A look at an unusual application for a Royer type power supply that converts DC to symmetrical AC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4_pGVNjmlk
This video also revisits the bizarre retro GTL3 low voltage mercury vapour discharge lamps.
2021-04-08 04:24:07 +0000 UTC View Post
This unusually cheap kinetic powered remote switch has the absolute simplest power generator in it yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ0Z18CcTzI
The circuitry is very interesting. It's got me thinking about other micropower applications that could be operated by finger pressure.
2021-04-08 04:01:43 +0000 UTC View Post
There's going to be a quiet mid-week live stream this week. Here's the link:-
2021-04-05 01:28:36 +0000 UTC View Post
I'm aware I've been making too many videos on this subject recently, but this one had to be made due to the tackiness of the lamp and it's astonishing 50V LEDs.
I'll give you a break from these lamps now.
2021-04-03 03:47:22 +0000 UTC View Post
I've been playing with the thumbnail text. The novelty will probably soon wear off.
One day I'll just make a single video about dielectric barrier discharge ozone generation, and that way I can link to it from videos like this.
At the moment I repeat a lot of the same information because I have to assume that some people are seeing this as their first video on the subject.
2021-04-02 21:24:06 +0000 UTC View Post
The software in the little microcontroller is what makes this unit really special. But the electronic design is good too.
It's a shame they have designed the unit to fit into the smallest box possible. One that appears to be used for vehicle components like filters and fuses. It's such a close fit that there's no room for the wires to come out of the terminals.
2021-03-31 22:23:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a link to the upcoming Saturday live stream:-
2021-03-31 12:15:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Inside a dimmable Poundland light.
It does actually have circuitry besides the potentiometer.
2021-03-30 23:23:07 +0000 UTC View Post
This video includes intensity tests as well as power reduction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biEZ1TbdhhU
The difference in efficiency between the original hot running state of the "made to fail" light versus the first step in power reduction is staggering. If you used two of these lights with a suitable limiting capacitor in series with each one, then you'd get more light for 20% less powe...
2021-03-29 18:24:36 +0000 UTC View Post
I really want to use the thumbnail showing the mug in this video, but I know a militant would report me.
This is a completely non electronic gadget you may already have used without even knowing about it.
2021-03-27 02:24:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to Saturday's live stream:-
Questions for during the stream can be asked down below.
2021-03-26 00:57:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to a quiet mid-week stream. Usual day and time:-
2021-03-24 01:06:29 +0000 UTC View Post
By popular request, a self powering switch that generates the power to send an RF code to a receiver when toggled.
This was REALLY interesting.
2021-03-23 18:07:49 +0000 UTC View Post
I was expecting this to be more complicated than it was. But it does still contain some interesting electronics with fairly good design.
2021-03-22 16:33:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Not sure if this is a good video or not, but it's swapping the LEDs that had failed for red ones to show the status of crappy Chinese LEDs.
I managed to delete the original start to this video prior to changing the LEDs!
2021-03-21 01:12:34 +0000 UTC View Post
Those of you who watch the weekend live streams will have seen the prototypes of these lamp covers. They are designed to fit in place of the original globes on cheap LED lamps to turn them into large illuminated crystals.
Even if you don't have a 3D printer, this video may inspire you, and at least show you how to turn cheap short-life LED lamps into long life ones.
Now to...
2021-03-17 19:45:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Having already reverse engineered the four-wire version of this, I thought it would be fun to look at the simpler two wire version.
I love the visual effect of the tubes in these, but they probably are quite electrically noisy. (As well as being audibly noisy.)
2021-03-16 23:01:16 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link for the Saturday stream:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5mPHZr-jI8
2021-03-15 21:17:37 +0000 UTC View Post
This video was sent to me to put on the channel. It's quite a "moment" when a stray screw goes into a lithium cell in a DIY power wall.
The original owner of the video will be getting 50% of the advertising revenue to put towards buying new lithium cells and underwear.
I'll be releasing this on the main channel straight away as a little extra.
2021-03-14 23:38:49 +0000 UTC View Post
It's a while since I've been in London, but last time I was there this little lotus light caught my interest. Mainly because I was in the Chinatown section of London, and it seemed appropriate.
I also took apart an LED lamp designed for these, which I got directly from China.
2021-03-14 20:40:00 +0000 UTC View Post
A faulty isolator/fuse from an elevator/lift.
Quite a ferocious over centre spring mechanism in the base. It doesn't take much effort to rotate the common contact moving bar. Most of the force is to pressurise the springs to ensure a fast and solid switching action
2021-03-12 20:31:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to Saturdays stream:-
It's the one year anniversary of the lockdown streams, so bring cake.
2021-03-12 00:20:35 +0000 UTC View Post
And now for something completely non electronic.
Simple, but also quite complex. And apparently causing issues with a tendency not to seal fully and waste water.
2021-03-09 07:37:34 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a link to a quiet Patreon stream coming up this week.
If you have any questions or topics for the stream, leave them below.
2021-03-08 09:15:06 +0000 UTC View Post
And by induction they mean PIR.
Quite an interesting light, but really not waterproof.
2021-03-08 08:48:05 +0000 UTC View Post
A random and pleasant evening testing a range of very similar looking lamps for artistic crushability and hackability.
The next step may be to make custom 3D printed replacement covers for them.
2021-03-06 05:09:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Can you guess which retro sign in Las Vegas I based this 3D printed "diamond" reflector on?
2021-03-06 05:08:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Finally caught up with sleep, and decided to make another custom lamp.
I think I may have been a bit under the weather last week. It's always hard to tell when you live on your own, until afterwards when you feel better and realise something was wrong.
This one is based on the architectural style hanging clusters of E27 lamp holders, but scaled down to fit into a single la...
2021-03-04 20:37:31 +0000 UTC View Post
I was struggling to stay awake when I made this video due to a few restless nights leading to sleep deprivation. Does it show in the video?
Should I at least re-record the second part?
On a plus note, event the little 1W Dubai lamp has nice circuitry despite the small base.
2021-03-03 01:39:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to Saturday's live stream:-
To interact with chat, view on YouTube.
2021-03-02 03:03:31 +0000 UTC View Post