My latest mod, inspired by all of you.

[nicowolf]

I think its misguided thinking but 'keeping costs down' always gets a big shout in product development decisions. Features are often thrown out to literally save pennies per item. Crazy huh.

Crazy, but ohhhh so true. I work in one of those bureaucracies where nothing makes sense. Nothing makes sense because there is no honesty about anything, just PR propaganda (hype). I am so glad I started making my own and not buying every new toy that comes out. Thanks guys for teaching me and supporting me. The modders really do F--king rock.

 

[kinabaloo]

The problem with disconnecting the atty as a way of disabling is not so much the inconvenience, but that the threads will wear out. Look out for this in the forums in a few months time! And the tiny rubber grommet around the center pin.

 

[nicowolf]

ok, g'night all - for 2 hours anyhow. thank goodness I get Monday off.

 

[LuckySevens4U]

The problem with disconnecting the atty as a way of disabling is not so much the inconvenience, but that the threads will wear out. Look out for this in the forums in a few months time!

Good point!!! Besides it being a pain in the ... and most people are gonna forget anyhow.

 

[kinabaloo]

Don't know how you do it!
Goodnight Nico !!

 

[kinabaloo]

Good point!!! Besides it being a pain in the ... and most people are gonna forget anyhow.

If something is possible, it's going to happen, one day.

 

[Shadowdr]

Shadowdr, my assumption is that you are not using a Size N switch for your atomizer connection. So, out of curiousity, what are you using and where did you get whatever it is you are trying to use for a center pin?

I was using a valve stem cap and had a peice of plastic tubing inside with the aluminum as a center pin. Could not get that to solder so I pulled the pin out and with it came the switch leg. I have attempted to use an ink pin spring this time and it does supply the voltage but the spring must be a little large and touch the inside rim of the atty.
Guess I will try again tomorrow if RS is open.

 

[Paradiso]

Thank you NicoWolf for all your great ideas.
Last night I made my 401 NicoStick. Now I get to look at it for however much longer it takes for my batteries to arrive!
I did put a regular AA battery in there and got 1.5 volts at the atomizer connector, so I know it'll work (famous last words) when the batteries get here.

 

[TnA]

Nicely done, Paradiso....that's a fine looking Nico Stick you've built!

 

[TnA]

I was using a valve stem cap and had a peice of plastic tubing inside with the aluminum as a center pin. Could not get that to solder so I pulled the pin out and with it came the switch leg. I have attempted to use an ink pin spring this time and it does supply the voltage but the spring must be a little large and touch the inside rim of the atty.
Guess I will try again tomorrow if RS is open.

Don't forget kinabaloo's suggestion about wrapping the wire around the center pin. Then solder the wire and that should create a physical connection for you. The solder won't hold the wire to the pin, but the solder will hold the wire together after you've wrapped it around the center pin.

 

[Ice199]

Well I built my first NicoStick a few days ago I got my batteries in two days from a US vendor. I was so excited in trying out my Nicostick, charged my batteries totally stoked man. I go to put the batteries in and realized that I bought the wrong freaking battery holder. I should have bought the four double AA , instead got the AAA setup.

 

[Shadowdr]

Don't forget kinabaloo's suggestion about wrapping the wire around the center pin. Then solder the wire and that should create a physical connection for you. The solder won't hold the wire to the pin, but the solder will hold the wire together after you've wrapped it around the center pin.

I am afraid it didn't survive the flight out the back door against the shed wall. I had melted the box edge with so much solder heat that the lid no longer closed tightly anyway. I need to go back to the Shack and pick up another box today and a switch while I am at it.

I scavenged an RCA jack using the inner solid pin and will try again later. I think my two pound solder gun from Harbor Freight is a little junky for this kind of thing but it is no excuse for melting the box as it didn't always heat up anyway. I was not happy with it after miscutting the off switch anyway. I am hoping it will look much better this time, but I am not holding my breath. I will post a pic if it turns out OK.

 

[TnA]

I am afraid it didn't survive the flight out the back door against the shed wall.

LOL...sorry to hear about the demise of your box mod.

It's definitely difficult to solder w/ a big clunky soldering iron...especially if you don't want to melt surrounding plastic. I actually purchased one of radio shack's 40 watt soldering pens, but am pretty unimpressed w/ it. On my last foray, I took one of their associate's suggestion (he says he and his friends mess around w/ PS3's and stuff) and purchased their cordless soldering irons. I'm not a fan of battery-powered soldering irons, but this thing works like a dream! Only takes a few seconds to get the iron heated up, the iron is a nice fine tip (makes for fast heating and precise soldering), and even has an led that shines on your soldering area. Plus, if you don't like it as a soldering iron, you can always mod it into a vaping machine!

 

[Wildsky]

Thank you NicoWolf for all your great ideas.
Last night I made my 401 NicoStick. Now I get to look at it for however much longer it takes for my batteries to arrive!
I did put a regular AA battery in there and got 1.5 volts at the atomizer connector, so I know it'll work (famous last words) when the batteries get here.

Thats sweet! What did you use as the connector to the atomizer? Did you have to take a battery apart?

Very nice!

 

[kinabaloo]

I'm not a fan of battery-powered soldering irons, but this thing works like a dream! Only takes a few seconds to get the iron heated up, the iron is a nice fine tip (makes for fast heating and precise soldering), and even has an led that shines on your soldering area. Plus, if you don't like it as a soldering iron, you can always mod it into a vaping machine!

That's interesting; before now I'd not heard much of a good word about these. Is it a ColdHeat like SurbitonPete's? His quickly became a VP

 

[Wildsky]

Does anyone know where the 2aa boxes can be found that have the on/off switch in them already?
I didn't see them at the radio shack site....

 

[TnA]

That's interesting; before now I'd not heard much of a good word about these. Is it a ColdHeat like SurbitonPete's? His quickly became a VP

kinabaloo, I asked the radio shack associate if it was a cold heat soldering iron and he said it was not. I'm not an expert, but I think what he was trying to say was that it heats up very quickly when you push the button, but it is still a metallic tip that gets heated and then needs to cool down, unlike cold heat soldering irons which utilize a physical connection to the solder to create the connection which melts it. (obviously a very simplistic/dumbed-down explanation of how I understand it to work)

Does anyone know where the 2aa boxes can be found that have the on/off switch in them already?
I didn't see them at the radio shack site....

Wildsky, radio shack doesn't carry the battery boxes w/ built-in switches. You can get this AA battery box w/ built-in switch at Battery holder: 2 x AA Covered Battery Holder with On-Off Switch - RoHS Compliant - BB2AA

I was going to use it myself, but just couldn't justify paying the shipping costs to order just a couple of these for my own needs. If I decide to make several of these for friends, I will definitely order from here, though!

 

[KoS]

They knew they were using un-protected cells. They just wanted it to be smaller. I have been looking into another option. You can purchace the protection circuit seperatly for if you are making your own lithem packs. By intergrating this into a mod the battery will be able to be charged while still hooked up. Like the stick. Best thing is that we can make these so cheap that we can have a few on hand.

As far as solder irons. Rat shack has not made a good pencil iron in quite a few years. If you want a good work bench iron go for a solder station type. Me personly chose the butane solder iron. It heats up is about 15sec, has a great recovery, can use it anywhere and plenty of heat ( for soldering work like we do here I use a low to med setting. High will melt your shi!! ) I have used and abused these guys for years and they just work

 

[Paradiso]

Thats sweet! What did you use as the connector to the atomizer? Did you have to take a battery apart?

Very nice!

Thanks.

Yes, I took apart a dead battery. I couldn't find any info on an alternative.

 

[Wildsky]

Wildsky, radio shack doesn't carry the battery boxes w/ built-in switches. You can get this AA battery box w/ built-in switch at Battery holder: 2 x AA Covered Battery Holder with On-Off Switch - RoHS Compliant - BB2AA

I was going to use it myself, but just couldn't justify paying the shipping costs to order just a couple of these for my own needs. If I decide to make several of these for friends, I will definitely order from here, though!

I ordered some 8-o not from the site you supplied, I ordered from DigiKey - they are under a buck each depending on how may you buy, I ordered 10 gawd, i don't know WHY... but they're 77c each at qty of 10 + shipping of course. 8-o
(anyone need battery holders? )

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=SBH-321AS-ND