What happens when you have multiple signals you want to measure at a high accuracy but only one high-resolution digital multimeter? Assuming you don’t need to measure the signals simultaneously, you can opt to buy a scanning data acquisition system...

It seems that soy milk makers as a whole are a problematic bunch. From the Joyoung which had a motor that destroyed itself relatively quickly to the Soyoung which had a transformer thermal fuse open which was replaced and then...

The holiday mood continues with my final installment of images from Osaka from my trip back in 2017. In this section, I look at the more parks and a few day trip locations from Osaka including Ikeda, Mozu and Kobe....

Still in a little bit of a “holiday” mood, but without the means to go overseas, I continue my series of postings concerning my time in Osaka in 2017. In this installment, I look at some random observations I made...

Another week and it seems like deja-vu … welcome to another story where I fail to learn the ultimate lesson – not to cheap out on parts from China. I mean, I’ve now been bitten by fake powerbanks, bad cables,...

Readers may have recently noted my less-than-satisfactory experience with a batch of AMS1117 SOT-223 3.3V linear regulators which had no thermal protection capability whatsoever, bridging the input to the output as it failed with potentially disastrous consequences. Alas, as such...

There’s more to Osaka than shrines and temples. In this section, I look at some more conventional attractions dotted around the city and take a look around while taking some snapshots. Around Osaka Station Osaka station is a bit of...

It’s been so long since I last posted some photos from my epic 2017 trip, but seeing that we’re still in a worldwide pandemic, it seems that the long weekend is an ideal time to go back through the archives...

Sometimes, you know you don’t really need something, but it’s just that cheap that you can’t help yourself but to buy it. Thanks to a posting on OzBargain, I was tipped off to an Orico QSE-4U four-port USB charger with...

When you need to regulate a higher DC voltage to a lower DC voltage, the thing that comes to mind first is a linear regulator. While they’re horribly inefficient for large voltage differences, they’re usually pretty bulletproof, produce relatively “quiet”...

When it comes to running scientific experiments, your test equipment are your “eyes and ears” measuring the quantities you are trying to observe. A lot of the time, purchasers tend to focus on specifications such as accuracy and resolution, while...

It seems like a few of my posts have been starting with something along the lines of “Well, I was shopping on a Chinese goods website …” and this one is no different! I guess I just don’t learn my...

A few weeks ago, I decided to venture out and do some shopping in-person at the local shopping centre. This is an activity I rarely ever do, even prior to the pandemic, purely because I usually know what I want...

My apologies to all – this post is a bit belated, as since my last radiofax update, I have been exceptionally busy with a number of projects and my multiple jobs that I had sidelined my radiofax hobby for a...

Some time back in February, I noticed while browsing through one of my preferred Chinese online shop sites that Astrolux now seems to be selling lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. I suppose that makes sense, since their torches have been fairly popular...

Air pollution is increasingly becoming a focus for those who like to monitor their environment, as it is linked to a large number of health conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the horror bushfires of the summer of 2019-2020...

Some readers may have seen my recent post about questionable IRF3205 MOSFETs that I received from a Chinese seller. While I am pretty sure they aren’t the real deal and I wouldn’t accept the incorrectly packaged MOSFETs even if they...

A little while ago, I received a frantic e-mail from an old friend of mine asking for IT help. Specifically, they had an old Windows XP-based machine that would crash with a BSOD whenever they tried to login, but they...

One day, perhaps just before a vital presentation, you power up your laptop and you see this … Non-System disk or disk error replace and strike any key when ready Or perhaps, your BIOS is a little different. Perhaps it...

Having grown up with through-hole electronics kits, I have blogged about constructing quite a few inexpensive Chinese “generic” electronics kits. For the most part, I rarely come across any new kits, but recently, this particular kit caught my eye. This...

I’ve been using a Braun 3-series shaver for many years now, but over the years, it’s starting to become a bit of an annoyance. I’ve replaced the cartridge on it twice and it’s seemingly due for another replacement. In the...

Running things off batteries (and DC in general) is fine and dandy right up until you have a piece of gear that needs a particular voltage, or is very fussy about the voltage range it will operate in. Usually resolving...

This week marks the official “back-to-the-office” week and what a change it’s been. While chatting to one of my colleagues, they asked whether I was interested in doing some experiments to measure microSD card performance and power consumption in embedded...

For many years, as a child, I had looked up at various dot-matrix LED indicators in public transport installations wondering if ever I would have a dot-matrix LED display of my own. While common-anode/common-cathode modules and drivers modules have been...

Over the years, I’ve pursued my curiosity through running experiments of my own, enabled by a suite of test equipment that I have carefully curated over the years. Being a major beneficiary of the element14 RoadTest program and the generosity...