Questions tagged [diy]
Do It Yourself. Build, modify, repair something without the aid of trained professionals.
363 questions
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What went wrong with my DIY project?
I have been teaching my son the basics of electronics by taking apart his old toys. We got to the level where we can fix things and put them back together. Last weekend we spent several hours putting ...
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1
answer
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Understanding Power/Current/Voltage drawn by LED Strips
I am trying to create a LED lamp which will be powered up by a battery. Lets assume I want it to run the lamp for 1hr. My LED Strips operate at 12V with 19.2W/M. I am using around 1.7 Meters(198 LEDs) ...
3
votes
0
answers
257
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RF signal Multiplier or Chopper
I'm trying to design a circuit that "multiplies" two signals.
I have an electrical unit with two separate circuits. One circuit drives the other one with a square signal. The width of the square ...
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2
votes
1
answer
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PCB electroplating then etching
How can I protect the through holes copper which is electroplated from being etched away by the ferric chloride? Is there a resistive solution or it`s just the conductive ink.
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1
answer
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Choosing LED brightness
I am planning to build an electronic fencing scoring apparatus for training purposes in our club (so no FIE certification required, it's a pure hobby project).
For hit indication, I want to use a ...
0
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1
answer
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Whats the simplest heating surface for a DIY project
I'm trying to make a very small (3x3 cm or less) cup or surface that will heat to around 200C. The surface needs to be dry and I only care about heating the surface and not any particular volume of ...
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0
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0
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IR Proximity Sensor Not Responding
I'm trying to build an IR proximity sensor using a simple tutorial found online. Here is the schematic
and here is the link of the tutorial : https://www.instructables.com/id/IR-Proximity-Sensor-1/
...
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9
answers
5k
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Cheap and safe way to dim 100+ 60W Incandescent bulbs
For my wedding reception, we are building ~25 lighting fixtures with 4 bulbs each (fixture per table for dinner). For aesthetic and budget reasons, these are 60w "Edison-style" bulbs which we want to ...
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2
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Correct solar panels to pick for drone-mod
After this, I think I will take a course on electrical engineering (fuzzy from school days).
I'm trying to add some flexible panels (they were <14g a panel)) to my drone (HS120D), to possibly give ...
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12
votes
2
answers
2k
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Why doesn't this DIY high-speed probe reflect signals?
I am reading The Art of Electronics, page 809 and 810, where they show this probe:
Figure 12.32. Probing digital signals: […] Simple 20× passive “probe” for 50 Ω ’scope input: 953 Ω series resistor ...
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3
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Running a brushless DC motor on low rpm using servo tester
Background
I'm working on a gift for the wife for Christmas - an electric bobbin winder (a winding machine/spooling machine) - which will work in the same way as this machine:
It winds yarn on ...
2
votes
1
answer
154
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How did static charge ruin my control board?
We have a Thermia geothermal heat pump that was working fine up until we had a particularly bad thunderstorm. Lightning took out the power for a while and burned up a DSL modem, a router, and a IP ...
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0
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DIY high fidelity audio using delta sigma adc
This question may be too general, but I will include all the details that I can. My end goal is to achieve a super high-resolution spectrogram of any recording I choose to make. By doing some tests I ...
4
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5
answers
3k
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DIY generator. Simple and small
I have read many posts on this site and everyone seems very competent, so here I am... very new to this. I'm trying to learn how to convert a motor into a generator. I'm just getting a bit overwhelmed ...
1
vote
1
answer
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SMD transistor die vs DIP transistor die [closed]
Is the die of SMD transistors different from die of DIP transistors with a unique part number?
Is the power transmission of a transistor dependent on its package type or chip type ?
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0
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12VDC Switching to 17VDC high amerage
It's been years since my undergrad work as an EE. I am a physicist and medical researcher now, but, as a startup, we all take on anything we can.
Let's face it... 12VDC high current PSU's are cheap. ...
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0
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1
answer
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What happens if you only energize one pole in a 2-pole 240 V circuit?
I have an Intermatic pool timer box that has two 120 V poles. The LINE has two pins (Pin 1 = L1, Pin 3 = L2), and the LOAD side has two pins (Pin 2 = Load 1, Pin 4 = Load 2). Currently, I have ...
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1
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How to measure the output impedance of a valve preamp?
I was trying to measure the output impedance of a DIY preamp for the past couple of days without any luck. Each time, I got to the same result of around 3K3 ohm, which is unbelievably low.
This is ...
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0
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1
answer
404
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Correct type of wire for simple DIY projects involving soldering [closed]
I am making my own bluetooth speaker which will require me soldering wire to PCBs etc. However, I am unsure of which type of wire to buy for the project. I understand that positive and negative wiring ...
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1
answer
3k
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Identify these components for bluetooth speaker [closed]
I am wanting to make my own DIY bluetooth speaker (first time electronics project) and I have found several good Youtube videos on the topic. However when it comes to finding the actual parts, I am ...
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1
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Converting a wireless mouse into a wired mouse [closed]
I saw this question in one of the electronics sites, and many answered him that converting wireless mouse will damage the PC's USB ports .
The question on those websites was:
I am trying to convert a ...
user202574
0
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1
answer
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How to buy electronic components for little projects? [closed]
I have some projects in mind, some of them under development, and I want to design PCBs for them with little SMD components. So I have been choosing some of the ones I need in websites like Digikey or ...
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1
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106
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FR 5311M Programmable servo? [closed]
I bought this odd servo motor called the FR 5311M from FeeTech, which is advertised as a programmable servo motor which can switch from position to continuous rotation by flashing it with FeeTech's FR ...
12
votes
6
answers
21k
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How to get 20 V from a USB-C charger?
I want to power my DIY stuff with a MacBook Pro USB C charger. The label on a charger says that it can provide three different power profiles:
20.2V - 4.3A
9V - 3A
5.2V - 2.4A
There is a ton of ...
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4
answers
5k
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DIY 5V power supply from phone charger
I want to power 25 Adafruit NeoPixel LEDs. According to the specifications they draw a maximum of 60mA at 5V each. In total that would be 1,5A at 5V.
I would like to use a 2A USB phone charger as a ...
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votes
6
answers
8k
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Techniques for building 'Bed of Nails' testing board
When testing a complete circuit board a 'Bed of Nails' can significantly reduce time and errors.
What are some techniques for making a DIY Bed of Nails?
...
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1
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2D DIY capacitive panel
I'm planning on replacing lights with smart bulbs (e.g. Yeelight RGBW) and replacing light switches with capacitive panels connected to Arduinos which will send data to RPi, which will then control ...
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2
answers
2k
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Replicate PCB design on stripboard
I'm thinking about making a DIY project (this one).
I'm a complete n00b, I just have some theoretical knowledge about electronics from some university courses, and I'd like to learn some more. I was ...
0
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2
answers
733
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Getting circuit input on a computer
(Modified repost from stackoverflow since it might be more suited to this site)
I wanted to try building an arcade stick starting as simple as possible(ICs and basic electronic components as opposed ...
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1
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DIY battery from scratch. Is it possible? [closed]
Batteries are expensive. I want to be able to store about 30 kW worth, but even the cheapest kinds of batteries, like Lead-acid, or Salt Water batteries are too much. I've looked into reviving dead ...
1
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4
answers
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Is there any formula to get number of windings for a 50W voice coil of a speaker?
Is there any formula to calculate number of windings to get a 50 Watts voice coil of a speaker?
let's say, I want to wind a 20mm diameter voice coil for a speaker. And my coil is made out of copper ...
1
vote
2
answers
4k
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How to Make DB9 F/F serial RS232 mini gender changer?
I want to connect My "USB to RS232(Male end)" to my NanoVolt Meter having RS232 male port. To make both communicate i need to make DB9 F/F serial RS232 mini gender changer. Any Circuit or suggestion ...
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1
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12k
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series charging three 18650 batteries with three chargers off the same 5V supply [duplicate]
being from a CS background I am a complete noob at this. I'll keep this short. I have a couple of 18650 batteries that i salvaged from an old laptop battery. I want to make a balanced 3S charger with ...
-1
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1
answer
250
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DIY TDA2822N computer microphone
I am using the following circuit to make a computer microphone.
The "speaker" component is the computer's microphone input. The problem with this circuit is that somehow I can hear capacitors ...
1
vote
1
answer
2k
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Meanwell vs generic power supply [closed]
I am currently planning out a custom 3D printer build which will run on a 24V 600W power supply. I have specked out for a $90 MeanWell supply from eBay, but I've noticed similar generic power for ...
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0
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1
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251
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Building homemade low inductance capacitor
i am trying to build a low inductance capacitor. I could just buy a doorknob capacitor but i don't wanna pay that much. So i know that you need a dielectric, i am using overhead transparency sheets. ...
1
vote
1
answer
847
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Which end is host in a USB-C to USB-C charging/power cable?
I have two different kinds of DIY USB-C connectors...one kind that is rigged to be a "host" USB-C connector (pulled-up with a 56k resistor per spec), and the other is rigged to be a "device" USB-C ...
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1
vote
1
answer
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Flashing light circuit
Problem:
I have built a wooden model of a lighthouse. I want to make the light in the house flash.
I am can use a soldering iron. I have no circuit experience.
Question:
How can I build a simple ...
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1
vote
1
answer
418
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Hard drive won't power on, is this the reason why? [closed]
I have a somewhat old, but functional (used to be, actually) hard drive, model Samsung HD103SJ, which I use for backup purposes. This means this is not a fixed unit.
Since a few weeks ago when I ...
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1
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Creating a linear actuator
so I am working on a project that involves opening and closing a two piece chamber made of rubber. I have to get a good seal on the chamber so no gases can pass through between the rubber pieces and ...
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1
vote
0
answers
308
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3.5 male to IR Transmitter - Receiver [amplified] back to 3.5 female
Trying to recreate a DIY headphone with IR transmitter and receiver
I already searched this is what I have found so far:
1.- http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Infrared-transmitter-for-iPhone-iPod/ [...
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3
votes
1
answer
897
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What causes failure in longer USB cables?
I wired up some USB-C 2.0 to USB-A 2.0 cables, and tested the maximum length I could get out of them when connecting a PC (host, USB-A) to an external hard drive (device, USB-C). I got stable power ...
- 273
0
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2
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1k
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Microphone PCB Questions [closed]
I've been working on a project to build a microphone in DIY after finishing my audio engineering internship, but it seems like my knowledge in electronic isn't good enough to fully understand what i'm ...
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2
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2
answers
12k
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Problems trying to wire a USB-C cable
I have been trying to figure out how to custom wire a USB-C to USB-A cable for a while, with no luck.I have tried some different connectors, but wanted to get some outside ideas on what I might be ...
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3
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What are an amateur's options to put a high-end IC on a board? [closed]
I'm actually an experimental physicist who does software-development for a living. So my knowledge basically stops at writing micro-controller programs and putting them on a breadboard, and hooking ...
0
votes
2
answers
1k
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Female mono jack connector 6.3mm
I'm building a DIY pedal effect for my electric guitar and I have to connect the input and output jack connector, but I don't know how to do it. The connectors have 3 pins, one is the tip which it is ...
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1
answer
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Powering 4 12V 0.45Amp fans off USB?
This question actually has a few parts.
Basically I have 4 12V 0.45 A computer fans,which I want to use in a DIY cooling pad project I'm currently working on. I know that as per the standard USB 2.0 ...
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0
votes
1
answer
2k
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Analog current and voltage adjustable power supply design
I saw this circuit on some recommended YouTube channel and I thought it would be a good start to building a custom PSU, learning some stuff along the way. I would like to keep the circuit analog for ...
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1
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45k
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Diy 18650 4s battery pack [How to charge, how to build?]
I'm building a bluetooth portable speaker.
However, I have some questions about building my first 18650 battery pack.
I have 4 pcs of Panasonic unprotected NCR18650B 18650 3.7V 3400mAh.
My goal is to ...
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votes
1
answer
4k
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DIY a j-link debugger
I want to replicate THIS jlink debugger according to my own needs. But I can't find it's schematics and firmware anywhere.
Is illegal to replicate it or distribute it's source? If no, then where can'...
