It turns out that it's quite an interesting device. The circuitry is very much in keeping with Aldi and Lidl tools, with a fairly intelligent design. It's unusual that they didn't use a standard lithium charge chip though.
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1XpRq14Ca4
2024-01-27 18:10:14 +0000 UTC View Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zJ3uK99r1Q
2024-01-25 19:14:42 +0000 UTC View Post
These are kinda cute. Basically super-miniaturised meteor lights based on a microcontroller and flip-chip LEDs under phosphor (or clear gel for the blue ones.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35I6QV_Une0 2024-01-25 03:11:52 +0000 UTC View Post
A very basic dusk sensor supplied with a bulkhead light from a prominent UK trade supplier (Toolstation). It is so minimalist that it has slight stability issues at the transition from on to off.
2024-01-25 03:09:42 +0000 UTC View Post
I've not finished editing the description for this video. I thought I'd drop it early, since it's such a radical twist on integration.
The main chips involved in the control are optimised for simplicity and an amazingly good power factor (current to voltage relationship).
One no...
2024-01-22 06:38:34 +0000 UTC View Post
The American theme on the packaging is unexpected. This company sells lookalike Wago style connectors, plus this pleasingly minimalist inline splice for joining solid core or stiff-strand wires.
It works quite well, and the use of the copper contact bar does suggest it will have a low...
2024-01-21 17:39:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ho2jqeu-fE
2024-01-20 18:40:39 +0000 UTC View Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcj23VGphI0
2024-01-18 18:24:59 +0000 UTC View Post
A dead unit sent by Christopher for our exploration. It came from Temu and they refunded for the faulty unit without any problem.
This version has an entirely different optical system in it, which is quite cool, and while it's not as bright as the other unit, it has hackability.
Technically speaking they refer to this LED as being ultraviolet, but it's more at the deep violet end of the spectrum. Very useful though, especially when tamed down to enhance the lifespan of the LED chips.
That's what this video is about. A very easy way to reduce the power d...
2024-01-17 04:59:54 +0000 UTC View Post
By far the most unusual part of this rather neat product is the heater. It is a very odd twist on standard technology, that allows greater heat transfer to the air.
The silica-gel cartridges seem to dry quite quickly for reuse due to the combination of heat and a low flow of air to dr...
2024-01-15 06:51:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us23RVu4rPo
2024-01-13 18:33:47 +0000 UTC View Post
I wonder how many people have bought these and then driven with reckless abandon in the naive belief that they are invisible to cameras and traps.
That could get very expensive in a matter of hours. Not even fines you could contest either - "I though my car was invisible."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Rlf9b2EbE
2024-01-11 17:45:34 +0000 UTC View Post
A very minimalist USB powered charger for the rechargeable version of the 2032 lithium button cells.
The circuitry is as expected, except for one mysterious resistor. I wonder if it's for stability due to the unusually low charging current.
The Twinkly system is an expensive, but unique system of LED strings that can be installed and then pixel-mapped with a phone camera.
Kip Hakes sent me some dead PCBs from a string of festoon style bulbs that had an issue with water ingress.
I thought I'd take one of these apart, thinking the circuitry was going to be very minimalist. I thought it might be a chip, transistor and protection diode, but it really goes to town on noise suppression and overload protection.
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhTS3wMd0zs
2024-01-05 00:37:00 +0000 UTC View Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2YCTrEESMY
2024-01-04 18:26:33 +0000 UTC View Post
This is one of those very handy little modules stocked by all the usual suspects. It's cheap and very versatile, since it can control heating or cooling and humidifying or dehumidifying.
A lot of the magic is in the remote sensor, with the microcontroller mainly just polling it for da...
2024-01-04 03:59:11 +0000 UTC View Post
My own (parametric) version of the Mega Mini Light looks a bit too much like a condom for comfort.
The current script lets you choose the tubular body length and diameter, then fills in the rest itself. It also lets you choose the wall thickness for something more robust than one prin...
2024-01-02 05:10:19 +0000 UTC View Post
This is a rather net version of the classic device used for locating hidden cameras in accommodation or other locations.
It relies on retro-reflection from optical systems to show their location and allow further investigation.
Note that this stream is one hour later than normal and will continue until the dawn of 2024 UK time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngO29lUP4tI
2023-12-31 07:09:26 +0000 UTC View Post
And now for something completely different. I couldn't resist adding these to a temu order (not a sponsor) to see how well they worked.
The results are "pastel", but better than expected, and may find artistic use.
It was definitely a much better result than the really crap prob...
2023-12-31 06:36:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tv3nwXJgt0
2023-12-30 06:20:12 +0000 UTC View Post
This module is intended for simple fan, filter and evaporative cooling units and not compressor based ones. It basically replaces all the electronics to restore operation to units where the electronic circuitry has failed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl697qo6RJY
2023-12-28 17:05:29 +0000 UTC View Post
These are the crappiest lights I've found on eBay so far. The controller felt so flimsy that I squeezed it and it disintegrated before I'd even started making the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRo...
2023-12-27 15:41:43 +0000 UTC View Post
The traditional Xmas-day video, but now filmed as a vertical short.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ITSH7jAzHpo
2023-12-25 15:23:06 +0000 UTC View Post