Electricity 101. I'm taking notes. Teacher(s) Wanted!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Erik_Bear

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
99
1
Claremont/Pomona, SoCal
Good explanation Whistle_Pig. It helps me to remember that we can't specify current. We can specify volts and resistance and that's it. Current will always be dependent on those two values.


Hmmm, with all of this information someone should write a guide for those who need it in the future or just to look back on it for reference ;););)
 

Sci

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Dec 12, 2009
846
13
Al
Hmmm, with all of this information someone should write a guide for those who need it in the future or just to look back on it for reference ;););)

For some extra stuff, like you need it right now:), google these:
filetype(colon)pdf basic electronics
filetype(colon)pdf electronic tutorial
(put an actual colon : in place of (colon). when I put it in right, it gives me this-:p)

That will give you pdfs(books) you can save on your computer & have handy for quick answers when all these great minds here are at work & such.:)
 
Last edited:

Whistle_Pig

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
1,147
63
Littleton, CO, U.S.
Good explanation Whistle_Pig. It helps me to remember that we can't specify current. We can specify volts and resistance and that's it. Current will always be dependent on those two values.

Thanks.

I will note that you can, in fact, design for current. You just have to get the basics in place first, and start at the right end (and it's easier to just design for voltage). Once you know a bit more about this stuff, you might find that you'll be figuring things such as limiting resistors, because if you're shooting for 5V from battery power, then you're looking at maybe 2 3.7V batteries in series, with a resistor to drop 2.4V so your atty gets only 5. You need to know the resistance of your atty to do this. I'm not suggesting this is the best approach, just one way. Experienced modders might know of a better way to get 5V from a battery system. (You could, for example, use a voltage regulator -- madvapes sells them.)

(You can also design for wattage. But again, first principles first. And then you're looking at what wattage for your load, in our case, the atomizer, not trying to start out with what the power supply looks like.)
 

Erik_Bear

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
99
1
Claremont/Pomona, SoCal
Hmmm, well I noticed you said batteries in series, what is the difference between running them in series and parallel?

And would that even be a correct diagram for it?
 

Attachments

  • difference.JPG
    difference.JPG
    8.5 KB · Views: 21

Rocketman

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
May 3, 2009
2,649
977
SouthEastern Louisiana
Keep at it, each time a little something 'clicks' you are getting closer.
Sort out the facts from the opinions.
V=IR is a fact.
5 volts is the 'sweet spot' is an opinion.
When everything is the way you want it, you will be able to design for a specific wattage (amount of heat generated) using a specific voltage source into a specific atty resistance giving a resulting amperage. Change atty resistance and everything changes. If you are designing mods to sell use the current hype ' the true sweet spot is 4.785 volts'. That will sell. It's still just an opinion, but you'll get all the free advertising from all the latest hype.
If you are designing a mod for yourself to improve performance over what you presently vape you will need to know the parameters of the system you are using now.
Define your objectives.

Series vs parallel, your diagram is correct. The series connection adds up all the voltage sources in series (like six 2.1 volt lead acid cells in series in a car battery).
Parallel will equalize the voltage between all parallel connected cells (hope they are the same voltage) but give you "spare power", (just lasts longer).
Linear circuits (using good old static state ohms law) to reduce 7.4 volts to 5 waste about 1/3 of the battery power as heat in the resistor or regulator. Gets you 5 volts, but wastes power. Charge pumps, pulse width modulated regulators are more efficient but more complicated. In applications like airborne model planes where weight and efficiency are critical the extra complexity is necessary. In an e-cig, well, maybe not.
 
Last edited:

Erik_Bear

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
99
1
Claremont/Pomona, SoCal
Jeeze, Mr. R-Man, you are a lifesaver =] Plus you seem to be a late night browser like myself, so that's a definite plus.

Tons of info from ya and it is all very much appreciated.

Now with the info from the parallel vs series, I guess I gotta change what I was trying to do with this mess XD

Sorry for the bad paint skills, its just a quick make up of an idea, and I couldn't find the wiring diagram for the one that someone here had. That and I have (almost) no clue what I'm doing or talking about. (where is says 5v at the switch is supposed to be 7.4, its meant to show which route it would take for each of the settings)

edit: would the second one work somehow?
 

Attachments

  • 3.7 and 5v switcher.JPG
    3.7 and 5v switcher.JPG
    14.5 KB · Views: 25
  • 3.7 and 5v switcher v2.JPG
    3.7 and 5v switcher v2.JPG
    14.3 KB · Views: 23
Last edited:

Rocketman

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
May 3, 2009
2,649
977
SouthEastern Louisiana
The second would work ( you plan on two vape switches? or a slide swide to select voltage? Don't want the possibility of selecting both at the same time.
BUT:
If you vaped at 3.7 volts from one battery and discharged it, and tried to vape at 5 volts later, one battery would be fully charged and the other one would be less charged. Not Good.

If you really want to vape at 5 volts from 7.4 volts, throwing away the extra volts in the really really hot regulator (remember 1/3 of all the power coming from the batteries is just to heat up your regulator). How about an adjustable regulator preset for 4.785 volts :) or a mod for 3.7 (parallel batteries, and a mod for 5 volts. and a flashlight mod and, and and :)

Heat sink will be required to make the regulator reliable.
 
Last edited:

Erik_Bear

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
99
1
Claremont/Pomona, SoCal
You and you 4.785 :p

But I was just thinkin to have one for on the go for just havin. But I think I'll just make separate mods for each 3.7 and 4.785 volt vaping. That and I plan on modding the heck out of anything I see(already have plans for a NES controller, an old gameboy pocket and a couple of other things I have laying around my house)

And the first switch was for the 3.7 or 5v choosing. So I just wont do that mod. But at least I figured it out, right? :D

Time to start pulling electrical things apart all over my house :evil:
 

Rocketman

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
May 3, 2009
2,649
977
SouthEastern Louisiana
You have caught the fever. I have searched the internet and have not been able to find a cure. :)

I left the house once with only one mod. No spare batteries, no spare attys, just one mod. Now it was a big battery mod (18650) and should have latest most of the day, but what if the atty died, or the battery wasn't fully charged, or something happened to the mod and it quit working (like a brick fell out of the sky and broke it)?
I don't go next door without a backup no more.

Make a couple simple ones first. Then start looking. Sometimes I close one eye and squint to get a different perspective when looking for things to mod.


I left the house ( at work now) without my reading glasses so excuse any typos.
But you can bet one mod failing ain't gonna impact me tonight.
http://www.vapeatron.com/attachments/843d1270860323-travelkit.jpg
 
Last edited:

Erik_Bear

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
99
1
Claremont/Pomona, SoCal
I caught the fever before I ever made one, this weekend can't come soon enough. I've always been a tech nerd and even worse always liked building things with my own hands, ever since I was little and boy scouts gave me a knife and a piece of wood.

But I am planning on starting with the basic nicostick, then working my way up through everything. Making sure I have a spare atty stored away in the box mod itself :p maybe even a slot to hold the already charged spare battery :)

Rocket, seems like we're playing ping pong in my threads on the mod forums, got a good little game goin here. :rolleyes:
 

Erik_Bear

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
99
1
Claremont/Pomona, SoCal
Wow, very informative thread here, learned alot.

Just had to ask the right questions ;) I figured I would since I haven't seen them all condensed anywhere, so its a good reference for people, if you ever see questions, just poin em here.




my head hurts.

As does mine, so much its ridiculous. But I think I got most of it down! :confused::)
 

Whistle_Pig

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 11, 2010
1,147
63
Littleton, CO, U.S.
Linear circuits (using good old static state ohms law) to reduce 7.4 volts to 5 waste about 1/3 of the battery power as heat in the resistor or regulator. Gets you 5 volts, but wastes power.

Yeah, well the 2-batty config is just what I've seen in the threads I've browsed. 4 AAAs might be a bit cumbersome. According to Wikipedia, NiCd and NiMH AAA cells are only 1.2V, so you'd need 5. Somewhere, somewhen, maybe there's a compact simple efficient 5V source. But TANSTAAFL. :)

Curiosity got the better of me, so i figured I'd just see what's out there. Heck, at Instructables, some guy is hooking a 5V regulator to a 9V cell. Well, it's compact anyway. But yes, Virginia, there are 5V battery packs.
 

WillyB

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Oct 21, 2009
3,709
591
USA
Only one problem here, the USB port on a computer works in 100ma unit loads, the low power bus can not draw more that 100ma or one load. The high powered bus can only draw a maximum of 5 loads or 500ma at a maximum of 5.25vdc.


Dan
I don't know if that's the case it does appear that you can get 1A+ out of a USB computer port. Many of the newer '5V' USB 510 PT's (with 3 wires) and no inline batteries do in fact vape at a higher voltage than a stock e-cig batt.

Many folks have/do use PT's with no inline batteries, 801, 901, KR808 etc. Not one of these atties will fire up if only 500mA was available.

Curiosity got the better of me, so i figured I'd just see what's out there. Heck, at Instructables, some guy is hooking a 5V regulator to a 9V cell. Well, it's compact anyway. But yes, Virginia, there are 5V battery packs.
There are tons of them available, but if Li-ion rechargeable based they are simply the same thing that modders do, multiple 3.7V batts and a 5V regulator. Most times though their regulators only output 5V@1A (the Kensington says 1.4A).

12V / 5V 4800mA Capacity USB Lithium Battery for Security CCTV Camera ST-1248U - DinoDirect.com

This one looks interesting but true specs are lacking/confusing.
 
Last edited:

Ryan Toupal

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Feb 26, 2010
199
0
On the road to Portland
2 3.7V batteries in series, with a resistor to drop 2.4V so your atty gets only 5. You need to know the resistance of your atty to do this. I'm not suggesting this is the best approach, just one way.

Yeah, I agree with this. I remember calculating voltage drops across resistors. Say you wanted 10v @ 1 amp so 10 watts you figure. But, you would be adding another resistor to get there which means your atty won't be getting 10 watts, only part of it. The other resistor would be heating up also. So this calculation is a little more complicated then it would appear.
 

Rocketman

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
May 3, 2009
2,649
977
SouthEastern Louisiana
Alright class, project time.

Wanna play with a device that would be just about the weirdestmost passthru?
Go get a decent radio control car. Not competition grade, not 6 year old Christmas toy, something in between. Charge up the Nimh battery pack, disconnect the motor and wire a 510 LR atty in it's place. Maybe a couple feet of wire so it won't look like you're sucking on a toy car tail pipe :).

Radio control throttle is now your vape switch. (PWM BTW). All the electronics is right there.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread