Battery for USB pass through?

[SwanVesta]

Hi Breno

Just keep you updated from my other thread...............a much wiser member than I advised I swapped the batteries to test the theory!

And the results indicate it is the USB passthru itself that is knackered and NOT the rechargable battery

When putting the new battery in the old USB PT I get much weaker performance and weirdly intermittent working - virtually every other vape does not work. I tried leaving a longer gap between vapes and I tried engaging the button without vaping to try and override this "every other vape" scenario but it didnt make any difference.

Therefore my old USB PT (only 8 weeks old) is knackered as not only is it weak when it does work but it only works every other vape.

This indicates the battery did not need replacing as it is powering my new USB PT fine

Thank you

Swan

[breno]

Hmm it's rather worrying that the passthourgh itself is malfunctioning I would have though such a component should last a lifetime.
Maybe it is because a relatively large current goes through it?
I would not expect such a device to fail no more than I would expect a small power supply for say speakers or a modem to fail.
Shows how much I know
I certainly would not be pleased if I had to replace mine, infact if it failed within a year I would be sending it back, quoting my rights under the Sale of Goods act, in particular that the item must be 'fit for purpose', and demanding a refund.

[breno]

I have been informed by TECC (despite the fact I use my passthru daily) that the rechargeable battery should not need replacing "for about 6 months to a year"

HTH

Ha ha interesting you got it from TECC cos I got my passthrough from there and it arrived faulty ie minus the button to operate it!!
I am sending that back to them tommorrow.

[breno]

Anywya more confusion on passthroughs.
I notice that the batteryless ones cost more than the ones without a battery which I think is rather odd?
I mean surely the batteryless one is just the USB plug and an the wires?
Or does it have more circuitary in it?

[breno]

I have no idea how long the battery life time would be on a passthrough Im afraid , I dont use one

A passthrough that incorporates a battery will not work without the battery installed.

there is no switch that disconnects the battery charger when you inhale, your just using the battery to power the ecig , the USB in turn charges the battery.
Passthroughs that don't use a battery run at 5V unless they carry a resistor circuit to reduce the voltage to 3.7v.

edit : oh , I see where you got that idea from :

The bolded text should really have read " run a passthrough that doesnt incorporate a battery"

If you use a mains USB hub then no yo dont need to plug it into your PC.
You can use USB wall chargers, but must make sure it has a high enough mA output ( 1000mA min. )

Are you saying you don't use a passthrough or that your passthrough has no battery (and you run it from a mains adaptor?).

Also would this be suitable as a USB power source?
http://www.cablesandmore.co.uk/usb2-...471883c1e45a5e

It does not mention anything about power output, nor do others I have seen. Most of the USB chargers I have send seem to mention a 1/2 amp (500mA) output.

[ApOsTle51]

I dont use a passthrough , seen too many horror stories of people blowing motherboards with them so I just rule it out..
Powering them from a hub is fine, like the one you linked too , you dont even need to plug it into the PC , just the mains.

I wouldnt like to say whether or not that hub is ok to use , but i imagine it would be ok.

Output is more relevant if your using something like the kensington USB power pack where it's not plugged into the mains or your using a usb mains charger like the IPOD ones which only output 450mA or so.

[breno]

Hmmm I have just had a though, there are quite a few spare power connectors inside my PC, for connecting disk drives or whatever, they have a red 5v power line.
There is a load of stuff about the connectors here:-
All about the various PC power supply cables and connectors
So I guess you could use the red 5v power line rather than a USB.

I expect the USB 5v is just directly connected to the 5v line anyway!!

That can't be anymore dangerous than connecting to a USB slot.

I am wondering how PC's get fried, I guess if you get anything in the atomiser to short circuit it than that would fry your PC!!

Safer to use something not connected to the PC at all, if you short circuit the end which connects to the atomiser then that is probably your PC going up in smoke.
If you are connecting a passthrough to your PC it would seem to be a good idea to have
a suitable fuse in the circuit.