Feedback on a possible mod/fix I can post...

[smizak]

Hello,

Noob vaper here. My mod (Kanger subox Mini-C) started malfunctioning two days after I bought it. Charge indicator blinks 12 times then stayed solid regardless of being plugged in or not and did not charge the batt. Local store I purchased it from was cool, comped me an external charger and coil and is going to swap out my mod when he gets one in. BUT he also said to me, "sometimes I question Ohm's law...". Yikes. So I registered here for some advice.

I've read multiple posts now about this same issue with this mod box on various forums. I'm an EE and I disassembled and disabled the charging circuit. It renders the charging circuit useless, but solves the problem with the indicator on persistently.

My quandary is...Is this something that is appropriate to post a tutorial on? Obviously modifying these devices can be dangerous if one isn't keen on electronics repair or competently disassembling and reassembling the box.

 

[jfcooley]

I'm sure this is obvious, but "sometimes I question ohms law" would suggest this isn't a place to shop.

I would think with the appropriate disclaimers and warnings there wouldn't be issue. I don't speak for the forum, just my opinion.

 

[DavidOck]

Don't see why not, smizak. It may be helpful to others, and noone has to do it!

BUT he also said to me, "sometimes I question Ohm's law...". Yikes.

Yikes indeed! The law's the law!!

 

[smizak]

I'm sure this is obvious, but "sometimes I question ohms law" would suggest this isn't a place to shop.

I would think with the appropriate disclaimers and warnings there wouldn't bee issue. I don't speak for the forum, just my opinion.

Thank you. Yeah, the look of incredulousness was hard to hide.

 

[retired1]

IF the only thing that is changed is disabling the onboard charging ability (requiring the battery to be taken out and charged on a separate charger), we wouldn't have an issue with a "how to" being posted.

 

[smizak]

IF the only thing that is changed is disabling the onboard charging ability (requiring the battery to be taken out and charged on a separate charger), we wouldn't have an issue with a "how to" being posted.

Thanks. It's basically just clipping a lead on an IC.

 

[papergoblin]

Thanks. It's basically just clipping a lead on an IC.

Only question I have is on safety. If clipping the lead to disable charging, does it disable reverse polarity protection? I've never used that mod but some of them loop one part of the board to another. Some of them have the charging board linked to the reverse polarity protection.

 

[ScottP]

BUT he also said to me, "sometimes I question Ohm's law...".

That is legitimately one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I think I would have asked if he questioned the law of gravity as well.

 

[papergoblin]

That is legitimately one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I think I would have asked if he questioned the law of gravity as well.

Exactly, there's 3 laws that affect vaper's:
1. Ohm's Law
2. Murphy's Law
3. Darwin's Law

 

[Eskie]

That is legitimately one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I think I would have asked if he questioned the law of gravity as well.

After dropping him on his head.

The only person I’d welcome a questioning of ohm’s law from might be Nikola Tesla.

 

[stols001]

Oooooooooooooooooh another Nikola Tesla fan. My son built a Tesla coil in Middle School for science. Lots of fun And yes the man was a genius

I'd say you have permission to post, smizak and for a noob vaper, well you must be fairly well-educated although I will say that vaping has gotten me using my Math and Science again. If all the SAT problems were vaping problems, I bet I would have beaten my older brother's perfect score...

Anna

 

[smizak]

Oooooooooooooooooh another Nikola Tesla fan. My son built a Tesla coil in Middle School for science. Lots of fun And yes the man was a genius

I'd say you have permission to post, smizak and for a noob vaper, well you must be fairly well-educated although I will say that vaping has gotten me using my Math and Science again. If all the SAT problems were vaping problems, I bet I would have beaten my older brother's perfect score...

Anna

Thank you. I'm an EE and now I tell those "you'll never use that in the real world" haters to piss off! I'll start a thread soon...

APV and Mods subforum or Vaping Hardware?

 

[stols001]

Nice. Figured it was something like that. IDK what forum really.... Sounds to me like it might be fine in either but if it's desperately wrong, I'm sure a mod will move it.

My (just starting vaping) Mech.Engineer husband is still pretty loopy over it, but I guess he's sorta going through detox. Plus, he's lazy and would rather ask me to fix it when needed. So, he's built and installed coils for me, not to mention fixing various hardware issues, like "Get this tank apart, I will throw it momentarily!" but then he does stuff like forget to add WTA to his vape....

I actually got him a Mech Mod for his birthday thinking it might "entice" him to vape, but I've hidden it at the moment..... LOL. Apparently, he needs to start on a couple Nautilus 2s like everyone else....

Anna

 

[smizak]

Only question I have is on safety. If clipping the lead to disable charging, does it disable reverse polarity protection? I've never used that mod but some of them loop one part of the board to another. Some of them have the charging board linked to the reverse polarity protection.

There is a diode on the front end so it seems protected from reverse polarity. My designs for DC supplies in the past always included either a diode or even better, a rectifier on the front end, provided you don't drop too much voltage across it.

The chip is a over-voltage protection device. I haven't played with it enough to know for sure that it goes bad, but something did in that circuit. It's basically a transistor that passes the current within a voltage window. Clipping the lead simply disconnects the charging circuit from the battery. The box knows that the USB connector is there and plugged in but senses no voltage from the charging circuit. The error before the modification, I'm assuming, was a voltage level that didn't jive with the firmware. Possibly the switching battery charger circuit was just passing the straight 5V from the USB power bus.

 

[papergoblin]

There is a diode on the front end so it seems protected from reverse polarity. My designs for DC supplies in the past always included either a diode or even better, a rectifier on the front end, provided you don't drop too much voltage across it.

The chip is a over-voltage protection device. I haven't played with it enough to know for sure that it goes bad, but something did in that circuit. It's basically a transistor that passes the current within a voltage window. Clipping the lead simply disconnects the charging circuit from the battery. The box knows that the USB connector is there and plugged in but senses no voltage from the charging circuit. The error before the modification, I'm assuming, was a voltage level that didn't jive with the firmware. Possibly the switching battery charger circuit was just passing the straight 5V from the USB power bus.

I gotcha, so it sees the data +/- (which would work as the over charge shutoff (if still connected) and data transfer (update) ) and the ground (I'm assuming you're clipping the positive). Sounds like a great solution to me.