Here’s a DMD Android-based projector from China. This has quite good resolution at 720p native, although the install of Android present is very outdated, and the internal battery has a very short life due to the power draw of the unit. The top of the main PCB is above, and
Here’s something that in my primary job as an EMC Test Engineer gets a lot of use – a laboratory grade amplifier for performing the Immunity testing phase of an EMC suite. I figured it was about time to crack them open & have a look at what makes them
It’s time for another CRT-based post! This time it’s a Matsushita 40CB4-based viewfinder from 1980. These came from JVC colour tube cameras, and are physically massive! I’ve already worked out the pinout on the multicore cable here & attached a usable connector. There’s lots of information on the bottom label
Here’s a very cheap audio amplifier, from the usual suspects in Shenzhen. This is a Herdio AMP-BTX01 Bluetooth Audio Amplifier. This is a stereo unit, but the quality is going to be piss poor! Cracking the casing, which is just clipped together reveals the sparsely populated PCB. There’s a 12v
Continue readingChinese Two-Channel Bluetooth Audio Power Amplifier Teardown
I’ve been doing quite a bit with eBikes of late, given the current fuel costs in the UK, so the bike I managed to get from work needed a couple of upgrades. Above is one of the best controllers I’ve found, an S830 model. This is very full featured, with
Here’s another module from the decommissioned impulse testing rig – the pulse forming network for the Surge generator section. Lots of high-energy high-voltage parts should be hiding in here. Pulling the cover off shows there’s not a lot to the network, but it’s a collection of rather exotic parts. The
Continue readingSchaffner PNW2050 Combination Wave Impulse Network Teardown
Time for another Chinese gadget! This time it’s a tiny GPS tracker, designed to look like a standard vehicle relay, the MV730. Only a partial teardown on this one, since I need the thing to work afterwards, and the unit is very tightly integrated. Not only does this unit look
Another quick teardown post! This is a high voltage supply module from Hunting HiVolt – a company that hasn’t been around in some time. This is adjustable, and takes a standard 230v AC mains input to output a +1kV rail & a -250V rail. There is a rating plate with
Time for another Rubidium Standard Teardown! This one was supposed to happen a year ago, however I completely forgot about this unit. This is an Efratom / Datum LPRO-101 Rb standard, which does differ somewhat internally from the previous unit I tore down. Above is the unit with the Mu-Metal
Continue readingEfratom LPRO-101 Rubidium Frequency Reference Teardown
Here we have an optical power meter, vintage 1991! This is a Gentec unit, with scaling to to handle up to 10W with a suitable powerhead. Powered either with 4 PP3 9v batteries, or from a 24v DC jack on the rear, this unit is quite versatile. I managed to
To run my postmix rig, I needed a carbonator, to turn tap water into soda water. These units are very common in pubs in the UK, and are very simple in construction. The unit is fed water at about 3 bar from the water main & food-grade CO² at
I bought two of these packs for my new DeWalt combi drill, as the branded packs are very expensive and there’s unlikely to be much of a difference in cells used. I was a little mistaken on this, as you’ll see! The top of the unit has the battery connections,
Since I got my new DeWalt combi drill, I needed a way to charge the batteries without having to resort to sticking blade terminals into the pack connectors – I didn’t purchase the branded charger, mainly due to cost. I also have a very capable multi-chemistry charger that handles multi-cell
Continue readingClone DCB090 DeWalt USB Battery Adaptor Teardown
New tool time! I figured now I’m a fully ticketed member of the F-Gas community, I’d treat myself to passing the course by buying a decent set of refrigeration gauges. This is the Yellow Jacket P51-870 Titan manifold, a fully digital unit with all the useful functions built in. Basically
Continue readingYellow Jacket Titan P51-870 Digital Manifold Teardown
Time for some more RF component teardowns, here’s a very high quality Directional Coupler from HP, I believe this was part of a Vector Network Analyser at some stage. The main body appears to be made of Brass, but the entire unit looks like it’s Gold plated – the shine
Here’s some damage to a 1-week old Epever Tracer 4210AN MPPT Charge Controller, where some of the power FETs have decided they’ve had enough of this world. These are Alpha & Omega AON6512 N-Channel Enhancement devices, rated at 30V 150A. From probing around, these seem to be on the battery
Continue readingEpever Tracer 4210AN MPPT Charge Controller MOSFET Repair
Now it’s time to dig into the main contactor pack from the hybrid battery I tore down in a previous post. This unit contains the main output relays, precharge components, current measurement & protection. It’s pretty heavy, which isn’t surprising when you realise how much copper there is in this
Continue readingBMW Series 5 Hybrid Battery Contactor Pack Teardown
Here’s something I didn’t think I’d be doing! Here’s a teardown of a BMW 5 Series G30 530E Hybrid Battery pack – a monster 351V, 9.2kWh Lithium pack, obtained for it’s cells to replace the boat’s aging lead acids. This is something I didn’t have the safety gear to do
Time for another projector! This one was brought to me with a fault, described as a shadow in the middle of the image, shortly after the lamp was replaced after exploding. This is an older DLP projector, with a UHP mercury lamp. I’ve already removed the top cover of the
Yet another wonder of Chinese mass-production, this is a cheap (£10 shipped) oil/fuel transfer pump from eBay. Primarily intended for removing oil from engines through the dipstick tube, these are usually sold for all kinds of pumping uses. As will become clear, pumping highly flammable liquids with these might just
Another Chinese eBay teardown! This is a “720p” LED projector, available from nearly everywhere for very little cash. But they are very little cash for a reason – they’re total shit. The resolution as stated is a blantant lie – the LCD panel used in these is usually around 320×240,
Well, this is what happens when a Variac rated at 3A is subjected to 15A for a while – a complete burnout. The smell associated with this failure was formidable, it’s a shame I can’t convey odour through photos! Above is the burned section of the winding (it was set
These projectors were very popular when they first appeared on the market with the laser hobbyist community, and for very good reason – they contain a massive array of 445nm Royal Blue laser diodes in their optics engine. Originally very expensive, these units can now be had for under £50
Here’s a recently failed 5W GU10 lamp, which is completely dead – not even a single LED still shining. According to the markings, this lamp draws 50mA at 230v & outputs 345 lumens After popping the lens off the body, the failure mode is obvious. The top right LED has
This unit recently appeared on eBay, as a spare part from a refrigerant charging machine, and I figured it would make a good explorational post. This unit analyses the purity of R-134a refrigerant gas, using an Infrared sensor cell, and communicates over RS-232. The sensor cell itself is at the
Continue readingR-134a Refrigerant Analyser Module Exploration