bigclive

A look at a horrifically wasteful charger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5korWqCcsHE

This emergency phone charger is a good example of a wasteful throwaway product.

Inside a very cheap MP3 disco light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=022qOPEmYG0

This cheap eBay disco light was advertised as having DMX control, but doesn't.  What it does have is a sound activated LED switcher and a motorised cam to move a panel of LEDs, and also a standard MP3 player module that is actually quite useful in its own right.

Short video clips from the show load-in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ai-Gc3AWjE

Slightly messy footage, because I just grabbed whatever I could when possible.  This is just to give you a glimpse of what happens while a show is loading in.

Pound-shop camping light (new version).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYZ1xJ4kwfs

A new version of a light I made a video about a while ago.  This is the newer and simpler version.  It's actually pretty good.

Inside an Airwick wax melter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HViZhp7Z_k

Sorry for the lack of videos recently, the run up to the show has kept me busy for long hours.  Things are quieter now as it's the dress rehearsal tonight and the show will open to the public tomorrow.  That means we just have a few technical refinements to make and then things should be more relaxed.

Lighting crew - special brew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N33hPSq652Q

It's become a bit of a tradition for the lighting crew to make a batch of beer while working on the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

This year I went out to Stewart Brewing with Cara, Tim and Graham to start a batch of a dark IPA.  When it's fermented we'll go back and bottle it while also applying a suitable custom label.  Then we'll have a few after-...

Sonic bug repeller with schematic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkQB4vPGaEA

One of a few videos that will have a distinctly different look and sound as I record them in a small accommodation room while travelling with work.

I'm also using a different microphone.  A Rode lapel mic as suggested by a viewer.  It's clipped onto the skip of my cap.

Let me know how you think it looks and sounds.

Making RGB LEDs work in ordinary solar lights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHje7_suqE0

If you put an ordinary self colour changing LED into a standard solar light it will just stay red because it is resetting continually.  Here's how to make them cycle properly.

Pre load-in prep of in-house PARcan stock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba3Eo3K7YLM

Not sure if this video will be generally released.

It's a sneak peak behind the scenes as we start to prepare for the load-in of a show.  (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.)  These are the in-house stock of traditional PARcans that are used to augment the more sophisticated intelligent lighting.

DIY ornamental rotator.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgd3AieSPf8

The best thing about this project is the use of a common ungeared motor with a simple system for storing rotational force and releasing it slowly to the suspended ornament.

Wherever I lay my hat, that's my home.

Traveling again.  That's the glamorous bit of showbiz that nobody actually mentions.

On a plus note the accommodation has lots of LED lights in it, and it was fun taking them to bits.

Glasgow-meet and mailbag style video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hopfTLywTm8

This video is a mixture of an EEVblog style mailbag with items from the Glasgow meet-up and also some footage of our departure from the Subway sandwich shop (yeah, we got thrown out) and then the room we occupied in the huge pub across the road.  Those of you into films may spot that the large Square in the background (George Square) was a location in the film Wo...

Inside an ASDA 10W work light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsq4nPp07f0

I'm travelling right now, so I thought I'd buy some local items and do a teardown on them.

Neat solar insect zapper with odd design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LxL6DjX-3Q

Filmed while travelling, and using a different microphone to try to reduce the boominess of the previous video.

Are over-discharged lithium cells safe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRwoYJyjZNo

This video started off with me purchasing a Poundland power bank to see if they had changed at all.  As with most of these power banks the cell was almost completely flat, and I wanted to know if that is as much of an issue as some people seem to make out.

A little channel collab with my brother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWRyIShLRO0

My brother Ralfy has a whisky review channel, so we did a collaboration for his 666th video.

Test of a PSU like the one that went on fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70d6LBXw3o0

A while ago I showed some images that AvE had been sent of a power supply that had gone on fire while unattended.

Obviously I had to get a similar looking one to check out, as they are a very common supply on eBay.

If you have one of these supplies then it's fine, there's no need to worry about it bursting into flames.  I was pleasantly surprised at h...

Bad idea cheesy moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5pfkcUz_D4

Sometimes you just have to try eating six month out of date stinky-cheese.

Noco no-go. It has boosted its last boost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAvyRwMhd0w

I was kinda hoping this was going to be something simple and an easy repair, particularly the way Noco presents its products as being so robust.  But it would require quite a few bits to get it going again.

Odd, insect deterring lamp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVBUjXmWC2w

Perhaps the best description of this lamp is that it is less likely to attract insects that are sensitive to UV and blue wavelengths.  The lamp puts out a very rich orange light reminiscent of low pressure sodium street lights.

I like it.  It's a very rich and bright colour.  Even if it's not quite the 9W claimed on the packaging.

Yet another "minimalist" USB battery charger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcmuQYf5ZZE

To be fair, it works and apart from potentially putting a lot of current through the transistor base/emitter it's reasonable as a current limited charger for NiMh cells.

I like the case on this unit, it has potential to be used as a battery pack with very easy access to the batteries.

Mode Arcline, a blast from the past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v1yMRE7BwM

A real blast from the past in more ways than one.  Especially if you handle the circuitry just after it's been unplugged or plug an ordinary grounded appliance into the seemingly innocent IEC connectors.  This is potentially made worse by the unpredictable way some RCD/GFI safety devices will react to a DC leakage.

The effect this system gave was inten...

Limited edition kit prizes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OXsd6Gq5-I

As one of the things I'm sending out randomly to Patreon and PayPal supporters I've made a set of very limited edition kits.  I'll be contacting the winners (chosen at random) over the next few days to get the postal addresses.  I'll be contacting you via the email addresses provided by Patreon.

There are ten of these kits, all with the tricky bits pre...

Transparent RCD/GFI teardown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXewigGCfAo

This thing is just nice on so many levels.  From the transparent case showing the movement of the interior to the breathtakingly simple circuitry that uses discrete off the shelf components.

It's almost worth getting one just to see the mechanism.

Another test of the new recording device, which isn't actually good enough on the video side and while th...

Lamp teardown and audio test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-exD1-6gsY

Another video and another audio test.  This time with the internal microphone of the recording device that strongly resembles the older audio from the iPad in that it removes all the boom from my voice and is very clear. Where it seems to beat the iPad is in volume.

Fixing a Bradley smoker fuel feed unit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n0qa5I38PM

Super-simple fault.  (jammed switch) but a good opportunity to pop the lid and have a look inside.

I'm using a different recording device, so things may look and sound different.  The audio might be a bit too fierce now, and I will have to tame down the exposure.  Next video may use the built-in microphone to see if it sounds OK.  ...

Inside a British Electrically heated shower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwuhFLsowRc

A look inside one of the very common electrically heated showers widely used in the UK and other countries.

Unfortunate meaty cultural clash.

There's not really much that can be said about this popular regional UK snack other than it predates the new use of the word in the USA.

Prototype remote end DMX cable tester.

This is just an experimental piece of software that allows a minimalist cable tester to be made from a hard wired microcontroller (no PCB required), a USB lead and a smattering of basic components.

Very interesting motor in a solar ornament.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQ9u_OYXSA

The motor in this solar garden ornament will literally run on 0.75V at less than 250uA.  It's super efficient, and uses very ordinary components.