Inside a USB powered heated neck muff (with schematic)

Aside from the very weird and misleading product images on eBay (it's not full of beads or radioactive), this isn't too bad for what it is.
I'm not totally convinced it's better than a plain scarf, but it does heat the back of your neck with a 4.5W panel. The listing claims the unit is washable, and to be fair, the USB connector has a tight cap, the control module is potted in silicone and the heating element is very soft and flexible.
The heating panel is made with what appears to be a carbon fibre and polyester thread, literally overlocked into place with plain thread, and is terminated to wires with brass-themed steel crimps.
The control module is quite useful. It has very simple construction and a staggering 12 LEDs for even button illumination. It has a classic 8-pin chip, a MOSFET for switching the heater, and very few other components. Heat level is in three stages:-
Red = 100% duty cycle
Blue = 75% duty cycle
Green = 60% duty cycle (maybe 50%)
The module could switch other loads too, but inductive ones like motors would require a flyback diode across the coil. The module could even be used as a slow sign flasher.
These are all over eBay if you search for heated scarf. There's a huge price range. This one cost £6 including local UK shipping.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- www.bigclive.c...
This also keeps the channel independent of KZbin's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
#ElectronicsCreators

[@anotheruser9876]

It would never have expected Big Clive to show a muff on this channel, yet here we are. Truly breaking the mold. 😂

[@78trav]

A pink lady muff at that. 😂

[@BedsitBob]

@@78trav And Clive has wrecked the lady's muff. 😁

[@alexhajnal107]

@@BedsitBob I never thought I'd hear that particular phrase.

[@BigClive]

I totally destroyed that hot muff.

[@stevenspmd]

​@@BigClive A muff that keeps my ears warm, so much more practical! imho

[@ottopartz1]

It's supposed to be a cold winter where i am this year. A decent quality, warm, pink muff might make the cold gloomy winter a good bit more tolerable! Thank you for splitting that muff apart and giving us a very detailed examination of the magic button and how the muff works!

[@skygh]

Men. smh

[@aod420247]

​@@skyghwomen. Smh

[@alunjones3860]

They say that every year, where I live, but it's normally mild with just a few days of snow and ice. I would prefer some heated socks or gloves, than a neck muff. A nice bright purple would be a good colour.

[@britishtechguru]

I never thought I'd see Big Clive going muff diving!

[@WonkoTSane]

It looks like it is surprisingly well constructed unlike many of the devices you have torn down.

[@andyreact]

Another video that would have benefited from some thermal camera action Clive! 👍

[@BigClive]

I did ponder that.

[@ugzz]

True! I've always wondered what a muff looks like on thermal

[@two_tier_gary_rumain]

@@BigClive Does it flash SOS if you press the button again? 😆

[@stabssfmgineer1623]

​@@two_tier_gary_rumainonly on thermal 😂

[@edgeyt1]

@@ugzz Ask her nicely first.

[@djquick]

Came for the title.. stayed for the great content.

[@gerrybvr]

It's only in the last 100 years or so that the colours reversed. Pink being nearer to red was considered the more aggressive male colour whereas blue was considered the more calm, serene female colour. For example, the Virgin Mary is always dressed in blue.

[@alexhajnal107]

The term _girl_ was also unisex, referring to a child of any sex or gender.

[@arthurtwoshitsjackson6266]

She wasn't a virgin.

[@arthurtwoshitsjackson6266]

@@alexhajnal107 Congrats, you watch QI.

[@alexhajnal107]

@@arthurtwoshitsjackson6266 Never seen it.

[@alexhajnal107]

In this context the word _virgin_ is taken from the Greek _parthenos_ which means a young woman; this word is sometimes, but not always, used to refer to a woman who hasn't had sex. This in turn is a translation of the Hebrew word _almah_ which simply means a woman of childbearing age (who may or may not have had sex). In other words, the "virgin" aspect is simply a translation error (and quite likely a deliberate one).

[@BengalCatChilli]

I do like a nice fresh muf video.

[@midplanewanderer9507]

Another gold thumb-nail: "Hot Pink Muff." Dry smutty humor like that always invokes an immediate chuckle. Well done!

[@two_tier_gary_rumain]

Thanks! Now that this is finally working for me, I just want to show my appreciation of your work.

[@BigClive]

Thanks. That's very generous of you.

[@two_tier_gary_rumain]

@@BigClive It's not really that much. The grubs take out GST (10%. Similar to your VAT) from the total amount. Does YT take a cut too? May send you some more later in the month.

[@KidMillions]

​@@two_tier_gary_rumain YT takes 30% off superchats in the live streams. I don't know if it's the same for donations in the regular comments, probably a large cut as well.

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

​@@two_tier_gary_rumainKZbin takes quite a substantial cut, don't recall the exact figure but a Google search should be able to fill that in

[@phantomkate6]

​​@@two_tier_gary_rumainKZbin takes 30%. If an Apple device is used, they also take a cut. I have read reports from KZbinrs where they've ended up receiving less than 50% after all fees are subtracted. I am sorry to be the bearer of that bad news. Clive has a PayPal link on his website, which may be a more desirable option for anyone reading this.

[@mastafoo886]

Always happy to see a nice pink muff.

[@dean5263]

Great video work. The possibilities with the use of that circuit and carbon fibers go well beyond the scope of use in just a heated muff. Ah yes, the world of knowledge brought to me by a great man.

[@squelchstuff]

Ooh errr! The innuendos wrote themselves in this one. You're the best Clive

[@wiseoldfool]

Is it true that "innuendo" is Italian for "suppository"?

[@phillyphakename1255]

That wrap through with the battery weighing it down is pretty brilliant product design.

[@Muonium1]

The tourmaline thing, while obviously complete negative-ion mumbo jumbo pseudoscience, DOES have a microscopic grain of physical reality at its core. Tourmaline is a HIGHLY pyroelectric mineral and spontaneously develops huge electrostatic potentials at the terminations of its c axis when heated or cooled rapidly. Electrostatic potentials so high that it can in fact slightly ionize surrounding air molecules. If one takes a piece of cheap black tourmaline (ie. schorl), ties it to a string at the center, and lowers it into a dewar of liquid nitrogen, it will stick to the glass sides of the dewar like a balloon rubbed on the head will stick to a wall. This was first noticed hundreds of years ago in Sri Lanka, and was called "the Ceylonese magnet" for its ability to electrostatically attract ashes when heated in a fire. You can see its properties in the video "The Pryoelectric Effect in Tourmaline". This effect WAS used in the early 2000s by Putterman et al. at UCLA to do the first actual deuterium nuclear fusion reactions driven by the pyroelectric effect alone (using lithium tantalate rather than tourmaline). It's possible this is where the radioactive symbol enters the picture, or at least in the fevered imaginations of the hucksters selling these sorts of things.

[@Blend3rman]

My knowledge just leveled up reading your comment. Info-dense and interesting, thank you!

[@MassimoTava]

Big Clive tore that muff up! Atta boy!

[@ChrisShUK]

Hands down the best thumbnail I"ve seen this year. Well done sir

[@petersage5157]

This is the only context in which Clive would tear into a pink muff. :p The white thread is probably the same polyester or nylon thread you'll find in headphone wires. Strictly used for its tensile strength and because it's cheap. I've tried some gloves with carbon heating panels stuck in with velcro and they're extremely effective. I imagine a scarf or a jacket collar over the muff would keep your neck quite toasty.

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

I was hoping you'd open a muff to see what's inside. I'm so glad the carbon fibers are long enough.

[@Zerbey]

Exceptional use of double entendre. The module is also used in other things, I know someone with a heated jacket that she basically lives in during the Winter months.

[@nickk6518]

Reminds me of a report of a wedding I founds that took place in the 1920s which described the bridesmaids as having fruit in their muffs 🙄😳

[@ChrisElisonElectronics]

My Mum just got me one of these! Mine came with a '5000mAh' power bank with USB-A, micro USB and USB-C connections, it's nice to have on my painful neck on cold nights, but it does weigh quite a lot due to the power bank!

[@UltimateDillon]

If I'd had a drink in my mouth I'd have spat it out in classic cartoon fashion after hearing that opening line

[@marsrover001]

I also have that same button in a heated vest. It has a mylar ish inside lining that itself provides a decent amount of reflected heat. The neck warmer is the hottest area, the chest and back are certainly not as strong.

[@slimhazard]

1M! Congratulations!

[@charliesoffer]

Super insight as always, Clive. Much racking of brains to think up an alternative use for this elegant little module.

[@mattg437]

I bought a very similar controller and pads as a wiring loom to fit into an existing jacket a few years ago. Cut a hole in the front and sewed the button on, the USB plug comes through the lining of one of the inside pockets. The major headache was anchoring the pads neatly so they didn't all migrate to the bottom of the lining, they were very tough material and difficult to push a needle through the edges!

[@TheFerret22ca]

It's good to know that Clive loves the big pink muff.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

The sewing is done with a rope bead foot. Its usually used for sewing stings of pearls or decorative stings to fabric. The oot has a channel in it that cuides the material to be zig zagged over. For some reason I think you could really get into machine sewing clive the machines and attatchments have so many features that are up your street. (In like flynn) ;)

[@BigClive]

I have a sewing machine with lots of bits.

[@thepagan5432]

Interesting post again ✔️ If it is waterproof you could use it in the rain or even put it in a plastic sleeve with a soft outer covering. You could even use the muff inside a dry suit to keep yourself warm while diving. I was impressed that they used carbon fibres as the heating elements. I keep a box of failed electronic devices and recycle in silly gadgets when the mood takes me. Thanks for posting Clive, appreciated 👍

[@BersekViking]

If the power supply is reversed, the parasitic diode in the MOSFET will conduct and the device will heat up at (almost) full power! I doubt that a user will see that as a fault.

[@adrian.parano]

true.. a backup mechanism to keep using the pad, in case the microcontroller side stops working..😊 .. but the MOSFET will burn out after a while.. as power dissipation (> 0.5W) will exceed specs..

[@caralynx]

I noted that on the wiring section of the PCB, they wrote in the labels of the positive and negative of the power wires as words, but the same for the heating element as symbols. Oddly inconsistent.

[@Gribbo9999]

Clive describes this item as water resilient so, with care, could be used for muff diving. The tactile surface mount button should be fully utilised to avoid disappointment.

[@InimitaPaul]

A Scotsman with over a million subs, something has gone horribly wrong. Congrats beardy man, well deserved Sir.

[@RJFerret]

I recognized that button right away, as I'd picked up a pair of heated gloves with such, advertised as "carbon nanotube" technology. Given they provide immediate heat, I was surprised and impressed (the lowest setting is practically too warm). Thanks for tearing something similar apart confirming such.

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

Just get a muffheater that comes as a built in part of wife!

[@dropgold]

Big Clive deep diving a muff! I approve! Especially as it is waterproof, but Clive managed to plunge its depths and discover its messy innards for educational reasons! In the end, I cannot resist watching a bit of hot muff being handled.

[@dozer1642]

I see a title like hot pink muff, and I can’t help but click.

[@mevk1]

Nice warm timely product review. So cool!

[@enoz.j3506]

Nothing like a heated muff on a Friday evening. Muff said.

[@wiseoldfool]

Time is an illusion. Friday doubly so!

[@AubsUK]

0:14 Noting that in some countries, the word muff also has other connotations !! Love it !!

[@EdgarsLS]

The reverse polarity protection probably is actually rated for the current flowing trough it. Just square the voltage across the resistor and divide it by the resistance. So roughly 1/5w dissipation trough the resistor. the dissipation trough the diode would be around 50mW

[@adrian.parano]

..dissipation on resistor will be actually less than 0.25w

[@VM-lt9wl]

@@adrian.parano Fractions, op said 1/5 = 0.20W, so exactly, less than 0.25.

[@adrian.parano]

@@VM-lt9wl aaahh, hahah, I misunderstood the 1/5w !!! that is right 😄

[@PenryMMJ]

You never know what you're going to find on Big Clive's channel, but I was surprised to see some hot muff action. 😁

[@PaulEcosse]

Always be very careful with an electric muff, lads. 👍

[@kimvibk9242]

Shocking!

[@ucitymetalhead]

Yeah those robo hoes getting you all stuck in their gears.

[@dianapatterson1559]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, 'in like Flynn' comes from Errol Flynn movies, where he does things easily, particularly as a pilot (1946 first used).

[@MrAsBBB]

A viral pink muff. Goes exceptionally well with the Kink Palculator.

[@Hopelek]

The design is surprisingly elegant.

[@jeffdayman8183]

You had me with the title, and normally I'd be right into it. But if there's no tourmaline and no radiation - not so much. I think the vendor may be fleece-ing us with the stuffing...8^) Cheers!

[@gordslater]

Big Muff, can’t you see I’ve had enough? God knows you’re trying to kill me.

[@cajampa]

I use a similar one to this when i run in cold weather. I used it for that just a few hours ago. I bought the fluffy kind without the button sewn in to the fabric but has the controler on the wire, in grey. I really like it, it is part of my running in cold weather without having to use winter cloths kit. The coldest i have ran in was -28C with just one layer of thin clothes but with battery heated scarf/socks/gloves/vest and some on my legs. It works GREAT, i always hated running for a long time 10k+ in the winter because you needed layer on layers of thick warm cloths and that just feel awful to move fast in. But now i easily run just as good in the winter as in the summer months. I remember i met a dude running on that -28C run, he looked like the michelin man he had so much clothes on him and i moved as easy as it was not even cold outside. I have also noticed i recover MUCH better and faster after a hard run in very cold weather when using things like these. If you like to move outside in the cold, but hate having to wear thick and heavy winter clothes to not freeze, these kind of battery heating devices is a total game changer, try it out if you are curious.

[@Mrvideosandgames]

I have some hand warmers that function in much the same manner, regarding LED colours, albeit more of a PWM system than longer duty cycles. The heating element is wrapped around the battery, and they can get extremely hot if operated in an insulated space, so I have my doubts about how long they'll last!

[@b4uc2far95]

I chuckled out loud when I saw the video thumbnail. First time I ever chartered a deep sea fishing trip, I arrived to find the boat I had booked was named: “The Pink Snapper”.

[@wiseoldfool]

I've eaten pink snapper!

[@b4uc2far95]

@@wiseoldfool I’ve had a few.

[@wisher21uk]

Nice and cosy warm muff and hackable perfect 😊 thanks Clive

[@tophlaw4274]

another great video Clive ;) I wish you had tried wiring up a few LEDs or a strip to the module & quickly turn it into a 3-level brightness switch.

[@BigClive]

It has very low PWM rate. Closer to burst-firing. Literally around 1Hz, so more of a flasher for LEDs.

[@tophlaw4274]

@@BigClive ah, that's what you meant when you mentioned "burst-firing".... gotcha (guess it's to save on battery life) thanks for the clarification. ... too bad then... though I'd be curious to see a practical application, perhaps in a future follow-up video ;)

[@zeberto1986]

A hot pink muff perfect for a cold winters night!

[@umbrellacorp.]

Awesome video, I love watching your videos to Relax before I go to sleep. ☕😌👍💯

[@annnonomys3132]

My mom uses this a lot. It works very well as a tidy unheated scarf without the battery. But the battery powered heat is worthless. On the other hand, she also has a heated fleece vest. That has enough surface area to be nice and toasty.

[@cerulyse]

I got a mains one from lidl, 3yr warranty , they have self-destruct safety mechanism lol the fact that everything has a microcontroller in it now still amazes me

[@309electronics5]

Its the cheapest way. Also you dont have to design a whole timing and mode selection color changing circuit while a few lines of code can replace it. And the circuit board does not have to be filled with a lot of support components for other logic ics thus also saving bom costs. I also dont like that everything has a whole computer in it but i gues its the future and its easier to apply tweaks to the code of a mcu (or just place a new mcu) when some timing fails. Those chinese ±2 cent micros are cheaper then the logic ics

[@phils4634]

That would have been very nice when I used to ride a motorbike in the UK (Harrogate) winter - even a thermal balaclava didn't really cut it (especially on an early morning or late evening run!)

[@davebacknolaliki1452]

I love these tear down videos and I love your channel! One of my go to’s!! Thanks a lot!

[@noahwinslow2692]

😂😂😂 oh Clive. Your innuendo to some naughty stuff is hilarious. Us boys know we all love a nice warm pink muffin

[@andybrown4284]

One of those things that's maybe nice to have when you walk out a warm house on a cold day and jump into a car but think I'll stick with my lambswool scarf

[@metacortechs]

This is the content I come for.

[@alpharomeo8375]

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@6F6G]

The test pads would be for in circuit programming.

[@johnstouchpad6437]

Like a serial Jtag?

[@309electronics5]

​@@johnstouchpad6437maybe not jtag but maybe some (in circuit) serial programming like the popular microchip (and atmega) microcontrollers use.

[@DrFiero]

If you tip your head to the left, the PCB has written on it "Output" and "Power supply positive, Power supply negative".

[@daveharveys]

Ah a warm muff, that doesn't cost the earth 😅

[@LPNeogetz]

I think one of these might be perfect for the neck issues I have as it looks much easier to get on the neck that my usual wedging a heat pad or hot water bottle

[@BlondieSL]

Hot pink muff, huh!? Nope! too easy! ROFL 😅😂🤣😁

[@CrunchyF123]

i am an amazon vine reviewer and i got the black version a few weeks ago (listed price was £9.99), didn't think much of it to be honest way too short and way too awkward to use with a powerbank. but it was interesting to see the internals .... there are a lot of these cheap heated items available now that we are seeing on vine like fingerless gloves and socks but again it seems you would need to wire up your entire body and carry several KG of power banks around ! although i did get some very nice motorbike style heated gloves in early september that have purpose built battery packs that fit in the rear of the cuff but those are expensive vs these cheap heated items we are seeing now.

[@hugebartlett1884]

Bought one just a few days ago. Rather looking forward to the colder days ahead.

[@SirBoden]

In Like Flint Is a movie from the 60s with James Coburn as the lead. It’s quaint, definitely worth a watch.

[@j.f.christ8421]

The phrase is "In like (Errol) Flynn", and yes, it's about muff diving.

[@jaylang11]

theres nothing quite like watching a large bearded man just absolutely destroy a muff like that, then uploading it to youtube!!! thanks for the video clive

[@willrobertson7778]

I suppose it's a sign of the times that on receiving a new electrical device we have to check it with a Geiger counter... 🙈

[@Cornz38]

"hot pink muff". I'm sold!!! Here i am.. Oh.....Cold shower time.

[@daveduna1]

I could use a warm pink muff. For real.

[@alunjones3860]

If the polarity of the power supply is reversed, the heater would turn on at nearly full power, as the body diode inside the MOSFET would conduct.

[@robertcroft2591]

The saying around here is( in like flint) Flint was a manufacturer of window and crack sealer. Hence In like flint was a reminder of how well roller ground gypsum paste stuck in the cracks.

[@nickdee5764]

Knocks on door, “I’m here for the hot pink muff, schematic.”

[@MyCraftyStyles]

Hey Clive thanks for sharing your nerdy info. I love it! Blue would be my color 😁💙.

[@twocvbloke]

Using that carbon fibre heater wire you got years back you could probably build your own USB heating thing with this module, if I recall that was something like 12 volts per metre based on its' resistance, so could probably use about 40-45cm of it for 5v depending on how hot you want your neck to be... :P

[@sarkybugger5009]

I still find hot pink muffs highly attractive, but it's the drain on your resources that puts me off getting another one... 🤨

[@casemodder89]

thats the worst part of it 😂

[@BigClive]

That's why you rent them when needed.

[@FrontSideBus]

USB heated motorbike gloves would be handy... This neck muff might actually be quite good around my neck under my bike jacket lol.

[@bws833]

I asked my wife if she has a heated pink muff, but she declined to answer my question. 🤣🤣

[@riaz8783]

I'd be worried if you didn't know the answer to this already!

[@bws833]

😂@@riaz8783

[@Averna222]

@riaz8783 Well he is married, so he's probably forgotten.

[@mikebashford8198]

Great that it's washable. Muffs need a good wash every so often.

[@vishva8kumara]

In Sri Lanka we have technology to weave nana circuits right into the fabric. Putting PCB inside wearable items are no longer necessory. They constantly research and develop at Brandix and other Nana-Tec research institutes here.

[@RousePartridge]

Just the very first sentence qualifies the Entendre check algorithm fail. The smooth and creamy voice delivery may have made it faint anyway..

[@Chris_Grossman]

If the 5V power input gets reversed the diode that is part of the FET will conduct and the heating element will be on. This is addition to the power (5V -.7V)^2 / 100 = 184mW that will be dissipated by the 100 Ohm resistor.

[@42VS42]

OMG I love the thumbnail :-D lol

[@lsstuff735]

"All I ever wanted to be, was a wooly muffler on your naked neck. Double-wrap me when it's cold..."

[@jameslappin9896]

And in videos I didn’t think I’d see myself watching today

[@d.t.4523]

Thank you. Keep working, good luck to you.

[@acmefixer1]

That carbon fiber wire looks like the tinsel wire that was used in high flexibility cords found in the coiled cord between the telephone and the handset. Tinsel wire has the spiraled thin copper ribbon only a fraction of a mm wide. It should make good resistance wire.

[@scratchdog2216]

A bow or longer necktie with heat might make a smart accessory for a gentleman. Perhaps they already exist.

[@richardbriansmith8562]

Awesome Video Big Clive

[@sjokomelk]

Only Clive would think that "In like Flynn" is a Tron reference 🥰

[@wiseoldfool]

Errol Flynn was an Aussie. Apparently he was proficient at buckling his swashes (whatever that means).

[@KericthePally]

Got to love the internet - when you need a big Scottish bear to give you a tour of his muff, it's just a click away.

[@BedsitBob]

A hot pink muff is just what us men have been looking for. 😊

[@mySeaPrince_]

1 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS 😻

[@kjm-ch7jc]

I prefer a natural muff.

[@cbmsysmobile]

Pink again, you've got an obsession!

[@BigClive]

The pink originates to the power supply for a set of pink lights that exploded when I plugged it in, leaving a scorch mark on my hand. Since then I make an effort to get dodgy electronic stuff in pink for extra mirth.

[@bryanbrewer4272]

As a pro muff diver this hot pink muff was unexpected.....

[@xntumrfo9ivrnwf]

I love exploring muff on a Saturday morning