EEVblog #928 - Jaycar DMX RGB LED Lights Teardown

[Fungus]

I'm guilty of uploading a fairly boring and low-ish technical quality content video, sue me, that happens. 90% of the people who rated the video thought it was ok enough, so, well, there's your answer I guess.

I didn't think it was bad. It's always good to see inside stuff.

A good electronics designer needs to know both ends of the spectrum.  You can learn just as much from an informed teardown of "low quality" stuff as from a teardown of "high quality" stuff.

The low quality stuff is still a working design.

[eamoex]

Luckily for the rest of us, the blog isn't individually tailored for you.

Who said it should be?

Of course good stuff is also made in China, of course it's cheap to use the word Chinese that way, I just meant that the video comes down to saying this piece of hardware is crap repeatedly, and it's a little boring after hearing it 4 times.

[Fungus]

I just meant that the video comes down to saying this piece of hardware is crap repeatedly, and it's a little boring after hearing it 4 times.

Feel free to click "STOP" and go watch something else. 

[eamoex]

90% of the people who rated the video thought it was ok enough

I did not thumb down the video -- but I did bring that 10% into the thread!   

[Towger]

A good electronics designer needs to know both ends of the spectrum.  You can learn just as much from an informed teardown of "low quality" stuff as from a teardown of "high quality" stuff.

The other end of the stage/disco lighting quality and complexity spectrum can be seen here, in Big Clives video:

https://youtu.be/4yMHV_6SB7c

[EEVblog]

90% of the people who rated the video thought it was ok enough

I did not thumb down the video -- but I did bring that 10% into the thread!   

BTW, the 10% is generally a skewed figure anyway, as people with strong negative opinions will tend to be more liable to take action than those that have a positive or neutral position.
In any case it's a very typical figure for a "meh" level video.
And if I dare mention a poor quality no-name Chinese product, out of the woodwork they come.

[Halcyon]

Seeing low quality products is a good way to demonstrate what not to do if you're designing a product or what to look out for when buying.

[rrinker]

 It's definitely worthwhile see how NOT to cut corners in a design. I also enjoyed the more off the cuff feel of this video. I don't think I'd like them all to be like this, a little post-production polish is nice, but in this one I think we saw the natural first reaction as Dave got a look at things, nothing toned down or restated, and it was a nice change. Not everything needs to be finely tuned with all mistakes edited out and carefully thought out statements inserted.

[Brumby]

There are a few posts that make reference to the value of a tear-down of 'cheap crap' ... which is, as I see it, understanding what is considered cheap - and the significance of that.

For example:
 - a cheap effort on a safety earth.  What it looks like and why it's bad.
 - Wun hung lo LEDs - and their life expectancy.
... and so on.

Also, even with cheap crap, there can be some examples of things done well.

All in all - this tear-down may not have been of a product in the same class as a Keysight scope, but it DID provide some useful information.


As to whether it will appeal to everybody's taste ... that's just a subject no blogger will waste any time over.  It's just impossible.

[jitter]

Some of the criticism I have heard echoes my thoughts which is it was an unnecessary distraction to hear the repetition of such a strident disdain of the product. It wasn't about the particular quality of the product in question. It just made me wonder why bother at all to look at it? I can't see how it is valid to justify the video based on it not being a high end bit of kit. It isn't a high end bit of gear, it is known right from the start it isn't, so on that understanding the choice has been made to look at it.

Just for the fun of it!
Not everything needs to be justified, and the existence of a (IMHO) reasonably successful channel dealing mostly with just this sort of cheap stuff (usually bought off eBay, AliExpress etc.) to me seems proof of it.
He was linked to just a few posts back. Just when I think I've seen the most unlikely or dangerous contraptions I possibly could I tune into Big Clive's channel and find there's actually lots more...

[NottheDan]

Okay, I have to ask. What is the thing with the fold-out arms on the unit? They barely spread the sockets any further apart and there's so much space left in the base unit that the sockets might as well have been mounted at the end caps with no effective difference (except that you'd have half the unit more space), so what use are they really? Just for show?

And with cheap designs "down to a price" I have to agree with other commenters. Some more depth in what compromises would be acceptable and what you would cut down on if you had to design that unit would be nice.

[Halcyon]

Okay, I have to ask. What is the thing with the fold-out arms on the unit? They barely spread the sockets any further apart and there's so much space left in the base unit that the sockets might as well have been mounted at the end caps with no effective difference (except that you'd have half the unit more space), so what use are they really? Just for show?

It looks like the controller was designed to mount onto a T-stand with the LED lights fixed to either side of the fold out arms (there are screws on the LED lights with what look like corresponding holes on the bottom of the controller module and arms).

[NottheDan]

Okay, I have to ask. What is the thing with the fold-out arms on the unit? They barely spread the sockets any further apart and there's so much space left in the base unit that the sockets might as well have been mounted at the end caps with no effective difference (except that you'd have half the unit more space), so what use are they really? Just for show?

It looks like the controller was designed to mount onto a T-stand with the LED lights fixed to either side of the fold out arms (there are screws on the LED lights with what look like corresponding holes on the bottom of the controller module and arms).

Ah okay. Looks pretty flimsy for that job though.

[Brumby]

... a function of the price point.

Just means you need to "Handle with Care" - not like roadies on a tour.

[Halcyon]

Okay, I have to ask. What is the thing with the fold-out arms on the unit? They barely spread the sockets any further apart and there's so much space left in the base unit that the sockets might as well have been mounted at the end caps with no effective difference (except that you'd have half the unit more space), so what use are they really? Just for show?

It looks like the controller was designed to mount onto a T-stand with the LED lights fixed to either side of the fold out arms (there are screws on the LED lights with what look like corresponding holes on the bottom of the controller module and arms).

Ah okay. Looks pretty flimsy for that job though.

Oh yeah, it's a piece of crap. No argument there.