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@ddephor It isn't that extreme - components do cost money, even when you buy them straight from Chinese manufacturers, particularly motors can cost a few euros - but yeah the pocket filling by retailers is a real problem. Earlier I bought some Bluetooth speakers from a local store for €7 each, only to find shortly after that they were only €3 on Alibaba. China strongly investing in export, probably even free shipping and a bulk discount for the local retailer. All the rest.. just fucking profit.
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@ODXT Perhaps I could do that yes.. I mean, I don't really have much use for these components anyway, and fixing the enganeers' crappy design choices would be much less tedious than trying to reuse the components somewhere else. From previous testing on my lab bench power supply it looks like the motors can take up to 12V at no load. So perhaps I could run them off my 12V supply rail. It'd shorten the motors' lifespan but otherwise it'd be garbage anyway.. by overvolting it can at least try to fulfill its purpose still.
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Speaking of crappy design choices...
I once bought an ultrasonic cleaner, turned out chinese crap that died with a big flash after a few runs.
When I opened it, I saw that the power cable was held in place by the pins of the electronic components sticking out of the backside of the circuit board. A really good idea on a device whose only task is to vibrate. Only a matter of time until the pins perforated the isolation of the power cable and shortened something...
The store that sold it, gave me a new one. I opened it, same thing. I changed the cable position to not let it die the same way, but it didn't help much, it died with a big flash some months later. -
@ddephor holy fucking shit.. I've seen many crappy circuits, but manufacturers cheaping out on the mains input lines of all things.. that's some next level shit right there. Luckily it didn't burn down your house.. no idea how those things pass through verification processes (FCC, CE, those things) and also pass through customs checks. Constant vigilance is key.
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@Condor Brick & mortar stores are expensive though. Rent is high, old city center buildings drain power and heating.
Just disassembled 2 €5 desk fans because they were shit.. and so is their design apparently.
What I found inside was actually surprisingly simple.. a toddler could build it. It's just a DC motor, a 3PDT switch, DC barrel connector, some wires and screws to hold stuff in place. Oh and the plastic thingie with the fan blades, as well as the USB cable of course.
5 fucking euros. The combined cost of the components would be less than 3, certified motherfuckturers. Time to build it, injection moulding, transportation, sure.. but still.
And if you think that being salty about €5 is cheap shittalk, expand that to every fucking piece of electronics that doesn't cost a small fortune.. at all price ranges. Could be radios, alarm clocks, heck even phones. Shit's way too expensive for what it's worth. Perhaps because so many people in the industry are just here for a quick buck.. motherfuckers 😒
Anyway, back to the design.. the hole in the fan blade thingie is supposed to get the motor's shaft shafted in, to turn the blades. I'd use glue there.. but not these designers. They just shove it in and hope that friction takes care of everything. And one of the fan blade modules' hole was so wide that inserting the motor is like throwing a sausage down the hallway. No contact at all! Make it tight already like the Chinese designer's glory-...
Nah let's not get into Chinese tightness just yet.
Oh and also a resistor for slow mode. Consumes just as much power except the fan turns slower. Because fuck efficiency, right?
Goddammit, next time I'm just gonna build my own again.. at least that wouldn't be a certified piece of shit 😑
rant
motherfuckturers
certified shitdesigns
certified enganeers