Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap
- Thread starter mr_cfromcali
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- induction heater
TommyDee
Vaporitor
hey now, is that the solution. Could i buy that to run my woodscents, flix (or other induction heater) since the voltage can be changed?
If so, i will order as soon as i can confirm. Like earlier poster mentioned, have several different fixed and variable voltage set ups for different devices.
Would this work for fixed voltage set ups?
EDIT: Looked at the pic more, just note sure where i would plug in that part that connects to the flix, log vape, etc.
The PS to which @TommyDee linked is a typical bench top variable power supply. Yes, it will work fine with the Flix - I have a similar one on my work bench that I use for development and testing. One feature of most bench top power supplies like this one is that they have a fan for cooling. This is great for longevity, but it does mean the PS will produce some fan noise, something to keep in mind if that sort of thing bothers you.
You will need to pick up either a bare plug or a pigtail (plug w/wires attached) to use with this. Something like this:
Fancasee (2 Pack) Replacement 5.5mm x 2.5mm 90 Degree Right Angle DC Power Male Plug Jack to Bare Wire Open End Pigtail Power Cable Cord for DC Power Supply Cable Repair: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081TXY6ML/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ibqHFbN0Q9RFA
Yes, you can use these with fixed power devices, just leave it at the appropriate voltage setting and don't change it while you are using that device.
You will need to pick up either a bare plug or a pigtail (plug w/wires attached) to use with this. Something like this:
Fancasee (2 Pack) Replacement 5.5mm x 2.5mm 90 Degree Right Angle DC Power Male Plug Jack to Bare Wire Open End Pigtail Power Cable Cord for DC Power Supply Cable Repair: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081TXY6ML/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ibqHFbN0Q9RFA
Yes, you can use these with fixed power devices, just leave it at the appropriate voltage setting and don't change it while you are using that device.
TommyDee
Vaporitor
Some of the vapes that use variable supplies are in fact 120VAC devices. If they are indeed DC power in the range of the power supply, then yes, it will work.
If the unit is indeed 300 watts (30v x 10a) then the 100 or so watts we need may negate the need for a fan. Wouldn't be beyond me to break the seal and unplug the fan or put a switch on it.
Here's a nice piece of tech gear, fanless at 160 watts;
If the unit is indeed 300 watts (30v x 10a) then the 100 or so watts we need may negate the need for a fan. Wouldn't be beyond me to break the seal and unplug the fan or put a switch on it.
Here's a nice piece of tech gear, fanless at 160 watts;
Gophert NPS-1601 Adjustable Digital DC Power Supply CPS-1610II 0-10A 110V/220V | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Gophert NPS-1601 Adjustable Digital DC Power Supply CPS-1610II 0-10A 110V/220V at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
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Eclipse
Well-Known Member
That is the closest I have seen to what I was envisioning with the fanless design. Hmmm, that is tempting.Some of the vapes that use variable supplies are in fact 120VAC devices. If they are indeed DC power in the range of the power supply, then yes, it will work.
If the unit is indeed 300 watts (30v x 10a) then the 100 or so watts we need may negate the need for a fan. Wouldn't be beyond me to break the seal and unplug the fan or put a switch on it.
Here's a nice piece of tech gear, fanless at 160 watts;
Gophert NPS-1601 Adjustable Digital DC Power Supply CPS-1610II 0-10A 110V/220V | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Gophert NPS-1601 Adjustable Digital DC Power Supply CPS-1610II 0-10A 110V/220V at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
I like the fact that it has a lock button with a fine/course dial for after you set your voltage as 30v would fry everything I own.
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Eclipse
Well-Known Member
I didn't even notice the 16V limit, that's a positive to me as well.
If I still want it when I wake up in the morning I will order one and report back.
Edit... Found it cheaper.
Edit 2...... Deleted the link as the description states it is 5A max.
Edit 3......... New link that looks like the correct one.
GOPHERT NPS-1600 0-16V 0-10A 110V/220V 160W Switching Digital Adjustable DC Power Supply
Only US$67.47, buy best GOPHERT NPS-1600 0-16V 0-10A 110V/220V 160W Switching Digital Adjustable DC Power Supply sale online store at wholesale price.
Edit 4............ The saga continues, The eBay listing TommyDee linked has the incorrect model in the name, the 10A version is the NPS-1600 (not 1601) which is linked above in Edit 3...
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TommyDee
Vaporitor
If you can stomach AliExpress - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33002105036.html
Zoltani
Well-Known Member
Fluxer Heaters Updates
Hi Everyone,
Flux Deluxe: Fluxer Heaters' flagship model gets no love in this update, unfortunately. I do not have any immediate FD news for this particular update. Worse yet, I still need to send out emails for the October 2019 FDs. Sorry for the lack of progress, FD list members.
Actually, this is not entirely true: I *have* been doing some serious plotting and planning for the changes I want to make for the FD v2.0. I have drawn up some requirements for the revisions, and I also spent an inordinate amount of time staring at the FD circuit board, working out the things I want to change. The new requirements are mostly about making the FD easier for me to build without compromising its quality, but I also want to add the optional PWM module I mention above for the Flix (it gets its own special FD PCB). I will also be adding another DIP switch to allow you to kill the battery meter's optocoupler, which is a "hidden" LED that draws about 15mA whenever the FD is switched ON, even if the two LED DIP switches on the PCB are set to OFF. This is why an FD will run down over time if you leave it ON, even if you have the LED DIP switches set to OFF.
Cheers,
Hey MrC, are you working out the v2.0 before sending out more units?
Hi @Zoltani - Yes, that's pretty much what I've been trying to do. Working on the Flite and exchanging ideas with @TommyDee has taught me a lot more about managing the power for this circuit and how to tune that power for better efficiency and flavor. That also happens to be "Flux Deluxe v2 territory"
The circuit improvements from the Flite are very effective at regulating the power for this circuit, and they are going to be at the heart of the FDv2. I also want to offer an optional PWM circuit for the FD (and the Flix). Together, these changes reduce peak power usage, improve battery life, and also reduce the aggression of the FD's heating profile. They are evolved from the original - similar but also different and hopefully better - so they are worthy of a "v2" designation. I'll have a lot more info to share on this once it's out of the alpha stage. 
As I've shared here, I have been working hard on the Flite for the last two months. The Flite's major pieces are now all but finished, the testing has been going very well, and the heater is close to being ready to sell. I'm waiting for the cases to get here, among other things, but the Flite is in a good spot. I'll make another video and post the contents, options, and pricing info on it in the next few of weeks.
I should also mention that while I have been working on the Flite, I have also been working hard on the Flix, which continues to see a higher MOSFET failure rate than it should.
This has also been extremely frustrating (to the affected Flix owners and to me, too!), but I'm hopeful the things I learned about this circuit while working on the Flite will also help improve the Flix's reliability.Since the Flite's changes were fresh in my mind and my circuits all share the same basic DNA, this seemed like a good time to port the Flite's improvements to the other heaters. Unfortunately, October keeps smacking me in the face.
I've had several delays and setbacks this month, and it's honestly wearing on me. At the start of the month, I decided to hold off sending the next round of FD notification emails for a few weeks while I drew up some accurate "proof of concept" circuit boards for FDv2, to verify fit and component placement before I invested too much effort going down this path. I thought I had a small window of time to get test some potential circuit changes before I made more FDs, so I drew up the changes and ordered them more than two weeks ago, but those boards haven't arrived yet. There were delays and a shipping mistake, but it now looks like I will finally see them Friday. Yay. 
No one wants to read about delays caused by logistical issues - they are tedious to everyone involved -
- but that's what's been going on behind the scenes here at Fluxer.I will work on moving the FD Waiting List list forward this week. The availability of the Orion has changed things, so we will see how much demand remains for the 'original recipe' FD
The next several "order confirmation roundups" may go quickly. Cheers,
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Vaporware
Well-Known Member
@mr_cfromcali Will a v2 upgrade be available to current FD users along with the PWM? As well as mine works, these would be welcome upgrades! 
The Stray Fox
Separated from the group
I have resisted the Orion and I’m still really hoping for a FD. V2 has me excited. Your updates are very much appreciated. Best of luck with everything coming together.
@mr_cfromcali Will a v2 upgrade be available to current FD users along with the PWM? As well as mine works, these would be welcome upgrades!
HI @VaporWare - I will have an upgrade path for you. I am still working on the details, though. The FD has three main components: the case, the battery pack, and the heater PCB. For FDv2, you will need to change the heater PCB, but will be able to reuse the case and the battery pack. I'll have more info as this project moves along. I am currently waiting for the arrival of the first circuit boards for this project, so there's still work to be done on this.
Edited for clarity
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M3 Element
Well-Known Member
Im on the October 2019 waitlist anxiously waiting for more news on the Flux Deluxe V2...
Hi everyone,
We are almost at the end of October, and it's been a busy month behind the scenes here at Fluxer Heaters. I want to give you an update on where things stand with the various Fluxer projects.
The Flite:
The Flite is shaping up to be a great little heater, and I know you will like it a lot once it's ready to go.
Physically, things are pretty well set. Everything fits, and the result is a tight, solid build.
Functionally, @TommyDee has been helping me - or maybe I'm the one who has been the helper, lol - and we are getting closer to the correct recipe of inductance, capacitance, and work coil values to achieve the best heating performance and battery life we can. On Monday I sent him the most recent build and a selection of components to evaluate, and we are both hopeful that we'll have the right formula worked out very soon.
We've narrowed the choices to a few contenders in each of three categories: inductors, capacitors, and work coil size, and the final step is to test these in each possible combination and see which recipe emerges as the best overall.
The complicating factor, and one that I think took us both by surprise, is the variation in the circuit's performance when heating a lightweight ti tip vs. a slow-to-heat boat anchor like the 20M. This circuit makes the most of what it has to work with, and it needs to wring every erg and joule it can from the 18350 batteries. It's been challenging to find the happy medium that heats well and is also reliable. I have learned A LOT MORE about this circuit in the last four weeks or so, and this is after being pretty familiar with it for the last several years. It's been a very enlightening month.
There is more range in the Dynavap product line than you may realize, and there's also more ability to tune the IH circuit than I realized. "The more you know," eh
The TL;DR for the above: We are still testing a few components to find the best configuration. We are almost there, but we likely need at least one more week to test various component choices before we land on the correct configuration.
Other relevant news: I am still waiting for the cases to be made and shipped. That should happen within the next two weeks. I'll keep you updated and let you know as soon as I learn more.
Price: I'm still working on this. The configuration has changed quite a bit since I posted the "sneak peek" video a few months ago, and it isn't quite done yet. The Flite now has a lot more functionality and value than it did in its original configuration. It's also taken more iterations to reach this point than I expected it would, and as a result my development costs have been higher than anticipated.
Lastly, I recently found out that the rules around shipping Lion batteries are more permissive than I realized, and that it's legal to ship a few battery cells with a device as long as they are pre-installed in the device when it ships. TIL. Now that I am aware of this, I'm working with a battery vendor to purchase some 18350 cells in bulk, so I can offer together a "turn-key" package of the Flite, batteries, and a charger. That will be the top end, and the price for that package will determine the prices for less complete packages I offer "below" it. There's a delay at the moment as I need to complete some add'l paperwork for my resale license to finalize the bulk battery purchase price, and that paperwork is waiting on some other tax paperwork I'm expecting from my CPA. All of that will be settled soon, but that's why I haven't finalized the Flite's price(s) yet.
Stay tuned! The final stages of development are usually boring from the outside, but as I learned with the Flix, they are absolutely necessary for a successful product launch. I'll be back with more info soon!
Flux Deluxe v2 (FDv2):
The latest on the FDv2 is that I received the first set of FDv2 circuit boards last week. Unfortunately, the first set of circuit boards had a few fitment issues that prevented me from assembling a working heater, but I am hopeful the next set will be better. That "next set" of FDv2 PCBs are on their way to me now and should be here by Friday. I'm hopeful they'll yield a working build. I'll keep you posted.
Flix:
I am cautiously optimistic that I've finally cracked the mystery of the Flix's MOSFET issue, the one that has frustrated me and more than a few of you.
I discovered a clue I while I was testing the Flite: I observed that the heater circuit takes a "big gulp" of electrical power as it begins a heating cycle, but what happens next depends on its power source. When the heater is powered by batteries, the batteries limit this in-rush of current to some degree, and this keeps a minimal amount of electrical energy in all parts of the circuit. However, when the heater is powered by a mains adapter, the adapter is more efficient and thus capable of delivering a lot of energy to the heating circuit almost instantaneously. This initial in-rush of current comes so quickly and so strongly that it can deplete the capacitors, causing the MOSFETs to instantly die. This was especially evident when heating a heavy piece like the 20M.
The solution has been to alter the formula of capacitors and inductors to increase the capacitance and also slow down that "gulp". This seems to solve the root of the problem, which has always been my goal.
I have been slow to make more Flix while I wrestled with this issue, but testing is showing me that I now have a good formula, and this is the correct solution. I am not sure this will solve things 100% of the time - solving for 100% of anything seems unlikely - but starting with more capacitance and less inductance should make the Flix much more reliable, which is the goal.
I will be adding another batch of Flix to the store soon, and I'm hopeful this new configuration will prove to be more stable.
Going forward, if you are a current Flix owner and your Flix is working, please continue to use it as you have been. There's no need to change anything unless it stops working.
If your Flix does stop working and you send it back for repair, I will repair it with the new capacitor and inductor configuration.
OK, that's the latest. A lot of jibber-jabber, but hopefully some good stuff in there, too.
I'll have another update later in the week after I receive the next batch of PCBs from the manufacturer.
Cheers,
We are almost at the end of October, and it's been a busy month behind the scenes here at Fluxer Heaters. I want to give you an update on where things stand with the various Fluxer projects.
The Flite:
mr_c, would you care to share the price point for the future launch of the new Flite?
I might be able to get one if I miss a few lunches.A waiting list?
The Flite is shaping up to be a great little heater, and I know you will like it a lot once it's ready to go.
Physically, things are pretty well set. Everything fits, and the result is a tight, solid build.
Functionally, @TommyDee has been helping me - or maybe I'm the one who has been the helper, lol - and we are getting closer to the correct recipe of inductance, capacitance, and work coil values to achieve the best heating performance and battery life we can. On Monday I sent him the most recent build and a selection of components to evaluate, and we are both hopeful that we'll have the right formula worked out very soon.
We've narrowed the choices to a few contenders in each of three categories: inductors, capacitors, and work coil size, and the final step is to test these in each possible combination and see which recipe emerges as the best overall.
The complicating factor, and one that I think took us both by surprise, is the variation in the circuit's performance when heating a lightweight ti tip vs. a slow-to-heat boat anchor like the 20M. This circuit makes the most of what it has to work with, and it needs to wring every erg and joule it can from the 18350 batteries. It's been challenging to find the happy medium that heats well and is also reliable. I have learned A LOT MORE about this circuit in the last four weeks or so, and this is after being pretty familiar with it for the last several years. It's been a very enlightening month.
There is more range in the Dynavap product line than you may realize, and there's also more ability to tune the IH circuit than I realized. "The more you know," eh The TL;DR for the above: We are still testing a few components to find the best configuration. We are almost there, but we likely need at least one more week to test various component choices before we land on the correct configuration.
Other relevant news: I am still waiting for the cases to be made and shipped. That should happen within the next two weeks. I'll keep you updated and let you know as soon as I learn more.
Price: I'm still working on this. The configuration has changed quite a bit since I posted the "sneak peek" video a few months ago, and it isn't quite done yet. The Flite now has a lot more functionality and value than it did in its original configuration. It's also taken more iterations to reach this point than I expected it would, and as a result my development costs have been higher than anticipated.
Lastly, I recently found out that the rules around shipping Lion batteries are more permissive than I realized, and that it's legal to ship a few battery cells with a device as long as they are pre-installed in the device when it ships.
TIL. Now that I am aware of this, I'm working with a battery vendor to purchase some 18350 cells in bulk, so I can offer together a "turn-key" package of the Flite, batteries, and a charger. That will be the top end, and the price for that package will determine the prices for less complete packages I offer "below" it. There's a delay at the moment as I need to complete some add'l paperwork for my resale license to finalize the bulk battery purchase price, and that paperwork is waiting on some other tax paperwork I'm expecting from my CPA. All of that will be settled soon, but that's why I haven't finalized the Flite's price(s) yet.Stay tuned! The final stages of development are usually boring from the outside, but as I learned with the Flix, they are absolutely necessary for a successful product launch. I'll be back with more info soon!
Flux Deluxe v2 (FDv2):
The latest on the FDv2 is that I received the first set of FDv2 circuit boards last week. Unfortunately, the first set of circuit boards had a few fitment issues that prevented me from assembling a working heater, but I am hopeful the next set will be better. That "next set" of FDv2 PCBs are on their way to me now and should be here by Friday. I'm hopeful they'll yield a working build. I'll keep you posted.
Flix:
I am cautiously optimistic that I've finally cracked the mystery of the Flix's MOSFET issue, the one that has frustrated me and more than a few of you.
I discovered a clue I while I was testing the Flite: I observed that the heater circuit takes a "big gulp" of electrical power as it begins a heating cycle, but what happens next depends on its power source. When the heater is powered by batteries, the batteries limit this in-rush of current to some degree, and this keeps a minimal amount of electrical energy in all parts of the circuit. However, when the heater is powered by a mains adapter, the adapter is more efficient and thus capable of delivering a lot of energy to the heating circuit almost instantaneously. This initial in-rush of current comes so quickly and so strongly that it can deplete the capacitors, causing the MOSFETs to instantly die. This was especially evident when heating a heavy piece like the 20M.
The solution has been to alter the formula of capacitors and inductors to increase the capacitance and also slow down that "gulp". This seems to solve the root of the problem, which has always been my goal.
I have been slow to make more Flix while I wrestled with this issue, but testing is showing me that I now have a good formula, and this is the correct solution. I am not sure this will solve things 100% of the time - solving for 100% of anything seems unlikely - but starting with more capacitance and less inductance should make the Flix much more reliable, which is the goal.
I will be adding another batch of Flix to the store soon, and I'm hopeful this new configuration will prove to be more stable.
Going forward, if you are a current Flix owner and your Flix is working, please continue to use it as you have been. There's no need to change anything unless it stops working.
If your Flix does stop working and you send it back for repair, I will repair it with the new capacitor and inductor configuration.
OK, that's the latest. A lot of jibber-jabber, but hopefully some good stuff in there, too.
I'll have another update later in the week after I receive the next batch of PCBs from the manufacturer.
Cheers,
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TommyDee
Vaporitor
A lot of work is being done at Fluxer Heaters for sure.
A great dose of "D'oh
" humility and several new lessons learned for both of us.
Bottom line is that we are working of a heater that doesn't yet exist in the wild.
I am rocking one of the prototypes I named Goldie and it is my favorite heater.
Parts are here so back to the lab.
A great dose of "D'oh
" humility and several new lessons learned for both of us.Bottom line is that we are working of a heater that doesn't yet exist in the wild.
I am rocking one of the prototypes I named Goldie and it is my favorite heater.
Parts are here so back to the lab.
stark1
Lonesome Planet
kairos
Well-Known Member
Hi @mr_cfromcali, when will the Flite orders be up?
Hi @kairos , thanks for asking. I'm still waiting on the cases to get here, for one thing. I'm expecting them to arrive within 2-3 weeks, but I don't have an exact date yet. So that's one item at the moment that's holding this back.
Also, @TommyDee and I are still testing, and we've found a few things I want to change to improve performance and reliability before we move on to production. I am working on those now, as I wait for the cases. I expect to get the new circuit boards back next week, and I should have them tested and ready to go by the time the cases get here. Thank you for your patience! Testing has only made this thing better, and I am eager to get it done and move from development to production.
I'll have some add'l info about the Flite on my web site soon. FWIW, this project (and TommyDee) have taught me so much more about this ZVS IH circuit - how it works, how to tune it, how to test it, etc. I'm really looking forward to applying what I've learned to my other heaters.
Also, @TommyDee and I are still testing, and we've found a few things I want to change to improve performance and reliability before we move on to production. I am working on those now, as I wait for the cases. I expect to get the new circuit boards back next week, and I should have them tested and ready to go by the time the cases get here. Thank you for your patience! Testing has only made this thing better, and I am eager to get it done and move from development to production.
I'll have some add'l info about the Flite on my web site soon. FWIW, this project (and TommyDee) have taught me so much more about this ZVS IH circuit - how it works, how to tune it, how to test it, etc. I'm really looking forward to applying what I've learned to my other heaters.
TommyDee
Vaporitor
Flite is on the final legs of the design process. The tune is locked in and absolutely awesome. And as Jeff can tell you, I've stress tested the hell out of the Flite circuit. Jeff's years of effort on these heaters really shines in this layout. I can't wait to see this thing on the market. Flite honestly rivals anything I've made or tested to date.
