How Does an Earphone Work - A close look on the parts of an earphone

Earphones make sound from signals. Pretty simple right? Here is a video I made that elaborates more on how earphones work to produce music from electric signals from your phone, computer, or MP3 player.

How does an earphone look on the inside?

If you liked this video be sure to check out our channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp4cu85vldOT6lWUsna41FA

We have more informative videos there from computer troubleshooting to product reviews.

Apple vs. Dausen vs. Philips vs. Samsung Earphone Mic: Which is the best

Earphone Microphones are probably one of the most overlooked part of an earphone. Yes! This small component is different among earphone brands. Some are good, Some are bad. If you are conscious about how you sound on the other end of a line during a call. Then watch this video as we compare the microphones of four prominent earphone makers:

Can you use Lithium-ion batteries instead of NiMH?

Q: Can you use lithium-ion batteries instead of NiMH?

A: No. Electronic gadgets are manufactured to be able to use only a certain size of battery - AA, AAA, or the Various sizes of Lithium-ion batteries. Rarely does a gadget allow two sizes. Old Kodak P&S cameras has these feature but they use obsolete battery sizes. There are no Lithium-ion batteries the size of AA or AAA. They always come in rectangular shapes and are specifically made for a narrow range of gadgets. They also have 3.7 volts per cell. So if ever a miracle happens and someone makes a Lithium-ion cell the size of a standard alkaline, the voltage would probably damage your gadget.

 If you want, you can use Lithium batteries. These are different from Lithium-ion batteries which hold up to 6 times the charge of NiMH, they give 1.5v per cell and has minimal self-discharge rates. The down part is they are not rechargeable.

If you want to recharge alkaline batteries, I have some instructions here: How to Recharge an Alkaline Battery

How to Tell If Your Charger Needs to Be Replaced

Every once in a while electronic devices suddenly ceases to function properly. Most likely,

a component is fried, or in other terms dead, when this happens. But sometimes there are damages that do not involve damaged electronic components. These damages usually involve de-soldered components or wires.

This kind of damage is completely repairable. It does not require you to buy anything to replace parts. However you will need a soldering pen, a desoldering pump(sometimes), and some lead. A voltmeter will also make the job easier. Of course, you can just borrow these equipment.

So how do you find out if a damaged charger requires a new electronic component or just some rewiring and re-soldering?

First thing you should know is that if your charger blew up (something popped), released some smoke, sparked (then stopped working). An electronic component was probably short circuited and is now dead. You then need to replace your charger.

Unless of course if you can find the damaged component and get a replacement, you can have it fixed. But this is very difficult and is not worth you time and efforts. It would be easier and cheaper to get a new one.

If not then you should begin with checking all connections. Make sure that your charger is properly plugged to the right outlet. After doing so try to move the ends of the wire. If your cellular phone suddenly starts charging, you've got a wiring problem.

If nothing happens, you can opt to disassemble your charger and check the input and output terminals for any signal using a volt meter. A signal is any electric response - voltage or current. You can also use a diode to check the output. If you don't get any voltage on the output end, a component is damaged. If there is nothing on the input end (the part of the circuit where wires from the plug go to), you have a wiring problem.

When you are fixing electronic devices, be sure to use extreme caution and care. You might damage something else and it would make fixing whatever you are fixing a lot harder. Also, be sure to use the right equipment and know how to use or operate them.

Note that you should also check if it is your cellular phone that is damaged. If you had tried multiple chargers on it and it still won't charge, there is an IC in your cellular phone that is damaged.

How dangerous is octopus wiring?

Ever since faulty-electrical-wiring-related-fires began, electricians have advised us not to practice octopus wiring. Octopus wiring is pacing a lot of extensions to a wall socket. This is dangerous because if the total current that passes through the wires exceeds the indicated rating, it could create too much heat and start a fire (The maximum current rating is usually at 10 Amperes for household units).