Hacks Mods & Circuitry: Page 12

How to Make Anything demonstrates how to use a three prong XLR mic with your camcorder. The XLR plug on the mic is not going to fit into the 1/8 inch plug on your camcorder so you will need an adapter. You can find an XLR to 1/8 inch adapter for about 10 dollars. Try to get an adapter with as short of a cord as possible to reduce noise and radio interference. You can also get an XLR box which is an interface which goes between your camera and the microphone. The XLR box will be about 180...

Vonage is a very cool and inexpensive way to have a home phone, but unfortunately it requires a little box to be near your phone at all times. In this two part tutorial, learn exactly how to hack your Vonage phone and route it to your central telephone box to distribute your VoIP line throughout the entire house. The days of being stuck near the phone box are behind you once you follow these steps to a simple hack.

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a microphone with a pair of headphones. Headphones have properties and construction similarities that are similar to a microphone. Instead of plugging the headphones into the headphone jack, plug it into the microphone jack. Then you just simply hold your headphones up to your mouth and speak into it. The sound quality produced from the headphones is not very good and it should only be used if you don't have a microphone. This video will benefit...

This video tutorial is in the electronics category and it is going to show you how to lock and prevent an extension cord from unplugging. When you plug in an extension cord, there is always a chance it getting undone accidentally. There is also the possibility of the pins getting slightly bent. So, you need to lock the extension cord. There is a real simple way to do this. All you got to do is just tie a simple knot before plugging in the cord. Now even if someone pulls at both the ends of the...

Learn how to make a mute plug for your computer by following the steps outlined in this tutorial. This plug can be used for anything, including computers, stereos, mp3 players, or anything else with speakers that has audio. A mute plug is useful to get back at someone that constantly plays their stereo too loud because you are essentially cutting off their audio with this plug. The plug is place into where the headphone equipment would normally go. What you need are some old headphones. Take...

Learn how to solder wires with this video. Clean the area to be soldered, scraping the wire down to bare metal and then wiping it clean with alcohol or acetone. Use rosin-core solder for electronic applications. This solder normally comes in coils. Tin (coat with solder) the soldering tip first: Wrap one or two inches of solder around the tip while the iron is cold; set the iron to the solder's temperature range; and allow the solder to melt. Clean the tip with a sponge. Set the soldering tool...

The itch chair, designed by Dana Gordon and Alejandro Zamudio Sánchez, is a futuristic chair that scratches the back of the sitter.

This tutorial demonstrates the correct way to solder wires to a piezoelectric sensor. First, the stripped wires are tinned (coated with a thin layer of solder). Then the piezoelectric sensor, held in a small adjustable clip, is heated briefly, and two drops of solder placed where the wires are to be attached. Finally, the tinned ends of the wires are placed in contact with the soldered areas of the piezoelectric sensor, and the solder heated to fix the wires in place.

Soldering properly is a skill every electronics and computer hobbyist needs. Proper soldering appears deceptively simple, but it requires practice. One has to do the steps below to solder the wires which is as follows, First Clean the area you wish to solder and scrape the wire down to the metal and then wiping it clean with alcohol or acetone. Then you want to use a rosin-core solder for electronic applications, which comes normally with coils. Tin the tip of the first Wrap one or two inches...

Do you have magnet wires that you need to solder together to get your device working again? This video can help you immensely! Soldering is when you put two wires together using a soldering iron so that even cut wires can be made useful again. Great care and time is taken into soldering these wires properly. Watch the video to learn the proper techniques of soldering magnet wires. The wires shown in this video are extremely thin and are used for small, ready-to-fly airplanes.

Kip Kay, from Make Magazine, shows you how to take your radio controlled vehicle and turn it into a spy car, by mounting a camera onto it. Follow Kip, as he shows you how to remove the body from your radio controlled car, mount the camera inside the chassis using the triPod mounting screw hole on your video camera, and put it all back together. In just few short steps you, too, can have your very own radio controlled spy car.

This video describes how to solder a wire. The first thing you have to remember is that the wires should be cleaned, shiny, and bright. Then trim about 1/2-inch of the insulation of the wires and then make a secure mechanical connection. Next, put some soldering pencil clean and shiny 60/40 rosin core solder. Do not use 50/50 core solder. Start by making sure that the soldering iron is tint. Put the soldering iron underneath the joint. Heat tends to rise and then touch the solder to the joint....

While it is common knowledge that Thomas Edison created the first light bulb, he was not the first to create a means of creating artificial light. That distinction goes to a man by the name of Humphrey Davy who created a means to light up a room called an arc light. The following video will give you a detailed step by step procedure for creating your own 19th century arc light using materials that can often be found right around the home.

Feeling ambitious in the hack department? Try taking on the DIY Pong Clock.

This video by makemagazine demonstrates a weekend project on how to make a LED light brick. The materials required for this project are listed on the link to the make magazine page in the info box or it can be orders as a kit from the make magazine store. Take the PCB (printed circuit board) and first solder the Resisters and Capacitors as shown. Next test the LEDs and separate them using a button cell batteries. Solder the LED, PIC micro-controller, DC power connector and tilt switch following...

MacGyver.

This video demonstrates a project taken from "Make" magazine. Viewers will learn how to modify an ordinary computer mouse with a vibration unit for use with PC games, similar to the rumble controllers sold for video-game consoles, to make gaming more fun.

If you're looking for a creative place to stash your cash or small valuables, this how-to video walks you through the process of turning a DVD drive into stash box. Armed with a screwdriver and some time, this video gives detailed step-by-step instruction on talking apart your DVD drive and reassembling it. The video includes helpful hints to make this stash box look and function in an authentic manner. This DVD stash box video will not only help keep your stuff safe, but you may even feel a...

Nick and Anna Berte of Bel Air, Maryland mischievously rigged their snowman with a flamethrower.

Learn how to make LED ice cubes with this tutorial!Steps:First take LEDs of any color and test it with a small battery.Then take a ice tray and a strip containing holes in which the LEDs can easily fixed.Now take Resin and Hardener solutions and stir them.Now place the LED into the strip containing holes and place it on the ice tray.Then pour the combined solution in to the tray.Now keep the tray away for a while until the solution becomes solid.Then take all the cubes which contain LEDs,...

This video shows you how to make a security device out of a door bell. The concept is that most thefts happen when people are away from home. To make sure of this the thief rings the door bell to make sure that nobody is home, if nobody answers then they will break in. A lot of people have dogs and alarm systems which will scare off the thieves, but this alarm system combines both. To make this devise you have to buy a speaker system that connects to your door bell. When the door bell...

What's better than one prank? Five pranks! This video from the notorious Kipkay provides five fantastic, funny, and facile pranks to pull off on your friends and family… maybe even your enemies.

The SSC P7 Flashlight is a tactical torch that's pretty bright at 900LM. But, it's totally possible to make it just a little brighter.

Ever wondered how a digital combination lock works?

Says creator and Flickr user gomhi, "Handcrafted loudspeakers using chicken eggshell as cabinet. They sound narrow, but I'm pleased about the result. "

Most people get tired of being in the elevator, being in a rush, and having to stop at every floor to let people on. With the express elevator hack you will not have to stop any more. You can now ride straight up to your floor with ease. First, get into the elevator. Then, press and hold the button that has the floor you want to go to and the close button at the same time for five seconds. Just remember to press the close button and the floor button at the same time. Now, you can ride...

Let's build a SOLAR DEATH RAY!!! Step 1: Remove the screws along the edges of your TV making sure not to miss any. (Refer to YouTube repair videos for your model if there are any.) continue to remove screws until you've cleared out enough to remove the screen, and then clear off the extra pieces that fixed it to the TV. (This will be your lens). At this point, you can salvage any other pieces you may want to hold onto for future projects. Step 2: Remove the back panel. Step 3: Build a pivoting...

This video is a quick overview of the construction of a Blubberbot, an artificial "life form" that uses electronic sensors to seek out lights, sound, or cell phone signals.

Bonafide How-It's-Done (not exactly a HowTo) on remote-controlling your car via iPhone and Power Wheels. Brought to you by some crazy Texans, over at Waterloo Labs.

Need internet but don't want to pay? Well, try lusting of those around you by picking up their Wi-Fi signal. Live out in the boondocks? No problem… if you have an old satellite dish laying around.

Identity theft is a huge problem and one of he fastest growing crimes in America.

Time to make those lazy Sunday afternoons even lazier. Instructables member johndavid400 has posted a full HowTo on modding your lawn mower to operate via remote control.

MAKE zine aims to bring the DIY aesthetic and mindset to all the technology in your life. They want you to break open things and put them back together in a better way. In this video, MAKE and KipKay show you how to build a lost screw finder attachment. It'll help you find any screw, including plastic ones that a magnet would not be able to pick up.

What is an oscilloscope? Well, it's an electronic instrument that produces traces of color on a cathode-ray tube that corresponds to oscillations of voltage and current. Check out this video to learn how to make the world's simplest scilloscope. The best part? You can do it in five minutes.

John Cornwell is a God among men. Even Letterman thinks so. As well as every beer drinker.

Chumby is the dream toy of hackers and tinkerers everywhere. Made up of a few simple parts, Chumby takes your favorite parts of the Internet and streams it so that you'll always have access to your favorite podcasts, music, photos, games and more. What's great is that you can put together the Chumby yourself. In this video MAKE shows us how to put the Chumby guts kit together. Be sure to make sure you have all the required parts.

Todbot offers instructions for making your own Arduino shifty-googly Halloween eyeballs. Perfect to pop inside a pumpkin or skull.

Playing Super Mario Bros 3 with a giant controller on a projection screen = nerd nirvana. Giant NES controller/coffee table/storage box made by Kyle Downes. This piece of furniture actually connects to the system, and works as a real controller. Scroll down for video demonstration and images.

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. We will help you avoid pitfalls and get your project up and running fast.

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. We will help you avoid pitfalls and get your project up and running fast.