As for screw extractors, you should use both sides of a bit with reverse (counter-clockwise, unscrewing) direction of a drill - check the flute directions out: they should bite in the screw and pull it out, not stroke it and drive it in. It is noticeable that in video it is done the wrong way at all times except at the end of video.

@TheKevinFanClub526

7 ай бұрын

That's what it seems like to me as well.

@micaelsilva

7 ай бұрын

I was going to say exactly that. I have this kit and really works like that: drill clockwise, unscrew counter clockwise

@JakobBerry

7 ай бұрын

I would also think you would have to be a bit more careful about it. Try to get it to bite before easing the screw out. Not just go full speed. What the video shows looks like user error to me.

@cdsmith

7 ай бұрын

I've used these kind of extractor bits quite a bit and they work well if you use them properly. In addition to what he other replies said, don't wobble the drill bit, that just makes the cone shape your creating in the screw head too big for the extractor bit. And when you use the extractor bit put as much pressure as you dare on it and turn the drill as slow as it will go. You want the extractor to have a chance to bite in. If you just jam the trigger to full speed you just ruin the extractor bit by dulling the edges.

@JakobBerry

7 ай бұрын

@@cdsmith That's just how I imagined it was supposed to work.

Please don't stop making these videos, they're really fun to watch

@haraldhechler3557

7 ай бұрын

And they are really helpful, too. Because you can't get real reviews on Aliexpress etc. and often those chinese electronics come without a useable manual. So I even put up with the "cwappy" English, even if it hurts sometimes to listen.

@Humbulla93

7 ай бұрын

​@@haraldhechler3557his english is still better than for example Military Aviation History's english

The last module you showed is a testing equipment board for testing modules (ie USB Audio boards, Pre-Amp boards, etc) which will also have a remote control bundled during packaging. USB audio boards work with 5V common, but Pre-amp boards work at 5,12 or even 24 V. Thats why they have added an IR tester section so that it would be handy to test those remotes too.😄

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Good to know. Thanks.

@aninfid

7 ай бұрын

@@greatscottlab BE AWEARE THAT ALL KINDS OF ADS ARE ILLEGAL! COMPLETELY!!!! IF YOU EVER PUT SPONSORED SEGMENTS OR ADS IN VIDEOS YIOUU TRIGGER MY PANICH ATTACKS!!!!! I AM TRIGGERED BY ADS AND I SUFFER!!!!!! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME???????? IT IS ILLEGAL AND I MUST TAKE LEGAL ACTIONS!!!!!!!!! YOU MUST KNOW THAT LEGAL PENALTY FOR ADS AND SPONSORED CONTENT IS DEATH PENALTY!!!!!

@nimoy007

7 ай бұрын

Typical eBay/Aliexpress product! Has weird features because it is built for a particular use case that needs them, but us geeks will never use. Doesn't matter, we love seeing all this weird and wonderful stuff!

@riccardosacchetti

7 ай бұрын

​@@nimoy007yep, but he's from German!

@NDMCN

7 ай бұрын

I also wonder if this board have short circuit protection, etc like a real bench power supply. Because if there is it is really really cheap for it's capabilities. And would be perfect for diy power supply.

The screw extractors are designed to be run in reverse and **slow speed** (I am a mechanical engineer and these items are invaluable)

@qlum

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for poiting that out, my intuition already told me the way they were used was wrong.

@tnt123skeleton9

7 ай бұрын

Yeah having used them before, slow and easy makes it go alot smoother

@jimurrata6785

7 ай бұрын

Drilling straight in, for the properly sized hole, is also crucial for success. (You can see Scott wobbling and reaming the poor thing around) The original Alden Grabit screw extractors work almost every time for me.

@facticaltuckwit5517

7 ай бұрын

@@qlum Yeah, I normally gently tap the extractor into place to make it bite that little more and use a spanner not a drill or impact driver for the extraction. @greatscottlab would you be willing to retest?

@multiplysixbynine

7 ай бұрын

Yup the technique is crucial. I had a similar experience to Scott’s my first time until I got the hang of it. It’s a useful tool when used correctly. It’s important to drill a clean hole in the screw head for the extractor to bite into.

The T connectors are a knockoff of the 3M T-Tap - which comes in multiple sizes for different wire gauges. If they’re using the same color scheme, the blue should be for 14-16 gauge wires. I mostly see those (and the related Scotchlok splices) used in automotive or similar applications where you want to minimize the exposure of the original wire to oxygen and water.

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

@jimurrata6785

7 ай бұрын

Scotchlok's are rightly reviled in the automotive upfitter world. (at least those that do first responder equipment) I can't think of a better way to cause wiring system failure than using those damn things.

@chaos.corner

7 ай бұрын

@@jimurrata6785 Used them on my first car in the 80s. They're trash.

@scania9786

7 ай бұрын

@@greatscottlab I used similar T-connector for low voltage construction site illumination. Just hang up the twisted positive and negative feeding wire and use two connectors to hook into them and hang lamps where needed. Lamps ofc came with female connector preinstalled. Both feeding wire and connectors are probably considered consumables in that instance.

@inothome

7 ай бұрын

And the 3M are junk too. And have been for 20 years or more since they came out.

Regarding battery 5v PCB. I used one and I'm very happy with it. There is a way to keep it on even with small load. There's additional pad on the other side (I believe it's called Key). It needs to be pulled low (I believe) to turn board on. In such way the board will be up while key is pulled to required polarity.

For those of us on the decidedly hobby side of electronics, that last module looks like a great value!

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Definitely!

@Alacritous

7 ай бұрын

I have a couple 250 watt ATX power supplies that I bought for another project that are smaller than a pack of playing cards that would work great with that. The PS takes 12 volts in and is a 250 watt ATX power supply with 24 pins and a 4 pin mother board connector and 2 accessory connectors. Just imagine the ATX power connector with a densely packed circtuit board connected directly to it.

@-MrDontCare-

7 ай бұрын

Oh yes. I have two different once ow those and they work great. This new one with usb is also on my list now!

@rwatson2609

7 ай бұрын

@7:10 I liked the time machine stuck on rewind.

@HodgePodgeProducts

7 ай бұрын

Only issue is that I wish they would have added inputs for the CPU or PCIe power connectors. The 24 pin connector alone doesn't carry much current on the +12v rail. You're only looking at like 150w max there.

FYI. The battery charger module has a "key" pad you can set low on a microcontroller or ground to disable the 30s auto cutoff.

@stepheneyles2198

7 ай бұрын

this comment needs to be pinned! I noticed that but thought the word Key referred to the switch next to it. Edit: Although having read the description/Use tutorial on the product page I'm unsure what it is actually used for. Only one way to find out!!

@professionalelectronics3158

7 ай бұрын

I heard that you can "tap" the key to ground for under half a second at an interval that's less than the power-down timeout so that if you want it to power down, you just stop grounding the key and it'll shut off in 30 seconds. Also you can do a "double tap" to the key to force an early shutdown.

@tinkerbot4148

7 ай бұрын

Perhaps using header pins would be a less problematic way to connect your off-board items?

@MutleyTheTechDowg

7 ай бұрын

Hi, I bought the same charger, but it doesn't charge the battery that I connected to it. I measured the current that goes to the battery, and it is around 0.003 amps (basically nothing). Also, when I disconnect the battery, the 4 LEDs won't turn off. It's like a battery is connected to the circuit, but there isn't one. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me with this issue.

2 issues: T-tap connectors are generally used by car accessory installers, in those cases the mating ends are usually pre-terminated or pre-stripped, so it really *is* faster to just clamp the *correct* (color matching, red, blue) T-tap to send something like a low current remote signal, or 12v at less than 3A. Second, that ATX power supply trigger doesn't have a load resistor. I've run into ATX supplies that won't turn on without a load, and ideally you should have some sort of load to make the power supply regulate. I would expect a good ATX trigger to have a load resistor, otherwise you can't know what power supply the customer is plugging into it and thus get a bad experience.

@turbo2ltr

7 ай бұрын

The problem with the T-taps is they are junk.. Do NOT use them in a car (or anywhere for that matter). It may work when you first install them, but down the road, they become intermittent causing all kinds of issues depending on what you used it for. Not to mention the unseen damage it does to the wire. Just terrible product all around.

@resneptacle

7 ай бұрын

I mean, it costs three bucks, it's kind-of a you get what you pay for scenario

@Hogscraper

7 ай бұрын

You say that while displays I installed at Home Depots around Cincinnati are still working fine a decade later. TONS of low voltage light setups use something similar where the tap is actually built into the line and you just clamp them on a powered line for an active splice and others I've seen are identical to the ones shown in the video. No idea about vehicle usage but I've never seen a crimp on splice fail in a display or using them at home in low voltage lighting setups. The only real issue is if they're marketed as one size fits all instead of marketed to a specific wire gauge like they were intended. @@turbo2ltr

@RichardBetel

7 ай бұрын

@@Hogscrapercars are an exceptionally difficult environment: you can hit lows of -30C when cold, in winter, and highs of 200C when the engine is fully warmed up. Lots of vibrations, random G-loads, and don’t forget the occasional splash of water from puddles, as well as salt water either because of the environment, or because it is used to treat the roads after a snow storm. Sorta the polar opposite of “non-moving display signs in a temperature controlled store”

@Hogscraper

7 ай бұрын

Low voltage lights cover both indoor and outdoor and literally every single low voltage light ran around our deck and yard uses those connections for splices. I seriously doubt any car in my area has an electrical connection exposed to more water and cold than the ones laying on the ground behind my house. Nice that you not only know so little about those systems yet decided to just ramble on based on your incorrect assumptions. Also weird that you think a single mechanic anywhere is using any form of plastic splice, either the one shown or the one he recommends instead, that is intended to lay on the motor block or even outside the cabin, dashboard or trunk of the car where there there typically isn't water or near boiling temps...@@RichardBetel

I'm loving these ''Hidden Gems'' videos, please keep this series going. I'm discovering things that I didn't even know I needed. 😃

What I also like about the lipo booster is the 3V undervoltage protection. Almost all other boosters or bms cut off at 2.5V which I think is too low.

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Oh boy. One feature I did not test. Sorry about that. But thanks for adding the information

@DiverseGreen-Anon

7 ай бұрын

could you maybe test that if you find the time and reply us here? xD @@greatscottlab

@spagamoto

7 ай бұрын

This is fantastic! I recently gave up finding a good protection board on aliexpress because of the scary cutoff voltage. I missed this one because I was looking for ones with USB built in.

@sfdntk

7 ай бұрын

@@spagamoto look for "power bank module", there are dozens and dozens of them with the USB port built in and a bunch of protection features. Bear in mind that they all have a low current cutoff of around 50mA so if you're expecting to use them for low powered applications like a sensor that gathers data once a minute and goes into deep sleep the rest of the time, it won't work. I use them all the time for battery powered projects, very useful indeed.

@BagheeraTube

7 ай бұрын

Really 😳 that's amazing! I hate it when they have 2,5v is there a battery protection board with boost that has 3v low voltage cutoff?

Would be cool to see a multi part series showing things to do with the LCD module. Basic GUI to control and in pouts and out puts then displaying some sensor data would be awesome. I'm just about to buy one myself to play with. Thanks for the video!

The thing with screw and bolt extractors is there's a certain way you need to use them. Otherwise you go round and round in circles. You need a clean hole. A hammer. And then the extractor needs to be turned counter clockwise while still putting pressure on the bit. As soon as it slips. Hammer again.

@baalzevuv4509

7 ай бұрын

Yeah but it still doesn't work. It's just cheap Chinese garbage and waste of money. This cheap screw extractors are just garbage. Had them, tested, they wear off before being able to unscrew one brand new screw screwed with medium torque and blue loctite applied. Same goes to cheap Chinese drills (got few free with some order). Do yourself a favour and avoid such thing at any cost and just grab something better which actually works.

@MaNNeRz91

7 ай бұрын

@@baalzevuv4509 again I haven't had any issues with Cheap Chinese drills albeit the batteries are terrible. I actually had a cheap drill that would out torque my uncles Milwaukee 😂😂 Even cheap tap and die sets I've been lucky with. I have expensive ones too but only for the important stuff

@RachaelSA

7 ай бұрын

"You need a clean hole." - **giggle**

@MaNNeRz91

7 ай бұрын

@@RachaelSA everyone needs a clean hole! 🕳️🫧💧🫧💧

the screw extractor isn't meant to go full speed but rather full torque slow speed. you have to push it against the screw so the reverse teeth will bite into the metal then extract the screw

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Yep. Tried it all. Didn't work.

Please note that the linked seller is currently listing the ATX adapter board as a variable power supply “1.8V-10.8V(ADJ)”, however this feature does not exist! On the ATX adapter board, the white PSON GND 2P connector is for connecting an external switch for switching the power supply on without needing to use the onboard toggle.

The last module is really a true gem we needed. 👍

Hi Scott! Maybe dumb question, but did you use your drill in reverse, while tried the screw remover stuff?

@RodrigoGomes90

7 ай бұрын

Believe in him, I already bought this kit, I've already tested it and the material is rubbish. The metal is completely soft and comes apart without causing any damage to the screw. If you have this kit and it works, you were probably lucky enough to buy one made from quality metal.

@PedroFTeixeira

2 ай бұрын

No he did not. I've used this kit before with moderate success. It works, but the screw can't be very hard to remove.

The wire splitters used to be known as "scotch lock" connectors. Everybody used them in the 80s and 90s for fitting stereos to cars, alarms, cd radios etc. They work for about 6 months until they fail by corroding.

I love these videos of yours. They are like getting a wrapped present each time. I think the LCD display you showed looks really interesting

Excellent video once again! Do love those VFDs! Have you considered testing P-Tap connectors to split the cable? Doesn't cut in like a normal T-Splitter. Not sure about the resistance, but it would be a great demonstration. :D I love these series. You get to test the things I'm too afraid to waste money on... The risk sometimes is definitely worth it though! Great find on the breakout board. Keep it up! Much love from the UK!

9:47 screw extractors worked for me, but I was drilling much, much slower to get into the head and of cause counterclockwise. It also depends on the kind of screws, stainless steels screws are harder to get out for example.

@javierRC82857

7 ай бұрын

That screw extractor is garbage, I bought the same one to remove a screw from a bicycle brake rotor and they are damaged immediately without generating enough torque

Almost looks like when testing the screw extractor that you had the screw extracting tap rotating in clockwise motion? And even if not, the hole was too big to start with and the tap was bottoming out and not capable of grabbing the screw. Could be that the exctractor is just plainly bad, but to me it looked like that the hole in the screw could have been too big in the first place.

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

I tried pretty much every possible technique when it comes to this thing. Nothing worked.

The extractors: -Will never work if you wobble the drill all over. That hole needs to be a precise size and wobbling will absolutely ruin it. -Only work on _soft_ metals, steel screws aren't soft, brass/bronze/aluminum all work.

Love this series of Aliexpress hidden gems.

Instantly bought a few of those LCD screens and ATX bench supply breakouts. Those are such good deals it's insane

the damaged screw thing can work if you have a drill bit to drill out a bit of the head of the screw and then use the other side of the extractor to take it out. it is an inconvenience but works in a pinch

@RodrigoGomes90

7 ай бұрын

Believe in him, I already bought this kit, I've already tested it and the material is rubbish. The metal is completely soft and comes apart without causing any damage to the screw. If you have this kit and it works, you were probably lucky enough to buy one made from quality metal.

Great Scott! These VFDs are loveliness - I'd love to get a 4x20 one for my vacuum tube tester, to make it even more funky than it is now. Thanks for the info on these ESP32 modules with display. That's definitely gonna come in handy for IoT / home automation projects.

The solar panel meter would be an interesting item for a DIY or buy video.

Those 5v booster were really great but the variant with the IP5306 chip in it are way more reliable than the other variants

@minus3dbintheteens60

7 ай бұрын

With those, can you for example program it so like turn on charge at 3.9v and off at 4.2v? I'm using a TP4056 in the car and it wastes so much energy just constantly charging an 18650 that's hooked up to my tablet that is turned off

Next video you should make a Photodiode Geiger counter , its a interesting project

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

I can put it on my to do list :-)

@kalashnikov_47z

7 ай бұрын

​@@greatscottlab Thanks friend 😀

For the 4.2v/5v module. There is same modules for the same price but with Type-C soldered available, they come with usb a unsoldered and can be used right away, no extra connector is required.

not to be dramatic, but this is probably my favorite series on youtube. please make more of these videos.

Kinda looked like an infomercial failing on purpose with the easy-outs. Cheaping out is definitely not a good idea when it comes to bits but if you use them with patience and precision (keep the hole as tight as possible i.e. no wiggling around) and using the correct rotation directions then you can certainly save parts. I'd also test it in metal, not wood, as you're likely to be dealing with machine screws trying to save something expensive, not a 2x4. All that said, even with the best bits following best practice, sometimes they just make it worse. Sometimes you just gotta drill and retap.

Did you set your drill counterclockwise for the extractors?

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Yep. I tried it every possible way.

@blkhackr

7 ай бұрын

@@greatscottlab were the extractor bits hardened. i have a box store bought version that is hardened and they bite into screws and rip them out with ease. could be a knock off version that skipped steps to get out the factory cheaper.

This video series has been the one im most hyped about. I am always looking for fun and cool gadgets/parts. Thank you for the work you are putting into your videos!

I really like that ATX breakout board! Looks super useful.

Thanks Scott for this episode! I had a similar experience with screw extractors (completely useless) and cable splitters/connectors (carefully to be used if at all, I used them once, outdoor for 12V with 0.75 mm2 wires, and covered from rain place, also adding some silicone inside)

@motomotomotomot

7 ай бұрын

I personnaly used similar screw extractors once and it worked. There are a few videos on the internet that compares them, I may find a link if you want

There are mh-cd42 boards on Ali that have the USB attached as well. The only issue I've had with them is they power off when disconnecting the supply power for a second before switching over to the battery. I'm not sure if that's just an issue with the specific board I got or if it's a function of that chip.

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback :-)

@sofronio.

7 ай бұрын

I can confirm the cutoff

for the stripped screw extractor you must do it slowly or it will just destroy the screw even more

Das war wirklich ein super Video. Diese Videoserie "hidden gems" ist einfach nur krass. Bitte öfters ❤❤ deine videos schaue ich immer mit Chips 😂😂

If you like VFDs then character OLEDs are a good alternative. They have superb contrast and viewing angle, and work in many devices that use the HD44780 LCD protocol. They used to be real cheap before the pandemic (US$8 for a 16x2 display) but availability is not so good now and prices have gone up, but they're still way cheaper than VFDs.

@DoctorX17

7 ай бұрын

Also more durable... VFDs are best for things like HiFi equipment and microwaves where they're not moving. OLEDs will be less upset about bumps. Plus much lower power consumption

@turbo2ltr

7 ай бұрын

@@DoctorX17 ehh, VFD were used extensively in cars for many many years before LCDs were readily available. They are plenty durable. Cheap OLEDs are prone to burn in unless you plan to write your code to actively minimize it. Definitely not idea for an always-on display.

@DoctorX17

7 ай бұрын

@@turbo2ltr true… fine with shock dampening. But I dunno if I’d put them in handheld projects. And yeah, OLED does have that issue, VFDs can be always on for ages

@chaos.corner

7 ай бұрын

The big problem with VFDs is they eventually lose brightness and become unreadable. That's probably not too bad for these generic ones but for custom ones such as often found in microwaves and hi-fi equipment, this becomes an issue. I'm actually planning on seeing if I can swap some out and use OLED displays instead (obviously this would require some sophisticated microcontroller work).

@RayBellis

7 ай бұрын

@@chaos.corner it depends on the VFD - some are HD44780 compatible. I run a FB group (Music Gear Display Retrofits) focussed on finding new displays for old synths.

I like the t connectors for automotive use where you may not be able to easily cut and splice. I used them to get power for a backup camera from my reversing lights. They’re available in other sizes too.

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Hmmmm Ok. If there really is no other way then yes......I still do not like them though.

@Iisakkiik

7 ай бұрын

Handy until your backup camera randomly stops working. These kinds of connectors are really hit and miss in terms of reliability, no matter how correctly you install it.

@Sekir80

7 ай бұрын

@@greatscottlabI don't have these t connectors but I had my eyes on them already. I partly agree and disagree with you, though. Of course, it's way more elegant and safer to use wagos where you can. These come in handy where you need a junction, but don't have slack, just as OP mentioned. Furthermore, while I agree that it won't fit to every cable size, you simply choose another one. And no, wago might be more flexible in this regard, definitely not fit for every wire size, that's misleading.

@getyerspn

7 ай бұрын

This style of connection (idc) is ages old and the cause of so many electrical issues I deal with it's not a joke anymore... ask anyone about scotch lock connectors in vehicles ( same style of connection) . They have one redeeming feature..they help keep me employed.

Thank you, I really enjoy seeing cool new inventions that don't really make it into the mainstream. Your diligence and expertise certainly add a lot of value, much appreciated.

The T-splitters come in handy for car audio, I have used them many times and have never had an issue. Plus being so small it really helps on where you can T in.

Every gangsta untill Aliexpress speaker start to diss you in Chinanse

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Haha

It is worth mentioning that ATX PSUs are designed to output the rated power only if both +5V and +12V rails are loaded. If you have a 500W PSU that claims to deliver 250W on each of these lines, it doesn't mean that it would give you that if the other line is idle. So if you need to pull a large current from one, hook up some dummy load, like a lightbulb to the other.

I love this series, please keep them coming!!

So disappointed about the drill bits, I thought they would work and save me from my stripped screws nightmare 😢

@alaricsnellpym

7 ай бұрын

I couldn't write yep from the video... He did realise you need to run the spiral extractor bit slowly and in reverse, right?

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

@@alaricsnellpym Yes. Trust me, I tried it in every way possible. Maybe German screws are just too hard

@nickye2864

7 ай бұрын

Seeing this 2 days after I ordered it😢

@QuockhanhPham20

7 ай бұрын

​@@greatscottlabyou can try drill that screw heard by outside high quality drill bits instead that trash bit heard

@MohitSharmaxp

7 ай бұрын

Wait hold on it is 4 days old video?

Wait, why are the comments 4 days old?

@hayleyxyz

7 ай бұрын

Early access for patreons I assume

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Patreon supporters can watch early ;-)

@pragadeeshsv6596

7 ай бұрын

😂

@bigcatdiary08

7 ай бұрын

We live in a society

@henrikostrov482

7 ай бұрын

The solder pads are used with a regular pinheadder so u could integreat it into your project easyly ig

I really like these kind of videos, toying with random electronics from wherever.. really fun to watch

Please keep making these videos. They are entertaining and so are you.

The T-splitters are great for debugging prototypes. I use them all the time, just clip on where you need them and tape over when you are done

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Hmmmm Ok.

im loving this series, keep them coming

30 year home repair contractor here, and I use the exact extractors in the video without any problem. You need to apply a lot of force on the drill, and go really slow- allowing the bit to bite.

The T-terminal has several advantages. Firstly, there are situations where the wire does not have extra length, so it cannot be cut and stripped as with Wago. Secondly, there are places where it is difficult to reach with a tool, and it is more convenient to simply clamp the terminal with pliers, and then crimp the wire in a comfortable location. Thirdly, the T-terminal allows you to return the wire to its original state by simply adding a bit of insulation, and there is no need to solder the wire again.

about the T-splitter connector: I've seen it used in some contexts in which you need to "steal" current from an existing setup that might be quite tight without redoing the wiring for example to add some stuff to a car, an example is stealing power from the high beams of your car to send the opening signal to your garage door. (and make it so that it only works once per activation and not that it keeps pressing if you enable them, it's meant to go with a quick flicker of course) and in that case it can work fine because it makes you access the cables without fiddling with them too much

The "T-Splitter Connector" has been used where I work because a client required a modification to existing hardware (1000+ systems). The technicians did not necessarily know much about wiring. The wires were crimped in factory, then the technicians just had to use pliers to put blue splitter on blue wire, plug in the already crimped wire and done. That was fast, required no technical knowledge at all, only one plier. I don't remember the exact cost but I think it was even cheaper than a wago connector. So I think it has its uses.

Bear in mind that those little lithium power bank boards that simultaneously charge an 18650 and produce a steady 5v output invariably have a low current cutoff that sits around 50mA, so if you're planning on using it for low power applications you're going to have a very bad time. It's quite literally impossible to find one that doesn't have a low current cutoff unfortunately, believe me I've tried. In that circumstance it's much better to just use a small boost or buck board to convert the 4.2v from the 18650 to 3.3v or 5v depending on your needs, and design your project to have a replaceable cell so you can just take out the empty cell and stick in a freshly charged one as necessary. For low powered applications you'll only have to change your cell every few months at the most, so it's not a bad trade off.

@procrastinator1842

7 ай бұрын

Somebody above mentioned that on thst particular board there is a pad on the pcb to disable low current power off. Your prayers are answered.

@sfdntk

7 ай бұрын

@@procrastinator1842 Not quite, these MH-CD42 power bank modules don't have a method for fully disabling the low current cutoff, they just have a "key" pin you can pull to ground (eg, with a tactile button) in order to tell it to turn back on after it's turned itself off. You can't just pull it to ground permanently and have it constantly produce a 5v output - believe me, I've used these exact modules in dozens and dozens of projects at this point, and if you try and bypass the cutoff by tying the key pin to ground all that happens is after a minute or so the module switches itself off again and won't turn back on until the key pin is allowed to go high.

@procrastinator1842

7 ай бұрын

@@sfdntk Damn.

Thanx for creating these product vids. I find them very helpful, when looking to build a project. Most of these I can source locally too.👌😎

The T splitters are actually very useful for adding to an electrical harness in a car without cutting the wire. I would not use it for anything high current, but they were awesome for connecting the backup light wire to my dashcam/backup cam. I did not want to cut the existing wire, and I wanted it to be removable. Your complaint that there is only one size is unfounded as there are at least three sizes available. I would recommend adding dielectric grease to the connector before attaching it to the wire.

I was just this morning thinking about wanting to use a VFD for a project, and then you post this video! Amazing timing, thank you

I loved the last two devices you reviewed. I'm definitely leaving them on my favorites and will look into your Lab Bench PSU project too.

Those screw extractors.. make sure the drill is in reverse and going slower! I have similar extractors and they generally work ok.

Love this series! Thank you :)

These are some of my favourite videos. Only problem is, I like to buy little electronic gadgets because “I’ll probably use it, it’ll come in handy, that’s cool” and have been known to spend a fair amount of money on things to just sit in my cabinets and never see light of day 😂

10:06 - FYI , if you look at 0.25 speed, you rotate it in wrong way.... one is right side (screwing) to make drill hole, and then change to left side (unscrewing) side to get threads to head and continue unscrewing bolt. However, to make this work, you need hard steel tool, and hard steel bolt. This will not work with chinese soft tool and soft bolts. Just use torex 20 bit, and hit it with hammer to the head of screw, then use ratchet to remove bolt.

actually considered buying that atx breakout board a while ago (but i already did my atx-psu-based desk wiring before that so i didn’t buy it) nice to see it here and good to know it’s good

Word of warning. Do not use the ATX powersupply as lab benchtop powersupply. It seems like it does not have any overcurrent protection, so it can easily fry your board. For portable work I use FNIRSI DC-6something something. I paid cca 35EUR for it and it works fine. The funny thing is that it does not even have built in power source so you must provide your own adapter or USB-C power, but it is small and has the basic lab benchtop power supply features (overcurrent protection, overtemperature protection, on/off button, etc...). It is by no means perfect but better than forcing 50W into short on your board :-)

Those T connectors are quite good if you want to tap into wire without breaking it. Especially in security. People will notice when their network cable is cut for minutes until you add Wago connectors Noone will notice if you are tapping in with those T-taps. We used to use similar things in military to tap into lines :)

I like that esp32 screen product. I haven't worked with those before but I am imagining some use cases. Like it could be a monitoring tool. You walk up to whatever device and it would show its status, plot some nice graphs, allow changing parameters. All of this without having fancy IOT hardware or screens on the stationary devices.

Great series! Please more of that!

I think those connectors you showed first would be good when fitting dashcams or telemetry black boxes to cars, where there isn't enough slack to cut the wires and add a terminal block.

>uses a soldering iron that wouldn't be out of place in a plumber's kit >Complains that terminals aren't space enough for his iron

The ATX power breakout board is absolutely crucial. I LOVE IT.

the 1 dollar battery charger can stay on if you give the key pin a low status from mcu every few seconds. i've bought hundreds of them, all working fine.

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Awesome. Thanks for the information

Immediately picked up 2 of those ESP32 boards with the display. The displays on their own are usually more than that, thanks for that link. Built in micro SD card reader is really nice too

The ESP32 LCD Board looks nice 👍

Hey! Just wondering, what wire strippers do you use at ~3:30 into the video?

A fun and informative video. What brand are those wire strippers? I seem to be so many but none seem to strip very well! Also, the best thing about the screw extractors is that once you have a set, you never need to use them. I've had mine for years, and they remain as-new.

I love this series AND your channel!!

@greatscottlab

7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much :-)

more on this... always nice to find good trinkets to experiment with

For the T-splitter, you bough only 1 size. They come in different sizes - each size comes in a different colour. You should have looked it up before commenting on it. Also, you're comparing it to a very different item designed for very different purposes. While you could use the other item to "slplit" a connection, you have to cut the wire you're splitting to be able to use it. With the t-splitter, you just have to crimp it onto the wire you want to tap into.

Wow, I have view many videos that promise hidden gems but yours really deliver, thanks 👍

I actually have that exact set of screw extractors, and successfully extracted a few screws with it. I found that using the smallest hole making side of the head first and then using the extractor bit that was 1 size larger works for me, needs a bit of force towards the screw to make the extractor side of the bit bite the screw head to start unscrewing it. The smallest screw I extracted was a screw from a dead 2.5" disk that was holding on to a disk caddy, and the largest was something similar to what you showed in the video.

that battery charging circuit is really good for my project and such a low price i have never seen. Thanks for this series!

I love VFD's they have such an iconic look. Especially those red ones you sometimes find.

I love the VFD tube displays. They're fast and easy to read. I daily drive a 1988 Cressida that have VFD tube based digital instrument cluster

Love this series keep it up

I've been using those little battery charger/5v boost boards for a while now and they're awesome! But I also agree, the fact it turns off with low current is frustrating. If it's used for a project with a MCU, you can set a pin to send a little pulse to the "key" line every few seconds to keep it awake, though.

@ArifKamaruzaman

7 ай бұрын

ah good to know.

When you drill the hole with the screw extractor, try going slower with the extractor. You want it to bite and hold, going fast and wobbling the drill all over is literally the worst way to use it, the bit will never bite and you will just make the problem worse. My set is designed to use in a hand driver, slow and steady wins the race.

I used those T wire splicers in my last job as a laundry repairman. A lot of different retrofits included those to supply power to new card readers to replace the coin slots in older machines. Though the spade connectors were usually precrimped on the wires included with the retrofit.

@Elmojomo

7 ай бұрын

You had a job fixing broken trousers and blouses? Cool. ;)

I suggest you study a "How to solder" tutorial. As an electronics technician of 45 years , this was a horror show 🤣

For drill extractors you need to use a hand tool, in my experience the slowness as well as added pressure help it grip!

That powersupply breakout would be even more amazing if it could also do type-c power delivery and quick charge. The ability to quick charge some mobile device or power a laptop would be useful, and the available power is there just waiting to be tapped.

@chaos.corner

7 ай бұрын

Most laptops are going to want closer to the 20V which would mean a boost circuit. Though my Chromebook was happy charging at a lower voltage (though much slower), my other devices just won't.

That ESP with the screen is fantastic for people who don't live in areas where it's cost feasible to use PCB printing services. If someone were to take a similar approach to power and pinouts and basically just bolt together a decent phone charger, breakout board, and bog standard esp32 into a compact layout they'd wind up sold by the pallet.

Another benefit of that ATX breakout board is that it keeps someone from having to open a power supply, which can be a very dangerous thing. I love that China seems full of engineers that have specific use cases and things built *specifically* for that issue. Said ATX Board implies someone at some point, had spare working computer power supplies lying around but needed tons of USB and light lab-bench work and just... made due, with something that's safer than tearing into one. I really have to hand it to em.

Thank you, I've really enjoyed this series.

Great video, but just to clarify, the pricing doesn't include shipping and tax, shipping can be, and often is, twice or three times the cost of the item and tax is whatever is imposed in your location, for me it's an additional 10% on the cost of the item plus shipping. so a $4 item becomes auto-magically $15 +

I feel VFD's has gotten real expensive recently, probably because of the "retro" trend for stuff like Nixie tubes and similar tech. 46 Euro is just downright crazy for such a small display TBH.

@mfbfreak

7 ай бұрын

Afaik there is only one Japanese company left making the alphanumeric vfds, so that increases price

@zaprodk

7 ай бұрын

Which company? ISE Itron? Futaba stopped making VFD's.@@mfbfreak

I just picked up those battery boost converter/charger modules from Amazon last week. Great to see the evaluation.