I can't imagine what it's like for all those sad, helpless people who go through life not knowing how things work (generally speaking) and not even WANTING to know! Knowing how stuff works RULES!! Sharing that knowledge with someone who genuinely wants to understand it is EVEN BETTER!
@@Bob3519 Indeed! Perhaps to people who don't tend to know how things actually work, it all seems kind of like "magic." I guess that's why so many people can believe really stupid stuff, like homeopathy and free energy and what-not.
@@StubbyPhillips Caution. There is an old saying that goes: ignorance is bliss. It is impossible to know it all. Don't waste your life in this pursuit, because it is a trap. A trap for the mind. I don't know how a MRI works, but I know it saved my life. I know that someone else will know how it works when I need it.
As a retired professor of electrical engineering I can only sit at the feet of this wonderful natural teacher. I'm reading a biography of Kelvin and there are strong echoes of his introduction of experimental sessions in his Natural Philosophy course at Glasgow University in the 19th century. This video is marvellously clear and spoken with superb diction and a voice that should appeal to young and old alike. The economic and intellectual and practical importance of this material cannot be overstated.
Mr. Hunkin's the man I wish I lived next to growing up. I'm imagining Saturday morning finishing my breakfast and being almost unable to wait to run over to his house for that day's lesson in off-the-shelf "junk" science. I taught electronics principles in US Air Force aviation maintenance in 1982-83 using mock-ups & illustrations. Oh what I would have given for a room full of his collection of true teaching aids. The on-the-spot made nail + wire electromagnet: GENIUS; same/same for the solenoid. I'm now going to have to go back and enjoy every single video of his . . .
Thank you Tim: as a child I grew up watching your secret life series on PBS here in the states and for better or worse I am a tinkerer now because of how simple and logical you and Rex managed to break down all these seemingly complex machines. Today I am an artist who often has to make his own devices out of what's available to me and your new series is ever more educational and inspiring than the one I grew up on. I am going to make an attempt at wrangling my niece (she's 8, the same age I was back in the PBS days) to watch and be inspired the same way I was with your new videos. :-) Thank you for everything you do and I can't wait to someday visit your arcades.
Somehow it suddenly feels very wrong, this lack of a feature that would allow me to subscribe multiple times as the video unfolds... Great job! Thank you so much
Yes, Sir. Mr. Tim o grew up watching your show. I'm 61 on the 8th of 2024. Watching the. Secret Life Of Machines was like magic. Well, on the very special occasion, our TV could pick up LPB in Lafayette. Louisiana. God bless you and yours. Thank you for the many wonderful video logs you've given us..
Just when I thought these videos couldn't get any better, you just start playing music from the radio out of a bloody crisp packet in about as nonchalant of a manner as possible! I'm fairly familiar with speakers and the like, but this has just blown my mind!
"Eddies," said Ford, "in the current." "Ah," nodded Arthur, "is he. Is he." ... "What?" said Ford. "Er, who," said Arthur, "is Eddie, then, exactly, then?" Ford looked angrily at him. "Will you listen?" he snapped. "I have been listening," said Arthur, "but I'm not sure it's helped." Unlike Ford, Tim, as usual, has explained everything with exceptional clarity. I really like how he doesn’t dumb things down too much, and you come away feeling you understand how things work and can be used, but he never takes for granted the basics either. Always a good mix of the fundamentals through to the nitty gritty. And the demos and illustrations really help. For example I’d heard many explanations of how sewing machines work, but could never visualize it, until I saw The Secret Life of Sewing Machines, and the human sewing machine bit. I have no interest in the subject, but that was an enjoyable video!
Man, this brings back memories of "Machines". No one on earth makes learning so much fun while also being so relaxing at the same time as Tim. Pure therapy.
Huge fan of Tim here in the US. I remember watching Secret Life of Machines as a kid and I've recently rediscovered him on this channel. He is such a treasure! I hope to visit the UK soon and check out his arcades.
"I found posh packets of crisps work better than cheaper ones...". I don't know why, but this comment aroused a burst of laughter and made my day! Tim, thank you for sharing your infectious joy of the things that make up our world!
Oh my god, back when we had hair on our heads...I too watched your series on TV in the UK all those years ago, nice to see you've continued to keep your hands in with all sorts of mech items.....appreciate your "new videos" on here, and glad I re-found you, best regards and thanks for sparking my interest in machinery and engineering all those years ago.....47 years now in the Injection Moulding maintenance trade....best wishes Tim....thankyou...
Awesome to see these videos. I am a machinist by trade, but I don't know much outside of my sphere of work. These videos as well as your excellent series has taught me a whole lot! Thanks for posting more of these.
Another great episode. I love the way that Tim was able to explain the operation of those old electromechanical master and "***SLAVE***" clocks without even flinching. Nowadays you have to be so careful.
I remember when the original series went out on TV . It explained how all sorts of machines worked from radio to washing machines ! Why don't we have interesting program's like that these days ?
we are in the age of build it; buy it and throw it away. The days of build once and hold for years are over. Lots of people want to go back now but all through the 90's if you remember it was credit cards and use once items. Its sad but yeah I'm with your story wish it was different. It really started to take off with the Client administration.
I think y'all would get a real kick out of watching Mr. Louis Rossmann's videos right here on the good 'ol Utubez (RUclips). He is a truely awesome spokesman for the US Right to Repair movement, and he often makes videos about (new) products from Apple (and several other vendors of similar but also horridly difficult to repair products) all the while ranting about the bad design while (fruitlessly) offering design corrections to the manufacturers and ways to bypass and/or fix the product for consumers. He's currently screwdriver-deep into getting the individual US States to accept new Right to Repair legislation for both consumer and farm equipment. I really think you guys would like his videos, as he seems to be exactly our crowd (judging from you guys' comments and such), and especially is you use Apple products you *really ought to* watch his stuff! cheers guys, and I hope all you lads have a wonderful day!!
There are a lot of people on RUclips doing just this sort of thing. However the big corporations like Apple actively fight against people learning and tinkering. This is strange because Apple was started by Steve Jobs and Steve Woz who were big tinkers starting with Phone Freaking and moving on to microprocessors and the first Apple computer.
I wish I had all of your videos when I was in graduate school. They would have taught me so much about how to build and construct a lot of my lab equipment.
Thank you Tim for inspiring me as a kid. Watching your shows "The Secret Life Of xxxx" inspired me to become an engineer and has enabled me to travel the world installing and repairing industrial machinery which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I am unable to create machines as I just don't have the creativity in me of which you have in abundance. Love your work and I am extremely happy to see you are still demonstrating electrical and mechanical principles which are so important to the youth of today.
Awesome. Ive been fixing cars forever. I never had a problem diagnosing, replacing, or rebuilding starters. I did not , however, fully understand the electrical path through a starter until now. The solenoid engages the gear...AND completes the circuit on the motor. Great video! The machines are incredible!
Tim, thank you again and again! One tip for enhancing the force of solenoids is to use the duty cycle to calculate the on time at higher voltages. Some manufacturers mention the pulse time with the maximum voltage you can use to do so. You can dramatically change the starting force as you shown and switch to a much lower level to maintain position. I once made a beer tap with a rotating solenoid at 8 times it's 100% duty cycle for 0,1s. Worked like a charm for many years (8 x 24VDC = 192 VDC). It only took 12 Volts to maintain position during pouring the glass full. Maybe another tip; for arc suppression on dc loads an antiparallel diode works great to catch the reversed high voltage and dissipate it into heat. All the best! Job
You can do this in a simpleton way by using a hefty MOSFET(Nowadays very cheap) and a capacitor for the initial kick. Charge the capacitor to a fairly high voltage trough a resistor. Connect the + of the cap to the low voltage by a diode. Connect the load between D and the + capacitor. S to gnd. The limitation is the time it takes to recharge the capacitor. Worked nicely for me to extend the useful pull stroke of solenoids. Also connect a back diode over the MOSFET if not included in the package, which it most often is nowadays.
Hello Tim -- that was an excellent presentation on solenoids and relays - both myself and my Dad (RIP) are industrial electrical engineers and solenoids and relays were always part of our weekly schedule of works - my Dad taught me a lot about them -- sadly no longer with me - greetings from Ireland - Paul
Tim has posted a video about solenoids and relays, and I am anticipating as enjoyable a time as I believe I had upon first watching "the secret life of machines" for the very first time in 1988.
Synchronome slave, Wow that big one is a monster. Wonderful unidentified mechanism from the pre digital era. That hard drive coil setup would make a lovely siesmometer pick up (the small one) Crisp packet loudspeaker, genius, best before date's getting on a bit. What a great two voltage solenoid with its own relay contacts. Pure pleasure to watch.
Tim! I've loved your shows for decades! So glad you are still kicking! I have high regards for your approach to understanding! This is the way real engineering should be! I have lots to watch now! Thank you Thank you!!!
Your use of electronics is mesmerizing, but more so your creativity in the games you come up with. I pretty much understand many of the topics you cover, but the clear cut refresher is very useful. The Micro Break game is a hoot; NONE of the digital games today have anything on you! Simply clever beyond measure and thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Hello From the Western United states! You and Rex Garrod are are my all time hero's! The Secret Life series' are my all time favorites! Thank You So Much!
Thank you very much for the great shows and the great memories. I grew up watching your shows, we watched them over dinner as a family. Great memories that I cherish. Thank you!
Thanks for a great episode Tim/ Ive been looking forward a long time to this. I still remember your rudiments of wisdom in the observer colour supplement every Sunday.👍
man im a 46 year old kid watching your video and an instant subscriber. i too have a bit of what others call junk i keep around that now i know a little more about and i know more about what isnt junk .
I am so glad you are still producing videos and doing well, from all appearances. I loved your original secret life series way back when. I can still remember your giant sewing machine demonstration, along with many others. You are an icon of makerdom.
Thank you so much for this, Tim. This is what your fans and the world needed most right now. Love and respect. Hope to run into ya in San Francisco some time. Keep up the excellent work
Just discovered this guy and I must say, THIS IS A DAMN TREASURE! The way in which the things are explained is so simple yet spot on with info it's a joy to watch and learn. And man my mind is on overdrive right now because I am a novice inventor and these things are exactly what I need because honestly my ADD get in my way when things get a bit overly boring (even if it's stuff I'm interested in) so yeah I love it. Just subscribed
Years ago I gave an apprentice a task to order a box of 4X400M Mensrace relays - eventually he spent ages on the phone to RS tech support who kept him wound up for a good half an hour taking about French and Belgian manufacturers "who use different order numbers for 4-way relays you see - let me check another supplier list gimme a minute" etc etc :)
The simplicity in which Tim explains and teaches just show how much he's a master at what he does!! This is just amazing!! Hats of to you Sir, may God bless you!🙏🏼
Tim I’m 25 and live in Australia, I’ve watched all your videos and you are an absolute inspiration! I’ve always been a tinkerer since a very young age and I love your can do attitude and so long as it works that’s all it matters!
I love the crisp packet speaker - in particular the idea of controlling the volume of a speaker by mechanically moving the magnet away from the coil, rather than by reducing the voltage supplied to it. Very cool.
Here's my relay story.... One of my summer jobs during my engineering college days (about 50 yrs ago) was working for small Mosler Systems subsidiary that designed custom drive-thru banking installations using pneumatic transporters. Initially my job was limited to drafting but I guess I impressed the manager enough to be assigned more difficult tasks. About 3 week before I was scheduled to leave, the manager, who rose through the ranks as a design engineer, asked me if I would be interested in investigating a redesign of one of their transport control systems that was based on relays. They had been using the German version of the control system, but it irked my manager that it required the use of expensive (German made) 4PDT & 6PDT relays. He said: "I know this can be redesigned with simpler, less expensive relays." I told him I'd try my best to provide the solution he was looking for and after two weeks I had it using standard DPDT relays. The manager was elated and gave me a very nice letter of reference and a bonus. He also said that I could take any one thing with me from their design shop when I left. I walked out with a HUGE transformer.
An excellent episode. When I was in the workplace PLCs didn't exist, entire processs lines were controlled by cabinets full of relays that handled everything including time delays and responding to inputs. You got a free soundtrack that somehow made the machine all the more impressive with alll the clacking and clanking and the occasional contact flash. Marvellous stuff.
This is an excellent episode, a lot of the demos remind me of the original Secret Life of Machines series. Definitely seen that coin release solenoid before
What a wonderful episode, really a series of episodes, I learned a surprising lot ! I was thinking of all the time and effort you put into these Tim, I really appreciate and enjoy them all! Cheers!
This was great, Also it triggered so many memories. The first relay and solenoids I used as a kid were on my model railway layout. My first job was working for GEC General Signals designing railway fail safe relay circuits in the late 1970s. Going into the relay rooms full of massive relays was a sight to behold. I then went on to become an electronics design engineer that used all the devices you described until microprocessors became ubiquitous and high power solid state semiconductors now used in every EV. I was surprised how much I had forgotten in my now distant memories. TY.
Omg I want to visit London now just to see all those magnificent machines lol. I love learning how things work but electrical components have always eluded me. I now understand how solenoids and relays work. Thank you!
Years ago, I had a meter relay....the name describes it. The pointer of a meter hit a conductive peg. The peg was adjustable. It only controlled a tiny amount of current, but could be controlled with a crystal radio output. You would need another relay to make it practical, but it would work with tiny amounts of current. Your videos should be shown in schools...they are excellent...
It does seem "old" to see relays and solenoids being used today with so much having been evolved to using things like solid state components & the like, but the sound of relays and solenoids doing their thing is just so pleasing, well, unless you're in a telephone exchange during their mechanical heyday... :)
Tim your great and rex was to I was amazed in 80tes when secret lives of machines came out still waiting for second series to air I'm so glad your still going strong your both an inspiration thankyou
Great to see all those examples! We forgotten and forget how smart humans are to solve problems and everything we have now seems so usual but in fact it is not. Great examples of (analog) logic. There is one trick for young players here when using relais and solenoids, back EMF. Everything with a coil needs a flyback diode to dissipate the build up reverse high voltage when turning off the coil. For people that don't understand what I am talking about, google it. Just mention this, has nothing to do with the great content you provide. Great video and very entertaining the way you explain complex (for most people) things, a great teacher. Schools need this! Compliments.
I watched the entire video……incredible! Thank you for the explanation of the differences, strengths and limitations of each component. I will likely watch it several more times. Extremely good visual examples…..people learn by seeing things work. Thank you for your time making this video!
I can't imagine what it's like for all those sad, helpless people who go through life not knowing how things work (generally speaking) and not even WANTING to know! Knowing how stuff works RULES!! Sharing that knowledge with someone who genuinely wants to understand it is EVEN BETTER!
I agree. Even watching magic . When I find out how the magic trick is done, I am usually just as impressed.
@@Bob3519 Indeed! Perhaps to people who don't tend to know how things actually work, it all seems kind of like "magic." I guess that's why so many people can believe really stupid stuff, like homeopathy and free energy and what-not.
@@StubbyPhillips Caution. There is an old saying that goes: ignorance is bliss. It is impossible to know it all. Don't waste your life in this pursuit, because it is a trap. A trap for the mind. I don't know how a MRI works, but I know it saved my life. I know that someone else will know how it works when I need it.
It's amazing how many of them there are. Don't know. Don't care. Leave me alone. Football is on.
@@tarstarkusz "The Greeks also invented a kind of theater for stupid people, known as _Sport._ " Philomena Cunk
As a retired professor of electrical engineering I can only sit at the feet of this wonderful natural teacher. I'm reading a biography of Kelvin and there are strong echoes of his introduction of experimental sessions in his Natural Philosophy course at Glasgow University in the 19th century. This video is marvellously clear and spoken with superb diction and a voice that should appeal to young and old alike. The economic and intellectual and practical importance of this material cannot be overstated.
I wouldn't object to his story's if he was my grandfather
Mr. Hunkin's the man I wish I lived next to growing up. I'm imagining Saturday morning finishing my breakfast and being almost unable to wait to run over to his house for that day's lesson in off-the-shelf "junk" science. I taught electronics principles in US Air Force aviation maintenance in 1982-83 using mock-ups & illustrations. Oh what I would have given for a room full of his collection of true teaching aids. The on-the-spot made nail + wire electromagnet: GENIUS; same/same for the solenoid. I'm now going to have to go back and enjoy every single video of his . . .
Thank you Tim: as a child I grew up watching your secret life series on PBS here in the states and for better or worse I am a tinkerer now because of how simple and logical you and Rex managed to break down all these seemingly complex machines. Today I am an artist who often has to make his own devices out of what's available to me and your new series is ever more educational and inspiring than the one I grew up on. I am going to make an attempt at wrangling my niece (she's 8, the same age I was back in the PBS days) to watch and be inspired the same way I was with your new videos. :-) Thank you for everything you do and I can't wait to someday visit your arcades.
Tim and Rex taught me most of what I know.
You need to grab a copy of Tim's book, "Almost Everything There Is To Know", it's utterly brilliant!
Tim is a real treasure of knowledge. I enjoy this series a lot
Thanks
That he is. Just wish Rex Garrod was with him.
Just found his video today ! I'm not sure how I missed this guy channel ?
WOW!!!! I NEED AN UNCLE LIKE THIS MAN!!! WAY TOO COOL!!!
How on earth have I never heard of this guy until today? What a gem!
Somehow it suddenly feels very wrong, this lack of a feature that would allow me to subscribe multiple times as the video unfolds...
Great job! Thank you so much
Ooooo you're spoiling us Tim!!!
Ditto
Yes, Sir. Mr. Tim o grew up watching your show. I'm 61 on the 8th of 2024. Watching the. Secret Life Of Machines was like magic. Well, on the very special occasion, our TV could pick up LPB in Lafayette. Louisiana.
God bless you and yours. Thank you for the many wonderful video logs you've given us..
Greetings from Turkey to my father Tim Hunkin 🙏👏
Wow! I never believed a 47 min video on solenoids and relays can be so interesting and enjoyable.
yes, given that it is just a coil and a piece of metal.
I love that the background carpet is still the same ~40 years later and the workshop has just grown around it.
Solenoids and Relays were always cool to me. This will be awesome!!!!!
This is Awesome brother God bless Shalom..
Just when I thought these videos couldn't get any better, you just start playing music from the radio out of a bloody crisp packet in about as nonchalant of a manner as possible! I'm fairly familiar with speakers and the like, but this has just blown my mind!
From the U.S. never got to see you as a kid but I found you when I was grown and see you as close to a real wizard as there will ever be.
Thank goodness there's people like Tim in the world,real teaching without ego,brilliant and like affirming,
You're amazing Tim!
"Eddies," said Ford, "in the current."
"Ah," nodded Arthur, "is he. Is he."
...
"What?" said Ford.
"Er, who," said Arthur, "is Eddie, then, exactly, then?"
Ford looked angrily at him.
"Will you listen?" he snapped.
"I have been listening," said Arthur, "but I'm not sure it's helped."
Unlike Ford, Tim, as usual, has explained everything with exceptional clarity. I really like how he doesn’t dumb things down too much, and you come away feeling you understand how things work and can be used, but he never takes for granted the basics either. Always a good mix of the fundamentals through to the nitty gritty. And the demos and illustrations really help. For example I’d heard many explanations of how sewing machines work, but could never visualize it, until I saw The Secret Life of Sewing Machines, and the human sewing machine bit. I have no interest in the subject, but that was an enjoyable video!
Man, this brings back memories of "Machines". No one on earth makes learning so much fun while also being so relaxing at the same time as Tim. Pure therapy.
Huge fan of Tim here in the US. I remember watching Secret Life of Machines as a kid and I've recently rediscovered him on this channel. He is such a treasure! I hope to visit the UK soon and check out his arcades.
A visit to see your machines would justify a visit to the UK! Thanks for sharing. 😊
To be able to stand at the elbow of a master craftsman and learn from his experience is a very valuable thing indeed. Thank you for sharing.
"I found posh packets of crisps work better than cheaper ones...". I don't know why, but this comment aroused a burst of laughter and made my day! Tim, thank you for sharing your infectious joy of the things that make up our world!
Oh my god, back when we had hair on our heads...I too watched your series on TV in the UK all those years ago, nice to see you've continued to keep your hands in with all sorts of mech items.....appreciate your "new videos" on here, and glad I re-found you, best regards and thanks for sparking my interest in machinery and engineering all those years ago.....47 years now in the Injection Moulding maintenance trade....best wishes Tim....thankyou...
Awesome to see these videos. I am a machinist by trade, but I don't know much outside of my sphere of work. These videos as well as your excellent series has taught me a whole lot! Thanks for posting more of these.
Another great episode. I love the way that Tim was able to explain the operation of those old electromechanical master and "***SLAVE***" clocks without even flinching. Nowadays you have to be so careful.
I remember when the original series went out on TV . It explained how all sorts of machines worked from radio to washing machines ! Why don't we have interesting program's like that these days ?
we are in the age of build it; buy it and throw it away. The days of build once and hold for years are over. Lots of people want to go back now but all through the 90's if you remember it was credit cards and use once items. Its sad but yeah I'm with your story wish it was different. It really started to take off with the Client administration.
It is much more important to know what the Kardashians are doing 😥
I think y'all would get a real kick out of watching Mr. Louis Rossmann's videos right here on the good 'ol Utubez (RUclips). He is a truely awesome spokesman for the US Right to Repair movement, and he often makes videos about (new) products from Apple (and several other vendors of similar but also horridly difficult to repair products) all the while ranting about the bad design while (fruitlessly) offering design corrections to the manufacturers and ways to bypass and/or fix the product for consumers. He's currently screwdriver-deep into getting the individual US States to accept new Right to Repair legislation for both consumer and farm equipment.
I really think you guys would like his videos, as he seems to be exactly our crowd (judging from you guys' comments and such), and especially is you use Apple products you *really ought to* watch his stuff!
cheers guys, and I hope all you lads have a wonderful day!!
There are a lot of people on RUclips doing just this sort of thing. However the big corporations like Apple actively fight against people learning and tinkering. This is strange because Apple was started by Steve Jobs and Steve Woz who were big tinkers starting with Phone Freaking and moving on to microprocessors and the first Apple computer.
@@wayland7150 Ahhh... BS.
So grateful for the new series!
I wish I had all of your videos when I was in graduate school. They would have taught me so much about how to build and construct a lot of my lab equipment.
That coin dispensing solenoid is a great addition to any workshop. It seems like it would pay for itself in no time.
These videos are an incredible resource, thanks Tim 👍😆
I'm so happy to have found this channel! My children will most definitely be giving this video a watch later 😅
Thank you Tim for inspiring me as a kid. Watching your shows "The Secret Life Of xxxx" inspired me to become an engineer and has enabled me to travel the world installing and repairing industrial machinery which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I am unable to create machines as I just don't have the creativity in me of which you have in abundance. Love your work and I am extremely happy to see you are still demonstrating electrical and mechanical principles which are so important to the youth of today.
Awesome. Ive been fixing cars forever. I never had a problem diagnosing, replacing, or rebuilding starters. I did not , however, fully understand the electrical path through a starter until now. The solenoid engages the gear...AND completes the circuit on the motor. Great video! The machines are incredible!
Tim, thank you again and again! One tip for enhancing the force of solenoids is to use the duty cycle to calculate the on time at higher voltages. Some manufacturers mention the pulse time with the maximum voltage you can use to do so. You can dramatically change the starting force as you shown and switch to a much lower level to maintain position. I once made a beer tap with a rotating solenoid at 8 times it's 100% duty cycle for 0,1s. Worked like a charm for many years (8 x 24VDC = 192 VDC). It only took 12 Volts to maintain position during pouring the glass full. Maybe another tip; for arc suppression on dc loads an antiparallel diode works great to catch the reversed high voltage and dissipate it into heat. All the best! Job
You can do this in a simpleton way by using a hefty MOSFET(Nowadays very cheap) and a capacitor for the initial kick. Charge the capacitor to a fairly high voltage trough a resistor. Connect the + of the cap to the low voltage by a diode. Connect the load between D and the + capacitor. S to gnd. The limitation is the time it takes to recharge the capacitor. Worked nicely for me to extend the useful pull stroke of solenoids. Also connect a back diode over the MOSFET if not included in the package, which it most often is nowadays.
@@erikisberg3886 I did it exact like that too. Capacitor bank switched so series for the initial bang. I also limited it in time. Something like 0,1 s
Greatest teacher of design technology.
Hello Tim -- that was an excellent presentation on solenoids and relays - both myself and my Dad (RIP) are industrial electrical engineers and solenoids and relays were always part of our weekly schedule of works - my Dad taught me a lot about them -- sadly no longer with me - greetings from Ireland - Paul
Tim has posted a video about solenoids and relays, and I am anticipating as enjoyable a time as I believe I had upon first watching "the secret life of machines" for the very first time in 1988.
Tim is the King of all Makers.
Synchronome slave, Wow that big one is a monster. Wonderful unidentified mechanism from the pre digital era. That hard drive coil setup would make a lovely siesmometer pick up (the small one) Crisp packet loudspeaker, genius, best before date's getting on a bit. What a great two voltage solenoid with its own relay contacts. Pure pleasure to watch.
That was wonderful having Older Tim introduce Younger Tim!
Tim! I've loved your shows for decades! So glad you are still kicking! I have high regards for your approach to understanding! This is the way real engineering should be! I have lots to watch now! Thank you Thank you!!!
thank you for the time you have invested in making videos
You've had that crisp packet speaker for a while!! Expiry 2003!! Great work Tim, love your enthusiasm!!
I wish I'd have had you as my teacher. You're an amazing man. Thanks.
I'm learning now things i should've learned 50 years ago.
Your use of electronics is mesmerizing, but more so your creativity in the games you come up with. I pretty much understand many of the topics you cover, but the clear cut refresher is very useful. The Micro Break game is a hoot; NONE of the digital games today have anything on you! Simply clever beyond measure and thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Thank you for another great video :) This series is a masterclass in for every Maker.
Love this!! I’m making that electro magnet next weekend with my 7yo daughter….she’ll love doing it!!!
Thank you for all your videos I love learning.your a good teacher easy to understand and you know your stuff.
Another masterpiece! And the wonderful unchanging real workshop that thankfully does not resemble an operating theatre.!
Hello From the Western United states! You and Rex Garrod are are my all time hero's! The Secret Life series' are my all time favorites! Thank You So Much!
Wow ..! That's great.! Loved all of it. Hard to imagine we loosing this type of fun.
Brilliant video. I made an electro magnet & electric bell with my grandpa when I was a young boy & you've just brought the memories back.
Thank you very much for the great shows and the great memories. I grew up watching your shows, we watched them over dinner as a family. Great memories that I cherish. Thank you!
I am just impressed by not knowing this channel before, this is a gem!
Thanks for a great episode Tim/ Ive been looking forward a long time to this. I still remember your rudiments of wisdom in the observer colour supplement every Sunday.👍
Love the passion and the history. You are a wonderful teacher
This man is gold! I wish I came across this gentleman in my childhood! He's not just knowledgeable but seems so avuncular!
man im a 46 year old kid watching your video and an instant subscriber. i too have a bit of what others call junk i keep around that now i know a little more about and i know more about what isnt junk .
Wow, I very VERY rarely watch full videos of this length, but this was very entertaining!
I am so glad you are still producing videos and doing well, from all appearances. I loved your original secret life series way back when. I can still remember your giant sewing machine demonstration, along with many others. You are an icon of makerdom.
Thank you so much for this, Tim. This is what your fans and the world needed most right now.
Love and respect. Hope to run into ya in San Francisco some time. Keep up the excellent work
Just discovered this guy and I must say, THIS IS A DAMN TREASURE! The way in which the things are explained is so simple yet spot on with info it's a joy to watch and learn. And man my mind is on overdrive right now because I am a novice inventor and these things are exactly what I need because honestly my ADD get in my way when things get a bit overly boring (even if it's stuff I'm interested in) so yeah I love it. Just subscribed
Love this series. Gonna go wrap some wire around an empty chip bag now.
Making a speaker out of a chip bag - Most fun thing I've seen in a while! Thanks Tim for the chuckle…
I thought this would be boring because it’s just relays and solenoids…. But I couldn’t stop watching! Thank you!
So glad I've found this channel! It's awesome!
Years ago I gave an apprentice a task to order a box of 4X400M Mensrace relays - eventually he spent ages on the phone to RS tech support who kept him wound up for a good half an hour taking about French and Belgian manufacturers "who use different order numbers for 4-way relays you see - let me check another supplier list gimme a minute" etc etc :)
Saludó desde la República Dominicana excelente vídeo
That's the best video I've ever listened to about relays and solenoids thank you TIM very much 👍👍👍
The simplicity in which Tim explains and teaches just show how much he's a master at what he does!! This is just amazing!! Hats of to you Sir, may God bless you!🙏🏼
Tim I’m 25 and live in Australia, I’ve watched all your videos and you are an absolute inspiration! I’ve always been a tinkerer since a very young age and I love your can do attitude and so long as it works that’s all it matters!
I love the crisp packet speaker - in particular the idea of controlling the volume of a speaker by mechanically moving the magnet away from the coil, rather than by reducing the voltage supplied to it. Very cool.
So nice to watch this class! Thank you kindly! Greetings from Brazil.
Greetings to you, my teacher, you have a wonderful way of analyzing things. I wish you good health and wellness
Here's my relay story.... One of my summer jobs during my engineering college days (about 50 yrs ago) was working for small Mosler Systems subsidiary that designed custom drive-thru banking installations using pneumatic transporters. Initially my job was limited to drafting but I guess I impressed the manager enough to be assigned more difficult tasks. About 3 week before I was scheduled to leave, the manager, who rose through the ranks as a design engineer, asked me if I would be interested in investigating a redesign of one of their transport control systems that was based on relays. They had been using the German version of the control system, but it irked my manager that it required the use of expensive (German made) 4PDT & 6PDT relays. He said: "I know this can be redesigned with simpler, less expensive relays." I told him I'd try my best to provide the solution he was looking for and after two weeks I had it using standard DPDT relays. The manager was elated and gave me a very nice letter of reference and a bonus. He also said that I could take any one thing with me from their design shop when I left. I walked out with a HUGE transformer.
An excellent episode. When I was in the workplace PLCs didn't exist, entire processs lines were controlled by cabinets full of relays that handled everything including time delays and responding to inputs. You got a free soundtrack that somehow made the machine all the more impressive with alll the clacking and clanking and the occasional contact flash. Marvellous stuff.
Did you also have the person who had worked there for ten years and could diagnose faults just by listening to the clicks?
@@vylbird8014 Yes!
I remember those days, the circuit diagrams the contacts drawn like capacitors ----| |----|/|-----
This is an excellent episode, a lot of the demos remind me of the original Secret Life of Machines series. Definitely seen that coin release solenoid before
you are the best teacher so far!!
Always a pleasure to weak up to one of Tims videos
What a wonderful episode, really a series of episodes, I learned a surprising lot ! I was thinking of all the time and effort you put into these Tim, I really appreciate and enjoy them all! Cheers!
This was great, Also it triggered so many memories.
The first relay and solenoids I used as a kid were on my model railway layout. My first job was working for GEC General Signals designing railway fail safe relay circuits in the late 1970s. Going into the relay rooms full of massive relays was a sight to behold.
I then went on to become an electronics design engineer that used all the devices you described until microprocessors became ubiquitous and high power solid state semiconductors now used in every EV.
I was surprised how much I had forgotten in my now distant memories. TY.
Omg I want to visit London now just to see all those magnificent machines lol. I love learning how things work but electrical components have always eluded me. I now understand how solenoids and relays work. Thank you!
Years ago, I had a meter relay....the name describes it. The pointer of a meter hit a conductive peg. The peg was adjustable. It only controlled a tiny amount of current, but could be controlled with a crystal radio output.
You would need another relay to make it practical, but it would work with tiny amounts of current.
Your videos should be shown in schools...they are excellent...
I was half expecting to see Rex's infamous car flip using a solenoid when you did the flash back insert 😀
I miss Rex & his Brum😢
Wonderful - you have captured the most practical adaptations of so many components - thank you so much for sharing your knowledge - God Bless you
It does seem "old" to see relays and solenoids being used today with so much having been evolved to using things like solid state components & the like, but the sound of relays and solenoids doing their thing is just so pleasing, well, unless you're in a telephone exchange during their mechanical heyday... :)
I loved playing with relay logic, so satisfying with all those clicks.
I'm enthralled, yet amazed I've not stumbled upon you before given your long history. Great channel and I very much look forward to seeing more.
Thank you, Sir! for teaching us how things work in electrical mechanics and magnetic fields.
thanks for the video Tim, you showed the AC solenoid and it stands to reason you can get AC relays as well.
Tim! thanks so much for these videos. They're very much appreciated. Keep 'em coming!
Excellent videos Tim , I remember your original videos from school ,keep them coming please
Tim your great and rex was to I was amazed in 80tes when secret lives of machines came out still waiting for second series to air I'm so glad your still going strong your both an inspiration thankyou
You are such a big inspiration, you are an idol of science.
This is not only a great resource as an introduction to selenoids and relays, this is a masterclass in pedagogy.
Great to see all those examples! We forgotten and forget how smart humans are to solve problems and everything we have now seems so usual but in fact it is not. Great examples of (analog) logic. There is one trick for young players here when using relais and solenoids, back EMF. Everything with a coil needs a flyback diode to dissipate the build up reverse high voltage when turning off the coil. For people that don't understand what I am talking about, google it. Just mention this, has nothing to do with the great content you provide. Great video and very entertaining the way you explain complex (for most people) things, a great teacher. Schools need this! Compliments.
I watched the entire video……incredible! Thank you for the explanation of the differences, strengths and limitations of each component. I will likely watch it several more times. Extremely good visual examples…..people learn by seeing things work. Thank you for your time making this video!