Using a dead connector and other noob mod questions

[Walrus]

Ok... so I'm not used to being such a noob at anything... but we all gotta start someplace, right?

I'm planning a mod, and while I'd like to get all newfangled with RCA connectors and such, I'm going to go a simpler route and just take a connector from a battery or usb-passthrough.

Here's my question: Is it ok to use a connector from a dead battery/passthrough?

I figure I'm going to remove the connector and try to keep the wires intact since my soldering isn't great anymore (my disability doesn't give me very steady hands). I have a couple batts, but will probably use a dead pass-through if possible.

Thanks

 

[ApOsTle51]

yes you can

click my sig linky links

 

[billyboy689]

ooh yeh , nice neat work apostle
heres me showing off my simple lowly hidden by heatshrink effort

.
here is what you will find inside youre average passthru
a lot of stuff that just seems to break eventually

 

[Walrus]

Thanks....

The connector is the part I'm not so sure about. I imagine that once I get it out with the wires intact, I just place it in the circuit, correct? Battery source>low voltage regulator>momentary switch>connector>Battery source?

If you've used the low voltage regulator before, where would I ground it to? I've never done electronics with a battery source before... I'm used to PC's and such.

I guess I just hijacked my own thread

Oh... and what guage wire would you suggest for the project? I'm going to run two 18650's in series (I guess around 8v at full charge) to a 5v low voltage regulator, a 1A momentary switch, and the connector from a passthrough.

 

[Paradiso]

Walrus, in my limited experience, I would be surprised if you removed the connector with the wires intact. The wires are very tiny gauge. With the 2 batteries that I scavenged the connectors from, the wires snapped as I pulled the connector from the casing.
With the 401 connectors that I'm using (tiny), soldering the wire to the center post was the most challenging. You can push the center post completely free of the connector, solder the wire (very carefully and without filling the center hole with solder) and then push wire and center post back through.
Hope that helps (or at least doesn't make it any more confusing)

John

 

[Fox3]

Hey Walrus,

Yep, gotta start someplace.

Presuming 3.7 volts for the battery and 3.6 ohms for the atomizer coil resistance, using ohms law you get (E=I*R) or in this case we want current flow so it is (I = E/R). E for voltage, I for current and R for resistance. We know resistance and voltage.

Therefore 3.7/3.6 = 1.027 amps.

With a 5 volt supply we get (I=5/3.6) 1.388 amps

Wire size table can be found all over the net , using this one for example 1:

American Wire Gauge table and AWG Electrical Current Load Limits

And figuring that AT LEAST a 50% safety rating (I like 100% myself we end up with 27ga (~=+50%) or 26ga (~=+100%). You could go with the power transmission column but I don't think that is necessary. I'm running with whatever size comes with the USB plugs I cannibalized which seems to do just fine.

You can substitute for the values above if your power source or atomizer resistance is different, of course .

The two 801 passthroughs I build are doing fine a couple months later, but I will say that I probably should have skipped the 1N4004 diode I put in the last one to drop the voltage from 5V to 4.3V.

My next project is a 510 passthrough, so far extracting the connector is being problematical, the old use the atomizer trick to get it out ended up breaking the atomizer . Going to try the hot air solderer and if that doesn't work I'll mill the casing off.

Fun ain't it !

I think I got this right, but it is too damn early and only the first cup of coffee and first cart of 24 marlboro .

Hope this helps.

 

[cddz]

The 510 is a pita to remove the adapter, still working on it as i drink my coffee and read this forum.