Modding questions

[paulharman]

Ok please dont laugh, I know basically nothing about electronics but I'd really like to start modding.

So Im needing a passthrough. It would be much easier to buy one already made, but where's the fun in that. But I need your help to make sure I don't electrocute myself!

So....an atomiser requires a dc current right? Hence why we use USB. But we also have to use high amp (2amp +?) mains adaptors? Now I had a look through my bag of cables and I dont have a high ampage usb mains adaptor, but I did find a switching adaptor. Am I right in saying this converts ac to dc? Would it therefore be possible to use one of these instead of a usb mains adaptor?

The one I've got is




Secondly, I found a car charger and notice this is what has been used previously for passthroughs. Would any of this stuff be useful?



Am I anywhere near the right track or should I just stop being silly and buy one ready made?

[Lee]

I have no idea of the answers you're after but try PM'ing Verey. He's made a passthrough so will probably have a good idea of what you need.

[vereybowring]

Yes it should work as far as I'm aware.

Design it all before you build is always good practice and try and think it all through. Think where you want the button on the casing and LED position if you want one. Cut holes in the casing before you start and make sure the components are a tight fit to their hole.

When wiring in the mains cable make sure to identify the positive.
When wiring the positive goes to the switch which should be rated for 3 Amps and be a momentary switch (push on) the link shows an example of switch that should work but feel free to look around since there are many styles but it has to be rated for at least 3A possibly 5A would be even better.
From the other side of the switch this goes to the centre post of the battery connector.
The negative just attaches to the outside of the battery connector.

The battery connector can be a bit fiddly to solder when you first try, I take the centre pin out of a 510 connector and solder it and put it back in making sure to have the rubber/silicon ring back in place to prevent shorts.
Solder can be quite difficult to get to stick to the connector properly so I rough it with a file and clean with pure alcohol before putting a little solder onto the roughed part. Then when you solder a wire on it should stick much more easily.

If you want an LED you need a suitable LED in whatever colour you want and a resistor rated at 470R Ohm which are the most common packaged with LED's.
To wire the LED I tend to solder the resistor to the long leg of the LED directly (use care here to have a set of heat sink tweezers - they are sprung shut and need pressure to open them) place the tweezers between where you are soldering and the LED to stop the heat going directly into the LED and blowing it. Cut off excess leg on that side after soldered.
Then you solder the resistor to the outgoing side of the switch or to the centre pin of the battery connector. The remaining leg of the LED then gets wired to the outside of the battery connector with the other wire from the mains plug again making sure to have the heat-sink tweezers on the LED leg for safety.
I do it this way to save wiring but you can add lengths of wire to the resistor/LED set up (remember to use the heat sink when soldering the LED at any time) so you can position it where you want it in the casing.

For sticking things in place I use epoxy glue and for filling holes or to give bigger contact area for a joint epoxy putty (milliput).

It sounds complex to explain but you will realise how easy it is once you have everthing in front of you.

[paulharman]

Wow thank you!

[johnnyjames]

That 2.6A supply is quite nice. The switching types (cooler running) are always of a higher quality than the 2000mAh (2A) unregulated little USB things offered at shops.

For what it's worth unless you need it 2 pieces I would wire it direct to the PT.

My first mod from a few years ago.

No frills, just max performance. No extra connectors, thin USB cables etc to add resistance.





Hardwired your PS should run any atty from 2Ω and up at a full 5V. Hopefully that's what you really want.