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I've run into situations several times where using thermal paste was either inconvenient or impossible, since it requires constant pressure to keep the heatsink against the component. So I decided to try out another useful product: thermal adhesive. Today, I'll take a quick look at it and, of course, put it to the test—especially since I've already posted a couple of reviews of various thermal interface materials.

I recently received another batch of holders for 18650 batteries and decided to post a few photos in case anyone is looking for something like this.

At the beginning of autumn, I tested and reviewed an interesting mini PC of mine, the HYSTOU FMP04 with an i5-7200U processor. Unfortunately, that was also when I showed the “Achilles' heel” of both the device under review and many other Chinese devices: overheating. After that, I decided to try a slightly less powerful version with an i3-7100U processor, and it really managed to surprise me. But it's better to read all about it in the review.

This story began quite a while ago, probably right at the start of the year, when I received this set-top box. But things worked out so that I'm only writing the review now. The box turned out to be not so bad, though it does have its "pitfalls. Still, as always, it's best to read the full review, which will include the usual inspection, tests, modifications, and a table.

The Amlogic S912 SoC has been around for quite a while, but companies are still making new models based on this processor. As I’ve already mentioned in my smartphone reviews, most devices are basically “construction kits”—just combinations of the same “building blocks.” And this is another such kit, this time branded X9T. Let’s take a look, take it apart, run some tests, draw some conclusions, and fill in the table.

Today I have a very brief review—or rather, a quick photo showcase—of my latest batch of lithium batteries. Inspection, tests, conclusions.

As it happens, SoCs from Allwinner are quite uncommon and are almost completely overshadowed by options from Rockchip and Amlogic. In all this time, I’ve reviewed only one TV box based on an Allwinner processor. The Zidoo H6 Pro I covered back then was actually pretty good and even had working AFR, but its price of over $80 spoiled the whole picture. Today I have another member of this family of TV boxes, but at a more affordable price—that’s what caught my interest. A look inside, teardown, tests, conclusions, and of course, the table.

I was browsing Taobao and happened to come across a charger that caught my eye with its low price and pretty decent looks, especially for the price. I ordered it, received it, and was somewhat disappointed—twice, in fact. But more on all that in the review. Inspection, testing, conclusions.

While working on a project to build a device for testing and balancing large battery packs, I needed a power supply of around 90 V, so I bought two 48 V, 2.5 A power supplies. They turned out to be unexpectedly decent despite their low price, both in terms of performance and build quality. As usual: inspection, schematic, tests, conclusions.

Today’s review is about some uncommon, specialized devices that can nevertheless be very useful: powerful, compact voltage converters. What makes them unusual is their 36–75 V input voltage range, which is rarely used by DIYers. But I’ve been asked about converters like these several times, so I decided to fill that gap, since I haven’t come across any reviews of them.

This is already the third review of RuiDeng products that I’ve posted, but there are actually quite a few reviews of their products out there, so today I’ll try to add a little to the previous ones—especially since this converter is interesting in its own right. As always, I’ll take a look at it, run some tests, cover a little theory, and share my conclusions.

Today I have another review of another power supply. I realize I may have already worn you out with these, but several readers asked me about this one, and I was interested in it myself, so I went ahead and bought it. The review will consist mostly of photos and a little text. In addition to the tests, I’ll also describe a simple method for testing a PSU relatively safely while it’s operating at a temperature close to its limit.

I use power tools often, and it just so happens that quite a few of them are battery-powered. But this is the first time I’ve tested a cordless rotary hammer, so I’m doubly curious to see what it’s like. As usual, we’ll take a look, take it apart, and put it to the test.

I have a real soft spot for gadgets with vacuum displays. When I saw something like this in one of the comments, I got excited and decided to buy one for myself. The only difference was that the one I saw had a few extra “bells and whistles,” like a clock and something else, but I just wanted an indicator—and I found one :) A short review of a large indicator with a “warm” display.

Today I'm reviewing a rather interesting and useful device, if it weren't for a few "buts" that slightly spoiled my overall impression of what is, all things considered, a pretty decent piece of hardware. I'm talking about an eight-channel relay module with remote control over Ethernet.

Another batch of holders for 18650 batteries arrived recently, so I decided to put together a short review in case it comes in handy for someone. I've reviewed similar holders several times before, so this one is more of a follow-up to the previous reviews.

Somehow, despite having more than 35 years of experience with a soldering iron, I had never used soldering paste, although I’d heard a lot about it. So I decided to fill that gap by picking up a tube of one product from this large family for review: Best BS-706 paste. If you’re interested in my first attempts at using soldering paste and what I thought of it, come on in.

Today I’m reviewing another TV box from Mecool, built around the long-familiar S912 SoC. There’s nothing unusual about it, except for a slight sense of déjà vu that stayed with me while using the box, especially when inspecting it. Why? Read on for the review, which, as always, includes an inspection, a teardown, a few tests, and my conclusions.