Precise ELA Telescoping Mod by Super-T!

[Magic Dragon Puff]

I was "hypothesizing" on this one too. Not having an ELA in hand makes it a guess but I was thinking ...

I don't think it's a switch problem. I believe the switch is NOT isolated from the ELA housing when pressed, just the opposite. But the positive side IS isolated, so when you press the button, the (-) batt terminal is connected (shorted) to the housing providing a path to your (-) coil post. The other isolated post is the (+) terminal and always connected to the (+) batt end. All the button does is complete the circuit to the (-) side of the coil through the housing, and your coil connects you to the (+) end of the batt. A dirty switch would fail "open" when pressed and your ELA just wouldn't work. I think you might have an intermittent short in your Spheroid, from positive batt side to case. I would take apart the spheroid and inspect closely, under 5x mag if possible - you may see some indications of arcing.

Note: A positive side short (or arc) could only occur when pressing the button, unpressed - a positive side short would still be isolated from the (-) side of the batt.

 

[snork]

Not really... The rhodium pin contacting the battery isn't the only moving part in play. The current moves from the neg end of the battery to the rhodium pin, the main button section, to the button collar, to the tube.
If there is any resistance in any of these connection it can result in heat or arcing. Two of these connections are made with a threaded interface (rhodium contact screws into the main button and button collar screws into the main tube). As long as those two are clean, they shoddy pose any issues.

That leaves the interfaces between the battery and the rhodium contact and the main button and the button collar.
The battery/rhodium contact shouldn't be a problem unless there is dirt or oil coming between them preventing a solid connection. Beyond that, the fact that the contact is pressed directly against the bottom of the battery is enough to assure solid contact...
Leaving the "usual suspect"... The connection between the button and the button collar.
To look at it, it looks like there would be all kinds of surface area to make a solid electrical connection but, in reality, the actual contact area is very small. It's basically a cylinder going through a hole that slightly wider than the cylinder... Or,looking at it straight on, a circle inside a slightly wider circle.
When you do this, the two circles can only make contact at a single, tiny point.
It's very easy to move or break that point during the button press. It's in the micro second that the two circles break contact but are still a thousands of a millimeter close to each other that the arc occurs.
To make matters worse, the arc leave behind carbon residue which in turn leads to more arcing.

The solution is the clean the button and inside of the collar really well to remove any existing carbon residue and, when firing, give a slight lateral push to force the button into the side of the collar.

That's an excellent analysis. So further, what do you make of the role of the spring in the circuit?

 

[jasl90]

That's an excellent analysis. So further, what do you make of the role of the spring in the circuit?

If there is a good connection between the button and the collar, the bulk of the current will take that path (ie the path of least resistance). If the connection is bad, then the spring will be forced to carry the full load. If this happens, I'd imagine that the spring could/would heat up. That said, I would think the button has too much thermal mass for the spring to heat it up enough that you'd ever notice it. I think it would simply result in a subpar vape.

Under ideal circumstances, the spring would be purely passive and any current that it carried would simply be icing on the cake.

 

[fordski]

That's an excellent analysis. So further, what do you make of the role of the spring in the circuit?

I was wondering that as well. It would seem that the spring plays a role in completing the circuit from the -ve end of the battery to the casing..

 

[Magic Dragon Puff]

I was "hypothesizing" on this one too. Not having an ELA in hand makes it a guess but I was thinking ...

I don't think it's a switch problem. I believe the switch is NOT isolated from the ELA housing when pressed, just the opposite. But the positive side IS isolated, so when you press the button, the (-) batt terminal is connected (shorted) to the housing providing a path to your (-) coil post. The other isolated post is the (+) terminal and always connected to the (+) batt end. All the button does is complete the circuit to the (-) side of the coil through the housing, and your coil connects you to the (+) end of the batt. A dirty switch would fail "open" when pressed and your ELA just wouldn't work. I think you might have an intermittent short in your Spheroid, from positive batt side to case. I would take apart the spheroid and inspect closely, under 5x mag if possible - you may see some indications of arcing.

Note: A positive side short (or arc) could only occur when pressing the button, unpressed - a positive side short would still be isolated from the (-) side of the batt.

Look for arcing in your button assembly, if you don't see it, take apart your spheroid

 

[jasl90]

I was "hypothesizing" on this one too. Not having an ELA in hand makes it a guess but I was thinking ...

I don't think it's a switch problem. I believe the switch is NOT isolated from the ELA housing when pressed, just the opposite. But the positive side IS isolated, so when you press the button, the (-) batt terminal is connected (shorted) to the housing providing a path to your (-) coil post. The other isolated post is the (+) terminal and always connected to the (+) batt end. All the button does is complete the circuit to the (-) side of the coil through the housing, and your coil connects you to the (+) end of the batt. A dirty switch would fail "open" when pressed and your ELA just wouldn't work. I think you might have an intermittent short in your Spheroid, from positive batt side to case. I would take apart the spheroid and inspect closely, under 5x mag if possible - you may see some indications of arcing.

Note: A positive side short (or arc) could only occur when pressing the button, unpressed - a positive side short would still be isolated from the (-) side of the batt.

It's in the button. I promise. If it were a short in the atty the entire PV would heat up.
The only reason that know what is, is because I've experienced it. It's a very strange sensation. It feels like a cross between the button heating up to 300 degrees and having your pinky hairs yanked out. Yes... The first time it happened to me I thought I had pinky hair getting caught between button and the collar... Then it dawned on me that I don't have enough hare on my knuckles to get caught in anything...
The other odd thing... The button itself doesn't actually get hot. After the arc occurs, the button will not have a noticeably elevated temperature.

 

[jasl90]

Also... I have news that will probably get me shunned from this thread but better it come from me than someone else...
My ELA is going to a new home in California tomorrow.

 

[rojo]

What treachery is this? Be gone with you!

The ELA is the best mod I've ever held. I honestly couldn't say what I would trade it for, unless it had four wheels and a rag top.

jasl, I hope you don't regret your decision. Someone in California is going to be very happy though.

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jasl90]

Well the fact is that I've got three other P+'s that that get the bulk of my attention. For me personally, my fixed tube P+'s simply feel better in my hand in terms of both weight and diameter. The result was an ELA that was spending too much time on the shelf. It's way too good of a device to get used so little. It's going to a home where it will hopefully get more attention than I was able to give it.

 

[jasl90]

Look for arcing in your button assembly, if you don't see it, take apart your spheroid

Lol... My first thought was that you wouldn't be able to see it... But... I'd had never tried to see it before... Until just now!
Turn down the lights and press the button with the end of your finger a wiggle the button while firing it. You'll see tiny little arcs! Kinda cool.

 

[vaptamist]

Also... I have news that will probably get me shunned from this thread but better it come from me than someone else...
My ELA is going to a new home in California tomorrow.

Awww I probably would've bought it from you. A $300 device I thought I had coming to me fell through, so I have some cash to burn.

 

[anavidfan]

LOL, I just read this a few minutes ago, and started wondering if the buzzing with the Crown was due to arcing, so I turned all lights off and no sparks while it buzzed. I picture a few of us sitting and vaping in the dark watching for sparks.

 

[jasl90]

Awww I probably would've bought it from you. A $300 device I thought I had coming to me fell through, so I have some cash to burn.

Had I known, I would have definitely given you dibs... But, in all honesty, I'm glad I didn't know... I was able to make an even trade for one of my unicorns that retails for more than what I paid for the ELA. If I had sold it to you, I wouldn't have charged you more than retail.

 

[vaptamist]

Had I known, I would have definitely given you dibs... But, in all honesty, I'm glad I didn't know... I was able to make an even trade for one of my unicorns that retails for more than what I paid for the ELA. If I had sold it to you, I wouldn't have charged you more than retail.

No problem! It's probably just as well. My ELA should be here soon, since I think it's the first one in batch #2.

 

[jasl90]

LOL, I just read this a few minutes ago, and started wondering if the buzzing with the Crown was due to arcing, so I turned all lights off and no sparks while it buzzed. I picture a few of us sitting and vaping in the dark watching for sparks.

I don't know if it would be noticeable under those conditions. I'm running a 0.8 ohm coil, unregulated. There's a fair bit of current making the jump. I suspect that Kilowatt is running a setup similar to mine. Seems that that the higher the amp output the greater the possibility of getting the arcing.

 

[snork]

I don't know if it would be noticeable under those conditions. I'm running a 0.8 ohm coil, unregulated. There's a fair bit of current making the jump. I suspect that Kilowatt is running a setup similar to mine. Seems that that the higher the amp output the greater the possibility of getting the arcing.

That is cool! I see nothing on mine with a 1.8 atomizer, wish I did.

 

[Freckle]

Granted my p+ get more action, but I won't sell my ELA. My ELA holds those big honking 3100 mah orbtronic protected batteries, not many mods hold those suckers. I can't even slide them in my p+18650. Those batteries are HUGE! Awesome battery, 1 of the reasons my ELA will never be sold. Not to mention, I don't have to play with those dern o-rings to change out which type of battery I decide to use.

P+ is lighter, therefore they get used more.

 

[jasl90]

Granted my p+ get more action, but I won't sell my ELA. My ELA holds those big honking 3100 mah orbtronic protected batteries, not many mods hold those suckers. I can't even slide them in my p+18650. Those batteries are HUGE! Awesome battery, 1 of the reasons my ELA will never be sold. Not to mention, I don't have to play with those dern o-rings to change out which type of battery I decide to use.

P+ is lighter, therefore they get used more.

Honestly, I had no intentions of either selling or trading it. I just happened to see one of my unicorns in the classifieds and decided to offer the trade. Oddly enough, it turned into a three way trade...
My ELA is headed to Cali, another mod is going from Cali to Ireland and my new toy will be coming from Ireland. Kinda crazy how it all worked out.

 

[COM76]

This was posted on the 29th of July - Update: Thru 15277 has shipped, tracking should update by tomorrow.

Working on thru 15288 which is the end of batch "1". Should send out tracking information later this week and I hope to have all of batch 1 wrapped up by mid week next week. Just to keep people up to date - Shipping notices are in for 1526X (not sure about 1527X) but it is still at the stage of - Shipping notification received. I think either David made a boo boo or tracking updates are really slow. What is this 'Stamps' company anyway (shipping notification came through them)?.

 

[yuujin]

This was posted on the 29th of July - Update: Thru 15277 has shipped, tracking should update by tomorrow.

Working on thru 15288 which is the end of batch "1". Should send out tracking information later this week and I hope to have all of batch 1 wrapped up by mid week next week. Just to keep people up to date - Shipping notices are in for 1526X (not sure about 1527X) but it is still at the stage of - Shipping notification received. I think either David made a boo boo or tracking updates are really slow. What is this 'Stamps' company anyway (shipping notification came through them)?.

hey com76, stamps is a usps service where you can print shipping notifications and when you're ready to ship them call for a pickup.