anyone know a way of testing the voltage on the batteries?

[dc2k08]

i would love to strip out the battery and replace it. the only problem is stripping them and getting them back in working order what with the micro-chip. perhaps i could end up making something like knutselpeter'e e-cig box. let me know how it goes if ever you do it. if i had a more powerful battery, i think i would get a lot more denser smoke out of these things.

also let me know if you ever find a solution to better charge these things. the chargers you get in the box dont impress me. look like the cheapest solution.

also do you think at all it would be possible to wire a nine volt battery up to the atomizer with a bit of solder or tape? or is that over-kill? i guess if i did that, i would need my own switch to turn it off and on which wouldnt be difficult?..just a circuit breaker?

these batteries are li-on?

 

[GTOrichie]

I would be very simple to do but you would need to drop the voltage to 3.7 so as not to kill the atomizer, A simple regulater circuit would do this, maplin/radioshack sell kits or you can find the data sheet for a 9v-3.7v 3 terminal reuglater transister and folow the diagram, you start going into the realms of soldering circuit boards then tho so they may not be everyones cup of tea

 

[dc2k08]

i heard of one e-cig battery being listed as a 4.7 volt..but my own one here reads 3.9v so do you think the an e-cig with a 4.7v battery has an atomizer with increased resistence?
could i use 3 triple A's to get a 4.5 volt? would that kill an atomizer suited for a 3.9?

i think i wouldnt be able to solder all that circuit bordery like you say but i would say you could have a go. you know alot.

i meant to ask too, what do you think of the usb chargers? are they a good way to charge the battery?

also do you think it is possible to match one e-cig battery up to a different make atomizer using step-up/step-down rings or soldering like we are discussing in a seperate thread?

by the way, sorry for all the questions..i hate to keep pestering, it must be wrecking your head. im going to bed soon anyway!

 

[GTOrichie]

To be honest I don't know about the atomizer voltage ratings, I don't see why you can't up the voltage a little but it will lower the life of the atomizer, 3xaa would in theory work if the atomizer stands upto the stress. they are all very valid questions and the result is even more questions like are atomizer internals standardised or are they made for the model. from what im seeing with the 3 cigs I have here (im still very new to the e-cig I have been a snus user for over a year before this) the atomizers all seem the same with roughly 3.7 volt cells but thats not to say they have the same coils, as my atomizers die I will strip them down and see if I think I can mod them, fix them or just see exacltly how they are made. I dont have a USB charger so I can't comment on them but it stands to reason they will be made with the same output specs and the main unit without the transformer side of the circuit. if you want to make a battery fit a atomizer with a difrent thread there is no reason why you coulden't try to make a coupler with two copper pipes and a pice of silicon tube as an insulator you would need the outer copper pipe to be just to tight for the threads then tap one end and die the other to create threads then insert the silicon tube in the middle and the other copper pipe in the center of that this pipe will need line up with the air hole in the center but join the two inner terminals together (remember the golden rule, NEVER alow the inner and outer terminals to join).that will give you a coupler if you need to drop down more solder another pipe into one end and tap or die that. as for asking questions, no problem it's all good

 

[dc2k08]

try to make a coupler with two copper pipes and a pice of silicon tube as an insulator.

you would need the outer copper pipe to be just to tight for the threads then tap one end and die the other to create threads

i'll have to look into this..its definitely beyond my expertese. not familiar with tap and die at all.

then insert the silicon tube in the middle and the other copper pipe in the center of that

this pipe will need line up with the air hole in the center but join the two inner terminals together (remember the golden rule, NEVER alow the inner and outer terminals to join).

i think i understand this bit

that will give you a coupler if you need to drop down more, solder another pipe into one end and tap or die that.

not sure i get this either. would the finished product then screw into an atomizer or would i just hold it in place? do you think there is anywhere i could go to have this done?

 

[GTOrichie]

A tap and Die set is a set of tools used to make threads on metal the tap makes inner threads (like in a nut) a Die is used to make outer threads (like on a bolt) that way the whole lot would screw together asuming you have used the correct tap and die, the silicon pipe is an insulator to prevent you from shorting your battery out with the outer pipe makeing the outer terminal conections and the inner pipe making the inner terminal conections and also alowing an air pasage for the sensor to work.
I have made a simple diagram to try and show this (Like I said art is not my strong point)

 

[dc2k08]

wow, that was quick! nice one. so i would need to source 2 pieces of copper tubing, 1 thick, 1 thin, then with the larger outer piece, i would be able to, on the battery end, tap a thread on the inside to fit the battery and on the atomizer end, die a thread on the outside to fit into the atomizier.

i guess the piece of tubing would have to be moderately thick to allow for this and it would be better to source a piece that accomodates the battery before it accomodates the atomizer maybe. the inner tube should be the easy part, just a matter of cutting a piece to size. the silicon will hold it in place.

i definitely going to look into getting this done. is there a way to measure the size of the threads so i know which size tool to use or is it trial and error? im guessing a kit comes with different screws that will give you the male and female numbers?

and is there anywhere you think i could go to just have someone do this? is a tap and die set electrical at all? or just tools? you think its easy to learn? what i would be doing is carving copper but i guess copper is soft so its easy enough?

 

[GTOrichie]

most model shops will sell copper pipe or a pluming center will have it, and a tap and die are manual tools that are in truth very easy to use and alot of budget kits come with instructions anyway, just google "tap and die" and you will find hundreds of sets and pleanty of info and pictures of them.
if you still don't want to try Im sure that a local machine shop would measure the threads and do the threads for you it wont take them long to do and I'm sure the strange request will soon get there enginering intrest. as for the silicon pipe you can get that from a model shop aswell (nitro fuel line) or a car shop that sells window washer pipe if you need to fill the gap up just strech multile lenghs over to get the desired thicknes

 

[dc2k08]

exellent, thanks much for the help. i'll try and source a machinist in the area. it might be the easier solution, but im thinking it might be hard to find..otherwise i'll check out a tap and die set somewhere and get busy!

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

Let us know how this turns out. This might be the reducer ring for generic batts to fit on a loong totem we've all been scratching around for

Emp

 

[Josiah]

I was planning on walking into Ace and grabbing a bunch of metric nuts until I found the right one. Simple and effective. I'm not sure if you're UK or US but I'm just hazarding a guess that they didn't use Imperial on the ecig, so if you're US, a machine shop might not have the plug gage for that size.

I'll ask at work today if we have anything to measure pitch. I know we have some thread micrometers, so I can pick up the size, just not sure about pitch! As far as metal fabrication, I work at a machine shop. I'm an inspector, and have resources if anyone has any questions.

My first pen-style should be here within a few days, and I'll go ahead and get the thread measured when I get it. I might even reverse as much of it as I can and model it for fun. Having a nice set of drawings for them wouldn't hurt. I won't have a 901 for awhile, but when I get one I'll do the same to it. People can also email dead parts and I can do those, if they want.

 

[SuperSteph]

I just purchased a set of tools to do just that, from Micromark, called a Thread Gauge, comes in metric or standard. I have a DSE901b, I'll measure the threads just as soon as the tool gets here.

 

[dc2k08]

sounds good josiah, but what do you mean when you say..

People can also email dead parts and I can do those, if they want.

what can you do exactly?

 

[Josiah]

Reverse the threads. I'm sure someone that already has the parts can tell you the thread size and pitch, though.

 

[BarryK]

I mocked up a more reliable battery set-up yesterday using a dead battery with the innards removed and the tube reduced to about 20mm in length.

Soldered a couple of wires to the 'screw' and connected it, via a small push button switch, to a Maplin 3 x AA battery holder - works like a charm.

Whilst in the workshop I also did some electrical & mechanical measurements - results as follows:

Output voltage (off load) of Normal, fully charged 'Classic' battery = 3.9 to 4volts.

Resistance of 'Classic' atomiser, around 4 ohms.

Off load Output voltage of 3 x AA (2500 mA/hr) ni-mh battery pack = 4.1 volts.

On load Voltage, (connected to Atomiser and with button pressed) = 3.9 volts.

Current pulled by atomiser = 1 amp.

I reckon this battery pack will last 3 or 4 days before needing to be re-charged - maybe longer.

There's not really enough male thread on the battery/atomiser connectors to get a real accurate measurement - but I'm pretty certain that it 10mm dia x 1mm pitch (in old money that's 0.393" dia x 0.0393 pitch or 25.4 tpi)

Because there is so little thread I pretty sure that a 3/8" UNF tap & die set will do the trick - thats 0.375" diam x 26 tpi.

Hope this info is of some help.............

Cheers
Barry

 

[tribalmasters]

1: Put battery in water for 30 minutes
2: Put battery out of water for 30 minutes
3: ????
4: PROFIT!!

 

[Tumbleweed4829]

omg! Why did I even try this???? On a few of my atomizers I get a fluctuating number (no clue what that means). I tried checking my battery and well it broke it by blowing into the led end (won't be checking any of my other batteries!)...so yeah not a good idea at all.

 

[BarryK]

Is it just me? or is every one else totally clueless about the meaning of the last two posts.........

Barry

.

 

[Kate]

Lol, it gets like that around here sometimes Barry. Just let it go over your head if you can.

Thanks for the useful data you posted, I look forward to hearing more about your progress, photos too if you can get some. Super batteries seem to be a hot topic at the moment.

 

[BarryK]

Not much to see at the moment Kate, looks more like an IED than an e-cig at the moment - 3 batteries, an odd looking tube and a switch, all held together with rubber bands - people have been shot for carrying more innocent looking items than this.......

I will post some pictures later - maybe in the UK section.........

Cheers

.