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  1. (*steve*)

    Card Reader type

    I'm still not sure what he wants to do. Is it to convert the PVR into a PC? Is it to use the parts inside (the card reader?) With his PC? Is it to search for aliens? Is it to hack the PVR into life without the need for a card? I'm starting to deal with @tedstruk's posts as performance art...
  2. (*steve*)

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    I didn't realise that. We have a large tube (almost 2m long) that got a hole in it. One of our crew are thinking about sealing off the water jacket (the hole is actually in the water jacket) and filling it with neon to make a huge neon indicator tube!
  3. (*steve*)

    Card Reader type

    Sure. It's basically as easy as converting the average modern toaster.
  4. (*steve*)

    How to block Magnetic field coming from substation and underground power to property beside it

    Well, the Earth's magnetic field is one you've been living in all your life (I expect). If you get yourself a mu-metal box you'll be able to shield yourself (with you inside it).
  5. (*steve*)

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    The visible laser is really useful when positioning the laser head. In this case it's turned on all the time, showing where the IR laser will be cutting.
  6. (*steve*)

    Wrapping Exposed USB Drives With Electrical Tape

    Electrical tape gets gummy and horrible over time. I'd recommend you get some heatshrink tubing and cover them with that.
  7. (*steve*)

    Programming c on raspberry pi

    C++ is more strict with types than C. You'll find that some C code will require explicit type-casting in order to compile. Also there are more reserved words in C++ and if you choose one as your variable (or more likely you are compiling some code where someone else has used one) then you'll...
  8. (*steve*)

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    I would get proper safety glasses. You only get one set of eyes.
  9. (*steve*)

    For Sale: Vintage Silver Mica Molded Capacitors

    I tend to agree with many of the comments above. Silver Mica aren't used a lot for new designs these days, and if they are, most people would probably want new components unless they're designing something they really want to look vintage. In this case, maybe look for forums where people are...
  10. (*steve*)

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    We've been looking at purchasing some beam combiners for the two laser cutters we have at my local hackerspace. Obviously we'd use a semiconductor laser these days :-) One problem is that we have switched to a lens that is opaque to visible light, the other is that the beam combiners are not...
  11. (*steve*)

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    I also recommend you get yourself a set of safety glasses for IR radiation (they are essentially clear acrylic). Even diffuse reflection from a 40W tube can destroy your eyesight.
  12. (*steve*)

    Boost converter

    Also, your circuit's output, without load will rise to a high voltage. It will be limited by leakage, breakdown, etc. I would have recommended a 12V zener as a simulation load. That way you could estimate the current into the battery. Because nothing (other than the battery voltage) will...
  13. (*steve*)

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    Tubes vary in quality and this can affect many operational areas, tube life being one. Your tube may be rated for 1000 hours of life. If you overdrive it, you'll get more power, but tube life will be greatly reduced. If you under drive it, the tube life will be extended significantly. Heat...
  14. (*steve*)

    Why are actuators inductive?

    Well, only India and Australia (and the US) are actually larger than India (Canada being larger than the US). However, India probably has more English speakers than The US, Canada, Australia, and the UK combined :-) England is only large if you are still a true believer in the British Empire!
  15. (*steve*)

    Formula for Magnetic field at a distance

    It depends. If the magnet (or solenoid) is only a couple of mm in size, then yes. If it's a 20cm cube, then no.
  16. (*steve*)

    Formula for Magnetic field at a distance

    Once you are far enough away, the intensity falls with the square of the distance. This doesn't work when you're really close.
  17. (*steve*)

    Will this purchased adaptor be okay?

    Correct. The power supply must be capable of supplying (at the very least) the current demanded by the load. Preferably it should be capable of a little more, just so it is not running right at it's limits. If it is capable of supplying even more current, that's fine too.
  18. (*steve*)

    Why are actuators inductive?

    And even if the question was rephrased to ask "why are actuators which use magnetic force always inductive?", the answer would still be that they're not, because there are magnetically actuated switches which use a change in temperature to manipulate the magnetic field (see some soldering iron...
  19. (*steve*)

    Converting a PWM wave into pure DC

    I would suggest that you look at the power supply to the PWM controller. It will be DC having a value equal to the peak value of the PWM output.
  20. (*steve*)

    Solution for clearing LED epoxy on emitter?

    If you're talking about those soft, jelly-like lenses, then you're not going to be able to fix them and I withdraw my suggestion about polishing them. The cloudiness may change the radiation pattern, and possibly the colour. How much? It's hard to say. If it doesn't seem to affect the...
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