Here's a reverse engineering video to balance the unbagging videos.
This light is a very old style with utter disregard for proper lithium cell charging.
2025-11-17 08:36:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Another bag of goodies to explore. But I'll also release a video about a horrible keychain flashlight for those who don't like the unbagging videos.
2025-11-17 08:34:14 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the recent quiet live stream where the image was flipped, I tried to find out how to correct that. There's no option for the selfie camera mirror function in the configuration menu for the YouTube app when setting up a live stream, and various fixes like changing the mirror setting in defa...
2025-11-16 03:55:21 +0000 UTC View PostThere will be the usual weekend live stream on Twitch. (9pm Saturday UK time)
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
Best viewed on Twitch, and you may need to refresh the page to start the stream.
2025-11-15 18:52:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Sorry. I've been making far too many videos recently.
This one is about the cheap crappy insect zappers being hyped in adverts as being a breakthrough. They have an interesting bit of circuitry for creating around 400V from 5V though. It's actually viable to buy them just for the PCB. 2025-11-15 07:10:03 +0000 UTC View Post
This module communicates with modern USB PD (Power Delivery) power supplies and sends a request for the voltage chosen on the switches.
Whether you actually get that voltage depends on the power supply.
The voltage options are 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V, and 20V.
The main advantage of thi...
2025-11-15 02:06:29 +0000 UTC View Post
I was expecting this unit to be doing the usual ultrasonic sweep thing, but in reality, although all the circuitry is there it wasn't doing anything. Maybe it's not continuous or maybe somebody screwed up at the factory. Hard to say.
Not that a piezo disk glued to the case like the sounde...
2025-11-13 08:41:41 +0000 UTC View Post
A simple test of how the PTC heater block behaves in a total failure situation. In reality, this situation would require a processor crash or triac failure to achieve. If everything was otherwise intact the internal thermistor should sense the build up of heat as "room temperature" and shut the...
2025-11-12 00:47:34 +0000 UTC View Post
You've probably seen the scam adverts for these heaters on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and other similar platforms.
The circuitry in this one is actually quite acceptable. But it does lack a final thermal fuse in case of catastrophic failure.
Another sack of technical tat from AliExpress. These videos are at least as popular as the full-on reverse engineering videos, but catch my genuine joy of decanting a big bag of "stuff" onto my bench.
I did enable the affiliate link feature on AliExpress. It doesn't increase the cost of t...
2025-11-11 05:45:10 +0000 UTC View Post
This is another of those products where they could have made a great device, but decided to skimp and do silly things like not supervising the winding of the transformers properly.
2025-11-11 04:34:43 +0000 UTC View PostUsual time and usual place depending on whether your clocks have moved back yet.
Best viewed on Twitch, and you may need to refresh the page to start the stream.
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
2025-11-08 18:55:24 +0000 UTC View Post
I do wonder if this was ever intended to be a real product that just went wayward. It's feasible that it was originally intended for use with near-UVA LEDs, but then they realised that using bright pink ones made it look really powerful and ultraviolety.
So if you want a convenient timed l...
2025-11-07 05:27:05 +0000 UTC View Post
The quiet Patreon stream will be starting about 1 hour from me posting this.
Here's a direct link, as the best place to view the stream is on YouTube.
2025-11-06 20:08:51 +0000 UTC View PostYou may remember that I asked whether you thought I should try the AliExpress affiliate link thing.
I'm now trying it on the video I released recently. If anything it actually makes it easier for me to add the product links to the description, and it doesn't affect the price of the item. 2025-11-04 11:37:12 +0000 UTC View Post
It's a while since we've had a quiet Patreon live stream.
Let me know if there are specific topics you'd like discussed.
2025-11-04 09:19:15 +0000 UTC View Post
The third in a triple video blast. I definitely make far too much content.
2025-11-03 08:00:29 +0000 UTC View Post
So many things and so little time, so here's the second video in a triple video blast.
2025-11-03 07:59:12 +0000 UTC View Post
An extra loud unbagging as part of a triple video blast.
2025-11-03 07:57:30 +0000 UTC View PostThe clocks went back an hour last week in the UK, so the stream will start an hour later for those of you who haven't changed clocks yet.
Best viewed on Twitch, and you may need to refresh the page to get the stream to start.
I'll try not to do too many of these unbagging videos, but this might actually be representative of the amount of glorious trash that I buy.
Here's a lamp/bulb edition where I added a selection of lamps and other random things.
It's a while since I've explored one of these modules, and this one has stripped the component count down to the absolute minimum.
I reckon it must be scanning the display and then pausing briefly to measure the temperature while all the LEDs are off and the supply is stable.
When I ordered this I thought the bulb was going to charge when screwed into a light fitting, but in reality the screw base is just so the USB chargeable light can be used in existing light fittings.
2025-10-29 04:29:15 +0000 UTC View Post
The thought of buying a urinal mat had never crossed my mind until AliExpress helpfully suggested one.
Then once you've bought one toilet product you get lots more......
Then of course we have LED lights and useful stuff.
No thumbnail, because there seems to be a bit of a glitch between Patreon and YouTube.
Here's a look inside a very gaudy electronic firecracker unit with no high voltage zappers. It makes up for that by having four circuits of LEDs and an audio module which plays a firecracker loop eight ...
2025-10-27 03:22:48 +0000 UTC View Post
This is a much cheaper version of the electronic firecracker ornament, but without the zappy high voltage bit.
Not sure if the thumbnail is going to work, as I'm getting a "confirm you're not a bot" message in place of the thumbnail.
Usual place and usual time.
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
I'm posting this just under two hours before the stream starts.
Best viewed on Twitch, and you may need to refresh the page to start the ...
2025-10-25 18:15:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Have another unbagging video while I'm in the process of reverse engineering another hideous (non high voltage) Chinese firecracker ornament.
This unbagging predates the video I promptly made about the fake power saver plugs.
I mainly bought this to explore the very slim power supply that converts 120/240V to the current regulated supply for the LED.
The construction of the actual downlight is pretty good too, with a sensible retention system.
There is an element of serviceability in that a new LED could b...
2025-10-23 16:10:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Aside from the fact that this is actually a 20W LED bulb and has no smoothing, the construction is actually quite interesting. It uses punched aluminium sheet to form a large 3D heatsink.
2025-10-22 19:58:52 +0000 UTC View Post