My poorvari mod

[donptal]

@ Dalton

What's making your lowest voltage to 3.5 is the no. 2 resistor, if you raise its value,I think your voltage will also raise and if you remove that, it will drop to 1.2 somethin. But having a 3.5 using an lr is a good temporary option. Hope you'll make your voltage vary by nailing that pot. Goodluck again!

 

[Dalton63841]

@ Dalton

What's making your lowest voltage to 3.5 is the no. 2 resistor, if you raise its value,I think your voltage will also raise and if you remove that, it will drop to 1.2 somethin. But having a 3.5 using an lr is a good temporary option. Hope you'll make your voltage vary by nailing that pot. Goodluck again!

Oh yea, going to get a new POT tomorrow, but after doing some homework on the regulator I did figure out that R2 is what makes the difference, and I got it back to a little over 5v now, so all is well. Thanks again for this. The design is so simple, even with the issues, I just tweak it a bit and keep going!

My next revision to mine will be making this into a tube mod, and adding one of these: http://www.madvapes.com/Battery-Voltage-Indicator_p_2835.html

 

[donptal]

I have modded lots of pv's before this and though this doesn't look as neat as my previous mod, I like it a lot because of its cheapness and great performance. Please post a picture or video of your finish poorvari dalton. I just like to show it off here in the Philippines that this pv has been modded in foreign land ahead of modders here to where it originated. So that they will be convince to mod and improve on this poorvari.

 

[Dalton63841]

I have modded lots of pv's before this and though this doesn't look as neat as my previous mod, I like it a lot because of its cheapness and great performance. Please post a picture or video of your finish poorvari dalton. I just like to show it off here in the Philippines that this pv has been modded in foreign land ahead of modders here to where it originated.

It will be a couple weeks before I have the cash for the Voltage indicator and tube parts, but I will definitely post pics when its done. This is by far the best, and best working, mod I have built so far.

 

[donptal]

The problem that I'm seeing in your plan of doing this to a tube with that madvapes digital voltmeter is the space. Its hard to fit that volt meter into a tube unless that tube is about 3/4 in size which is very big. I think your idea is to make a provari like poorvari which i believe is not possible because of the size of the parts. Doing this vmu like is more possible though.
http://www.ecigarette-mods.com/images/mods/vmu-innovate.jpg

 

[WillyB]

If you are going to the trouble of building a mod why not spend a couple more bucks and get a much better regulator.

National doesn't even list this thing as an LDO, low drop out, regulator. Nor can you even find the DOV actually listed anywhere. They do have a chart and it appears to about 2V.

Here's a real LDO regulator for just a few $ more.

UCC283 LDO Regulator 3A Adjustable 1.2-8.5V TO220 x2 | eBay

And here's the key advantages.

0.45V Dropout at 3 A

Quiescent Current Under 650 µA Irrespective of Load

The DOV works like this. Whatever output voltage you choose the batteries need that amount + the DOV to be able to sustain it.

For the LM350 to output 5V the minimum the batteries have to be at is 5+2=7V

The TI for 5V needs 5+0.45=5.45V. Can you figure out which one will have the best vape times? And over the long haul you will also will be prematurely aging your batteries as you will be charging them much more often. Li-ions longevity is based on charge cycles, so your battery costs end up being higher.

Initially saving $3, and the compromises it entails, on the heart and soul of your mod hardly makes sense.

Food for thought.

Good luck.

 

[Dalton63841]

I would have to agree with what you are saying. I right now have some samples coming from TI, but until they arrive, this tutorial got me going with a nice little mod that works.

 

[donptal]

Thanks willyB for the tip. But here in the Philippines, its hard to get ti regulator for lesser buck and the UCC283T-ADJ that you mention alone plus shipping will cost me more than I spent doing this poorvari. So the availability of the reg. that I will use is a big issue for me. And base on the performance of this unit, I think there is no need for me to spent a peny more because I'm quite satisfied with it.

But I can't accurately compare the difference in performance of UCC283T-ADJ to lm350 adj because I haven't tested UCC283T-ADJ yet. Unless I have used both then I can already say which one is better and how much better that is in comparison to the other. But looking at the document, the UCC283T is a sure winner, if I can only have that chip the cheapest possible way.


As of now, I'm quite satisfied about my poorvari's performance but of course not comparable with the high priced switching adj ones. The actual input output difference of this unit are as follows:

6.4V max Output/8V Input = 80%
5.8V max output/7.2V input = 80%
4.6V max Output/5.6V Input = 82%


@ 5.6 volts, you will already notice the drop in performance and the need to charge and that is after a whole day of average vaping.


My minimum voltage output is consistent 3.6 due to the res. 2 that I used.

Thanks again WillyB!

 

[TomCatt]

Excellent work donptal! Thanks for the info on input/output voltages. Specs are good; but they are designed to cover all contingencies and if someones real world results are better, then that reflects well on the company. If the real world results meet the specs, then all is still good.
WllyB is a good guy, but seems to me to be a perfectionist: if you can't build the best dang thing ever, why bother. But for the rest of us, if it works, then it's good.

 

[donptal]

Thanks tomcat, I appreciate it! If only somebody will make his version of this to review its performance and prove me otherwise about the good points that I've raise about this very cheap variable pv. And I also believe that this is the cheapest vv that anyone can mod without the free sampling of course or is there another cheaper than this? My main objective in doing poorvari is to make the cheapest vv mod, I didn't expect that I will be very satisfied with its performance after I finished it.

 

[Dalton63841]

If only somebody will make his version of this to review its performance and prove me otherwise about the good points that I've raise about this very cheap variable pv.

Actually I am currently using a box mod using your schematic on here, and in a few days I will be getting my samples from TI, so I could do a kind of comparison between them and post on here if you like.

So far I can't complain about your schematic at all. It works well, dirt cheap, I like it. I am kinda interested if the higher rated parts from TI will make a noticeable difference short-term, and not just a difference in the overall life.

 

[donptal]

Feel free to have a comparison of your ti mod to this mod of mine when you finished it. I'm glad that your enjoying my schematic so far and I know that you're considering the cheap production cost of this. The question here is are you satisfied with its performance considering the cost that you spent making it? My answer is a definite YES, I'm very much satisfied with it considering its cost and I believe its worth making it again. Thanks for appreciating "poorvari" Dalton!

 

[Dalton63841]

Feel free to have a comparison of your ti mod to this mod of mine when you finished it. I'm glad that your enjoying my schematic so far and I know that you're considering the cheap production cost of this. The question here is are you satisfied with its performance considering the cost that you spent making it? My answer is a definite YES, I'm very much satisfied with it considering its cost and I believe its worth making it again. Thanks for appreciating "poorvari" Dalton!

Considering it cost all of a couple bucks and it performs on par with anything else I have vaped with so far, I'd say I'm very satisfied with it. However next week I am finally ordering a real Provari, but my Poorvari mod will still be my backup.

 

[retird]

The Provari is a very fine mod......I considered it heavily, but ended up spending 8 or 9 bucks more and got a Darwin.....and loving every minute using it.......

Enjoy your Provari.....

 

[drewk302]

Oh you wont be disappointed with the Provari. Its amazing, so many features, perfect size ( I rec getting the 18650 ext. cap) I take it everywhere. There is only 1 thing I dont like........I didnt build it! I like to use my own mods, cause you can show it off, and the pride factor. Other than that its unbeatable IMO. Great job on the poorvari btw!!!

 

[donptal]

Nice choice dalton! Provari is really the pro side of any variable pv and also the darwin. There is no contest about this expensive commercial pv to this mod of mine of course. The advantage of this pv though is like drewk said the pride factor that you made this yourself and you can care less of this, throwing it here and there not worrying for it to be damaged or something because of its dirt cheap cost. And if the time comes you destroyed this in anyway, you don't have to worry because you can repair it again yourself which I believe you cannot do in either provari or darwin.

Thanks dwerk for appreciating my mod!

 

[Dalton63841]

Nice choice dalton! Provari is really the pro side of any variable pv and also the darwin. There is no contest about this expensive commercial pv to this mod of mine of course. The advantage of this pv though is like drewk said the pride factor that you made this yourself and you can care less of this, throwing it here and there not worrying for it to be damaged or something because of its dirt cheap cost.

I chose the provari over the Darwin, because of the user replaceable battery and the shape. Darwin's don't handle tanks very well. My Poorvari will always be my pv of choice for when I'm working on my car or any other potentially damaging situation, because of the cheapness.

 

[asnider123]

Hi guys, my "poorvari" is working like a champ, thanks Donptal for your great design! I have found the battery life not great but acceptable when using a pair of 14500 batteries. My first pair of batts (not freshly charged) lasted about 3-4 hours I am guessing. I only guess because I do not vape constantly, I only pick it up when I want to have a hit.

I would like to find a simple circuit I could use that would indicate a low batt level, I hear it's best to recharge my batts before the protection circuit turns them off. You sure can tell, though, when a batt reaches it's lower limit, suddenly no vape, time to put in fresh batts.

 

[Dalton63841]

I would like to find a simple circuit I could use that would indicate a low batt level, I hear it's best to recharge my batts before the protection circuit turns them off. You sure can tell, though, when a batt reaches it's lower limit, suddenly no vape, time to put in fresh batts.

Perhaps you could modify this with an LED instead of a buzzer. This diagram sets the alarm(LED) at 6v, which would be 3v apeice with 2 batteries, a full .5v above threshhold if you use AW's.

 

[asnider123]

Dalton, thanks for the link. I have also found a way you can use your existing LED to indicate voltage level. Thinking if this is set up correctly, I can use a bi-color LED and have it change color when it's time to recharge batts. Will work on this .....

Dazatronyx - Low battery LED fade out