Building a "hana" style mod with the fasttech enclosure: looking for tips, tricks, and suggestions

[MattB101]

I've only ever used solder wire with a flux line in the center. Is that enough? I managed to solder my DNA40. I made a mess of it a bit creating a bridge but I cleaned it up. After each solder spot I inspected it with a loupe to make sure the connection is good.

I also soldered from "both sides" so that there is a connection on both sides of the board. Is that necessary or overkill?

Probably I really should get a finer solder tip though.

I'll be totally honest. I hadn't soldered in so long that I seriously screwed the pooch and pretty much am going to do it all again. Unfolded, clean all the pads, resolver with new wires and hope it works. If not I guess I'll be building with the new version chip. Another $60 down the old tubes.

 

[Duffloop]

French doing the DIY sx350 too

with chip
http://facil-ecig.com/diy-mods/1460-kit-complet-diy-box-mod-sx350.html

without
Kit DIY Box Mod SX350 - Facil Ecig

 

[Duffloop]

Ere - look at this button on ebay

It's 8mm so would sit in that recess (hmm but rub the edges)

2pcs 12 x 12 x 8mm Right Angle Momentary Tactile Push Button Switch 2 Pin w Cap | eBay

 

[Duffloop]

or this

5pcs 12 x 12mm x 16mm Black Cap Momentary Push Button Tactile Switch Right Angle | eBay

 

[Muero]

Yeah i tried this. i did get it working but i accidentally reversed the polarity on tha battery and burnt the regulating part of the chip. i did fire but at 3.4 or 3.8 volts regardless of the wattage and then a second time i shorted something idk what. surprisingly the chip still fired. but *sigh* took it out and now im just staring at it forlornly.

 

[mikepetro]

Just finished a CHANA box. Sanjosse's cradle made it much cleaner.

Tried hot glue on the buttons this time since I found out that isopropyl makes removal so easy. Not sure I like it, might go back to epoxy.

 

[retird]

What..... that was quick work.....

 

[Duffloop]

Just finished a CHANA box. Sanjosse's cradle made it much cleaner.

Tried hot glue on the buttons this time since I found out that isopropyl makes removal so easy. Not sure I like it, might go back to epoxy.

Nice n clean!

Ere have you put the usb wire direct to the battery?

 

[sanjosse]

Just finished a CHANA box. Sanjosse's cradle made it much cleaner.

Tried hot glue on the buttons this time since I found out that isopropyl makes removal so easy. Not sure I like it, might go back to epoxy.

mikepetro, That looks great! Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[mikepetro]

Nice n clean!

Ere have you put the usb wire direct to the battery?

Sort of, the USB is going to the inner two terminals, and the battery is going to the outer two terminals. Did it that way out of laziness. I already had the wires soldered to the inner two terminals from when I was testing the boards, but they werent long enough to go to the bat holder.

I took care to route wires neatly so you really dont see the battery wires much. The cradle has enough space that you can route wires under the board as well as over it.

 

[mikepetro]

What..... that was quick work.....

I got motivated..... after I ate crow!

 

[retird]

I got motivated..... after I ate crow!

Crow tastes bad... I've ate a few.... but if ya never ate crow chances are you are not doing anything...

 

[sanjosse]

Hey everyone,

I gotta thinkin' and thought I should combine both of my cradles into one unit. here's the DNA40 WIDE Display and USB Charger Cradle;

https://www.shapeways.com/model/2954024/dna40-wide-display-and-usb-charger-cradle.html?li=aeTabs

I'll update the other cradles as soon as I can. If everyone that's interested would let me know which combination they'd like next, I'd be most grateful

 

[mikepetro]

Hey everyone,

I gotta thinkin' and thought I should combine both of my cradles into one unit. here's the DNA40 WIDE Display and USB Charger Cradle;

https://www.shapeways.com/model/2954024/dna40-wide-display-and-usb-charger-cradle.html?li=aeTabs

I'll update the other cradles as soon as I can. If everyone that's interested would let me know which combination they'd like next, I'd be most grateful

GREAT concept, but there may be a few issues with it.

Are you sure you can snap the USB board in? With the existing one it just slides in from one side, I never tried to snap it in.

The other is the large screen version. The screen is a little different in that the usable are of the screen is not centered from side to side. If you center the glass on the cradle then it doesnt line up with the existing window in the CANA very well. Also, by linking the USB portion you remove any adjustment of the screen as you wont be able to slide the cradle at all since the USB portion locks it into a certain location. The cana window will need to be milled to match your cradle precisely.

Flipping the Board changes wire placement, as the OUT and GND would now be on the bottom. Not sure if that will present any issues or not, probably not but the battery and atty wires will all need to be longer. I think it is a good trade off though for a one piece cradle. My brain is doing a lot of what-ifs though........

I am going to mill out a window on a cana today to accept the wide screen. The cana window is already wide enough, but it is not tall enough. Since it is wide enough, and the new usable area is offset from side to side, you cant mount the glass on the center lines, you have to offset the glass to one side to line up with the existing cana window..

Here is a crude drawing (not to scale) showing the offset of the usable area on the glass.

Back view

Sanjosse, if you PM me your email I can send you exact dimensions. Actually, would love to chat via voice as I have a lot of what-if ideas......

 

[Spiceman1967]

Q

Sanjosse, if you PM me your email I can send you exact dimensions. Actually, would love to chat via voice as I have a lot of what-if ideas......

Cool, Mike and SanJose...I can't wait to see what you guys come up with. It's like wonder twin powers activate

 

[BlueridgeDog]

Just finished a CHANA box. Sanjosse's cradle made it much cleaner.

Tried hot glue on the buttons this time since I found out that isopropyl makes removal so easy. Not sure I like it, might go back to epoxy.

Is that liquid electrical tape on the button solder ends? The hot glue issue seems to be an aid in case re-use. Swapping to a new chip will be vastly easier if you are removing hot glue vs epoxy. However, since you have two mods for each day of the week...not a problem.

As an aside, I ordered the cradle as well, but not for the clone box, but for a wood project as it is just as easy to allow an identical size slot in the wood frame and have the display centered.

 

[mikepetro]

Is that liquid electrical tape on the button solder ends? The hot glue issue seems to be an aid in case re-use. Swapping to a new chip will be vastly easier if you are removing hot glue vs epoxy. However, since you have two mods for each day of the week...not a problem.

As an aside, I ordered the cradle as well, but not for the clone box, but for a wood project as it is just as easy to allow an identical size slot in the wood frame and have the display centered.

Yes, it is liquid electrical tape insulating the soldered leads on the switches.

And NO, I dont quite have 2 mods for each day of the week..... YET! Only 1 per day

 

[KTMRider]

Quality is better than quantity.

 

[RebelGolfer72]

Just finished a CHANA box. Sanjosse's cradle made it much cleaner.

Tried hot glue on the buttons this time since I found out that isopropyl makes removal so easy. Not sure I like it, might go back to epoxy.

Is that hot glue holding the USB board in? How's it holding up to stress?

I like the idea of the 1 pc cradle/usb holder. Another idea I think would be awesome, would be combining the USB cradle with a wiring cover...something that would span the whole wiring channel, and also have reinforced pillars that would stabilize the switches as well. Adding a little of the craft foam on top would allow the back cover to help stabilize everything. If I had ANY CAD skills I'd sketch it up, but I admit, that is not my strong suit!

 

[mikepetro]

Is that hot glue holding the USB board in? How's it holding up to stress?

I like the idea of the 1 pc cradle/usb holder. Another idea I think would be awesome, would be combining the USB cradle with a wiring cover...something that would span the whole wiring channel, and also have reinforced pillars that would stabilize the switches as well. Adding a little of the craft foam on top would allow the back cover to help stabilize everything. If I had ANY CAD skills I'd sketch it up, but I admit, that is not my strong suit!

Yes, the USB cradle is hot glued in, on the back of the cradle and along both sides. Holding up fine so far.