USB Mod v2 is DONE!

[dablackanarch]

Here's my first video, taken on my cell phone of me using my home-built USB e-ciggie with the DSE901 atomizer. As you can see, it's a vape powerhouse and the kick is massive. As a matter of fact, I get such a nic hit, my eyes rolled and I had to take a breath. This thing is amazing.

YouTube - My Jerry-rigged USB E-Ciggie

 

[Grumpysanta]

For those of you who are interested, Maplins sell a plastic 3 x battery holder which uses the pp3 9v battery connection at one end,
AA x 3 battery holder YR61R costs 79p, pp3 battery clip NE19V costs 59p
total cost £1.38

I can get from Poundland a pack of 3 AA rechargeable batteries for (you guessed it) £1

If i care to place an inline jack plug and socket on the cable I can then use either an external battery pack or power from USB. I would like to if possible keep the guts of the 901 battery in tack and just remove the dead batteries, that way I can have auto switch, led, etc as before.

I am currently also keeping an eye out for a suitable box for the batteries to sit in, could also hold extra cartridges. so any thoughts on that would be received gratefully, thanks (I have seen some plastic 1oz tobacco tins on the web that might fit the bill)

 

[ringdoc]

made mine today, gutted the battery, and the contact on the top of the battery is insulated by a rubber grommet and pops right out, easy to solder the pos wire to. I gutted a old VCR and the little switches are just perfect, used the soldering iron to get me out of the circuit board and then soldered em in series. had a bit more problem soldering the neg to the barrel, but it finely worked, used a little electrical tape and shrink tubing and it is a wonderfully thing. the amount of vape is incredible. now I am waiting for my battery pack to come in ordered last night. but if am at computer I am set up. this should become a standard. it in no way compares to the original batters supplied
thanks
Rick in kc

I hated to break up a new battery, but was well worth it
if any one wants to trade a dead 901 battery for 2 switches hit me up and we can work something out. I have a cpl extra

 

[bilkido]

Hi again I just purchased a 5v 500ma usb travel adapter,but my modded e-cig does not work with it.I know its not the cig as it works perfectly on a friends adapter.Any ideas? Also I have noticed that when using it on my friends adapter there is a slight tingle from the brass spacer between the atomiser and the batt casing.I have checked all the wiring and there does not seem to be any short circuits.The adapter he uses is a 5v 700ma.Again any ideas?

 

[Bastage]

Hi again I just purchased a 5v 500ma usb travel adapter,but my modded e-cig does not work with it.I know its not the cig as it works perfectly on a friends adapter.Any ideas? Also I have noticed that when using it on my friends adapter there is a slight tingle from the brass spacer between the atomiser and the batt casing.I have checked all the wiring and there does not seem to be any short circuits.The adapter he uses is a 5v 700ma.Again any ideas?

It's probably made for portable cell phone/mp3 player charging and can't handle the sharp current draw for the atomizer. I had the same problem with mine so I just wired up 3 batteries for it.

 

[bilkido]

It's probably made for portable cell phone/mp3 player charging and can't handle the sharp current draw for the atomizer. I had the same problem with mine so I just wired up 3 batteries for it.

Thanks for the reply,would a 5v 1000ma adapter do the trick?

 

[Bastage]

If it really is capable of putting out 1 amp it should work fine. I know a lot of those chargers are protected and won't allow surges. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Soot]

Bastage - perhaps you'll not be able to answer this but surely a re-charge battery is much the same as any rechargeable battery. Is the surge limit an add-on to the battery itself - some 'buzz-box' put between the battery and output?

It would help if sites selling these re-chargers published output amps - some do for some products. The other side of the equation is not frying your atmoiser. Isn't 1amp twice the output from a standard USB port?

Please put me right here if I've misunderstood the power issue.

 

[Bastage]

Normally, an electrical device will only use as much current as it needs to operate. Don't think of it like voltage - Ex: it's a 4v device, if you put 12 volts to it, it will fry.

 

[Soot]

Bastage - I take it that the 5v output from a USB is OK - but it'd be 25% above 4v's. Perhaps that's why Janty but a battery box between then USB and e-cig?

Sorry if my questions sound stupid. Am I frying my atomiser using a direct USB connection?

 

[Bastage]

I measured a few different USB ports. My desktop puts out 4.85v, another machine I measured right at 5v so USB outputs can vary. I haven't had any issues with direct USB, but I did notice with 4 batteries putting out a total of 5.34v it seemed like too much voltage for the atomizer. It worked, but got hot quickly and I could tell it was being overpowered. I removed one of the batteries, now it's perfect. Keep it between 4 and 5v and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Soot]

Thanks Bastage - I'm an ignoramus in regard to electricity. I've a soldering iron but I just tote it to threaten my son with internet death to stop him hogging the bandwidth.

Big mistake! He's used it to wire up contraptions that I'm sure will set the house on fire! I only found out when I looked for my solder - it'd disappeared8-o

 

[bilkido]

Ok this is what I have found. I have a 5v 500ma usb o2 cocoon mobile charger which I thought what the heck and tried it with my modded e-cig,and to my suprise it works fantastic.I have no need to go and buy another adapter now.But now the cogs are turning I want something more portable,so while rummaging I found 4x1.2v aa 2000ma nimh batts.Would 3 of these batts be capable of working correctly or would I need all 4.Sorry for all the questions but Bastage you started the ball rolling he he.

 

[Bastage]

Ok this is what I have found. I have a 5v 500ma usb o2 cocoon mobile charger which I thought what the heck and tried it with my modded e-cig,and to my suprise it works fantastic.I have no need to go and buy another adapter now.But now the cogs are turning I want something more portable,so while rummaging I found 4x1.2v aa 2000ma nimh batts.Would 3 of these batts be capable of working correctly or would I need all 4.Sorry for all the questions but Bastage you started the ball rolling he he.

No problem, I'm glad people are getting these ideas going actually. The best thing to do is prep 3 batteries in series then measure the voltage. If you are between 3.7-4.x at a full charge then leave it at 3 batteries and you should be fine. Mine are rated at 1.2 but actually put out 1.3 to 1.35v each. Mine measured 5.35 with all 4, and was too much power for the atomizer.

 

[bilkido]

No problem, I'm glad people are getting these ideas going actually. The best thing to do is prep 3 batteries in series then measure the voltage. If you are between 3.7-4.x at a full charge then leave it at 3 batteries and you should be fine. Mine are rated at 1.2 but actually put out 1.3 to 1.35v each. Mine measured 5.35 with all 4, and was too much power for the atomizer.

Thanks for that bastage I will try that

 

[Grumpysanta]

Well my first external battery mod is done, it's not pretty so I wont insult you with pictures. I'm using 3 AA rechargeable batteries, real cheap, 3 for a pound so they are only 800mAH 1.2V batteries. The doner battery got busted up real bad as it's the first one to be taken apart so its a manual switch jobby. I took the liberty of measuring the current drawn and for future reference it's 900mA or 0.9A . anyway I'm in vaping heaven.

So some points to watch out for, 900mA is clearly higher than what a USB port is capable if delivering, especially most laptops. If you are going to mod for USB I suggest using a Current Limiting Circuit. I'm considering knocking out a circuit to do just that and protect the USB port from overload by short circuit. As and when I complete the circuit I'll post up for you. Anyone modding their e-cig for external power should make sure the cable they use is capable of taking at least 1 Amp .

Bastage : I think that explains why the retractable USB didn't work very well.

Anyway I hope this information helps.

 

[Bastage]

The retractable cabe worked really well. The problem I had is that when you take it apart it's hard to solder because it's not a single wire like standard cables, it has a mesh around each one and it's really hard to make a good connection. Max raw output of a USB 2 port should be ~1.5 amps. I've been thinking about making a AAA pack, let me know how it works out for you.

 

[Grumpysanta]

The retractable cabe worked really well. The problem I had is that when you take it apart it's hard to solder because it's not a single wire like standard cables, it has a mesh around each one and it's really hard to make a good connection. Max raw output of a USB 2 port should be ~1.5 amps. I've been thinking about making a AAA pack, let me know how it works out for you.

I've seen some cheap 3 x AAA aluminium torches, could make a cigar with that. 'The Winston Churchill' sounds good.

 

[KentSP]

I am smoking quite fine using 3 X AAA 950Mah Eveready batteries. I made a series battery holder using thin cardboard I rolled up into a tube. I then soldered a spring on the one wire and a plate on the other both which I got off a toy remote control. Using insulation tape I taped the batteries below the e-cig the rest of which is the same for the USB option with a push switch at the end.
Also tried 4X AAA in the beginning worked great for 2 days then got an awful taste which is gone now that I am using 3 batteries. My battery holder seals with one piece of tape at each end so is easy to get the batteries out to charge. Also i taped the battery holder to the old battery not the atomizer so i can still get it off.
This solves the problem of smoking at home now I need something a little more decent looking for smoking in public.

 

[Lithium1330]

Hi, I've just find this Mod for an USB baterry pack, it looks nice to me, also at the last page of the tutorial there is a link talkin about some resistor needed for use this mod to charge an ipod, maybe those resistors are presents in some comercial usb battery packs for charging ipods/mp3/etc and that is way those comercial devices havent work pretty well with e-cigs.

url: instructables.com/id/Build-a-4-x-AA-USB-Altoids-Battery/

P.S. Sorry I'm not allowed to post links yet... thank god this is my 15th post.