Testing the resistance of the entire mod

[Scottes]

Given the lengths of material used for the different mods, I'd expect the spring material making the negative connection to make more of a difference than anything else.

Oh, you let the cat out of the bag!

This is actually one point that I am hoping to prove. The bottom spring is probably going to have the most affect on the resistance of the entire mod. The spring on the end cap has the worst metal for conducting electricity, and the smallest contact point and the smallest diameter. All these points add up to the spring having the highest resistance point. All I probably need to do is measure each end cap, but that doesn't seem like it would explain things to most people.

 

[Scottes]

Sure seems to me you would need something fairly sensitive to tell the difference between aluminum and copper etc. . Especially in only 3-5 inches of material.

Actually that's a very good point that I hope turns out to be correct. If I can't measure the difference of the rods that I use to replace the batteries then I'll get a better reading for the entire mod.

 

[NickJuice]

don't forget there is much more then just the body of a mod that can add resistance and effect voltage, there is the negative spring, the solder, the switch, any wires, the connection to the adapter, the adapter itself

if a mod was just a metal tube then we could conclude the resistance differences are a moot point...but when all the variables are included to make a whole mod....alot of different meterials and possible resistance points come into play

scottes....this may end up with you having to disassembling a few mods and measuring each parts resistance to add up to a whole

 

[Scottes]

Nick, I think that replacing the battery with a copper rod and probing the atomizer connector will give me a total resistance. Subtracting the resistance of the rod will give me the resistance of the unit as a whole.

If you think this is not sufficient, please explain a bit.

 

[Scottes]

Well, this whole plan of mine may disappear. I just used my cheap multi-meter and tested the resistance of a bunch of things around my desk. Finally telling was that I measured 3 brass rods of different lengths and diameters.

Everything measures 1.9 Ohms, plus or minus 0.1.

So I need a better multi-meter, and I'm not sure that I can justify the cost.

 

[olderthandirt]

Rather than the copper rod, wouldn't a simple test lead connecting both + and - springs suffice?

 

[Scottes]

That would work if an atomizer were plugged in, but I want to avoid the differences between atomizers. Also, that requires the end caps to be removed, so it's not a true test of the entire unit.

 

[caesar]

Testing them with a copper rod will show all to have the same resistance. An ohmmeter puts only a very small amount of current when measuring and will throw results off.

The real measurement is under load and that by measuring current flow through a known consumer.

Use a 2Ohm 10watt resistor instead of an atty and fully charged batteries in each mod. then measure the current flow.

The biggest the current the better the mod. Beware of melting switches

 

[NickJuice]

Testing them with a copper rod will show all to have the same resistance. An ohmmeter puts only a very small amount of current when measuring and will throw results off.

The real measurement is under load and that by measuring current flow through a known consumer.

Use a 2Ohm 10watt resistor instead of an atty and fully charged batteries in each mod. then measure the current flow.

The biggest the current the better the mod. Beware of melting switches

Can you ever accurately get the same power out of a battery more then once? i thought batteries were in a constant state of degeneration...i.e. if you charge a battery once then use it then charge it again...it will have VERY slightly less power then the first charge

I think the Copper bar experiment would be the best way...you would need a Very accurate meter to detect the differences between mods

 

[Scottes]

you would need a Very accurate meter to detect the differences between mods

This idea has been expressed a couple times now.

If one would need a very accurate meter to detect the differences between mods, then this seems to imply that all mods have the same resistance.

Is it true that all mods have the same resistance?


If it is, then any mod using identical batteries would have identical performance. Thus making my test a moot point - other than to prove this whole idea.

I was actually hoping to find a significant difference between the highest and lowest mods.

 

[olderthandirt]

That would work if an atomizer were plugged in, but I want to avoid the differences between atomizers. Also, that requires the end caps to be removed, so it's not a true test of the entire unit.

Hmm, just went downstairs and did it.

SD, no atomizer or battery
Test lead, alligator clips at each end
one end attached to spring at atomizer end
the other end attached to the switch connection

Multimeter
one probe to the atomizer brass connection
one probe to the unpainted threads of the button end
Depress button, complete circuit

What did I miss? other than my cheap multi is not discriminatory enough as some of the other folks have already pointed out.

 

[Scottes]

Nope, I missed something. I thought you were describing to probe the inside pieces, not connect them with a test lead.

But I did think of this, decided that the unit should be assembled - ie, end cap in place. This means that the alligator clips and wire between them must fit inside the PV. And I couldn't figure out how I'd get the alligator clip clamped onto anything deep inside a Protege (15mm ID) let alone a VP1 (11mm ID).

 

[gjrhine]

Doesn't the mass of the metal in the tube matter as well as the metal it is made of?

 

[Scottes]

That's my thought.


Then again, given sufficient mass, the tube may register almost nothing. Then it would come down to the resistance of the weakest link - probably the spring in the end cap.

 

[olderthandirt]

Nope, I missed something. I thought you were describing to probe the inside pieces, not connect them with a test lead.

But I did think of this, decided that the unit should be assembled - ie, end cap in place. This means that the alligator clips and wire between them must fit inside the PV. And I couldn't figure out how I'd get the alligator clip clamped onto anything deep inside a Protege (15mm ID) let alone a VP1 (11mm ID).

Be it known to all.. I am the epitome of shade tree electricians. In other words I know enough to be truly dangerous!

There are a couple of electrical engineer type people running around here, love to hear them chime in on this. A couple of posts back you yourself said this was starting to sound like a moot point and that's my thoughts as well.

Having the unit assembled may help to ensure connection integrity as well as add to surface area/sheet resistance effect, sumpin' like that, but again the differences would seem to be so darn minute as to not be noteworthy in any appreciable manner.

My test lead read 0.4 ohms, hooked up to the SD I get 0.6 ohms.

But remember, shade tree here...

 

[gjrhine]

It seems to me for example the Protege (aluminum) and the Little Chuck (copper) are the same length but the Protege at about 2/3 the radius has a lot less metal to pass through. Does the better conductivity of copper more than make up for that?

 

[Scottes]

Little Chuck also has more mass, thus less resistance. That's just considering the tube though.

 

[NickJuice]

lets try to start with the basics...in our opinions what do we *think* are the very best and very worst when it comes to resistance(Maybe a NicoStick and a Chuck)?? Test those two..and if we can't find an appreciable diffrence...then that should basicly answer the question

 

[Scottes]

I'd go with the pair you chose. Every Chuck owner seems to think it's the best performing mod, and the design of the Nicostik should make it the one with the highest resistance.

I have a Chuck, but the "worst" PV I have is probably the VP1. But my cheap-... multi-meter reads both tubes at 1.9 Ohms. I need to borrow the Fluke from work and that won't happen until Monday.

 

[Shreck]

why would the nicostick be the worst? Im sure people arent using anything other than copper wire in them..
And I dont believe the circumference of the body would matter. thickness and length would though.. Again, I doubt your going to find enough difference in one from another to consider one better than the other. (just my opinion!)