Since I recently found some old 8W fluorescent fittings I thought I'd compare the efficiency and circuitry to modern electronic ones. In the process I also discovered why the old ballasts get so hot. I've never actually calculated the effect of the winding resistance in a ballast before. The copper loss (resistance of the ...
2025-03-01 05:28:10 +0000 UTC View Post
The weight test of the 20g and 50g reels of the mystery solder from Ali-Express.
An X-ray test of the 100g reel of solder showed a composition of 95% lead and 5% tin with a smidgeon of cadmium for good measure.
Not just side emitting LED tape, but fully RGB addressable along its length too.
The controller is quite impressive in its functionality as well and can drive up to 154 standard WS2812B style LEDs.
2025-02-27 17:48:08 +0000 UTC View Post
This is a very basic spiral LED strip just like the white version I looked at, but with no base and an extremely optimised controller that is literally operating on the very edge of WS2811/WS2812B addressable RGB LED timing.
When I tested the controller with other random WS2812B LED arrays the results were often glitchy...
2025-02-26 04:46:23 +0000 UTC View Post
I was expecting this cheap fishing float to have some kind of vibration switch to make the LED flicker when it was tugged by a fish.
What I wasn't expecting was solid state motion sensing circuitry in such a cheap and seemingly simple product.
2025-02-26 03:03:54 +0000 UTC View Post
While I was in Glasgow I bought some Muslim Ramadan countdown calendars to see what symbols they used on the chocolate pieces.
Glasgow has quite a diverse range of cultures, so the supermarkets stock some very interesting cultural stuff.
2025-02-23 06:10:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the usual link to the weekend stream. Best viewed on Twitch, and you may need to refresh the page to start the stream.
Twitch should show the upcoming stream time in your local time zone.
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
2025-02-22 16:06:34 +0000 UTC View Post
In a way I suppose that it's actually easier and cheaper to ship these downlights than it is to ship a light bulb. This is one of those awful built-in ceiling lights where you can't change the bulb, so you have to physically remove the whole fitting from the ceiling and engage in electrical wiring instead.
Although I'm sure this will be very good for massaging aches and pains, I think we can all guess what these devices tend to get used for. Nothing has changed since the Victorian era other than the portability and force.
This is a very popular style that is sold online and in high street shops. It uses a reciprocating ...
2025-02-21 02:02:44 +0000 UTC View Post
The stream is on Twitch at the usual time. Best viewed on Twitch, and may need a screen refresh to start.
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
2025-02-15 20:44:53 +0000 UTC View Post
I'm not sure whether I should release the first video, this one with the flame test or both. Tricky.
And I still don't know the reason for the recall. Maybe a batch went out with the wrong plastic.
2025-02-13 18:13:38 +0000 UTC View Post
This video is probably most useful as a demo of how these little Hall effect sensors can be used to allow switching of a module that is inside an enclosure.
I'm in Glasgow at the moment, so haven't been making much content - this is one of a few reserve videos I made before travelling.
A "retro" LED floodlight, with a very good quality power supply. It's also worth mentioning that the earth/ground wire IS connected to the case, plus also to filtering in the PSU, the cable is better quality and longer than modern floodlights, it doesn't flicker and it has good power factor.
The modern lights are all m...
2025-02-11 06:49:16 +0000 UTC View Post
This one has no RAM chip or LAN port. Just a dedicated router chip and a flash memory chip. It has a very similar setup page to the previous one, but with less options.
It's quite neat to see how mass production can streamline a design. And this one is definitely in the category of a travel router or one that can be ...
2025-02-10 15:41:12 +0000 UTC View Post
The circuitry in this is quite sophisticated. It has two ways to power itself whether the load it is switching is on or off.
The most complicated bit is that if the load is on then normally there would be no voltage across an ordinary switch to power any circuitry. So it snaffles a bit of power at each crossing point ...
2025-02-09 04:24:28 +0000 UTC View Post
Usual time and usual place - but from Gotham City (Glasgow) this time.
Best viewed on Twitch, and you may need to refresh the page to start the stream.
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
2025-02-08 20:24:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Not just a look at a faded clock with dead segments, but a suggestion of the best colour choice if you intend to get one of these.
This exact same clock was explored in a previous video and was then left running to see how fast the LEDs degraded. (Which they did!)
It wasn't even left running at full intensity - s...
2025-02-07 03:05:36 +0000 UTC View Post
With the peak of the pandemic past, the Chinese eBay warehouses appear to be dumping their stock locally, with this complete remote control UVC light being sold for less than £10 including shipping.
That makes them a good source of the tube alone, but it also comes with the base and two circuitry modules - which I reve...
2025-02-01 19:42:17 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the link to the twitch channel:-
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
The stream is best viewed on Twitch, and the page may need refreshed to start the stream.
2025-02-01 18:08:02 +0000 UTC View Post
A look at a very simple inline remote control switch for controlling USB-A type lights and other things. It turns out that there are undocumented modes, and you can pair several remotes to it. But the software isn't as versatile as the little 12V cube versions.
This was a valiant attempt at creating an LED equivalent to a high pressure sodium or mercury vapour high-bay factory light. But the combination of dirt, bugs, heat and humidity resulted in a very grim internal failure.
https://youtu.be/MRoxo0n2YN8 2025-01-31 03:18:57 +0000 UTC View Post
Yet another gloriously trashy, but useful item from Ali-X.
This is a useful little feature/night light that has hackability. Or just part it for the controller and other bits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olDILx9lyRs
2025-01-30 00:42:06 +0000 UTC View Post
The first versions of this light tended to be very hand-made, but their popularity has probably resulted in this more efficient design. It might be worthy as a customisable base for a project, with the motor and ripple disk being used with a beefier light source.
A look at a very slim cylindrical rechargeable lithium cell used in things like tablet styluses and fishing rod lights. Slightly annoying that they use the same CR425 name for both the rechargeable and non rechargeable types.
2025-01-29 18:28:02 +0000 UTC View Post
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
Best viewed on Twitch and page may need refreshed after stream has begun.
2025-01-25 20:55:41 +0000 UTC View Post
This router was very cheap - less than £10 shipped from eBay in the UK. It works, but I've not done a long test of it, and don't really trust it from a security perspective.
But it's amazing how mass produced items like this have become.
Initial indications of an X-ray fluorescence analysis of the mystery solder are that it is mostly lead (about 94.5%) with 5% tin and possibly 0.3% percent of cadmium.
2025-01-22 18:04:10 +0000 UTC View Post
This is another multi-language dubbed video, but if I have to be honest - going through the entire transcript correcting it is quite annoying. Mainly because it gets technical terms wrong.
I may give the dubbed videos a break to see if the system evolves.
These soldering iron bits are quite clever. They combine a heating element and thermocouple in the very tip of the bit to deliver all the energy to the solder joints in an efficient manner.
I slit one open with a dremel to see what was inside.
2025-01-22 15:37:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the standard link for the weekend stream. Best viewed on Twitch, and you may have to refresh the page once the stream has started.
https://www.twitch.tv/bigclivedotcom
2025-01-18 19:25:18 +0000 UTC View Post
