How to discharge a number of old LiPo batteries Most of these Lithium Polymer batteries were about 6 years old. I cut off the connectors I wanted to keep and then poked holes in them with the garden fork. There was a bit of smoking, a nasty sweet smell and […]
We have had a 5-foot fluorescent in the kitchen for many years. For the past few years it has been running a thin 35 watt echotube and adapter. The ends have been hot for years and the plastic tube holders are falling apart. This light is often left on for […]
The Story Back in December I bought a new 24V 5A switch-mode power supply from a seller on our local Trademe auction site for NZ$45 delivered. When it arrived I tested it and nothing, no output. The options were to send it back or fix it. The risk is that […]
A thought in progress I wonder if there has ever been a similar situation that compares to the current multi-rotor vs commercial aircraft perceived situation. A sub $1000 toy gadget readily available from a store shelf that could collide with a commercial aircraft taking off or landing. This is new […]
Why Cubieboard 2 – CB2 I’ve been running a mail server on a older AMD machine for several years. It sits there doing very little and sucking up 82 watts or power. The CB2 has a SATA port, there are distros based on Ubuntu 14.04 and the power draw with […]
While waiting for support yesterday, I had a great idea. New for 2015 – high capacity cordless phone for those hours spent on-hold waiting for your ISP, courier company or other service provider. A massive 7Ah of on-hold capacity and long-range enhanced antenna for short trips to pick up survival […]
What’s the plan I have a cabinet containing a few small servers, cable modem, router, switches etc. and the hub of a security DVR system. Externally, a couple of wifi APs and IP cameras running on a DIY POE. In total it consumes about 250 watts and was running off […]
Low voltage DC I want to power a ATX PC that runs 24/7 and draws about 100 watts from the mains power supply from a 24V DC battery supply. Being a battery supply, the voltage can vary from a low of 18V up to a high of 28V. The 24V […]