510 "true 5v" no-inline-battery PT

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IAmThatGuy

Full Member
Feb 5, 2010
32
15
Northeast USA
Anybody have strong opinions on this type of PT?

I got a regular 3.7v PT with the inline battery in my 510 kit, but the recent testing data suggested it actually ran at the same sub-3.7 voltage that the 510 batts did, albeit with no power sag.

It does indeed seem to work moderately better than the standard PT (more vapor, atty "sizzles" rather than "gurgling" when the atty is saturated during direct dripping).

However it also requires a powered USB hub or desktop USB port, as my laptop rejected it for using too much voltage, sadly. If you have a nicer laptop, your mileage may vary. Also, the 5-second cut off is a bit of a PITA, to be honest. You gotta get good at quickly releasing and re-pressing the button if you like drags longer than 5 seconds.

Kind of a strange safety feature for a manual PT, really... not like you're gonna stick it in your pocket and light your pants on fire if you accidentally hit the button...

Just as an FYI, NHaler's High Voltage line seems to work well with this accessory, more so than the 3.7v PT in any case. Same amount of vapor, oddly, but a shorter required drag time and much more flavor in the 5v.

Thoughts?
 

MusicBox

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Feb 21, 2010
213
14
Australia
I'm kinda new around here so I'm not sure if this is an appropriate thread to tack onto, but here goes.
The problem with USB ports on a computer is that they are limited to around 500mA each. The important part is "each".
It would not be too difficult to modify a USB cable to daisy-chain another male plug into another port. (Just the two power wires connected).
This is the equivalent of putting two batteries in parallel thereby doubling the current to 1000mA 5v.

It is possible to find ready made cables that do this:
addonics(dot)com/products/power_adapter/usb_power_cable.asp
(sorry can't post URLs yet)
or Google "dual input usb cable"

Is it possible to extend this to 3 ports or even 4? (2000mA)
What effect on the rest of the pc?
I don't know. I'm still waiting for my first pv to arrive. I have plenty of PCs kicking around that I don't mind blowing up but nothing to test it with.

My apologies if this has been discussed before.
 

Kurt

Quantum Vapyre
ECF Veteran
Sep 16, 2009
3,433
3,606
Philadelphia
I'm kinda new around here so I'm not sure if this is an appropriate thread to tack onto, but here goes.
The problem with USB ports on a computer is that they are limited to around 500mA each. The important part is "each".
It would not be too difficult to modify a USB cable to daisy-chain another male plug into another port. (Just the two power wires connected).
This is the equivalent of putting two batteries in parallel thereby doubling the current to 1000mA 5v.

It is possible to find ready made cables that do this:
addonics(dot)com/products/power_adapter/usb_power_cable.asp
(sorry can't post URLs yet)
or Google "dual input usb cable"

Is it possible to extend this to 3 ports or even 4? (2000mA)
What effect on the rest of the pc?
I don't know. I'm still waiting for my first pv to arrive. I have plenty of PCs kicking around that I don't mind blowing up but nothing to test it with.

My apologies if this has been discussed before.

In principle this sounds ok, but there is more risk to PC USB ports than just drawing too much power. If the PT dies, like a resister fries, it is possible it could take the port and possibly the mother board out. I know of at least one poster here that had that happen.

So while it might be fun to do your daisy chain experiment and test the resulting amps, getting a powered USB hub or AC/USB converter plugged into the wall with 2 Amp output (1 Amp might work too) will work great and for less hassle and cost. You can get AC converters for a few dollars.

I had a GreenSmoke 5V straightwire PT for a while. Ya, it was a serious vapor machine, and yes it would overload a normal PC USB port, but it worked great on an external AC/USB converter. But the GS cartos are all PG based, and when I tried adding VG juices to them, the juice just fried. It produced a burned acrid nose-biting vapor, and the inside of the carto turned black. This was repeatable, and did not happen with the GS batts, so my conclusion at the time was don't do VG at 5V, although it could also be don't expect a GS carto to last long enough to add additional juices to it. The PT eventually was unusable since it was an auto and I think juice had gotten down into it, causing it to stay on 100% while plugged in, whether I drew on it or not. Not good! A shame. E9 PTs are about $50, and not just from GS. Nhaler has them for the same price.

While it was working I posted questions as to whether others with 5V PT were able to vape VG juices, but I got no responses. Maybe 5V people are PG people, in general. I personally prefer the PT I have now, a Bartleby, which is USB chargable, but powers off a 14500 batt, which gives a full 3.7V on the coil and higher current than reg 510 batts (3.1V on the coil), and while it is not 5V, it is worlds better than regular batts or the 510 PT. And I think that the draw for charging a batt is much easier on a PC port than a 5V straightwire PT...those attys must be drawing serious power to operate. And the Bart will vape for many hours offline. The 14500 is a really great batt for the 510, all round.
 

IAmThatGuy

Full Member
Feb 5, 2010
32
15
Northeast USA
Just as a followup: after a week of using the straight-thru 5v PT I am extremely pleased. It is a bit of a PITA to have to plug it into the powered USB hub (which I had laying around in a drawer, think it cost $10 or so a few years ago) but the vaping is both more consistent because it can tolerate more saturation.

To be more specific, the extra power seems to be able to make my 510 better able to handle more drops of juice without flooding, going "gurgly" and having a hard time. On the old 3.7v PT 1-2 drops was the sweet spot; the 5v powers through 4-5 drops like it's standing still, not a gurgle to be heard.

4-5 is pretty much the zenith of my vaping experience thus far; you gotta learn to mash the battery so as to circumvent the 5-second shut off, but if you get it right you can get 2-3 really, REALLY handsome lungfuls out of it. Way better than anything else I've tried thus far.

Oh, and curiously, the atty actually feels COOLER than it did with either batts or the 3.7v PT! I would imagine this has something to do with the much, much shorter drag times. What would have required 10 seconds (and risked burning my lips) before, I can now do in 5 and get twice the vapor.

Just a word to the wise. ;-)
 
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Kurt

Quantum Vapyre
ECF Veteran
Sep 16, 2009
3,433
3,606
Philadelphia
Just as a followup: after a week of using the straight-thru 5v PT I am extremely pleased. It is a bit of a PITA to have to plug it into the powered USB hub (which I had laying around in a drawer, think it cost $10 or so a few years ago) but the vaping is both more consistent because it can tolerate more saturation.

To be more specific, the extra power seems to be able to make my 510 better able to handle more drops of juice without flooding, going "gurgly" and having a hard time. On the old 3.7v PT 1-2 drops was the sweet spot; the 5v powers through 4-5 drops like it's standing still, not a gurgle to be heard.

4-5 is pretty much the zenith of my vaping experience thus far; you gotta learn to mash the battery so as to circumvent the 5-second shut off, but if you get it right you can get 2-3 really, REALLY handsome lungfuls out of it. Way better than anything else I've tried thus far.

Oh, and curiously, the atty actually feels COOLER than it did with either batts or the 3.7v PT! I would imagine this has something to do with the much, much shorter drag times. What would have required 10 seconds (and risked burning my lips) before, I can now do in 5 and get twice the vapor.

Just a word to the wise. ;-)

Your observations are on par with what others find with HV. The atty, however, may not last as long, so make sure it is always wet. BTW, your regular 510 PT was not running at 3.7V on the coil, more like 3.3V. The 10440 batt in the box cannot get the coil to 3.7V, but the straight-wire probably gets it well about 4V. This creates what some call here a "self-cleaning" voltage, with the atty not clogging, and thus not overheating as much. But without juice, the higher voltage can be murder on attys, like literally.
 
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