Questions tagged [consumer-electronics]
For engineering questions involving consumer electronics. Support / troubleshooting questions about consumer electronics are off-topic and will be closed.
91
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53
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13
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Are toasters really electrified inside of the "slots"?
My mother was born 1950. Me in the mid-1980s. All my life, she's been saying that I must never stick a metal object, such as a knife, into the toaster, because it will electrocute me.
I've always been ...
- 531
15
votes
2
answers
3k
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What is this small rotating part from a cell phone?
What is this tiny rotating piece of hardware that I found inside my Samsung GE1202? It has E9C written in blue on it.
- 153
14
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2
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Why does the manual to a 1989 TV almost dedicate a page to the "pin assignment" of the SCART connector?
It is a bit unclear whether this is the "user manual" or the "service manual", the latter which may have only been used service people, but nevertheless, why would it go through ...
- 141
8
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2
answers
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Unknown metal-piece connected to the case of an iPod Nano 2
I disassembled an iPod Nano 2 yesterday and was surprised to find a round brass-coloured plate glued to the back. I didn't find any mention of it at the teardown over at ifixit.com, as they didn't cut ...
- 83
8
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1
answer
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Why do modern phone cameras apparently have three or even more different camera lenses in almost the same spot?
I saw this today:
It's not the first time I see it, but I wonder what this is about. Why do they have three big what I assume are camera lenses? And what's the two smaller "spots" in the ...
- 83
4
votes
2
answers
769
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Does a transformer use power when devices aren't attached?
I have just purchased a 45 W 12 V transformer with an integral photocell for landscape lights. I measured the voltage while it was plugged in and the photocell closed the circuit (off) and there was ...
- 41
3
votes
2
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59
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How is it possible that "fiddling around with" batteries can apparently give them more power?
I have a flashlight which I use when I have to get up in the night in the pitch-black room. It takes three AAA batteries.
Recently, it has been rather dim, so I assumed that I would have to switch ...
- 31
3
votes
2
answers
259
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Why are LED blinking?
If you carefully look at LED in flashlights, they are blinking at fast rate despite the batteries are DC. It's even more obvious on flashlights with separate R,G,B LED (to allow the control of color) ...
- 177
3
votes
2
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118
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How do 120V AC dimmable LED bulbs advertised as "flicker free" work?
I'm a layperson, not an engineer, so forgive the ignorance. I want to replace some dimmable 120V AC G8 xenon bulbs with LED bulbs, but so far three different LED bulbs I've tried, all advertised as &...
- 205
3
votes
1
answer
40
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Analog addressing flat panel display
Cathode ray tubes (CRT) are analog addressing displays because you can light a point on its surface applying a continuous electric or magnetic field to deflect electrons beam. Virtually, there is no ...
- 749
2
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2
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Why do modern consoles require active cooling when old consoles did not?
I grew up with the Pong, NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Saturn, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boys, etc. None of these made any kind of noise when powered on. They were 100% silent. You just flicked them on, ...
- 21
2
votes
3
answers
181
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Why does audio equipment buzz/humm when a long signal cable is used and how do I eliminate it?
I have two 5.1 speaker sets, one in the front and one in the back of my living room. I have connected them together with an "audio wire" (non-shielded unfortunately) that's 12 meters in length.
Since ...
- 123
2
votes
2
answers
703
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Do smoke alarms become more sensitive as they get older?
From what I understand a smoke alarm works by emitting some sort of radioactive particle and then counting how many of these particles hit a receiver. When there is smoke in between, it blocks some of ...
- 121
2
votes
3
answers
801
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Did toasters ever make the toasted bread jump up in the air when done?
In numerous cartoons, video games, movies, etc., I've seen how a toaster makes the toasted bread jump high up in the air when done, forcing the user to catch them mid-air or pick them up after they've ...
2
votes
4
answers
454
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How can the ink dry so quickly after it comes out from an inkjet printer?
Every time I print a page with my inkjet printer, knowing that it literally "jets" ink all over the sheet, I'm baffled by how it's immediately dried. I cannot smudge it with my fingers even ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
815
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Why do most lithium batteries have 4 terminals?
Most consumer devices that have lithium single-cell batteries have 4 connections. I've noticed the following diverse types of devices, this is true:
Samsung smartphone with removable battery
GoPro ...
- 181
2
votes
2
answers
162
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Identifying affordable alternatives for low-frequency high-current DC-DC solid state relays
Please note, this is not a shopping question; this is a what type of component works best for this scenario question.
I have an induction heater circuit and a 5A max. / 24V wall wart, and I'd like ...
- 423
2
votes
1
answer
178
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What version of Bluetooth does the Echo Show 5 support? [closed]
Title says it all. I can’t find the Bluetooth version, only that it supports Bluetooth. Also, forgive me if this question is off topic here.
- 23
2
votes
1
answer
63
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Does MEMS/Optical Gyroscope record Earth's Rotational and revolutional angular velocities
I am using a 3 axis gyroscope (Android device) to record angular velocities using a sensor data logger application.
When the device is placed stationary, the gyroscope recorded the following values:
...
- 21
2
votes
0
answers
39
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Electrical component most likely to fail in window AC unit after power surge?
I have a window AC unit, 115 VAC, 10 amps. Power went out earlier in the week due to the big storm on the east coast and once it came back on every LED on the control panel was lit (not typical) and ...
- 2,347
2
votes
0
answers
33
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Health hazards of disassembling electronic devices?
I´ve been disassembling a lot of electronic devices in order to recycle them, separating plastics, electronic boards and bolts/other metal parts.
Is there any proof of health hazards for doing it ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
316
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Why do microwaves get louder when the timer goes off?
With most microwaves I've used, I've noticed that once the timer goes off, there is a couple seconds where the "microwave sound" gets louder and it seems to be cooking more intensely before it ...
- 119
1
vote
3
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742
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Why Sony headset's charging station doesn't charge other NiMH batteries rather than which came with it?
I've got a Sony MDR-RF4000 wireless headset, which is already 7 years old, so obviously its NiMH battery (Sony BP-HP550-11, basically a pair of AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries tied together) shows the ...
- 111
1
vote
2
answers
503
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Why does the manual to my floor fan tell me to pull out the cord whenever it's not in use?
In the manual to my just-bought floor fan, it says this (among many other weird requirements/expectations):
Pull out the plug from the power point when the product is not in use. Do not pull the ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
2k
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Looking for a current multiplier circuit - if possible
I used a very inexpensive circuit based on the TP4056 chip and built a Lithium Ion battery charger for 18650 batteries.
The problem is, the batteries I use have so much capacity that the circuit, ...
- 113
1
vote
2
answers
106
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Is it possible that an electronic device "half-works" when the power adapter supplies too much voltage?
I work in a lab, and I've been trying to replace a lost AC-DC power adapter. I got one recently that has the exact specs that I need, which are apparently pretty rare (15V, 400 mA). However, when I ...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
588
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Is using your mouth and lungs to blow away dust inside your computer somehow bad for the computer?
Bottles of compressed air are very expensive where I live. While it would be nice and ideal to have and do a "proper" cleaning, I've always used my mouth and lungs to blow air onto the dust ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
91
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Why was air conditioning so early and wide-spread in the USA specifically?
As far as I understand things, air conditioning was standard in cars in the USA as early as by the mid-1950s or so. Perhaps even sooner.
In the late 1990s, our car (common model of Volvo, albeit a few ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
180
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What is the ideal oil for an electric razor?
As in the title, what is the ideal oil for an electric razor, and why? I might add that the electric razor will only be used at room temperature.
What oil would an engineer select for their electric ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
65
views
Is a powder fire extinguisher not good for CRT TVs?
I'm about to buy a standard 6-litre powder fire extinguisher. However, in the description, they all say:
Suitable for [blablabla...] and for electronic devices up to 1000 V.
Up to 1000 Volts? But ...
1
vote
1
answer
77
views
Should I be worried about the "electron shower" I receive whenever I turn on my 1989 CRT TV?
If I stand in front of it when I press the "small power button" (the one which actually turns on the screen, as opposed to the big switch just giving the entire unit power), my big 1989 TV ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
61
views
Electronic component datasheet handling
What is $V_{IH}$ and $V_{IL}$ in datasheets? I found High-level input voltage and Low-level input voltage on the datasheet?
1
vote
3
answers
61
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How can I keep a low voltage electromagnet on continuously for long durations of time?
Background
I have an application that requires an electromagnet (either 5v or 12v) to be powered on for long durations of time (up to a few hours). While looking for one online, I was having a hard ...
- 141
1
vote
2
answers
92
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Why am I getting such conflicting safety advice regarding opening up and dedusting/servicing my CRT TV?
I have asked questions on Stack Exchange. I have watched many videos on YouTube. I have asked professional TV repairmen. I get wildly different advice on the safety of opening my 1989 28" CRT TV.
...
- 19
1
vote
1
answer
61
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Is it only "home-burned" CDs/discs that "expire" in a few years, or does that also apply to "professionally pressed" ones as well?
I've many times heard things along the lines of:
Those CDs/DVDs won't last forever. In fact, the data will be gone/corrupted in just a few years.
Does this apply only to discs that were "burned&...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
196
views
Why do the "LINE OUT" connectors not seem to output audio, but "HEADPHONE JACK" does?
I have a "Clas Ohlson TCD-983WEC CDMP3". It's a cheap "multi-unit" music player bought maybe 10 years ago or longer. I'm using it exclusively for its (cheap) tape player, since my ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
67
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Is it still a bad idea to keep modern electronics plugged into the charger cable for longer than necessary?
I have an "DaVinci IQ" portable vaporizer. Since the battery quickly runs out of power, I often keep it lying next to me, plugging from the computer into its USB-to-Mini-USB (or maybe it's Micro-USB --...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
40
views
How to use consumer electronics for industrial application on high temperature
I need to measure the width of a bar made out of glowing red steel (900-1200 degrees Celsius) using computer vision.
In order to ensure resolution of a 0.5 millimeters/px, the camera is needed to ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
138
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How to join between two PBX telephones wirelessly?
I have two PBX telephones. Each one has a line cables to the houses, but there is no connection between these two pbx telephones, neither wire nor wireless. How can I join between them wirelessly? ...
- 27
1
vote
1
answer
585
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How realistic is the "death by CRT monitor" scene from Final Destination?
First of all, I realize that not only is this a fictional scene in a movie, but a movie (series) particularly infamous for its ridiculous, over-the-top death scenes.
Yet, I have heard of basically ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
69
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What on Earth is a "mute module"?
Studying the extremely intimidating manual for my newly found and rescued 1989 JVC television set, which makes me feel very stupid and as if I'm looking at some sort of alien technology, I found this ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
308
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Analysing UART Signal From E-Scooter Controller
I'm currently working on a project with an electric scooter, I intend to install a larger battery into the scooter and also replace the stock 300W controller for a VESC. BUT I want to keep the ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
103
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What are these mysterious switches on my old VCR? [closed]
I have a Samsung VX-306/EDI (VHS PAL) VCR bought in/from the 1990s.
I have lost the physical manual and was unable to find any digital copy of it online (what a shocker...).
Now I'm wondering what the ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
45
views
How long can I reasonably expect my external USB HDDs and memory sticks to last?
I have a number of external USB HDDs (nearly all of them 2.5") in my fireproof safe. They are between 7 and 9 years old. (For a period of two years, I bought one almost every month until I had ...
1
vote
1
answer
35
views
Is there yet such a thing as a "dynamic sheet of paper"? [closed]
I know about "e-ink", but I haven't heard anyone even mention that since like 2006 or something.
I'm looking for essentially a single A4 (or "Letter" size) sheet of paper which is ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
164
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LED Lights Dimmer Electronics
I have a Wemo Smart WiFi Smart Dimmer with me that can control CFL, Incandescent and LED lights. (https://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F7C059/).
I am curious to know how one device can handle all type of ...
1
vote
2
answers
152
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Compensating for a magnet in a device with a magnetometer
I'm working on a device that relies on data from a magnetometer. Unfortunately, the device also needs to have a fairly powerful magnet on it. Given that the design is fairly flexible, and within ...
1
vote
0
answers
39
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I would like to run a smartphone using a primary battery instead of rechargeable for a project. What are the 4 contacts used for on the factory LiPo?
Most phone batteries will have a connector of some type with 4 contacts. Of course two of those I'd expect to be +- Voltage, but the other two compose some sort of mystery input to the phone (...
1
vote
2
answers
64
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Is there no longer such a thing as varying quality of hardware for USB memsticks? [closed]
I'm trying to buy a new 128 GB memstick, for the first time in a very long time. It's going to store important files, and while I will have at least one "copy", I still don't want either of ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
53
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Is it dangerous for a child (or anyone) to bang away with a hammer and unscrew an old clothes washing machine?
In the mid-1990s at the latest, possibly something like 1992-1993, our family's clothes washing machine, presumably from sometime in the 1980s, broke down.
My dad brought it out on the driveway ...
- 1