DIY CD Solar Concentrator -attempt

Well, I thought of building a solar concentrator out of cds, but it ended up being just a … “reflector”.

It could work by having something painted in black and placed in the center of this thing, but I’ll try to build a concentrator some time.

Here are the pictures:

Actually, just before sunset, a couple of the cds( I think about 3-4, but they are 12 !) reflected the light into one spot: it was super bright. Now I know that if I build this correctly, I can have a powerful concentrator that can heat things so much they can catch fire !

Handheld 220 Dynamo Generator

There is a show on youtube that I subscribed to. Some teens from France make all kinds of inventions and innovations in their show called “Incroyables Expériences”.

Their last entry (from 5th August) impressed me, they created something really useful: a handheld generator that produces 220v using a dynamo, excellent for emergency situations. You might be puzzled how this can actually work( and you don’t see this kind of stuff everywhere to be honest), but I’ll explain in a bit.

Here’s the video:

View it HD on youtube.

I’m not going to detail here, because curious people will look further and search about it on wikipedia and google. They used a transformer( ac adaptor). When this transformer is put in the right way, it transforms the 220v Ac current to whatever it is specified on the transformer case. But if it is inverted, it amplifies the voltage( the amperage is lowered).

Well, they didn’t make any breakthrough discovery, but they did show a very good example how this principle can be used in practice.

1..2..3.. Potato Launch!

Guns- you see them at TV, and even live or you may have one yourself. But guns using bullets are so old-fashioned now…

How about a potato gun? Or potato cannon, in this case…

I found a video recently from MakeMagazine (with the famous kipkay presenting the show)  about making a potato cannon. The principle is simple: it uses a combustion chamber filled with ordinary spray deodorant that, at a spark,  explodes and pushes a potato through a longer tube..

Here’s the video :

I think I’ll build one myself in the future .

LED Ball

I found this on youtube and I think you should watch it too. It’s lovely. And innovative. And I like the effects !

M-am ars

M-am ars cu peroxid de hidrogen . Cam asa arata o arsura de peroxid de hidrogen ( la mine e mult mai mica) :

Am aflat dupa net ca H2O2 ingheata la o temperatura mai joasa ca H2O si m-am gandit sa cumpar niste apa oxigenata si sa o bag intr-un pahar la frigider. Ok, dupa ce am scos-o , am observat ca intr-adevar a ramas o pelicula subtire de lichid la suprafata ( pentru ca apa oxigenata din comert are doar 3% peroxid de hidrogen )  .

Si ma gandesc eu … cum sa testez daca e concentrat sau nuuuu ?????? Si bag eu degetu ca zic ca n-are nimic in atata apa .  Nu am simtit nimic. Am ramas deceptionat … frate si m-a pus dracu sa ma scarpin pe nas cu degetu ala ( suprafata mica din fericire) . Dupa care vad ca mi s-a albit unghia. M-am sters repede ) . Dar dupa un timp am simtit o caldura puternica pe suprafata aia mica pe nas. Si alb o ramas acolo =)) .

Acu ma gandesc sa iau vreo 3 flaconase de apa oxigenata si sa fac niste peroxid de hidrogen pentru niste experimente. Un flacon de 170 ml costa 3 lei . Si o sa incerc sa fac ceea ce se numeste “poor man’s liquid nitrogen“ . Dar la chestia aia nu se mai poate gresi cu un deget. Pentru ca a doua oara nu mai ai deget . ( bine , nu stiu daca pot face asa ceva deocamdata, nu m-am informat complet).

In alta ordine de idei, ma apuc de electronica inapoi. Simt ca explodez daca nu fac ceva. Si cu leduri sau ceva . Orice, numai sa fac ceva . asa ca vreau sa-mi cumpar ceva piese si un multimetru digital, eventual un letcon fiindca e mai bun(cred) decat un pistol de lipit traditional cu sarma de cupru).

Daca va plac chestiile astea DIY ca si mie ( foarte mult imi plac) , cautati pe youtube dupa “kipkay”.

Are multe videoclipuri DIY tipu’ , unul l-ati vazut deja mai jos , cel cu bateriile la laptop .

Si in final, mai spun ca fac ceva research-uri si ma documentez despre condensatoare. O sa incerc sa-mi fac si o butelie de leyda . Si sa strang cat mai multe condensatoare la aceiasi volti ca sa-i leg in paralel si sa obtin o baterie ( care ar tine macar vreo 3 minute aprins un led) .

huaaaa, mi-e somn . pa pa ©