Well. Got the non-functioning iStick apart. It looks like all the other 'Sticks we've seen...
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The 510 connection was soldered much better than LadyPharoh's but has the goopy silicone caulk...
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The micro USB port was not treated so well. The two mounting tabs are obvious on either side of the photo. The tab on the left has a tiny bit of solder. The tab on the right has none. The electrical connections look to have been soldered reasonably well but were the only points seemingly holding the port in place. The PCB has no evidence of solder at the mounting locations...
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To reattach the port I would have to take the two layers of PCB apart just to get a soldering iron in.
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If I got that far without destroying the circuitry, I'd never get the port's electrical connections reattached. They're friggin' tiny! I have much larger hands than the assembly line workers in China and have no automated soldering facility. (28g coil for reference.)...
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My iStick still won't turn on. Battery is at 4.08v. I'm thinking the dislodged USB port shorted some pins on the PCB that would have preferred to be left alone. I'm almost positive the chipset is toast.
What have I learned from dissecting my iStick besides confirmation that Eleaf's workmanship and quality control are terrible or non-existent?
There is definitely room for a full-sized 18650.
With some light machine work, a spring-loaded 510 pin should fit, especially with different electronics. It won't be any uglier than the adapters we're currently using.
There is definitely room for an Evolv-type PCB.
The biggest challenge, as KTMRider has mentioned, is fitting buttons to run a DNA chipset. Drilling out the three current button holes in the enclosure and installing tactile switches à la the Hana Modz could be a solution. Perhaps drilling new holes to clear the DNA's screen is necessary. I wish I could get my hands on a YiHi sx130 chipset from the IPV Mini. The sx130 is half the cost or less of a DNA 40. It looks like YiHi is only selling them to Pioneer4You, however.
After seeing the insides of an iStick,
I highly recommend the vapors' cliché: make sure you have backups for your backups. Do NOT rely on one iStick as your only reasonable vape. If you're buying one, get three. They're cheap. If you're buying three or more iSticks, forget them and go for an iPV Mini (assuming they're decent) or VaporShark. I predict at least 30% of iSticks will not see six months in working order.
My iStick, however, WILL live again....