Hot Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Posts
How To: Repair a cracked or broken circuit board
Step by step guide to repairing circuit boards Yes, I know, my hands are shaky.
How To: Circuit hack and mod
In this video, we explain some techniques for getting electronic circuits to do things they weren't designed for. As an example, use a speaker phone as a speaker. Hacking items into better or different devices is way cool DIY circuitry. These are ideas of electronics that are cool to splice, rip apart and use recycled electronics for new projects.
How To: Open a power supply without destroying a transformer
First of all, please DO NOT attempt to open any power supply and tweak what's inside unless you know what you're doing and/or are a professional. With that said, this circuitry video will teach you how to crack open a wall transformer power supply without destroying the transformer.
How To: Cut a circuit board
Sometimes there is a part of a circuit that you need but it's on a huge circuit board. This is one technique to cut it out. Take out the PCB part that is necessary. This is a great DIY electronics technique.
How To: Make an annoying strobe flash from an old camera
This shows you how to modify an old camera so it flashes at the push of a button. Annoy your friends. It's a perfect practical joke by modifying an old camera flash to create a strobe effect. This will make it so you don't have to wind it, just push the button
How To: Make a camera spotlight for cheap with a head lamp
This is a cheap little hack from a $5 discount store headlamp. Check it out. Quick and easy. You need a bolt to secure to your camera. This is great if you are shooting long shots and need different brightnesses. Otherwise kind of ghetto.
How To: Remove scratches from any DVD
In this Household Hacker experiment, we'll demonstrate how to completely remove scratches from your CD or DVD media.
How To: Make a mood light decorative lamp
Here is the Weekend Project: The Bytelight, a mood light from Kipkay and Make Magazine. Build a cool mood light out of obsolete sim memory chips from recycled old computers.
News: Hack hard drives into working speakers
Old Hard Drive + MP3 player = Music This equation just doesn't make sense. If you're an iPod addict, the HD element is redundant! Well, take a second look at what constitutes a speaker and what a hard drive is made of. They are more alike than you'd think.
How To: Build a fume extractor for soldering in an Altoids tin
Using the instructions on the MAKE blog (04/2008) We made this portable fume extractor for soldering. Works great at close proximity (2 inches). Note: We didn't screw down the voltage regulator, just stuffed it in the side. This will keep the fumes from seeping into your lungs by trapping them with an Altoids tin.
How To: Use a motor to create a fan or speaker
Use a motor to make a fan and a speaker. People often take for granted the common items and devices they use in everyday life. Looks can be deceiving. It's not what things appear to be, it's what they can become.
How To: Make a cone record player
If you're record player doesn't work anymore, but it still turns, then this is the perfect solution for you. The video show you how to make a cone record player. It's also a neat trick for playing your records with out a record player, instead of a regular phonograph needle.
How To: Make a sneaky USB battery
This Weekend Project is the USBattery from MAKE Magazine Volume 16. Conceal a flash drive in a AA battery! This is a way cool USB battery mod or hack project. It makes a cool secret storage space for your spy projects. Wear gloves, safety goggles and a non alkaline battery.
How To: Send secret messages with a laser
Secretly shoot your voice across the room in stealth mode on a laser beam in this fun and easy project! Make Magazine and Kipkay present this cool spy trick. Build a simple laser communicator that transmits your voice across a room. You need an amplifier, radio, laser pointer, battery pack and a solar cell.
How To: Build a cereal box spectrometer
The Five Minute Project crew is back, and bringing you six fresh projects sponsored by Craftsman. Break out the tools and protective eyewear and brace yourself for the best how-to videos a DIY-er could ask for. Learn to make Geek-Chic Cuff Links, a Cereal Box Spectrometer and more, all in Five Minutes Time!
How To: Make integrated Arduino cuff links
Project 5 from Popular Science's 5 minute Projects with Craftsmen Tool is 'Integrated Circuit Cufflinks'.
How To: Build a burning blue/violet laser
There's probably a reason that laser pointers are banned from most schools: They're just to fun to put down! Whether you're using them as a pointer, to distract your classmates, or to very wickedly point them in people's eyes, they are toys that are quite addicting.
How To: Make a 200mw burning laser
Don't use a perfectly good DVD burner to get your laser that will pop balloons, light matches, and burn stuff. Just buy a laser diode at mfgcn.com and also a laser housing, and you won't be tearing a computer DVD player apart. This is the easy way to make a 200mW burning DVD laser. Use a Mini Maglite and some rechargeable batteries so you don't burn out the laser.
How To: Get 6 AAAA batteries from a 9V battery
Take apart a 9V battery and turn it in to Six AAA batteries. This way you save money. amazing science experiment trick. This is a simple battery deconstruction that results in a 9 volt battery's dissection into six AAAA batteries. They are not AA or AAA, but a kind you won't find at Radio Shack.
How To: Build a beer safe using RFID technology
Dave and Pat break down the basics of RFID technology and show you how to put it to use by building an RFID beer safe!
How To: Make an LED floatie balloon
Light up your world with these beautiful and easy-to-make illuminated LED balloons. You will need:
News: Run USB through phone lines
One of the many reasons Circuit City should go out of business is their sale of ridiculously expensive cables, wire and cords. The secret to the industry of Monster Cables is that it is unnecessary and ineffective. Gold-plated or otherwise, Monster's $100 cables are not intrinsically better than the cheaper versions they're stocked next to. Don't believe us?
How To: Make simple homemade battery-driven motors
Learn how to build your very own motor, but not just one motor, three motors. These motors you will learn to make a very simple, and the materials needed are minimum. Just watch to see how to make simple homemade battery-driven motors.
How To: Make Arduino circuit boards for robotics
This week on Make Magazine is a project with parts from the Arduino Starter Kit. Skip over building the Proto Shield. Otherwise, it's a simple build that doesn't require any soldering. Arduino is a speaking control for robotics. It can be used in other Make kits or robotic projects. This is a circuit bending and circuit board project that involves basic circuitry and wiring.
How To: Solder wires like a professional
This is an instructional video featuring Doug Prime, founder of the Future Engineers Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Melt the solder to connect wires for switches and permanent circuits. Heat the surface before you put the solder on it. Don't drip the solder for it is too much and not necessary. Make sure you wash hands and have a ventilated room because solder sometimes has lead in it.
How To: Solder a wire onto a switch when building circuits
This is an instructional video featuring Doug Prime, founder of the Future Engineers Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Strip the wire and make sure the wire is tied on tightly before soldering. Don't drip balls of solder. Make sure the tip is clean. Then hold it on the joint to be soldered for 4 seconds. Then poke the solder on the surface and it will melt with the heat.
How To: Cut and strip wires safely
This is an instructional video featuring Doug Prime, founder of the Future Engineers Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Use wire strippers where they are like scissors. To cut off the wire's insulation and strip it you need to know the wire's gauge. Check the gauge on both the wire and the stripper.
How To: Solder to a metal strap
This is an instructional video featuring Doug Prime, founder of the Future Engineers Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. If you want to make a homemade switch watch this video on using solder to tie the wire. Use sandpaper to clean where you will solder.
How To: Make a laundry detergent lamp
A nifty step-by-step guide to making your very own laundry detergent lamp. Upcycle that recyclable detergent bottle and gain a swell lighting fixture for your home! This involves some basic circuitry and wiring of a cheap lamp fixture. You use the laundry detergent bottle as the base of the lamp. It's a bit arts & crafts project and a bit conservation! Help our mother nature with this nifty at-home craft decoration project!
News: Mod a Yo-Yo to Light up a Frisbee
Toy splicing is the hobby of combining to disassociated toys into a totally unique device.
How To: Build a Mini Hovercraft
Create a miniature hover craft from the fan, polystrene or Styrofoam plate, batteries and double-sided scotch tape. It really works. Powered by two 9 volt batteries you can use paper plates for the body of the hovercraft if need be. This is a cool cat toy or just a household hack.
How To: Make a cheap lucid dream mask
Did you know you can stimulate yourself to have a lucid dream? Well, it may take a little bit of practice first, but this sleep mask can certainly help you have the most interesting and realistic dreams of your life (yes, kinda like "Inception.") Just check out this video to learn how to make a super cheap lucid dream mask out of two LED lights and a pair of goggles.
How To: Solder electroluminescent EL wire
Looking to find out how to solder EL or electro luminescent wire? This is a great tutorial on cutting the jacket and soldering the 40 gauge corona wires. They're very fine wires and you don't want to nick them while stripping them. You also need copper tape to help join the wires.
News: Commit voter fraud - Ivy League style
The last two US Presidential elections were marred by reports of voter fraud. So Princeton University took it upon themselves to investigate how easy it could be to hack the election.Answer: easy.
How To: Make a shake microphone out of a flashlight
Watch as Kipkay from MAKE Magazine shows you how to make something really cool for a shake microphone, with parts from RadioShack. You'll be transforming a simple shake flashlight into a so-called shake microphone. The fun won't stop when you hear your shaky voice out loud.
How To: Make noise canceling headphones
Kipkay explains how to make noise canceling headphones. You can make them without spending much money. You need Howard Leight earmuffs and a small pair of headphones, but you start by disassembling the headphones.
How To: Make noise canceling headphones and an LED light
Let Forbes help you make a few do-it-yourself projects in record breaking time. This video tutorial contains information on how to make three various projects. Learn how to make your very own noise canceling earphones out of junk old headphones, make an LED light, and make a simple marshmallow shooter. This projects are not only easy and quick to make, but fun. Make noise canceling headphones and an LED light.
How To: Bluesnarf a Nokia 6310i handset (cell phone)
Check out this video tutorial to see how to bluesnarf a Nokia 6310i handset (cell phone). What is Bluesnarfing exactly?
How To: Do some basic soldering for electronic equipment
Need a little help soldering? If you can't quite figure out how to solder for your electronics and wires, maybe it's time you took a soldering 101 class. Well, no need to pay any expensive tuition, just watch this video tutorial to see how to do some basic soldering for electronic equipment or whatever you need it for. It's as simple as getting some solder and a soldering gun. The rest comes naturally, believe me. This explanation is more that enough to get your started in the world of solder.
How To: Illuminate a regular computer keyboard
Light up your keyboard with this illuminating tutorial from Make Magazine's Kipkay. To get started on this hack, which should take roughly a half an hour and cost no more than $5, you'll need the following: (1) a regular computer keyboard (most any model will do), (2) a screwdriver, (3) a drill, (4) telephone wire, (5) heat shrink tubing, and (6) two 5 mm high-brightness, white LEDs. For comprehensive, step-by-step instructions on building your own light-up keyboard, simply watch this hacker'...