A motley collection of ideas
The oscilloscope type 1536 is used in servicing, by amateurs, and in education. Its small dimensions and low weight allow it to be carried in hand luggage. The cathode-ray tube has a useful screen area of 4.8 × 6 cm. The instrument has one vertical channel and a time-base generator. The separate X-input also makes … Read more
The other day, I explained to my partner how a fluorescent starter works and what the ballast is for. I won’t go into it now—if you’re interested, look it up. I also explained why electronic ballasts are supposedly better than traditional ones. Well, I was wrong: they aren’t better. Every self-respecting electrician or hardware supplier … Read more
This circuit is a simple flasher that produces strong and short flashes. If you already know how a transistor works, you’ll have no trouble understanding how this thing operates. You can find the circuit on Tinkercad here: 👉 https://www.tinkercad.com/things/jn4ZX0OA4qi-flashing-light Although it works in a very simple way, this circuit actually exceeds the capabilities of Tinkercad’s … Read more
A popular variant of the well-known NE555 timer IC is the NE556, which contains two timers. With this IC, you can build a simple siren. This siren alternates between two tones, similar to old police car sirens, while also flashing a blue and a red LED. You can test the circuit in Tinkercad: 👉 https://www.tinkercad.com/things/lsxjw2LzvA7-police-siren … Read more
Back in our Pioneer days, many of us soldered with a Czechoslovak “instant soldering iron,” for which we bent the tip ourselves from stripped copper electrical wire. Today, a single tip for a modern soldering station costs around €3–5 HUF, so it’s not wise to waste them carelessly! There are plenty of guides online about … Read more
Bats normally hibernate during the winter, but nowadays, thanks to the mild winters, we can encounter bats even in January. The real bat season, of course, begins in March–April and lasts until the end of October. This is the best time to go bat-hunting. In urban environments, the most common species are the serotine bat … Read more
In 1983, Rádiótechnika magazine published an article about a clock built around the TMS1122 IC. I redesigned the circuit and the PCB somewhat, then built it. It served continuously for 27 years, essentially without being turned off. Due to lack of space, I recently scrapped it, though it was still in working condition. The Clock … Read more
The purpose of this project is to extend the range of an older (and more affordable) frequency counter into the VHF and UHF bands. The idea was inspired by an article published in Rádiótechnika (1990/7, pp. 341–342), although the original circuit was designed by Zeljko Bozic, S52ZB, and later published in a 2006 issue of … Read more
The Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition, 4th Edition is a fully-updated, no-nonsense guide to electronics. It cover anything that you need to develop and construct your own gadgets. People often ask me about electronics, physics, and science, but I usually don’t like to answer directly. Instead, I prefer to hand them a book and … Read more
Crickets are part of the pleasant atmosphere of summer evenings. And if there are no crickets, the engineer makes… I found this switch in an old electronics magazine, originally powered by a 9 V battery. Thought I’d try a solar version.