Electronics and technology blog    /    Page 23

Banggood is running some promotions right now, with stars to collect, and while browsing I kept coming across this impact wrench at what seemed like a reasonable price. I don't actually need one, but a few times I nearly bought it. I thought it might be useful to someone.

I think many of my readers remember that I often test batteries, and for quite a while I've also had my eye on a dedicated battery tester. Yes, friends, today we're talking about the EBC-X electronic load and tester, which I finally bought :)

Like many people, I have a WiFi router at home for tablets, laptops, and lately various IoT (Internet of Things) devices. But because of the apartment's layout and the less-than-ideal placement of the router, the connection is poor in some areas, so I decided to improve things a little by installing a WiFi repeater.

Discounts on both models of Ruideng adjustable voltage converters

Last fall, a very interesting adjustable voltage converter, the RD6006, went on sale. It stood out from previous models with its large display, convenient controls, battery charging function, and WiFi connectivity. But discussions soon started: 60 V is certainly nice, but 6 A is a bit on the low side. The manufacturer replied, “Don’t worry, a more powerful version will be out in about six months.” In fact, it took longer, mostly because of the virus, but the manufacturer didn’t abandon development, and today I’m reviewing the version with an output current of up to 12 A.

Lately, I’ve been seeing quite a few reviews where people either build spot welders or use them in their projects to assemble battery packs. I’ve got one of these devices myself now, though it’s quite different from the ones I’ve seen before.

Today, a very brief review of a fairly ordinary voltmeter, but one that can be mounted on a DIN rail—that's actually one of its main distinguishing features. As always, the review includes an inspection, tests, a teardown, and an explanation of why I needed it.

Some time ago, a new version of the converter called the RD6012 went on sale. Since it also needs a power supply, I ordered a suitable one from the same store—in this case, an 800 W unit with an output voltage of 70 V. This review won't be very long. You'll see why as we go, but there will still be some tests.

Some time ago, one of my readers asked me for advice and, while we were at it, offered to send me some INR18650-25R batteries for testing. He had bought them on AliExpress several years earlier. The test was done simply “out of curiosity” and wasn’t intended to serve any practical purpose, but I did find a few interesting things.

This device is hard to classify as a “residential” product, although of course it can certainly be used that way. Its main applications are small businesses, office buildings, rental properties, and so on. Even so, I found the device interesting in its own right, and I’m planning to use it at home. But you can read all about it in the review.

Yes, friends, the cycle-life test is back, and this time we have a genuine Sanyo NCR18650GA battery. But this isn't just a test: we're testing it under conditions the manufacturer doesn't recommend—in other words, we're deliberately killing the battery and seeing how it holds up.

After reviewing two phase-selection relays, I managed to arrange for a couple of interesting devices to be provided for review. One is aimed at the "household" market, while the other is more geared toward small businesses. Today I'm reviewing the first one, the RN-263T voltage relay.

Back in March, I was asked to write a review of the 1C15 mini oscilloscope. I can't say I was particularly eager, but I was curious to tinker with it. There were two reasons: it's a popular model, and I've also been asked several times about a simple oscilloscope for basic work on power supplies. Well, I finally got one and did a few tests.

Very briefly. When Ali has sales and offers coupons, it's a good time to buy relatively expensive items. More about the coupons below.

At last, I’ve got my hands on a PD power supply that can deliver up to 100 W from a single output. As usual, I’ll take a look, test it, and of course, take it apart.

The RD official store has a new product: the adjustable RD6012 voltage converter. I thought this might be useful.

A few times, I reviewed chargers for lithium batteries. They were designed for 3S packs, but the bigger issue was that their circuitry was far too simplified. After that, I was asked repeatedly which charger to buy that would be safer for the batteries and wouldn't need any "modifications"—even if it cost more. So I ordered a charger that supposedly belongs to the more proper type. As always, I'll go into more detail in the review.

At the end of February, I reviewed the PEF-301 phase selector relay. As I wrote then, I’ve been using these relays for a long time and am completely happy with how they work. But now a newer version, the PEF-320, has landed on my desk. The key difference is that it can’t control external contactors. More details, as always, in the review.