The cheap Chinese quad/scooter wiring loom yields another treasure for our exploration. The starter solenoid. It's internal operation is different to what I was expecting. In hindsight I guess the way it works allows it to "bang" the contacts apart when turned off, to prevent them sticking. This is the bit that sometimes fails, making loud clicking noises when your car's starter motor is supposed to be turning over. A sharp blow with the handle of a large screwdriver can sometimes get you back in action temporarily. The coil is controlled from your start button/key and switches the high current required by the starter motor. The solenoid coil seemed OK on 6V (1.75A) and 12V (3A), but has a low duty cycle for thermal reasons, so is not suited for continuous operation. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9hVt9gMiN8

While it's commendable that Apple introduced style to humble things like USB chargers, it's not so commendable that the inevitable clones tried to jam all the required circuitry into a tiny plug and sell it for a pound/dollar/euro. This charger was bought from a high street store in Glasgow. An independent Asian pound shop (UK dollar store) that I actually like a lot, but this shouldn't really be on their shelves. Most high profile pound shops charge around £2 for a basic charger and they are generally OK. But even the bigger names like Pound World (Now called One Below) fell foul of selling dangerous chargers. Their current offering does look safer, but Poundland is still the king for better quality tech. I personally use an IKEA USB charger for all my tech. (Not a sponsor.) With a genuine Motorola charger for battery capacity tests. (Also not a sponsor.) I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't buy cheap power supplies. Only buy them from prominent brands with a reputation to protect. That includes ASDA and Walmart. A USB charger is an essential part of modern living, and plugging your £$€1000 smartphone/tablet into a £$€1 charger is basically a death wish for you and your tech. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. #ElectronicsCreators ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwEh4jsVew0

This was a lot of fun to reverse engineer. Mainly because it's very old-school inside. It's an automatic changeover switch for a backup generator supply. When power fails and the generator starts, the switch will automatically transfer over to the generator. When the power returns it will switch back over to the main supply. The issue with the relay being energised all the time and to make it generator-priority could be addressed by simply swapping the sides the main and generator power are attached to. That way the generator would take priority in the event of a power failure and not switch back until it was turned off, and the relay would only be energised when the generator was running. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=babtv00R-Nc

I've never really explored a ceramic tap/faucet insert before. The two faces felt sticky like plastic, but I'm not sure if that's an actual coating or if they are just machined so smooth that they adhere. This device is also "lockable", but not in a secure sense. It will definitely deter casual tampering, but is actually very easy to pick. Worth exploring. It's a very simple design. I think it's 1/2" BSP. Here's an eBay search link to find similar taps. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=lockable+garden+faucet&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15 Target price for similar taps/faucets is around $6. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnXIDkI8-fg