S&S Mods support thread, home of the defcon.

[Bnormous]

ok so im noticing a couple of problems with my defcon mini. the top cap has no airhole. chopper informed that the airhole is on the threading on the main body, which doesnt seem to work well for me cause the end cap blocks off the air hole.

so the only place i can get air from it seems like is the seam of the window on the body.
but there is leaking coming from those seams around the windows, so im thinking there is a break in the seal?

and the whole body gets hot to the touch.

 

[BigBopper]

Here's the PDF of the user guide.
View attachment 107785

 

[Youssefa]

Frequentj :: FACT! I do not have a mini in front of me, But 32 kanthal is the standard, if there is one. 34ga Nichrome will work but if you have used 32ga Kan, then you will have to use less wraps. For thin, short wick 34 will be okay cause you need more ohms in a smaller space.

My personal experience with Nichrome has been poor. it seems to me to have less tensile strength when hot and is prone to snapping if the wick has the slightest tension on the electrode. On my Line v2, one night I wrapped 3 coils @ 2.6 ohms and ran them @ 3.8v everytime I did a dry burn to check for shorts and to break in the coils it would pop..... I put the nichrome aside got out the kanthal and it worked first time.'


CHOPPER: Where is the air hole on the MINI?

 

[Chopper71]

Frequentj :: FACT! I do not have a mini in front of me, But 32 kanthal is the standard, if there is one. 34ga Nichrome will work but if you have used 32ga Kan, then you will have to use less wraps. For thin, short wick 34 will be okay cause you need more ohms in a smaller space.

My personal experience with Nichrome has been poor. it seems to me to have less tensile strength when hot and is prone to snapping if the wick has the slightest tension on the electrode. On my Line v2, one night I wrapped 3 coils @ 2.6 ohms and ran them @ 3.8v everytime I did a dry burn to check for shorts and to break in the coils it would pop..... I put the nichrome aside got out the kanthal and it worked first time.'


CHOPPER: Where is the air hole on the MINI?

In the threads on the base but going back on the top cap.

 

[Youssefa]

Needs to line up directly with coil!!

 

[Drottwiler]

In the threads on the base but going back on the top cap.

Enlarge the one on the threads and it would make a excelant fill hole.

 

[ED-209]

Enlarge the one on the threads and it would make a excelant fill hole.

Like that idea, if possible and not too much trouble, as that is how the Line is...I think?

 

[Drottwiler]

Yes and I love it.I like my Defons too and the price is great.

 

[frequentj]

Frequentj :: FACT! I do not have a mini in front of me, But 32 kanthal is the standard, if there is one. 34ga Nichrome will work but if you have used 32ga Kan, then you will have to use less wraps. For thin, short wick 34 will be okay cause you need more ohms in a smaller space.

My personal experience with Nichrome has been poor. it seems to me to have less tensile strength when hot and is prone to snapping if the wick has the slightest tension on the electrode. On my Line v2, one night I wrapped 3 coils @ 2.6 ohms and ran them @ 3.8v everytime I did a dry burn to check for shorts and to break in the coils it would pop..... I put the nichrome aside got out the kanthal and it worked first time.'


CHOPPER: Where is the air hole on the MINI?

Sounds like I just need to go back to ebay and get the right stuff. I'm a big fan of dry burns anyway, so I don't want to have to be re-wrapping anything too often!

 

[tiburonfirst]

Sounds like I just need to go back to ebay and get the right stuff. I'm a big fan of dry burns anyway, so I don't want to have to be re-wrapping anything too often!

some people are reporting success with using 30 kanthal a

 

[Bejeebus]

I was looking over the user's guide and noticed something that seems different on my DC. When I unscrew the top cap, the wick and posts are not flush with the top... they are recessed. I can remove the threaded piece and it helps, but they are still recessed. I think that wrapping a coil is going to be very difficult with that kind of access. Is there a way to 'raise' them up without hurting/breaking the DC? It's a mini -

 

[tiburonfirst]

this will need chopper's input! the manual was created when the defcon standard was the only option available .......

in case some other dc owners can help a pic would come in handy!

 

[Chopper71]

I was looking over the user's guide and noticed something that seems different on my DC. When I unscrew the top cap, the wick and posts are not flush with the top... they are recessed. I can remove the threaded piece and it helps, but they are still recessed. I think that wrapping a coil is going to be very difficult with that kind of access. Is there a way to 'raise' them up without hurting/breaking the DC? It's a mini -

I'm working on a way to raise the post flush.As right now being down inside the well is my only option until I figure it out.What I do is I first wrap the -post on the very tip top of it and then take my exact o knife and push that post wrap down into the well almost to the bottom.I then wrap my wick loose enough to where you are able to slide the wick up and down without to much resistance.I then finish my wrap on the +post and wrap the very tip top of that post as well then I cut off the remaining wire and push that post wrap down some as well.Please don't for get to cut the remaining wire off the -post to before sliding it down.I will do a video on that later so it will show you exactly what I mean.

 

[Chopper71]

Please do not post my site url or anything like that.I just updated to registered supplier with the offline gone.I'm not to post about the site until the site is approved which I did not know I could not do since I am a supplier now.It gets somewhat confusing on the do's and dont's.So please no linking the site on any thread or post it until the site is approved.

 

[Bejeebus]

Thanks for the response! I may hold off trying to rewire it until maybe your video or some other way I can practice. Let me know if you come up with a way to raise the post that won't challenge my non-skills

 

[Chopper71]

Thanks for the response! I may hold off trying to rewire it until maybe your video or some other way I can practice. Let me know if you come up with a way to raise the post that won't challenge my non-skills

I can tell you this much.There is no way of raising the post as they are soldered on and have been cut.You can send it back to me and I will fix you all up with a top flush plug that I just made out of toxic free polymer clay that I baked and cold water shocked it.So now its almost hard as a rock.I'm testing it out now and its working very well.The plug is even green for all you green lovers out there.I will post a picture shortly.

 

[BigBopper]

Do any of you that have received your DefCon also have a Darwin? I'm curious if the arm on your Darwin will close with it attached. I have a Bulli A2TM that closes with minimal clearance on my Darwin, but I don't have a decent caliper with which to measure the diameter properly. Best I can eyeball is ~14.25mm at the widest on the A2TM, but it does lean away from the Darwin slightly and the A2TM tapers down towards the base, so with the DefCon being the same diameter top to bottom, it may be a tight fit if at all, unless adding an adapter or two.

It was suggested to ask this in the support thread, so here it is. Thanks

 

[tiburonfirst]

i don't think there were any darwinians in the bunch .....

 

[BigBopper]

i don't think there were any darwinians in the bunch .....

I recognized a couple of names from the Darwin thread. Asked one by PM. Just waiting for replies.

 

[tiburonfirst]

fingers crossed for you then!