Someone has just smashed the side mirror off your perfect Nissan Altima that you parked on that busy road you know you shouldn't have parked on anyway, so now it's up to you to repair it— unless you want to pay an overpriced mechanic, who will charge you for parts, labor, and ...more
Ever wonder how to make an engine out of soda cans? Not even sure if it's possible? These videos will show you how to build a working Stirling engine out of cans and other general materials. Here it is in action: Video: . You'll need a few bits and pieces: 1 x M6 x 15 Machine ...more
Building a DIY Alarm System: The Concept So, you want to protect your property, or maybe a room, car, or even your backyard. The concept of an alarm system is to notify the "alarm administrator" that there is an intruder entering the previously designated boundaries. The trig ...more
In this video, Richpin demonstrates how to replace the camshaft sensor in a Nissan Altima. The cam sensor is located by the cylinder box. First, remove the electrical connector off of the sensor. Push up on the lock on the bottom of the sensor to pull back and remove the conne ...more
Arc welding is a type of welding that uses a power supply to create an electric arch between an electrode (electric conductor) and a base material to melt the metals at the welding point. While you can certainly purchase a welder for your car shop or jewelry making business, y ...more
Fans of Doctor Who know that the sonic screwdriver is the ultimate tool. It can unlock doors, turn on lights, detect life forms, solder wires, and sabotage weapons. Presumably, the sonic screwdriver creates sonic vibrations to achieve whatever the doctor wants by vibrating th ...more
Need to keep people out of your precious room? Tired of all of those "do not disturb" signs not working? Locks just aren't cutting it these days? Safeguard your privacy with your very own electric fence. Remember Jurassic Park, when the kid got zapped by the electric fence? Th ...more
In my second article of the laser weapon series (see the first part here on CO2 lasers), I'll be expanding on the potential of pulsed lasers. I'm sure most everyone has seen those green and red laser pulses on Star Wars. Theoretically, those lasers could be built using a conc ...more
If you can think of a piece of junk, someone has probably found a way to turn it into a lamp. Granted, sometimes the result is more functional than beautiful, but DIY lighting is probably one of the most versatile projects you can take on. From string to a can of tuna, the li ...more
After months of waiting, the iPhone 11 is here. At an event in Cupertino, Apple unveiled the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro max. You probably have a lot of questions after reviewing the specs sheet, including wanting to know more about the IP68 rating that all three phones have. ...more
Wish your home wireless network was faster? You can always buy a signal booster, but if you'd rather not spend the money, here are a few tips and tricks to speed up your wireless connection, including how to make a homemade signal booster with things you probably already have ...more
Do you need just a few more controls? Perhaps your wondering how hard it is to make your own controller? Then follow the steps in this 2 part series and build your first MIDI controller in about an hour for very little cash. Using only 8 electronics parts, a pre-made case and ...more
I'm sure most everyone has some kind of fluorescent light source in their home; those long white tubes that emit a bright white light when turned on, or maybe a few of the CFL power-saver bulbs. These bulbs actually require very little "power" (i.e. a high voltage:almost no cu ...more
By trial and error, I have found a good way to remove the door panel from a 2002 Ford Explorer (and other similar years). The first two steps can be done in either order, but doing them in the order I have listed below will prevent damage and scratches to the paneling. Remov ...more
Hello, Null Byte! Mkilic here. I doubt anyone knows I even exist on Null Byte, so hopefully this post will allow me to become more involved in the community and also help me learn even more. This project is somewhat similar to OTW's article here, and pry0cc's here, in which b ...more
Let's just say it's been a pretty bad year for spies and government agencies and an even worse one for the privacy of U.S. citizens. Edward Snowden blew the lid off the NSA's spy program, and the FBI was recently discovered to have the ability to access your webcam any time th ...more
With the microwave oven transformer (M.O.T.) salvaged in a previous project, a simple electrical circuit can be rigged to get high voltage arcs to fly outward and upward along a "V" shaped spark gap. You can look, but don't touch! These arcs of plasma are lethal enough to kil ...more
YouTuber xCrAnKsHoTx teaches you how to take a apart an Xbox 360 power supply, aka power brick, in order to clean it. This could help prevent any red light issues, or overheating in the long run, so it's good to do as maintenance every year or two to remove all the dust in the ...more
Nikola Tesla is one of the most tragic figures in the history of science, a history that is practically filled to the brim with tragic figures. Francis Bacon, a 16th century philosopher and scientist, caught pneumonia and died because he was trying to stuff snow into a dead ch ...more
I like to grow vegetables all year round, and I couldn't afford the big gas bulbs, or the power to run them. The big gas bulbs: can explode can burn you and your plants cost upwards of $50 a month to operate raise the temperature in your home, causing the air conditioning to ...more
If you've found your speakers to be lacking in the visuals department, this is just the mod for you. Using 3" PVC, you can turn your speakers into light-up glow rods that pulse to the beat of your music. You'll need some electrical skills and experience soldering to get this o ...more
They're finally here. Apple announced three new iPhone models at their "Gather Round" event in Cupertino, and they're all absolutely gorgeous phones. With bezel-less screens and polished titanium edges, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are truly marvels of engineering — but perha ...more
Connecting to your headless Raspberry Pi on the go typically requires a network connection or carrying around bulky peripheral hardware like a screen and keyboard. With the help of an old-school connecting standard, though, you can log into your Pi from any computer using a si ...more
In a previous project, I showed how to build an electrical Jacob's ladder using an old microwave oven transformer (MOT). In this project, I modified the secondary coil on the MOT, which converts it from a high voltage/low current device into a low voltage/high current metal me ...more
In this online video series learn how to change the alternator on your car from certified mechanic Nathan McCullough. Watch these videos and learn alternator diagnosis as well as how to disconnect the battery on your car; and how to locate the alternator; how to remove the alt ...more
If you're ever lost or hurt out in the middle of nowhere with a dead cell phone, you might be able to "flag" down help as long as you're near some railroad tracks. Some train tracks carry a small electric charge as a means of detecting other trains for signaling or for detect ...more
Take everyday sprinkler parts and form them into a high pressure rocket launcher that will shoot paper rockets nearly 300 feet!!! It's cheap to make and a lot of fun! Video: . A quick trip to nearly any hardware or sprinkler supply store should get you everything you need for ...more
This is a tutorial showing you how to mod a ps2 slim. This will allow you to play backups as well as Guitar Hero 2 customs. If you want to learn how to make your own copy I might put up a video for that. This tutorial also shows the swap trick in action. -I am not responsible ...more
An emergency battery charger for your mobile phone comes in handy, but it's not the ultimate solution; once it's dead it's useless (what a waste). If you want to really get off the metaphorical grid, you can follow the steps in this video to construct a more robust circuit tha ...more
In this video tutorial you will learn how to make a pair of high tech night vision sunglasses. You will first need a pair of 100% clear sunglasses with nothing but UV protection. Then two sheets of theatrical photo gels, one congo blue and one primary red. Using the gasses as ...more
Samsung's new line of Galaxy S20 flagships have a water resistance rating of IP68. This means you don't have to worry as much about getting the phones wet, but there's a limit to that. The IEC standard 60529 outlines a series of tests performed by the National Electrical Manu ...more
When it comes to melee combat, two swords can definitely be better than one. Throw a stun gun on top of that and you've got a seriously terrifying weapon. That's exactly what YouTuber jonathanj9969 did with his homemade double-bladed stun sword. Video: . The stun sword is basi ...more
One day, your car may break down and you won't be able to afford to hire a mechanic, so what do you do... you look on the web for some how-to vehicle repair videos and become your own car mechanic, that's what. You don't need any advanced training to perform repairs and simple ...more
Science-fiction writer Jules Verne predicted many scientific breakthroughs, including the moon landing, tasers, and nuclear submarines. In his 1874 book The Mysterious Island, Verne writes: I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which ...more
YouTube's massive user base comprises almost one third of all people on the internet, and collectively, users spend well over 100 million hours on the site watching billions of videos each day. Add it all up, and this means that YouTube is viewed by more people than any U.S. c ...more
At the core of your Galaxy S5's hardware lies the central processing unit, or CPU for short. Practically every piece of data, every binary bit, has to pass through your CPU before it can be used to display a video or execute a game command. During times of heavy load, the CPU ...more
A relay is an electrical component that works like a light switch, where it's turned on or off with an electrical signal. By connecting a relay to a Wi-Fi connected microcontroller like an ESP8266, you can build a connected switch that can be controlled from the web browser of ...more
In the case of Apple Watch v. Fitbit, the winner comes down to the judge at hand. Apple currently offers two smartwatches — the Series 5 and the Series 3 — while Fitbit offers three models — the Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Ionic, and Fitbit Versa Lite. Whatever your assumptions abo ...more
Okay, you've got all of your feed wires set up on your model railway track, now what? Ballasting. Check out this video tutorial to see how to ballast your model railroad track. You are going to need some ballast, which is a fine N scale (1:160) ballast. You are going to also ...more
Clumsiness is the great equalizer when it comes to smartphones — it makes no distinction between the most expensive flagship handset and cheaper mid-range models. A hard drop onto pavement will usually result in a shattered screen, regardless of how pricey your device is. And ...more
Computer viruses are terrifying. They are undetectable, dangerous, and operate constantly right under your nose. For the average computer user, there are only a few repair options. You could buy expensive antivirus software that causes more problems than it fixes, you can wipe ...more
What's a penny worth these days? Not much. But could there be some free energy hidden inside your spare pennies? You'd be surprised! See how I hack together stacks of pennies into makeshift batteries that can drive small-current devices like LEDs and calculators. Video: . You' ...more
Riding your bicycle at night is dangerous on busy streets, especially if you've got no bike lights. In most states, it's illegal to ride your bike at night without any lights because drivers on the road won't be able to see you until it's too late. Plus, how is anybody going t ...more
The iPhone X was released in November 2017, and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus dropped right before it, but the hottest news right now revolves around the 2018 iPhone releases. The rumor mill regarding the iPhone X's successor started churning out speculations on names, cameras, disp ...more
Bob Schmidt from Home Remodel Workshop demonstrates how to frame a wall 16 inches on center. His tutorial is especially helpful, so pay attention to his tips, tricks, and specific techniques. When laying out a top and bottom plate for a typical wall a framing square is usuall ...more
You can get an expensive ticket for driving with a busted tail light. But that's not all. Driving with a faulty brake light can be dangerous. Replacing the bulb is a simple task that takes only a few minutes. You Will Need *A screwdriver *A replacement bulb *A friend’s help ...more
Wall studs are both critical for maintaining the structure of your home and supporting items of weight and function on the interior walls (e.g. cabinets, shelves, plasma TVs, etc.). With wall studs playing such a critical role, consistently being able to find them is important ...more
In this series on weaponized lasers, I'll be exploring the function, operation, strength and building instructions for three basic laser weapons; CO2, Diode, and Flashlamp. These laser types are just a few of many, selected because of their simplicity and basic construction (d ...more
Staying cool in the summer heat sometimes feels like it takes all the energy in the world. But what about a fan using no-cost electrical energy? If you're looking to keep cool during a power outage, or if you don't want to break the bank by running your DIY air conditioner all ...more
This is a step-by-step instructional on how to make a potato gun, otherwise known as the spud gun, potato launcher, potato cannon, etc. Although this can be a fun activity, it is still dangerous, just like a real weapon. The tools needed for this spud cannon are a drill, saw, ...more
If you're at the point where you need to start ballasting your model railroad track, then you might want to check out this video tutorial on wiring. Learn how to wire your model railroad track. So, see how to run the feeder cables to power up your ballasts to power up your mi ...more
If you're doing any sort of electrical work at home, a multimeter is an invaluable tool to have. But as invaluable as it is to have a volt/ohm meter, it is obviously even more invaluable still to know how to use one. And, with this electrician's how-to, you'll learn how to do ...more
A spark plug is a device that fits into the cylinder head of an engine and ignites compressed fuel with an electrical spark. This video tutorial demonstrates how to change the spark plugs on a 4.7L V8 Jeep engine. When changing spark plugs, wait until the engine has cooled dow ...more
Whenever we make a homemade circuit, we use what are called through-hole components. Any components with long metal leads is a through-hole component. They are great for soldering to, but it's tough to fit enough through-hole resistors and capacitors into a smartphone. To get ...more
Doing electrical work is one of the most intimidating tasks for a novice home repairman. But if you know what you're doing, the risk is pretty minimal. In this clip, Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows us how wire a combo outlet with power.
Volume markings on large pots and mixing bowls make life so much easier. They cut out the step of measuring and save you the trouble of washing measuring cups. However, there aren't many containers out there that actually have volume markers in them. Good news is that you can ...more
If you don't know, an alternator is a pretty big part when it comes to a car. If you don't know what it does, an alternator basically converts mechanical energy into electrical energy for your car to use. If you need to know how to fix it or repair it, this tutorial should hel ...more
Watch to learn how to replace the HEPA filter on a Dyson DC07 vacuum. This Dyson spare parts video we show how to remove and replace the Dyson DC07 Pre Motor Filter and Dyson DC07 HEPA Post Motor Filter. This vacuum maintenance video also outlines the Dyson airflow path as wel ...more
Bikes are a great form of transportation. They use human energy more efficiently than any other machine. You can keep it in your closet or hallway. You can even take it on the train in a pinch. However, this portability is also the bike's biggest draw back. If you own a bike i ...more
With ultra competitive games like Fortnite Battle Royale and PUBG taking the mobile world by storm, gamers are looking for ways to get a leg up on the competition. One of the biggest advantages you can give yourself is the ability to aim and shoot while on the move, but that's ...more