#DIY tech project

[scipunk]

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

[adafruit]

Sunken USB Type C breakout 🔌🛠️🧩

Folks love our standard USB Type C breakout (https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=usb+type+c+breakout) - and we recently got a request to carry a 'sunken' Type C breakout - what's that mean? It looks like this! instead of sitting above the PCB the connector sits in the midline for a svelte look. this connector got our pick because it has four burly THM tabs to keep the connector from cracking at the contact pads.

[newspatron]

Built your Raspberry Pi Kiwix Hotspot or have questions? Share your experiences or tips in the comments below! Let's learn together.

[biggestdev]

Converting a battery backup to Lithium because I hate myself

I've got a whole bunch of battery backups in my home, one on each computer, and a big one in my server rack in the basement. I've also got a few out "in the wild" at some of my family's places. They're great, where I live in the northeast US, the power grid is stable enough that most outages are only minutes long, and these backups (technically called a UPS - Uninterrupted Power Supply) do a great job keeping computers running through them.

My issue is the batteries. They all run on lead acid batteries, aka the same kind that's in your car, and they dont last long in this kind of environment, I'm lucky if I get 3 years out of one. On top of that, their battery life detection is terrible, It's about a 50/50 shot whether I get a warning about a dead battery pack before the next power outage takes it down without warning. Keeping track of that with just one or two is annoying, let alone 10 of them!

Lithium UPS's exist, and theoretically last many years longer, but they are many times more expensive than a normal backup. I'd like to not spend new-car money replacing a dozen UPS units, so I did some math instead.

I have a husk of a ups (no battery), and I tested it out: the open circuit voltage on the battery cable is 27.6 volts, which just happens to be almost the exact voltage needed to float charge a series of 8 Lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries!

Why is that exciting? Usually when you think of lithium batteries, you think of lithium-ion (also can be called lithium-polymer) batteries. These are the batteries in your laptop and phone... And also Tesla cars. They hold more energy than a LiFePo4 battery, but are very sensitive to temperature, over and under-voltage, over-charging, and over-current conditions. Abuse them too hard, and they swell up and pop! That's why Teslas seem to catch fire more often than other cars: most other companies gave up range for a battery chemistry that isn't a ticking time bomb, like LiFePo4.

These LiFePo4 batteries can take a beating compared to Li-ion ones. Most importantly, they can be "float" charged, that is, left on the charger 24/7, without worrying about overcharging it and blowing caustic smoke everywhere. This is critical, because I'm attempting a direct drop-in swap for the old lead battery in this UPS, because float charging a lead battery is basically a requirement, and doing that to a Li-ion battery is asking for a fire!

Using a Li-ion pack would require a custom charging circuit, as the UPS's 27.6V is not correct for any configuration of Li-ion, and would either under charge the pack, losing me 50% of my capacity, or overcharge it, and make it explode. It would also have to stop the batteries from being float charged, again to keep the battery from exploding, while fooling the UPS into thinking a battery is still attached so it doesn't beep at me all the time, and my head is spinning just thinking about how that would work. Much easier to give up capacity for a simpler, and more robust battery.

This UPS can deliver 900 watts of power on battery, that equates to roughly 30 amps of current from the 27.6V battery pack. Adding a safety factor, I bought a BMS (Battery Management System) rated to 50 amps. A BMS is essential, as it offers extra protection against short circuits, over and under-charging and temperature cutoff. Also cell balancing, which keeps all the cells at the same level of charge during use (if they go out of sync-that's bad, is all I'll say for now). The batteries are rated for 120 amps continuous draw, so I am well under the limit where the cells would self-immolate.

With all that said, here's the guts:

Looking close, you might see that I had to cut some plastic out to make it all fit. That's an error on my part-I didn't measure right. If I make more, I'll definately be using a smaller cell, so it will be a proper "drop in" mod. Lots of drilling, cutting, and filing to make this all fit!

It took several hours to link up the cells, terminate the balancing wires (the small red spindly ones), and and stuff them in the battery box. That's a LOT longer than I was hoping it would take, but the on-the fly mods took a lot of time. but eventually, it all fit in, and I was able to test it:

It works! I unplugged it from the wall, and it stayed on! For now, I am in full helicopter parent mode, since I don't want to deal with a lithium fire, even though my math checks out and the UPS should never get the the point that these cells are ever "abused". I only leave it on when I'm in the room, and when I leave, I unplug from the wall, and remove the red lead from the battery, so no charge enters or leaves while I'm not there to watch it.

In theory, the only issue with this retrofit will be a useless runtime meter. The "minutes of runtime" meter is measuring the voltage of the battery as it discharges to estimate how much longer it will last, and the voltage drop over time is different for lithium and lead, so the meter won't be measuring accurately. Once I'm confident it won't explode randomly, I will likely install it permanently somewhere in one of my compters.

Wish me luck!

[lizzielovessummer]

Digitizer fixed! This is a Kindle Fire 8, gen. 10.

Infodump 👇

I found out that with these touch screens, the lcd gives the image and the digitizer is the glass that goes on top that controls the touchscreen capabilities. In this case, the cracks were on the top digitizer part, but the lcd screen was still working. After covering the cracked glass with tape, I used the heat gun to soften the adhesive around the edge of the device holding those two layers together. Most of the work in this type of repair is in separating the two parts without damaging the lcd underneath and creating a huge mess of glass, but I found that ifixit has tutorials for almost everything, and it gave me some good tips, like checking to make sure the magnets on the casing did not accidentally migrate to the digitizer frame, and really highlighting where the ribbon connector to the digitizer was, as well as including pictures of how to disconnect stuff from the motherboard. I already had some tools, and the replacement screen ($20) came with tools as well, but I needed add some 3m double sided foam tape ($7) to attach the new digitizer to the lcd screen.

I destroyed a cricut mat with the heat gun, so I will likely add a silicone work mat and some new picks next time I order a repair part from ifixit, but as far as entertaining me for a couple hours this was great enrichment! For reference, a new screen (digitizer and LCD) is about $50 for this model. A new kindle replacement? This kodel runs at $100. I would much rather repair than throw away. Electronic waste is a terrible thing.

[olivergisttv]

Turn Your Old Devices Into Smart Tech: Genius DIY Upgrades Under £50

Got an old phone gathering dust in a drawer? Or a laptop so slow it groans when you open Chrome? Don’t toss them—transform them. With a little creativity and under £50, you can breathe new life into your aging tech and turn it into something genuinely useful (and surprisingly smart). Here are some ingenious DIY upgrades that give your old gadgets a second life—without burning a hole in your bank…

[realgoatreviews]

🐐 Casio A700W with it’s Epic, Comfy Bracelet & Mineral Glass! 👌 Magnificent. 😎✨

Here’s my Casio A700W Review Video! 👉 https://yt.openinapp.co/A700W

[magnificette]

Buy SMD 100 Ohm Resistor India 1% 1/8W - Manufactured with high-quality materials, this resistor is ideal for circuit designs requiring accurate resistance values and minimal variation.

[justposting1]

10 Things I Gave Up in My 50s That Made Me Happier in My 60s

10 Things I Gave Up in My 50s That Made My 60s Happier and More Fulfilled 10 Things I Gave Up in My 50s That Made Me Happier in My 60s As we age, life naturally evolves. What once seemed essential might lose its significance, replaced by an appreciation for simplicity and authenticity. In my 50s, I began a journey of letting go — shedding things that no longer served me. Now, in my 60s, I can…

[quirknow]

🌐 Unlock the Best of Everything! Explore a treasure trove of helpful blogs, from tech tips to lifestyle hacks, trending updates, and more—all in one place. Don’t miss out on the knowledge that can change your game.

[mascaraandmojitos]

Source: http://spiritfuly.tumblr.com

[bob3160]

From Trash to Treasure - Brilliant Hacks for Your Old Tech

[julianxxl]

yesss almost!!!

My rocket engine😁

[ocpl-tech-blog]

Thinking of a single-page website? 🤔 Consider these drawbacks before making your decision! From SEO challenges to slower load times, here's what you need to know.

[xoxoendlessvibes]

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