The automatics work because your draw activates the battery so you have air flow hitting the coil before your battery engages. With the manual battery you need to start drawing air over the coil before you push the button for a second and let go of the button just a second before you stop drawing, this will keep the coil cooler and stop giving you the burnt taste.
When you press the button on the manual battery you are making the coil hot and it is burning the juice because you don't have any airflow engaged yet.

Just play with the timing of when you press the button and you'll find your sweet spot.

I like my automatic batteries better. It feels more natural like a real cig and I really needed that sensation when I first began vaping.