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A couple of months ago, I published a review of a drill/driver and mentioned that I had originally ordered it as a brushless model. But, as sometimes happens, "something went wrong," and I ended up with a model with a conventional motor. Some time later, I decided to try my luck again, and it looks like I got lucky. Inspection, teardown, a few tests, and conclusions.

Another set of little-known batteries with a high maximum continuous discharge current, this time in the 21700 size. Inspection, load test up to 40A, comparison, conclusions.

Another power supply someone sent me a link to, and one that I think could be interesting, especially for use in T12 soldering stations.

I decided to try some 18650 batteries rated for a maximum continuous current of 38A, just out of curiosity. As far as I know, these may be the highest-current batteries of this size, but it turned out to be a lot more interesting than that. Inspection, tests, intrigue, investigations, and conclusions.

Over the years, battery manufacturers have come up with an enormous number of different form factors, yet they still manage to surprise us with something new. It seems like only recently that 21700 and 20700 sizes "went mainstream," and things appeared to have settled down. But then I got my hands on some cells that are not only a different size—26800—but are also described as multicomponent. Well, let's test them, heat them up, freeze them, and see what they're all about.

It's been quite a while since I last reviewed a power supply—one of those "feeders" that power all sorts of devices that need less than mains voltage but more than a battery can provide. So, at the suggestion of one of my regular readers, I ordered several models to test. Today I'll be looking at the first one.

I've already reviewed Vapcell 18350 batteries, but those were relatively high-current cells, while these are designed with capacity in mind, so the current is limited to 3 A. Inspection, tests, conclusions.

A review of batteries that are pretty unremarkable: 3 Ah capacity and a 20 A current rating. But people have already asked me about them, so I decided to compare them with their closest competitors, the HG2 and VTC6.

Another set of batteries in the 26650 size, which is gradually being phased out. Of course, this format will stick around for a while, since many devices still need it. Even so, the 21700 size, with comparable capacity and specs, has long been taking its place. Inspection, testing, and a comparison with the Vapcell G53.

You’re not imagining things: I reviewed these batteries almost two years ago. But back then they were from Nkon; today’s ones are from AliExpress. A look at the batteries, some tests, and of course a comparison with the previous ones.

Batteries in this size aren't particularly rare, but these caught my attention because they're rated for a continuous discharge current of 15 A. As usual: a look at the cells, tests, graphs, and conclusions.

Another device from Novatek, and this time we're looking at an interface converter—in this case, from RS-485 to WiFi, with data transmission over the MODBUS-TCP protocol. As always, we'll take a look, take it apart, test it, and draw some conclusions.

I got my hands on another batch of batteries from Vapcell, and today I’ll be taking a look at batteries in the relatively uncommon 14650 form factor. As usual, the review covers the inspection, measurements, tests in different operating modes, and conclusions.

I think the vast majority of people reading this have used a computer mouse. Like any device, mice sometimes break, but sometimes you can give them a second life.

It just so happens that I usually get relatively small batteries to test, but people often ask for reviews of higher-capacity cells, for example for UPS units. Today I’m testing 90 Ah LiFePO4 cells: I’ll inspect them, test them, and discharge them in a freezer.

Some time ago, I reviewed a basic soldering station controller and shared a few ideas for how to use it. But after playing around with it for a while, I realized it wasn’t quite right for what I had in mind. Then I got my hands on a controller board that turned out to be just what I needed for my project.

I ordered these batteries for a friend and borrowed a few for testing, so I decided to put together a short review in case it might be useful. These batteries come up in the comments quite often, after all.

About five years ago, I published a review of a thermal imager, and now it’s time to update it. I looked at various models, but in the end decided on the HT-A2 from Hti. I ordered one, received it, used it for a while, and decided to put together a short review.