Having featured the version based on op-amps I thought it would be interesting to get a version with a microcontroller.
One of the main advantages of this unit is that it can be set for different numbers of lithium cells, from 1 to 8. That's all done by solder links on a chain of resi...
2022-12-08 04:30:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Let's provoke the militants with this double entendre filled video.
I'm actually more concerned about the music being flagged, although the tune itself is in the public domain.
The mechanism is quite inspirational. As is the detail and character of the ethnically compatible Sant...
2022-12-07 04:19:33 +0000 UTC View Post
What's the bet that this video which was quite arduous to make will be too niche to get many views. That often happens.
But here it is in all its weird and MOSFET plastered glory. Basically two independent batteries with a means of inter battery communication.
When I post these simple lamp videos it means I'm having a frustrating time with another teardown.
In this case the other teardown is the 20/40V Ferrex battery pack, which has mystery chips, and very weird cell voltage monitoring with a complex analogue multiplexing system and individual ce...
2022-12-05 22:38:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOJ1YB9BdZ0
2022-12-03 06:18:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a link to the upcoming Patreon stream.
Since I've actually remembered that it's Thursday this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRHJ8eciGn8
2022-12-01 20:15:16 +0000 UTC View Post
Kinda complex and interesting. Getting the PCB out of the housing was not fun at all, as it must be soldered in position due to side indents that stop it being slid out after the contact retaining bar is removed. I hacked the indent ridges out so I could slide the whole assembly out a...
2022-12-01 05:26:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Making a video about something like this is almost like a holiday for me. Very simple circuitry that is fast to reverse engineer.
This is the fourth video I've made about this style of light over many years of evolution, and they have all been different.
They're very hackable, a...
2022-11-29 07:24:57 +0000 UTC View Post
Yeah. A heated butt-wipe dispenser to avoid emotional trauma when cleaning excrement from your wee baby.
I'm sure there may be other uses for hot moist wipes, but I dread to think of what they are.
On a plus note, it does contain an unexpectedly nice heater.
Not too bad. It turns out that the voltage thresholds I measured were as described in the listing, so quite a useful indication of battery charge status due to the very useful voltage/charge ratio of lithium cells.
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37AW70S4TLY
2022-11-26 05:22:20 +0000 UTC View PostBut due to me literally losing an entire day somewhere I didn't realise it was actually Thursday.
Especially dramatic, since I'm supposed to be flying tomorrow!
Mainly a mechanical teardown. The electronics will come later.
The grinder went back together quite easily afterwards, although I've robbed the electronics to explore further at the usual bench.
This is a different recording device from normal and seems to have a slight sensitiv...
2022-11-24 00:04:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Different camera and location, so different sound and look to the video. Let me know how it compares to the usual videos.
Following on from feedback on a previous video, I decided to make one addressing the way a TP4056 style charging chip works, and how it may appear that it never st...
2022-11-21 02:51:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF-gZMHUp9U
2022-11-19 04:21:14 +0000 UTC View Post
Due to network issues there's a possibility that tonight's Patreon stream may be in potato vision with frequent drop outs.
Despite a full system reset, speeds are a glitchy sub 1Mbit in my current location.
I can't believe how much work and material has gone into making a fake product. It would have cost so little more just to make the real thing.
Worse still, they have been so keen to make it look real that they have inadvertently referenced two of the carbon fibre emitters on the front...
2022-11-14 02:25:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Initially I went on eBay looking for a "safer" version of this, which just has a switch and speaker terminals for hooking up mains voltage equipment. But I found something MUCH better.
Initially I thought the probe option might be for continuity tests, but they're really not.
I was surprised to see such different looking ionisers with the exact same PCB in them, and even more surprised at its output.
It's a good demonstration of how little energy is needed to make a strong electrostatic charge.
Here's a link to the weekend stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2HJ4tBYxQA
2022-11-12 05:10:57 +0000 UTC View Post
Latest notice ever for a quiet Patreon stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9zeOGIU3KU
2022-11-10 20:39:50 +0000 UTC View Post
This one is quite neat. Mainly because it turns out that it operates on 1.5 to 3V and yet still bangs out 12kV.
Now that it's documented you may find alternative uses for it.
2022-11-10 01:21:26 +0000 UTC View Post
If you can't beat California then join them instead.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ipYGcrBo-uI
2022-11-10 00:59:59 +0000 UTC View Post
I find the Californian government's list of harmful things perplexing. It's as if every known material used to build society is harmful.
Would it be unfair to the rest of California to release this? Or will it make them ponder how foolish their government is making them look glo...
2022-11-09 02:14:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Not actually 9 million mAh obviously, as pleasing as that would be.
The scamminess didn't really stop there though. None of the ratings given in the listing are real, although the lights are quite nice.
This jumped the queue because it's a very interesting unit that just arrived from Ukraine.
It's an ioniser, but with a very different twist to it.
Rather pleasingly, the manual actually has the full schematic in it.
The clocks in the UK have gone back, so the stream may be an hour later for some countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUApLQ51iHw
2022-11-05 05:49:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Another short that tries to contain useful information.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B9bxVPyJkjg
2022-11-05 04:29:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Note that the clocks have changed here, so double check timing. The stream will be going live within one hour of posting this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u4zfnYrGH4
2022-11-03 20:10:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Not bad for 8 years continuous operation, but despite the ring light aligning almost perfectly, you can still see the dark ring where most of the blue light was supposed to be exiting the LED. The discolouration manifested as a very noticeable beam pattern with dark spot in the middle and a...
2022-11-03 05:05:32 +0000 UTC View Post