Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 Telescopic: User's Group

Status
Not open for further replies.

fairmana

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 11, 2013
411
394
Melbourne, Florida
Thanks for your comments and the pics Jeremy. I'm glad your method has worked out well for you. I guess there's more than one way to skin a cat as they say. :)

What I've been doing on Sig's that have had the U support break loose is to use a small amount of epoxy to keep it aligned so it doesn't move around while I insert the top cap (I let the epoxy dry first obviously). Although the epoxy gets hard, it doesn't completely harden like a rock. This allows the circuit board to shift a fraction of a millimeter (if necessary) from the battery pressure until it comes to rest against my 2mm-thick spacer. The gap between the top cap and the circuit card is usually just a hair over 2mm based on my previous measurements, so any shifting after the spacer is installed is very minimal. Once that small shift takes place and the card is against the spacer, further pressure from the battery compartment can no longer shift the circuit card since it's now pushing against the spacer which in turn is pushing against the top cap. If I have to remove the card again later, the small amount of glue is not difficult to remove with a sharp tool. I've never noticed or had any complaints from anyone regarding any movement after doing this (knocking on wood).

What pushed me to use a spacer under the top cap is a specific problem that doesn't seem to have occurred on your sigelei. I noticed that in about half the "shifted board" problems that I've fixed, the plastic support stays glued to the inside of the tube and the circuit card breaks out of its slots in the support instead . You've probably seen how those slots in the U support don't go all the way from one end to the other, but rather the slots terminate a few millimeters from the end of the U support closest to the top cap. Those "end-stops" are supposed to keep the circuit card from moving in the slots towards the top cap. However, those end-stops can snap off the U support when they are under pressure which allows the circuit card to shift excessively forward. Usually it's obvious this has happened because once you open the tube you can see two small plastic fragments that have broken away from the edge of the U support where the end stops were located. It was due to this specific symptom that I eventually settled on using a wide horseshoe-shaped spacer under the top cap. The spacer gives the nearest edge of the circuit board something to push against even if the plastic support is doing nothing more than keep the circuit card aligned side-to-side under the screen and the outer button. In my case, that style spacer was simple to make, simple to install without precision positioning or glue (press fit), and foolproof (at least thus far). If I understand correctly how your retainer works, it does the exact same thing but instead creates a spacer between the "shoulders" of the circuit card and the outer edge of the top cap, right? If so, it appears to be a perfectly good solution to the problem as well.

In the case of the "end-stop" problem above, it is not necessary to glue anything since the support is still glued into the tube. It's actually easier to work on this type problem, since all I need to do is slap a spacer under the top cap and close it back up (I've made a small batch of spacers so I can turn repairs around thru the mail faster). These Sig's are also much easier to work on later if they have to be re-opened again since all I have to do is remove the top cap and the entire circuit board just slides right out of the U support (no more end-stops, remember?). I've since started to remove the end-stops on my personal Sig's if I had to open them back up for any reason.

I'm still intrigued by how you avoided needing to use glue on the U support that broke loose Jeremy. You've never noticed any movement or re-alignment (regardless of how slight) when you press the fire button? What about when the battery is removed? If you shake the Sig with no battery installed, does the circuit card make any sort of noise or rotate slightly in the tube?

Drawing of the U support and the end-stops that are prone to breaking:

U Support.jpg
 
Last edited:

tchavei

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 15, 2014
4,765
8,710
Portugal
Impressive explanations!

My mini zMax is doing that wierd double click once in a while. its not constant yet. I contacted the seller and he's trying to pull off the "its normal, we checked our stock and they all do it" thing... I'm not in a mood to play hardball yet as I need to solve another problem right now but if it keeps bugging me, I'll probably repair it myself.

Your post was quite a surprise to me. Shoppers in the EU have more consumer rights and better protection than we do in the USA.

Those warranties work quite well with most products and usually sellers (especially big retailers) repair/replace anything within those 2 years no questions asked. Smaller companies usually try to argue hoping the customer will give up or doesn't bother taking legal action (which basically resumes writing in a red/yellow book for the authorities to take measures). Most of them give up when one asks for that dreadly book though... which works harder with online stores... :|
 

Alxx Nova

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Dec 14, 2011
136
114
60
North Carolina
Thanks for the tips guys. Much appreciated.

I used the glue along the top 1/8 in maybe and then dripped a few drop along the edge but being so thin it seeped in between the two parts. But I'm anticipating that with some patience and a exact blade I should be able to get it out. Then I'm giving the board to a friend who used to build circuit boards back in the day who will switch buttons for me. I picked up the switch that was mentioned on here several months ago that has a yellow button.

Looking forward to getting it back in rotation again.
 

yzer

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Nov 23, 2011
5,248
3,870
Northern California
For clarification, the latest replacement switch that fairmana recommended for sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 is here.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-telescopic-users-group-115.html#post13027239

I ordered ten of these switches from Digi-Key in May of 2014. They are rated for 1,000,000 (one million) clicks. I haven't needed to use any of them yet on my two V3s and one V5. They are in my doomsday arsenal.

B3W-4005 by Omron

SW976-ND .73500 7.35 T
SWITCH TACTILE SPST-NO 0.05A 24V
HTSUS: 8536.50.9031 ECCN: EAR99
LEAD: LEAD FREE ROHS: ROHS COMP REACH: REACH UNAFFECTED OCT-2008
COUNTRY/ORIGIN: CHINA

Current link for this switch at Digi-Key:

B3W-4005 by Omron

016-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
the sigelei zmax 5 is great. i have had it since may and no problems whatsoever until now. my problem is i dropped it on gravel and the lens cracked. im having zero luck finding this little plastic window anywhere. mvs offered me a refurb. but no dice on just getting the lens. i really just want to fix the unit rather than risk a refurb. would take all of about 60 seconds to glue in a new window. for now i peeled out the shattered lens and covered the cavity with scotch tape. the oled is still mint and unit is otherwise flawless. any ideas on tracking down the window? sigelei said to return it to the shop from what i could decipher from the email. also any past experiences with refurbs particularly via myvaporstore would be helpful. sorry if this has already been covered in this thread i searched thoroughly before posting
 

fairmana

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 11, 2013
411
394
Melbourne, Florida
So with that spacer you don't need to glue anything? And how come the board doesn't slip the other way around? Sorry, I haven't openend my mini yet so I don't really know how it looks inside.

Regards
Tony

Tony, I guess using glue will depend on the internal failure that has occurred and on your personal preference.

If the U support is broken loose from the inside of the tube, a spacer like the one I showed above will solve the issue of the circuit card moving out of position along the length of the tube. If you opt not to use glue to keep the U-support from spinning inside the tube, it will probably stay in position well enough to work since the outside switch should keep the circuit card in functional alignment (as Jeremy stated in his previous post). If you prefer to use some glue as added insurance to keep it from spinning, then by all means do so. I personally would feel better about using a little glue on the U support just to eliminate any possibility of the board moving side-to-side. However, you may not feel the need to glue it in and you might never notice any movement or other negative affects afterwards as a result. It's really up to how you feel about it. I've never tried leaving the U support un-glued in the tube, so I can't really give an opinion about it based on personal experience.

On the other hand, if the U support is still glued to the inside of the tube and the circuit card has broken free of the end-stops in the U support, then I would recommend you simply use a 2mm spacer under the top cap and put it back together (see the image in my last post). The card won't be able to push forward anymore and the U support will keep the circuit card in alignment with the screen and the button. This is the scenario you should be hoping for when you open up your device since it's the easiest to fix.

A few notes on the spacer if anyone wants to make one for themselves:
The tricky part is finding a suitable material that is 2mm thick. My first spacer I made was cut from a plastic protective cap that came off the end of a fake x-mas tree. I've since come across a replacement mud flap that you can buy at an Auto Parts store that is right at 2mm thick and large enough to easily cut a horseshoe-shaped spacer from. Once you have a material, you can trace your top cap on the material and then drill a hole in the center large enough to allow the wires to easily pass thru. I use a Dremmel or tin snips to cut out the basic shape and then smooth the outer edges with sandpaper and a round Dremmel sanding tool to finish it up. You'll likely need to keep removing material from the outside edge of the spacer until it finally snaps inside the top cap so you don't have to glue it in. The cutout portion of the spacer is so that you can insert it over the wires and also give the wires some extra space to fold into so they aren't pinched when the top cap goes back on.
 

Alxx Nova

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Dec 14, 2011
136
114
60
North Carolina
For clarification, the latest replacement switch that fairmana recommended for Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 is here.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-telescopic-users-group-115.html#post13027239

I ordered ten of these switches from Digi-Key in May of 2014. They are rated for 1,000,000 (one million) clicks. I haven't needed to use any of them yet on my two V3s and one V5. They are in my doomsday arsenal.

Yep those are the ones that I got. Picked up some extras also. Just incase.
 

fairmana

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 11, 2013
411
394
Melbourne, Florida
Yeah, I've never seen a mini opened up before so if you wouldn't mind posting some pics of the internals, that would be awesome. I'm curious about the support they are using in there. It's probably the newer version U support, but it might be the older style thin bracket like the older V3's used. It only supported the front of the circuit card near the top of the device, so if they used it, I'm wondering if it the glue broke loose or the bracket itself snapped. They may have opted to use that smaller bracket since the tube is likely somewhat shorter than the V3 or V5 tube. That might be the reason you're getting a little movement near the back by the switch.

You can see an example of that style support here:

If you find that indeed they are using that smaller bracket, you may need to remove and replace the hot glue they used to attach it to the circuit card if that's where it failed. I highly recommend that you re-glue the bracket to the tube again with epoxy (remove the old glue from the tube first). I think gluing it back in place is the best bet because the bracket is so small and needs to be supported well to keep the circuit card firmly in place. Apply the glue to the tube first where the bracket will sit, then insert the card over the top of the glue without touching it and then seat it in the wet glue when it's in position. Looking down the open end of the tube, align the outer button with the internal button and then keep it in that position until the glue dries sufficiently. A old trick is to use the glue that you didn't use to judge how dry the glue should be inside the tube.

Best of luck! Please don't forget to post some pics!
 
Last edited:

Marty163

Full Member
Aug 2, 2014
21
14
England
I've ordered a Sigiele Zmax V5 SS from fasttech. I'm UK based and the price is nearly half as much compared to a UK vendor. I also ordered these 'FandyFire 18650 3.7V "2800mAh" Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries (2-Pack)'. Along with the 18350 variants. From reading through your comprehensive thread I've picked up that unprotected IMR batteries ate the ones to have.

Do these meet this criteria and what is the risks/problems with running other types?

I apologise that there isn't a URL link but I'm on my phone and this is hard enough.
 

VapieDan

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 30, 2013
3,295
4,029
Flint, Michigan, United States
I've ordered a Sigiele Zmax V5 SS from fasttech. I'm UK based and the price is nearly half as much compared to a UK vendor. I also ordered these 'FandyFire 18650 3.7V "2800mAh" Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries (2-Pack)'. Along with the 18350 variants. From reading through your comprehensive thread I've picked up that unprotected IMR batteries ate the ones to have.

Do these meet this criteria and what is the risks/problems with running other types?

I apologise that there isn't a URL link but I'm on my phone and this is hard enough.

Good choice on the mod. The batteries however are in question. Read these two comprehensive links:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/baditude/4848-9-battery-basics-mods-imr-protected.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...eeper-understanding-mod-batteries-part-i.html
 

tchavei

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 15, 2014
4,765
8,710
Portugal
I would stay away from any battery that has "fire" as part of its name. There are good batteries out there and you don't need to pay premium prices for branding. Personally I am using aw (expensive as hell here) but also efest purple line with great success. If you go down the 18650 route then you have even more choices like Sony, Panasonic, aw, efest, etc.

Regards Tony
 

VapieDan

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 30, 2013
3,295
4,029
Flint, Michigan, United States
I would stay away from any battery that has "fire" as part of its name. There are good batteries out there and you don't need to pay premium prices for branding. Personally I am using aw (expensive as hell here) but also efest purple line with great success. If you go down the 18650 route then you have even more choices like Sony, Panasonic, aw, efest, etc.

Regards Tony


Good advise! I remember it this way fire = FIRE!
 

old_geezer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 4, 2014
125
119
Lansing, MI USA
I've ordered a Sigiele Zmax V5 SS from fasttech. I'm UK based and the price is nearly half as much compared to a UK vendor. I also ordered these 'FandyFire 18650 3.7V "2800mAh" Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries (2-Pack)'. Along with the 18350 variants. From reading through your comprehensive thread I've picked up that unprotected IMR batteries ate the ones to have.

I was a flashlight nut. I had a LOT of good 18650 batteries from 2-3 year old laptop packs. I'd break them open and pull out lots of NICE unprotected Samsung, Sony, Sanyo, and Panasonic batteries. Then I started vaping. I still have at least 30 of them now. Some flashlights I bought came with free JunkFire batteries, but I gave those away. Ebay sells "New/Old Stock" 8 cell (8 batteries) laptop batteries for like $15. Just stick with real Dell, HP, Toshiba and such. The batteries from them rock. Google "BudgetLightForums Laptop Battery Pack" for more info. I work in IT at a bank now and they give me the battery packs from dead laptops if I ask for some. I'll never buy a CrapFire battery. In fact the only 18650 I ever bought was a pair of VTC5 that I don't need. Not a sub-ohm dude.
- Joe
 
Last edited:

old_geezer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 4, 2014
125
119
Lansing, MI USA
I hear it's shorter, and hopefully a bit lighter. Is the Ohm meter easy to use? I'd ask if it's more reliable than an SVD, but I'm not sure I'll get unbiased answers here..:) I smoked for 40 years and went Vape only 5 months? ago. I don't cloud chase. I just want a good hitting EVOD/Protank 1-2 bottom coil vape using cotton wicks. I'm old and more interested in ease of use, reliability, and an easy ohm meter for when I'm rebuilding coils. SVD is just hold 2 buttons at once so it's like one press to read ohms. TYVM for any info.
- Joe
 
Last edited:

tchavei

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 15, 2014
4,765
8,710
Portugal
I was a flashlight nut. I had a LOT of good 18650 batteries from 2-3 year old laptop packs. I'd break them open and pull out lots of NICE unprotected Samsung, Sony, Sanyo, and Panasonic batteries. Then I started vaping. I still have at least 30 of them now. Some flashlights I bought came with free JunkFire batteries, but I gave those away. Ebay sells "New/Old Stock" 8 cell (8 batteries) laptop batteries for like $15. Just stick with real Dell, HP, Toshiba and such. The batteries from them rock. Google "BudgetLightForums Laptop Battery Pack" for more info. I work in IT at a bank now and they give me the battery packs from dead laptops if I ask for some. I'll never buy a CrapFire battery. In fact the only 18650 I ever bought was a pair of VTC5 that I don't need. Not a sub-ohm dude.
- Joe
Wait a minute... Are you saying that those 15-20 broken laptops I have at work are in fact PACKED with 18650 batteries?? OMG... it's 3 am here but I'm getting my keys and running to the office :D

Now seriously, I didn't knew that. I admit that the last pack I opened was like 10 years ago but I remember that it was full of lithium polymer soft packs rather than actual sealed metal lithium cells... I wonder if they also made 18350 sized ones... Hum.

Regards
Tony
 

old_geezer

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 4, 2014
125
119
Lansing, MI USA
Here is a sample thread. There are MANY more. It's a great resource if you are CAREFUL not to short them out and stuff when chopping them open. USED- Laptop packs -USED | BudgetLightForum.com If you google around you can find the date codes and capacity codes on the batteries you pull. Here's another thread http://budgetlightforum.com/node/32720 and keep in mind both these threads are less than 1 month old :) These "USED" laptop batteries are normally WAY better than any JunkFire.
- Joe

Wait a minute... Are you saying that those 15-20 broken laptops I have at work are in fact PACKED with 18650 batteries?? OMG... it's 3 am here but I'm getting my keys and running to the office :D

Now seriously, I didn't knew that. I admit that the last pack I opened was like 10 years ago but I remember that it was full of lithium polymer soft packs rather than actual sealed metal lithium cells... I wonder if they also made 18350 sized ones... Hum.

Regards
Tony
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread