Was bored at work the other day, and am getting tired of charging batteries (even though I only go through 1 set a day) so I decided to make a passthrough.
Tech specs:
LM317HVT regulator, Vout set at 5.5 volts
Vin either 16v from a modified laptop power supply, OR 12 volts from a modified cell phone car charger
TO-220 heat sink on regulator (reaches 60 celsius in a hurry without it)
40mm fan on side of box to further cool regulator
BNC cable plug for easy connections
The regulator is rated at 1.5 amps when Vin-Vout is greater than 15 volts, and 2 amps when less than 15 volts. Including the fan, the rig draws 1.9 amps. Still creates a fair amount of heat, but the regulator averages around 30 celsius.
I could have made something more efficient, but I used parts that were available at work. AND because someone on another forum said that the regulator couldn't successfully be used, so I HAD to prove them wrong.
This setup puts out TONS more vapor than my 5.5 volt box mod, most likely because the 14500 batteries in the mod cannot discharge at a high enough rate. The only thing I dislike about it is the noise of the fan, sounds similar to a muted hair dryer. Functionally though, it performs great!