/HR atomiz er) * 2 x 18350 3.7v for a total of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 18500 3.7v for a total of 7.4v (HV/HR atomizer) * 2 x 18650 3.7v for a total of 7.4v (HV/HR atom izer)