I bet they still haven't noticed that it's missing, given how long it had been dim and flickering for.
But is has revealed many things - including identifying a mystery chip first seen in a monster "architectural" lamp from Poundland.
Perhaps I should carry a small LED lamp selection ...
2023-09-21 02:18:42 +0000 UTC View Post
This vintage LED test light is so "analogue" that it was really hard to reverse engineer due to the odd way the transistors are used.
Instead of being able to draw it out in a logical way, I literally had to trace every component's connection to the others, and then try and draw it as a nea...
2023-09-21 01:36:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Tonights project. 3D printed E10 LED bulbs.
They're so small, and print so fast that I had to half the speed of the printer to let each layer cool before the next one got extruded.
Each one contains an LED and 150 ohm resistor for 5V. Quite tempted to try and fit a little ...
2023-09-19 04:39:15 +0000 UTC View Post
This is a torch or flashlight designed for use with the LIDL Parkside 12V tool system, but it will probably be available under other brands too.
The circuitry is basic, but neat enough, and it has potential hackability for customisation.
You may notice strong similarities between the ...
2023-09-19 00:25:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCxuO3_GW4Y
2023-09-14 23:37:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to this weeks Patreon stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMHl8C7yjzE
2023-09-14 17:14:58 +0000 UTC View Post
It's so easy to upset YouTube these days that I sometimes have to omit humour from the thumbnails.
I was pondering if the nonsensical "dicksimilated" word and partially obscured other word would slip past the automated image filters.
2023-09-14 05:17:38 +0000 UTC View Post
I've been trying to find dangerous items on Temu, and so far it's been hard to find really bad stuff.
Better still, they did actually deliver to the Isle of Man, which is often a stumbling point for many companies, as they don't recognise the island's existence.
This was a nice effect...
2023-09-14 05:01:06 +0000 UTC View Post
I wasn't sure if this video was going to be any good due to the simplicity of the device.
Rather than carry the thing back in my luggage I opted to strip the electronic module and flame-loom out and recycle the rest.
It's a very odd combination of trying to be weatherproof and then co...
2023-09-13 02:24:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Obviously I wasn't going to pay the full price of an item being gouged by contrived "regulatory requirements" - so I found one going cheaper on eBay.
I also have to admit that afterwards while investigating the smaller disk device it turns out it's probably a gas discharge tube surge device...
2023-09-13 01:59:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Another video that I filmed before heading back. It's a set of solar lights from a local UK store called Poundstretcher - which promised "gold light". It isn't what I'd call gold.
The solar case is unusually large and old fashioned looking, and has a very...
2023-09-12 02:45:46 +0000 UTC View Post
I got this mainly for the low voltage (3V) filament lamp, but it turns out that it's quite a nice thing as it is, and VERY hackable to either steal the bits or adapt the base to run on solar power or a USB power supply. That makes it ideal as an off-grid or apocalypse light, since USB power...
2023-09-12 02:24:03 +0000 UTC View PostI've just been in touch with Naomi Wu (sexycyborg).
She's been given warnings about posting certain technical content after riling the Chinese government.
She's lying low at the moment, which is why there haven't been any videos on her channel for a while.
2023-09-10 05:50:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoSMYHMan0w
2023-09-09 17:47:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Just a last minute teardown of a dead Ubiquity WiFi node to save the extra weight of carrying it during travel.
It's actually really well designed inside. Much more sophisticated than I was expecting
Here's the link to the Patreon stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDnq3ZJ79F0
2023-09-07 19:04:47 +0000 UTC View Post
A project I put on my website a very long time ago, that has been in constant use since.
Originally it was fitted with nine compact fluorescent lamps just to get a much higher brightness, but latterly I made it decorative instead by swapping in suitable lamps.
It's basically a two part p...
2023-09-05 02:22:22 +0000 UTC View Post
No stabilisation on the camera which would have been nice. But I rarely film while walking.
Here's a backstage tour that takes you into many secret bits that tourists don't get to see.
2023-09-04 04:55:52 +0000 UTC View Post
I'll be having a meetup in Glasgow city centre in a few days.
If you live in Glasgow and can make it into the city centre for 6pm onwards this Wednesday, then it would be good to see you at the Counting House on George Square for coffee, beer, chat and food.
I may switch to using the word "bulb" instead of "lamp" as there seems to be a cultural variation.
This video was filmed on the fly while travelling. How does the black background look, and how are the acoustics?
The schematic shown was featured in the weekend live stream.
Here's a link to the weekend stream, which is back to the normal day:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic5INWRgj3o
2023-09-02 17:42:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Very common on eBay and quite a fun device. It uses standard 58mm thermal paper on very small rolls (you can re-roll from a bigger roll though) and also prints on thermal label material as a continuous strip.
The circuitry is as minimalist as you'd expect, with the bulk of the w...
2023-09-02 14:41:08 +0000 UTC View Post
What do you do when one big online retailer rejects your product for having a manufacturing fault?
Why - you sell them on eBay of course, because they really don't give a toss what dangerous crap you sell there.
Here's one of those products with a very silly manufacturing fault involv...
2023-09-01 21:48:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Now some normality has returned to life we can have a quiet stream again.
I'll be doing this one from Gotham City.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij6AIVKyIos
2023-08-31 15:24:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Walking along one of the lighting gantries as the audience comes in for the first of two shows on the last day of the run.
The whole rig is now packed up and shipped off in three large trucks that were well-stuffed with lights - four cases wide and three high all the way from front to back....
2023-08-31 04:03:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Another gift from Vince the crew chief. A wireless version of the LED audience wristband used in big concerts to add extra audience interaction.
Unlike the infrared version, this one uses a radio signal for control.
We explored one of our old power distribution rooms in the dungeons of Edinburgh castle.
Very "Blair Witch Project" - especially when we actively used that freaky area for power distribution and it often had the carcasses of dead rodents on the floor.
These days it is a lot less damp ...
2023-08-28 01:54:48 +0000 UTC View PostNo live stream this week because I was working long and heavy hours. Normality should return this week, as the next two days will involve the removal of the remainder of the lighting and controls, then freedom.
I've been taking more snippets of video which will be revealed once I get ...
2023-08-28 01:41:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Last day of this show, so I celebrated with another Chinese self-heating noodle dish.
The "Pork Noodle" bit had looked so tempting, but in reality it was part of the pig that might go into processed meat products, and it was a bit squirmy eating it directly.
the heater packs in these ...
2023-08-27 02:49:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Scruff's doing a fill-in live stream on Saturday.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to do a stream at all this week as we start loading out the show on Sunday and will be craning stuff out of the castle in the evening.
Then hopefully things will return to normal.