Make a solar cell from a condom with this video tutorial. Solar energy is plentiful and better for the environment, so why not take an easily accessible commodity (like a condom), and use it to harvest the power of the sun. To replicate this hack at home, you'll need the following materials: 12 iron hairpins, 2 pennies (pressed before 1982), 2 electrical wires, 1 sheet of aluminum, 2 strong magnets, a condom, and mineral water. For more on making your own condom-based solar cell, watch this h...
In this video you are shown how to fix garbage disposal jams. Jams or electrical surges in your garbage disposal may make it appear that it is no longer working which is in fact not the case. Many people buy whole new units when that is unnecessary. If your garbage disposal jams, you can take a jam buster, which is basically an Allen wrench, and insert it into the small hole in the center of the bottom of your disposal. Twist until the jam, or whatever is obstructing your disposal, is broken....
This how to video shows you how to test electrical receptacles. The video covers 5 simple test rules. The first test is to simply attach an electrical device to the socket. The video also suggests the use of market product testers and even voltage testers. This video is perfect for people who are having electrical problems or are just beginning to learn how to take care and maintain their own home. The video is about a minuet and a half long.
This is a guided hands-on laboratory activity to help a student understand the proper and safe use of a multimeter to measure electrical resistance. These two video guides the student through the proper techniques for measuring resistance with a multimeter, but you'll need some assorted resistors, a rectifying diode, a photo cell, an electronic labs kit, and some other stuff.
This video details how to set up a generator to provide back-up power for a home or business. Generators are the ideal emergency power solution for a home or business, generators can automatically transfer the power load from the utility power line to the generator when an outage occurs. To make sure the generator is always ready, generators can self run weekly and perform self diagnostics so maintenance issues are minimized or eliminated. When planning to use a portable generator, it should ...
Electrical sockets are often taken for granted. It's not until one of them breaks or stops working and our laptops won't turn on that we truly have a crisis (mostly over lost internet time).
This video is about electrical wires. It describes common types, configurations of wire, and wire terminology. It explain the gauge system of rating wire size (diameter), circular mils, current capacity, and others.
Electical discharge machining is a techinque in which electricity is used to machine (cut, grind, etc.) metal. It usually invovles sophisticated tools and equipment, but not here! Watch this video for a guide to making a small electrical discharge machining machine with an old electric doorbell.
This video teaches the basics of Ohm's law, which is an important equation in electrical engineering. The three variables which are used in this equation are V, which stands for voltage, I for current, and R for resistance. The equation for the law itself is I=V/R. This law defines the relationship between these three very important electrical properties. The host of the video further explains what voltage, current, and resistance are and how they work in relation to an electrical current. Gi...
Systm is the Do-It-Yourself show designed for the common geek who wants to quickly and easily learn how to dive into the latest and hottest tech projects. They will help you avoid pitfalls and get your project up and running fast. In this DIY episode, see how to safely wire an amplifier or power plug in your car.
If you're at the point where you need to start ballasting your model railroad track, then you might want to check out this video tutorial on wiring. Learn how to wire your model railroad track.
Your car is a well-oiled machine...when you first get it. Once the new car smell wears off and the excitement of driving the latest and greatest model lessens, car maintenance becomes a chore and some of us even forget to do it regularly.
The alternator on your car is arguably the most important part of the electrical system, and if they break even a little weird things can start happening all over your car. Watch this video to learn how to check an alternator and make sure it's working properly.
If for any reason you need to replace or add a circuit breaker to your electrical panel, you'll need to know how to do so. Luckily for you, this tutorial is here to help.
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to properly inspect an electrical panel or circuit breaker in a house. Users should begin by taking off the cover(s) of the individual panels to see the wiring inside. Make sure the wire are connected and that there are no open or broken circuits. Users should look correlation of the circuit breaker size and the wire size to make sure the gauge of the wire can handle amp and heat that is generated. This video will benefit those viewers who want to lea...
Gary Bunzer the RV Doctor shows how to avoid potential RV problems by cleaning your electrical hookup cord. Before you connect your RV to an electricity supply, make sure to clean and brighten the metal contacts on your shoreline cord. Use fine-grade steel wool to clean all surface corrosion off your cord's prongs. You can also use sandpaper, emery cloth or any other gentle abrasive. After you get the metal prongs clean and shiny, use a dauber or brush to coat the surface of the prongs with a...
Have something you want no one else to find? The best hiding places are in plain sight. Follow these steps to create a shockingly sly storage space.
There's more than one way to test a fuse, and it doesn't have to be expensive. In this video tutorial, see how to test an electrical fuse with a screwdriver tester or multi-meter. A test screwdriver is relatively cheap and simple to use. A multimeter is a little more expensive and a little more complicated, but once you get used to it, fairly simple.
The Type G plug is the standard plug in the United Kingdom, usually 230V and 50Hz, and is referred to as the BS1363 (British Standards 1363). It's most commonly referred to as the "13-amp plug" because it has a 13-amp fuse inside. The wires consist of a hot (or live) wire, neutral wire, and an earth (or ground) wire.
While one can achieve a number of realistic vintage keyboard sounds through sample libraries like the Reason Abbey Road Keyboards refill, there's no beating the genuine article. If you find a vintage keyboard, however, it may need any number of repairs to get it sounding like it should. In this how-to, you'll learn a few quick tips for getting rid of electrical hum on a Wurlitzer 200 Electric Piano. Take a look!
Build a faraday motor with tips from this how-to video. In the early 1800s, physicist Michael Faraday invented the first device to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion. This is an easily built version of his motor. The magnet sets up a magnetic field, and the electrical current through the screw sets up a separate electromagnetic field around the screw. The two fields react and the result is rotation.
This tutorial shows you how to create wire types in AutoCAD Electrical 2008.
Following the proper electrical code for installing electrical outlets will be shown in this video.
An emergency battery charger for your mobile phone comes in handy, but it's not the ultimate solution; once it's dead it's useless (what a waste). If you want to really get off the metaphorical grid, you can follow the steps in this video to construct a more robust circuit that will not only bail you out of an inconvenient situation but also recharge in between uses. The simple addition of a low voltage solar panel and rechargeable batteries makes this possible. Enjoy!
Plug this baby into your FiOS-powered computer and simulate the real-time climate of any location in the country -- rain, lightning, fog, sunshine.
GFI stands for Ground Fault Interrupter and is used in areas that have water. The first thing you should do before replacing anything electrical is shut off the power in the area you are working. When you remove the old outlet, you will notice a series of wires going into the bottom of the outlet and a series of wires coming out of the top. What is happening here is that the power is coming in from the bottom and then going out through the top. The reason for this is if something trips the fa...
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to save a wet cell phone. Begin by taking the battery and remove all electrical power. Now wrap the phone in a dry washcloth and cover it with aluminum foil. Then put it into an oven for 5 hours at a low temperature. It is recommended to heat it at about 125 degrees. Another method is to put the phone into a container filled with dry, uncooked rice and leave it for 1-2 days. This video will benefit those viewers who have accidentally dropped their pho...
Wall framing. How to frame a wall. Whether you're re-sheeting an old wall or building a new timber frame wall, before you install the plasterboard or drywall, take the opportunity to have a really good think about what services or insulation qualities you might want to have in that space. There are issues to consider like electrical, plumbing, noggins for wall fixtures and insulation.
Helping to prove that science is way awesome, an 18-year old electrical engineering student has successfully made a light bulb float. His name is Chris Rieger, and he's been working on his "LevLight" project for about six months now, with pretty amazing results. This feat of ingenuity was accomplished by using magnetic levitation, although that over-simplification masks how considerably difficult this undertaking was.
In this tutorial, we learn how to bypass the kickstand safety switch on a motorcycle. If you have broke your kickstand switch, you can easily bypass it while you are on the road so you can set your bike. All you need to do this is a piece of electric tape. If you don't have this on your bike, the vehicle will completely turn off while it's in use. To do this, unplug the switch that is the kickstand safety switch. There will be two electrical tabs in this, stick a screwdriver in them to remove...
RC Car Action Magazine Editor Paul Onorato uses electrical tape to secure the AA's in your receiver pack. A little bit of electrical tape will keep the batteries in place while off-roading the RC vehicle. Watch this instructional video and learn how to anchor the batteries in the receiver of an RC vehicle.
Home improvement expert Danny Lipford teaches how to cut drywall around outlets Just watch the video tutorial to see how to cut drywall around electrical outlets.
This video home improvement tutorial is a basic explanation of the wiring in a plug-in electrical receptacle, so you'll know what to do when replacing one. Learn how to change the plug-in without short-circuiting or hurting yourself by watching this instructional wiring video.
In this video Randy Brunette introduces the panel layout annotation and report tools of AutoCAD Electrical 2008.
Electrical impulses course through our heart and keep it beating. That's why a jolt from an automated external defibrillator can boost it back into action if the beating stops. But new research says there may be more to keeping a heart beating than just electrical impulses.
Staying cool in the summer heat sometimes feels like it takes all the energy in the world. But what about a fan using no-cost electrical energy? If you're looking to keep cool during a power outage, or if you don't want to break the bank by running your DIY air conditioner all day long, you can use candlelight to power a fan!
This guide walks you through the replacing of a coolant temp sensor on a Volkswagon by showing you step-by-step instructions using a 2.8L Volkswagon Passat with a 6 cylinder engine. Start by removing the plastic engine cover, disconnecting the electrical connection, and removing a large hose so that you can gain access to the air duct.
If you're installing an outlet in a kitchen or bathroom, you're going to want to install a GFCI outlet. This is a safety outlet that will insture no one gets a shock from using an electrical appliance near water. Cool!
The phase-shift oscillator is one of the most common electronic parts, used in all sorts of mostly noise-making devices. If you like electrical engineering and new a new project, watch this video to learn how to make a phase-shift oscillator out of a single transistor, resistors, and capacitors.
For most synth players the goal is to acquire legendary pieces of 1980's gear with great amounts of money or luck. Why bother when you can make your own direct digital synthesizer (DDS) at home? Watch this video to learn how to make a DDS out of common electrical parts that will make a phat Theramin sound.
