frantone

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!  

2020-09-20 12:32:48 +0000 UTC View Post

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 Fuzzy...

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! 

2020-09-12 20:46:44 +0000 UTC View Post

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 ta...

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...

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 pers...

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 s...

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 ...

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 a...

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 -...

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 a...

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...

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 ...

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?  ...

No Tape For You!!!

Okay.......   I'm giving this one a second chance.  With some editing.  Couldn't let it go!

https://youtu....

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. &...

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 PV...

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 ...

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, an...

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 2020-07-03 21:16:28 +0000 UTC View Post

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...

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 numbe...

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...

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...

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 exis...

My Patrons, My Friends - The New Reality In July

I hope that FranLab can get around these new rules, so please stick around!