Category Archives: Hardware

Ferromagnetic Substance Detector | Project 13/20 | Maxitronix 20in1 | In The Lab With Jay Jay

Posted on by
Reply

This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video over here.

You can support this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/JohnElliotV

In this video we do the 13th project from the Maxitronix 20in1 (the Sensor Robot 20): Ferromagnetic Substance Detector.

In this project we use the reed switch to detect magnetic material. We use an astable multivibrator to generate a tone which sounds when magnetic material is detected.

We use the Riden RD6006 Bench Power Supply to provide 9V for our test circuit.

We use the UNI-T UTi260B Thermal Imager to inspect the circuit board during operation and see the transistors for the astable multivibrator dissipating the most heat.

We use the Rigol MSO5074 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope to inspect the 1.5 kHz square wave which generates the tone for the buzzer.

We use the Fluke 17B+ Digital Multimeter to investigate some currents and some voltages into the base of transistor Q5.

We use the METCAL PS-900 Soldering Station to tin some wire for the DuPont-female jumper.

We also use a breakout board to add a volume control to the buzzer and to substitute a LED for the buzzer.

I really enjoyed this project, I think it’s the best one so far!

Thanks very much for watching! And please remember to hit like and subscribe! :)




Following is a product I use picked at random from my collection which may appear in my videos. Clicking through on this to find and click on the green affiliate links before purchasing from eBay or AliExpress is a great way to support the channel at no cost to you. Thanks!

PowerShield Defender 1600 UPSThis is an image of the product.

Let’s go shopping!

Unboxing #20: METCAL PS-900 Soldering Station | Learning Electronics In The Lab With Jay Jay

Posted on by
Reply

This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video over here.

You can support this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/JohnElliotV

In this video I unbox my new METCAL PS-900 Soldering Station which I ordered recently from element14.

I keep my notes about this equipment on my person wiki, over here: METCAL PS-900 Soldering Station.

Before I purchased this equipment I made some notes about my research and decisions and element14 had the best price by far.

As I mention in the video my new PS-900 soldering station uses the METCAL SmartHeat technology. You can read more about SmartHeat over here:

Per the above links the Metcal SmartHeat technology is available in various solutions:

The PS Series (which I got) is the entry level system. You can spend much more than I did!

I found this document Metcal – Tip Temperature Guide which describes the various tip options (Metcal calls the tips “cartridges”) along with their temperature specifications.

As promised the link for my electric scissors is here: Jackcat Electric Scissors.

Thanks very much for watching! And please remember to hit like and subscribe! :)

Following is a product I use picked at random from my collection which may appear in my videos. Clicking through on this to find and click on the green affiliate links before purchasing from eBay or AliExpress is a great way to support the channel at no cost to you. Thanks!

gku AC1009 Underdesk Keyboard DrawerThis is an image of the product.notes

Let’s go shopping!

Mail Call #16: METCAL PS-900; Peak Atlas DCA75 Pro, LCR45, ESR70; ESP32; Pi Zero, Pico; and More!

Posted on by
Reply

This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video over here.

You can support this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/JohnElliotV

In this video I receive the following equipment in the mail:

As I mentioned the open-source architecture books are available free online: The Architecture of Open Source Applications.

Thanks very much for watching! And please remember to hit like and subscribe! :)

Following is a product I use picked at random from my collection which may appear in my videos. Clicking through on this to find and click on the green affiliate links before purchasing from eBay or AliExpress is a great way to support the channel at no cost to you. Thanks!

Aussishop CalipersThis is an image of the product.notes

Let’s go shopping!

Electronics Project #10: TJ-56-428 4-Digit Digital DIY Clock | In The Lab With Jay Jay

Posted on by
Reply

This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video over here.

You can support this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/JohnElliotV

Silly Job Title: Switch Sleuth

Happy New Year!

In this video, my first video for 2025, I construct a 4-digit digital clock I recently purchased from AliExpress: TJ-56-428 4-Digit Digital DIY Clock Kits with Acrylic Shell, DIY Alarm Clock Soldering Practice Kit for Learning Electronics.

I thought it might be nice to kick off the new year with an actual electronics project, as that is what this channel is supposed to be mostly about!

I translated the instructions from Chinese to English, and those are here: TJ-56-428. These include instructions for use of the complete and fully assembled clock.

This was a great chance to try out my new METCAL PS-900 Soldering Station and I am pleased to report that I am very happy with my new soldering iron! It is a pleasure to use.

The heart of this circuit is the STC15W404AS which is a microcontroller! It has been pre-programmed with the clock functionality, there was no software or source code that shipped with the kit.

Update: my mate @sadata777 pointed out that there was a protective coating on the acrylic and I remove that in this video: https://youtu.be/y9btakLOCHc

Update: my mate Joe pointed out that I had the case on back-to-front which you can see me fix here: https://youtu.be/IyJ3IHgRfiw

Thanks very much for watching! And please remember to hit like and subscribe! :)

Following is a product I use picked at random from my collection which may appear in my videos. Clicking through on this to find and click on the green affiliate links before purchasing from eBay or AliExpress is a great way to support the channel at no cost to you. Thanks!

Yum Cha IC Chip Pickup ToolThis is an image of the product.

Let’s go shopping!

Old Book Teardown #11: Interactive Television (1995) | Learning Electronics In The Lab With Jay Jay

Posted on by
Reply

This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video over here.

You can support this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/JohnElliotV

Silly Job Title: Outlet Overlord

In this video I take a look at Interactive Television: A Comprehensive Guide for Multimedia Technologists by Winston William Hodge published in 1995.

Thanks very much for watching! And please remember to hit like and subscribe! :)

Following is a product I use picked at random from my collection which may appear in my videos. Clicking through on this to find and click on the green affiliate links before purchasing from eBay or AliExpress is a great way to support the channel at no cost to you. Thanks!

3ELIGHTING 14″-27″ With 2 Arms VESA Wall MountThis is an image of the product.

Let’s go shopping!

Magnetism Detector | Project 12/20 | Maxitronix 20in1 | Learning Electronics In The Lab With Jay Jay

Posted on by
Reply

This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video over here.

You can support this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/JohnElliotV

In this video I do the 12th project from the Maxitronix 20in1 (the Sensor Robot 20): Magnetism Detector.

In this project we control a BJT transistor with a magnetic reed switch.

We use the thermal camera to observe heat in the transistors and LEDs during operation.

This is a plain DC circuit with no signals so there was no call for measuring anything with the oscilloscope.

I got myself a little confused about normally open and normally closed circuits during the video, but I think I was clear enough about that in the end.

Thanks very much for watching! And please remember to hit like and subscribe! :)




Following is a product I use picked at random from my collection which may appear in my videos. Clicking through on this to find and click on the green affiliate links before purchasing from eBay or AliExpress is a great way to support the channel at no cost to you. Thanks!

Yutiars Round Paint BrushesThis is an image of the product.notes

Let’s go shopping!

Equipment from Peak Electronic Design

Posted on by
Reply

The British company Peak Electronic Design has a wonderful range of Test Instruments.

Today I purchased these ones:

Still on my wish list is this one:

The reason for this particular splurge is that after I purchased my METCAL PS-900 Soldering Station element14 sent me an email with a coupon for 15% off. Since these Peak Atlas devices were on my wish list I figured I might as well get them while I can get 15% off.