Finicky Five-Ten Passthrough

[Tektronik]

This 510 passthrough I got from Electronicstix.com is wierd.

It works fine when attached to my computer's USB. It works fine when attached to my computer at work. It doesn't like wall adapters anymore.

When I first got it, I was able to use my iPod wall adapter with it. The white iPod adapter outputs 5 volts with 1 amp. For some strange reason it doesn't like it anymore.

I ordered a wall adapter from vaprlife, thinking that it would work because that particular one outputs 5 volts at 2 amps. I got it in the mail today, and guess what? the PT doesn't like it either! I plug it back into the computer and it works fine.

With a multimeter and measurements taken at the battery contacts:

Computer usb= 4.68 volts

Wall adapter from vaprlife= 5.06 volts

Normal operation (observed): When you first plug it in to the comp. usb, the LED flashes five times, when you press the button, the led illuminates. There's a 5 second timoeut (flashes 5 times)if you hold the button too long. Sometimes, when you first plug it in, the LED stays lit, and it doesn't work. disconnect and re-connect until it works.

Plug into the wall, and something totally different happens: If you plug the adapter into the wall first, then connect the usb cables together,the LED stays lit and won't work. If you were to connect the pt to the wall adapter first and then plug it into the wall, the LED flashes 5 times, BUT when you press the button it flashes 5 times again, and does not light the atomizer. Now, if you were to take the atomizer off the PT and press the button, the led stays lit as if its working. re-attach the atomizer, press the button, and again with the 5 flashes.

I'm an avionics technician by trade. I've been troubleshooting electronics for years. I wish I knew what the flashes mean, it might help, but the atomizer does not come with instructions or error codes.

Am I missing something here? I hope I was as clear as possible in my observations. Please let me know if I need to clarify. Can anyone see something I'm not? Please help folks!!

[mcquinn]

That is weird indeed,The Chinese passthroughs as a rule are more complicated than the US ones which usually consist of a switch ,a cord and an atty connector held together by some flashy housing,the Chinese for some reason put voltage regulators and timing circuts in thier units some of it has to do with reducing the amp draw on computer usb ports and making the tactile switches last longer.I use mostly Kissbox passthroughs which have the battery box and circut board and have had pretty good luck ,I did have one that did as yours did it defied all standard trouble shooting logic.I contacted the supplier and they replaced it no questions asked.Or you could gor for the domestic ones ,I cannot vouch for those but most people on this forum swear by them and I defer to thier judgement on that.Or another option since you have some of the skills required is to build your own .I like to use automobile cell phone chargers for the body of mine and these can be aquired at Goodwill for really cheap so you can experiment the switches are at RadioShack or MadVapes and for usb cords I either take one off an old keyboard or mouse ,or buy a usb extension cord and cut it in half.

[ROOR]

This 510 passthrough I got from Electronicstix.com is wierd.

It works fine when attached to my computer's USB. It works fine when attached to my computer at work. It doesn't like wall adapters anymore.

When I first got it, I was able to use my iPod wall adapter with it. The white iPod adapter outputs 5 volts with 1 amp. For some strange reason it doesn't like it anymore.

I ordered a wall adapter from vaprlife, thinking that it would work because that particular one outputs 5 volts at 2 amps. I got it in the mail today, and guess what? the PT doesn't like it either! I plug it back into the computer and it works fine.

With a multimeter and measurements taken at the battery contacts:

Computer usb= 4.68 volts

Wall adapter from vaprlife= 5.06 volts

Normal operation (observed): When you first plug it in to the comp. usb, the LED flashes five times, when you press the button, the led illuminates. There's a 5 second timoeut (flashes 5 times)if you hold the button too long. Sometimes, when you first plug it in, the LED stays lit, and it doesn't work. disconnect and re-connect until it works.

Plug into the wall, and something totally different happens: If you plug the adapter into the wall first, then connect the usb cables together,the LED stays lit and won't work. If you were to connect the pt to the wall adapter first and then plug it into the wall, the LED flashes 5 times, BUT when you press the button it flashes 5 times again, and does not light the atomizer. Now, if you were to take the atomizer off the PT and press the button, the led stays lit as if its working. re-attach the atomizer, press the button, and again with the 5 flashes.

I'm an avionics technician by trade. I've been troubleshooting electronics for years. I wish I knew what the flashes mean, it might help, but the atomizer does not come with instructions or error codes.

Am I missing something here? I hope I was as clear as possible in my observations. Please let me know if I need to clarify. Can anyone see something I'm not? Please help folks!!

Hey i have the same PT from ENS and the same problems. BUT CHECK THIS OUT! One thing i have noticed that is even stranger, is if you use a "knock off" SLB atty on the wall adapter it works! Yet if i use a joye atty it only works in my computer just like yours! also my ipod charger did the same thing! I also have the same adapter as you from vaprlife. Let me know how it works for you with a SLB atty and also let me know if you figure anything out!

Good post btw!

<3 ROOR

[Tektronik]

Sadly, all of my attys are Joye. I don't have one of those. So I need to buy a special atty just to make this work at the wall? Now that's super finicky!

I have this to hold me over until I get an american made one. Still contemplating in 5volt portable. I'd like to know if it's really THAT much better than 3.7.

[mcquinn]

Is this the passthrough wiith or without the battery?I would get a hold of Jason at ElectroNicstix and see what he says ,chances are he will replace it, as he is one fine individual.If it is one without battery you just might not have a strong enough power supply it should be 1,000 mAh which equals 1 amp or larger if you have one of the 400 mAh chargers I would guess it is not delivering the required power.The ones with the batteries will usually work ok on the 400 mAh chargers after the battery gets fully charged.

Edited March 10, 2010 by mcquinn

[Tektronik]

Is this the passthrough wiith or without the battery?I would get a hold of Jason at ElectroNicstix and see what he says ,chances are he will replace it, as he is one fine individual.If it is one without battery you just might not have a strong enough power supply it should be 1,000 mAh which equals 1 amp or larger if you have one of the 400 mAh chargers I would guess it is not delivering the required power.The ones with the batteries will usually work ok on the 400 mAh chargers after the battery gets fully charged.

This is the Passthrough without the battery. It won't work properly with my iPod charger, which is 5 volts, 1000Mah. The Other wall adapter was what I ordered from Vaprlife, it's the same one that is used by the VP-PT, I figured it would work for this little 510 pt, but I was wrong.

[nana]

I got two of those passthroughs on the same day from the same place. One works on the computer, on the adapter in the car, on the wall adapters...and works well. The other one does like you said yours does...only on the computer and not on any of the other things. I'm guessing the one passthrough isn't such a good one. It happens. I just use that one only on the computer and use the other one anywhere I want.

Perhaps you can exchange your passthrough.

[Tektronik]

I got two of those passthroughs on the same day from the same place. One works on the computer, on the adapter in the car, on the wall adapters...and works well. The other one does like you said yours does...only on the computer and not on any of the other things. I'm guessing the one passthrough isn't such a good one. It happens. I just use that one only on the computer and use the other one anywhere I want.

Perhaps you can exchange your passthrough.

Thanks Nana, for sharing your experiences. I don't feel I need to exchange it. It's only 15 bucks and it still works. I intended to get this one to hold me over until I they make more of those VP-PTs, and I guess I expected too much for a cheap chinese model. My friend down in florida got one and his works in both configurations like one of yours does. One thing I really like about the passthrough is the consistency. I guess I'll leave it hooked up to my computer for now, until it decides to finally quit on me. I've been very satisfied with Jason at Electro Nic Stix and I don't want to be a bother over 15 bucks. Up to now, I'm torn between getting a better passthrough and a Joker when it comes out. I'll be able to get either one, but not both.

[Tektronik]

Just wanted to do a follow up on this thread and let everyone know what I've tried to do to get this thing to work...

RooR said to try a knock off 510 atomizer. Luke from VaporGalaxy told me he had some so I ordered one to see if it would work.

Here's what happened:

1. When I tried it on the computer usb, it worked fine.

2. When I used the wall adapter, the LED came on like it was going to work, you could hear the "sizzle" from the atty, but immediately (like one second later) the LED flashed five times and the sizzle went out. Press the button again, and the LED just flashes. Disconnect from the wall, reconnect, and the atty fires for one second then quits again.

3. tried it in the car with the usb adapter and it does the exact same thing.

So, this attempt did not work for me. Oh, well, at least the thing still works when hooked up the computer, and that's where it will stay until it finally quits for good.

[Jeffb]

Hey Tek, someone in chat the other night was having the exact same problem. He couldn't find any solutions either. Just wanted to let you know its not just you.

[WillBlack]

This is the Passthrough without the battery. It won't work properly with my iPod charger, which is 5 volts, 1000Mah. The Other wall adapter was what I ordered from Vaprlife, it's the same one that is used by the VP-PT, I figured it would work for this little 510 pt, but I was wrong.

There is no way a real Joye atty could possibly work with 1000mA.

Using ohm's law and assuming an authentic Joye @ 2.2Ω:

5V@1A (1000mA) = 2.2V

Now with the imitation DSE/SLB 510's (3.1Ω) you'd get 3.1V, vapable and almost identical to a Joye standard ecig's voltage, but the imitation 510 is only producing about 3 watts (power/heat), while the Joye ecig's at 4.4 watts.

and I guess I expected too much for a cheap chinese model.

Actually you have a very sophisticated model. To be able to get any kind of vapeable results out a computer port with a Joye atty is no mean feat. I'm assuming that's what it was designed for. If it had been cheaper yet, with only a 2 wire connection it would work fine with the 2A power supplies mentioned, but not the computer.

As a final note it's more about the power/watts/heat, and to get 5V with a Joye means you have to supply about 2.3A of current.