Car adapter question.

[namuch]

I was looking around at some (now defunct) cords I have laying around in the garage that are basically just straight 12v shots right from a cigarette lighter adapter for the car.

Has anyone built a simple small mod using the common 5v regulators, and just a switch?

It seems pretty straight forward to me. I have tried USB pass-thru cigarette lighter adapters, but they never seem to have the same kick when used in the car, and I'm thinking that with a vehicle 12v power source (and the much higher capacity overall), that you should be able to make a VERY effective HV power source from this.

Is there something I'm missing here?

 

[hoogie76]

Nope, sounds cool. Lighter socket should provide plenty of amperage..

 

[Vapaholic]

having the same problem.

 

[Dave Rickey]

Most people seem to find it easier to get a 12V -> USB adapter with enough output and use USB passthroughs. There's no particular reason not to use regulators, although a linear buck regulator would have heat issues (since it would be dissipating 7V of your 12V supply as heat). You'd probably want to use a switching buck, which are more complicated electronically (essentially the same thing as the USB adapters, just in a more known power range).

--Dave

 

[namuch]

I was thinking about using a 2xAAA box for the mod, and since there would be no batteries in there, I should be able to throw in a large heatsink (the size of a AAA battery?).
Think that might provide enough dissipation, so I don't have to get all complicated with a buck regulator....

 

[thomas0407]

namuch, vapor king 510 passthrough 19 bucks free shipping electronic cigarette inc????

 

[namuch]

Lol, I have 3 passthrus from V4L and other sources. And I've tried 3 different car usb adapters, including an iPod-something-or-other dual usb charger adapter. None of them have the same kick as plugging them into the usb port on your comp, much less anything remotely close to the kick I get from my SB at 6v, or my other custom battery mods at 5v.

So, that is why I have gone out and splurged for the almost $6 it cost me for the parts to make this adapter.

I should have it done today. So, assuming I don't burn anything up, I will report on how it all worked out later tonight.

 

[martha1014]

I purchased a car charger at Wal Mart. It has a USB charger and an electrical outlet.

 

[namuch]

Wow! My suspicion was correct. Your lighter adapter in your car is being WAY under-utilized by the current generation of USB adapters and pass-thrus.

If you want a similar kick to what you get from a 5/6v mod, this is the way to go. I'm telling you, this thing hits way harder than USB pass-thru on my comp, and it is real close to the equivalent of my 6v SB...

Parts (All from radio shack):

1. Coaxial Power Jack Size N (274-1483): $3.29
2. Momentary Pushbutton (275-0646): $2.49
3. 7805A 5v regulator (276-1770): $1.59
4. 2xAAA Batbox (270-414): $1.79
5. Car adapter plug from something I forgot about: $0.00

================================================
Total (not counting bandages and grief): $9.16

Please don't get on me about the crappy solder job or the massively over sized switch
This is really just a proof of concept to see if this thing is viable and how it works.
I will run it for the next month or so to make sure I don't have any heat issues, and then I think I will work on a prettier one using a mosfet switch, and possibly a modular design.

I'm thinking this would be really cool if you can use a female plug in the case, and that way you can plug it in, either in the car, or carry the tiny box inside and plug it into one of those common universal DC adapters that put out 12v or so from your wall.

As for heat from the tiny 5v regulator, I will keep an eye on it, but it's not even getting warm to the touch when I'm using it. Of course, this thing hits so hard and warms up so fast that my drags are always 3 seconds or less with massive amounts of vapor and flavor. And using it under those conditions, it is so far not putting out any noticeable heat.

I run strictly Kr808's and 901's, so YMMV with a 510 or other atty, but there is way more than enough room in that tiny box to attach an extention to the default heatsink on that regulator...

 

[thomas0407]

7805 reg over heats at 12v its rated to start at 10v my reg would get hot enough to burn finger when touched when vapeing so I got a 4.5v 1000ma RS 273-1857 car power adapter a 2 AAA RS batt box a RS 275-1571 submini pushbutton switch and a Mad Vapes 510 batt end cut center devider out of box to center switch and batt end, works like a charm, great vape!

 

[Wagex]

never mind the single AA housing they have is non enclosed sorry lol but i think i still might try this il look around for a tiny project box and a small pcb from radio shack and give this a try on a half or smaller scale and let ya know how it goes idk how late they are open tomorrow since it is christmas eve

 

[Maglin]

Don't forget that when running your actually getting anywhere from 13.5-14.7v out of your power port in your vehicle. I would probably look into PWM voltage regulator's. Way less heat output and you could get one that is adjustable and be able to fine tune it's voltage output it to get the perfect vape for you. I wouldn't cheap out on the regulator. It's a neat idea. I would build a housing for the atty attached to the power source with a cable. Also be a neat idea to put a small LCD display of atty supplied voltage so you know what it's running at. Now that I think of it making a 1DIN sized PV power source would rock. It would look like it belonged in the vehicle and you can just use a spare fused ignition ON port on your IP (instrument panel) fuse block and have it fused so you don't fry any electronics if you do get a short and not to mention safety. I think I might just go ahead and build a PCB for this purpose and build me one for my truck or Mini Van. Would be great for road trips.

OMG another thing of interest would be incorporating an simple auto dripper. You can use a tube instead of a cable and run your wires through it to the atty and use a simple pump to auto drip while you drive so you don't have to manually do it. Now it's safer than using your phone while driving.