Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap

[Jethro]

Took the FD on a camping trip this past week. Six fully charged batteries lasted me four days ~ 2 grams or ~ 30 packed tips, 3-4 draws each. Changed the batteries day 2 just because I was 1/2 way there. Good times.

Here’s what I’m really thrilled about though, the Flix and the 12v car adapter. Road trip was great! I was really concerned as this was where my Flix had originally failed. The fixed version did not fail. I don’t advocate distracted driving but I’m ready to order one just to keep in the glove box

Yeah, I've taken my FD camping a whole bunch, fishing and even ice fishing and snowmobiling! But this past weekend my new Flix went offshore with me in the boat chasing fluke and seabass. As portable as the FD is with the batteries, I think the 12v Flix is just as portable, maybe even more so if I keep a 12v car adapter in both the truck and the boat which is my plan. I'm amazed at how efficient my FD is with batteries but still, I'm loving the simplicity or maybe just the new car smell of the Flix!

Mr. C you have created quite a device here! It gets abused by my salt water and bait crusted hands every weekend and keeps on ticking. I'm sure it's in no way waterproof or even resistant, but it seems durable enough to keep running even in the tough environments I put it in. Now that I have the less costly Flix I will likely use it for most of my adventure use. The 12v design is brilliant for someone like me that wants to use inductive heating on my boats, motorcycle, truck, etc.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

LOL it has a little bit of everything to make you question everything you think you know about reality.

Ya know if I help one person I have done my part.

You got an interesting definition of ‘help’, there, Bud...

 

[Baron23]

Yeah, I've taken my FD camping a whole bunch, fishing and even ice fishing and snowmobiling! But this past weekend my new Flix went offshore with me in the boat chasing fluke and seabass. As portable as the FD is with the batteries, I think the 12v Flix is just as portable, maybe even more so if I keep a 12v car adapter in both the truck and the boat which is my plan. I'm amazed at how efficient my FD is with batteries but still, I'm loving the simplicity or maybe just the new car smell of the Flix!

Mr. C you have created quite a device here! It gets abused by my salt water and bait crusted hands every weekend and keeps on ticking. I'm sure it's in no way waterproof or even resistant, but it seems durable enough to keep running even in the tough environments I put it in. Now that I have the less costly Flix I will likely use it for most of my adventure use. The 12v design is brilliant for someone like me that wants to use inductive heating on my boats, motorcycle, truck, etc.

Take me fishing......pleeeeeeeze! haha

I bring my own MJ???

hahaha

How did you do with the fluke?

 

[Jethro]

Take me fishing......pleeeeeeeze! haha

I bring my own MJ???

hahaha

How did you do with the fluke?

Hey, if you are local to the Northeast, I might be able to arrange that! We caught a few fluke but unfortunately shorts. Brought home some seabass and a few bluefish.

 

[Baron23]

Hey, if you are local to the Northeast, I might be able to arrange that! We caught a few fluke but unfortunately shorts. Brought home some seabass and a few bluefish.

Ah, sounds great. I'm in Maryland outside of DC. Some friends and I have been going fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, with the same charter boat, for decades. But they cut the limit on Rockfish (stripped bass to the rest of the world) to one fish, the COVID screwed us up, and we are getting older and this year a couple of guys fell out due to health issues.

When we get out Rock, there used to be a number of other fish to catch....sea trout, blues, flounder. But, in recent times its just blues. Now, to me, small blues, cooked that day, are as good to eat as anything. Later or after frozen, meh. haha

What state are you in???

 

[The Chemist]

Good news I received both my Flix and my D-capper this morning!



Bad news the Flix is not working properly, the unit shut down when I push the switch inside with the Vapcap, I sent an email to @mr_cfromcali and I will wait for instruction. That's why I wanted two Flix, in case one breaks I have a back up, didn't thought I would need it right from the start!

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi all,

I have been very busy for the past week or so with a few Fluxer-related projects and wanted to share a few updates.

Flix cases: The 2nd shipment of cases has arrived! This shipment adds red as a new case color choice, and also brings back the raw aluminum color that was used for the prototypes.

This is the Flix in red:

Flix PCBs: I have a new version of the Flix PCB on the way. I spent a few days last week with the Flix and my oscilloscope, looking for ways to further improve the circuit's stability. The new version of the PCB includes a few small improvements that are intended to keep those pesky MOSFETs happy, or at least give them fewer causes to be angry and fail.

Variable voltage power supplies: My VVPSU order finally arrived. I have 20 of these VVPSUs in stock now, and will be adding them to the store with the next batch of Flix. They will be $30 when purchased through me with a Flix, though as you can see from the above link you can save about 1/3 of that expense if you buy one directly from banggood.com and have it shipped via their economy shipping option. I am also open to selling these without a Flix, by the way, but the cost of shipping raises my final price for a shipped, standalone VVPSU to ~$42, which is a lot.

Flix availability: My web store is empty at the moment, but I'll have more stock available in about a week, after the new PCBs get here.

Flux Deluxe: I have a few remaining heaters to build for the September 2019 waiting list group before I can move on to October. I will finish those in the next day or so, and then move on to the data prep for the next Flux Deluxe cohort.

Another, as-yet-unnamed IH project also in the works: Finally, I have yet another IH in development, this one inspired by a conversation with @TommyDee, who is an evangelist for all sorts of interesting and promising technologies. I have a working prototype, so this project is already past the alpha stage and is quickly moving towards being ready for beta testing. I shared some pictures of the project and its progress with him last week, so this is real and not just pixie dust or wishful thinking. I'm very excited about it and hope share the details with the rest of you soon. The project is rapidly moving ahead, and I'm looking forward (!!!) to the next batch of PCBs, which will be coming in the same shipment as the Flix PCBs I referenced above.

That's the Fluxer update. Thanks for your continued support!

Cheers,


PS: @The Chemist - Sorry your new Flix has an issue. Thank you for taking the discussion to email.

 

[TommyDee]

The IH World is-a-rockin' with Fluxer heaters This tickles me to no end!

...and for those receiving tested VVPS for a $10 service fee is a bargain! You all know what I'm talking about.

 

[The Chemist]

Well I can tell you that @mr_cfromcali costumer service is excellent. He replied to my email quickly and the unit will be replaced without to much trouble. Another project? this is interesting...

 

[Baron23]

Still absolutely loving my Deluxe. Solid as a brick and great performance.

Just thought I'd stop in and say this^^. haha

 

[Macicman]

Hi all,

I have been very busy for the past week or so with a few Fluxer-related projects and wanted to share a few updates.

Flix cases: The 2nd shipment of cases has arrived! This shipment adds red as a new case color choice, and also brings back the raw aluminum color that was used for the prototypes.

This is the Flix in red:

Flix PCBs: I have a new version of the Flix PCB on the way. I spent a few days last week with the Flix and my oscilloscope, looking for ways to further improve the circuit's stability. The new version of the PCB includes a few small improvements that are intended to keep those pesky MOSFETs happy, or at least give them fewer causes to be angry and fail.

Variable voltage power supplies: My VVPSU order finally arrived. I have 20 of these VVPSUs in stock now, and will be adding them to the store with the next batch of Flix. They will be $30 when purchased through me with a Flix, though as you can see from the above link you can save about 1/3 of that expense if you buy one directly from banggood.com and have it shipped via their economy shipping option. I am also open to selling these without a Flix, by the way, but the cost of shipping raises my final price for a shipped, standalone VVPSU to ~$42, which is a lot.

Flix availability: My web store is empty at the moment, but I'll have more stock available in about a week, after the new PCBs get here.

Flux Deluxe: I have a few remaining heaters to build for the September 2019 waiting list group before I can move on to October. I will finish those in the next day or so, and then move on to the data prep for the next Flux Deluxe cohort.

Another, as-yet-unnamed IH project also in the works: Finally, I have yet another IH in development, this one inspired by a conversation with @TommyDee, who is an evangelist for all sorts of interesting and promising technologies. I have a working prototype, so this project is already past the alpha stage and is quickly moving towards being ready for beta testing. I shared some pictures of the project and its progress with him last week, so this is real and not just pixie dust or wishful thinking. I'm very excited about it and hope share the details with the rest of you soon. The project is rapidly moving ahead, and I'm looking forward (!!!) to the next batch of PCBs, which will be coming in the same shipment as the Flix PCBs I referenced above.

That's the Fluxer update. Thanks for your continued support!

Cheers,


PS: @The Chemist - Sorry your new Flix has an issue. Thank you for taking the discussion to email.

You are a witch doctor.

 

[NexVision]

This is the Flix in red:

That color WOWSERS.......

 

[vapormachina]

Another, as-yet-unnamed IH project also in the works: Finally, I have yet another IH in development, this one inspired by a conversation with @TommyDee, who is an evangelist for all sorts of interesting and promising technologies. I have a working prototype, so this project is already past the alpha stage and is quickly moving towards being ready for beta testing. I shared some pictures of the project and its progress with him last week, so this is real and not just pixie dust or wishful thinking. I'm very excited about it and hope share the details with the rest of you soon. The project is rapidly moving ahead, and I'm looking forward (!!!) to the next batch of PCBs, which will be coming in the same shipment as the Flix PCBs I referenced above.

That's the Fluxer update. Thanks for your continued support!

Only something small and with great technology can come out of a conversation with Tommy; so I don't know what you are creating, I don't care, but I want one

 

[Skinku]

Those Flix are beauties, just knabbed an Atlas mini, over the moon I am.
I think I am in vape heaven.

 

[lookhigh]

Small and pocket friendly?

 

[Jethro]

Only something small and with great technology can come out of a conversation with Tommy; so I don't know what you are creating, I don't care, but I want one

Yeah, exactly, I don't know what it is either, but @mr_cfromcali please put me on the list and TAKE MY MONEY

I have been loving my Flix, the ergonomics are perfect when using with water. Fits in the hand perfect, the button is in the perfect spot, I'm loving how it works with my little TAG bubbler heating my cap while it's installed.

 

[DHV8654]

Good news I received both my Flix and my D-capper this morning!

View attachment 1841

Bad news the Flix is not working properly, the unit shut down when I push the switch inside with the Vapcap, I sent an email to @mr_cfromcali and I will wait for instruction. That's why I wanted two Flix, in case one breaks I have a back up, didn't thought I would need it right from the start!

The D-capper is an excellent accessory!
I’m happy I picked one up. Can’t wait till my flux deluxe gets here.

 

[ghost7ateoh]

I just purchased a Flix heater from someone on Reddit and they indicated it does not come with a power cord. I see the one that was linked from Bangood but I would prefer not ordering from China as I have had many packages lost before. I'm wondering if someone could do me a huge favor and send me a link for a couple of options on Amazon Canada as that is where I will be ordering from. I would like to see if there is an option for a car plug as well. Thank you in advance!

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi @ghost7ateoh ,

There are several PSUs on Amazon.ca that will work - the requirements are 12VDC, 10A current, center positive tip. The Flix has a 2.5mm x 5.5mm DC port and originally came with an adapter to also allow use of that size and also 2.1mm x 5.5mm power sources.

This PSU has the right plug and is part of Amazon.ca Prime:

COOLM 12V 10A Power Adapter AC 100-240V to DC 12V 10A Power Supply Charger with 5.5mm x 2.5mm DC Plug
for LED Strips Lighting: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07FFKL7CR/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_22EnFb9X0A0MX

As for automotive power adapters, I strongly recommend this one as it meets all of the other requirements plus is constructed with 18AWG wire: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-Car-Cigarette-Lighter-Power-Supply-to-DC-Plug-2-5x5-5mm-18AWG-Cable-1-5m/392564139755?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

FWIW, the above adapter is the same one I sell with new heaters.

Cheers, and I hope you enjoy your new-to-you Flix.

 

[Moemoe]

Thanks for posting those pics, @Jethro! Call me biased, but I think they look great! Use them in good health!

I may be the only one interested in this next thing, so go ahead and call it a vanity project, but I got the first version of the DeWalt 12V battery breakout boards back from my PCB manufacturer, and they turned out better than I expected. They aren't perfect, but they are perfectly functional. Check 'em out:

I think I can offer a simplified version of this like the one above for around $5 as a bare bones item, power cable and shipping not included (though if you ordered with a Flix it would ship with a Flix and wouldn't add any add'l shipping cost.).

I'd also like to bundle it with a power cable, but that may raise the price to ~$8-to-$10.

Taking this one step further, I also drew up a couple of versions with built-in battery meters, but a meter pushes the price up even more, to around $15 each, which may be more than people want to spend? (And I am not sure if anyone else even wants to persue this, so if you are at all interested in something like this, please let me know! ) BTW, they do make 7000 mAh versions of these battery packs that are reasonable priced, so if you are looking for high capacity portability, this is a pretty good solution.

Finally, if anyone was curious, this is what's inside these battery packs:

Open them up and you find 3x 18650 cells in series, in a custom plastic case. The connecting metal strips are neatly spot welded in place, directly to the tops of the batteries. Simple and done. Also, it would be very straightforward to replace these presumably crappy cells with some of better quality if one wished.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

In other Fluxer news: I'm working on some delayed orders from the September 2019 Flux Deluxe cohort, and should finish those up by tomorrow. I'll add some additional Flix to the store after that - I just paid the invoice for the second order of Flix cases and switches. Those should be here next week, so the net batch of Flix I post for sale should include raw and red as colors, assuming the manufacturer delivers what I ordered.

I'll send out the emails for the next Flux Deluxe cohort (October 2019) after that, in what I think will be about two weeks.

Thanks, all! I'll probably be back with more info later, but I wanted to post the above updates now.

Cheers,

Would love to know when the board will go on sale? Hopefully with the power cord. Definitely interested especially if it has the meter.

 

[ghost7ateoh]

Hi @ghost7ateoh ,

There are several PSUs on Amazon.ca that will work - the requirements are 12VDC, 10A current, center positive tip. The Flix has a 2.5mm x 5.5mm DC port and originally came with an adapter to also allow use of that size and also 2.1mm x 5.5mm power sources.

This PSU has the right plug and is part of Amazon.ca Prime:

COOLM 12V 10A Power Adapter AC 100-240V to DC 12V 10A Power Supply Charger with 5.5mm x 2.5mm DC Plug
for LED Strips Lighting: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07FFKL7CR/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_22EnFb9X0A0MX

As for automotive power adapters, I strongly recommend this one as it meets all of the other requirements plus is constructed with 18AWG wire: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-Car-Cigarette-Lighter-Power-Supply-to-DC-Plug-2-5x5-5mm-18AWG-Cable-1-5m/392564139755?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

FWIW, the above adapter is the same one I sell with new heaters.

Cheers, and I hope you enjoy your new-to-you Flix.

Thank you very much for linking those for me, I went ahead and purchased both. Looking forward to trying out my Flix when it arrives next week. Thanks again!

 

[Moses Baca]

Any problem if I add another magnet to the top of my Flix? The existing one is too close to the hole when my wife and I are using it together. Suggestions on attaching a magnet? Maybe some double sided tape? Something non-permanent, at least to start with. Thanks.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Any problem if I add another magnet to the top of my Flix?

Probably not, but one odd thing I encountered recently while doing some testing with a different heater: N52 magnets are powerful, and I found that it's possible to accidentally disable the power relay by placing a magnet too close to it. The power relay is the large white rectangular block on the PCB. Try not to place a magnet directly over the top of it, as a strong magnet may lock the armature in place and prevent the relay from closing.

 

[Moses Baca]

Thanks. I'm rethinking this anyway, I don't want to mess up the clean aesthetics of the Flix. I was thinking additional magnets since we're used to using our Flux Deluxe but I'll go a different route.
And speaking of Flux Deluxe, here's a pic from yesterday.

 

[Ogami.Itto.79]

Anyone know if the “October gang” has been contacted yet? I think I placed myself on the waitlist in October or November, at least I hope I did