Very easy vv mod w/ switching regulator

[mamu]

GREAT, mamu! you and sci are the best ones on fiding good stuff to be modded! already placed an order for it!
where did you get that box?
where did you get those cool battery contacts?
where did you get that nice orange kitty cat?

TY D.

I got the enclosure here: Digi-Key - HM126-ND (Manufacturer - 1591ABU).

The circuit board is 1.5"x1.5" so you need at least a 2 inch wide box. Radio Shack also has an enclosure that is 4x2x1.

I got the 18650 batt holder here: Digi-Key - BK-18650-PC2-ND (Manufacturer - BK-18650-PC2)

I got Mandy at the pet port last year. She is a big help with my projects... she contributes the cat hairs.

Nice thanks for the add on. One Q! Where did ya get the 18650 batt holders from?

I got the 18650 batt holders here: Digi-Key - BK-18650-PC2-ND (Manufacturer - BK-18650-PC2).

It was a bit of work to cut them to the size I needed to hold the 16340 batts and also to trim the height down to fit inside the box. But now they're a perfect fit and hold the batts secure in place.

That voltage control device looks like a Bourns trim pot to me.... would that be correct? The come in many "flavors" (Ohms) and configurations for mounting to a pcb. I use the 3296 config. personally. You can pick them up at Digikey or Jameco. Also have seen some on eBay, but have to watch out for knock offs..... Bourns is the "gold standard" for them and are made to last and last. Just use a little flat head screwdriver to adjust or can glue an extension on with a know to allow you to turn it by hand. The regulator will put off the heat and that silver strip does look to be a heat sink of sorts. Cool device and for the money, can't beat it. Just buying the parts to make one yourself would cost more than what they are selling it for -- especially with the made up cabling.

I've bought the Bourns trimmers before and they are nice. The trimmer on the circuit board says Baoshi 3296 W203.

 

[WillyB]

The circuit board is 1.5"x1.5" so you need at least a 2 inch wide box. Radio Shack also has an enclosure that is 4x2x1.

What's the height of it Ms. Master Modder.

Thanks.



Now if a man had made it..................

 

[mamu]

Now if a man had made it..................

wut?? you say something??

What's the height of it Ms. Master Modder.

Thanks.

The height is just an unch higher than 1/2". To you that would be a pinch higher that 1/2".

 

[roadrash]

the internal diiiiiiimensions of the 2 x 4 x 1 box are.1-3/4 x 3-3/4 x 7/8 .

Posted with a crappy key board whilst having a few.

 

[duby]

Found this converter recently its a bit more expensive though
3A Adjustable step down switching voltage regulator

 

[asdaq]

Looks like this board could be used then in a box of that thickness with that digital voltmeter behind it, back to back. Just going by photos the caps are the tallest part. Mamu, you have both, would it work with a thin insulation layer between them?

 

[mamu]

Found this converter recently its a bit more expensive though
3A Adjustable step down switching voltage regulator

I had seen that one a while back. I thought the price was a bit steep and was wondering about what regulator they were using cuz it said 1.2V typical dropout voltage, 2.0v maximum at full load.

Looks like this board could be used then in a box of that thickness with that digital voltmeter behind it, back to back. Just going by photos the caps are the tallest part. Mamu, you have both, would it work with a thin insulation layer between them?

I had finagled with the voltage reader to try to put it in there, but it raised the board too high and was in the way of the atty and the switch. I could have dremeled off the 2 bottom screw posts in the box and lowered everything a bit, but I wanted to keep the screw posts on opposite ends so that I could put small magnets in the screw holes of the lid so that the lid would snap shut.

If you remove the 2 bottom screw posts and lowered everything, then the voltage reader would fit and the board wouldn't be in the way of the atty and switch.

 

[VaporMadness]

I'm not too much of a tinkerer so I haven't poked at building a VV mod, but I do wonder...

Is a smooth Vout important for our vaping use case? How much componentry and size of these pre-assembled VV units is about smoothing the sawtoothed output into a flat line? I remember seeing scottbee's scope pics of the 510's waveform, totally jagged jumping from 0 to max. Anyway makes me wonder if you stripped away everything geared towards smoothing the waveform, how much smaller could a switching VV circuit be?

I imagine some of the larger components are geared towards that smoothing function (big inductors and caps), and wonder... are they needed in our use case?

 

[Sci]

I'm not too much of a tinkerer so I haven't poked at building a VV mod, but I do wonder...

Is a smooth Vout important for our vaping use case? How much componentry and size of these pre-assembled VV units is about smoothing the sawtoothed output into a flat line? I remember seeing scottbee's scope pics of the 510's waveform, totally jagged jumping from 0 to max. Anyway makes me wonder if you stripped away everything geared towards smoothing the waveform, how much smaller could a switching VV circuit be?

I imagine some of the larger components are geared towards that smoothing function (big inductors and caps), and wonder... are they needed in our use case?

You could use an adjustable regulator with a variable resistor to do what you're saying, but you would lose the total coolness factor of the mod Mamu made!

 

[duby]

If size is an issue, bigblue's design is relatively compact.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/battery-mods/114901-evercool-variable-voltage-mod.html
but it requires a little more work.
This one is definitely easier to put together.

 

[Drewsworld]

wut?? you say something??

You heard him!!! Stop embarassing us guys Mamu!!!! Dont you have some needlepointing or something to do?



Another stellar job....You go girl!!!

 

[mamu]

wut?? you say something??

You heard him!!! Stop embarassing us guys Mamu!!!! Dont you have some needlepointing or something to do?



Another stellar job....You go girl!!!

LOLOLOLOL! TY Drew!

 

[mamu]

I found 16340/RCR123A batt holders and they're a perfect fit for these batts. They are SO much easier to work with than cutting an 18650 batt holder down to size.

Battery Holder: CR123A Battery Holder

 

[tonyfalkon]

Have you tried this mod using those yellow 3v tenergy batts or any other 3v 16340's and if so what were the results how far down/up in terms of voltage did you get and how was the performance.

 

[mamu]

Have you tried this mod using those yellow 3v tenergy batts or any other 3v 16340's and if so what were the results how far down/up in terms of voltage did you get and how was the performance.

I've always used 3.6/3.7v batts in these vv mods.

 

[Switched]

I found 16340/RCR123A batt holders and they're a perfect fit for these batts. They are SO much easier to work with than cutting an 18650 batt holder down to size.

Battery Holder: CR123A Battery Holder

I saw those too bad they want an arm and a leg to ship to Canada. They're worst than Drew.

 

[Switched]

Have you tried this mod using those yellow 3v tenergy batts or any other 3v 16340's and if so what were the results how far down/up in terms of voltage did you get and how was the performance.

The operative word here I believe is usable voltage. 8.4 is better than 7.2 last longer

 

[misterD]

what is the cut off current on this board?
it says the input is 3-30v. do unprotected batts shut off at a certain voltage?

 

[Switched]

what ever your batteries cut out at.

 

[WillyB]

what is the cut off current on this board?
it says the input is 3-30v. do unprotected batts shut off at a certain voltage?

Kinda hard to wade through the spec sheets, but I see this.

Supply Voltage 4.5V to 40V

And no, unprotected batts do not cut off on their own.

What Mamu has shown us is the quickest and easiest way to make a VV mod. And probably the cheapest. For vaping this should perform as good as any out there. I do suggest you use the largest 3.7V batts (mAh) you are comfortable with. Without the batt holders some 18350's (1200mAh) should fit in a similar box.

The reason I say this is the voltage drop appears much higher than the TI LDO linear regs, 1.2V vs 0.5V and the stated efficiency seems only a bit better, nothing like bigblue's Evercool.