@@atkelar I think we may be very near that. It's probably very sophisticated and didn't rank too high of a risk assessment. Then again I may be overly imaginative.
The current version in the PCB files is an SOIC package, as that was the one I got; The video still shows the older version with the "too small" footprint that needed touch up soldering, but the SOIC version should fit.
Haha, you ordered your parts at Reichelt... I recognize their packaging style! By the way, there is no link in the description to the original design discussion...
Hmm... I still see the video linked: it's called "Troubleshoot Electronics FAST with a Super Probe" though. He covers the circuit design in depth in that one...
Good video, sir. I am trying to make this project work. I just finished the probe that picks up the sound. Can I connect the audio out from it directly to a PC amplifier board type powered by 5V based on a TDA2822 or an LM386.i can find the ic that is needed here were im.thnaks in advance!
From the sound perspective, it should work, yes. The input voltage to the probe is controlled via a 2k potentiometer anyhow, so anything between 0 and 5V should do. I would suggest to build up at least the two potentiomenters and the input capacitor for decoupling and adjustmnt of the levels. One 2k, one 4k7 potentiometer and two 4.7µF capacitors should do the trick; But... there's going to be a possible source of noise from the PC with the switching power supply and (usually) bad shielding/grounding, so you might pick up too much of that. The DC supply is not super critical, a 6V battery would also do...
The electrolytic ones inside the probe are just for DC stabilization. Tantalum is common here because they are small and have a rather small ESR value. But any modern, low ESR electrolytic should do just fine; voltage/capacity should be same or slightly greater.
Not if someone actually checks... But the parts would probably tick a few boxes in automated analysis tools... I mean, I buy all sorts of chemicals, electronics and now seemingly useless pipes. 😝
Thanks to your help, I'm almost done with the probe. I just have one more question: what's the difference between adding (R16) 10k resistor to the emitter of T6
I think you mean R15? The one that goes to ground? That's for when you want to connect the probe to a signal tracer input rather than the provided audio amplifier. Signal tracers would have a rather high input impedance, so the final stage woulen't really work because almost no current could flow across the transistor. Regular audio amplifiers should have similar input, so it's not needed then.
Can you tell me what transistors you used? I'm a patron member and have the schematic already. I can make my own boards, i just hate working with SMD. I think the remaining values are the same.
Mr. Carlson mentioned 2N3904 - and I found them in TO92 just fine; seems to be a very common type. I'm still not able to contact him though. The schematic and build instructions are public, I just don't want to crash with any of his decisions.
I learned something new! 👍😁 Because I did not know what the world finagle meant before this video. 😅 I didn't even know it existed and thought it was a made up word. 😝😆 I guess it is simulator to finicky! 😁👍
Now I had to check the official definition to make sure 😁 but yes, I heard it in some really old cartoon and loved it for that exact use. It might be out of style, but I like funny sounding words! 😊
Indeed; my problem was or still is: it would have to be an exact fit and that was nowhere to be found on short notice. I tried to support the inside with a piece of round stock in the vice, but that was too "springy". If the pipe were too much off round, I would not be able to fit the end caps. And since it's just a one off for myself, I'll live with the shallow imprint. I know what to look for 😜
Yes, print out your board design and proof the footprints = Agreed! Tips = Some (most?) inkjet printers do not print 1:1, even when set to 100% scale. Meaning, your printout will not be exact, making it less helpful for proofing. You can change the scaling factor in the print settings. Mine is set to 102% I draw a 100mm line on the KiCad board comments layer. I include that layer in the KiCad output settings. I print the board and double check the scale by measuring this 100mm reference line. HTH.
Thanks for the tips! - When I need a 1:1 print myself, I usually validate the print by measuring across the longest parts of the print in X and Y directions. Assuming that there are no distortions within the print should be OK. My laser printer so far has been pretty much spot on.
That's awesome! I've been wanting to build one after seeing Mr.Carlsons video. I dont want to work on smd... and I've never designed a board. can you send me the file for the board? (Then I can order one myself and build a thru hole just like you did)
I am still trying to reach out to Mr. Carlson about that... since it is his design, I feel it's better not to publish/share too much details. I have no idea how this device factors in with his whole "Patreon only" thing.
The components are mentioned by Mr. Carlson in his original video; I am not sure if I should publish the PCB design though; He does have "patreon only benefits" and I wouldn't want to sidestep those. If I can somehow get his OK, I'd gladly publish them on my GitHub as the KiCAD project, but I find myself usually pretty much ignored by larger UA-camrs... claws crossed. EDIT/UPDATE: I tried the UA-cam listed Contact address... "mailbox full or unavailable". So somehing is off, and I have no way of contacting him...
It is understandable; after a certain level of publicity, one probably can easily drown in requests and spam. It'd really be awesome to have some way of asking questions that is not immediately poisoned by any spamming bot...
@@atkelar It's not just spam, some get swamped with what I have dubbed "homework questions". Where someone wants the youtuber to do their personal project for them, some are clearly tasks they need to complete for their degree. Or just legit technical questions you could spend the rest of eternity if you answered them all.
Indeed ^^ - so far, the amount of comments and questions on my videos is rather low. Low enough for me to keep the "manual approval" enabled still. I managed to avoid at least one "give me your money to collect your winning" scams by that. But if it grows by an order of magnitude, I'd also require the automated system to take care of them... and answering questions will become next to impossible indeed.
I built one of these probes myself over a year ago mostly following the design but with a few tweaks, I made mine completely on perf board. I had a probe casing from a broken RF device I could use but I had to use my lathe to machine the probing cap nicely, I re-worked the back end to get a button, the led and space for a banana plug ground wire, (you really wanna be able to ground the probe itself to the device you probing) I made my own amp for it as I did not like that part with smd and stuff, I just made a small transistor amp, case with the pots, built in litium batteries with a detachable probe connector and headphone output. if I want speaker audio I can just connect any 3,5mm audio device to the device. I think got less interference in my probe by the video but it can just be you have more of the tip exposed than me or that my probe case was designed for very small and sensitive signals to begin with, I have not even 5mm of the coax core exposed and even some of the probe I made so it cover the coax a bit too so that I can go really close to the stuff I probe and really use the gain knob to find what I want. it is a potent probe design by Carlsson but a bit fiddly to get good signal/noise ratio with
Nice! I just copied the amplifier too, since I am not that comfortable with "from scratch" circuits yet.Digital ones, sure, but anything involving analog signals: not yet. It's not in the video, but I made a crocodile clip style grounding wire that is on one of the case screws since then. Plain simple forgot about it 😅️
@@atkelar nice. I usually build my own amps and stuff using vacuum tubes. Sometimes I use solid state stuff and can do some digital stuff too but I am a real sucker for tubes lol. Analog audio is not that hard if you learn the basics of it but if you work with tubes like I do you also involve several hundred volts into the equation which is dangerous for those who don’t know how to work with it. But generally transistors and that is not that different to build with except you don’t need that much voltage.
I do have a bit of generic knowledge, and I'm sure I can cobble together an audio level amplifier, but calculating the parameters and making sure the transistors are properly driven is a bit of guesswork for me. I really want to start with some tube experiments in that area next; I have a few random old ones around that test as good; only thing missing is a proper power supply, and I just managed to score something along those lines :)
9:00 😂 stasi
Really nice looking finished product. You have amazing skills!!!
Thank you! 😁 While I am pretty sure that we don't actually have that level of snooping, I felt quite a bit uneasy when making that purchase.
@@atkelar I think we may be very near that. It's probably very sophisticated and didn't rank too high of a risk assessment. Then again I may be overly imaginative.
Your enclousure is better than his,smaller and more compact.Nice video!
Hi, could you share pcb files to order pcb? It would be priceless.
Hi! I tried several time to contact Mr. Carlson to get an OK - so far, no reply at all. I am tempted to just upload it to my github anyhow...
@@atkelar Hi! I have contacted via Ko-fi, maybe you could help?
I'm in the process of cleaning the files up, so I can upload them to my github! I'll let you know as soon as it's done!
@@atkelarHi, thanks for sharing. I ordered pcb:s. Can you tell if LM4871 footprint on your pcb is SOP8 size?
The current version in the PCB files is an SOIC package, as that was the one I got; The video still shows the older version with the "too small" footprint that needed touch up soldering, but the SOIC version should fit.
Hey, I like your equipment! Lathe, bending brake, mill (or at least a drill press with a coordinate table)... am I envious now :). Lovely project.
Thank you very much! It has accumulated over time; and yes, that is a mini-mill to go with the mini-lathe. I have project videos about them in here ^^
Hey, i used to be able to bend metal as good as that... But unfortunately im a bit older now and my teeth just aren't up to it no longer 😒
lets see, yep, it appears you have all the skills and every tool known to man. Loved the video.
Haha, you ordered your parts at Reichelt... I recognize their packaging style!
By the way, there is no link in the description to the original design discussion...
Hmm... I still see the video linked: it's called "Troubleshoot Electronics FAST with a Super Probe" though. He covers the circuit design in depth in that one...
Good video, sir. I am trying to make this project work. I just finished the probe that picks up the sound. Can I connect the audio out from it directly to a PC amplifier board type powered by 5V based on a TDA2822 or an LM386.i can find the ic that is needed here were im.thnaks in advance!
From the sound perspective, it should work, yes. The input voltage to the probe is controlled via a 2k potentiometer anyhow, so anything between 0 and 5V should do. I would suggest to build up at least the two potentiomenters and the input capacitor for decoupling and adjustmnt of the levels. One 2k, one 4k7 potentiometer and two 4.7µF capacitors should do the trick;
But... there's going to be a possible source of noise from the PC with the switching power supply and (usually) bad shielding/grounding, so you might pick up too much of that. The DC supply is not super critical, a 6V battery would also do...
Fantastic video! Not just educational but addictive. Is there a shared Gerbsr file??
I have since uploaded my files to my GitHub repository: github.com/Atkelar/KiCadGadgets/
What happens if I don't use tantalum capacitors and instead use electrolytic ones? Does it affect the sensitivity of the probe
The electrolytic ones inside the probe are just for DC stabilization. Tantalum is common here because they are small and have a rather small ESR value. But any modern, low ESR electrolytic should do just fine; voltage/capacity should be same or slightly greater.
So, what is the concern over the pipe and end caps? Are you concerned they'd think you were building explosives?
Not if someone actually checks... But the parts would probably tick a few boxes in automated analysis tools... I mean, I buy all sorts of chemicals, electronics and now seemingly useless pipes. 😝
Thanks to your help, I'm almost done with the probe. I just have one more question: what's the difference between adding (R16) 10k resistor to the emitter of T6
I think you mean R15? The one that goes to ground? That's for when you want to connect the probe to a signal tracer input rather than the provided audio amplifier. Signal tracers would have a rather high input impedance, so the final stage woulen't really work because almost no current could flow across the transistor. Regular audio amplifiers should have similar input, so it's not needed then.
@@atkelar yes that what i meant..Thank you sir, my regards to you
Mr. Carlson's Lab is amazing. Thanks so much for creating the PCB design, building it up, and documenting it for us! :D
If you ever need to keep coper from collapsing like that you might want to get a hold of some woods metal, it's a eutectic alloy for pipe bending.
I always call that tool a Biegelehre thanks to Marco Reps (and my not knowing what it was called before that).
That is the German word for it; I'm not sure if there's an English one... "Bending-Guide" might be close...?
But you are talented. great job!
Regards
Can you tell me what transistors you used? I'm a patron member and have the schematic already. I can make my own boards, i just hate working with SMD. I think the remaining values are the same.
Mr. Carlson mentioned 2N3904 - and I found them in TO92 just fine; seems to be a very common type. I'm still not able to contact him though. The schematic and build instructions are public, I just don't want to crash with any of his decisions.
I learned something new! 👍😁 Because I did not know what the world finagle meant before this video. 😅 I didn't even know it existed and thought it was a made up word. 😝😆 I guess it is simulator to finicky! 😁👍
Now I had to check the official definition to make sure 😁 but yes, I heard it in some really old cartoon and loved it for that exact use. It might be out of style, but I like funny sounding words! 😊
a wooden dowel or metal billet would be ideal to put inside the copper pipe to hammer the die and not crush the pipe.
Indeed; my problem was or still is: it would have to be an exact fit and that was nowhere to be found on short notice. I tried to support the inside with a piece of round stock in the vice, but that was too "springy". If the pipe were too much off round, I would not be able to fit the end caps. And since it's just a one off for myself, I'll live with the shallow imprint. I know what to look for 😜
Yes, print out your board design and proof the footprints = Agreed! Tips = Some (most?) inkjet printers do not print 1:1, even when set to 100% scale. Meaning, your printout will not be exact, making it less helpful for proofing. You can change the scaling factor in the print settings. Mine is set to 102% I draw a 100mm line on the KiCad board comments layer. I include that layer in the KiCad output settings. I print the board and double check the scale by measuring this 100mm reference line. HTH.
Thanks for the tips! - When I need a 1:1 print myself, I usually validate the print by measuring across the longest parts of the print in X and Y directions. Assuming that there are no distortions within the print should be OK. My laser printer so far has been pretty much spot on.
@@atkelar Yes, laser printers have this problem less often, it seems. Somehow, it is more of an inkjet quirk.
That's awesome! I've been wanting to build one after seeing Mr.Carlsons video. I dont want to work on smd... and I've never designed a board. can you send me the file for the board? (Then I can order one myself and build a thru hole just like you did)
I am still trying to reach out to Mr. Carlson about that... since it is his design, I feel it's better not to publish/share too much details. I have no idea how this device factors in with his whole "Patreon only" thing.
@@atkelar okay let me know for sure. I'm a patron of his but like I said before not comfortable with smd.
Also I love your videos. Your very knowledgeable and the video quality is excellent. You have even got some laughs from me
Awesome! Great job! Where may I find the pcb and components list?
The components are mentioned by Mr. Carlson in his original video; I am not sure if I should publish the PCB design though; He does have "patreon only benefits" and I wouldn't want to sidestep those. If I can somehow get his OK, I'd gladly publish them on my GitHub as the KiCAD project, but I find myself usually pretty much ignored by larger UA-camrs... claws crossed.
EDIT/UPDATE: I tried the UA-cam listed Contact address... "mailbox full or unavailable". So somehing is off, and I have no way of contacting him...
@@atkelar Ah the curse of many large youtube electronics channels, no way to contact them. Either at all, or without donating money via Patreon.
It is understandable; after a certain level of publicity, one probably can easily drown in requests and spam. It'd really be awesome to have some way of asking questions that is not immediately poisoned by any spamming bot...
@@atkelar It's not just spam, some get swamped with what I have dubbed "homework questions". Where someone wants the youtuber to do their personal project for them, some are clearly tasks they need to complete for their degree. Or just legit technical questions you could spend the rest of eternity if you answered them all.
Indeed ^^ - so far, the amount of comments and questions on my videos is rather low. Low enough for me to keep the "manual approval" enabled still. I managed to avoid at least one "give me your money to collect your winning" scams by that. But if it grows by an order of magnitude, I'd also require the automated system to take care of them... and answering questions will become next to impossible indeed.
I built one of these probes myself over a year ago mostly following the design but with a few tweaks, I made mine completely on perf board. I had a probe casing from a broken RF device I could use but I had to use my lathe to machine the probing cap nicely, I re-worked the back end to get a button, the led and space for a banana plug ground wire, (you really wanna be able to ground the probe itself to the device you probing) I made my own amp for it as I did not like that part with smd and stuff, I just made a small transistor amp, case with the pots, built in litium batteries with a detachable probe connector and headphone output. if I want speaker audio I can just connect any 3,5mm audio device to the device. I think got less interference in my probe by the video but it can just be you have more of the tip exposed than me or that my probe case was designed for very small and sensitive signals to begin with, I have not even 5mm of the coax core exposed and even some of the probe I made so it cover the coax a bit too so that I can go really close to the stuff I probe and really use the gain knob to find what I want. it is a potent probe design by Carlsson but a bit fiddly to get good signal/noise ratio with
Nice! I just copied the amplifier too, since I am not that comfortable with "from scratch" circuits yet.Digital ones, sure, but anything involving analog signals: not yet.
It's not in the video, but I made a crocodile clip style grounding wire that is on one of the case screws since then. Plain simple forgot about it 😅️
@@atkelar nice. I usually build my own amps and stuff using vacuum tubes. Sometimes I use solid state stuff and can do some digital stuff too but I am a real sucker for tubes lol. Analog audio is not that hard if you learn the basics of it but if you work with tubes like I do you also involve several hundred volts into the equation which is dangerous for those who don’t know how to work with it. But generally transistors and that is not that different to build with except you don’t need that much voltage.
I do have a bit of generic knowledge, and I'm sure I can cobble together an audio level amplifier, but calculating the parameters and making sure the transistors are properly driven is a bit of guesswork for me. I really want to start with some tube experiments in that area next; I have a few random old ones around that test as good; only thing missing is a proper power supply, and I just managed to score something along those lines :)