Here is everything you need to know to speak the language of Vape!
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510 Connector - The 510 connector is the industry standard threading type for connecting toppers to mods. The industry wide use of this type of connection makes customizing your mod a breeze since nearly all mods, tanks, and RDAs use the same connection.
A
ADV or All Day Vape - This is exactly what it sounds like, its a juice that someone enjoys so much that they can vape it all day without complaint. My personal all day vape is Eclipse by Space Jam (I love me some good tobacco flavor!).
Atomizer (aka Atty) - This is the part of your vape that, well, vaporizes the liquid, thus creating the vapor that you inhale. It consists of a small heating element (usually a wire coil) as well as a wick to draw the liquid to the heating element. This component is central to the operation of any personal vaporizer. The electrical resistance of the coil, the voltage output of the device, the quality of the wick, and the airflow of the atty all play significant roles in the quality and quantity of vapor produced.
American Wire Gauge (AWG) - This is the standard used in the United States to measure the resistance and diameter of the wire used to create coils for atomizers.
Amperage (aka Amps) - The measurement of the flow of electricity along a circuit. In relation to an APV, the lower the amps the less capable you are of using high voltages on low-resistance attys.
Analog - This is a term often used by the vaping community to refer to traditional tobacco cigarettes.
Anodizing / Anodized - A procedure that is done to seal and finish aluminum.
APV - Advanced Personal Vaporizer or Personal Vaporizer, often referred to as a mod. This is the technically accurate term for modern-day e-cigs.
Automatic Battery - A battery that does not have a button or switch used to fire the device. All you do is drag on it like a traditional cigarette which activates the atomizer and produces the vapor.
Automatic Shutoff - A safety feature on many disposable e-cigs which only allows the device to fire for a set period of time to prevent over-stressing the battery and over-heating the atomizer.
B
Battery - The battery that powers your device (duh). In some circles, when referring to clearomizers or cartomizers, the mod itself is called the battery if the device does not have an interchangeable battery. Some common interchangeable battery types are 18650, 18630, 18500, and 18350. These are often 3.7v batteries and they come in a variety of mAh options.
BCC - Bottom coil clearomizer, in this type of device the coil resides at the bottom of the tank. A good example of a BCC would be a Nautilus tank by Aspire.
BDC - Bottom dual-coil clearomizer. This is the same as a BCC except with two coils in the atty.
Box Mod - A box mod is any APV that comes in a box shape, and are often times electronic variable-voltage or variable-wattage devices.
Brick and Morter - A store. You know, the kind with a door, and windows, and a bathroom (hopefully!). You'll hear this term when someone is differentiating between a 'brick and morter' store and an online shop.
Bridge - The U-shaped covering on the inside of an atty that is coated in steel mesh and is designed to wick the juice from the cartridge.
Burner - A term used when referring to tobacco cigarettes.
C
Cartomizer or Carto - As the name suggests, this is a combination of a cartridge with a polyfill filling (which acts as the wick) and an atomizer. Both of these elements have been compressed in to a single piece that's easier to use and refill (although many cartos are not refillable, users still find was to do this). Cartomizers are not known for producing robust flavor or an abundance of vapor but they are cheaper.
Cartridge - The topper of an entry-level e-cig that is stuffed with a filler material which holds the liquid.
CASAA - Consumer Advocacy for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association. This non-profit organization campaigns and lobbies on behalf of e-cigarette users.
Chimney - The chimney is the cylindrical metal piece that sits inside of a Kayfun or other RTA. The purpose of this piece is to house the wick and coil(s) so they can operate correctly instead of being submerged in juice. Generally these come in two pieces to facilitate customization, cleaning, and easy re-wicking.
Cig-alike - This is a common term for basic entry-level e-cigarettes. This term was adapted due to the visual and operational similarities between analog cigarettes and this type of electronic cigarette. Often times this come in two pieces, a battery and a single-use disposable cartomizer.
Clearomizer or Clearo - Somewhat similar to a cartomizer, a clearomizer has a clear or opaque plastic tank (which are prone to cracking and breaking, by the way), making it easy to see how much juice you have left in your vape. Also, clearomizers use a silica wick instead of polyfill filling.
Cloud Chaser - Cloud chasers are the guys (and gals!) who build their RDAs with one goal in mind: blowing the biggest, densest clouds of vapor possible. You may have heard of cloud competitions. You know, those events where it's like walking into club with a runaway smoke machine? This is where cloud chasers strut their stuff and show off their most gnarly builds. Keep in mind cloud chasing can be dangerous. Thankfully most vapers are happy to help you newbies learn to do it safely.
Coil - The coil is the most important part of the atomizer. This is what the electricity from the battery runs through, subsequently heating the liquid on the wick to the point of vaporization. Heck, without a coil in your APV all it amounts to is a fancy paperweight!
D
Deck - The flat part of am RDA/RBA which is designed to keep the liquid off the the battery connection.
Dewick - The act of removing the wick from an atomizer.
DIY - This is a no-brainer, it means Do It Yourself. This term is used primarily on written or video tutorials that show how to perform a specific action when working with your APV. We have a whole section of our blog dedicated to DIY tutorials.
DNA - A variable wattage circuitboard made specifically for vaping and those looking to build their own electronic mods. The Vapor Shark DNA 30 is a prime example of the DNA chip in action.
Dripping / Dripper - Certain attys, like the Plume Veil by Æther Tech, operate without a tank by dripping the juice directly on the wick inside the atomizer. This method is known for providing the best flavor and most dense vapor, and is therefore favored by cloud chasers.
Drip shield - This handy piece of equipment is a plastic or metal tube that is placed over an atomizer. If the atty leaks the liquid will end up in the drip shield and not on your mod (and all over your hand... that's always a pain). Many drip shields will actually feed the leaked liquid back into the atty so you're not wasting your all day vape.
Drip tip - Any mouthpiece accessory that you place on top of the atomizer.
Drip well - A bowl shape on an atomizer that is designed to catch any liquid that leaks out of the atty.
Dry burn - Firing the atomizer with no juice in it until the coils glow hot. This is often done to clean the coil and burn off impurities.
E
ECA - The Electronic Cigarette Association, an industry group formed in early 2009 made up of suppliers and manufacturers who combined resources to help keep the e-cigarette as a legal option for smokers in the USA.
b - Abbreviation for the Electronic Cigarette Forum, one of the industry's largest and most highly trafficked forum sites. This is a great place to get your questions answered and learn even more about the vaping community.
eGo - One of the first and still most widely used type of e-cigarette.
eLiquid or eJuice - Another dead ringer, this the liquid you put into your take or on you RDA which is then vaporized.
F
Flooding - This is what happens when a tank or RDA is over-filled. You can tell if you've flooded your tank because you will hear a gurgling sound when you draw on the atty.
Fuse - A specially designed fuse for use in mechanical mods to prevent some types of batter failure.
G
Genesis style atty or Genesis tank - A type of RBA that sits on top of a tank (which is usually glass) with one or more holes in the deck leading into the tank.
H
HR - High-resistance or hi-res, a term used to describe an atty which typically operates above 2.0 Ohms.
Hybrid or Hybrid mod - A combined topper and battery holder which is often times mechanical. They are designed to fit together as one seamless unit.
J
Juice - See eLiquid.
K
Kanthal - Kanthal is a specific brand of resistance wire that is used in building coils for electronic cigarettes, usually sold for Rebuildables. Kanthal A1 is a specific grade of Kanthal wire which is considered by many to be the best wire for use in coils
Kayfun - This is a Russian designed and German built RTA and is one of the more common types of tank in use today.
L
Liquid - See eLiquid.
LR - Low-resistance or lo-res, a term used to describe an atty which typically operates at or below 2.0 Ohms.
M
mAh - Milliamps per hour
Micro-coil - A coil that is wrapped so that all the wraps are touching. This is done to improve the transfer of electricity through the circuit which, if effect, improves the vapor production.
Mod - A custom built, or modified, APV.
Modder - A modder is a person that modifies and upgrades their APV or other device to their preference. Thankfully with the progression of technology and options in vaping
mL - A measurement of volume applied to eLiquid products. The most common volumes available are 15ml and 30ml bottles, some companies also produce larger or smaller bottles.
mg - A measurement of the nicotine level in eLiquid. Most publicly available juices come in 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 milligram nicotine levels. Some companies produce even higher levels but these super-nic juices are usually used by Vikings, super heroes, and the undead.
N
Nicotine - An alkaloid, psychoactive chemical in eLiquid. No, it's not going to make you go psycho... Caffeine is a psychoactive chemical too. The volume of nicotine in eLiquid is measured in milligrams/milliliter. For example, in a 6mg 30ml bottle of juice there will be 180 total milligrams of nicotine (6 x 30 = 180).
Ni-MH - Ni-MH stands for Nickel-Metal Hydride. Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries have no Cadmium added. Cadmium is hazardous to the environment. When using Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries, charging should be monitored to avoid overcharging.
O
O-ring - The small black rings made of rubber that create an air-tight seal to prevent juice from leaking form an atty and to help hold the different components of the atty together securely.
Ohm - A measurement of electrical resistance. Lower ohms means lower resistance and therefore faster heating and improved vapor production. You should have at least a basic knowledge of how electricity works before you try to wrap low ohm coils for your atty, as this can stress the battery and cause the battery to fail, leak, or even explode which can potentially cause serious bodily harm.
Organic cotton - The most common material used for wicking RDAs and RTAs. Many people use plain old organic cotton balls, which you can buy at your local supermarket, but there are many different options of organic cotton available. My personal favorite is from an American based company called Cottonman.
P
Pass-through (aka PT) - This is a type of PV that plugs directly into a power source (usually some type of USB charger) and can be used while charging.
PG - Propylene Glycol, this substance is used as a base carrier for the nicotine and flavoring. Propylene Glycol has been deemed generally safe to be used in medical products as well as food products for general consumption. Some people have reported having an allergic reaction to PG. These people also find that they have issues with certain brands of toothpaste, lotions, soaps, and medicines containing PG. If you have issues with PG, it is suggested you look into using a product with a Vegetable Glycerin (VG) base.
Plasma nicotine level - This is the only true measure of the effectiveness of an electronic nicotine delivery device. It is the measurement of nicotine absorbed into the bloodstream while using an electronic cigarette.
PV - See APV.
R
Ratio - Usually used when referring to the PG/VG ratio of a specific eLiquid. Higher VG content produces bigger, denser clouds and is therefore favored by the cloud chasing community.
RBA - Rebuildable Atomizer, an atty are generally referred to as an RBA when it has a tank or large juice well that does not require dripping liquid directly onto the wick.
RDA - Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer, a type of atty that does not use a tank, instead the juice is dripped directly from the bottle onto the wick.
RTA - Rebuildable Tank Atomizer, an atty that uses a tank reservoir to contain the juice.
S
Silica - A material that is used to build wicks for an atomizer. Most often this term refers to braided silica cord which is the most common type of wick in clearos and cartos. Silica has a very high melting point so it can be cleaned with an open flame to burn off impurities.
Sub-ohm - This term refers to coils that are wrapped below 1.0 ohms and is favored by the cloud chasing subset of the vaping community. It is very important that you know what you are doing when wrapping a sub-ohm coil as it can over-stress your battery causing it to leak or worse.
T
Tank - A shorthand term for a rebuildable tank atomizer (RTA). There are tons of different types of tanks which function and perform differently depending on your needs and desires.
Throat hit - The feeling you get in the back of your throat when you take a drag off your vape (or, god forbid, a regular cigarette). When it comes to vaping there are a couple of factors that play into the throat hit: the nicotine level, the purity of the eLiqiud, personal vaping habits and techniques, and the proper usage and care of your device.
Topper - A slang term for any atty which is connected to the battery.
V
Vape / Vaping - The e-cig version of 'to smoke,' the act of vaping.
Vapegasm - The experience of discovering a new ADV or favorite juice, the perfect voltage to vape a certain juice at, or otherwise finding the 'sweet spot.'
Vaper - A person who vapes. Just as a smoker smokes, a vaper vapes.
Vapor - The byproduct of the act of vaping, this is the smoke-like vapor that you exhale.
Vapor production - A term typically associated with juices which indicates the amount of vapor produced during the typical use of an e-cigarette.
Variable voltage (VV) - Variable voltage devices allow you to control how many volts you're vaping at. This is usually controlled with a click-ring or button selector.
Variable wattage (VW) - Similare to variable voltage devices, but you control how many watts your devices pumps out while you use it.
VG - Vegetable Glycerin, an alternative to Propylene Glycol which is sometimes used as the majority base in the E-Liquid. VG is what produces the clouds you exhale, the higher the VG content the more dense clouds you'll be able to blow. Vegetable Glycerin comes from the production of palm or coconut oils and is also used in sweeteners and in skin care products.
Vooping - If you're not a fan of a little crass humor turn back now. Vooping is the act of vaping while you take a number 2. You might voop because you are in a building that doesn't allow vaping, or maybe you're trying to to escape you annoying roommate/girlfriend/boyfriend. Regardless, a good voop is enough to satisfy anyone.
W
Wick - The part of any atty that draws liquid from the juice well or tank up to the coil for vaporization. This component is usually made of organic cotton or silica. When you are vaping and start to get a bit of a burning taste to the vapor that usually means its time to restaurant the wick of your RDA, refill the tank of your RBA/RTA, or replace the cartridge of your cig-alike. Most wicks will last upwards of a week with normal use, but will eventually start to burn due to the heat of the coil. Once it does start to burn it's time to rewick atty, which is actually really easy to do.
Wire - Generally refers to the wire that is used to wrap coils for an atomizer.
Major props to Ian James with Space Jam Juice for compiling this list!
http://blog.sjsocial.com/index.php/en/blog/education-diy/item/101-intro-to-vaping-terminology
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