USB PassThru in your car

[leeshor]

I use the PT when driving but I'm fortunate enough to have a built-in USB port on the dash, just to the right of the radio and it works as well as plugged into my computer.

I had a customer that wanted to be able to do that in her new Lexus but no port. Could have fooled me.

 

[Devilooman]

yea be a little careful when using the PT while driving, especially around town and if your left handed like me. maybe also depends where your lighter port is located too. mine is right in front of the shifter so it interferes with shifting and i have to swing it across my steering wheel (Left Handed) which is also an issue.....

Yay! Have always wondered how left handed people drove sticks... lol now I guess I know! Must be hard, I'm so uncoordinated I'm sure I would wreck the car while trying to change gears

Edit: Well piff! When I first read that post it sounded like you reached over and changed gears with your left hand. Now I reread it and that is not the case, lol. I neeeeeed more coffee!

 

[Lando]

lol......its actually easier for left'y to drive stick in the USA (finally gives the right hand something to do)........you realize that in a lot of countries righty's have to shift with their left hand.......

 

[v1John]

It's literally a pass-through. USB is 5vDC. So it's "passing through" the 5vDC to the atomizer coil.

I was thinking the passthrough had a 5v regulator inside the hollow battery case. If it doesn't, then I suppose (just maybe) it would be easy for the manufacturers to buidl a little variable usb adapter.

The adapter would connect to a standard 5v usb, and would basically just consist of a small knob that you turn (a variable potentiometer resistor - a pot.). All the way to the right, you get the full 5v, and all the way to the left, you get 3.7 or whatever voltage some vapers want.

I really enjoy my PT the way it is, I'm not saying 5V is too much at all. I started vaping recently, when vaping was already premium. I'm just saying... for the people who still prefer lower voltage at times.

 

[5cardstud]

I do. I don't know why I keep building all these mods cause I'm always on a passthrough while the mods sit on the shelf. Sometimes I use them but not enough.

 

[5cardstud]

I use the PT when driving but I'm fortunate enough to have a built-in USB port on the dash, just to the right of the radio and it works as well as plugged into my computer.

I had a customer that wanted to be able to do that in her new Lexus but no port. Could have fooled me.

That is a great idea. I'm putting one in my car tomorrow.

 

[Adrenalynn]

No - no regulator. A 5v 3A linear would be large and run HOT. And it couldn't run from a USB anyway, since the USB is already 5v regulated. Any regulator will have drop-out, and require some voltage as input above the regulated voltage. Even an LDO (Low Drop Out Regulator) would need to be at least a few tenths of a volt higher.

There's a FET there to switch the high amperage source from the low amperage switch, but that's about it...

You _definitely_ wouldn't want a pot that could handle that kinda current in there. It would make the device huge! The right way to do it would be a small switching regulator - but those are expensive. Probably add another $20 to the cost of the passthrough by the time it hit retail. I haven't seen a programmable linear at that current that also fits an SMT package. A divider would be too bulky.

There might be some Maxx part that will do a single voltage switching regulation in an appropriate SMT part that will handle the current - that'd have to be investigated, but it's unlikely it'd not double the cost of the device at retail - unless we're talking hundreds of thousands of units...

This isn't quite as simple an engineering task as you might suspect at first-blush. If it were, V4L would already be selling them...

I was thinking the passthrough had a 5v regulator inside the hollow battery case. If it doesn't, then I suppose (just maybe) it would be easy for the manufacturers to buidl a little variable usb adapter.

The adapter would connect to a standard 5v usb, and would basically just consist of a small knob that you turn (a variable potentiometer resistor - a pot.). All the way to the right, you get the full 5v, and all the way to the left, you get 3.7 or whatever voltage some vapers want.

I really enjoy my PT the way it is, I'm not saying 5V is too much at all. I started vaping recently, when vaping was already premium. I'm just saying... for the people who still prefer lower voltage at times.

 

[v1John]

I'm not familiar with the small linears (you mean as in linear IC's?), but I was thinking of something like this that can handle 10 watts. It would not be part of a passthrough. Instead, it connects to your USB port, and then you connect the passthrough to this adapter box. Would it still be too inconvenient for home PC vaping?

Multi-Turn Wire-Wound Potentiometer - Series 46xx

 

[mwa102464]

I just got a IMAXPOWER 8900 unit model#880 This thing really rocks and fits in your back pocket, take your PT with ya anywhere ya wanna go and charges your cell phone at the same time, it's greatttttttttttt

 

[SMILIN]

I did when I used standard cartos--now I don't really use the PT much at all. But it is a handy li'l feller. If V4L had a 3.7V PT, I'd still use one.

Our new ones work PERFECT

Steve

 

[Adrenalynn]

I'm not familiar with the small linears (you mean as in linear IC's?), but I was thinking of something like this that can handle 10 watts. It would not be part of a passthrough. Instead, it connects to your USB port, and then you connect the passthrough to this adapter box. Would it still be too inconvenient for home PC vaping?

Multi-Turn Wire-Wound Potentiometer - Series 46xx

Six inches long, two inches in diameter, and still underpowered by 25%. (2A + losses. 3A @ 5v is the absolute minimum rating, 15-20 Watts)

 

[Desertfremen]

Yeah PT in the car didn't work out well for me, got wrapped around the shifter. (Yes, I drive a manual as well.) I see about running it over to the other side but I vape with my right hand when driving which is the hand that also does the shifting. My left hand never leaves the wheel.

Yup my port is on the passenger side of the middle of the dash all the way at the bottom above the cup holder. So also it's takes up space b/c now I can't use the other cup holder as well.

Oh well. My PT does just fine for dripping and vaping when I'm attached to the comp playing WoW anyways! Other than that I actually prefer the 3.7v in the battery (XL). Keeps the taste on more delicate flavours.

 

[Brooke1975]

My VK didn't come with one of those, I need to get one!

 

[Devilooman]

Sigh.... I should've knocked on some wood! Jumped in the car today and dropped my son off and then took off to school. Plugged my PT into the car charger thingy and NO GO! OMG! I will have to test in another car to see if it's the charger thingy or the car thingy. 8-o At least it's not the PT thingy

 

[the4thpower3]

The Passthrough won't hardly function at anything less than 1 amp. Try it out on one of those rated at 200 mA for example...no worky!

That Belkin you posted is rated at 1 Amp...not bad. But V4L's is rated at a solid 2 Amps just to make SURE it's gonna work<grin>.

Thanks for the info. I've been searching even more. 2 amp USB car chargers are a rare breed. There will be more available soon due to the rise of the I-Pad, but they're all like $25...and still not available. Looks like the V4L charger maybe the way to go for only $10.00. I wonder if it would have any problems charging my Iphone. And now I'm really interested in what that 1 extra amp increase will do to vaping my V4L passthru!

 

[mwa102464]

if you want to take your PT in the car or anywhere with you for that matter get one of the new IMAXPOWER Portable chrgers, not only will it run 2 PT's at the same time but it will charge your sell phone at the same time too if need be, the 8900 Series I have is rated to run for 38 hrs before a charge and will run a laptop also. I really like my unit and it fits in my back pocket.!!

 

[wader2k]

Thanks for the info. I've been searching even more. 2 amp USB car chargers are a rare breed. There will be more available soon due to the rise of the I-Pad, but they're all like $25...and still not available. Looks like the V4L charger maybe the way to go for only $10.00. I wonder if it would have any problems charging my Iphone. And now I'm really interested in what that 1 extra amp increase will do to vaping my V4L passthru!

Ubetcha! It's a great unit. I use it daily!

 

[jeanblackwood]

I bought a usb car charger for my batteries but my usb passthrough doesn't work with it does any one know why?

 

[Adrenalynn]

Not enough current delivery. Car charger adapters are frequently very low current. You'd need to tell us specifically where you got it and exactly what model it was, and tell us exactly what's printed on it (the 5v / _____mA or _____A is the most important part for our use) before we could answer effectively.

As written, the only correct answer to your question would be "apparently some reason".

 

[jeanblackwood]

Not enough current delivery. Car charger adapters are frequently very low current. You'd need to tell us specifically where you got it and exactly what model it was, and tell us exactly what's printed on it (the 5v / _____mA or _____A is the most important part for our use) before we could answer effectively.

As written, the only correct answer to your question would be "apparently some reason".

This is all it says on it . in put dc 12v-24v , out put dc 5.0v+5%, max500ma