I’ve finally decided to pull my PinePhone Braveheart edition out of it’s box and plug it in. There’s a task for it; acting as an LTE hotspot through a USB tether for the network. That’ll plug into a tiny Atom based SFF computer running OpenWRT… but that’s a write-up for another day. On with fixing…
Wii U Screen Replacement on a Gamepad
Replacing a Wii U Screen on a Gamepad doesn’t have to be hard. While I was looking at the design I noticed that the digitizer attaches to a bezel instead of the LCD. Since the digitizer is attached to a removable bezel I took a look at how it attaches. As it turns out, it…
Qi Receiver Circuit Component Monday
Qi (pronounced “chee”) charging is a wireless standard using inductor coils to punt power over a limited distance. We’re taking a look at the Qi Receiver part of the system. Generally used in cell phones I’m examining them this Component Monday for a (very low power) battery charge circuit. I purchased in two different parts…
PartKeepr VM on Debian 9 “Stretch” for VirtualBox
PartKeepr, in case you haven’t used it, is a web-based inventory tracker. If you’ve got a small parts bin that needs looking after or a warehouse of assorted parts this PartKeepr VM is worth a look. This is similar to my ZoneMinder VM that’s due for an update. There are a dedicated group of volunteers…
Does PTFE Tubing Cause PLA Filament to Snap? How About Moisture? And What is Mechanical Stress?
We’re going to perform an experiment to see if PLA filament will break from sitting in PTFE tubing. And will moisture cause it to snap even in a dry environment? Plus explain what “mechanical stress” means in this context. Back when I recorded the “Why Does My Filament Keep Breaking?” (https://youtu.be/SvpSxHLotMI) video I made the…
The McSega: Teardown of McDonalds Sega Handheld Game
McDonalds and Sega teamed up in 2004 to produce a series of handheld LCD video game. Since they were weirdly past their prime we’re taking a trip down memory lane and tearing one apart. And repairing it! Back in the 80’s portable gaming started innovating with LCD screens. Previously LEDs had ruled the handhelds with…
3D Printer Repair – Replacing and Rewiring a Power Supply
Clean power for your 3D printer is a must-have item if you don’t want mystery problems cropping up. In todays segment on 3D printer repair I’m re-wiring this one of my printers and replacing the sketchy no-name power supply with a (better) quality Mean Well unit. There’s no part of a 3D printer that touches…
DIY Sanding Pad – Any Grit You Want
Are you sanding down 3D prints? Metal bar-stock or tubes? Wood? A DIY Sanding pad could make a great addition to your toolchest! When the surface you’re sanding is flat a hand sander or stick with sandpaper tacked in works just fine. But for situations where you’ll be working a rounded surface something more pliable…
Glowing with LED LightBulb Filament
LEDs are the lighting of choice for economy and conservation. But they don’t have to look like sets of glowing dots. I have some attractive LED filament elements on my workbench to share with you today. These faux lightbulb filaments are yellow silicone or rubber diffusers over the tiniest bar light you’ve ever seen. When…
SMD Spool Up for a Clean Workbench – DIY Solution
Spooling up loose SMD part tape for surface mount components makes sense. So you’re suffering under the weight of plastic bags filled with tiny parts on paper rolls? Read on for a slick SMD Spool solution for storing them. Suddenly realizing my workbench was too cluttered (in the Phrozen Sonic Mini review) I decided to…