My $5 Touch Switch Modbox

Part 1 .. the concept and trying it out in breadboard form

How sweet! A circuit with NO moving parts, literally. It's called a 'touch switch' and some really high-end devices use them. It's always been my dream to have a touch switch mod (ever since last Christmas when we got our first e-ciggies), but without the big bucks. Here's one possibility for you modders out there.

A mosfet, an led and a couple of resistors, here's my new touch switch on a breadboard to prove it works. Next step: build a mini printed circuit board for the circuit.

Click link for demo video YouTube - Touch switch breadboarded

Here is the basic circuit I used, got it online. I replaced the 2-4 Mohm resistor with a 10Mohm to reduce the standby current, improving battery life. Many thanks to the originator of this wiring diagram.



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Part 2 .. the touch pad

Here is a pic of my cool idea for a touchpad .. this is the connector from a fried atty. I drilled the hole too small, then filed little by little until I could thread the atty connector in from the inside. This gives you both touch pads built into a single unit. It threaded in so nicely that it will require no epoxy to keep in place, it's nice and tight! Ditto for the battery connector onvthe top.

Looking good so far .. more to come

Alan

 

Part 3: preliminary assembly and testing

I have messed up in the past, mounting and epoxying everything in, only to find out that I messed up the wiring and it's too late. So this time I decided to trey it out with all the innards hanging out. As you can see, it works great Last step is to trim the wires and do the final assembly.

Incidently, I added a bicolor 3mm led (top mounted) to the boxmod. Also, I gave up using a mini PC board for this one, just too much stuff in that little box. I am just gonna stuff it all in and fill it up with my hot glue gun (actually, my wife's gun)




By asnider123

 

Part 4 .. putting it all together.

Here it is, working and everything. No moving parts.Green light .. power switch on, red light .. firing the carto! Pretty cool!!! Just like the big boys!!! Now to fill it with hot glue so all those solder joints and components don't rattle loose.

Next project ... a 5Volt touch mod. That aughta be really cool!!

 

Parts and cost breakdown

Box, 2-AA with master switch.. $2 at Madvapes
Batt and Atty Connectors..free (salvaged from old parts)
IRL3103 Mosfet Chip..$1 at questcomp.com
LED, 10M resistor, 1K resistor, 470 resistor .. about $2 total from various places

Total cost (not including 14500 battery) .. $5 (or less)

I had to make a $25 minimum order from questcomp.com, so I got a bunch of mosfets, 2M and 10M resistors, all hard to find and very much more expensive (if you can find them) around here locally.

This is actually about the same or cheaper than building a conventional switch-type boxmod, should last a very long time because there are absolutely no moving parts to arc out.

 

Awesome job as always snider. I have made a few touch switch mods my self. I actually used an F-connector from RG6 coaxial cable. If you tear it apart there is a small fitting inside, it looks like a huge atty center pin. I stripped some rg6 down to just the center conductor and the plastic dielectric, stuck it in the f-connector fitting which gave me 2 conductors in a small package. Basically the same thing you have but I work for comcast so I have tons of connectors.

-Xen

 

You're my hero. Awesome mod, Asnider!

 

That is AWESOME!! IF I had any skill at electronics, I would try this.

 

Oh well, lost another one This one is now my wife's favorite, guess I need to make another one LOL