Mini-Argento pin

[Batdragon (AKA Batty)]

Nah, that one from Macca is fine, I was just going on the speed of you getting it.

[kurotoshiro]

I see, fair enough. I'm feeling it's less of an urgent problem now that I've discovered I can press the switch down on the argento a bit harder and get good power out of it. So I reckon I'll stay true to my cheapskate nature and order the meter off ebay.

I'll post again here when it arrives, as I have no experience using this kind of equipment, and I'll probably need advice!

[Batdragon (AKA Batty)]

There has been a thread on the use of a multi meter before on here, if you cant find it Macca and myself know what we are on about when using one of them plus loads of others too I expect.

[kurotoshiro]

OK, I now have a DMM, and I am currently charging a battery prior to testing.

I just want to check exactly where I need to connect the probes. I've done a bit of googling, and the only explicit bit of information I've seen so far states that the probes should be connected on the centre pin and the outside threading. So could someone please confirm that I need to connect on the points in the image below?

I don't want to get it wrong and short out the bleedin' thing!



[EDIT: Oh! I almost forgot - am I right in thinking I set the dial on the DMM to DCV 20 ?]

[DiscoDes]

Jul 5, 2012 8:14:58 GMT kurotoshiro said:

OK, I now have a DMM, and I am currently charging a battery prior to testing.

I just want to check exactly where I need to connect the probes. I've done a bit of googling, and the only explicit bit of information I've seen so far states that the probes should be connected on the centre pin and the outside threading. So could someone please confirm that I need to connect on the points in the image below?

I don't want to get it wrong and short out the bleedin' thing!



[EDIT: Oh! I almost forgot - am I right in thinking I set the dial on the DMM to DCV 20 ?]

All correct !
Just take care not to short the centre pin to the outer thread section with the meter probes.


Good luck.

[maccafan]

Yes..Red wire to center pin and black to threads and DMM at 20v DC..

Then press the fire button and read the voltage..

[kurotoshiro]

OK, with the switch very firmly pressed in, I'm getting a reading of around 4.14.

With lighter pressure on the switch, the reading swings up and down.

This mirrors my experience using the device. To get a good solid draw out of it, I'm having to keep the switch very firmly pressed down, whereas if I depress the switch with lighter pressure, results vary.

Conclusions? Next step: use contact cleaner on the switch?

[maccafan]

You can try spraying contact cleaner in the gap between the fire button and the body from the outside with a nozzle whilst holding the switch and activating and releasing the button and hope it penetrates..Anyway it's not going to do any harm.

I am given to understand that there is no way of getting to the actual switch from the inside to spray as there is a teflon seal which holds the battery contact pin..You could carefully prise out the center contact pin from the connector and spray directly on the switch through the hole if the wire is long enough. Do everything with battery out.

The only other way is to disassemble and put a new switch in..

[kurotoshiro]

I'm not sure if it's completely sealed on the inside. There are two holes in there - see pic below - although I'm not sure what can be accessed through them. Could it be worth spraying into those, do you reckon, on the offchance that some of the cleaner might reach the switch mechanism that way?



btw, when you say to "do everything with the battery out", does this include your initial recommendation:

Jul 5, 2012 11:34:50 GMT maccafan said:

You can try spraying contact cleaner in the gap between the fire button and the body from the outside with a nozzle whilst holding the switch and activating and releasing the button and hope it penetrates

Cheers for your continued help!

[maccafan]

Yes battery out for everything..

It will get through those holes..There is nothing behind it but the switch and the posi contact pin and two semi circular switch holders but the holes may not be lined up with the switch.. You can try.

Let me put it this way, whatever you can do to get contact cleaner where it needs to..

This is what the switch looks like on disassembly so you can visualise how to get the CC in..

[kurotoshiro]

Many thanks, Macca. I'll see what I can do.

btw, I read where you mentioned on another thread that Provape recommend submerging the entire Provari in cleaner fluid once in a while. Just wondering if it's worth (and safe) doing this with other devices such as the argento?

[maccafan]

Provape only recommend giving tyhe Provari a bath if you have e-liquid spillage inside causing E1 errors...

The argento is a very simple device with no electronics.. So it won't hurt if you fill the entire head section with CC and empty it..Just make sure all of it has dried before you use it..

[vagabanjo]

I had similar issues with my Argento, first pin issues had to keep lifting the pin up, then without realising it was the silicon washer under the pin head that was decaying, eventually got a short, this melted the switch a bit, I replaced the silicon washer but then no power unless I depressed the switch hard. In the end I dismantled it, the switch does come apart but you will have to super glue it back together, so, I just cut the top off and used in a nice little box mod with a plan to use the base in another mod as a battery holder. I searched for a switch that would fit but not much luck, small space and fiddly.

[lazydog]

If anybody finds a switch to replace the original let us know even if it involves a bit of adaption

[kurotoshiro]

Hmm, sounds like it might be a fiddly problem to fix. Oh well, since I'm not very skilled in the DIY/tinkering department, I'm just hoping that some judicious squirting of contact cleaner will do the trick! (If not, then I'll probably just keep using it until it dies, donate the corpse to someone who might be able to use it for spare parts, and upgrade to something newer, bigger and, of course, shinier. )