Another roundup of assorted products for electronics hobbyists, part 10

A little roundup of AliExpress products. I’d call it a “Black Friday” roundup, but I’m pretty skeptical about all these sales, so it’s just a roundup.

First up, thermal cameras. I’m looking for a replacement for my old one and found a few options that seem best to me. Just to be clear, I’m only interested in a standalone unit, not a smartphone attachment.

At first I was considering the HT-18, priced at $373 with a 220x160 sensor. It’s similar to my previous one, but for some reason it didn’t grab me. Then I found an upgraded version of mine, with the same sensor as the HT-18, but priced at $268, which is noticeably cheaper.



Then I started looking at more compact models, which are unfortunately more expensive.
The HT-A1 has the same 220x160-pixel resolution, and costs $345
But I was much more interested in the new HT-A2, with its 320x240 resolution! So I’m saving up, since it costs $484 now, but in my opinion, it’s worth it.


I thought I’d made my choice, but just today I spotted another new model, the HT-19. It has a 320x240 resolution, but costs $448. I found it in at least two places: link 1, link 2. Some listings come with a “free multimeter”—don’t fall for it. They’ve marked it up by more than it’s worth, although maybe this somehow helps get around the import duty...
I came across an option shipped from Russia, but it costs $560, which seems overpriced to me.




I’m gradually gathering parts to modify my multichannel battery tester. I needed a USB hub + Ethernet module. First I looked for cheap options, but after reading bad reviews, I checked out the more expensive ones, including Ugreen. The reviews were good, but the price wasn’t. Later I came across a module for the “Raspberry Pi” and thought: why do I need a case? I read up on it, and it turns out it’s basically a USB hub and network card. Might be useful to someone: link. It costs $9.12, and that’s supposedly the “sale” price, even though I bought one for the same price a few days ago.




For connecting a tablet to the same battery tester, I bought a set of microUSB plugs. They’re sold in different lots, the reviews are average, but the price makes up for it—especially since I only need one out of ten, two at most: link. They cost $0.77–0.99 for 10 pcs.




I picked up a few “toys” during the 11.11 sale, including four 30 Ah LiFePO4 batteries: link. They cost $20.30 each; they were $17 before, so I think the seller will lower the price again.



And since I have a few 32700 cells at home, I picked up some holders for them in case they come in handy: link. The price is outrageous, but I couldn’t find them cheaper.



I also bought a couple of active balancers. The price was right, with current up to 1.2 A: link. They cost $3.32, and shipping is paid and expensive, but if you buy several different items, it gets a lot cheaper. By the way, the same seller has an option with cheaper shipping, but it only makes sense if you’re buying one item: link


I also bought a protection board from the same seller, which is why shipping was cheaper. It’s rated for 120 A: link. It cost $10.39.
At first I wanted the “people’s choice” white board, but I wanted something more reliable, so I paid extra for a more expensive option.



I also came across other protection boards, for example, ones that look more powerful, but for some reason I still didn’t buy one: link. It costs $15.65 plus $2 shipping.



A similar-looking option, but it looks monstrous inside. Rated for currents from 200 A, but the price is noticeably higher: link


While looking for batteries, I came across 33140 cells several times. They’re a pretty convenient size, but unfortunately they weren’t suitable for me. The claimed capacity is 15 Ah; according to reviews, it’s actually 13 Ah. That’s about what you’d expect based on the capacity-to-size ratio of 32700 cells: link.



And finally, an idea—though I’m still wondering whether it’s worth pursuing. I want to build a linear dual-channel adjustable power supply with independent channels and shared control using two encoders and inexpensive boards that are already on the market. I even reviewed one of them once. Up to 28 V and 2 A.
I’ve found a case that should fit all the components, including the transformers, just as planned - link.



I’m talking about this regulator board - link, review