A long time ago I came across a decorative mobile being sold in a gadget shop. It had a battery operated rotator and a choice of mobiles to suspend from it, mostly UV-active fluorescent plastic.
The most intriguing thing was the rotator, since it claimed to run for months on 2 AA cells. I bought one to take the rotator apart and found that it used a motor directly driving the attachment point and relied on running the motor in short bursts to wind-up the thread between it and the rotating mobile. It was basically using the thread to store the rotation like a spring and release it slowly.
I'm not sure if they make those any more, so here's one you can make out of a cheap air freshener unit, which provides the motor and the circuitry that runs it briefly every several minutes.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm

15 thoughts on “Simple mobile/ornament rotator.”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Chris Hill says:

    Clive, that's an Airwick air freshener. Airwick is made by the huge, anonymous UK company Reckitt Benkiser, now just 'RB'. I used to work there many, many years ago when they were called Reckitt & Colman. I'm guessing the processor is named RB1401C because it is made for RB.

    Thanks for your videos – it has made lockdown bearable and I have learned such a lot.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Roger Beck says:

    I have now a beginning of understanding decoupling capacitor function. Very many thanks.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars A3DogNight says:

    At almost 60 years of age now I have never seen one of these & now that I have I'm still not certain just what it really does or is for. WOW!!!!!!!

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars SuchaCaligrrl says:

    I love love love your accent. 🙂

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Geoff Lotton says:

    These ZVS flyback induction heaters from Ebay seem extremely cheap until you see the circuitry. Then you realise how simple they are and how poor they will perform due to the inability to create a tuned circuit for the average purchaser.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars TheFlacker99 (Flak) says:

    Please overclock it.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Geoff Lotton says:

    I am wondering if those super cheap ultrasonic cleaners powered by a couple of AAA batteries actually do anything or do the batteries just power an LED to make it look like they are.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Rob Robbie says:

    ……. I would be locked in a MATRIX type loop waiting for the ball to eject !

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars I_will_get_you There says:

    would you be doing more of "electronic basics on components"??
    Thanks for this video.
    Regards

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars JS7457 says:

    Are you there ? I really need to talk to you about a bargin ? How can i ? Please respond me 🙂

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Legolars says:

    The package of the chip is a SO8, in case you want to know.
    These chips are easy to solder. Even the smaller TSSOP packages are not that hard to solder. You just need the right tip 🙂
    Sometimes I have to solder some QFNs on a pcb. That's hard tho.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Eq_NightGlider_ says:

    Hey Clive I have a question (not related to this video).

    At work we use a Titan electric breaker (for breaking out concrete and what not) and it was plugged into an extension lead (fully un-rolled) and after we unplugged it from the extension lead we saw that there were burn marks on the top and bottom of the Live and Neutral pins. The machine works fine, there were no blown fuses and not breaker trip.

    What could be causing that?

    (Sorry for the essay)

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars thehappylittlefox aka benji says:

    how come the orange ball didn't explode ! you said my orange things explode because they are orange !

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Andi Archer says:

    You could insert a small circuit board and LED into the ball to provided randomly flashing illumination too

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars video dot com says:

    y tho

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