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It feels great to have a batch turn out "right", doesn't it? I've been working on a new 5-flavor batch and after a week of trying different combos (and yes, a little suggestion from Comp), I finally realized that I needed to reduce the % of one flavor a tiny bit and add a 6th and 7th flavor... Now, it's PERFECT... or at least it is for me, lol. What I love most is saving $$! My SO and I are vaping more juice (twice as much at lower Nicotine levels, obviously), and spending about 5% as much on juice as we did from the B&M's... so I don't panic if I make a 5-10ml batch that doesn't meet flavor specs... it just goes down the drain or into the "mash" bottle to see what Flavor-Frankenstein I can come up with

My next mod:

Jon at Liion Wholesale did this test at the request of a user on another forum, and it shows yet another factor we need to look at when comparing batteries. We normally look at Amps and mAh to know which cells to choose, but battery sag makes a difference too. This test is right in the range of a .2 ohm mechanical build or what a single 18650 variable wattage mod would do at 70 watts or so (regardless of ohms) Best 18650 battery at 0.2 ohm or 16-21A pulsed loads

Just ordered a D4 charger for home need to bring my 2 batt charger too work

Anyone tried the new kanger 18650's?

The D4 and i4 are the same, as far as their charging capability. The D4 has a pretty LCD readout that shows the status of the battery charging, Voltage, etc., but either does the job nicely. I have two of the i4's, and they just work... and for ~ $15/each, you can't beat the price

You're welcome! No, you can charge in all 4 slots at the same time, but you cannot charge ONE 1.5V battery at a time, as it will damage the battery. You must do them in pairs (2 or 4) at a time when charging 1.5V batteries (AAA, AA, C, D).

Thanks Earthling does that mean it can only charge 2 at a time?

The UM chargers are basically the same as the D-series chargers (LCD displays), but they charge via USB, not AC power. They also have a port where you can charge a USB device, and you can select which device (battery or USB) charges first. If you are looking for a travel charger, the UM series will do well, but for home-use, I'd still recommend the i-series or d-series NiteCore chargers.

Haven't seen anything on the nitecore UM series chargers, they any good?

Yeah, an unknown battery is not a good thing... it could be one of those $0.99 Ultrafire or Trustfire batteries. I would find out what you have! I've been buying my Samsung batteries, and my last NiteCore charger, from Amazon lately... The charger was $15, and the last set of 4 batteries were $21, so yes, you can get a charger and pair of batteries for under $30, and if you have PRIME, you can have them in 2-days or less, with free shipping. Oh, and I picked up a pair of LG HE2 last week from the local Walgreen's drug store... $5/each, so you may check your local drugstore too

The vendor I linked to is relatively unknown to me. I have only ordered from them a couple of times. Both orders were quick, and as ordered. I just knew that would be the quickest place to find both.

I just type faster But, we're on the same page!

That sounds pretty cool

For me, it's not about the water resistance...it's the fact that it's got temp control for under $70. That makes it hard to pass up. No more dry hits or scorched cotton wicks.

It's different. I'll wait out on this one for the time being. Not enough rain in Iraq.

The reason I went to tax free Indian cigs here in NY

The taxes on ONE PACK of cigarettes in New York is $5.36..... In Tennessee and Kentucky its $1.62.....That's from 2013 I hope we get off a little easier than that.

Taxes does not bother me either. My vaping budget does not affect my other hobbies when they get taxed. But I do feel for the smaller vape business that will be affected by it. I don't know what the big deal is with not able to vape in outside areas. At least with vapers that I do know... we don't vape in stadiums or public beaches, or anywhere where analogs are prohibited. Sure it is not the same as analogs, but public do not know that. All they see is what appears to be smoke coming out. Some stealth vapers are very good at being not noticed, others fail at it miserably, and then there are a few who outright flaunt it where ever. It is just like I do not walk around with a bottle of Glenfiddich and take a swig at it where it is socially unacceptable.

Congrats on ditching analogs, Adversarious1. Cali is still one of the best states to live in... despite the severe drought we are having. haha AR, LA, AL, and I think a couple more states are pushing for higher tobacco taxes. Louisiana at least is transparent and said that they need the extra revenue to overcome their deficit. Other states are using their public health department as a platform before proposing tobacco tax hikes, and sadly that includes smokeless and vape products... if they pass. Tax revenue are more addicting than nicotine lol

I kinda wish that I had his vaping life. People sending me more gear to test than anyone else in the US (just my guess). I don't know, I guess if I was obligated to try all of that stuff and I didn't have time to do it, it would turn into a job :-(

Going out on a limb with this, but I think we the people should tax the government and get our money back. Or at least treat the Government like a business we are investing in and vote to drop every officials pay to current federal minimum wage. Make them sign up and get private health insurance. Outlaw special interest and fine the offenders heavily. And as an investor I would recommend firing those who don't do their job to meet our expectations.

This is true everywhere. If it was truly about saving lives they would ban smoking along with alcohol. The tax revenue is just too great. I am curious if they are just mounting a huge anti-vaping campaign as blackmail to enact a semi-voluntary tax. I really think they should just outlaw disease and death....problem solved. (it would be hard to enforce in the case of death)

What happened to that BettyCrocker "CompyCrocker" Recipe Book you were working on???...

Anyone have any good recipes they wanta share? I havent tried Mothers Milk yet. Anyone have one for that. Also how do u go about testing your flavors, do u just keep changing your cotton?

I am a noob, but have a question. Why would anyone "cloud chase"? What is the point? I am not sure what advantage blowing a lot of smoke really is. Isnt the point to find a satisfying taste (and nicotine intake if you are switching from tobacco)

Whoa... that's one way to alienate a segment of your demographic market as a premium supplier. I'm not cloud chaser nor participate in any competitions, but I respect everyone's vaping methodology, or how they spend and choices in their gear for that matter. Not sure if this post is an attempt to be edgy, entertaining, or expressing how you really feel about how others vape. If you are truly conveying concern about the possible ramifications on safety and how it may impact regulations, there are more objective ways in expressing them without prejudice. Organized competions or not, somewhere, someome, without the proper equipment and know-how will have an accident. At least with venues like these, you have experienced cloud chasers mentoring others new to the scene. And kudos to the organizer for temporarily shutting it down to hold a safety course. Maybe in the future, all events will hold one prior to the start of an event.

I'm just gonna jump in here because its an interesting discussion anyway..... Of note - it's usually the guys pushing the envelope in any endeavor that end up innovating the subject and bring better progress to the greater scene. It's true in just about any field. Much of what us casual vapers enjoy on a daily basis was spawned by guys sweating in the workshop looking for new and better... so I don't think it's completely healthy to squelch that kind of activity in general. There will always be idiots and we will suffer set backs from them for sure. Responsibility is still key and maybe our responsibility lies in continuing to inform those who will not be informed no matter, that tje benefits of vaping still far outweigh any destruction caused by the not-so-bright.

yeah but it could be fun and educational tho hehehe

The sky is falling the sky is falling! Oh and next let's ban laptops cause they use multiple stacked 18650's and some a$$hole is bound to overclock his CPU and send shrapnel out amongst all the innocent babies!!! BAHAHAHAHA puhlease

Ummmm You referring to me? A lot of people call me Comp here... BTW Yes I do CC from time to time so that makes me a Dumbass? I think it is lame to insult and Judge all for the stupidity of a few. ------------------------ "Though the explosion occurred during a cloud competition, the mod that blew up was not owned by any of the competitors in the contest." "the rest of the evening was hushed and subdued as conversations focused on the importance of safety" "(added 08/20/14) A NOTE FROM THE SHOW ORGANIZER: Please note that as a precaution; we, the event organizers decided to cancel the second cloud comp that was scheduled for Sunday. In light of what happened on Saturday, we used the time to have a battery safety class. It was very well received and I believe better attention was paid due to the events of Saturday evening. The entire rest of the day’s give aways focused on encouraging people to ditch bad/unsafe batteries. Many exhibitors stepped up with valuable prizes for surrendering bad batteries." -------------------------------- Those that do this and ignore the safety precautions are not too bright, that I agree on. The ones that think this is toy for amusement are the ones that should think twice about those around them. This is why when new people come on the forum we emphasize safety! Most friends I have that do these competitions are extremely safety conscious. It is the few that don't do the home work and follow ohms law that blow their face off and can harm others around them. I'm glad no one got hurt and hope this person learned a valuable lesson. Seems the people running the event were also doing the wise thing and teaching safety. Maybe what these events should have is a class in safety at every event, spot lighting things like this to show how dangerous it can be. Also add the old standby warning "This can be dangerous and should not be attempted without proper training."

You know, as a dedicated vapor that loves the hobby, I would encourage anyone and everyone to frown on cloud comps. Make then the bane of the vaping world. Oh ya, you cloud comp? What a dumbass! Lost any teeth lately? They are simply childish. Its like handing out dynamite to children then telling them to have some sort of competition with it. Its all very subjective anyways, and in no way does it improve the public opinion of the vaping community. Especially when this happens, and it will always happen when you are trying to control a stick of potential dynamite. Just saying is all, :?)

The only reports I have seen about Texas are a some eGo's that blew when charging. Most were people charging them to long or not using the charger that came with the battery. Do you have a link? If so please post it.

Dead shorting a 26650 MNKE 20amp Don't take battery safety lightly!

It is also a good example of why you use the right batteries in a Mech and not just putting in any battery.

I'm going to sticky this topic with a title change because as has already been said, battery safety is a serious issue. One I think some of the newcomers don't take seriously enough. Great video.

I'm surprised the acid didn't eat through that cardboard box lol.

New DIYer question: Which flavors tend to overwhelm/dominate other flavors when added to mix?

Bought a half gallon for cleaning tanks and such, lady looked at me funny. Got an even funnier look when I said I wasn't going to drink it.

Use vodka you'll be fine I use Absolute some use Everclear either one will do. I stay away from the cheap stuff for juices. I save the cheap stuff for atty cleaner.

Yes flavor %. I'll start @ 15% and see how it goes. Thx...

Yes you can !! just be careful how much you keep stored....the flavor does change overtime, but a couple/three months worth should be good. you will also find your taste will change along the way....I am always fussing with my flavors. The best part about DIY, if the flavor doesn't taste right, you can always fix it !!

Wow.. that's a lot of well thought out information. Thanks a lot

Sweetener aka cotton candy aka EM If you want real fruit flavor, try the Capellas Sweet Strawberry - a touch of em a drop of tart & sour, mix 15% and has a great flavor. Marshmallow is a great sweetener and it also helps blend flavors especially bakery & candies. I have never mixed anything 30% but that is just my own personal tastes. The only one close to that was loranns Bavarian cream because I mix that flavor all vg plus em.

ding ding ding. Lol Cut your flavoring % back and easy on the sweetener. A little goes a long way. Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using Tapatalk

Adding to much will get that perfume taste. The best you can do is let us know what flavors you are playing with & we can maybe offer some suggestions Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using Tapatalk

“eJuice Me Up” – eJuice Calculator and recipes with multi-functions and on-line database of recipes. This FREE software has grown considerably through user participation and suggestions. In the short couple of months since it has become available, it has been downloaded and used by several thousands of users worldwide. Let’s hear your views and suggestions. See and download it at: http://www.ejuice.breaktru.com

I know this is a pretty late response, but how is your juice going? I would add something to your kit--sweetener. I personally am a huge fan of Perfumer's Apprentice/Flavor Apprentice sweetener, which, if I remember correctly, is sucralose.

Hopefully Last but not least...... Supplies: 1.Empty dropper bottles- 3ml, 5ml, 10ml sizes are great for mixing. 2. Pipette or syringe with blunt needle. Personally, I prefer using a syringe for mixing--More accurate. 3. paper towel or rag for handling any spills or messes 4. Labels are good for identifying your new mixes. If using paper labels I have found that applying scotch tape over the label keeps the label legible. 5. mixing calculator helps with acheiving the correct nicotine strength. There are other calculators out there, but I like Todd Muellers: http://www.todmuller.com/ejuice/ejuice.php . I usually put my flavor at 30 - 40%. I like lots of flavor. Mixing -can be simple (combining premixed liquids to create a new flavor) or more complicated, mixing from scratch. Or somewhere in between. 1. Always start your mixing or experimentation with small amounts. Its much easier to throw out a small amount of liquid if it turns out bad. The 3ml bottles are great for experimenting. 2. Its a good idea to keep track of what and how much you have added to your mix--just in case you want to make more. **It is easy enough to mix 2 or more premixed liquids together to get a new flavor. This is easiest if you are using the same nicotine strength. i.e.- Tobacco 18mg/Watermelon 18mg/menthol 18mg/pina colada 18mg. The amounts would depend on taste. Start with 5 drops of each in a 3ml bottle, shake and vape--can adjust the flavor as you want by adding more of one of the flavors. with the menthol--using just 1-2 drops/3ml will give a nice cool throat hit without tasting like menthol. ** Can use PG/VG or both to cut a higher strength liquid. i.e.- 24mg premixed liquid 1ml can be mixed with 1ml PG or VG to make 12mg/ml liquid. If cutting a premixed flavor, keep in mind, it will also decrease the flavor. If you don’t want the flavor loss you can cut with 0 nicotine strength in the same or a different flavor. You can also use flavorings to boost the flavor. use the calculator to determine how much PG/VG to use to achieve the desired strength. Just put 0 in the water and flavor boxes. ** Adding Flavoring to premixed liquids This is actually one of the easiest forms of mixing and is a great place to start the DIY journey. We all have flavors we don’t really care for, but by adding flavoring you can create a flavor you like. Keep in mind--when adding flavoring it will dilute the nicotine strength of the premixed liquid. one way around this is to get some unflavored higher nicotine liquid- i.e. 36mg that can be added to your mix to keep the nicotine strength at your desired level. My preferred nicotine level is 12mg/ml--so I will use that dose for mixing examples. i.e.-- cappuccino 36mg/ml, 1.7ml + FlavourArt apple pie flavoring 1.5ml + VG 1.8ml for a total of 5ml 12mg/ml. This is where the calculator comes in handy. Just put in the numbers, hit enter and the calculations are done for you. This is where having a syringe is helpful. However if you are using drops, I have found that 30 drops of PG = 1ml and 20 drops of VG = 1ml. You can use more than one flavoring: cappuccino 1.7ml + apple pie flavoring 1ml + Vanilla 1ml + VG 1.3 ml = 5ml 12mg/ml Don’t be afraid to mix more than one flavor. When cooking, most dishes require more than one flavor to get the right taste. ** mixing from scratch You will need PG and/or VG Unflavored Nicotine liquid ( I usually use 36mg/ml) Flavorings of choice i.e. Easy Watermelon 12mg/ml 3 ml PG or VG 1 ml Lorann Watermelon flavoring 2 drops Menthol flavoring (Flavourart) 2 ml 36mg/ml Unflavored liquid i.e. using multiple flavors: Apple Pie (6ml) 18mg/ml 3 ml 36/mg unflavored 1 ml FlavourArt(FA) Apple Pie 6 drops (Flavourart) Irish Cream 2 drops (FA) perique black (tobacco) 3 drops (FA) menthol .5ml PG .5ml VG 3 drops hazelnut 6 drops vanilla ** Misc Notes Tobacco Flavorings are very, very strong--a little goes a very long way. A couple drops to 5ml will give a nice background flavor. If using more, add a drop or 2 at a time to taste. Lorann flavorings are very concentrated. You would use less Lorann than you would with other flavorings. Avoid flavorings with oils or sugars--both can damage your atomizer. If you find your mix needs to be sweeter there are a couple of options: 1. Loranns cotton candy or Marshmallow flavorings are great for adding sweetness. 2. DIY flavor shack carrys Eythol Malto which is a sweetener. 3. I actually prefer the Lorann--overall sweeter tasting. 4. I add a few drops of Menthol to all my mixes-adds a cool throat hit and enhances the flavor. Just a little does not taste like menthol. If you like menthol, just add more. 5. always start mixing with small amounts and keep track of what and how much. 6. For taste testing--dripping works best. Mixing is a lot of trial and error in the beginning. Add flavoring a little at a time until you find the balance you like will help keep waste to a minimum. I am hoping others will be able to add their tips and ideas. the above is just my own opinion and my own experience. If all or part of this is confusing please let me know-writing documents is not my strong suit !!!! Merry Mixing

Lorann: Candy Flavoring. Very concentrated flavoring. Best for sweet flavors. 2. Can be purchased from the Lorann site. Avoid Flavors that are oil based. If you click on the 'item detail' button it will tell you if it is water soluble or insoluble. You want only water soluble flavorings. The oils can burn out the atomizer and are harder to mix. 2. Can be purchased from the Lorann site. Avoid Flavors that are oil based. If you click on the ‘item detail’ button--it will tell you if it is water soluble or insoluble. You want only water soluble flavorings. The oils can burn out the atomizer and are hard to mix. Lorann 3. Can Also be purchased from many vaping suppliers that carry DIY supplies. DIY flavorshack Totally wicked