As a relatively young America, I didn't know of him until recently, but it's really telling how practically every well-known engineering RUclipsr is in his comments.
Those switches in substations are only for isolation. They are not circuit breakers and not meant to break the load. The actual circuit breakers do move quickly, but they're located inside housings (and bathed in oil or SF6 gas for further arc suppression), so you can't see it happen. Cool video!
The actual circuit breakers have very large springs that slam the contacts together or apart as necessary. The spring is usually wound up by a motor between actuation. Even so, the contacts require two stages - one to pass the power when the switch is closed, and another, harder one to handle the arcing.
Oi - stop watching and get back to making - its been a whole two days since you last uploaded! actually kinda cool to bump into you in the comment section elsewhere.
The mercury switched wall switch at the end was probably used in a explosive environment, somewhere like a anesthesia room in a hospital or a place with alot of powder or even flour being processed.
We had a silent phone in a theatre in the 70's. BT went to extraordinary lengths to keep the 240 red light (that replaced the bell) seperate from the 50V phone wiring. The mercury switch was on a pendulum in a big steel box. Must have cost a fortune. The warning stickers to remind the BT men that mains was present were hilarious. Thanks Tim, saw your new components films and now I'm binge watching all the old Secret Life films!
So good to see you again Tim. I wrote to you in 1988 after the SLOM Vacuum Cleaner episode via Channel 4 who kindly forwarded my letter on to you. You took the time to write a lovely reply to an obsessed 10 year old and I still have that letter. It's something I'll never part with. Such a wonderful, kind man and an inspiration to many :)
My kids, born in 2014 and 2017 both really enjoyed that episode! Its the series that keeps on giving. I remember it from the 80s and I was inspired to be an engineer.
I was hoping to see Rex Garrod in these videos, but just now I read that he passed away last year. I hope his wife and daughters are doing well. At least we have a wonderful resurgence of "The Secret Life" here. I work as a research engineer now, creating medical devices including COVID-19 tests. The original series was a source of information and encouragement to me. I hope that the next generation of budding engineers and artists have a similar experience.
That giant microswitch is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. 👍 Oh, the mercury socket outlet switch at the end is an early version of an intrinsically safe switch which can contain its own arc. 👍
I'm in my 60s now, I remember Tim on TV in the 80s, so glad to see you now on RUclips. Also nice to hear that the theme music hasn't strayed too far from the original, The Secret Life Of series, which was a Rocksteady version of Take Five called, The Russians are coming, by Val Bennett, good choice! Many thanks Tim.
I suspect mercury switches being behind the wall plate is to suppress arcing for atmospheres with explosive gas or dust mixtures. Very useful in dangerous environments...
I am a fairly competent controls engineer and I just love this guy. I predict 1 million subs and hopefully he recovers a small portion of the money he spent learning over the years. This guy has broken and blown up more things than most can afford to buy and now is sharing what he can with others. I think it is great.
When I was a kid watching TSLM, I did NOT notice just how friggin' subversive Tim Hunkin's art was. His persona is so mild mannered and affable and then he has a machine with a literal reptilian art critic.
I rarely watch a video longer than a couple minutes on RUclips but I couldn't turn this off. This video and subject has no business being this entertaining. Credit to you sir.
The high tension ‘switches’ you showed are actually isolators, used to separate components for maintenance. The actual breakers are extremely fast and use either high pressure air, oil or SF6 to kill the arc. The little arcs you can see on these isolators are just from the current induced from adjacent circuits. If they were used to break the full load of a generator etc. they would be completely wrecked!
SF₆ isn't the sort of thing most people have (or should have) around the workshop. The amount of paperwork needed to keep a small (incredibly heavy) cylinder of SF₆ at the generating facilities I used to manage was immense. But when you're switching 44 kV, you don't want any arcing at all.
@@StewartRussell For industrial quantities in the EU maybe. For small quantities, no. We used SF6 lecture bottles for demos all the time. SF6 is even injected into you in medical procedures. It's not as dangerous as a grill cylinder of propane, which is an asphyxiant, heavier than air, and explosive.
The giant microswitch at 4:42 is also featured in the Secret Life of Machines episode about the lift/elevator. Cool to see that Tim still has it after all these years. Makes me feel better about all the odd things I hang on to because I might need them again some day.
Great to see you again. As a small kid, your series “secret life of machines” was a big inspiration to me. That was back in the days when discovery channel sent quality content and not all that reality crap. I taped all the episodes on VHS and really enjoyed to see them several times. Thanks for being a huge inspiration and learning me a lot of useful things!
I loved TSLoM when it ran on Discovery in the early 90s and while it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before when I was ~12-13, even in retrospect it was unlike anything on TV at all. It brought a raw physicality to "science and technology demos" that would only rarely be seen again until the youtube era. Watching Tim in the 90s was like watching BigClive or Mustie1 now, where it's more like hanging out in a workshop than a heavily formatted "edutainment" show. Glad to see you're here and a whole new generation will be inspired.
Oh my God! I can't believe it! I love The Secret Life of Machines so much, but I nevere expected to see these all again. It's exciting moment ☺️ Thank You so much, Tim Hunkin! There is no so many people, who showed us what's going on inside. You are brave and intelegent, very respectfull man. I'm going to watch this video from second to second :D
I worked in radio and we used to use mercury switches for the turntables. They wouldn't make any noise and couldn't be picked up by the microphone when you were trying to talk over the beginning of a record.
@@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left I would do the "Album Side Dinner." I would tell the audience I was going to play both sides of an album, playing the first side while I would go across the street to get my cheesesteak (this was in Philadelphia) and then playing the second while I ate it. I'd always start by telling the audience that I'd start playing "in five seconds" so they could start their cassette decks.
Mark Banash, years ago, I briefly owned a "unipivot" type tonearm that was designed by Keith Monk (of record-cleaning-machine fame), which used a 4 section Mercury bath to a) float the rear of the arm to eliminate horizontal/ lateral friction and b) make the 4 electrical connections from the arm-wand and phono cartridge to the base of the arm and out to the preamplifier. The mercury sat in an open face, 4- sectioned plastic cup, and the liquid metal could "evaporate" (sublimate), spill out if the turntable was relocated without emptying the reservoirs, or even if bumped into. It would never pass any kind of environmental, public safety or OSHA requirements nowadays.
Tim, I have such fond memories of your TV programmes during the 80s. I even sent off my postal order for the accompanying information pack. I seem to remember it being orange and with the incredible illustrations from your animator. So glad I've found this channel.
I remember my physics teacher wheeling in the tv and vcr into the classroom and playing your programmes when I was a kid. Nice to see you around again. 👍
This may be the first youtube video where the comments actually helped. Thanks everyone for explaining the differences between the different switches/breakers
The mercury tilt wall switches were probably for use in a high fire-risk environment - maybe one with a possibility of flammable gas leaks. Can’t have any arcs in the open air, so use a mercury tilt switch to contain them. Another possibility that comes to mind might be clean rooms for semiconductor manufacture (or similar) - perhaps arcs can contaminate your air with tiny particulates?
Thank you so much for this!! I am pushing 70 and we didn't get this in school and I wouldn't have chosen it but you really make it accessible! Fascinating!!
Fantastic series! In my teens the original secret life of machines was one of the best series on TV. Tims presenting style was and is so great and genuine, now into my 40s to see this series is great news, love the technical depth that's used unlike most of the dumbed down rubbish that passes on documentarys on TV today.
I have a Trust mouse I used quite a lot on my older computer. The left mouse button started to act weird, I had to press it real hard. I thouoght the switch was wearing out, I planned to replace it. Opened the mouse and I didn't find any markings on the switch to identify it's time (it's needed for the right values and size if I order it online and can't check it in person). I put the mouse away for later. Then I had an idea and took apart the switch itself, cleaned the contacts with a little bit of sanding and applying some contact-spray and now it works better than ever! I'm so happy I didn't need to hunt for the right type of switch.
I've just discovered this channel. I remember Tim Hunkin's cartoon series, 'The Rudiments of Wisdom', in the Observer every Sunday, when I was at school!
Hello Tim, I have been watching re runs of your old TV series “Secret Life of” for some time, I am old enough to have watched them first time around. I am so glad your still up to your old tricks, I found your channel by sheer luck and intend to watch more of your creation. I find them so entertaining as well as informative. I wonder why, with all the re runs on TV now that your series is not shown again, the general rubbish that is on TV now is appalling and for anyone like myself it is mind numbing. As an ex engineer (now retired) who still has technical hobbies (flying radio controlled planes, Ham Radio, computers, and fixing things from radios to tooth brushes) I find your product.ions a breath of fresh air. Keep it up and the best of luck.
Tim! I used to watch The Secret Life series as a kid, you're my absolute hero. I'm so happy to see you on RUclips and to be able to watch those episodes again, thank you! I really love these component videos too. Hope you are well. I'm looking forward to taking the mrs to your arcade in London soon.
I suspect the reason the substation switches don't snap is they'd have to have such a strong spring that the mechanical shock would risk cracking the insulators. I wonder if it may also be that the arc helps soften the fast transient that a sudden connection would cause - this could cause a resonance with the line inductance and capacitance, leading to an overvoltage spike. ISTR reading that they are not normally opened or closed under load.
The Swiches in open air are separator Switches they can only be operated when no power is going over them, the arc you see is just capacitive loading and cross coupling from other lines, nowhere near the operating currents. There their only job is to give a visual indication that the lines are disconnected, sometimes they also used to create cross-links or to route inside the station, again also to give a visual indication of the connection in the sub station, because of safety.
They'd normally only be opened under load in an emergency or maybe testing sometimes they flood the area around the switch with nitrogen just before switching to reduce the arc or they use enclosed switches surrounded with sulphur hexafluoride (anti Helium).
@@mfx1 Isolator switches in substations can never be operated under load even in an emergency, AC High Voltage Circuit Breakers can be operated under load , but these are encapsulated, with a dielectric of Oil, Gas or vacuum.
@@heinrichhein2605 They often have mechanical arc snubbers inside too - e.g. a plate (plastic, presumably) which chops between the contacts as the switch operates. Changing the oil in oil-filled switches is also something that must be done after a certain number of operations, as the arc creates "carbon snakes". These normally settle at the bottom of the switch, but when the switch is operated they can be stirred up. If there's too many of them, the switch actually starts to arc continuously through these conductive "snakes", which generally leads to the switch exploding a few seconds later. I'm told they make a quite distinctive noise in this situation; giving a sufficiently alert operator just enough time to get the hell out of there before the big bang.
@@theelectricmonk3909 yes correct, Circuit Breakers are a big topic, I have worked on designing some of them, there are many things to consider and each variant has quite significant differences. You can also get breakdown form Fibers in the oil from the isolation paper that's used etc.
Wowzers in my trousers! I just discovered your channel, and in under 5 minutes I grabbed myself a very firm subscription! I can't wait to explore your back catalogue, and see what else you've got in store for the future! I look forward to a year from now when I'll congratulate you on rightly passing 1 million subs, whilst smugly nodding to myself that I discovered your channel when it was still only a fledgling 38k.
Tim, It is so wonderful to discover not only the original episodes, but your new content as well! You were instrumental in my developing a love of mechanical things. Your delivery style and presentation is wonderfully iconic!
I shall never tire of your incredible films, I remember you on the original series and was always interested in your great talent in firstly explaining the origins of each item , and your then indepth explanation on how they work, I loved the original series and it's amazing to see and enjoy it again , and it's a pleasure also to see you here in these New episodes still with passion and enthusiasm Thank you so much for making these films you are indeed gifted. Best wishes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🎬📽🎞
Love this !!! I remember your show as a kid in the UK, and one of the reasons I got into Engineering and computers. Now at 46, I've been around the world thanks in part to your inspiration - bloody awesome
It would never have occurred to me that Tim was on RUclips. I used to watch his TV programs and still have his almost everything there is to know book! Amazing
There can't be many people who could make switches so interesting. I visited the Southwold pier a few years ago and thought it was fantastic. Many thanks
Good question. I should have included it in the video. I agree hall effect sensors, and also opto and inductive ones avoid the problem. Also my PLC logic controllers have built in debounce. With mechanical switches connected to an arduino, I add a delay so it registers an input a couple of milliseconds after any change. Also the code I commissioned for the Brightsign media players I use for sound and video has an option to adjust the delay time.
Oh my goodness Tim! I can't believe you're still doing these shows! I used to watch The Secret Life of Machines here in the US back in the 80s ! Thank you so much for doing those and thank you so much for doing these I am going to subscribe right now! I loved that show
Thank you for all your hard work recording these videos. So mutch value in all your videos. A week ago i have watched all your episods - Secret life of the machinse. I am so pleased. Thanks again
Tim, so very glad to see you again. SLOM was one of my favorite shows in my younger days, it really inspired me to look at things without intimidation. I look forward to see each one of the new ones and introducing these to my children. Hope your assistant from SLOM is doing well! Thank you again!
I was just youtube surfing (as you do) and this video came on , I wasn't looking at my screen when I realised , I know that voice, then I was taken back to my childhood, I've now got some videos to catch up on, thank you for doing these, I feel young again.
Thank you Tim for the education, I was just having a conversation about how little I knew about switches today. Also thank you commenters for all the extra information. It is rare to see such an interesting comments section.
There's even a way to do it with DPDT switches. If you do not have an ON-OFF-ON switch. Which best as I can figure it is what that one type of switch is called. Sometimes they're called, "Center off"? But then you do need a separate on and off switch. Which does make for a messy installation. There's two machines in my shop I wired up two switch. Because ON-OFF-ON switches can be a bit dear. I hate to have to buy things.
You shaped my chilhood. Thanks Tim & Rex!! I've used to record the chapters on VHS from discovery channel. The drawings were so cool and fun. Chapeau and greetings from Argentina.
I love Tim Hunkin, this really made my day, to aee he's still making videos. In a world full of cgi which give no confidence to do things yourself. Seeing Tim and Rex do things like send a fax with two lathes, not only explains how things work but also tells you that you can do it too. I'm now 7 years into do hobby electronics, but I got great confidence at the start from Tim and Rex, the giant microswitch is classic Tim, it's just fun to watch
Tim, this is a brilliant video! As you may have figured out from my RUclips name one of my passions are switches as well, especially toggle switches! I've been restoring old ones, and I try to use them wherever I can. I'm really sad I didn't have time to stop by Novelty Automation last time I was in London. I will definitely go by next time. Really glad to see these videos on RUclips too! Thank you for what you bring to the world! I have a feeling we would have a lot of fun things like these to talk about, if you're ever up for it I would love to catch a coffee with you next time I'm in the UK, when all these lockdowns and virus is just a distant memory 😊 Oh, and I really need a giant microswitch now! Is that something you made yourself?
Man, all your videos are brilliant. Even the ones about things I'm not really interested in suck me in and I end up watching them too. Your an inspiring and ingenious character. Thanks for your uploads, all the best 👍
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and videos - I watched The Secret life of Machines as a kid and it really ignited my passion for engineering and mechanics!
OMG, I just found your YT channel. I remember being addicted to watching your shows (and James Burke's) over twenty five years ago. Glad to see you're doing well. And I still can't get that Dave Brubeck song out of my head !!
What a great video. The mercury switch at the end of the video was probable someone modifying a wall outlet to handle a load beyond the normal limits of the switch.
That was absolutely great, my father ‘who was an HVAC man who worked on analog satellite dishes on the side’ & I really enjoyed your show from before & being into HVAC we obviously were familiar with mercury switches & both HAVAC & analog dishes use limit switches.., great show & looking forward to your one on sensors & what you have to say about reed switches :)
Surely the exceptionally large model microswitch should be called a macroswitch :-) Fabulous to come across your RUclips channel and see both the old and new content Tim ! - the models give it a much more 'hands on' and immediately relatable feel for me than a computer animation could ever do !
Mike a 0.2 uF Cap is what we use in all our systems to stop arching. The resistor goes across the cap and is called a bleed resistor. This is how we in a recording studio stop snaps from effecting our work. The Cap will not let the 50/60 hz through, but the spark is a transient of high frequency and is passed through the cap, stopping any sparking. Been doing this for almost 40 years now Mike, I do know about this. Tim also mentioned putting a diode across, that would be a bad thing. lol. You put a diode across a DC coil to stop the reverse current that an inductor can create.
@@samjones1954 capacitors or RC networks generally modify the DV/DT which is what creates sparks and transients. Its important to differentiate between arcing due to plasma and sparking due to metal particles, think how connecting a car battery sparks like mad at 12V but generates little RFI
The R+C helps with turn-off, and indeed little sparking is seen in the video at turn-off -- it only worsens turn-on though. To do that, you need an R||L in series with the switch -- but this is a bulky component, so most times us designers just sigh and let it be. When the switching is very fast (transistors in power supplies), the size of both components is small, and both can be used to good advantage.
@@T3sl4 There is also 0 voltage switching or zero crossing, for ac. It switches on the wave point where the current reversal equals 0v. From Wikipedia. Zero crossing (or burst-firing) control is an approach for electrical control circuits that starts operation with the AC load voltage at close to 0 volts in the AC cycle. This is in relation to solid state relays, such as triacs and silicon controlled rectifiers. The purpose of the circuit is to start the triac conducting very near the time point when the load voltage is crossing zero volts (at the beginning or the middle of each AC cycle represented by a sine wave), so that the output voltage begins as a complete sine-wave half-cycle. In other words, if the controlling input signal is applied at any point during the AC output wave other than very close to the zero voltage point of that wave, the output of the switching device will "wait" to switch on until the output AC wave reaches its next zero point.
@@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left Yup, that's another nice one! Downside, it doesn't work as well when the load is reactive (current and voltage aren't zero at the same time). In that case, the ol' snubber still helps to patch things up.
The world will only ever have one Tim Hunkin.
*nervously eyes half built mechanical Tim Hunkin in the shed*
Can't give your comment a thumb up...
It makes me too sad.
As a relatively young America, I didn't know of him until recently, but it's really telling how practically every well-known engineering RUclipsr is in his comments.
I watched him on public television as a child. Now I'm a machinist, go figure?
@@iNerdier 🤣😅
Those switches in substations are only for isolation. They are not circuit breakers and not meant to break the load. The actual circuit breakers do move quickly, but they're located inside housings (and bathed in oil or SF6 gas for further arc suppression), so you can't see it happen. Cool video!
The actual circuit breakers have very large springs that slam the contacts together or apart as necessary. The spring is usually wound up by a motor between actuation. Even so, the contacts require two stages - one to pass the power when the switch is closed, and another, harder one to handle the arcing.
Oi - stop watching and get back to making - its been a whole two days since you last uploaded!
actually kinda cool to bump into you in the comment section elsewhere.
Great minds think alike!
👆yup 😁
Thank you for wonderful videos!
The mercury switched wall switch at the end was probably used in a explosive environment, somewhere like a anesthesia room in a hospital or a place with alot of powder or even flour being processed.
yes, mercury switches are still used heavily in industrial applications, especially ones that can't allow sparking like in a paint booth.
We had a silent phone in a theatre in the 70's. BT went to extraordinary lengths to keep the 240 red light (that replaced the bell) seperate from the 50V phone wiring. The mercury switch was on a pendulum in a big steel box. Must have cost a fortune. The warning stickers to remind the BT men that mains was present were hilarious.
Thanks Tim, saw your new components films and now I'm binge watching all the old Secret Life films!
That makes sense now. Contain the arc in a glass bottle. Perfect!
they look like Wandsworth switches, standard fittings in hospitals
@@kevvywevvywoo Thank you! Now we have a name for them.
So good to see you again Tim. I wrote to you in 1988 after the SLOM Vacuum Cleaner episode via Channel 4 who kindly forwarded my letter on to you. You took the time to write a lovely reply to an obsessed 10 year old and I still have that letter. It's something I'll never part with.
Such a wonderful, kind man and an inspiration to many :)
I liked the plastic bags inside that defeated the vacuum.
Especially at the end when he made rocket vacuums
Do you mean this one ?
ruclips.net/video/LS_WcIAPSzU/видео.html
My kids, born in 2014 and 2017 both really enjoyed that episode! Its the series that keeps on giving. I remember it from the 80s and I was inspired to be an engineer.
I was hoping to see Rex Garrod in these videos, but just now I read that he passed away last year. I hope his wife and daughters are doing well. At least we have a wonderful resurgence of "The Secret Life" here. I work as a research engineer now, creating medical devices including COVID-19 tests. The original series was a source of information and encouragement to me. I hope that the next generation of budding engineers and artists have a similar experience.
This video was not made using rust and sticky tape, longtime fan Mr.Hunkin I’m so glad you are still doing what you do!
That giant microswitch is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. 👍
Oh, the mercury socket outlet switch at the end is an early version of an intrinsically safe switch which can contain its own arc. 👍
& of course Tim just happens to have one lying around.
I think it was from the Secret Life of Machines: The Lift episode that he made, it's at around the 13 minute mark
wow, that would explain it - thanks :)
That's a MACROSWITCH.
It's got Rex's grubby pawprints all over it! I'm in the mood to make some sort of massive houshold object now!
I just discovered Tim today, the RUclips algo did good for a change.
You must now go and bingewatch his entire 1980s series The Secret Life of Machines. Your life has now been improved.
@@RCAvhstape okey dokey
Same here.
I shall subscribe not only because 19K subs in 11 years don't seem fair for one so interesting but because Tim is a living legend..
You’re in for a treat. Before RUclips, he and a few others were the only technology programming there was.
Me too.
"If I have trouble with a switch arcing I just use a bigger switch..." That right there is gold!
I'm in my 60s now, I remember Tim on TV in the 80s, so glad to see you now on RUclips.
Also nice to hear that the theme music hasn't strayed too far from the original, The Secret Life Of series, which was a Rocksteady version of Take Five called, The Russians are coming, by Val Bennett, good choice! Many thanks Tim.
I'm thrilled to see you officially on RUclips!
A very "switched on" fellow.
I grew up with secret life of machines. Has guided my life almost as much as Dick Smith did.
I suspect mercury switches being behind the wall plate is to suppress arcing for atmospheres with explosive gas or dust mixtures. Very useful in dangerous environments...
I am a fairly competent controls engineer and I just love this guy. I predict 1 million subs and hopefully he recovers a small portion of the money he spent learning over the years. This guy has broken and blown up more things than most can afford to buy and now is sharing what he can with others. I think it is great.
He's certainly not short of money for sure!
@@tonycarter3496 I sure hope he is not.
When I was a kid watching TSLM, I did NOT notice just how friggin' subversive Tim Hunkin's art was. His persona is so mild mannered and affable and then he has a machine with a literal reptilian art critic.
He has that wonderful English sense of humor. Very sarcastic, but very polite at the same time.
I’m so glad he’s doing these videos again. My favorite show as a kid.
I rarely watch a video longer than a couple minutes on RUclips but I couldn't turn this off. This video and subject has no business being this entertaining. Credit to you sir.
Mr. Hunkin just has the gift. I watched his TV series repeatedly when I was young, and it never got old. He’s never boring.
It's so good to see Tim back. The world is a better place. I had forgotten how good he is.
The high tension ‘switches’ you showed are actually isolators, used to separate components for maintenance. The actual breakers are extremely fast and use either high pressure air, oil or SF6 to kill the arc. The little arcs you can see on these isolators are just from the current induced from adjacent circuits. If they were used to break the full load of a generator etc. they would be completely wrecked!
SF₆ isn't the sort of thing most people have (or should have) around the workshop. The amount of paperwork needed to keep a small (incredibly heavy) cylinder of SF₆ at the generating facilities I used to manage was immense. But when you're switching 44 kV, you don't want any arcing at all.
@@StewartRussell why thoooo SF6 is fun to play with, and is relatively safeishhhh
@@HerbaMachina it's one of the most potent greenhouse gases and can build up in access tunnels as an asphyxiant. Not a toy
@@StewartRussell shhhhhh hence my sarcasm.
@@StewartRussell For industrial quantities in the EU maybe. For small quantities, no. We used SF6 lecture bottles for demos all the time. SF6 is even injected into you in medical procedures. It's not as dangerous as a grill cylinder of propane, which is an asphyxiant, heavier than air, and explosive.
That moment when you find a childhood hero still doing what you love him for. And donated to your website, sorry it isn't more.
The giant microswitch at 4:42 is also featured in the Secret Life of Machines episode about the lift/elevator. Cool to see that Tim still has it after all these years. Makes me feel better about all the odd things I hang on to because I might need them again some day.
Tim, You are the guy who got me into electronics and ham radio.... SLM... I'm 40 now and still going strong ... glad to see you too...
Great to see you again. As a small kid, your series “secret life of machines” was a big inspiration to me. That was back in the days when discovery channel sent quality content and not all that reality crap. I taped all the episodes on VHS and really enjoyed to see them several times. Thanks for being a huge inspiration and learning me a lot of useful things!
I loved TSLoM when it ran on Discovery in the early 90s and while it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before when I was ~12-13, even in retrospect it was unlike anything on TV at all. It brought a raw physicality to "science and technology demos" that would only rarely be seen again until the youtube era. Watching Tim in the 90s was like watching BigClive or Mustie1 now, where it's more like hanging out in a workshop than a heavily formatted "edutainment" show.
Glad to see you're here and a whole new generation will be inspired.
Oh my God! I can't believe it! I love The Secret Life of Machines so much, but I nevere expected to see these all again.
It's exciting moment ☺️
Thank You so much, Tim Hunkin! There is no so many people, who showed us what's going on inside.
You are brave and intelegent, very respectfull man.
I'm going to watch this video from second to second :D
I have never heard of the secret life of machines or the host, but I am so glad he uploaded these. Thank you for sharing this great content.
Don't know what algorithm brought your channel up this morning, but I was delighted. Thanks...I'll be back.
Tim Hunkin's work is endlessly fascinating. This episode is no exception. An absolute joy! Thank you! :-)
I worked in radio and we used to use mercury switches for the turntables. They wouldn't make any noise and couldn't be picked up by the microphone when you were trying to talk over the beginning of a record.
Any cough buttons built that way?
Grrrr. I hated that talking over the beginning of a record, so hard to edit out of a "Pirate" recording...
;-)
@@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left I would do the "Album Side Dinner." I would tell the audience I was going to play both sides of an album, playing the first side while I would go across the street to get my cheesesteak (this was in Philadelphia) and then playing the second while I ate it. I'd always start by telling the audience that I'd start playing "in five seconds" so they could start their cassette decks.
Mark Banash, years ago, I briefly owned a "unipivot" type tonearm that was designed by Keith Monk (of record-cleaning-machine fame), which used a 4 section Mercury bath to a) float the rear of the arm to eliminate horizontal/ lateral friction and b) make the 4 electrical connections from the arm-wand and phono cartridge to the base of the arm and out to the preamplifier. The mercury sat in an open face, 4- sectioned plastic cup, and the liquid metal could "evaporate" (sublimate), spill out if the turntable was relocated without emptying the reservoirs, or even if bumped into. It would never pass any kind of environmental, public safety or OSHA requirements nowadays.
@@goodun2974 As we say in New England, that is wicked cool.
I remember a series you made for television in the med 1970's . One of the very best things that ever went out on British TV !
I recall watching The Secret Life of Machines in the early 80's when we first got cable television. So wonderful to see you're still at it !
Tim, I have such fond memories of your TV programmes during the 80s. I even sent off my postal order for the accompanying information pack. I seem to remember it being orange and with the incredible illustrations from your animator.
So glad I've found this channel.
I remember my physics teacher wheeling in the tv and vcr into the classroom and playing your programmes when I was a kid. Nice to see you around again. 👍
Tim, I'm so tickled to find you here. The Secret Life of Machines had a profound influence on my life.
What a genius! Logic and simplicity rules everything. I wish you all the best, Tim.
This may be the first youtube video where the comments actually helped. Thanks everyone for explaining the differences between the different switches/breakers
Brilliant, I have just rediscovered you after 30 years! Your book was a major inspiration for me becoming an engineer. Thank you sir!
The mercury tilt wall switches were probably for use in a high fire-risk environment - maybe one with a possibility of flammable gas leaks. Can’t have any arcs in the open air, so use a mercury tilt switch to contain them. Another possibility that comes to mind might be clean rooms for semiconductor manufacture (or similar) - perhaps arcs can contaminate your air with tiny particulates?
I think that the switch for the light in the boot of my S2 Daimler was a mercury switch.
It didn't save it from internal corrosion.
I am still so overjoyed you are making this. Thank you!
Thanks Tim - I recall your "Secret life of machines" series (1988!) - good to see you still tinkering. Thanks for this new content!
Fantastic! Those mercury switches remind me of digging through trays of vintage electronics in my Dad's workshop when I was a kid.
Thank you so much for this!! I am pushing 70 and we didn't get this in school and I wouldn't have chosen it but you really make it accessible! Fascinating!!
Nice to see you teaching us again. I was amazed with your machines as child and admirer of your work as an adult.
Fantastic series! In my teens the original secret life of machines was one of the best series on TV. Tims presenting style was and is so great and genuine, now into my 40s to see this series is great news, love the technical depth that's used unlike most of the dumbed down rubbish that passes on documentarys on TV today.
Thanks Tim - another interesting episode.. keep 'em coming please.
I have a Trust mouse I used quite a lot on my older computer. The left mouse button started to act weird, I had to press it real hard. I thouoght the switch was wearing out, I planned to replace it. Opened the mouse and I didn't find any markings on the switch to identify it's time (it's needed for the right values and size if I order it online and can't check it in person). I put the mouse away for later. Then I had an idea and took apart the switch itself, cleaned the contacts with a little bit of sanding and applying some contact-spray and now it works better than ever! I'm so happy I didn't need to hunt for the right type of switch.
This channel is ace, should have 100X the subscribers
I've just discovered this channel. I remember Tim Hunkin's cartoon series, 'The Rudiments of Wisdom', in the Observer every Sunday, when I was at school!
Hello Tim, I have been watching re runs of your old TV series “Secret Life of” for some time, I am old enough to have watched them first time around. I am so glad your still up to your old tricks, I found your channel by sheer luck and intend to watch more of your creation. I find them so entertaining as well as informative. I wonder why, with all the re runs on TV now that your series is not shown again, the general rubbish that is on TV now is appalling and for anyone like myself it is mind numbing. As an ex engineer (now retired) who still has technical hobbies (flying radio controlled planes, Ham Radio, computers, and fixing things from radios to tooth brushes) I find your product.ions a breath of fresh air. Keep it up and the best of luck.
Wow, this makes feel as old as Tim looks. Glad to see he's still going strong at 71. I loved watching the series on BBC/PBS back in the 90's
Tim! I used to watch The Secret Life series as a kid, you're my absolute hero. I'm so happy to see you on RUclips and to be able to watch those episodes again, thank you! I really love these component videos too. Hope you are well. I'm looking forward to taking the mrs to your arcade in London soon.
I suspect the reason the substation switches don't snap is they'd have to have such a strong spring that the mechanical shock would risk cracking the insulators.
I wonder if it may also be that the arc helps soften the fast transient that a sudden connection would cause - this could cause a resonance with the line inductance and capacitance, leading to an overvoltage spike.
ISTR reading that they are not normally opened or closed under load.
The Swiches in open air are separator Switches they can only be operated when no power is going over them, the arc you see is just capacitive loading and cross coupling from other lines, nowhere near the operating currents. There their only job is to give a visual indication that the lines are disconnected, sometimes they also used to create cross-links or to route inside the station, again also to give a visual indication of the connection in the sub station, because of safety.
They'd normally only be opened under load in an emergency or maybe testing sometimes they flood the area around the switch with nitrogen just before switching to reduce the arc or they use enclosed switches surrounded with sulphur hexafluoride (anti Helium).
@@mfx1 Isolator switches in substations can never be operated under load even in an emergency, AC High Voltage Circuit Breakers can be operated under load , but these are encapsulated, with a dielectric of Oil, Gas or vacuum.
@@heinrichhein2605 They often have mechanical arc snubbers inside too - e.g. a plate (plastic, presumably) which chops between the contacts as the switch operates. Changing the oil in oil-filled switches is also something that must be done after a certain number of operations, as the arc creates "carbon snakes". These normally settle at the bottom of the switch, but when the switch is operated they can be stirred up. If there's too many of them, the switch actually starts to arc continuously through these conductive "snakes", which generally leads to the switch exploding a few seconds later. I'm told they make a quite distinctive noise in this situation; giving a sufficiently alert operator just enough time to get the hell out of there before the big bang.
@@theelectricmonk3909 yes correct, Circuit Breakers are a big topic, I have worked on designing some of them, there are many things to consider and each variant has quite significant differences. You can also get breakdown form Fibers in the oil from the isolation paper that's used etc.
Thanks Tim for making this video. This is the most detail programme about switches that I have ever watched.
This is exactly the kind of workshop space I love to see, just an eclectic mix of parts and pieces for tinkering with!
Can't believe you are still producing stuff, I used to love your secret life programs on C4 back in the 80s or early 90s?, subbed.
GIANT microswitch - Didn't see that coming.
Wowzers in my trousers!
I just discovered your channel, and in under 5 minutes I grabbed myself a very firm subscription! I can't wait to explore your back catalogue, and see what else you've got in store for the future!
I look forward to a year from now when I'll congratulate you on rightly passing 1 million subs, whilst smugly nodding to myself that I discovered your channel when it was still only a fledgling 38k.
Tim,
It is so wonderful to discover not only the original episodes, but your new content as well! You were instrumental in my developing a love of mechanical things.
Your delivery style and presentation is wonderfully iconic!
I shall never tire of your incredible films, I remember you on the original series and was always interested in your great talent in firstly explaining the origins of each item , and your then indepth explanation on how they work, I loved the original series and it's amazing to see and enjoy it again , and it's a pleasure also to see you here in these New episodes still with passion and enthusiasm Thank you so much for making these films you are indeed gifted. Best wishes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🎬📽🎞
Tim on RUclips. What could be better. I loved Secret Life and so did my my son - and we both ended up working with gadgets for a living. Thanks Tim!
I think you were from before my generation, I'm 31, I'm binge watching everything you've produced. Absolutely fascinating. Appreciate the vids.
Love this !!! I remember your show as a kid in the UK, and one of the reasons I got into Engineering and computers. Now at 46, I've been around the world thanks in part to your inspiration - bloody awesome
It would never have occurred to me that Tim was on RUclips. I used to watch his TV programs and still have his almost everything there is to know book! Amazing
Such a satisfying video to watch while getting educated in a VERY useful way with real-life applications. Thank you for your service. Cheers
Fantastic, I can't believe this channel hasn't come up before in my searches. I wish this had been about when I was studying electronics years ago.
Never seen any of your work before this point but I really enjoyed this. Glad to have discovered this, it's really cool looking at all these things.
What a wonderful production! Thanks a lot Tim. You really are a national treasure 😊👍
Lovely to have you back on my tv again Tim.
There can't be many people who could make switches so interesting. I visited the Southwold pier a few years ago and thought it was fantastic. Many thanks
Good question. I should have included it in the video. I agree hall effect sensors, and also opto and inductive ones avoid the problem. Also my PLC logic controllers have built in debounce. With mechanical switches connected to an arduino, I add a delay so it registers an input a couple of milliseconds after any change. Also the code I commissioned for the Brightsign media players I use for sound and video has an option to adjust the delay time.
Oh my goodness Tim! I can't believe you're still doing these shows! I used to watch The Secret Life of Machines here in the US back in the 80s ! Thank you so much for doing those and thank you so much for doing these I am going to subscribe right now! I loved that show
Thank you for all your hard work recording these videos. So mutch value in all your videos. A week ago i have watched all your episods - Secret life of the machinse. I am so pleased. Thanks again
I absolutely love that giant microswitch and would enjoy seeing more models of huge electronic components and hardware.
Tim, I am a fairly recent fan. I am entranced by your videos and the way you teach. Thank you! You are an amazing man. Keep up the fantastic work!
Thanks for the inspiring and informative Secret Life programs from my youth and for these new videos. Excellent to have discovered these
Who could dislike a video from a very nice man like him.
Real good job! 👌🏻
Tim, so very glad to see you again. SLOM was one of my favorite shows in my younger days, it really inspired me to look at things without intimidation. I look forward to see each one of the new ones and introducing these to my children. Hope your assistant from SLOM is doing well! Thank you again!
How could there be 11 people in the world giving a thumbs down to this darling man?
I was just youtube surfing (as you do) and this video came on , I wasn't looking at my screen when I realised , I know that voice, then I was taken back to my childhood, I've now got some videos to catch up on, thank you for doing these, I feel young again.
Thank you Tim for the education, I was just having a conversation about how little I knew about switches today. Also thank you commenters for all the extra information. It is rare to see such an interesting comments section.
I have never quite grasped how to set up a reversing switch, but your display made it make sense. Thanks for posting Tim.
There's even a way to do it with DPDT switches. If you do not have an ON-OFF-ON switch. Which best as I can figure it is what that one type of switch is called. Sometimes they're called, "Center off"? But then you do need a separate on and off switch. Which does make for a messy installation. There's two machines in my shop I wired up two switch. Because ON-OFF-ON switches can be a bit dear. I hate to have to buy things.
So happy to see that you're still around and doing your thing!
Instant subscription! I thought I knew a bit about switches, but then I see the applications here and I realise I do - now! Great stuff, Mr Hunkin!
You shaped my chilhood. Thanks Tim & Rex!! I've used to record the chapters on VHS from discovery channel. The drawings were so cool and fun. Chapeau and greetings from Argentina.
I love Tim Hunkin, this really made my day, to aee he's still making videos. In a world full of cgi which give no confidence to do things yourself. Seeing Tim and Rex do things like send a fax with two lathes, not only explains how things work but also tells you that you can do it too. I'm now 7 years into do hobby electronics, but I got great confidence at the start from Tim and Rex, the giant microswitch is classic Tim, it's just fun to watch
Tim, this is a brilliant video! As you may have figured out from my RUclips name one of my passions are switches as well, especially toggle switches! I've been restoring old ones, and I try to use them wherever I can.
I'm really sad I didn't have time to stop by Novelty Automation last time I was in London. I will definitely go by next time. Really glad to see these videos on RUclips too! Thank you for what you bring to the world! I have a feeling we would have a lot of fun things like these to talk about, if you're ever up for it I would love to catch a coffee with you next time I'm in the UK, when all these lockdowns and virus is just a distant memory 😊
Oh, and I really need a giant microswitch now! Is that something you made yourself?
That giant microswitch is at least 30 years old. It was used in one episode of Tims "Secret Life Of Machines" (see episode "The Lift aka Elevator").
Tim is so friggan cool. I wish I could apprentice this master.
Man, all your videos are brilliant. Even the ones about things I'm not really interested in suck me in and I end up watching them too. Your an inspiring and ingenious character. Thanks for your uploads, all the best 👍
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and videos - I watched The Secret life of Machines as a kid and it really ignited my passion for engineering and mechanics!
Much appreciated you in the 80's, was perfect time, just what i needed. Glad to see you are still forging on the stuff of things!
OMG, I just found your YT channel. I remember being addicted to watching your shows (and James Burke's) over twenty five years ago. Glad to see you're doing well. And I still can't get that Dave Brubeck song out of my head !!
Just discovered your channel after being a big fan of The secret Life of Machines for years. Happy to see youre still going strong!
What a great video. The mercury switch at the end of the video was probable someone modifying a wall outlet to handle a load beyond the normal limits of the switch.
Watched him and Rex on the Secret life of machines series’s. What an inspiration. Just stumbled across his RUclips channel. Happy days again.
Tim - I'm so happy to see that you are still active and are taking the time to create these videos. Thank you!
I suspect the mercury switches on the 3-pin sockets were for use in an explosive atmosphere.
That was absolutely great, my father ‘who was an HVAC man who worked on analog satellite dishes on the side’ & I really enjoyed your show from before & being into HVAC we obviously were familiar with mercury switches & both HAVAC & analog dishes use limit switches.., great show & looking forward to your one on sensors & what you have to say about reed switches :)
I have been doing electronics for over a decade and I just love this video. Keep it up Tim
Surely the exceptionally large model microswitch should be called a macroswitch :-) Fabulous to come across your RUclips channel and see both the old and new content Tim ! - the models give it a much more 'hands on' and immediately relatable feel for me than a computer animation could ever do !
You need a resistor and capacitor to supress the arc, otherwise the capacitor discharges too fast across the switch
Mike a 0.2 uF Cap is what we use in all our systems to stop arching. The resistor goes across the cap and is called a bleed resistor. This is how we in a recording studio stop snaps from effecting our work. The Cap will not let the 50/60 hz through, but the spark is a transient of high frequency and is passed through the cap, stopping any sparking. Been doing this for almost 40 years now Mike, I do know about this. Tim also mentioned putting a diode across, that would be a bad thing. lol. You put a diode across a DC coil to stop the reverse current that an inductor can create.
@@samjones1954 capacitors or RC networks generally modify the DV/DT which is what creates sparks and transients. Its important to differentiate between arcing due to plasma and sparking due to metal particles, think how connecting a car battery sparks like mad at 12V but generates little RFI
The R+C helps with turn-off, and indeed little sparking is seen in the video at turn-off -- it only worsens turn-on though. To do that, you need an R||L in series with the switch -- but this is a bulky component, so most times us designers just sigh and let it be.
When the switching is very fast (transistors in power supplies), the size of both components is small, and both can be used to good advantage.
@@T3sl4 There is also 0 voltage switching or zero crossing, for ac. It switches on the wave point where the current reversal equals 0v.
From Wikipedia.
Zero crossing (or burst-firing) control is an approach for electrical control circuits that starts operation with the AC load voltage at close to 0 volts in the AC cycle. This is in relation to solid state relays, such as triacs and silicon controlled rectifiers. The purpose of the circuit is to start the triac conducting very near the time point when the load voltage is crossing zero volts (at the beginning or the middle of each AC cycle represented by a sine wave), so that the output voltage begins as a complete sine-wave half-cycle. In other words, if the controlling input signal is applied at any point during the AC output wave other than very close to the zero voltage point of that wave, the output of the switching device will "wait" to switch on until the output AC wave reaches its next zero point.
@@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left Yup, that's another nice one! Downside, it doesn't work as well when the load is reactive (current and voltage aren't zero at the same time). In that case, the ol' snubber still helps to patch things up.
Thanks Tim for making this series again!! an amazing gift for the internet