Easy Easy Easy Variable Voltage Mod (NO PICS so FOR NON NOOBS FOR NOW)

[Mark Linehan]

I am sorry my camera is dead so I can not post any images of my newest mod, but when I say this is EASY, I mean it is one of the easiest mods I have ever made, and it is VARIABLE VOLTAGE.

Now, everyone knows that I praise MadVapes to the four corners and back, and always with good reason. So they have done it again. They sell this new regulator kIt?? for lack of a better word.

It is a variable voltage regulator, and it comes with a pre-drilled and labeled PCB for mounting all the components. It also comes with all the components!!! Two resistors, the VV regulator of course, a potentiometer, etc.

It is a surface mount regulator, and that was my only complaint really, but it is not the end of the world to solder a SM regulator. This regulator gets a bit warm in my mod, but it is heavily surrounded with QuikSteel, and it still does not get insanely hot.

So, if you are considering making yourself a variable voltage mod but have been putting it off because you are intimidated by the more complex build of VV (even though it is not as difficult as you probably think it is with ANY vv setup pretty much), put it off no more. Get this setup and you will have a variable voltage mod for a few bucks and a few minutes.

I promise a tutorial and pictures as soon as I can buy a new camera, but I am sorta poor *like most everyone else lol*

For now, here is a list of what you want to buy to make one of the ones I made. BTW, the one I made was a dual 2xAA battery box, with both boxes epoxied together. Get two with no master switches, or do what I did and dremel a rectangle to expose the master switch inside the second box. Obviously, keep the switch on the box that will be holding the batteries. The second box will hold everything else.

PARTS LIST

(1) Variable Voltage Regulator Kit
(2) 14500 Protected Batteries
(2) 2xAA Battery Boxes
Horn Switch ** (or any good switch)
Connector ** (510, 808, 401, RCA, whatever you like)
LED & Resistor ** (I don't put them in mine anymore, but when I make them for others I use them)

This really is an easy VV build. Easiest one I have ever done. *okay, so I have only made 2 others LOL*

Oh all of the above is available from MadVapes. You can get the switches, and battery boxes on E-Bay from one of a million Chinese sellers of course, and for pennies on the dollar, but you will wait 3 weeks or more for shipping. I prefer paying a little more

Link to MadVapes

I was so excited about this new VV mod I made, I had to share the information at the very least. Sorry I can not supply any pics or vid right now. Like I said, camera died and I am a fairly poor person so will be a while before I can get a camera. I can barely afford nicotine liquid for cripes sake!! LOL

TTFN

 

[drewk302]

good for you......once you go vv there is no going back. Keep us up to date on how that madvapes kit holds up. does it get hot? does it cut out? whats the voltage drop under load? yada yada yada

 

[GERGOZ]

thanks for the post, mark....... PERFECT TIMING !

i just received that same kit from madvapes yesterday

i gotta find some time to install it into a box i got from Dudeman (awesome box btw ! thanks-Mr Bob !)

it makes me feel much better about attempting this task, although, this will be my first, lol..... wish me luck !

thanks again, gervis

 

[throbinskin]

Thanks for the parts list!

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Yep..! The MadVapes VV Regulator kit is easy and works well, he said while taking a long, slow draw.

Two thumbs up!

 

[Mark Linehan]

Well it is holding up quite well. Of course, I did make it myself and I took great care in building this one. The regulator does generate a small amount of heat, but so far as I can tell, nothing too outrageous, and keep in mind as I stated before, there is a good amount of Quiksteel surrounding the reg on 3 sides as well. I am quite happy with this VV mod, both in how easy it was to build and how stable it seems to be running still. This is so awesome being able to sit at my favorite 4.2v at all times. Although I got a few slightly HV clearomizers (3.5ohm) and I crank it up to 5.2v for those for a change of pace. What a kicking throat hit I get off those. I still think heat kills taste though, so I always end up backing it down eventually. I know a lot of my fellow vapers sing the praises of Throat Hit, but I will give up throat hit for taste any day of the week, and as of late I have been enjoying some very light flavors (sweet cream mostly) and it takes very little to lose that flavor. Of course I have been getting a bit unique with my sweet cream mix lately as well..

70% VG @ 36mg nic strength
30% Sweet Cream (One Stop DIY Shop)

Yeah.. This gets the flavor going and the 36mg gives a good kick as well.

 

[bstedh]

I share your excitement. I am ordering this kit also to put in my mod I am working on. I am posting in a new thread for advice on batteries and details of my mod.

 

[breaktru]

Good for you Mark. Congrats on your brandy new mod that you built.
I notice that Madvapes does not suppy the capacitors that are shown in the datasheet for the regulator. I'm sure if you add them to the the voltage in and out they will make a difference.

* Input Cap is a decoupling capacitor used to provide voltage stability for the input.
* Output Cap is used to provide voltage stability when a load is present on the output of the regulator.

Tell me more about the sweet cream

 

[Para]

I grabbed one of my old box mods and replaced the 5v chip with the new VV one and it works just like Mark said....very well. I'm not getting the heat buildup he's experienced; maybe because mine has more airflow. I can't see mounting the pot on the board so I wired it flush with the bottom of the box. The voltage range of 3-7v, coupled with the restrictive turn of the pot screw, means small adjustments = large changes in voltage. Maybe with experience it won't be necessary, but for now a volt meter is a must.

If this holds up like their standard 5v, this is a winner winner chicken dinner.

An easy way to solder the chip to the board is put the tip across all 5 legs and solder them all at the same time.

 

[Dalton63841]

Are those batteries in series, or parallel? Or should I say does it matter with this chip? For instance, is it like a step up or a step down converter?

 

[asnider123]

Been reading about this kit and it takes 2 batts (7.4v) and reduces the voltage by adjusting the potentiometer. So the answer, I believe, is in series.

 

[Dalton63841]

Thats what I thought. So if a person vaped constantly at ~6v, about how long would the batteries(2x 14500) last, before I'd need to throw them on the charger, on average of course?

I'm doing homework to decide what kind of mod I want.

 

[asnider123]

Thats what I thought. So if a person vaped constantly at ~6v, about how long would the batteries(2x 14500) last, before I'd need to throw them on the charger, on average of course?

I'm doing homework to decide what kind of mod I want.

Heck, I don't know ??? It all depends on your ferocity in vaping, I guess. A single 14500 battery lasts my wife a couple of days, guess she's a casual vaper. We always have a spare already charged up, so it hasn't presented a problem. The main things I believe you need to keep in mind:

1. battery voltage and resistance of your atty (current = voltage / resistance) so 6V with a 3 ohm atty = 2 amps current
2. battery limitation. Protected batts will only charge to about 4.2v and will quit producing current at aboutv3.2v
3. how much you Bogart the thing.

Bottom line: vape at the voltage you wish, just always have a spare pair of batts all charged and ready to go. No problems

Hope that helps

 

[cuseguy]

Thats what I thought. So if a person vaped constantly at ~6v, about how long would the batteries(2x 14500) last, before I'd need to throw them on the charger, on average of course?

I'm doing homework to decide what kind of mod I want.

From personal exp, 2x14500's stacked in a VV mod, vaping at 6V and 3 ohm atty, I could go about 6 hours of fairly steady vaping. 14500's are not the longest life batt, but nice size.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[outofjuice]

Thats what I thought. So if a person vaped constantly at ~6v, about how long would the batteries(2x 14500) last, before I'd need to throw them on the charger, on average of course?

I'm doing homework to decide what kind of mod I want.

heres the spec sheet on that reg
http://www.madvapes.com/assets/images/NCP630-D.pdf
form what i read linear regs convert extra volts into heat... so... two 14500's in a sires at 6v would last about the same as 7.4v....

well i could just be talking out my .... here

 

[asnider123]

heres the spec sheet on that reg
http://www.madvapes.com/assets/images/NCP630-D.pdf
form what i read linear regs convert extra volts into heat... so... two 14500's in a sires at 6v would last about the same as 7.4v....

well i could just be talking out my .... here

I think yer absolutely right! I'm very interested in another type of regulation called PWM (if I remember right). You adjust your voltage by modulating the signal. More later, gotta go to work