The "WeekEnder"

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BJ43

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mikepetro

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I have one of these coming from FT, plan to leave the 3 batts and wrap the DNA around the top section using the onboard switches..;) I will probably break another screen.;) Three batts for a long weekend.:D Maybe a large fire switch, it looks cool.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...50-battery-box-china-dna20-mod-hopefully.html

I have a couple of these in both the 2 bat and 3 bat configs. I am watching that other thread to see how Shorty does. I have been leery of modding them though as I feared they would handle the current we require.
 

BJ43

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I have a couple of these in both the 2 bat and 3 bat configs. I am watching that other thread to see how Shorty does. I have been leery of modding them though as I feared they would handle the current we require.

I am going to gut it and use new heavier wire. What are you afraid of, heat melting the plastic top cover? Looking to cut a new top cover or make one from hobby plywood 1/16" fiber glassed with thin glass cloth and epoxy. Have a bunch of thin wood and glass cloth from my RC building days.
 

mikepetro

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I am going to gut it and use new heavier wire. What are you afraid of, heat melting the plastic top cover? Looking to cut a new top cover or make one from hobby plywood 1/16" fiber glassed with thin glass cloth and epoxy. Have a bunch of thin wood and glass cloth from my RC building days.
  • The negative lead going up through the middle, cant see what the gauge of it is. Can it handle 7amps.
  • The springs, can they handle 4amps, these things were only specd out to handle 1amp.
Your top sounds interesting, not well versed in fiberglass myself.
 
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shortyjacobs

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  • The negative lead going up through the middle, cant see what the gauge of it is. Can it handle 7amps.
  • The springs, can they handle 4amps, these things were only specd out to handle 1amp.
Your top sounds interesting, not well versed in fiberglass myself.

My center lead pulled out when I yanked the circuit board, so I'll be soldering a new wire to the two springs at the bottom. The lead is 1mm diameter though, works out to somewhere between 18 and 19 awg. Not sure what it's made of...it's silver colored....steel or aluminum? Probably steel because aluminum is a PITA to solder? Something plated? Dunno...but I'm guessing it could take the current.

As for the springs, they are 0.66mm, which is right around 22 awg. No idea what the ampacity is on them, but they seem decently hardy, no wimpier than in any other battery holders I've seen.
 

mikepetro

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My center lead pulled out when I yanked the circuit board, so I'll be soldering a new wire to the two springs at the bottom. The lead is 1mm diameter though, works out to somewhere between 18 and 19 awg. Not sure what it's made of...it's silver colored....steel or aluminum? Probably steel because aluminum is a PITA to solder? Something plated? Dunno...but I'm guessing it could take the current.

As for the springs, they are 0.66mm, which is right around 22 awg. No idea what the ampacity is on them, but they seem decently hardy, no wimpier than in any other battery holders I've seen.

Thanks Shorty.....

How much trouble is it going to be to get a new wire down to the springs?
 

ratchet62

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My center lead pulled out when I yanked the circuit board, so I'll be soldering a new wire to the two springs at the bottom. The lead is 1mm diameter though, works out to somewhere between 18 and 19 awg. Not sure what it's made of...it's silver colored....steel or aluminum? Probably steel because aluminum is a PITA to solder? Something plated? Dunno...but I'm guessing it could take the current.

As for the springs, they are 0.66mm, which is right around 22 awg. No idea what the ampacity is on them, but they seem decently hardy, no wimpier than in any other battery holders I've seen.

Your 18/19 ga wire is more than likely tin plated copper. 18 ga should easily be good for 10 amps.
 

shortyjacobs

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Thanks Shorty.....

How much trouble is it going to be to get a new wire down to the springs?

Pretty simple, at a guess. The solder connections in this thing suck - I just pulled the blob of solder off at the bottom and the three springs are free. I'll solder the two springs I keep back together with a new wire, either going down the middle or routed into the third chamber where I'll be housing my DNA20. Since I'm using the third battery bay for the DNA, it gives me plenty of wire routing space. I could go down the center where the original "spear" was too though - it's probably 2.5mm+ wide, at a guess, enough room to fish a wire down it.

My biggest hangup is on how to build/secure a top cap for the thing, as you can see from my thread on it...

Edit: bottom of the circuit board, the three lugs are the positive battery connections, the long spear is the negative wire that goes down to the springs.
20131217_164617.jpg
 

mikepetro

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Bap, how about a step by step on how you solder a new screen on the DNA. Thinking about ordering five and seeing if my Taiwanese computer nerd can fix the three I have broken. Any tricks you may have from experience.:)

Pictures or it doesnt count........
 

mikepetro

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Awesome build man! Ive got two questions. When you cut the box down to size what did you use to cut it? When it was cut down what did you use self tapping screws or did you have to re-tap the screw wells?


I clamped each side down in a miter box, then used hacksaw. Put the two halves back together and used a piece of sandpaper, taped flat, to level it all out.

I used the screws that came with it (they included several extras) and just put a lot of elbow grease into to it, letting the screws tap the holes. After that experience I went out and bought myself a M3 tap, as I dont really want to go through that again!
 
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bapgood

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Bap, how about a step by step on how you solder a new screen on the DNA. Thinking about ordering five and seeing if my Taiwanese computer nerd can fix the three I have broken. Any tricks you may have from experience.:)

Taking pics really doesn't show anything....kind of hard to do and take pics at the same time :D

- start by removing the old screen/ribbon. The easiest way to do this delicately is with a SMT hot air soldering iron, since we typically aren't trying to reuse the screen it comes off fairly easy using a typical soldering iron. I start at one side running the tip back and forth along the solder joint while giving some twisting force on the ribbon so it pulls up once loose. Then just work thru the rest of the connections.


- once off I run the tip of the iron back and forth on the solder tabs adding solder if needed to get a nice tinned pad.





- then I take the new screen and line it up over the pads. (I took it out of the vise to take the pic, typically I just hold the screen until I get it tacked down....but getting both the screen and board secured would probably make it easier). Once lined up I start at one end and tack it down by touching the tip to the top of the ribbon at the end connection. Once it's tacked I skip one or two and tack it and then anther one or two and tack. Then I kind of work thru the connections randomly dragging the tip of the iron back forth on top of the ribbon at the connections.


Ribbon setting on board




Soldered






It doesn't take much time with the iron to do the tacking or soldering, the solder flows quick. And it looks way better than the one in the pic that been on and off probably a dozen times.


* One cautionary note....Evolv has great customer service and I recommend contacting them before trying this. BJ's scenario is different since shipping charges aren't conducive to shipping it out for repair.
 
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