Electronics and technology blog    /    Reviews    /    Page 48

Continuing with my August 25 purchases, I have to mention this rather useful and inexpensive little voltmeter. A friend of mine picked it out, but I ordered one for myself too, just to have around.

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.

After my unsuccessful experiment with a USB network adapter, I decided to try my luck again and ordered a USB 3.0 network adapter this time. Let’s see if it’s any faster—time to get hands-on :)

A few times in the comments, and later in private messages, people asked me to review power supplies with a specific voltage. I replied that I’d try to get hold of some for review and testing. Today I’m reviewing a 5 V power supply. But simply reviewing it would be rather boring, so this time I’ll try to explain what the different components in a power supply do and what to look for when choosing one.

Since I’ve touched on soldering in my reviews, I’ll use this one to talk a little about the radio amateur’s most important tool: the soldering iron. This review won’t actually be about soldering itself—that will probably be the subject of another review. Here, I’ll talk a little about soldering irons themselves.

I recently reviewed another kit, and today I'm continuing my short series of reviews of various DIY projects for beginner radio enthusiasts. I'll say right away: this is certainly no Tektronix, or even a DS203, but it's an interesting little gadget in its own way, even if it's basically a toy. Usually, before testing something, I take it apart first. This time, I have to assemble it :)

Many of you already know that I have a soft spot for all kinds of power supplies. This review is two in one: this time, I’ll be looking at an electronics kit for building the core of a bench power supply, as well as a real-world implementation of it. A heads-up: there’ll be lots of photos and text, so stock up on coffee :)

Recently I posted a review of a decent TV box. I originally picked out a wireless keyboard to go with it and even planned to include it in the TV box review, but then decided to write about it separately. So, the usual routine: photos of the outside and inside, plus my review of how it works.

In my previous power supply review, I mentioned that I had ordered two units to review. Today, I'll tell you about the second one. It's interesting in its own way and well made, but it does have some drawbacks. As always, all the details are below the fold.

Taking a short break from Windows mini PCs and all kinds of power supplies, I ordered a rather interesting TV box to review. Well, interesting at least in my opinion. Find the main differences, photos of the inside and outside, and a short demo of it in action below :)

Since I've been working with various power supplies for a long time, I can often tell how good one is just “from a photo.” That was the case this time too: I ordered a couple that looked pretty good to test. So far, my intuition seems to have been right. As always, more after the jump :)

Today I’ll write not only about a product I tested, but also about how sometimes you plan one thing and, for some reason, end up with something completely different. Anyway, if you’re interested, read on.

Many people are already used to computers constantly getting smaller. So when I saw this tiny computer, I immediately wanted to get one to review. Especially since people had already asked me whether I’d tried it. Now I can confidently say that I have—and not only tried it, but also taken it apart and modified it, because this computer turned out to have a mind of its own. Anyway, if you’re interested in my whole saga, read on.