can an adaptor go bad

[JustMeAgain]

I was having one of those big cleaning days - using alcohol on all my batts and carts, cleaning mouthpieces, etc. One of the things I cleaned was I an adaptor for using an 801 atty on a 510 thread. After that, several of my 801 attys stopped working before I realized that it must be the adaptor.

From what I understand, there's a silicone ring inside that alcohol could have damaged. That same day, I found a tiny silicone ring. Could it have come out of the adaptor - if so, can it be put back?

Also, can an adaptor be tested on a multimeter - if so, where do I set the dial and what reading do I want to see?

 

[breakfastchef]

Finding a stray silicone ring is a sure sign something is not going to work. You can test the adapter with the continuity setting on a multimeter. This simeple diagnotic just tells you if there is continuity. A digital unit will likely beep when there is continuity; look for the needle to move on an analog meter.

 

[JustMeAgain]

Finding a stray silicone ring is a sure sign something is not going to work. You can test the adapter with the continuity setting on a multimeter. This simeple diagnotic just tells you if there is continuity. A digital unit will likely beep when there is continuity; look for the needle to move on an analog meter.

Well, I had also tore an old 801 atty apart that same day, so I though it could have come from that. Amazing how something so fragile as an atty can be so hard to take apart.

About the multimeter - I have a digital one, and I know how to test batteries and atomizers on it, but I had to have a picture to learn how to do those, so I'm not well versed with it so I don't know how it works for an adapter.

 

[breakfastchef]

Think about it...you want to know if the threaded portion of your adapter on one end is physically connected to the threaded section at the other end of the adapter. The same is true with the center conductor of the adapter. This is the basic premise of continuity.

I assume your mulitmeter has a manual and the manual instructs you how to set the meter to test for continuity. Read it and set the meter to that setting. Simply touching the red probe to one side fo the center conductor and the black probe to the center conductor at the other end of the adapter would immediately let you know if the was continuity. The same procedure works for the threaded portion of the adapter. Let us know how your tests turn out.

 

[Can_supplier]

You are going to have to do that in a different way.

The purpose of the ring is going to be the insulate, the neg from the positive.

What you want is, with the adaptor NOT CONNECTED to the batt there should be NO continuity (between the poles neg and pos), as the circuit has not been completed by the batt. If a current runs through the adaptor in this state (with one lead on pos, other on neg), that means there is a short between pos and neg, as a result of the missing ring, which causes the batt protection to shut the batt off.

* note currect will pass and be detected on the meter from like poles on one end to the other, this is irrelevent for this test, but should be understood so you don't toss a working adaptor as the result of doing the test the wrong way.

 

[JustMeAgain]

Think about it...you want to know if the threaded portion of your adapter on one end is physically connected to the threaded section at the other end of the adapter. The same is true with the center conductor of the adapter. This is the basic premise of continuity.

I assume your mulitmeter has a manual and the manual instructs you how to set the meter to test for continuity. Read it and set the meter to that setting. Simply touching the red probe to one side fo the center conductor and the black probe to the center conductor at the other end of the adapter would immediately let you know if the was continuity. The same procedure works for the threaded portion of the adapter. Let us know how your tests turn out.

Breakfastchef, I did try to research this but the problem is I did not know that continuity is what I needed to test for. I really don't know how that piece works - yes I understand that it is 2 sets of threads to connect two mismatched pieces, but beyond that I'm pretty much lost.

A few weeks ago I was trying to figure out how to test atomizers & batteries. I did not understand where the probes were placed until someone posted a picture.

I'm sorry if I sounded stupid or lazy, but a digital multimeter seems to be a fairly complicated piece of equipment with a lot of different applications and I wasn't understanding which I needed to use.

Or maybe it's just a girl thing.

Either way, thanks for explaining how to test for continuity.

Still don't know where that silicone ring might belong, though.

 

[JustMeAgain]

You are going to have to do that in a different way.

The purpose of the ring is going to be the insulate, the neg from the positive.

What you want is, with the adaptor NOT CONNECTED to the batt there should be NO continuity (between the poles neg and pos), as the circuit has not been completed by the batt. If a current runs through the adaptor in this state (with one lead on pos, other on neg), that means there is a short between pos and neg, as a result of the missing ring, which causes the batt protection to shut the batt off.

* note currect will pass and be detected on the meter from like poles on one end to the other, this is irrelevent for this test, but should be understood so you don't toss a working adaptor as the result of doing the test the wrong way.

Thanks for the info, Can

With a probe inside the holes on each end, I got a Ohms reading of .2 or .3.

Does that mean there is no contunity? I'm tempted to try using it again, but don't want to waste another atomizer.

 

[doots]

Sorry thought you were talking about a 510 to 801.. comments below pertain to that connector, probably would apply to yours also.

I have that same adapter and was killing my attys.

take the adapter and press out the center pole. It will come out easy from the adapter.

there should be 2 silicone washers. If you dont see but one washer, that's your problem.

You are essentially creating a short from neg to postive and killing your attys..

Im not sure what you can use as a substitute in place on one of the washers.

I found 1 of my washers had slid down the little metal pin that connects bot positives to eash atty connector and just moved the little washer back up into place and havent had any more problems.

I have ordered a new connector from Nerf as his are much better I feel.

 

[Multisync98]

I can honestly say, "Yes, it can go bad." Especially if you do what I did JUST now and try to unscrew it the wrong way and it breaks at the connector... (Slaps himself on the forehead)

That was my LAST good atomizer... Yall probably are talking about a different connector, but I thought I'd give yall a good laugh!

-Jim

 

[Can_supplier]

Thanks for the info, Can

With a probe inside the holes on each end, I got a Ohms reading of .2 or .3.

Does that mean there is no contunity? I'm tempted to try using it again, but don't want to waste another atomizer.

Hi justmeagain:

What you are doing with the holes on each end, is the wrong thing to do to test for what you are looking for.

What you need to do, on both ends, one at a time is. Put one lead in the hole, and the other lead on the thread. Making sure your leads don't touch, there should be no current. You meter should read 1, the same as it does before you touch to probes to anything.

Hope that helps.

 

[doots]

Hi justmeagain:

What you are doing with the holes on each end, is the wrong thing to do to test for what you are looking for.

What you need to do, on both ends, one at a time is. Put one lead in the hole, and the other lead on the thread. Making sure your leads don't touch, there should be no current. You meter should read 1, the same as it does before you touch to probes to anything.

Hope that helps.

exactly right advice..

 

[JustMeAgain]

Sorry thought you were talking about a 510 to 801.. comments below pertain to that connector, probably would apply to yours also.

I have that same adapter and was killing my attys.

take the adapter and press out the center pole. It will come out easy from the adapter.

there should be 2 silicone washers. If you dont see but one washer, that's your problem.

You are essentially creating a short from neg to postive and killing your attys..

Im not sure what you can use as a substitute in place on one of the washers.

I found 1 of my washers had slid down the little metal pin that connects bot positives to eash atty connector and just moved the little washer back up into place and havent had any more problems.

I have ordered a new connector from Nerf as his are much better I feel.

Thanks, Doots...

I pushed out the center and saw the same thing you did: 2 washers but both were toward one end. I pushed them so there was one on each end.

After that, I tested it a couple of different ways: I did it ohms (upside down horseshoe) and got .4. Then, because it pertains to a battery I did it like you do on a battery (the V with the wavy line) - one probe in the center hole and one on the threads on the same side and got 2.6 on both sides.

What reading do I want so I know it's safe to try?

Sounds like ordering another would be a good idea. Nerf is a modder, right?

I do like learning how all this works. Maybe one of these days I can help someone else who doesn't understand this aspect of things. I'll be sure to do so without the snide attitude I got in one of the responses.

Seems like some ppl tend to lean that way no matter what the subject is, though.

Thanks again for your help...

 

[JustMeAgain]

Simply touching the red probe to one side fo the center conductor and the black probe to the center conductor at the other end of the adapter would immediately let you know if the was continuity.

This is why I was testing it like I was - I thought that sounded not quite right since it had to do w/a battery, so I tested it the way you guys said to and it's in my previous post.

Sorry thought you were talking about a 510 to 801.. comments below pertain to that connector, probably would apply to yours also.

I have a Prodigy w/a 510 adaptor, and I added this adaptor to be able to use 801 attys.

I can honestly say, "Yes, it can go bad." Especially if you do what I did JUST now and try to unscrew it the wrong way and it breaks at the connector... (Slaps himself on the forehead) -Jim

Lol Jim...remember, righty tighty, lefty loosey.

Hi justmeagain:

What you are doing with the holes on each end, is the wrong thing to do to test for what you are looking for.

What you need to do, on both ends, one at a time is. Put one lead in the hole, and the other lead on the thread. Making sure your leads don't touch, there should be no current. You meter should read 1, the same as it does before you touch to probes to anything.

Hope that helps.

So, based on this and what I got, which was 2.6 on each end, I should not use this adaptor.

Since it has both silicone washers, why would it have continuity?

See, I'm learning something already - Not even using words like 'clear plastic stretchy thingy'. That's progress.

 

[doots]

hey just.
just check ohms. one probe on center post the other on thread. you should see no reading. if there is a short you will get reading continuity.

If you slid the plastic washer up on each end you should be ok. and then push it back in carefully into shaft.

I think juice makes them move as its slippery.

yes nerf can be pm'd.

let us know..

I blew 10 801 attys before discovering the problem was with the adapter..

 

[doots]

check your meter and touch both probes together to see if you get reading on meter in ohms/

what i meant is does it have a zero adjustment on your meter? So you can make suerw zero is really zero. If that makes sense.

 

[doots]

what i found also is when using an adapter make sure it doesnt move while you have the switch depressed causing the post to move/ it just takes slight pressure to cause short to occur/

 

[Can_supplier]

So, based on this and what I got, which was 2.6 on each end, I should not use this adaptor.

Since it has both silicone washers, why would it have continuity?

Testing on the same end, thread to center if you got 2.6 ohms it is an open circuit, and you are correct not to use it.

As for the washers, they could be in the wrong place, they could be cracked. They could be covered in a conductive liquid such as e-juice (I'm not sure how conductive it is) so that the juice is completeing the circut around the washer.

I could also be the washers themselves are conductive, however I grease that is an insulator is applied to them. This grease may have been removed when you cleaned them... This is just a guess....

Or when it shorted after cleaning, it may have welded the 2 poles together somewhere... Again just a guess.

Chalk it up to a learning experince, if you don't break something, you aren't having any fun!!!

 

[Sarah Wang]

Honestly speaking, the answer is "Yes", it can go bad." Especially if you used it in a wrong way. Careness matters much!