2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 17, 2012 12:07:28 GMT
I bought 2 Startdusts from GotVapes a couple of weeks ago - but had "misplaced" adapter  Got adapter from GB (thanks Perpy), fitted and filled with great excitement, result = zilch >  No amount of pin-pulling of Stardust, adapter or batteries (4.2v mod, LT, eGo clone all tried) makes any difference, nor using adapter with/without "washer". Had to try the second Stardust in case first one = DOA, that one's the same. So here I am with 2 dead Stardusts both full of juice  From what I've read in this thread, they're a blooming faff anyway to keep going > I wouldn't mind so much but I haven't got anything that's working well to use in their stead, but that's for another thread! Sometimes you can adjust adaptors. If the centrepin bit of the adaptor has a notch in the top, you can screw them up or down to adjust the height of the centrepin. It might help to raise it. Luckily there are a limited number of causes. Do you have any way to measure the resistance of the coils? A multimeter perhaps? If not, all real men own one.  If you know that the coils are OK, then it can only be a connection problem. Jason: A good move to lengthen the wicks, I think. At the moment it's like drinking from a long glass with a one inch straw. The changes I object to are the ones designed to reduce its useful life and make it more disposable. If they made them to come apart sensibly for cleaning, burning and refitting, or reduced their tendency to crack, I would happily pay more for them because I would save money over the medium term and waste fewer natural resources. Most people would still bin them at the first sign of trouble anyway. |
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 16, 2012 20:15:03 GMT
They keep re-designing the flipping things. It needed the cone washer though, a definite improvement in design there.
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 16, 2012 19:49:41 GMT
It's with a cone washer from the recent groupbuy. It's the cone washer that makes it possible to grip it and get it up through the gap at the top. The cap assembly (washer + condom) is exactly the width of the top aperture so it's a bit of a squeeze but not too bad.
It fits back in easily enough, just pushes back through and it pretty much falls into place. Hard to do the extraction without forceps though.
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 16, 2012 19:36:44 GMT
It's pointless trying to remove the cap..There isn't enough space/clearance in there for you to maneuver it out... Good news on this - I've just tried and it is (just) possible to get the cap out using small forceps to grip the little tube at the top. This will reduce the need to disassemble them quite a bit, and I get a decent view of the coil too. |
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 15, 2012 19:00:32 GMT
Many TR001s do this, Alvo, there are several reports of it online. It's a cheapo charger with an OK reputation, and you get what you pay for.
The main danger with the system is overcharging. If it's not overcharging batteries past 4.2V (if it is, contact your vendor and never use it again) I suggest you have a simple choice.
1) As a precaution, buy a more expensive, higher quality charger that doesn't make any noise or
2) Keep an eye on charge levels, live with the noise.
With any charger there's the possibility of a dangerous failure. Given that TR001s commonly make this noise and still function normally, I judge this risk as small. By taking the precaution of keeping an eye on charge levels, and not charging batteries unsupervised, you would be acting to reduce the larger part of this risk.
But it's up to you.
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 14, 2012 17:26:14 GMT
Thank you. (Edit: And thanks Macca, I will use my imagination  ) @perps That's the same method I've been using, but it's an earlier model (you can tell because the metal cap is flat, while the newer ones have a little tube thing sitting on top of the central column). So the latest ones have a slightly different design, and I was wondering if they'd been changed in other ways to make them more difficult to dismantle.(Edit: no surprise that they have!) I will probably find out when I try to take one apart. Just wondering really. However, for dry burning I plan to try using forceps to remove the cap, without dismantling. It's only for when I rewick, assuming the body hasn't cracked in the meantime. Why is nothing ever simple? |
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 14, 2012 14:12:33 GMT
How to dismantle the V2s?
I just got some from the groupbuy.
Anyone tried yet?
Hope the bottom ring isn't glued.
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 14, 2012 12:42:19 GMT
The reason I'm a bit doubtful about the transformer theory is the pitch of the buzzing - I'd expect a mains frequency hum, but it's far higher than that. Hence I favour the inductor + harmonic resonance slightly.
It's hard to be sure of anything without a circuit diagram, and I'm not keen to crack the case open.
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Post by 2risky on Apr 14, 2012 6:57:52 GMT
Without getting technical, any TR-001 making a noise is moving towards failure, and needs to be replaced - they should be silent. The noise is an oscillation happening in the circuitry. With luck, it will fail benignly. Without, it could be a catastrophic failure. Thanks. I'm interested to know which component is oscillating, which will determine the severity and effects of any failure. Be as techy as you like, I'm fairly good on electrics. The first suggestion I've run across is the transformer, the idea being that when charging a fully exhausted IMR initially, very high currents are drawn, which generate unusually strong magnetic fields, which in turn cause the coil windings to hum a bit. Not sure I buy this, but if true the effects of failure would (eventually) be an open circuit on one leg of the transformer, which would make the whole device dead. This doesn't strike me as dangerous. The second suggestion I've read is an inductor. I don't have any clear idea what its function in the circuit might be, unless it's to stop the output voltage from wobbling about too much, so I'm a bit in the dark on this, and imagine that eventual failure would also lead to an open circuit. In that case it may be more dangerous, but this is now quite a tall tower of conjecture anyway. In any case, I will continue to watch it carefully, but I'm not going to bin it until it charges batteries above 4.2V or explodes.  |
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 13, 2012 19:16:01 GMT
I wouldn't be happy with that I must confess 2Risky . . . have had a couple of TR-001's and they've never made any noise at all. Well I'm not delighted by the noise, but it was cheap and it doesn't overcharge batteries, which is the main safety concern. I'm far too tight to buy a decent charger while this one is OK. I can easily check the charge with a meter and the LT, so I'm stoical about it basically. |
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Post by 2risky on Apr 13, 2012 16:12:31 GMT
My TR001 charger makes a high-pitched noise for the first ten minutes of charging or so, something to do with the transformer I understand.
I did look it up to see if it was dangerous and apparently it's common with this model and not something to worry about.
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 13, 2012 14:57:58 GMT
You're basically burning the carbon off the coil by heating it up when it's not being fed with juice ie it's dry. So you start with an empty clearo. Now there is some disagreement about whether you need to remove the cap at the top of the metal column. I prefer to remove it, partly so I can see when the coil burns clear. It's fiddly though. So the process is to burn the coil for short bursts (remember no juice), say ten seconds each, then leave for a few secs. To begin with you get dirty smoke, but eventually, after maybe 20 burns all the gunk turns to ash and the coil will be seen to glow as soon as you apply power. You might want to rinse any ash away. I dry burn about twice a week (I only use one at a time), but it depends on your juice, voltage and preferences as to when the coil is really gunked up. It does rejuvenate Visions a bit. Alternatively, chuck it away and open a new one. |
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Post by 2risky on Apr 13, 2012 7:44:06 GMT
The ones I've had cracked before a rewick was necessary. It should be easy enough to get them to last two weeks even so.
It doesn't surprise me that they actively change them to make them more disposable, but I do find it sad and so wasteful.
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2risky
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Post by 2risky on Apr 13, 2012 7:24:01 GMT
I like them and use them all the time, I wouldn't go back to cartos, but they do have issues.
You need to dry burn them from time to time or they destroy the taste of juices by pumping out caramelised gunk. Rinsing them out between fills helps.
Issue number two is that the plastic bodies of those I've had cracked quite severely after a while. I'm not sure if that's because I was always taking them apart.
These issues can be fixed, and in theory one could last you forever if you can manage to take it aprt for rewicking, but it gets very technical.
They're like three quid each from healthcabin if you plan ahead or do groupbuy.
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Post by 2risky on Apr 12, 2012 6:13:49 GMT
Well I was 20+ a day, now with LT, Visions and juice i'm spending a heck of a lot less, like 1/3 the amount and still dropping.
I will not be buying a Provari because it's functionally identical to a LT - electrons are electrons, wherever they come from.
I'm not keeping a strict count but I assess every purchase primarily on value for money grounds. I have had a few odd expensive mistakes along the way, like ego T and C, but my bank account is definitely healthier to the tune of several thousand.
I don't really belong in a consumer society. #icon_cry#
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Got adapter from GB (thanks Perpy), fitted and filled with great excitement, result = zilch >
)
