Here's the link for this week's Patreon stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk3ajoMuRNs
It probably won't be potato vision, as the last stream was under extreme cellular network conditions. (A full football stadium with phones.)
2021-09-06 16:02:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to this weekend's stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-0i8q7wyEU
2021-09-03 21:18:07 +0000 UTC View Post
I'm about to use this even more tacky thumbnail on the recent whisky carbonation video.
The original thumbnail will probably throw up an image error on the Patreon link to the video, so here's the image that is going in its place. (The video link will still work.)
The trashy clickbait videos are quite fun to slot in from time to time. The recipe is:-
Clickbait thumbnail with silly pose and hat.
Unusual video subject.
Very short bite-sized video.
I pla...
2021-09-02 23:13:04 +0000 UTC View Post
I bought this unit from a local farm store. It's clearly been on the shelf for a very long time, so I thought it would be good to explore it. (It cost about £20).
2021-09-02 22:19:43 +0000 UTC View PostYou may notice that I put up a mix of different types of video. I thought I'd explain each type and why I do them.
The complex teardown and reverse engineering videos. These are the hardest to make and yet get the least views. That's because there's only a small percentage of YouTube viewers who enjoy the deeper technical content.
The full build videos. These get low views because they tend to be long. Some people enjoy them because they are relaxing....
2021-09-02 03:34:11 +0000 UTC View Post
I just feel the need to slot one of these in every so often. This one turned out to be really good.
2021-09-02 03:26:12 +0000 UTC View Post
This video is partly a look at a set of Poundlands Halloween lights, but it's also an ambient hack to run them from a USB power supply.
2021-09-01 23:54:44 +0000 UTC View Post
I'll let you guys decide if I'm being too harsh or not, but I would NOT feel comfortable leaving one of these batteries on charge unattended.
This video was extremely hard to make due to the very weird circuitry, which I spent far too much time trying to get my head around. I'm not sure if the mysterious chip is a dedicated lithium battery management chip or just a microcontroll...
2021-09-01 05:20:19 +0000 UTC View Post
I think this pack was sent by Michal a while ago.
It's interesting because it has some features that suggest it doubles up as an emergency disaster-relief pack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYJo-FvgvM
It also has the indestruct-a-crackers common to many Military rations.
2021-08-31 05:11:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Mystery device that I'm currently running tests on.
It's notable that the clone has balance circuitry unlike the original device it's based on.
I have to say that it looks extremely technical. Like a sci-fi prop.
2021-08-31 02:29:24 +0000 UTC View Post
I've looked at these units before. They are sold for use in meditation, and have about 39 sections of music and chants built in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNpbvyLIvN0
This time I dumped the flash memory so it can be downloaded and explored if you wish. The link is in the YouTube description.
Note that the memory is just 2 Megabytes, so the audio is a bit crushed.
2021-08-30 04:50:51 +0000 UTC View Post
After a long evening resolving annoying technical issues, I decided to chill out and do a more laid back teardown video.
2021-08-28 03:21:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link for this weekend's stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb2C3wjo7OM
2021-08-28 02:23:29 +0000 UTC View Posthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJp7bCGe3eo
2021-08-26 20:10:31 +0000 UTC View Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJp7bCGe3eo
2021-08-25 15:46:17 +0000 UTC View Post
Selenium rectifiers fit in the gap between the mercury valve/tube rectifiers and modern silicon ones.
Here's how to recognise them, how they work, how they are wired and how to replace them with modern rectifier blocks.
2021-08-25 03:16:15 +0000 UTC View Post
This is definitely a Bad Idea Bear experiment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia935tO1EPY
The smoke was more exciting than the cake.
There's a link to the second attempt (with runny batter) at the end of the first video.
2021-08-23 06:22:04 +0000 UTC View Post
This is one of the most exciting things I've found on eBay in a while. Anyone who uses a chainsaw regularly will know that they carry quite significant hazards due to the aggressive fast moving blades.
So here's a little pocket one with no secondary safety interlock to ensure maximum risk.
On a plus note, this cheap tool comes with a seemingly acceptable pair of rech...
2021-08-22 02:06:18 +0000 UTC View Posthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVZjYqoaXo
2021-08-21 01:18:45 +0000 UTC View Posthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9ojOsoWUvQ
2021-08-19 20:15:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Although it's not a "second Thursday" I'm doing a random extra live stream on the main channel.
It will start as an unlisted Patreon stream for the first hour and I will then try and make it public after that to see if that even works.
This is also a test stream for a new feature that reduces chat-spam by requiring people in the chat to be subscribed to the channel. If you're not subscribed then doing so will allow you to join the chat about 5 minutes later. It may req...
2021-08-19 18:17:15 +0000 UTC View Post
It took a bit of effort, but I squeezed larger capacitors than it was designed for onto the Minion PCB while still fitting in the case.
I now have an atmoshperic invigorator with integrated voltage multiplier for maximum reliability (no pulsing coils). The output hisses with no significant mains ripple noise.
Now for a long term test.
2021-08-19 04:01:23 +0000 UTC View Post
This video is showing the identification, removal of a faulty component, and retesting of a control system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuXb2ltbD_I
I'm tempted to source a replacement and test again, even with just a single motor attached.
2021-08-18 01:08:21 +0000 UTC View Post
No ozone on this one at all. It's a lock with a solenoid operated release mechanism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHuI2LSeTHI
Quite well made units, but very high current coils with an inductive kick.
2021-08-17 03:19:50 +0000 UTC View Post
A spontaneous experiment with a simple voltage multiplier connected to the Russian Nuclear Corporation atmoshperic invigorator.
The capacitors are a higher value than the PCB was originally designed for (100nanofarts) so I had to make a double decker Cockroft Walton multiplier.
Really good results. Prominent ionic breeze and decent amount of ozone that tripped the alarm in the test chamber at 45 seconds.
Hopi wouldn't read the power. A series meter showed less th...
2021-08-17 02:44:10 +0000 UTC View Post
This is a UVC water sterilising lamp. The exposure to the short wave ultraviolet kills any living thing in the water. It's used in a consumer kitchen product branded Strauss or Virgin Pure, and seems to be sold with a contract for routine postal delivery of filters, cleaners and a new UVC cartridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcprPDlDg9E
Initially I thought this was using a very st...
2021-08-14 13:24:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Is this video a bit "lacklustre"? Although this is a fairly smart design, I couldn't muster as much enthusiasm as usual, as it lacks significant hackability.
Although it's commendable that the critical circuitry is all potted under resin, it kinda limits its hackability for changing LED colours or the inductor value.
2021-08-13 01:21:21 +0000 UTC View Posthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVJ1zrG4svc
2021-08-12 20:44:09 +0000 UTC View Post
