First question: anyone using some kind of
case for their Nano and accessories? I've read through 500 pages of the thread now, and only seen one or two mentions of a case. I know the Pelican (or similar hard shell) cases seem to be fairly popular. Any other suggestions? What size of case are people using for their Nano? I mainly want something quick and convenient for moving the Nano from its "hiding place" out to where I use it, but more structured/secure than a box. I have an extra cotton bag that comes with the Nano, but it's a bit cramped once the cable, two stems, pick, etc is all stuffed in there. My ideal case would be just big enough for the Nano, cord, up to four stems, GonG, spare screens, E-Pick, ABV bag, and grinder.
Now, about the cable...
If you ever figure out the cloth covered adapter, let me know. I have always thought that nano would benefit from having a thinner, more flexible cord.
I spent a little time yesterday searching for such a cable, but couldn't find exactly what I wanted.
Just to give a little background: the connector that plugs into the Nano is an IEC 3270 C7. It is often simply referred to as C7, or sometimes called a "figure eight" connector. Google "IEC C7" for lots of examples.
The cord that comes with the Nano is 18 gauge, typically written 18AWG (AWG = American Wire Gauge). With wire gauges, the
smaller the number, the
bigger the wire. So 22AWG wire would be smaller than the stock cable, and 24AWG would be smaller still. In this application, we want stranded wire (i.e. a bunch of really small wires bound together) rather than solid core.
Lastly, the stock dimmer device is a Zing Ear ZE-04 (says so right on the case). I don't believe there's anything special about this, just a standard AC "dimmer" circuit.
So... I think we can quite safely get away with 22AWG wire. What we need is a two-conductor cable. In the brief time I spent looking, I wasn't able to find two-conductor 22AWG cable with a single cloth covering. But I found plenty of single conductor 22AWG wires covered in cloth---just do a search for "guitar cable". If you give up the cloth-covering requirement, then there are countless options.
I think the quick, easy and cheap way to address the cable issue is to find a 22AWG IEC C7 cable.
Here's one I found on ebay, and
here's one I found on Amazon. What you would do here is cut off the non-Nano end (i.e. the end meant for the wall). Then take apart the stock Nano dimmer, and un-solder the stock part that goes to the Nano. Replace it with one of these cables. The run from the wall to the dimmer will still be thicker, but the part between dimmer and Nano will be smaller.
If you want to get even fancier (which is what I intend to do), you can replace the dimmer as well. As this is a simple circuit, these dimmers are cheap and readily available on ebay,
here is what I am getting. (Note I also found plenty of example circuits online, you can DIY your own for even more geek cred.) Going by the pictures of that particular dimmer, it looks like there's a fuse in there, so I can add a little extra safety by replacing whatever stock fuse with a really low current one. Furthermore, I intend to put that dimmer in it's own little
weighted box, so it will stay put on the table. The net result will be similar to having one of the nicer VVPS units that DC powered logs use (though still not as precise).
Lastly, if you really want precise VVPS-style control for your Nano, grab a variac transformer. Search for "PHC Enterprise SC-3M", I think that unit would probably be ideal. Not cheap at $65, and also big and heavy (6x6x6 in, 6 lbs). But, you get a voltage readout, and a truer waveform (though that likely doesn't matter for a pure restive device like the Nano's heater).
As always, don't attempt any of this if you aren't completely comfortable working with mains voltages. It's very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Doing any of this will almost surely void your warranty as well. But if you like to tinker like I do, you've likely voided the warranty on everything you own already!