Recent content by Hippie Dickie

that is my approach also. the temp in the vial is about 50°F below setpoint until the draw starts, then it is at setpoint within a few seconds. spouse got a mighty recently and it goes +5/-2 as how it maintains the setpoint. not very well tuned, and pretty slow to reach setpoint from startup.

i had trouble tuning the PID also. i found that it was very sensitive to being over controlled with too much swing over/under setpoint. i tried to use an algorithm to calculate the duty cycle for the PWM but the PIC 12F683 has very primitive add/sub with no carry or borrow. so i resorted to a...

ok, my bad - 12v gate should be plenty - i think you're right it must be the current draw. my MOSFET (FDB8832) is rated for 30V, 80A and i think the 16agw cable limits the current below that.

now you're cooking! my mosfet does not get hot - do you have control of the voltage to the gate? get it above 5v and it should run at lower Rds and lower case temp.

the nichrome80 ribbon i use is: 1/8 width (approx 3mm) x 0.0113 thick (29AWG) x 12.375" long. 0.3841 ohms/ft. @ Pelican Wire Co.

i like vaping before resistance training. this helps me focus on form. aerobics is always stone cold sober for me.

i avoid aluminum and titanium oxide. polyimide is as toxic as i want to get. ptfe should be ok. when i started my project there was a website called smallparts.com which sold all kinds of materials in small batches. they got bought by Amazon and that source for DIY projects disappeared.

i had/tried one of those cutters - not worth the $10. i used i high quality scorer (from spouse's stash) and clamped it to a board with a groove for the tube to rotate in, against the scorer. several rotations and then with the BIC.

check YouTube for glass tube cutting - may give you some ideas. i have some mention of my technique in my long thread - don't know where. in the earlier part i think. i scored, used a BIC to flame heat the score, then a damp cloth around the tube while i snapped it. then file the damage...

i used a button to supply power to the coil in a very early iteration. it was too much amps for the button i used and feathering the button was very hit or miss (lol). same for using a potentiometer to set the current for a pwm - there was a single spot that was best and it burned out that one...

yes, i saw that, too. i don't know - i am not a fan of metrics, the what's good/what's bad numbers change all the time ... chasing an unhealthy/unfit population. static poses are better than meds. i go by gallons of sweat.

here is an old guy tip: don't wait until age 65 to start strength training, i.e. trying to add some muscle mass. i was a tall spindly kid, avoided sports (not good at anything), loved my bike and rode a lot during summer - but no muscle development. now it is too late to try to add much...

i usually buy 10 of whatever i am ordering. a couple to break, a couple to drop and lose, and still have some to use for development. i have just one ground - the battery ground.

note: the Vreg is just to provide power to the MAX and PIC. the MOSFET is controlling current to the coil with a direct battery connection. heater coil doesn't care what voltage it sees. my coil is 0.3 ohms, so pulling 18A from a fresh charge. just trying to be clear.

well, i've just tried to keep things simple in my design. i use a voltage regulator chip (low drop out, 100 mA) so i can handle any battery voltage up to 18v (dewalt power pack or car battery). the output of the Vreg is 4.5v which suits the MAX and PIC. the heater coil feeds right off the...