There are speakers used in toys, same size is a 25 cent item here.
My younger boy had a toy gun with a multi tune chip, every time you pressed the switch, it would cycle to the next tune, about twenty of them.
Annoying thing.
I had to replace the 25 mm speaker on it twice, I think I still have spares from 20 years ago, they were like 10 Rupees - 12 cents - at that time...
They are still sold here, 12 on a card, they do give you single if you want.
Got the bearings replaced on a ceiling fan, another needs a capacitor, running slow. Third needs a hook rubber thing change...minor stuff.
LED light supply failed, new adapter with a 3V transformer purchased and installed.
I got some driver on board LED lamp circuits here, 9W, only 10 Rupees, good for servicing LED bulbs, the new ones are now down to 59 Rupees, about 75 cents at the supermarkets...
They are small aluminum backed boards, attach to board, give mains supply....that is it...
My younger boy had a toy gun with a multi tune chip, every time you pressed the switch, it would cycle to the next tune, about twenty of them.
Annoying thing.
I had to replace the 25 mm speaker on it twice, I think I still have spares from 20 years ago, they were like 10 Rupees - 12 cents - at that time...
They are still sold here, 12 on a card, they do give you single if you want.
Got the bearings replaced on a ceiling fan, another needs a capacitor, running slow. Third needs a hook rubber thing change...minor stuff.
LED light supply failed, new adapter with a 3V transformer purchased and installed.
I got some driver on board LED lamp circuits here, 9W, only 10 Rupees, good for servicing LED bulbs, the new ones are now down to 59 Rupees, about 75 cents at the supermarkets...
They are small aluminum backed boards, attach to board, give mains supply....that is it...
Here in the PNW, a leaf vacuum is a must own lawn care appliance. Given that it rains so frequently, days where that's not happening get prioritized for outdoor cleanup.
I bought an "iWork" vacuum about 10 years ago at a yard sale. It's been a stellar performer motor and impeller wise. For some reason, the designer thought it would be good to key the bag attach, to ensure someone not paying attention cant put the bag on backward. One little plastic "nib" in the output tube was made smaller, which sheared off in time. I ran it a couple few years that way. This time however, the bag started popping off as it got heavy with leaves.
So I put in a hex screw - probably removed from some speaker I'd picked up - where I ground its head, cut its length so as not to snag the debris flying past into the bag. Now the bag attach is a bit more solid. That's what I last repaired! My wife said she wouldnt have been able to fix it.
The Crasftsman is my "backup" unit. I'll run the iWork until dead, then resume with the Craftsman. Been 10 years of service, from a used unit, who knows?..
I bought an "iWork" vacuum about 10 years ago at a yard sale. It's been a stellar performer motor and impeller wise. For some reason, the designer thought it would be good to key the bag attach, to ensure someone not paying attention cant put the bag on backward. One little plastic "nib" in the output tube was made smaller, which sheared off in time. I ran it a couple few years that way. This time however, the bag started popping off as it got heavy with leaves.
So I put in a hex screw - probably removed from some speaker I'd picked up - where I ground its head, cut its length so as not to snag the debris flying past into the bag. Now the bag attach is a bit more solid. That's what I last repaired! My wife said she wouldnt have been able to fix it.
The Crasftsman is my "backup" unit. I'll run the iWork until dead, then resume with the Craftsman. Been 10 years of service, from a used unit, who knows?..
Not really a repair, but picked up a Pioneer SX650 a couple weeks ago and everything worked, the pots are quiet and the full to-do list boiled down to back lights and new veneer. Off the auto parts shelf 194N bulbs are in and look good to me... veneer is next. Caps in the PS remain a maybe
That's mildly worn. 🤐 Inside the boom, the boss for the bushing was cracked, had to arc-air the crack out, grind and pour in a metric crap ton of weld, making it mostly round before mounting the line boring equipment. Bore it round, mount the semi-automatic bore welder, weld 3 passes, then machine to finished size for the bushing.
The worst one I've had to do in the last few years was a 5" bore that was worn into a 7" long slot. In the mining world, they don't take equipment down unless it's absolutely necessary, all of the workers and management get paid production bonuses, so if it can somewhat go to work, it's going to work.
Changed battery and display on an old mobile phone, now ready for another few years of service. patting myself on the head
Thermostat on oven, $4 or so.
Oven is from 1985-87, this is the fourth thermostat, previous one lasted 20 odd years, then failed stuck in on position, contacts closed..
So got the same brand again, it is much better than the second one, which lasted a couple of years.
Oven is from 1985-87, this is the fourth thermostat, previous one lasted 20 odd years, then failed stuck in on position, contacts closed..
So got the same brand again, it is much better than the second one, which lasted a couple of years.
Just performed my first speaker surround replacement on some cheapy Denon speakers I was given. Thought it would be good for a learning experience. It was a success, although I did leave some glue fingerprints on the cone. These are destined for the outdoors aiming at the pool where I don't want to use valuable speakers. The surrounds were cheap from a Chinese seller on eBay and are really good quality. Bargain!
Repaired the automatic trans shifter interlock on my daughter's car. It intermittently would not disengage when the brake pedal was pressed (the brake pedal operates a switch that tells one of the Canbus 'body computers' to disengage the shifter lockout). The solenoid on the shifter had continuity of its coil, but when the brake pedal was pressed there was only 4v at the solenoid. This went to 12 without the load of the coil, so something was limiting current. I checked everything I could; wiring, connectors, fuses, earths. No joy.
I read that this problem can be caused by one of the three 'non-engine' ECU's on this car, which can get very expensive. So I fitted a relay taking power straight from the cig lighter circuit in the hope that the solenoid circuit had enough grunt to click the relay over (and this could drive the solenoid), with the relay having a smaller coil. It did, for a few cycles, but as the battery voltage dropped from testing it became intermittent.
I figured that I needed a relay that triggers at a lower voltage but can still handle 14.4v, so took the casing off and stretched the return spring a small amount. Success! The relay clicks over every time now. And so, the interlock solenoid. Phew! Hopefully it will last, although I suspect the relevant ECU could just fail to provide a signal at all given that it has ben a progressive issue.
Daughter is a uni student so this was a big win dollar wise.
I read that this problem can be caused by one of the three 'non-engine' ECU's on this car, which can get very expensive. So I fitted a relay taking power straight from the cig lighter circuit in the hope that the solenoid circuit had enough grunt to click the relay over (and this could drive the solenoid), with the relay having a smaller coil. It did, for a few cycles, but as the battery voltage dropped from testing it became intermittent.
I figured that I needed a relay that triggers at a lower voltage but can still handle 14.4v, so took the casing off and stretched the return spring a small amount. Success! The relay clicks over every time now. And so, the interlock solenoid. Phew! Hopefully it will last, although I suspect the relevant ECU could just fail to provide a signal at all given that it has ben a progressive issue.
Daughter is a uni student so this was a big win dollar wise.
A proximity switch may have been a more reliable and durable option.
Most are 5-32V, two supply wires, NO / NC to choice, NPN and PNP have +ve and -ve signals respectively when switch is on.
So 12V from lighter supply, and swutch output to Canbus.
No wear parts or worse, intermittent contacts.
And $4 and up here, in a mind boggling variety of sizes and shapes.
Make and model of car, please...
Hall Effect sensor may be a choice, but this is easier, as the current will be less than 100 mA, so a magnetic sensor will work.
On my automatic water pump controller, the magnetic float switch failed, I drilled it out and changed the tiny reed relay inside, packed again with epoxy, lasted 10 years, the reed relay was much cheaper than the float switch.
Most are 5-32V, two supply wires, NO / NC to choice, NPN and PNP have +ve and -ve signals respectively when switch is on.
So 12V from lighter supply, and swutch output to Canbus.
No wear parts or worse, intermittent contacts.
And $4 and up here, in a mind boggling variety of sizes and shapes.
Make and model of car, please...
Hall Effect sensor may be a choice, but this is easier, as the current will be less than 100 mA, so a magnetic sensor will work.
On my automatic water pump controller, the magnetic float switch failed, I drilled it out and changed the tiny reed relay inside, packed again with epoxy, lasted 10 years, the reed relay was much cheaper than the float switch.
THE 240VAC SUPPLY TO MY AUDIO/VIDEO EQUIPMENT >
I live in a rather old house and hence the wiring is rather old to. My living room has only 2 power point outlets. One of these is used for my full A/V system.
Although the power-board I have been using has 'suppression' & 'trip switch', my also old fridge has been creating compressor kick-in 'SPIKES'
that triggered the protection of my TCL television causing momentary vision loss but also a nasty loud audio 'spack/spike' through my audio amp.
In Vic. Australia we have 'Hard-Rubish' collections. Recently I grabbed a couple of thrown-away high power microwave ovens to salvage parts.
Apart from the power transformers (for future investigation) there were excellent little circuit boards that connect to 'full time' 240V connection.
These circuit boards (including a 10amp fuse) contain a dual-core choke > Active & Neutral + capacitors, to stop TX Back-EMF from going to 240V mains.
SO, I connected this wonderful little circuit IN REVERSE > supplying the power-board and now ALL PROBLEMS ARE NOW GONE !!
I live in a rather old house and hence the wiring is rather old to. My living room has only 2 power point outlets. One of these is used for my full A/V system.
Although the power-board I have been using has 'suppression' & 'trip switch', my also old fridge has been creating compressor kick-in 'SPIKES'
that triggered the protection of my TCL television causing momentary vision loss but also a nasty loud audio 'spack/spike' through my audio amp.
In Vic. Australia we have 'Hard-Rubish' collections. Recently I grabbed a couple of thrown-away high power microwave ovens to salvage parts.
Apart from the power transformers (for future investigation) there were excellent little circuit boards that connect to 'full time' 240V connection.
These circuit boards (including a 10amp fuse) contain a dual-core choke > Active & Neutral + capacitors, to stop TX Back-EMF from going to 240V mains.
SO, I connected this wonderful little circuit IN REVERSE > supplying the power-board and now ALL PROBLEMS ARE NOW GONE !!
Last edited:
Brilliant! Sounds like something I would have done. I like "repurposing" existing circuitry builds like that, versus them going back to the Earth immediately.
With two identical units, you could make an isolation transformer. But watch those 2kV outputs wiring; I wouldnt even energize such an arrangement unless fully enclosed.
Unlikely, microwave oven transformers are sized so that they would melt down without the high airflow of the fan in the microwave. MOT's are actually less usuable than often assumed.
A microwave transformer can be used with the primary and secondary swapped. If the mains are connected to the high tension coil, the low tension coil will supply 26V ac. This applies to countries with a 230V ac mains. In this manner, the current flowing in the high tension coil will be very small because the inductance of the high tension coil is many times that of the low tension coil. Assuming that 2000V ac are produced by the high tension coil and a primary voltage of 230V ac, the magnetising current will be 8.7x8.7 = 75 times smaller than the primary current if the transformer is used to produce 2000V ac at its output.
The above is based on the relation: L = k.N^2, where L is the inductance of a coil with N turns and k is the constant of proportionality. In this way the transformer should be safe to use with an output voltage that is not dangerous and the losses in the coils and magnetic core should be lower compared to using the transformer to produce a high tension.
The above is based on the relation: L = k.N^2, where L is the inductance of a coil with N turns and k is the constant of proportionality. In this way the transformer should be safe to use with an output voltage that is not dangerous and the losses in the coils and magnetic core should be lower compared to using the transformer to produce a high tension.
Last edited: