frantone

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Inside An LED Light

I take a look at the complex innards of a common LED replacement light and ponder the real carbon footprint of these products. Discuss and enjoy! https://youtu.be/MsA6X9RwIQI

First Frantone Pedal Prototype - 1994

The first in my new PedalMom series of videos about - well, Pedals of course! This one is all about the first one I made, the prototype for the first Frantone pedal which was called the Fuzzywuzzy. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/kNrXpn_YwbM

FranLab Feedback #1

I'm trying this one on - a new kind of segment to make for a more interactive FranLab experience... It's Feedback! Enjoy!https://youtu.be/5dpL85bn_X0

How Do Card Shuffle Machines Work???

Oh yea - I have played a LOT of solitaire this year. So a card shuffling machine seemed like a good idea... and it was! In this video I show how these cheap little machines work, and take a look inside at the mechanism. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/_cVTukhGvJ4

UPS Battery Backup Teardown And Repair

Okay - not so much a 'repair' as just required maintenance... In this one I have to replace the battery in my Uninterruptible Power Supply to get it back in service. I take the opportunity to open up the UPS and show the insides while I get the old battery out and get a new one in. Enjoy! ht...

FranLab Through 2020

Hello everyone! I am so glad that we are all getting through this shitbag of a year together and doing our best to stay sane and healthy. It was necessary for me to take August for personal stuff but FranLab lost support because of my sabbatical, so I'm going to have to get creative in how I can...

The Vintage Li-Ion Battery Problem

No one knows how long lithium Ion batteries can or should last - and I have some that I am still using with 15+ years on them - and that is a big problem! I see a need here for a company to step in and fill the gap to provide custom batteries for refurbishing and restoring vintage gear, so if such a...

Just How Terrible Is A New Portable Radio???

In this quick video I take a listen and a look inside a new portable radio to see how it measures up to the vintage transistor radios that I am accustomed to. Is a new radio complete garbage or actually alright? You Decide! https://youtu.be/zSlif4p-ULM

19th Century Tech - The Galvanometer

I'm Baaaack!https://youtu.be/QLlYhhPjsDs

Wanna Fluff Out My IMDB Page?

Hey gang! I can't believe that I have been given an IMDB page for being in the upcoming film The Pedal Movie, but I do! It needs some proper primping though. Someone has already added a quote of mine that they deemed very important for whatever reason - so perhaps you have some things that you&#...

Back To Work

Hey everybody! I've been back in the Lab this past week doing the pre-production work on a string of new videos. The picture above is the result of my great summer battery purge - I went through all the battery operated devices in the shop and either put in new batteries or took batteries out fo...

Don't Panic!!! Patreon Is Not Going Away

Lots of noise, opinion, and speculation about the recent California State court ruling about the ongoing lawsuit involving Patreon but in this video I read their official statement and talk a bit about the structures of large companies and the ever present realities of litigation. But Don't Pani...

Cheap UV Shielding? Let's Test It!

Yes, lots of stuff in my shop that I want to protect from fading and damage due to ultraviolet light exposure, so I for decades I have used inexpensive and easy to get AG Film on my shop windows to filter out the UV from sunlight. In this video I use a UVAB Light Meter to test the window film I have...

Troubleshooting Fran With Electromyography

It's Electrafyin'!!! Yes, I have done a lot of troubleshooting of circuits in my life, but never before had I ever had MY circuits troubleshot - until this week. In this video I give a little talk about my experience getting a set of EMG tests on my arms and hands with photos and a basic des...

Fran Live - July 26, 2020

Going live at 2pm eastern time..... https://youtu.be/oHDlz8zqAvc

Leaky Alkaline Batteries!!!!

Oh The Humanity!!! We've all had this happen. You've got a device that goes dead so you go to change the batteries and Whammo! Why does this happen and what to do about it? I will delve into these and other questions as I explore the wild world of alkaline batteries. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/...

No Tape For You!!!

Okay....... I'm giving this one a second chance. With some editing. Couldn't let it go!https://youtu.be/PUA81lBLdwU

FranLab LIVE Q&A - July 20, 2020

https://youtu.be/zZ4F_KjN7s4

New Austin Air Laboratory Filtration Machines

With every day turn turn turn.... Yes, I have switched out the Blueair machines for a set of Austin Air industrial purification machines that I think are much more suited to the needs of FranLab. I go through unboxing, a mini-teardown of the sophisticated filter system, take some decibel readings fo...

Green Slime In My 1967 Dual Showman Amp! WTF???

This was a very messy and smelly mystery for weeks until I put up a blog post and got some people commenting on this issue, which it seems is sadly getting more common. It appears that the PVC jacketed wiring from the 50's and 60's is now disintegrating due to a reaction between the plastici...

YouTube's Summer Adpocalypse!

Here we go again! Another Frant about YouTube going and tilting over the apple cart. Yes, you'll be seeing more ads this summer - and forever after that - but not here (I hope) as I am doing my best to stay away from the pressures to bloat all my videos with ads and junk. Enjoy! https://youtu.be...

The BlueAir Filter Problem

It seems that my first series of videos after returning from my sabbatical are going to be about the numerous problems that I have been having to deal with in the Lab for the past couple months, and the first in this "Problem Series" is a rant about the issues I have been having with my BluA...

Is There Life After FranLab?

Just trying to get back in the swing of things by rambling a bit and thinking about the future.https://youtu.be/Y4aA17vQjps

Video Bonfire

Sorry about the deleted post yesterday everyone, but the advanced preview video that I put up on Thursday was panned my Patrons so had to take it down and burn it. Until the time comes when I am back to my old self, whenever that could be, I have to forgo trying to make any new videos less I disappo...

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and FranLab?

Whaaaaaaaat???? Graphtreon has me and Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson on the same page.... How is it even possible that a weird little channel like FranLab has almost the same number of Patrons as Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's Star Talk?? He's got like 1.2Million YouTube subscribers, a weekly TV show, a...

Notifications And Subscribers (and other stuff)

Thought I'd make a short little video for ya....https://youtu.be/aGThFuNjTgY

Friends To The Rescue and The Spirit Of Radio

UPDATE - I had to re-edit this and upload again, so any comments on the YouTube side will be erased. Be sure to re-comment over there if you wish.....Thanks everyone for helping to get FranLab closer than ever to our 2020 goal of getting fully funded! And thanks to Dave Jones for getting me some muc...

Swag Away!

Lots of love from Team FranLab this week! Here's a bag of swag going out today to the new Top Team FranLab Patrons. Thanks to all the new Patrons who came on board, and thanks to everyone who decided to pitch in a little more to help get FranLab even closer to getting on budget in 2020! With all...

OMG! So Many Thanks! And New Patrons Welcome!

I am speechless - I did not expect the reaction I have gotten to the last video I made. I was really just trying to hold things together while I recoup but so many of you have upped your existing pledges and many more of you are new Patrons that have come here because of that video to bring your sup...