Small voltmeters up to 30–35 V
24-09-2018, 01:04
I already reviewed a small voltmeter about three years ago, and now another similar little gadget has landed in my hands. The previous one was more expensive, but it had a separate measurement input and could measure up to 99.9 V. This one is much simpler, but I figured these little meters might still be useful to someone.
Zheino M3-128 GB mSATA SSD
23-09-2018, 12:12
For a few reasons, I needed an mSATA SSD. I first looked at local stores, then at stores on AliExpress. I came across various brands, but noticed that many sellers offered drives from a brand I hadn't heard of before: Zheino. There were quite a lot of them, and the prices were pretty reasonable. I found a seller with a large number of sales, bought one, received it, and decided to share it with everyone. An inspection, some tests, and a few conclusions.
SNDWAY SW-S70 Laser Distance Meter
21-09-2018, 21:45
I've already seen many reviews of this company's measuring instruments, so mine will be more of an addendum and another look at Sndway's products. I haven't come across a review of this particular model, though, and it has a few distinctive features. As usual, I'll take a look at the device, take it apart, run a few tests, compare it with another instrument, and share my conclusions.
DPS-5020 Adjustable Voltage Converter and Enclosure
19-09-2018, 18:56
Today on my workbench I have an adjustable voltage converter with an output voltage of up to 50 V and a current of up to 20 A. As far as I know, this is the most powerful converter in RuiDeng's product lineup. What's more, its specifications are very similar to those of the ZXY-6020, which I reviewed earlier and will be comparing it with today. While I'm at it, I'd like to say a big thank-you to one of my regular readers, without whom this review probably wouldn't have happened.
Batteries for Uniden radios, BP-38 BP-40
18-09-2018, 14:47
Not long ago, I was asked to buy a number of batteries for some radios. It was a pretty straightforward job: I found a suitable listing on AliExpress, placed an order, and a while later picked them up at the post office. But is everything really as good as it seems? Today’s review is a “micro” one; I’ll try to keep it short and stick to the facts.
Wismec Active Kit 80W With Bluetooth Music Electronic Vaping Device
16-09-2018, 00:02
Some time ago, a manager from the vapesourcing store contacted me and offered to try out their new product and, of course, write a review. Since I smoke, I decided to give it a try rather than turn it down, especially as the device itself is somewhat unusual, and I hadn't come across any reviews of one like it. To be fair, I should say right away that the last time I tried vaping was about 3–3.5 years ago, but it didn't really grab me, so this review will be more of a "beginner's" perspective than that of an experienced vaper.
AK4495SEQ + USB converter: building a DAC from a kit
I've built lots of different kits: amplifiers, an oscilloscope, a signal generator, all sorts of measuring instruments and power supplies. Now it's time to try something new for me: building a DAC. In this case, we're talking about an audio DAC (digital-to-analog converter). As usual, in this review I'll show you the kit itself, the assembly process and some tests. But I'll also try to fit the whole thing into a case afterward :)
Beelink Gemini X45 Premium with a Celeron J4105 processor, 6 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD
14-09-2018, 17:07
It wasn't that long ago that computers with Gemini Lake core (SoC) processors started appearing on the market (I already covered one), and other manufacturers soon began releasing their own models. Today I'll be taking a look at one of them. Its key differences are 6 GB of RAM and an SSD instead of eMMC flash storage, along with a few other minor details. As always, I'll take a look inside, take it apart, run some tests and share my conclusions.
DarTZeel amplifier clone for those who like a little warmth
Following on from my discussion of amplifiers, which began with a review of an LM3886 chip-based kit, I want to show you an option that’s its complete opposite: no chips at all. It’s a clone—or, more precisely, one of several clones—of a fairly well-known amplifier by Dartzeel. And it also runs warm in the literal sense, but more on that in the review :)
HYSTOU FMP04 Mini PC with an i5-7200U Processor
12-09-2018, 11:25
Today I’m reviewing a computer with a “industrial” form factor that’s rather unusual for most users. But that’s not all: it also has at least two COM ports and a relatively powerful i5-7200U processor.
Multichannel Voltmeter
11-09-2018, 10:35
Today I'm reviewing a somewhat unusual device. To be honest, I'm not even sure what the right title for this review would be, since this device isn't just a voltmeter, though that's probably the main thing I'm interested in here. This won't be a very long review, partly because the device is rather specialized and partly because there isn't all that much to say about it.
35 V 5 A Linear Adjustable Power Supply Kit
10-09-2018, 16:47
To be honest, I ordered this kit mostly to fill out the package, but it turned out to be quite useful, especially for beginner electronics hobbyists. A while ago, I reviewed a simple adjustable power supply, and as it turned out, it was useful. Now imagine something similar, but: With a higher output voltage With more current With transformer winding switching With fan control Interested? Then I don't think you'll regret it.
39 71610
Nichicon, Epcos and Elna, or how I bought capacitors on Taobao
39 71610
9-09-2018, 00:16
I originally planned to publish this review much later, in the “first come, first served” order, but as they say, good news should be shared quickly and bad news even faster, so I decided to publish it sooner. So today’s review covers five types of capacitors from well-known manufacturers, or— Have you stepped on a rake? We keep walking right into them!
Adjustable DC-DC Converter DPS8005 + USB + Bluetooth
19-08-2018, 02:09
I've been asked about reviews of converters like these many times, both in the comments and in private messages. I've seen plenty of reviews of similar devices, but somehow never got around to trying one myself. Partly because I already have quite a few different adjustable power supplies, and partly because I have a general idea of what these converters are and how they work. But as it happened, I needed exactly this kind of converter for a project, so I decided to order one for a review. This won't be a very long review. It'll mostly be about my personal opinion of the converter itself, its design and controls, and my overall impressions compared with models from ZXY.
Beelink AP34 Pro, a mini PC with 6 GB of RAM
19-08-2018, 01:55
Not long ago, I reviewed a computer that was almost identical to the one featured here. It was called the Beelink M1. But as it turned out, the differences between them are a little more significant than I initially expected. Still, the best way to find out is to read the review, which includes a look around the device, the obligatory teardown, tests, and, of course, my conclusions, along with a comparison table.
CUBOT POWER, a strange smartphone
12-08-2018, 13:46
I wasn’t even planning to write this review anymore, but this time fate had other ideas, and by a roundabout route a new phone from Cubot eventually made its way to me—or, to give its full name, the Cubot Power. The manufacturer came up with this rather straightforward name for its creation. In principle, it’s not a bad idea: there’s no “notch,” dual camera, or other nonsense, but there is a large display, a high-capacity battery, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of flash storage. Somehow, though, it’s like that old joke about Christmas tree ornaments. Anyway, let’s take a look, take it apart, test it, and draw some conclusions.
ACEPC and Beelink AP34 Pro Computer Sale
10-08-2018, 11:02
GearBest has offered a discount on a pretty decent computer that I reviewed a while back. I thought this might be useful to readers.
NCR18650B 3400 mAh from LiitoKala
5-08-2018, 12:50
A brief review of NCR18650B batteries with the LiitoKala logo, bought on AliExpress. In appearance and specifications, these batteries are very similar to the well-known Panasonic NCR18650B, but cost a little less. As usual, the review includes an inspection and thorough testing.



