Pioneer CLD-D590 LD CDV CD Video Audio Player

This is vintage looking Laser Disc player from Pioneer. Looks big and heavy compare to the DVD players. The Laser Disc use analog recording and the video is surprisingly of very high quality.

The remote control has a user friendly jog control that allows intuitive fast forward or reverse of the movie.

Read more »

A Electric Mini RC Helicopter Inside Look

This little electric mini RC Helicopter wonders into my backyard due to pilot error. So I capture the intruding aircraft. Here is a review of the enemy technology used in the aircraft.

Interesting thing to note, the tail rotor is mounted horizontally rather than vertically. This leads me to think that this is use to control the forward/backward motion of the rc helicopter. Tilt the tail up and the helicopter will move forward, tilt it down ( by reducing the speed of the rotor ) and the helicopter move backwards. The flight pattern is somewhat like a humming bird I think when it is sucking up nectar.

There are actually two main rotors. One is use to move the helicopter up and the other is used to move the helicopter down. This is probably down to reduce the complexity of the drive electronics and also to reduce cost. There are no complicated electronics to change the direction of the rotor with just one motor. The two motors may also be needed to balance the helicopter since the drive motor is mounted off center in the helicopter chassis.

Note the use of the lithium polymer battery, for its high power to weight ratio. The battery itself does not have a metal casing further reducing the weight.

Note the comments on the battery that the battery should not be charged by children. Yet electric rc helicopters like this are frequently given as toys to children. I supposed its is really safe if you use the charger supplied. ( Lithium polymer battery may explode or catch fire if improperly charged )

This low cost rc helicopter also does not have battery protection circuit to shut off the battery when the voltage drop below the recommended 3V for a Li-Po battery. This can also results in abrupt termination of flight when the battery goes flat in mid air.

A possible improvement to this electric mini RC helicopter would be to use a single brushless DC motor to drive the main rotor. The will considerably lighten the helicopter possibly prolonging the lithium polymer battery life. Brushless DC motor are also more efficient.

Read more »

Ariston Hot Water Heater Maintenance

In restrospect the water heater could have given more years of service if there regular maintenace of the water heater is done.

All modern water heater has a magnesium anode installed inside the tank. This serves to provide the cathodic anti-rust protection of the iron water tank. The magnesium anode attracts

the corrosive substances found in the water and binds them to the magnesium saving the the iron tank from corrosion.

Regular replacements of the magnesium anode rod will ensure that the cathodic protection is active.

These pictures shows the heavily corroded magnesium anode rod. In fact it has fallen off from it mount on the heater element.

Home Made Energy

Read more »

Ariston Hot Water Heater Replacement - Draining the Tank

Let the water in the tank cooled before you try to replace to hot water heater. This is because once you disconnect the pipes to the hot water heater, the water in the tank will drain out as shown.

Read more »

Ariston Hot Water Heater Replacement And Problems

This hard working Ariston water heater developed a problem after seven long years of use.

There seems to be some corrosion resulting in a slight leaking of rust stained water from the water outlet and inlet and also staining the casing.

The water heater leaking is not a big problem just yet, but the rust color water droplet can stained the tiles on the bathroom floor, especially those partially porous anti slip tiles.

These pictures shows some simple steps you can take for the hot water heater replacement. If you are not good with a spanner and pipes it is best to call a plumber. I called a plumber as I am just too lazy.

Read more »

Computer Monitor Recyling

I took apart a Philips 17inch monitor, curious as to what useful items I can recovered from it. Star find is about 500gm of copper wire from the deflection yoke, the degausing coil and other odds and end focusing coils in the deflection yoke.

Taking out the deflection yoke is easy, you dont need to break the crt glass, like is shown in many videos on crt ( hey even the professional recyclers do it, and thats a bit dangerous not to mention actually takes more time ). You just need to loosin the clip around the yoke with a Allen screw driver and then twist the yoke loose with your hands. Wear gloves to proper a better grip and to offer hand protection.

Read more »

Blood iPhone?

A worker in a factory in China making the Apple iPhone was so distraught over the loss of a iPhone prototype and the subsequent questioning by security officers in the factory that he jumped off the 12th floor of his apartment and killed himself.

Sort of like a blood diamond kind of thing to me.

Read more »

The Sony Walkman Is 30 Years Old

I just learned the Sony Walkman just turned 30 years. In 1979 July 1, Sony released a portable cassette player to the market called the Walkman. It can only played recorded cassette tapes.

It was a major leap in portability for consumer electronics. For the first time you can carry a entertainment appliance in your pocket.

As a early tech adopter I bought one of the latter models. this can record to cassette and also has a AM/FM radio. It has a battery that is shaped like a piece of Chiclets chewing gum. I believe this battery is also rechargeable. However the short battery life between recharges causes my interest to wane and this cassette has since been shelved.

Look out for the picture of a vintage Walkman cassette player/recorder, after I dug it out of my junk bin.

Read more »

Recycled AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio

This is a vintage ( circa 1980s, based on the date marked on the IC chips, in fact 1983 ) 7 segment LED alarm clock radio that I decided to give a new lease of life. The clock portion is bad as the time setting switches are stuck and the clock cannot be set. Other than that the AM/FM radio portion seems ok.

I hooked it up to a larger 2-way speaker and this gives a much clearer and richer sound. The piano sound just perfect. The sound stage is excellent for a desktop radio.

The reconfigured AM/FM radio show signs of trouble after a few hours of use with the new speaker. Some testing reveals a dried out capacitor and a bad transistor. The transistor is used to turn on the radio via the clock or a switch. The fault prevents the power supply from reaching the radio circuits.

The capacitor is replaced and the transistor removed and the radio connected directly to the DC power supply. The radio is now working perfectly.

Note the rather small AC step down transformer. The radio may not have been design for prolonged use ( maybe as bedtime listening only ), after a few hours of use the ac transformer is hot to the touch. Also load regulation of the output voltage is bad. Note also the rather black look of the varnish on the transformer which is the result of prolong use.

Read more »

Philips Steam Iron Bimetal Thermostat With An eye on quality

This is a closeup of the thermostat used for ironing temperature setting. This is a mechanical thermostat that uses a bimetallic strip to sense the temperature of the soleplate. Turning the dial adjust the gap at which the electrical connection to the heating element will be opened.

Note the additional contact that seems to be prop up by a white ceramic post. This is a safety feature that cuts off the electrical supply if the thermostat becomes loose. This indicate the quality of the design in the Philips Mistral steam iron.

Read more »

Step 3 - Remove the soleplate

This is the soleplate in the plastic housing (looks like a boat). Aftere removing the plastic housing you can see the soleplate. There is a small aluminium compartment into which water is dripped to produced steam. The heating element is embedded inside the soleplate. Note the iron temperature control mounted on the soleplate. There need to be a tight heat transfer between this and the sole plate to properly set the ironing temperature. Note the accumulation of lint on the surface, browned through the relatively high temperature on the soleplate. The other picture shows the lint wash off. The circular disk is actually some form of steam control.

Read more »