Passthrough VV has funny relationship with 'fixed' Evod

[knfzn]

This may be a little long, but I'm going to try to include as many details as possible because this is curious to me.

After reading all the hubub about fasttech here and elsewhere I purchased this: $5.50 Variable Voltage USB Passthrough Battery for E-Cigarette - silver at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping Passthrough VV USB thingie. This would be my first experience with Variable Voltage and fasttech as well. The order took exactly 2 weeks (ordered July 26) and I had started to think it wouldn't show up. Found out this was my fault because I could have spent something like 50 cents and gotten it priority mail. Lesson learned.

The device works great (I've had it all of 25 minutes) and as advertised. Except for one thing: when I use a particular Kanger evod I hear computer beeps, like the one that come from hardware instead of speakers. And the external HD I have plugged into another USB drive turns off and comes back on. I kept experimenting with it, it kept happening until windows displayed a message saying the Hard drive needed to be formatted before it could be used... My heart almost hit the floor...

I immediately unplugged the device and waited until my pc could read the drive again. All my data seems to be ok, definitely not formatted.

I tried the device with that evod one more time and the beeping happened again. So thats a no go. Thing about this evod is that I just tried a fix described here How To: Fix Kanger EVOD leaking/gurgling issues | Deus Ex Vaporis last night. Pretty sure this is the culprit, but anymore information or ideas anyone can provide would be helpful. Thanks!

Addendum: The evod has a 1.8 ohm head in it. And no beeping occurred at 3.0v, but starts at 3.6v. By 4.2v the harddrive restarts itself

 

[SilverZero]

If it were me I wouldn't use any passthrough device on my PC. In order to do that you need to know how much power the USB port you are using puts out.

There are tons of stories of people frying their computers doing this; pick up an A/C to USB adapter and plug it into a surge protector.

 

[knfzn]

If it were me I wouldn't use any passthrough device on my PC. In order to do that you need to know how much power the USB port you are using puts out.

There are tons of stories of people frying their computers doing this; pick up an A/C to USB adapter and plug it into a surge protector.

Thanks man. I already had done this because I just didnt like the reaction from my HD

 

[SilverZero]

Thanks man. I already had done this because I just didnt like the reaction from my HD

Yeah, I did it a couple of years ago when I first started vaping, but started hearing horror stories and stopped immediately.

Some PC's do have USB ports that output enough power, but if you are vaping and something else running off the USB bus starts using extra power then you run the danger of doing some serious damage. It's unfortunate that vendors don't make that explicitly clear to their customers; most new vapers see the USB plug at the end of their battery's charging cable and just assume that it is made to work with a PC.

 

[Gianpiero DeBortoli]

I think you are over the maximum power supply of your USB ports: from wiki: A device may draw a maximum of 5 unit loads (500 mA) from a port in USB 2.0; 6 (900 mA) in USB 3.0

So at 5V the maximum power of USB 2.0 is 5x0,5=2,5Watts
Your device is asking for: 3x3/1,8=5Watts

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

USB ports are fine for driving external keyboards, external hard drives, implementing bluetooth or WiFi and charging small devices like cell phones and iPods. They are not designed to deliver the kind of energy you were trying to get out of it.

With a 1.8Ω coil and 4.2v, you're producing just under 10 watts.

You need a wall outlet for that kind of electrical energy.

Thankfully, you caught the potential problem before it became a disaster. Put it in the lessons learned folder and vape on.

 

[bikerbeagle]

You were definitely over the maximum power of your USB port. As Gianpeiro stated, the max power of a 2.0 USB port is 5 watts ...3.0 USB port is 6 watts. Go here and plug in the values for 3.6 voltage with 1.8ohm resistance and hit calculate = 7.2 watts. Now, do the same with 3.0 voltage with 1.8ohm resistance, hit calculate = 5.0 watts. No bueno.

What is interesting (strange interesting) is that the VV 3.0 is a psuedo-passthrough ...meaning it doesn't (or isn't supposed to) draw directly from USB power, it is supposed to always use the battery. This scenario would almost seem to counteract that functionality.

 

[Sandman0]

I'm certain that flipping or doubling the silicon cap is not the culprit here.

You are overdrawing the USB port. They're not meant to output the power consumed by vaping.

I've worked in IT for more than 15 years. The number one cause of dead USB ports/devices is plugging in something that overdraws the power capabilities of your computer's USB ports. I see it in my office about once or twice a year. I've converted a couple of my users to vaping, and I always tell them not to use their computers USB ports for charging batteries, but I totally spaced passthroughs. I need to mention that to them before somebody discovers them.

Out of curiosity did the silicone cap trick fix your gurgling/leaking issue?

 

[SilverZero]

You were definitely over the maximum power of your USB port. As Gianpeiro stated, the max power of a 2.0 USB port is 5 watts ...3.0 USB port is 6 watts. Go here and plug in the values for 3.6 voltage with 1.8ohm resistance and hit calculate = 7.2 watts. Now, do the same with 3.0 voltage with 1.8ohm resistance, hit calculate = 5.0 watts. No bueno.

What is interesting (strange interesting) is that the VV 3.0 is a psuedo-passthrough ...meaning it doesn't (or isn't supposed to) draw directly from USB power, it is supposed to always use the battery. This scenario would almost seem to counteract that functionality.

He isn't using the iTaste VV though, he's using a simple passthrough that doesn't have a battery.

 

[knfzn]

I'm certain that flipping or doubling the silicon cap is not the culprit here.

You are overdrawing the USB port. They're not meant to output the power consumed by vaping.

I've worked in IT for more than 15 years. The number one cause of dead USB ports/devices is plugging in something that overdraws the power capabilities of your computer's USB ports. I see it in my office about once or twice a year. I've converted a couple of my users to vaping, and I always tell them not to use their computers USB ports for charging batteries, but I totally spaced passthroughs. I need to mention that to them before somebody discovers them.

Out of curiosity did the silicone cap trick fix your gurgling/leaking issue?

Yes it did. Funny enough this was the first time I had a leak from my evod. Must of been something I did. Thanks for the info

Oh and definitely let people know. I'd be glad if my experience could help someone else

 

[knfzn]

Thanks everyone for the info and the quick replies. Glad I came here first instead of trying to figure something out myself. I check here daily and I'm learning so much, even things not directly about vape.

I found an old iphone charger and plugged it into a surge protector as suggested. Seems good to go! Thanks again!

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Thanks everyone for the info and the quick replies. Glad I came here first instead of trying to figure something out myself. I check here daily and I'm learning so much, even things not directly about vape.

I found an old iphone charger and plugged it into a surge protector as suggested. Seems good to go! Thanks again!

Make sure the charger wart's output is consistent and compatible with the passthrough's current requirements. Most wall warts are, but it never hurts to make sure.

 

[bikerbeagle]

He isn't using the iTaste VV though, he's using a simple passthrough that doesn't have a battery.

Dagnabbit! I'm losing my ever-lovin' mind!

 

[knfzn]

Make sure the charger wart's output is consistent and compatible with the passthrough's current requirements. Most wall warts are, but it never hurts to make sure.

Thanks. Will do