Electronics – Page 2

At last, the new work space takes shape.

The workspace is starting to take shape. Normal service to resume soon. Maybe I can catch up with this backlog now.

I’d pretty much closed down my workspace, when we sold our old house back in August last year. Everything I used the most was pretty much moved into storage as we prepared to make the move to our new home. All I was left with was a few screwdrivers, so needless to say, content on this site dwindled, whilst purchasing continued, hence I currently have 29 posts, in draft, awaiting completion as I don’t have a suitable workspace or the equipment available at the moment to complete any of them. I even purchased a 3D printer in November of last year for my birthday, it has been in storage all this time, I have now brought it home and have now made my first 3D print, that post can be found here: My First 3D print attempt

Things are about to change.

We pretty much have every room in the house now up and running. We are settled now and the final boxes have been attended to within the house, and we are finally getting to the point where regular recycling visits to the tip to get rid of the old cardboard boxes are finally coming to an end.

The next stage in my wife’s own words are, “ we can now get Dave’s room sorted.” The words I’d been waiting for.

My workspace – a wall in a guest bedroom

I’m calling it my room but in theory it’s not a whole room. It’s part of the third bedroom where I am probably just occupying one wall at the end of a guest bedroom, it’s all I need, I have a Garage to do all the blokey stuff in, this space is purely to work upon all my cameras and other more delicate items of work.

Whilst visiting a certain Scandinavian furniture store i have purchased a basic setup for me to begin working on. The good thing about these furniture systems is that you can start with a basic layout and just expand upon it, and that’s the plan.

I have a desk and drawer system arriving today, and quite a bit of construction to do, once this is in place then I can start getting my gear from storage and get it back into place. It will be nice to have all my equipment in a permanent placement, without having to take it all apart and storing everything back in boxes after I have used it. I’m looking forward to this as to be honest, I’ve really missed it. However I have been pre occupied around the house and there has been an awful lot to keep me busy, there’s been no rest really, I must be very wicked 😂

So as of 10th March, I’m quite pleased to say that my workspace is now ready to use. It’s still a way from being complete as I still have stock to bring from storage along with the last few tools and boxes of components. There are still shelves and storage to put in place, but at long last I can now sit down and finally start to play catch up with my ever expanding backlog.

The workspace….liable to be moved about yet again

I must admit I’ve moved things about, and I’m probably liable to move things about again over the coming days and weeks, even months as I can’t quite decide how the setup should look. It’s probably going to be a few sessions of me not being able to find tools, parts and cameras that will help me decide just what, should be where. In the meantime, it’s good that a kind of normality has been restored, and I can now start to resume where I left off all those months ago.

My First 3D print attempt

I’ve had a 3D printer for 4 months now. I am now able to use it and today I have produced my first 3D printed item. A Poop bin. Yes you did read that correctly….

Those of you who watch this site with eager anticipation (I’m joking 🙃) may remember a post that I published in November of 2025, when as a result of all the money I received as gifts for my birthday, I went out and purchased myself a Bambu PS1 Combo 3d printer: I’ve taken a dive….

I’ve not printed a single thing 3D in my life and to be quite honest I haven’t got a clue on what to do, but as usual I’m willing to learn. I’ve had a number of occasions over the past couple of years where I’ve needed an obsolete part for a project, I’ve had to go as far as Italy to get parts printed whereas with this equipment I could have done so my self, cogs and gearing are a regular item that I come across that I could also use this equipment to produce. See, it will serve a use to me once I have my workspace configured.

That time has arrived….

Now we are safely moved in to our new home, and all the important stuff has been attended to, attention has switched to getting my work area up and running, and I will shortly be uploading a post regarding the inside my work area.

However, this piece of equipment has been in storage since November, almost 4 months now and needed to be put into action as soon as possible. Seeing that the workbench was now in place it only seemed right that the printer was now unpacked.

It’s a big box, and has a lot of packaging

Even to do the unboxing there is a QR code to link you through to the process to follow, it is very informative as these printers are packaged so well, there are screws and supports to remove, put in place to stop sensitive parts being damaged or dislodged during transport.

The AMS system installed on the top of the printer

When you follow this system of unpacking, you are also linked to an app called, “Bambu Handy” that really is the control system for your printer. Here you register, set up blue tooth and WiFi options and the app then becomes your monitoring and control for your printer. At the moment I’m sticking with just this app, once you are more experienced there are a number of more complex programs you can then use for design and editing purposes. For now I have found my level. I now install what is called the AMS system on top of the printer, it is an automated feed for using more than one coloured filament, the printer can move from one colour to the next automated, without interrupting the print process.

But that creates a little waste product….

And there is my first print project.

When the printer initially primes, or when it changes colour it will create a little waste as it clears the nozzle of one filament to use another. This waste then exits the rear of the printer onto the floor, or work bench depending on the positioning of your printer. For this reason people then install what is known as a “Poop bin” to collect such waste. Here is a draft picture of the one I will print for this printer.

Now, this app fortunately comes with absolutely thousands of pre programmed prints covering all aspects of printing technology from home, toys, educational and everything in between. Fortunately, because “me” as the totally clueless, doesn’t have to learn basic CAD and slicing techniques, because some clever individual has already done that for me. And for that I am very grateful.

There are a number of tools and equipment you can print for these printer units, it’s as if they are self maintaining and developing. All very clever stuff.

But a “Poop bin” is a necessity if you don’t want to suffer the wrath of your other half by spewing out randomly produced plastic waste on to her nice new carpets. That is not conducive to a happy and peaceful existence 😂

So a “Poop bin” is my first ever 3D project….so here goes.

A simple selection on the app, of the item you require, a few settings get amended, the printer does some calibration checks and then the process starts, this particular print takes about 4.5 hrs to complete. Fortunately the system has an inbuilt camera so you can check progress or even get a timelapse at the end. You can basically shut the door, turn off the light and walk away, you can always check in, but sitting there just watching for 4.5 hours can get a tad boring, and is just like watching paint dry, so why not just walk away and do something more useful. I did just that, and went to assist the wife with some chores.

Here is the said timelapse of the print. 4.5 hrs in about 30 seconds. The dark periods are brief and were just me messing with the onboard light settings.

My 3D poop bin printing

Here’s the actual finished article, and situated at the printer.

So that’s it really. Still learning but quite happy with what’s been learned so far, the desk and everything needs some fine tuning and there is a lot of gear still to be added but we are now off to a flying start.

Current position with anti vibration feet now installed

One thing I did notice was that there was some vibration and noise, however I did get gifted some anti vibration feet with the package when I purchased the printer, I have now installed these so hopefully the next print will be a little bit more peaceful, not that it was particularly bad anyway.

And that concludes this post. Thanks for reading, it’s always appreciated and I hope this day finds you well and at peace.

Toshiba Camileo X400 Camcorder

Let’s have a look at a non functional Camcorder from 2011 that appears to have bathed in molasses as it’s so sticky. Can I get it working once more? Why not?

What the listing stated:

It has not been tested but outside case is sticky.
Would recommend for spares and repairs only

EBay

Not one of the finest quality camcorder cameras out there, but for £7.00GBP, I’m not really complaining. This camera appears to have a battery included, it has no charging equipment or anything else included, but I’m hopeful there’s not too much badly wrong with it. However as this is a platform for repairing old knackered equipment, hopeful there is something that we can get our teeth into that is sufficiently suited to this platform. All I can currently gather from the listing is that this a bit sticky, and those of you who follow this site will know that stickiness, especially on cameras is not an issue that has caused me any problems previously. Hopefully the issue is a little more than just stickiness, and as this listing has the classic EBay “Get out of jail free – seller not tested” claim, then there could be absolutely anything and everything wrong with it, we will just have to wait and see.

Here’s a little bit of background for this camcorder.

Toshiba’s CAMILEO X400 Full HD camcorder offers 1920 x 1080p video capabilities, 23X optical zoom, and other great features for taking great video and making great memories.

No matter what you’re looking at, the CAMILEO X400 Full HD camcorder takes jaw-dropping video in 1920 x 1080p resolution. You’ll be able to capture all the color and clamor of that Fourth of July parade, or your daughter’s first soccer goal. And with the 23X optical zoom, you’ll see the big smile on her face, too.

Want to follow your baby as she takes her first steps? Follow your friends as they head up that mountain trail? Record your Jeep ride across Africa’s Serengeti plain? Go for it. The image stabilization capabilities on the CAMILEO X400 Full HD camcorder ensure your ensuing creation will be hunky-dory, not herky-jerky.

Video trimming on the CAMILEO X400 Full HD camcorder makes editing easier by letting you cut out a section of the video from the front, back or both–plus start and end the video at any point you wish. What’s more, with a built-in pause button, you can stop wasting storage space and reduce file clutter by recording multiple scenes into a single file.

Your son just learned to surf and caught a nice point break for a good long ride. Want to freeze the frame for pictures you can share in an album, email or hand out to friends? Do it without interrupting the video. Simply press the Photo button* on your CAMILEO X400 Full HD camcorder and your surf dude will be immortalized forever.

Features:

1920x1080p Full HD resolution video

23x Optical zoom

3″ swiveling LCD monitor

5MP CMOS sensor

4.7 x 2.1 x 2.4 inches

Weight 300g

Toshiba

Well, to be honest that has to be one of the worst background write ups I’ve read, and in reality the tone of it doesn’t fill me with confidence, all that talk of “Dudes” and “Hunky dory and Herky Jerky” my god, who do they let write this stuff? This camera didn’t stand a chance to be honest right from its release date in late 2011.

So, let’s forget the awful promotional write up, and just like true “Dudes” try to find out what is actually wrong with the damned thing.

Assessment:

It’s arrived and to be totally honest, it’s in a right poor condition cosmetically. Very poorly packaged, I suspect the seller couldn’t wait to get it out of the door. Here are two of the better looking pictures.

As soon as you pick the unit up, the stickiness the seller wrote about becomes obvious. It’s as if this camera has been immersed in a vat of molasses, it’s super sticky and if you review the close up pictures below you will see this unit has obviously been involved in some sticky situation, in places it is still wet, with liquid clearly visible, however that liquid is in a super sticky state of suspension.

The battery is in place, I suspect it is dead but it will need to be tested, thankfully the battery contacts are clean and luckily it appears that no liquid has managed to reach these areas.

Before I even start to look at anything with this camcorder, a very thorough clean is the order of the day. It’s not going anywhere, and I’m not doing anything with it, until it is in a more presentable and workable condition.

I like to use a disinfectant spray when taking on a job like this, in fact I use it on most of my old cameras especially those that have an old musty aroma. The disinfectant has cleaned this unit up very well removing all of the old stickiness and residue. I finish off with some polish and a cloth and the beast has now been cleaned and is now in a much better condition to start looking at where the problem may lie.

A good clean and it looks like a different unit

Well, to be totally honest the unit is kind of dead. There is a minimal voltage in the battery and when I find a suitable charging cable and install it, there is not a great deal else occurring. There are some lights, but they are not doing what they should be doing, I’m expecting lights to flash whilst charging, and a solid light when charged. However this isn’t happening, so let’s move on to what we are going to do to try and resolve this issue.

Repair:

For the moment I’m going to focus on the battery. We need power, so we do really have to start here, we can’t diagnose or do anything without some power. It’s a 3.7v Li-ion cell, and the camera can charge via a 5v USB supply. I’ve managed to locate a suitable charging cable from that drawer of collected cables that “may come in useful one day”, that we all seem to have stashed in our homes. When the cable is plugged in you should get some intro music from the camera, and I do. This should then be followed by a flashing light that should remain lit until the battery has sufficiently charged. However I manage to get about two flashes from an amber light and then that’s it… nothing else. So far it’s positive that we have seen some life, however we need to see if we can encourage this battery to take a little more charge.

These batteries though rated at 3.7v usually charge up to 4.2v at full capacity. I’ve just measured this one with a multimeter and it currently sits at 2.64v. In the world of batteries this is severely depleted and to be totally honest looks as if this battery is dead.

A fully charged 3.7V nominal battery typically reads 4.2V, with 3.7V-3.8V being the average voltage during discharge. A 3.7V Li-ion battery is considered “dead” or fully discharged when its voltage drops to 3.0V to 3.2V.

While many protection circuits cut off at 2.5V to 2.75V to prevent damage, discharging below 3.OV frequently will significantly reduce the battery’s lifespan.

2.64v This battery is more than likely dead

And it looks as if this may have occurred here. It’s looking as if the battery is a dead one.

However, I’m going to see if I can rejuvenate this battery by putting a trickle charge through it, just charging it in the camera from a USB 5v power supply. I will monitor regularly for changes in temperature or other issues. I don’t have a spare around at the moment so if I want to do some basic checks on the unit I’ll just have to give it a try.

So after 3 hrs we’ve only been able to get about another 1v of energy into this battery, and as you can see we are only just into the battery depletion range. We have sufficient power to start the unit up and see a welcome screen, the zoom works. It’s clearly visible that there is a low battery indication on the screen and then it all shuts down again.

There is just not enough life in this battery to sustain a 30 second video, the battery is just so worn down that I believe it is beyond resurrection. I may have to purchase a new battery to finish off this section of the post. It’s good though that we have tried, rather than just give up, and this has also allowed us to review what we have found out about the process, and the good news is that at this point it, is looking as if it is purely an issue with this battery.

The camera has cleaned up lovely and really looks like a nice piece of kit. For the moment I will put this post on pause whilst I await a replacement battery.

But…. Me being me, and not wanting to spend too much money at this point, I have persisted with leaving this battery on trickle charge. It has been consistently monitored to keep an eye on it, and I must admit neither the battery itself or the charger has been hot or even warm throughout this entire process, that is good.

Seeing that about 4 hrs ago the battery indicator on the screen was only showing two green bars, it is now showing four bars and that indicates it is now fully charged. Let’s get the multimeter back on, and check to see what the current battery charge is and see if that gives us an indicator to show if the nominal charge has now been achieved, I’m quite excited at this – I’m easily pleased and excitable in equal proportions – I have a feeling that with patience and persistence we may have well just cracked the issue. So what is the current voltage of this battery? Well, here it is….

4.14v

Well, I’m very pleased with that, not only has it charged fully it appears to have reached pretty much full charge beyond the nominal charge. I’ve probably saved this battery from the trash heap, but I guess it will be more of a backup battery for me as I will probably purchase a new one, for my main battery, now though, there is no rush as it looks as if this one has been rejuvenated.

I’ve put a 32Gb SD card in and the screen is indicating 5 hours and 54 minutes of recording time, however on a full battery and using the minimum of activity (Not using Zoom and other effects) you can normally squeeze two hours of recording from the battery. But I’m never going to be filming war and peace, and I’m probably never going to get that kind of usage from this battery. My best bet with this battery is to not let it deplete totally, and try to keep it in a charge cycle were it doesn’t dip below about 25% of its capacity if I can help it.

I’ve tested all settings and everything is just fine. The touch screen is responsive and all setting and special effects can be easily accessed. There is nothing else wrong with this camcorder.

At this point I am now happy that this camcorder is a fully working and very capable little unit, that should serve me well as I use it to make videos for my YouTube channel and WordPress site. Repair is complete and successful.

Result:

This little camera cost me £7.00GBP and it’s been a fantastic restoration as such as it has not cost me a penny more than what I have paid for it. All I have done is invest time, done a lot of reading up about the intricacies of Li-ion power supplies, and done an awful lot of cleaning as this unit was probably one of the filthiest pieces of kit I think I’ve ever worked on.

A video, of me, videoing a video of me videoing

The camcorder is now a totally different looking camera from that which I received in such a sorry state just a few days back.

I’m going to use this camera myself for little items that I will be publishing here as well as on YouTube. It is so wonderful to see old unused and unloved items, repurposed and given a new lease of life.

Another one saved from landfill.

Thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.

Meshtastic

Ever heard of the Meshtastic decentralised off grid communication network? You have now. Dive in and get involved.

What’s that? I hear you say. Well, I’ve been trawling t’internet recently and one of the chaps I follow on YouTube, Gabe, has got me very interested in this particular mode of radio communication. Here’s a video of him explaining Mesh communications in his own charming and extremely enthusiastic way.

Meshtastic – as Gabe sees it

The good thing about Mesh networks are that no licence is required for use, this means the system is truly open to everyone. As a registered radio amateur this system is of interest to me in the spirit of experimentation, and that’s what’s good about this particular mode. Everyone can do it at a very reasonable cost. In the UK it’s been present for a few years now and has an active core of participants. However, usage is very patchy and still developing, and due to the short range and lack of other users to repeat messages, its general take up is going to take a while yet, or in usual fashion it may even be a mode that just dies out due to lack of involvement. It’s not a mass-market tool yet, but a growing niche interest, especially among amateur radio, DIY tech, and preparedness communities. However, that said, in areas with little or no cell phone coverage this could well be a lifesaver. Below is a little bit about Meshtastic.

What is Meshatastic?

Meshtastic is a free, open-source project that lets you create your own decentralized, off-grid communication network using LoRa (Long Range) low power radios. It’s designed to let people send short messages and share data without relying on mobile networks, Wi-Fi, or the Internet.

Open-source & community-driven: Anyone can contribute, modify the software, or build devices with the firmware.

LoRa technology: Uses low-power, long-range radio waves in unlicensed frequency bands (like 868 MHz in the UK/EU).

Mesh networking: Devices form a mesh by rebroadcasting messages. Each device acts as a node that can relay messages to extend coverage.

Meshtastic’s goal is to provide reliable communications when other infrastructure is absent or unreliable and to offer a flexible platform for hobbyists and practical users alike.

How it works

Networking: LoRa radios transmit small data packets over long distances with very low power. Each device forwards messages it receives to nearby devices, forming a mesh network that extends reach beyond single-hop radio range. The network is decentralized — no central tower or internet access is needed.

User interaction: Devices can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and use the Meshtastic app to send messages or view locations. Messaging is typically text-based (no voice or high-bandwidth data).

Why use it?

People adopt Meshtastic for many reasons, often tied to availability, resilience, and independence from traditional networks:

Outdoor activities: Hiking, camping, biking: Stay in touch where cell signals are weak or absent. Location sharing: Useful for groups and safety.

Emergency situations: Natural disaster backup, communications can continue even if cellular networks fail. Communities and some groups experiment with using Meshtastic as an alternative communication layer during outages.

Technology and DIY: Education and hobbyists use it to learn about radio, mesh networking, and embedded systems. Integrations with IoT sensors and other projects are possible.

Community and social projects: Enthusiasts set up community networks, share nodes, and even run local meetup groups.

What do you need to get started?

Basically, Amazon, EBay, and the Chinese suppliers such as Ali express have all you need. Needless to say the Chinese options are far less expensive if you are willing to await delivery. Just type “Meshtastic kit” into your browser to view your options.

As I’m in the Uk I can give some prices for the most basic setups within my country. To be honest, all that is needed is a Meshtastic main board of which there are a few to choose from, a power source and a mobile phone to do the setup. Something like this below.

From Amazon in the uk I can get this board, for £18:99GBP and that’s all I need to get started.

Add to that a small battery and you can probably power this unit for between 24hrs or even a week, dependant obviously on the battery capacity and how you have the system set up. A battery in the uk on Amazon would cost around £6-£10 GBP. You can buy enclosures to make the unit “pretty” or you can even 3D print your own. I think I will print mine when I finally have my printer up and working.

On the Chinese platforms these items can be purchased at a greatly reduced price, the main board can be purchased for around £3:00GBP, you can even purchase two entire units for less than the one that you get from Amazon. It really pays to shop around.

I’m shortly going to dive into setting up a Meshtastic node, I’m even going to set up an APRS one under my radio licence conditions, but that will be another post.

So hopefully this post may introduce others to an off grid communication mode that may well assist those in remote areas or with extremely limited cell phone coverage. As soon as I’m ready to build and place my node I will write a post regarding its build, programming and eventual usage. It is all very simple technology and worth having a read about on the Meshtastic website : Meshtastic introduction

Text you soon!

TinyGS: The Open Satellite Network Anyone Can Join

It’s easy to get involved with low cost satellite tracking. Here’s a repost of a recent article about TinyGS

TinyGS is one of the most exciting grassroots radio‑space projects to emerge in recent years. Built around inexpensive ESP32‑based LoRa boards, it …
TinyGS: The Open Satellite Network Anyone Can Join

Canon power winder “A”

A very corroded Canon power winder “A” from the 70s

This is what it looks like externally, looks fine, but as this post goes on, you will notice a very marked deterioration in quality. It’s a horror story of battery acid contamination.

This unit is part of a bundle that was donated to me by my good friend Jon, see here: Cameras…i need more!

It was part of a Canon AE1 combo, the Camera i have previously posted about here: Canon AE1 35mm SLR, however the batteries within it had been left for such a long time that they had started to dissolve into the unit, leaving quite a restoration project behind. Here’s some history about this unit:

The Canon Power Winder A was originally introduced with the Canon AE-1 camera in 1975 but it also can be used with all the A series models (in fact, it is applicable to use the Winder A with the professional class Canon F-1(n) system SLR camera but without power rewind feature). It is an automatic film winder which greatly increases the automation and mobility of these manual focus cameras. Its exceptional versatility, due to its compact design provided by the principal control circuit built into the electronic circuitry with most of the electronic models such as AE-1, A-1 or AE-1 Program etc, and allows it to be attached to any models mentioned earlier and provides for its use without any special adjustments.

Winding Speed: Approximately 0.5 seconds.
Operation: When the shutter button on the AE-1 is pressed, the winder will function.
Shutter Speed Coupling Range: 1/50 to 1/1000 second for continuous photography. “B”, or 2 to 1/1000 second for single frame photography. (When the winder is set at “B”, AE photography cannot be performed).
Film Counting: Is performed by the frame counter on the AE-1.
Automatic Cut off Circuit: When the film roll is completely wound up or if the batteries should run out, the winder will automatically stop and the warning lamp (LED) will light up.
Power Source: Use 4 size AA batteries. (In normal temperatures they can take more than twenty rolls of 36-exposure film).
Attachment: Take off the winder coupler cover on the bottom of the camera, and mount the power winder using the tripod socket.
Size: 141 x 42 x 34mm (5-9/16″ x 1-5/8″ x 1-5/16″)
Weight: 3009 (including batteries) (10.9/16 ozs.)

Mir.com

I already have one of these winders on my A1 that I am currently repairing, however that’s away in storage at the moment until I get get my workspace back up and running when we eventually move home.

Im aware that these winders can take a max of two exposures per second if the lighting and conditions are right, meaning you could crack out a 36 exposure roll of film in under 20 seconds! They don’t do auto rewind either, you still have to do it manually, it would be a couple of years yet before that option became available. The red light on the case indicates one of two things, the battery is low, or the end of the roll has been reached, time to rewind!

They are quite reasonably priced if I wanted to buy one, but why would I do that? The purpose of this site is to repair and recycle, so that’s what I will attempt to do. It will be quite a task with this one I think.