So here is my account of my vacation from the US to Austria by way of Munich International Airport.
The kind people at nhaler.com we able to honor my overnight request for an xhaler to take with me (it took a personal favor and some extra money, so don't expect the same!). I only had two 801 atomizers, and I ordered two more from nhaler. Well, both atomizers from nhaler were cooked...DOA. The first one fell apart when I tried to attach it; it literally twisted in half trying to put it on hand tight. No worries, I thought. I still have my original two and the other from nhaler.
So I attach the other new one very carefully. Assuming there was a factory primer, I didn't overload it with liquid. But, knowing 6v can quickly fry an atomizer, I knew I needed a couple drops regardless. The batteries were charged and it was ready to go.
I also knew that pre-firing with higher voltage can instantly pop the resistor, so I dragged first then continued while pressing the button. I got a very brief warm feeling in my mouth telling me it worked, then a sudden puff of pressure. Atomizer two just blew.
So now I'm left with my two original 801's from Janty. They were both about 2 or 3 months old and running like champs on 3.6v, but I was worried regardless. After all, I just had two new atomizers die within minutes.
Well, Janty's 801s were slightly different from nhaler's. The center connector was too high to make contact when fully tightened. So with some quick thinking, I soldered a small bead onto the inside part that contacts the battery and bingo, it fires right up.
I used the old one first, expecting it to fry after months of use. Within an hour, it did just that--but I do believe it was from looking to see how quickly the coil would turn orange. My mistake.
So here I am, hours away from an international flight, with one atomizer. .....
I figured my safest bet was to find a UK based company, order some more and have them shipped to the hotel in Austria at which I would be staying. Enter theelectroniccigarette.co.uk
I ordered three, and expressed multiple times that they were to be sent to Austria, not the US.
I get to the airport ( Dulles International ) and go through security. I removed the xhaler, took off the atomizer and put it in on top of my jacket. No problems, no questions.
The trip was going fine until I got pretty drunk one night and puffed the xhaler dry. My last atomizer---dead.
I checked it as best I could without a multimeter and it was certainly fried. So I decided to charge my batteries anyway, in hopes the shipment would be there soon. I plug them into the charger (with voltage adapter, had no problems with it so far), and I smell something funny and the light isn't red. I remove one of the batteries and it's covered in liquid. Wtf is this, I thought.
I wiped my finger on it and felt the texture--smells like battery acid. Immediately unplugged it. One of the unprotected batteries burst and covered the insides of the charger in acid. (One more reason to use protected batteries.)
As a side note, I took the charger apart and rinsed it with sink water. It dried overnight and began working fine again. The acid was just shorting a circuit.
So here I am, three good batteries, no atty's, and a very bad temper. I had to resort to European analogs for three days.
I searched all over this Innsbruck Austria for rechargeable 3v CR123 batteries. After several bad directions and 3 stores, all I could find were non-rechargeable Energizer for 8 euro a piece. Hellllll no.
Then when walking through the lobby, the receptionist runs over to me and hands me a package. My atty's made it in time!
Now, the 801 from Electronic Cigarette / Electronic Cigarette Company / buy electronic cigarettes and accessories online is slightly different. It has no air holes on the sides. It just has one in the center...right where the center pin from the xhaler connects. So I had no airflow.
Following a tutorial I recalled about ensuring you have a solid connection, I used a staple which allows contact at two points and air can creep past. I'm golden, but I only have 3 rechargeable 3v batteries. No backups.
So now I am headed home. The first round of security, I left it in my checked bag (a US Army backpack in the front pocket with my headphones).
The security officer asks if he can look in my bag, shows me the monitor and shows me what he wants to see. The body of the xhaler was directly over the end of the headphones. It looks EXACTLY like a detonator. ....
I removed it carefully, and since he was a native German who spoke some English, I said in slightly broken English "This is a...electronic cigarette...uhhhh batteries....no smoke...vapor?"
He showed it to his supervisor, who showed it to his, who had someone run off and check with another person while I took it apart and showed him the batteries, atomizer and explained what it does.
After five minutes and some chuckles about how "cool" it was, they gave it back and allowed me to get dressed.
Now, for a US bound flight from Munich, you go through the same screening twice. So I removed it from my bag, just as I did when flying TO Munich, and got no questions.
All that being said, I explained to a LOT of locals in Austria what this device was since they were all smoking analogs and I was sucking on a small flashlight and blowing out a cloud like a cigar
I am ordering CR123 protected as soon as I click post.
The kind people at nhaler.com we able to honor my overnight request for an xhaler to take with me (it took a personal favor and some extra money, so don't expect the same!). I only had two 801 atomizers, and I ordered two more from nhaler. Well, both atomizers from nhaler were cooked...DOA. The first one fell apart when I tried to attach it; it literally twisted in half trying to put it on hand tight. No worries, I thought. I still have my original two and the other from nhaler.
So I attach the other new one very carefully. Assuming there was a factory primer, I didn't overload it with liquid. But, knowing 6v can quickly fry an atomizer, I knew I needed a couple drops regardless. The batteries were charged and it was ready to go.
I also knew that pre-firing with higher voltage can instantly pop the resistor, so I dragged first then continued while pressing the button. I got a very brief warm feeling in my mouth telling me it worked, then a sudden puff of pressure. Atomizer two just blew.
So now I'm left with my two original 801's from Janty. They were both about 2 or 3 months old and running like champs on 3.6v, but I was worried regardless. After all, I just had two new atomizers die within minutes.
Well, Janty's 801s were slightly different from nhaler's. The center connector was too high to make contact when fully tightened. So with some quick thinking, I soldered a small bead onto the inside part that contacts the battery and bingo, it fires right up.
I used the old one first, expecting it to fry after months of use. Within an hour, it did just that--but I do believe it was from looking to see how quickly the coil would turn orange. My mistake.
So here I am, hours away from an international flight, with one atomizer. .....
I figured my safest bet was to find a UK based company, order some more and have them shipped to the hotel in Austria at which I would be staying. Enter theelectroniccigarette.co.uk
I ordered three, and expressed multiple times that they were to be sent to Austria, not the US.
I get to the airport ( Dulles International ) and go through security. I removed the xhaler, took off the atomizer and put it in on top of my jacket. No problems, no questions.
The trip was going fine until I got pretty drunk one night and puffed the xhaler dry. My last atomizer---dead.
I checked it as best I could without a multimeter and it was certainly fried. So I decided to charge my batteries anyway, in hopes the shipment would be there soon. I plug them into the charger (with voltage adapter, had no problems with it so far), and I smell something funny and the light isn't red. I remove one of the batteries and it's covered in liquid. Wtf is this, I thought.
I wiped my finger on it and felt the texture--smells like battery acid. Immediately unplugged it. One of the unprotected batteries burst and covered the insides of the charger in acid. (One more reason to use protected batteries.)
As a side note, I took the charger apart and rinsed it with sink water. It dried overnight and began working fine again. The acid was just shorting a circuit.
So here I am, three good batteries, no atty's, and a very bad temper. I had to resort to European analogs for three days.
I searched all over this Innsbruck Austria for rechargeable 3v CR123 batteries. After several bad directions and 3 stores, all I could find were non-rechargeable Energizer for 8 euro a piece. Hellllll no.
Then when walking through the lobby, the receptionist runs over to me and hands me a package. My atty's made it in time!
Now, the 801 from Electronic Cigarette / Electronic Cigarette Company / buy electronic cigarettes and accessories online is slightly different. It has no air holes on the sides. It just has one in the center...right where the center pin from the xhaler connects. So I had no airflow.
Following a tutorial I recalled about ensuring you have a solid connection, I used a staple which allows contact at two points and air can creep past. I'm golden, but I only have 3 rechargeable 3v batteries. No backups.
So now I am headed home. The first round of security, I left it in my checked bag (a US Army backpack in the front pocket with my headphones).
The security officer asks if he can look in my bag, shows me the monitor and shows me what he wants to see. The body of the xhaler was directly over the end of the headphones. It looks EXACTLY like a detonator. ....
I removed it carefully, and since he was a native German who spoke some English, I said in slightly broken English "This is a...electronic cigarette...uhhhh batteries....no smoke...vapor?"
He showed it to his supervisor, who showed it to his, who had someone run off and check with another person while I took it apart and showed him the batteries, atomizer and explained what it does.
After five minutes and some chuckles about how "cool" it was, they gave it back and allowed me to get dressed.
Now, for a US bound flight from Munich, you go through the same screening twice. So I removed it from my bag, just as I did when flying TO Munich, and got no questions.
All that being said, I explained to a LOT of locals in Austria what this device was since they were all smoking analogs and I was sucking on a small flashlight and blowing out a cloud like a cigar
I am ordering CR123 protected as soon as I click post.
