I followed these directions on the 5 volt AA box 3 battery mod to a tee, even did it two times checking every step of the way and it doesn't drop the voltage. Is there another way to drop from 7.2 volt (two 14500
batteries) to 5 volts without using that regulator? HELP I'm sure it's me but I can't get it to work.
Don't know what directions you are referring to, but if you're going to use two 14500's in a 3x AA box, and want 5v, why are you so against using a regulator? Because that's the only way to get exactly 5v from the very first vape, all the way up till the batteries need recharging. I'm just saying.
However, a resistor can also be used to drop the voltage. But two freshly charged 14500's are actually about 8.4v, not 7.2v. Also, if you use a resistor to drop voltage, it's not a consistent 5v. You might start out vaping somewhere around 5.5v and finish up around 4.5v. Just food for thought.