Electronics and technology blog    /    Materials for September 2015 year

Today I decided to write a very short review of some small but useful gadgets: holders for 18650 batteries. Naturally, there are pros and cons. More after the jump :)

Somehow, I haven't been writing many reviews of AliExpress products lately, but I just had to write one about this item. It all started when, on August 25, I ordered a whole bunch of little things (probably like many others did)—some for myself and some for friends who'd asked me to. The packages have started arriving recently. I'll probably write about some of the other things I ordered too, since a few of them are interesting. But for now, here's a review and complaint.

Lately, failing electrolytic capacitors have become one of the main causes of radio equipment breakdowns. But for proper troubleshooting, a capacitance meter alone is not always enough, so today we'll talk about another parameter: ESR. I'll try to explain what it is, what it affects, and how it's measured in this review.

Today I’ll try to tell you about one of the most popular DIY measuring instruments. Or rather, not just the instrument itself, but a kit for building one. I’ll say right away: you can find one cheaper already assembled, but what could replace the fun of building an instrument yourself? Anyway, if you’re interested, come on in :)

In my previous power supply review, I touched on how to choose the right power supply. To be honest, I didn’t expect this topic to be so useful. In the comments—and even more so in private messages—people asked me about other aspects of choosing a power supply, how they work, and how to troubleshoot them. In this review, I’ll try to answer most of these questions, and perhaps raise a few new ones too :)

Continuing my series on electronic kits, this time I want to tell you about a device that can add to a beginner radio enthusiast’s collection of test equipment. It’s not really a measuring instrument, but it definitely helps with measurements.