VTKD fix

[Morandir835]

Thank you first to Ms. Photo_Bug on the V4L forum for the assist. She verified it worked.

If your vtkd is having a sticky switch, here's what you need to do-

You'll need a safety pin or sewing needle. Use the air intake holes on the threading to get the needle/pin under the post, pry it up some. Now if you can see the air holes in the post, you need to gently (key word gently) get one of these moved closer to the air intake hole on the thread by using the needle/pin to twist the post slightly. Key thing is to be very gentle, too much force and you'll break the post off. Hope this helps.

 

[SnowDragon]

Most excellent post Morandir....thank you!

 

[plarkinjr]

Trying it now.... first to remove the toothpick I jammed in one of the holes to decrease the bypass-ratio....

OK, this may be a case of over-40 eyes, or I don't have a "sticky" switch, just one that needs more suction than I'm used to, but I got no improvement. To confirm:

Center post has two holes, right? The top of it has a slot. If you look down at it and orient the slot vertically, holes are at 1 and 7 o'clock. Holes on the threads are at 2, 6 and 8 o'clock. I raised the post a bit with a pin thru the 6 o'clock hole and was unable to snag the 7 o-clock hole in the post. So with my handy "sliver gitters", grasped the post at 3 and 9 o'clock and gently twisted (took some force to overcome initial stiction) counter clockwise about one hour.... so that the 7 o'clock post hole aligns with the 6 o'clock thread hole. Looking thru that hole, though, I cannot see the post hole. I believe because it is higher. Put the carto back one took a draw and it still needs more airflow that I'm accustomed to.

Did I miss something?

 

[Morandir835]

Plarkinjr sir did you raise the post up first? Think you missed a very key step in all of this. Had two vt king diamonds that had sticky switches. Was able to fix batt A with the following:

Raising the post up using a needle/safety pin/etc. by going under the post via the 3 air intake holes. This worked without issue, but wasn't enough for batt B. Wasn't the only one because the people who also suggested to try it had mixed results. 6 out of 10 people got their's working, the other 4 and my own really sticky batt no.

Which brought us to the fix for batt B, taking it a step further. You don't have to twist the post much, it doesn't have to be perfectly aligned with the air intake hole, said closer. Might have moved it 1-2mm closer to the hole. Again though, raising the post is a key step in the process.....

 

[plarkinjr]

Yes, I raised the post initially, per your instructions, but was rather conservative. So I went back and raised it more, till nearly flush with the top of the threads. Placing the carto back on the batt, screwing it down till it just makes contact, there is now a 1.5mm gap between the bottom of the carto threads and the top of the flange on the batt. Still no perceptible improvement. So next, I turned the center post even more so that BOTH holes (1 & 7 o'clock) aligned with holes in the threads (2 & 8 o'clock) instead of just one (post 7 to threads 6).

Maybe my batt has been "functional per design" all along, and just needs more air than I prefer.
Purely for grins, I wrapped some scotch tape around the carto/batt joint (reducing the bypass ratio to nil). As expected, the switch activated easily but draw was very tight. vapor produced was thick & dense, but low in total volume. I'll probably go back to plugging one of the thread holes to create a 2:1 bypass ratio vs 3:1.

 

[Morandir835]

Don't think it has Plarkinjr sir, all the ones have on hand draw just like their unsealed counterparts save the shorties as mentioned before in the review. The tighter draw kills what makes these "sealed" autos different from the sealed gen 2 autos (that and of course the voltage difference). Gone through 4 of them so far today, all of them functioned as they should. Only way I knew one was sealed and the other wasn't was the coating. Do what makes you happy though.

 

[plarkinjr]

Yeah, the "draw" (lets say "maximum air throughput") is the same on the Titan XL Auto as all my Diamond XL auto's. It simply requires more "airspeed" shall we say to activate the switch on the Titan. I have an auto stealth titan xl on the way. Maybe it'll do better. Do you find that shorter batts have more or less sensitive switches, or just about the same?

 

[Morandir835]

Plarkinjr sir the airspeed is the same as well in all the ones I've tried save those 2 that were sticky. The regulars are the same, shorties require a bit more "airspeed" as you called it to activate it than that of the unsealed variety.

 

[SR219]

I bought 3 and all of them have draw issues, each one different than the other. I am so used to the draw of the unsealed diamonds, I have found these to be disappointing. I can't get one to activate at all. I most likely will request to trade them for unsealed (even though I'll take a hit on the price). At the price of these, I can't see having to fiddle with the posts and holes just to make them work.

I hate to do that as I love the new colors and the feel of them, but for me the draw is THE MOST important issue. I know I have a good auto when just the slightest inhale activates it.

 

[Morandir835]

SR219 (sir or Ms.?) pm sent.

 

[SR219]

SR219 (sir or Ms.?) pm sent.

and responded (all sir) lol

 

[plarkinjr]

Just thought I'd post an update... a Titan XL Auto stealth arrived today, and exhibited the same issues as my olive XL auto. I raised the post on the stealth and its good to go. The olive still has issues.

 

[Cyrus Vap]

I think I have my lingo all wrong? lol

To me requiring more air speed/harder suck means the draw is too loose and airy, the suction isn't 'getting to the switch' to activate it

When I complain about gen 2 batts being to 'tight,' what I mean is I feel like I'm sucking a milkshake through a thin straw, but it activates without effort. It just feels funny. I don't hear much air or sizzle, quite the opposite. Super tight.

As far as diamonds go: My XLs are 'perfect' my regulars are a little more airy and I find that 1)adding a drip tip 2) higher draw speed fixes this. I've also plugged up a hole or two with electrical tape or a toothpick, and that fixes it too.

I don't have a Titan though, so can't comment

But I suppose the switch itself is a variable here. I can imagine having a super tight draw, and a sticky switch, the combination of which would lead to being blue in the face before the thing fires

Another example at the other extreme: I have a janky stealth shorty auto (replacement on the way) that won't fire unless I suck a hurricane through the carto, loads of air and whistle, and then it dies out because I can't maintain the force. To me that's WAY too airy, not tight.

words are funny

 

[plarkinjr]

Cyrus, everything you said is pretty much what I've observed... except that I have no experience with Gen2's. Yes, there's too tight, and there's too airy.... and there's just right, but not enough to trigger the switch.

I think I have my lingo all wrong? lol

To me requiring more air speed/harder suck means the draw is too loose and airy, the suction isn't 'getting to the switch' to activate it

When I complain about gen 2 batts being to 'tight,' what I mean is I feel like I'm sucking a milkshake through a thin straw, but it activates without effort. It just feels funny. I don't hear much air or sizzle, quite the opposite. Super tight.

As far as diamonds go: My XLs are 'perfect' my regulars are a little more airy and I find that 1)adding a drip tip 2) higher draw speed fixes this. I've also plugged up a hole or two with electrical tape or a toothpick, and that fixes it too.

I don't have a Titan though, so can't comment

But I suppose the switch itself is a variable here. I can imagine having a super tight draw, and a sticky switch, the combination of which would lead to being blue in the face before the thing fires

Another example at the other extreme: I have a janky stealth shorty auto (replacement on the way) that won't fire unless I suck a hurricane through the carto, loads of air and whistle, and then it dies out because I can't maintain the force. To me that's WAY too airy, not tight.

words are funny

 

[EleanorR]

I think this variability (or maybe just the nature of the beast?) is why I fell in love with, and now stick to, the manuals. (Pardon the pun! )

 

[Cyrus Vap]

Im sure manuals are more consistent, but nothing beats the feeling of manipulating and controlling your vape with your air flow and nothing more

Jeez listen to me, you'd think I used to burn tobacco and smoke it!

 

[EleanorR]

Hey Cyrus, you forgot to add, "YMMV"

 

[Cyrus Vap]

yMMV manual lovers!

 

[ThankU4Vaping]

I think this variability (or maybe just the nature of the beast?) is why I fell in love with, and now stick to, the manuals. (Pardon the pun! )

I concur but I will not pardon the pun. We don't need no stinkin' pun-free zones!

 

[dedi]

[Another example at the other extreme: I have a janky stealth shorty auto (replacement on the way) that won't fire unless I suck a hurricane through the carto, loads of air and whistle, and then it dies out because I can't maintain the force. To me that's WAY too airy, not tight.

words are funny[/QUOTE]

I realize this is an older thread but sometimes I don't have time to read all this and understand.........when I read what Cyrus had just written it HIT me! I have several diamond ordered in last few months with the above feeling! I can't maintain the force of air to keep them activated. At first I thought I was just screwed and it was the nature of this battery.........now I am wondering if this is "the fix" for this problem. I can't quite figure out if it is referring to Titans (which I don't have) or to diamonds? Any advice? I use both cartos and refills. Have been doing both for a couple of years with no problems on the ashcaps.
Thx
Dedi