"A few days ago, it was leaked to the industry that a federal flavour ban will follow the federal 20mg/mL nicotine cap, coming this year.
This information comes from a video conference between a shop owner/director general of a provincial advocacy group, and Jean-François Harvey (Regional & Policy Advisor for Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health) and Tahiya Bakht (Deputy Director of Policy at Office of the Minister of Health) about a timeframe for the regulation on flavour restrictions.
The whole reason this hasn’t been published in the Canada Gazette (Canada’s Government “Newspaper”) as of yet is because they are still thinking about total ban vs. tobacco and mint flavours only, but it should be in the Gazette 1 by May for consultations, and Gazette 2 around September. Once it reaches the Gazette...consultations or not, their mind is made up and it is too late.
If the Canadian government wants (a very optimistic) less than 5% tobacco use by 2035, this is NOT the answer. Vaping can fill the gap. Instead, Health Canada, the group that has stated ON RECORD that switching from smoking to vaping can reduce harms associated with smoking, has decided that your lives don’t matter to them. All in the name of “saving the children”. Save the children. Guess what? We’re all children. You have parents, I have parents…we are all someone’s children.
In their risk assessment, 25% of vapers returning to smoking is acceptable. Approximately 250,000-300,000 vapers do not matter to them. Approximately 250,000-300,000 Canadian citizens are a complete write-off to them. In their eyes, approximately 250,000-300,000 potential premature deaths due to tobacco related illness is ok. Are you ok with this?
Appalling, disgusting, embarrassing, sickening, and maddening. Completely unacceptable. NOT ok. Period. Full stop.
The problem we face, is that the government hardly ever hears from the consumer. Instead, they hear from, ENDLESSLY, lobbyist groups like Heart & Stroke, and Cancer Society - both of which are anti-vaping. There are not enough voices from our side being heard. Sure, vendors and distributors and manufacturers can yell and scream all they want, but we have a vested interest. Our cries basically fall on deaf ears.
There are approx. 1,000,000 vapers in Canada. We need 250,000-300,000 consumer voices hammering these government officials. YOUR voices. No more sitting on idle hands. No more watching from the sidelines.
YOU, the CONSUMERS need to be heard. YOU, the CONSUMERS need to use your voices. YOU, the CONSUMERS need to contact your MP’s and oppose this ban. YOU, the CONSUMERS need to put the fear of God into these government officials, fear that these officials will lose their seat in parliament if this goes through. With an election coming this summer, these people want your vote.
Calling ALL vapers, friends of vapers, family of vapers, former vapers. Contact your MP’s. Phone them, email them, write them. Whatever means necessary. Remember, these people work for US. It is THEIR JOB to listen. “They’ll just do what they want” is an absolutely pathetic and unacceptable excuse. They DO do what they want because far too many share that attitude, and they don’t hear from enough of us telling them NO.
Tell them you oppose this legislation. Tell them your story of how you quit smoking with flavours. Tell them you are appalled and disgusted that Health Canada doesn’t care if you live or die. Tell them you are sick and tired of government overreach like this. Tell them you’re sick and tired of the government being reckless and stupid. Tell them vaping saved your life. Be angry, be clear, be concise, be professional. Hold your MP’s accountable.
It’s do or die time. Don’t roll over and expose your soft underbelly. Fight back. This is a full on assault. Spread the word, and get everyone that supports vaping involved. Protect your right to a less harmful alternative. Defend your right to harm reduction. Once again, hold your MP’s accountable. End this sickening government overreach. If no one speaks up, we all lose. Eliquid manufacturers shut down, distributors shut down, vape shops shut down. You lose your access to tobacco harm reduction, while combustible tobacco will still remain on the shelf.
This is your last chance to speak up. You can do this. Fight with your voice. Together, we can win this battle.
You can find your MP here with your postal code. They will be listed under “Current Member” https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en. You can find their contact information on the “CONTACT” tab when you view their page.
Be sure to CC info@queencityvapes.ca, vtwdistro@gmail.com in your email to your MP. We want to keep count of all submissions, and would LOVE to read what you have to say."
Post copied from our friends at Queen City Vapes.
https://www.queencityvapes.ca/blogs/news/federal-flavour-ban-the-summoning-of-the-300-000
]]>Our main objective as a company has always been to help our clients kick their nicotine addiction.Unfortunately if you're addicted to nicotine you're forced with a lesser of two evils scenario.
We're all for health studies and proper regulations to make sure that these products are being used responsibility by people who NEED it.
]]>With all the research that's been going on within the last few weeks we would like to break it down and EDUCATE our clients with the POTENTIAL RISKS of vaping.
Our main objective as a company has always been to help our clients kick their nicotine addiction.Unfortunately if you're addicted to nicotine you're forced with a lesser of two evils scenario.
We're all for health studies and proper regulations to make sure that these products are being used responsibility by people who NEED it.
Please see some key points below taken from a CBC news report. As they did a study on mice - https://www.jci.org/articles/view/128531
1) "The researchers also found chronic inhalation of e-cigarette vapours disrupted the ability of immune cells in the lungs, called macrophages, to successfully fend off influenza infection." - https://www.cbc.ca/…/e-cigarette-vaping-lung-damage-1.52709…
Definition of Macrophages - A macrophage is a type of phagocyte, which is a cell responsible for detecting, engulfing and destroying pathogens and apoptotic cells. Macrophages are produced through the differentiation of monocytes, which turn into macrophages when they leave the blood. Macrophages also play a role in alerting the immune system to the presence of invaders. - https://www.news-medical.net/life-…/Macrophage-Function.aspx
2) "Kheradmand and her team also reported that, as they expected, mice that were routinely exposed to cigarette smoke or to e-cigarette vapours containing nicotine had severely damaged lungs and excessive inflammation resembling what's found in human smokers with emphysema" - https://www.cbc.ca/…/e-cigarette-vaping-lung-damage-1.52709…
Definition of Emphysema - Emphysema is a lung condition that causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) are damaged. Over time, the inner walls of the air sacs weaken and rupture — creating larger air spaces instead of many small ones. This reduces the surface area of the lungs and, in turn, the amount of oxygen that reaches your bloodstream. - https://www.mayoclinic.org/…/e…/symptoms-causes/syc-20355555
3) "Investigators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found a chemical in an oil derived from vitamin E in 10 of 18 cannabis products collected from patients across the U.S., the Washington Post reported Thursday. An investigation by New York's Department of Health also found very high levels of vitamin E acetate in nearly all cannabis-containing vaping samples studied in its lab. The vitamin is not an approved vaping additive." - https://www.cbc.ca/…/e-cigarette-vaping-lung-damage-1.52709…
Definition of Vitamin E - Vitamin E is a vitamin that dissolves in fat. It is found in many foods including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and wheat germ oil. It is also available as a supplement. - https://www.webmd.com/vitami…/…/ingredientmono-954/vitamin-e
Overall inhaling anything in your lungs other than air is not good for your health, you're at risk of weakening your lungs immune system and potentially damaging your lung air sacs.
As for products containing Vitamin E please stay away from any oil derived vape products such as THC / CBD liquids. You're potentially at risk of inhaling fat/grease. As you're taking a fat/grease based product and vaporizing it into your lungs. Then letting it form back into fat/grease coating your inner lungs causing excess fat/grease that could cause serious harm.
We will continue to EDUCATE our customers and the public with the POTENTIAL RISKS of Vaping as the study's come out.
Please use these products responsibly!
- Vaping The Way
]]>
It was only a matter of time, and between retailers, wholesalers, and users, this day has either been long awaited, or dreaded.
I've been a part of the vaping industry for a long time, and I've been vaping myself for even longer, and since the very beginning I've been preparing myself for how my government would handle, or mishandle, this smoking alternative I hold very dear.
Without getting political, or into the little details of what is all legal, illegal, and requiring change, lets just sit back and appreciate how far we've come, I mean 5 or 6 years ago I was hiding my vape in my sleeve as I stood outside among smokers, for me to explain what my (now seemingly) ancient tube mod was, became a 30 minute science class, and I can't even tell you how many times I was asked "Is that weed?". Vaping has gone from being unheard of, to an obscure pop-culture reference, to an almost normal thing for adults to do instead of smoke cigarettes.
I've met hundreds of people who have had their lives changed by vaping, I've seen lifetime smokers switch overnight, and come to me 2 months after their doctor foretold that they'd be dead, just to tell me that they never felt better.
This industry has come light years since it first began, between technological and safety advancement, and even E-Liquid manufacturing processes, we are so far from where we were even 5 years ago. We've gone from 20w devices and clearomizers with salvaged laptop batteries, to several hundred watt powerhouses with over-engineered sub-ohm tanks and RDA's. From tobaccos and your favorite flavor of strawberry, to intricate and complex baked goods and custards flavors.
We've had several legitimate studies show vaping to be far less harmful than smoking, even the Government of Canada has recognized it as a healthier alternative.
We have grown as an industry, and as a community. And as far as I'm concerned it's about time we were recognized as a legitimate alternative, because this regulation is not prohibition, and vaping isn't going anywhere.
]]>Let's start with Vegetable Glycerin, VG is a viscous liquid that is produced from plant oils, by itself it has a thick and translucent consistency. VG makes up the 'bread and butter' of a bottle of E-liquid, and is mostly flavorless, in the last few years most juice makers lean more towards a VG majority when it comes to the ratio in a bottle, this is mainly due to the fact that VG will smooth out and equalize the flavor of an E-liquid, however cotton has a very difficult time absorbing VG by itself. Also the vapor produced by your vaporizer is mostly VG. It also allows the E-liquid to be subtly sweeter, as your body metabolizes the liquid like sugar, if you were to vape straight VG (which I've done, for science purposes) it pretty much just tastes like sugar water. VG by itself is not overly capable of holding onto the flavoring in E-liquid, as it's too thick and the flavoring won't hold to it. Which leads us to the requirement for it's other half.
Propylene Glycol or PG is a synthetic organic compound, it's normally used in a large variety of solvents alongside water and other chemicals. PG is much more fluid than VG, and is used much more widely in food processing. PG is usually found in much lower quantity in a bottle of E-liquid, as it's reception upon inhale is more harsh than VG. However PG is what allows the flavoring to mix into the whole bottle of E-liquid as well as actually wick properly in your coil or cotton, and isn't totally necessary but gives the juice more balance and consistency. Some individuals are actually allergic to PG and hence from time to time you'll find 'PG Free' E-liquids, this is a tricky claim however as many base flavorings are diluted with PG to allow it to mix well with a bottle of E-liquid. PG by itself has a sweet taste, but the flavor and vape is harsh and generally unpleasant, as well as producing very little vapor. PG is more of a medium for flavoring in modern E-liquid, and in general is found in quantities of less than 30% compared to VG.
The ratio of VG to PG is quite important but also sort of irrelevant when choosing a new flavor. It's important to understand the difference between the two and that a different ratio will in fact change the flavor of a bottle of E-liquid. If you were to buy your favorite flavor with an 80VG to 20PG ratio, it would probably taste great, however switch that around to 80PG and 20VG, the flavor will probably be overbearing and aggressive. Now that's not to say that the difference is drastic, a 75VG/25PG compared to a 85VG/15PG E-liquid will be nearly indistinguishable from each other, which is why it's almost irrelevant as the vast majority of E-liquid manufacturers won't stray far from that accepted formula.
In conclusion, flavoring (and nicotine) usually makes up less than 10% of a whole bottle of E-liquid, this is done so that E-liquid is actually vapable, so the majority of what you vape is VG and PG. It's like the difference between a shot of hard liquor and a tall mixed drink. Which is why it's important to understand the difference and how the ratio can effect your quality of vape.
]]>You don't actually need big power or a mechanical mod to get big vapor from your RDA, you can do pretty well for yourself with 80 to 120 watts. It all has to do with understanding ohms law, and knowing the limitations of your device. Before you click way because ugh he's talking about math again, hear me out, this might change the way you use your RDA.
I believe I mentioned this in a previous post explaining ohms law; that if the power you're providing to your coils doesn't change, and the resistance of the coil increases, more voltage is run through the coils, which in turn increases the heat emitting from said coils (which makes more vapor). It's pretty simple, and with modern regulated devices this is pretty easy to achieve, as unlike their unregulated mechanical mod counterparts, you cannot increase the voltage sent to the coils, they are at a fixed rate (that of the battery itself).
To elaborate on that, let's say you only have 100 watts out of a two battery device in series. If you have a 0.15ohm coil in your RDA and you fire it up at the full 100 watts, you get ~3.9 Volts and ~25 Amps. Which would be a decent vape but nothing too crazy. Now if you used the same 100 watts at 0.5ohms, you would be running 7 Volts and ~14 Amps. That 7 volts is where the high resistance heat comes from, because voltage is talking about the force of electricity travelling through the wire, where Current is the amount. So there may be less going through the coils overall, but it's be backed by way more punch. Like if you threw a bowling ball, it wouldn't go as far as throwing a baseball.
There are some limitations to this however, the big one is device capability. A single battery device won't have the capability of putting our more than 4.2 volts, and even if it could it wouldn't be for very long. However a dual battery device in series can, as series means that it doubles the voltage output capability. So if you have a double battery device that can put out 100-150 watts, you don't need to invest so much in more power, as you do making your coils a higher resistance.
Another limitation is the coils themselves, so to achieve a higher resistance you need to do one of two things: use thinner gauge wire (as the thinner the wire the higher the resistance) or add more 'wraps' to the coils. The other option is make or buy multi-wire coils like claptons or alien claptons. Because they use thicker wire wrapped with a lot of smaller wire, it actually ends up being a higher resistance than a standard wrapped coil. Personally I've been using pre-made Alien Claptons with an extra wrap on them, and they come out to about 0.25 - 0.3 ohms in a pair.
I've found that using more complex wire designs actually increases the effectiveness of a higher resistance-lower wattage vape, because there is a lot of surface area on the coil the heat produced is much greater, and the flavor is better. They just take longer to ramp up to full power.
So the big question is why would you want to use a higher resistance coil combined with lower wattage? Everyone knows that low resistance and high power is effective at a warm and heavy vapor producing vape, so why change that method? Well, the big one is cost effectiveness. If you aren't looking to upgrade or spend money on a device with 150+ watts, but want to produce more vapor and get a more 'hot' vape, you can use this strategy to achieve this by working with what you have. As well, this actually can help increase battery life. By not using maximum amperage all the time (like you would with a low resistance coil and high wattage) you can drastically increase the daily lifetime of your batteries. Another thing (and maybe this is just me) but it makes more sense to build higher on a regulated device, it's honestly kind of the whole point of them existing, because by definition they do what an unregulated device can't: Regulate power.
To put it in a real world example, I use an RDA on a DNA75c Therion device, which only has one battery. And at 0.3ohms and 60 watts it performs like a mechanical would at 0.1ohms (in my opinion). I came from mechanical mods, and I always sought after more heat and more vapor, so when I bought a 150 watt device and used the same ultra low resistance coil and RDA, I was disappointed that it wasn't any better than my mech. That's because, like I mentioned it isn't meant to provide more power, but utilize it.
To conclude, if you only have so much power to play with, it's totally possible to get more performance out of your device and RDA, you just have to not try as hard.
]]>To put it simply, a company called Evolv produced/produces a line of electronic cigarette main boards that are well known for customization, efficiency, and as always, a big price tag. To put in perspective how big these guys are, Evolv is the company that graced modern vaping with temperature control, in the form of the revolutionary DNA40 chip, seen most commonly in the Vaporshark DNA40 Mod. Even at the time it's temperature control programming was quite robust, and not long after tank manufacturers started rolling out Nickel temperature control coils for their tanks.
Now Evolv has come out with many different variations and itterations of the DNA series, most famously the DNA200 chip, used in dozens of different mods and configurations. Personally I picked up what I consider to be the 'best' version, the Reuleaux DNA200, the first variation of the ever popular Reuleaux series of box mods. With 3 batteries, and a very robust DNA chip inside, it still to this day is the best performing device in my arsenal. It did however come with a price, that price being double that of the standard RX200 and RX200s devices.
Here's the thing about a DNA device, you can actually go and BUY the chip by itself and build a mod, because it is so simple yet well designed, it can be customized to fix in many boxes and still work well. However the chip itself costs a cool $80 just for the board, and that's before all of the battery/charging regulators, battery trays, 510 pins and threads, and the box itself. So you'll be hard pressed to find a DNA200 box for less than a couple hundred dollars.
But here is why it's worth it:
At one point in time I loved the regular old RX200 so much, I had three. It was so well built and worked so well I couldn't find anything better, but every day that DNA200 kept looking at me with it's beautiful screen, better buttons, nicer battery trays, and the temptation of full device customization. (for reference, you could program power modes on your computer, and even change the font, ramp up time, screen logos, power on logo, etc. unheard of at the time really) It was too good to pass up. So one day I sold all three of my RX200's and bought this DNA, hoping that it would live up to it's price tag. Let me tell you, it absolutely did. Not only did it hit harder, had instant response time, and performed better over it's power band; but it's battery life was easily double that of the RX200. You could tell that Evolv knew what they were doing with the chip, and Wismec built an innovative device to house it. Now I won't pretend that I utilized the full potential of the DNA board, I couldn't quite find a use for the custom power modes, and it's visual customization was entertaining at best, but man oh man did it out perform anything that came out for years.
Now coming up to present time, the newest iteration of the DNA series that I've seen, is the DNA75c, what does the 'C' stand for you may ask? Color. Oh yes, my favorite board now has a color screen, and of course, it carries a heavy price along with it. However if it was anything like the chips before it, I knew it would exceed my expectations. So I bought one (a Lost Vape Therion BF DNA75c specifically), and let me tell you how it is from a daily user's perspective:
Efficiency:
The DNA75c only runs off a single 18650 style battery, so my main concern was battery life. Many manufacturers claim "75% more efficient this" and "solid power band that" so when Evolv had it's efficiency claim I was slightly skeptical, however like most DNA chips this thing will run your batteries until they can't even stand. I get a solid 12 hour day of regular vaping before It starts to putter out, using a Crown 3 with 0.25 coils at 55w all day.
Power:
This thing rips, instant power even at low wattage, with a customize-able and toggle-able pre-heat setting, nothing seems to quite fire up like a DNA chip does. Going full blast all day, I feel comfortable replacing a 2 or 3 battery device with this single slammer.
Features:
Now this chip is snuggly situated in a Lost Vape device, which features a 7ml Squonk tank, absolutely gorgeous aesthetics, a solid 510 base (which is screwed in, not glued in) and confident buttons. But getting on to the DNA75c, the display is bright, crisp and of course, colored. It has all of the information displayed right on the main page, with all of them able to be switched out either from the device itself, or the Evolv companion software. Nicely enough, it has a stealth mode so you can even further enhance the battery life (and stop being distracted by the gorgeous screen).
In conclusion, I may be a big fan of the DNA series, but don't let that take away from what I'm trying to say. This is a device that is 100% worth the money, and at the end of the day $150 is a lot to spend on a single battery device, but coming from someone who has been through dozens of devices big and small, 15w to 300w, Wismec to whatever off-brand garbage FastTech has to offer, a DNA powered device will supersede anything you can buy right now.
I like to think of a DNA powered device as the Lamborghini of Electronic Cigarettes, nothing is quite like it.
]]>Now having nicotine in your juice is absolutely optional, and if you don't/didn't smoke before absolutely do not get liquid with nicotine in it. Nicotine is highly addictive, and you should not consume any if you have a relevant medical condition or are pregnant. But if you smoke and are looking to try vaping to help you get away from cigarettes, nicotine is going to be the expediting factor when it comes to how easily you can get away from them.
When it comes to amount, it really depends on you. You won't know what is too much or too little until you try, but here are some tips to help you start in the right place:
1. Are you using or planning on using a 'Sub-Ohm' Tank? If so don't go with anything higher that 6mg right off the bat. These tanks are meant to provide a lot of vapor and flavor, but also deliver nicotine with hyper-efficiency, I can promise you that a 6mg will hit as hard as a cigarette and then some. Even if you are a multiple pack a day smoker, don't try and show off by getting a 12mg or more, you will just hate the experience and make yourself feel gross.
2. Do you smoke every day, or just casually? If you smoke every day I would at least get a 3. I have had a lot of people say they are a 'habit smoker' when they smoke half a pack a day. While I do respect that there is a habit element in how much you smoke, at the end of the day there is a chemical addiction in there that keeps you on the cigarettes, and after a week or less of no nicotine that addiction will rear it's ugly head. (If it didn't you probably wouldn't need vaping to quit). So if you do smoke every day, save yourself some time and get a 3mg liquid.
If you smoke casually (like a parties or when around other smokers) you can probably get away with no nicotine, you'll know the addiction when you have it and if you can go weeks or months without having an urge to smoke, you shouldn't get nicotine in your liquid.
3. Start low, and work your way to what you need. If you are at or around a pack a day, start with a 3mg, and see how it treats you. If you find that it is effectively satisfying the craving and you are less inclined to smoke cigarettes, you're probably good where you are. But if you still smoke regularly with the strength you have, stop in and get your juice bumped up a step. It's easier (and cheaper) to start with a lower strength and work your way up to the strength that is right for you, than to aim really high and hate the experience.
4. Vape the strength you need. A lot of people vape to quit nicotine all together, and vaping is an excellent way to accomplish that. But again, if you smoke every day you have a chemical addiction that wants to be satisfied. If you feel right with a 6mg, vape a 6mg until you feel comfortable going down a step. The benefit (and I say this not as a medical professional, but a long time user who benefits from vaping over smoking) to vaping is that there is no rush to cut back, take your time, and go down as fast as you feel comfortable. If you do, you can easily find yourself at 0mg or quitting vaping and smoking all together without the stress and withdrawals of going too fast or cold turkey.
Now the other thing you'll want to think about is the flavor you want, one of the things that's appealing for vaping is that unlike the wet-dirt like taste of a cigarette, vaping can be quite a pleasant experience if you have the right flavor. So what do you start with?
Well the go to seems to be tobacco flavors, they are a familiar flavor to those just quitting cigarettes, and there are quite a few people that enjoy it even after the beginning transition. What I've found with new vapers is that tobacco flavors are good until your sense of taste starts to come back. Because if you stop smoking cigarettes for a week or two, you'll start to realize how... less than spectacular tobacco tastes. So something you may want to think about is grabbing a bottle of tobacco flavored liquid, and something different. Even if you just go with something generic like a Grape Soda or a Churro Chunk Praline Ice Cream (I had to throw that in there, it's my favorite) Just to try out if or when the tobacco charm starts to wear off. It will help you transition fully away from cigarettes and into the world of vaping without a lot of growing pains.
In conclusion, the best way to know what you need is to try it first hand, so stop by your local Vaping The Way and let us help you quit smoking cigarettes.
]]>The answer is as convoluted as the question itself; both are a means to an end, and both satisfy not only the habit and the craving, but the hobby. The RDA has always been the simple and rudimentary option when it comes to vaping. It's manageable, it's inexpensive, and it works. But a lot of time has passed since the RDA was the only really satisfying way to vape, and a lot of tanks on the market surpassed even my expectations. See I come from that branch of people that started with dripping, and for a long time I was adamant about the 'drip or die' thought process, but as far back as the first Atlantis Sub-Ohm tank, I've had a far greater respect for the effectiveness of a good tank.
Tanks now aren't like they were then, the flavor is on par, the vapor production is nearly the same, and there is no denying the convenience of a tank over an RDA. But I'm not here to talk about the past, I'm here to talk about the tanks of today, and why most days I choose to daily a tank over an RDA.
The really big difference is the robustness of coil design by tank manufacturers, pre-built coils are designed with efficiency and performance in mind, and are now capable of not only competing with their user built counterparts in the flavor and vapor arena, but lasting far longer as well. With large juice flow holes and ample airflow, coils dry hit far less, and perform far greater than I ever would have thought a few years ago.
But the main competitor against RDA's, is the most obvious: Capacity. Tanks by definition hold larger quantities of juice than RDA's will ever be able to, whether it's a small amount like the Amor Mini's 2ml tank or an unnecessarily large amount like the Griffin 25's 6ml, the fact is you can vape all day and night without having to refill or 'drip'.
There are some shortcomings however, pre-built coils are mass produced, so there is the change of there being a dud in a package, and touching on that, the bigger reason for people to stray away from tanks is the cost. Someone like myself who is a heavy vaper with a particular taste for dark juices will burn through coils in a third of the average time, and with packs of coils costing 12 - 25$ a pack it can become a decently pricey expense (Albeit still cheaper than cigarettes).
For these reasons many people will turn to RDA's or RTA's (Rebuildable Tank Atomizers) for a cheaper alternative, and other than cost there are other benefits to building your own coils.
Mainly the cost effectiveness, with wire or a pack of pre-rolled coils costing around as much as a pack of pre-built coils, while lasting far longer is a big plus for many people. At the same time the flavor gained from an RDA is almost irreplaceable (as by design an RDA will spit back much more juice, which is what allows that intense flavor to come through). And the ability to change flavors on the fly is a big bonus for those that regularly try new brands and flavors.
However the biggest and possibly most important downside is the work and knowledge involved with using and operating a rebuildable atomizer. No one can pick up a Twisted Messes Squared and use it out of the box, a level of skill, competence and work is involved with the use of these atomizers. Something many forget is that daily vaping an RDA requires much more care and effort to make it perform effectively while also being satisfying, and although you won't be buying packs of coils as often, you will be changing cotton much more often (to keep a consistent flavor).
So which is better?
Well it all comes down to what you're looking to get out of vaping. If you're looking for function over everything, the tank cannot be beat at it's game. With simplicity and easy use, combined with solid performance, you'll have a hard time finding an RDA that can beat them on the convenience front.
If you want cost effectiveness and don't mind putting in the work, and more importantly doing your research, a Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer will continuously out-perform a tank in nearly every aspect but capacity.
Now with the recent tank designs being released I personally find it harder and harder to justify using an RDA on a daily basis (Juice leaking in your pocket from residual cotton moisture gets old, let me tell you). But I still come back to an RDA from time to time, as my vaping roots are firmly within the DIY culture. At the end of the day what works for you, works for you, and if you've only used a tank and want to see what the 'Drip Life' is all about? Do the research, and I guarantee your experience will benefit. Vape Safe!
If you're looking for a start, check out these blog posts and videos:
https://vapingtheway.ca/blogs/news/ohms-law-the-formula-for-vapor
https://vapingtheway.ca/blogs/tutorials/vaping-the-way-coil-building-tutorial
https://vapingtheway.ca/blogs/news/different-wire-types-and-their-uses
]]>
Let's get to the basics: Series means that there are two or more batteries 'stacked', so the voltage that do/are able to be put out is added, but the actual capacity stays the same. Parallel means that batteries are configured 'side-to-side', so the battery capacity is added together, and the maximum voltage stays the same. Again I learn best through pictures, so below are the battery configurations and how they effect voltage, and capacity. (Ah is amp hour, a larger term for capacity as compared to mAh - milliamp hour)
Now let's say you have a device that uses two batteries, it can either be configured to have more power output, or more battery life. It's how you see a device that can put out 200w, and with a regulated device you have the choice of not using all of the battery power at once (Like how I used an RX200 at less than 80w for the whole time I used it)
Sometimes you have devices that use both parallel and series, they do this by configuring the batteries in a '2 series in parallel' layout, essentially getting both doubled battery life AND doubled power output. Of course, the result is an outrageously large device that in no way fits in a pocket. (I'm looking at you RX300)
And here is a picture to explain:
Here's why this is important to understand: There is such a thing as an unregulated series device, the big difference is it acts like a mechanical mod (straight through voltage dictated by the coils resistance). This is a big deal because let's say you've built coils to work on mechanical mods before, you have to throw all that inherent knowledge out the window, because with a series device like that the output voltage is doubled.
Let's do the math really quick: a simple 0.25Ohm build on a mech at a full charge.
At full charge it puts out 4.2 volts, 4.2V at 0.25Ohm = 16.8Amps and ~70Watts.
Now you put that build on something like a Noisy Cricket (a two battery series unregulated device) and the voltage doubles, but the current threshold stays the same.
At a full charge it will put out 8.4V at 0.25Ohm = 33.6A and ~282 Watts
See why this is important now? You throw your regular old build on an unregulated device like that and not only will you be stressing the ever-living hell out your batteries, but it will be like vaping fire if you aren't expecting it.
Now, on the flip side of this, parallel.
It's hard to come across a device that has multiple batteries in parallel, I can think of maybe 3 off the top of my head. The reason for this being you can really only get 100W out of 1 battery comfortably, and even that's a stretch. But there are some people (like myself) that get everything we want out of vaping by using a comparatively measly 80 watts. But just think, if you can get a day and some out of a 3000mAh battery, imagine double or even triple that battery life. A man can only dream of an all parallel RX200S (I'm looking at you Wismec, make it happen).
Another thing to consider is that with more power available, the longer you can run the batteries out. If you have a 3 battery device that can put out 200 - 250 watts, but you're only using 70 - 80 watts, the device only has to put out maybe 3 - 3.5 Volts, meaning that you can run all those batteries to nearly totally dead (Usually an 18650 battery is 'out of juice' at about 3.0V) and get some extra time out of them before having to charge again.
In conclusion, if you're sticking with regulated devices, you may not know or even care what the configuration is, but it is helpful to know what you're getting into. Also to not naively think that just because there are 3 batteries doesn't mean it's going to last much longer than if you had 1. Now if you are using unregulated, and you have your eye on that sweet and sleek looking Noisy Cricket, this understanding is not optional, you need to understand that it is a completely different game playing with series unregulated, and not having the knowledge to know that a regular old build will not work the same, can have potentially dangerous consequences. Vape safe everyone!
P.S. Wismec; I'll be waiting on that triple parallel mod in my mail.
]]>If you're newer to vaping and aren't sure what a mechanical mod is, basically it's a copper/steel/brass tube that holds a single 18650 battery inside. It has no screen, no chip, no safety measures, and no short circuit protection. It is as simple and rudimentary as vaping can get.
You press a fire button at the bottom of the device and the battery puts out as much voltage/amperage as the coils above determine. This is the epitome of where Ohm's law comes into place, if your coils are shorted out, nothing will save you from your battery venting. It has always been a practice for seasoned vapers to test their knowledge and get a real feel for the inner workings of a vaporizer.
However, it wasn't always this way...
Back a few years ago, before the first high power box mod joined the party, when a device with 50 Watts was something we'd never seen before, all there was were cigalikes, cartomizer tanks, and mechanical mods. My second vape EVER was an aluminum mechanical mod, and it changed the way I vaped forever. Because at the time nothing could put out the power and vapor like a mech mod. Of course now we have box mods capable of putting out a reliable 300w, when really even 150w is enough, so why would someone still use a mechanical mod when there are more reliable, longer lasting, and most importantly safer devices on the market?
Well, I think of a mechanical mod as the manual transmission of vaping, it's more work, less convenient, less efficient, but yet there is still a large group of people who continue to actively search for a car with a stick shift. Why? Maybe because they feel they have more control, they feel more 'one' with the car, or maybe it's just a feeling of familiarity for those who learned to drive with a third pedal. Mechanical mods are the same way in my opinion, people want something that they have 100% control over, where the only thing that can go wrong is something they cause themselves, and if you know what you're doing, it's pretty hard to hurt yourself with a mechanical mod.
That being said, it is not for everyone.
Personally, although there is nothing that vapes quite like a mech mod, the battery life is absolutely atrocious, I once blew through 3 batteries before lunch time. And the whole design behind a mech is to provide pure battery output, which means as the battery dies, so does the level of power it's able to put out.
But more importantly, using a mechanical mod is as dangerous as vaping gets, if you started vaping yesterday and you decide to pick up a mechanical mod with no clue on how Ohm's law works, basic electricity, how to build properly, or if you're the person that asks "these take AA batteries right?" you are going to hurt yourself.
Let me leave you with this, if you're thinking of getting into a mech mod and seeing for yourself what it's all about, make sure you're being safe, smart, and understand what you're doing on an electrical level. Because although the mech life can be rewarding, it can also very easily be punishing.
]]>Well, obviously the material makeup of each kind of wire varies, and therefore the resistance capabilities do as well. Basically, all of the wires used for the coils in vaporizers are 'Resistance wire', meaning that they are used in transporting electricity from point A to point B, the more a wire resists the flow of electricity, the higher the resistance. And in the case of heating elements (such as a coil in a... 'coil') resisting the flow more heavily causes the wire to heat up. Like a stove top burner, electricity is flowing through the coil and causing it to get hot. It's part of why you will never see a copper coil, because copper has a very low resistance, and allows electricity to flow very easily. We're going to be referring to a wire's resistance/cm comparatively, for ease of understanding.
Now, on to wire types, starting with our good-ol-boy Kanthal. Kanthal is an iron-chromium-aluminium wire, and is a very popular resistance wire (you may even find it in your toaster at home), it has been used as a coil material for many years, as it's flexible, able to withstand high temperatures (melting point is about 1,500°C) and is relatively inexpensive.
Next we have Nicrome, what many of us used before Kanthal was standardized, is a nickel-chrome alloy that has slightly less resistance/cm compared to Kanthal, which is why you usually find it is thinner wire gauges as it can be a little temperamental and ramps up much faster than Kanthal. Making it a commonly preferred wire for RDA's and 'Cloud Chasing'.
Now on to Nickel, almost unheard of in regards to vaping up until a few years ago, mainly because a standard variable wattage device CAN NOT be used with nickel wire. as Nickel has a very low resistance/cm and when used even in very thin gauges (30-38AWG), a 12 wrap coil will have a similar resistance to 2 wraps of 24AWG Kanthal. If you've ever seen what happens when you use Nickel without Temperature Control you know that it almost immediately disintegrates.
To reiterate, do not use nickel without using temperature control.
And if it wasn't obvious, this is where Temperature Control Comes into play in today's devices.
As mentioned before wire types like Nickel (Ni, usually coming with a blue ring on the coil head) cannot handle a straight power input, it requires another factor when used, that being a temperature maximum. Now, when setting up the temperature on a device, the actual number is almost arbitrary (in my opinion) what you really want to think of it as is the peak of the ramp up curve.
The set temperature determines where in the curve the coil stops heating up, allowing Nickel to never reach it's... burning point. This is part of where the 'No dry burns' advertisement comes from with Nickel, as if you were to crank the temperature all the way up and fire the coils without cotton in it, the coils would max out instantly and not even glow hot. Now, a cautionary word about nickel is that if you are to use it outside of temperature control mode and burn the coils hot, the fumes from this are incredibly toxic. It's part of why you will be hard pressed to find nickel coils in your local shop, as the misuse/misinformation around Nickel can cause what is arguably more harm than good. to Clarify, when Nickel is used Correctly they are a perfectly fine alternative to Kanthal, it is when they are not used properly that it becomes an issue.
Moving on, we'll touch on a lesser known material, Titanium (Usually coming with an Orange/Red ring on a coil head). Titanium had a pretty short stint in the vape game, as it required temperature control for reasons similar to Nickel, but didn't have quite as low resistance/cm. It's the reason why on quite a few devices you will still find the 'Ti' power mode on it. However Titanium never really made the cut as it usually lacked in flavor, vapor, and coil reliability, and was quite frankly (in my opinion) too much of a hassle to really bother with.
Now on to Stainless Steel (SS, usually has a red ring on the coil head), a material I never really expected to be used in vaping but has come up in popularity as an alternative material to Kanthal. The acceptable variety is Stainless Steel 316, a medical/food grade alloy, it possesses very similar resistance/cm to Kanthal, with a slightly faster ramp up, and can be used with or without temperature control. Many devices will have a SS mode on it, even though it's not technically necessary. However, Stainless Steel is an alloy comprised mainly of chromium, nickel, and carbon, meaning that it can have the same effects as nickel when burned red hot, leaving it a cautious option for many shops.
In Conclusion, you're probably going to find that a majority of stores will carry only Kanthal, as a tried and true material used in coils it's hard not to think that some of the other types available are trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to vaping. At the end of the day most vapers that have tried different wire types will tell you that nothing puts out as much flavor, vapor, and reliability as Kanthal A-1, but if you do want to try something different it's important to know that many wire types require temperature control to be a feature of your device. And the misuse can be not only unpleasant, but unhealthy. Of course if you have any more questions stop into your local Vaping the Way and someone would be more than happy to explain the differences in more detail.
]]>Now, I shouldn't say all rebuildable tanks are great, there are a lot of options out there, and a lot are just plain not good. But in my experience I've never enjoyed vaping more than with a really solid rebuildable tank, and that's coming from a guy who started with RDA's some 4 years ago.
Back then, the only thing around that would actually hold juice for more than half a dozen puffs was a cartomizor or clearomizer. Dangling wicks, high resistance coils, no flavor the whole deal. And the the only way to get any kind of flavor or clouds was by using a rebuildable dripping atomizer, and in most cases with an unregulated tube mod.
But times have changed, and now we all have more tanks to choose from than ever, and all of them deliver solid flavor and vapor, with the simplicity and ease of use that comes with pre-packaged coils, and most if not all give you a rebuildable option.
To me however, nothing tops an all rebuildable tank. Even if it's small, hard to build on, is counter intuitively designed, and is arguably more effort than an RDA. The epitome of this in my eyes, and in recent time, is the Sigelei Moonshot; with a floating build deck and center pin, it's possibly one of the hardest tanks to build on, even compared to something as minuscule as a Goblin Mini for example. But when I got the hang of building on it, crammed some pre-built Alien Clapton coils and cotton bacon into there, It is still to this day the best vape I've ever had, dare I say even better than an RDA.
Recently, we've been provided with amazing and robust tanks to build on, the ever popular Griffin 25 comes to mind, with a huge capacity and large build deck, it is always a go-to tank for quick and easy building, and coil maintenance.
Or my current vape, a Wismec Reux Tank (although yes designed to also hold pre-packaged coils) is a rebuildable tank first and foremost. With a build deck rivaling some RDA's on the market, a massive juice capacity, easy maintenance, sharp design, and almost nearly too much airflow at the maximum, vaping with an RDA almost becomes unnecessary.
At the end of the day, what's easy, affordable, and works for you is up to you. But from a guy who came from the era of "Drip or Die", Today's tanks are changing the game. Being better, more flavorful, and more robust with every new product; and I for one, cannot wait for what's next.
]]>Overall, it's actually a very simple mathematical formula, and entirely essential when building your own coils, or using an unregulated device.
To break it down, here is a simple chart showing the different ways to use the formula:
The big ones you're going to use are the one's calculating for V (voltage) and I (Current). But before I go any further let me simply break down how Voltage, Current, and Resistance works:
Think of electricity in a wire like water in a garden hose, your end goal is to get water from the tap, to the end of the hose 10 feet away. Voltage, is going to represent the force in which the water is travelling, Current (or Amps) is going to be how much water you are trying to push through the hose, and resistance (R) or Ohm's is representing the diameter of the hose/the amount of resistance the water is going to face while travelling through the hose. I know I'm a visual learner, so here's another picture to help it make sense:
Now why is this important? Well if you read what your batteries maximum recommended Amp output is, you'll see that it's somewhere in the range of 20-35A (amps), which means if you're building on an unregulated device and you build too low, you will be overdrawing the battery past it's limit. To find out if you're building to low, you need to know your Voltage, and resistance.
Your voltage will be listed right on the battery, at a full charge (In general) a battery will output 4.2 Volts on an unregulated device, and gradually get lower as the battery weakens. (You won't notice this on a regulated device, because the device manages the volts used) So assume when calculating that your voltage will be 4.2V at most.
Now your resistance will be the thing you have to measure, whether this is using a regulated device, or an ohm reader, you Absolutely need to know what your resistance is before using an unregulated device. Let's say, Your build measured at 0.25 Ohms or Ω.
You take that number, with the voltage, and use that fancy formula to tell you your Amps, you may need a calculator (Luckily our phones all have that now).
I(Amps) = 4.2(V) ÷ 0.25(R)I = 16.8 Amps
Which is a safe, and decent power level.
A general rule, is that the lower you build, the more current your battery will put out. Basically, more current = more heat and vapor. This number goes up very quickly, as an example if you built a 0.2 Ohm coil at the same voltage, you would be putting out 21 Amps, which is very close to a lot of batteries' safe limit.
Ohm's law is a crucial step in your own vaping education, you don't have to use it, but it's very good to understand it. The misuse or ignorance of ohms law is how you hurt yourself, and if you choose to not use it, you should probably stay away from unregulated devices all together. Of course, if you have more questions or want a more in depth explanation, a Vaping the Way staff member would be more than happy to help in store.
Vape Safe!
]]>This initially had many vapers and shop owners concerned, as history has shown with this kind of reform that vaping can be thrown under the blanket of smoking causing flavor, usage and commerce bans. However in this case, it seem the city has listened to what people had to say, and has given some fair renovations to the Bylaw.
Smoking Bylaw No. 10167. (2017, May). Retrieved from http://www.regina.ca/residents/bylaw/browse-most-requested-bylaws/smoking-bylaw-no-10167/
Proposed Changes - Highlights
The City of Regina is proposing the following changes to the existing Smoking Bylaw, to take effect July 15, 2017:
1. Prohibits smoking and vaping on outdoor seating areas of restaurants, bars and similar establishments
2. Prohibits smoking and vaping at outdoor public events on City-owned or controlled land
3. Prohibits smoking and vaping at and within a 10 metre buffer zone of City-owned outdoor recreational facilities including playgrounds, spray pads, swimming pools, skating rinks, skate parks, off-leash areas, picnic tables, picnic shelters, gazebos, exercise facilities, track facilities, open-air stadiums and sports facilities, hard surface courts and athletic fields (including spectator seating areas)
4. Prohibits smoking and vaping within a 10 metre buffer zone of entrances, windows and air exchanges of public buildings
5. Prohibits vaping in enclosed public places where smoking is prohibited under The Tobacco Control Act
6. Has an exemption consistent with The Tobacco Control Act in relation to outdoor traditional spiritual and cultural ceremonies
7. Has an exemption for teaching and testing devices in a vape retail store
These changes represent what many vapers have been trying to achieve through the city, real regulations with compromise and a clear differentiation between Cigarettes, and Vaporizers. Much of this is thanks to the outreach from the community through a city provided survey.
Appendix B - Survey results March 16
Overall, this marks a big first step towards fair legislation and government to citizen communication.
The Bylaw changes are set to take effect July 15, 2017
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