Battery connector failures

[tumbafox]

One thing that torments me is the fact that whether you build a $5 dollar box mod or buy a $200 high-end unit we are all subject to the failure of the battery connector. Thats the component that you screw your atomizer into. If you don't know what I am talking about check out: http://www.madvapes.com/Connectors_c_168.html

We all suffer at times from atomizer or cartomizer leakages at times.

Over tightening an atty or a defective poorly threaded atomizer or cartomizer or a protruding stern can all cause the center post of the battery connector to compress resulting in seal failure with resulting leakage of juice into the battery switch and possible short circuit since the seal is the only thing separating positive from negative terminals.

We should be able to buy threaded screw in battery connectors, which we could replace ourselves. Instead, every manufacturer I know of uses press fitting making removal of a bad battery connector impossible for 99.9% or e-cig users.

WHY CAN'T SUPPLIERS DEMAND MANUFACTURERS DESIGN A SCREW IN BATTERY CONNECTOR?

DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A MOD THAT ALLOWS A USER TO REPLACE THIS CHEAP YET VITAL COMPONENT?

THE ONLY TRULY LEAKPROOF ATTYS and CART that I know of are the Sappire Bud 2.0, The Vornado, The Vision Stone II and the Vision Stardust. Perhaps there are a few more that I don't know about but that does not stop the problem of seal breakage leading to a dead short upon pressing the power button. Such a dead short can trigger a battery explosion in the user does not take quick action.

 

[slimest]

A few days ago I met my friend and show him my own mod. He tried it, then disassembled and then assembled again. He tightened the atty as if it is a car wheel main bolt! If I did so every day, my connectors were ruined in a week.
No offence, I just told about a careful use of the connectors. I use chinese connectors for 2 years - no one ruined in any way. Just to be careful and attentive.

 

[nicotime]

Doesnt matter if the connector threads in to both parts or not...the connectors we use were made for batt's and atty's the same diameter...and they worked fine for that purpose. Now we are trying to connect giant tanks and batts thru the little connector...which has the same effect as bolting a wheel on a car with one M6 screw in the center...not the appropriate clamping force. The only good solution would be to make a connector the correct size for the components being connected. Need to come up with a double 510 size connector...you can call it an 1020 connector.

Like slimest said though....people tighten the connectors way over the torque they are capable of...usually trying to eliminate the side play between the two parts...its bound to fail....in the meantime..dont over-tighten them.

 

[asdaq]

Good point about the leverage and weight strains nico. I've been recessing and putting collars and spacers to alleviate the lateral forces on these dainty things-- M6 threading might just be the ticket, M8 likely overkill.

 

[nicotime]

Good idea asdaq....that way you can lock it down tight without smashing the center isolator. Maybe one of the problems with different connectors is that they dont account for that compression zone properly...dunno...I havent touched a screw on connector for a long time now.

What would work well in this situation would be a tapered thread connection like is used for oil drilling pipes...nice positive stop and no wiggle...and no way to smash the center isolator shorting it. A good quick disconnect would be great too...does away with threads altogether......but with any connector...size matters! I know they probably use a fine thread to keep the wall thickness down...but even a coarse thread would prevent some of the problems with thread damage. Whenever I am connecting something with fine threads...I always turn the parts in the opposite direction while pressing together slightly to feel for that dip at the point when the two thread ends drop off each other..then screw it on...a lot less cross threading damage that way.

 

[CraigHB]

I have issues with battery connectors. Not so much the atomizer side since I use cartomizers. They end up in the trash after I run 10 or 15 ml of juice through them. For me, it's mainly a materials issue. They make the battery connectors out of soft metal, usually brass, so the threads wear out. I screw my cartos off and on a lot to fill them from the connector end with a syringe.

You can get mod connectors with nuts to solve the replacement issue, but you can't always build your mods with a replaceable connector. In that case, the mod is history once the threads wear out. What I've resorted to doing is to put a 510 shorty on there so that wears out instead of the mod connector. The latest mod I'm doing will have an easily replaceable connector with a nut on it.

I really wish I could get connectors with hard metal threads. I have a production mod with a stainless steel connector and that one is still tight as ever. I don't use it much anymore, but it never loosened up at all in the time I was using it a lot.

For people using big heavy atomizers like tanks and genesis builds, you probably have to come up with some tricky ways of shoring up the insulator. I recall mention of something involving heat shrink tubing. I don't have that issue since I use plain ol' cartomizers.

Such a dead short can trigger a battery explosion in the user does not take quick action.

I agree with everything you said, but any mod or production device that can result in a battery going up in flames due to an atomizer short is an unsafe e-cig and should not be used. Anything with any kind of Li-Ion battery should either have protected cells or the electronics required to shut down in the event of a short circuit. Atomizer shorts are not uncommon whether it's due to an issue with the connector or a manufacturing defect in the atomizer. I've had several myself.

 

[breaktru]

I fill the underside of my batt connector w/ a strong epoxy after solding the wire to the center post.
The epoxy prevents the atty/carto from bottoming out the center pin therefore preventing the insulator from being crushed.

 

[TomCatt]

I fill the underside of my batt connector w/ a strong epoxy after solding the wire to the center post.
The epoxy prevents the atty/carto from bottoming out the center pin therefore preventing the insulator from being crushed.

Plus the bottom of the connector is sealed, so if liquid does make it past the insulator, then it can't enter the compartment containing the battery(ies).

 

[jimbalny]

I fill the underside of my batt connector w/ a strong epoxy after solding the wire to the center post.
The epoxy prevents the atty/carto from bottoming out the center pin therefore preventing the insulator from being crushed.

I do the same, only with mighty putty. What I find helps is to use a short 510-510 adapter as a buffer between your atty/carto and the mod (or device)'s connector, and in between that put an o-ring between the adapter and the mod's connector - this way it creates some kind of stiffness without putting too much force onto the positive posts. Also be careful when you tighten your atty that you don't tighten the adapter as well.

Definitely agree that these connectors should be made a little better as the mentality of the average end-user will be "tighten the **** outta it!"

 

[tumbafox]

good point about tightening the adapter

 

[jhonutz]

510 connector it`s not a good connector, tends to crack easy.Personal I make something like @breaktru, all you need it`s to isolate middle from body of atty and it`s different ways for this.

 

[bstedh]

I have felt the same pain with connectors. At this time my two favorite mods have connectors that are so worn the atty barley screws on. I have squeezed a little more life out of them by hitting them with a pliers to make them slightly out of round to get what little thread that is left to engage.

With a little help from dan I have come up with a design for a ss connector that uses a plastic isolator so no compression issues and the outer body is threaded 8Mx1. This allows it to be treaded into a metal mod or a nut used on non metal mods. Also the nut is needed so you have something to solder to.

With recent issues with emachineshop I am nervous about using them for a co-op run. I would probably have my uncle do them but I know he will be a little more spendy. The big question would be if there would be enough interest to run about 400 of them.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[CraigHB]

I'd be in for ten assuming they aren't terribly expensive. Any price point yet?

 

[bstedh]

I have not run the drawings by my uncle yet so no real idea but I am guesstimating around $6.

Guess I want to know if there is any real interest before I waste everybody's time getting quotes.

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[kenetix]

I have not run the drawings by my uncle yet so no real idea but I am guesstimating around $6.

Guess I want to know if there is any real interest before I waste everybody's time getting quotes.

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I would take 10-15 myself

 

[asdaq]

Bstedh, this would be a breath of fresh air, you mean M8 x 1 yes? I would be in for some too.

 

[BuzzKilla]

One of the reasons i bought a Precise...

the center pin on the connector isn't going anywhere... and the threads are the best i've seen (in person). Even if you had the grip of a gorilla, the atty connector would crumble before the battery connector would even get a scratch.

everything has its' limitations...

 

[bstedh]

I am going to send the connector drawings to my uncle and see what he says. In the meantime I will put up a screen shot of the drawing when I get the puter up and running.

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Edit:
It will use a plastic shoulder spacer for the insulator and either a solid or hollow center pin on request. To seal the connector from the mod to keep juice infiltration down you would probably want to glue the insulator and center pin into place.

 

[bstedh]

Just posting to high lite the thread for anyone subscribed.

 

[jimbalny]

I'd be interested in at least 5. Would be nice to have a better solution for bottom feeders, if the center post extended down past the body a bit to connect the positive on the outside so there'd be no contact with any solder or corrosive metals. Do you have information on the 510 connector's thread size and whatnot? Been doing a lot of messing around with inventor lately, this would be the missing link to design / produce a 100% catered-to-my-tastes mod