This guy, Cathode Ray Dude [CRD], does some fun stuff. He’s on the web via HTTPS at gekk.info and HTTP at www.cathoderaydude.com.
Category Archives: Hardware
Life time supply of zip ties
I think I have roughly 500 zip ties in my drawer. Should take me a while to get through those! I have other ones, but these 150mm ones are my fav.
Switch rack
Unboxing #5: Unboxing of AliExpress TE-801 Third Hand With Magnifier | In The Lab With Jay Jay
This post is part of my video blog and you can find more information about this video on this show’s homepage which is here.
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In this video I unbox two “different” helping hands (AKA “third hand”) only to discover they are the same TE-801 model.
I purchased these separately on AliExpress:
- 3 Hand Soldering Iron Stand Welding Tool With Magnifying Glass Illuminated LED Alligator Clip Holder Clamp Helping Repair
- Desktop Soldering Holder Welding Equipment Auxiliary Tool Third Hand Helping Repair Tool Magnifier LED Lighting Soldering Stand
They are exactly the same product so if you’re planning to purchase might as well get the cheapest option. Note that the first link above also has a separate more expensive option which is actually a different product, I didn’t get one of those.
In addition to unboxing these third hands I also add some 4mm heat shrink to the alligator clips to take the bite out of the teeth.
Note: in this video I have the annoying habit of calling “heat shrink”, “shrink wrap”. The correct term is heat shrink, shrink wrap is a different type of thing.
In the video I use 4mm yellow heat shrink:
The hot air gun I use is a part of my Horusdy Soldering Station.
The batteries I use are Duracell AAA batteries.
My gloves are:
- 24Pieces/12 Pairs Work Gloves For PU Palm Coating Safety Protective Glove Nitrile Professional Safety Suppliers Color: PU1350NV -DMF; Size: S
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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!
ENGINEER PA-09 Crimping Tool notes |
Let’s go shopping!
UV light
Testing CMOS cell battery
I was watching Computers running very slow, long boot time, unresponsive in windows. Let’s fix it. and Richard said that if your CMOS battery reads less than 3V then you should replace it.
Bodge wire
Thanks to my mate Bruce from Branchus Creations and his wire size suggestions I got a bunch of bodge wire for doing PCB repairs, being 1KG Enameled Copper Winding Wire 0.05 0.06 0.1 0.13 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.5mm 0.65 1.0 1.4 1.3mm Cable Magnet Wire Winding Wire Coil red. I got:
- 0.07mm (back)
- 0.16mm (front left)
- 0.31mm (front right)
It would have been more convenient for me if the 0.07mm wire had have been on a smaller roll like the other two, but we can’t have everything. I’ve been thinking I might get some sort of wire rack, but I’m not sure where I would keep it.
I wasn’t sure exactly how I would go about cleaning enamel off the wire for soldering, so I asked ChatGPT, which gave me a number of options:
- Mechanical stripping
- Thermal stripping
- Chemical stripping
I think what I will actually try is just tinning the ends with my soldering iron and some fresh solder and see if that will burn off just a little bit of enamel on the tips, leaving me with a tinned wire I can easily solder into place.
JST PHD Connector Crimping
I found a good video that shows how to crimp a JST PHD connector: JST Connector Crimping. When crimping these JST connectors I use my ENGINEER PA-09 crimping tool. I use a 1.4mm crimp for the wire and a 1.9mm crimp for the insulation.
Organizing the lab
I’ve made arrangements to hang my Xbox Torx drivers (you need T10, T15, and T20 drivers, I got this HORUSDY 12-Piece Magnetic Torx Screwdrivers Set, S2 Steel T5 – T40 Torx Star Screwdrivers with Demagnetizer and Storage Pouch) on the side of my table:
I used 30mm nails but they’re not quite long enough, so I got some 40mm ones which I will upgrade to when they arrive.
Also I moved my old laptop off the music stand to make room for my bodge wire and Kapton tape dispenser:
Xbox DVD capacitors
Have been researching Xbox DVD capacitors.
