Teardown of a Broken Toy and a Redundant Heating Controller

[@explosivelybrilliant]

I had possibly the worst Xmas I can ever recall having, and i just wanted to say, your advent calendar really, really helped me keep it together. It was the one thing I knew I could look forward to each day in the midst of everything going on. Thank you so very much. I wish you peace and much happiness ❤

[@Joe_From_IT]

You’ve earned a “low effort” video or two. I so enjoyed the Advent videos this year and genuinely appreciate all the time, effort and discipline they required to make!

[@tomalexander2710]

Completely agreed!

[@cphilips502]

What a delightful surprise to see you today Mr Shrimp! I thought that you would take a break until after new years as you gave us 12 weeks+ of content in the past 25 days!

[@AtomicShrimp]

It feels like a break, going back to the regular schedule!

[@snackbracket]

Tip for making reassembly easy: put a line of tape down sticky side up and put each screw you remove on the tape in order. Then, when reassembling, work backwards up the tape. I learned this from some veteran electronics technicians when I was a student helping them for a summer.

[@hippohams]

I've also used empty (obviously XD) ice trays for when multiple projects are on the bench, just be sure to label them or it gets confusing!

[@mandym2808]

I really enjoyed the Advent calendar. Thank you for your hard work putting it together

[@VultureSkins]

29:10 I’d like to hear more about your experience with the progression of computers, if you’re ever interested in talking about it! People often have stories of their first time using a desktop computer or when their workplace began integrating desktop computers, things they remember being challenging to learn that have become second nature now, things like that! I always find those recollections interesting :)

[@raraavis7782]

I second that. I think it would make for an interesting video. Both for those of old enough, to remember a world without computers and those who don't!

[@chezmoi42]

My memory of computers appearing in offices was that my husband retired at 62 instead of 65 when they came to his hospital accounting department in '92. He could balance to the penny with his calculator, but when he had to spend his time teaching young folks what to put into their computer to get an inferior result, he left it to them. (I was delighted; I got to retire at 50.)

[@dees3179]

That just doesn’t seem like it’s worth dreaming about these days. I’m 46 and I’m already trying to work out if there are enough pay checks left to clear the mortgage before I’m not able to work anymore when my health gets worse. Retirement age keeps getting moved so there won’t be a natural end point, it will just be when I can’t do it anymore and if the mortgage is gone. . The idea of four years more of this hell being able to retire feels like another world.

[@SketchinUp]

Shrimp, I've been watching your videos for close to 6 years now and I just wanted to say that I would love nothing more than an entire series of you opening up and explaining little knick knacks and doodads. I've gotten such joy out of your content, from foraging to scam baiting to walks and books, it's such a cozy and wonderful little corner of the internet. Thank you!

[@GIBBO4182]

Strange seeing something take 2 different sizes of battery at once!

[@sbob17]

I've never seen that before.

[@JustAnotherBuckyLover]

It very much reminds me of noisy toys as a child-teen in the 80s. It wasn't SUPER common, but it certainly wasn't really rare either.

[@aminorityofone]

and C size batteries too! its been ages since ive seen those being used.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

@@aminorityofone all I remember is giant torch lights, I think "MagLite" or somthing like this. I had a huge flashlight with 6 C-size batteries. Mainly as an "argumentation aid" - you could of course also use it to light things up. That was back in my day when I had to work outside every night

[@johanneswerner1140]

2 sizes of batteries for the two functions is wonderful. So you can always replace the noise stuff with dud batteries and tell the kids that oops, we don't have replacements in the house 😂 (yes, I did that, no, I do not have a bad conscience - and when I figured this trick out my mom came clean that they did the same thing to my brother and me... thanks, mom!)

[@arnoldmmbb]

The advent calendar was a great idea, I quite enjoyed it, hope the next year you can have the time to do It again

[@agelessorca]

Or we can watch it all over again!

[@RejonMunchausen]

can't say for certain as it has been 20 odd years, but the sounds coming from that fire-truck triggered memories of babysitting one stormy night...somewhere lost in a large overgrown garden with no lights it started randomly making those noises...loud enough to annoy the neighbours, but no flashing lights and the heavy rain making it hard to track down

[@zzorz1023]

1:25 pretty good example of what it's like in my brain 24/7

[@klarname_online9356]

What? The advent calender just finished... Now a new vid already... Mr Shrimp is too good to us these days

[@VultureSkins]

I thought the same thing!

[@andymerrett]

Especially as he did one more video for advent than he needed to ;)

[@Sybil_Detard]

Ooo, goody, I was afraid we'd have a long gap after such a generous Christmas gift. This is the perfect, relaxing, post-Christmas video. Kind of like sitting at dad's feet playing with Christmas gifts while he tinkers with something.

[@jamesmonington]

I was waiting for the thermostat to be fitted into the fire truck, seems like that would be a good idea, a fire truck automatically drives to the source of some heat.

[@ForbiddenChocolate]

I imagine that would make lounging on the floor a challenge for little Eva. 😅

[@alloriginalpirates]

This is exactly the type of Atomic Shrimp video I needed after the hectic Christmas period.

[@radiansaphir]

Your advent calendar was such a wonderful gift! Please do rest up and enjoy the rest of the holidays! All your videos are wonderful, even if they're 'low-effort'.

[@StrawberrySunday212]

As an earbud user, I do appreciate you editing the sound. It was most comfortable, thank you!

[@brendanjamieson83]

The Advent calendar was the best thing I watched on KZbin in 2024.

[@Gooner333333333]

That's the kind of toy you buy for other people's kids and not your own

[@silva7493]

It is SO good to see you again, Mike. You've spoiled me with the Advent Calender videos.

[@doogledog1740]

And, in breaking news, toy collectors around the world are searching for the last surviving example of the "Big Red" fire engine. Produced in the late-1990s it holds the record for the most functions found in a single toy. "If we can find it in good condition it could be worth up to $20,000", said a collector.

[@braedan51]

...get the duct tape.

[@raraavis7782]

Lol. Ups...

[@seasmacfarlane6418]

Oh, tishy poo and botheration😅😅

[@hardscorerockkssss]

why is this pice of garbage wirth 20k?chip on board normally mepans cheapest crapy chip u can find and program. plus it looks to bad quality and to cheap quality to be worth 20k. for it be worth it should not have chip on board and more chips

[@seasmacfarlane6418]

​@@hardscorerockkssssEr, joke.........

[@MariePerkins-d8q]

Well Merry Christmas to me! After watching your delightful Advent Calendar series and wondering how exhausted you must be after that effort, I was prepared for a bit of a wait for the next video. Imagine my surprise to see another video today! Thank you so much for your consistent, imaginative and creative work. It is much appreciated.

[@knlazar08]

My guess for the drive in the fireman is that the cranks engage directly with the edges of the ladder. That would give him a jerky motion, simulating legs climbing rungs...

[@markmodray7698]

I couldn't keep up with your Advent calendar, I don't know how you managed to do it! Kudos to you for sticking with it. That was quite the undertaking.

[@LudwigsUnholySpade]

Poor heating controller being made redundant at Christmas, I hope they find work soon.

[@chasonlapointe]

As mentioned by others, I'm surprised and delighted to see your regularly scheduled Friday and Saturday videos. I do enjoy seeing your tech videos.

[@spellcaster7893]

Thank you for all your hard work bringing us the Advent Calendar, it was awesome!

[@GrumpyToffee]

Felt like watching a new channel “MyMateShrimp” 😂 Really enjoyed the Advent series. After a challenging few months personally, it was like a daily parcel of much needed positivity. 👍

[@deejayk5939]

Who knew how complicated a toy fire truck can be! Impressive 😊

[@KerrikkiLurgan]

"Parts go Boing and are never seen again". I watch a KZbinr who fixes watches. Very tiny screws that can only be seen under a microscope. He talks about the "born to fly" parts. And trying to find them, in the carpet, with a flashlight and magnet

[@CyclesMcHurtz]

Low Effort isn't at all the same thing as low quality. I hope you have a great new year, and look forward to ANY effort you put into videos.

[@zzydny]

10:53 escaping insect 🕷

[@thany3]

The two little pins on the thermostat might be for wired operation, rather than wireless, so that it can also work with a heater unit that doesn't have wireless. Or alternatively, it could be for wired power, rather than battery. Or both.

[@RaunienTheFirst]

It looks like it might jumper pins for a reset. Perhaps bridging those pins resets it to factory settings. Although they're a little big compared to the CMOS jumpers you find on a PC motherboard, so maybe not.

[@pineappleroad]

I think these are designed for use with a dedicated wireless reciever (my sister has an identical one, and her one uses a wireless reciever)

[@s-e-i138]

Shrimp...would consider a book club....so you offer 3 books to choose from...do a tally on your community page and then read a chapter or two at a time for us to listen to...

[@chezmoi42]

I'd listen! I'd also buy any book he narrated.

[@FlyingDutchman19801]

Thanks for the advent video's, I really enjoyed them!

[@samhenwood5746]

I really loved the Advent Calendar series & thank you so much for your hard work in putting together 👏😊Happy New Year to you,Jenny and Eva 🥳🎉🎊🐾

[@hildevandingenen-md4jy]

I think Bill from Bill making stuff would be happy with the left-overs.

[@regina_phalange]

Medium Mike strikes again!

[@SocksAndPuppets]

If people want a scredriver set like this for this kind of work, you could do a lot worse than ifixit, which is readily available, decent quality, and sell a wide range of bits.

[@rolfs2165]

Wera and Proxxon also have good quality sets.

[@raraavis7782]

Definitely. Their sets make great gifts, too. It's the kind of tool set you only use once or twice a year, but when you do, you *really* appreciate having it!

[@Phr3d13]

Wobble-dog v2 with sounds and lights?

[@jessicav2031]

Atmel T5754C, "UHF ASK/FSK Transmitter", 433mhz. TSSOP-8, marking 574C. The datasheet shows it uses an external 32khz crystal for the PLL. The MCU directly controls modulation. To find it, I had to guess that if the designer used Atmel for one chip, they did for the other. I searched for "574 atmel 433mhz".

[@corvettesbme]

Loved the Advent calendar series.

[@MrButtonpresser]

Toys have become very complicated. When I were a lad, your “fire engine” toy was a block of wood painted red and some black wooden wheels. Driven to absolute destruction, no batteries required.

[@jensgoerke3819]

I've seen similar screwdriver+bits sets at Aldi and Lidl, some of them contained other tools as well.

[@Boogie_the_cat]

You are also a cat. Good.

[@PltOffPPrune]

Could the processor be reprogrammed to run something like your greenhouse watering system? Thank you for the advent videos that were such a treat, and please don't apologise for the low drag videos.

[@tduncan4875]

I have really enjoyed your advent series, please don't overdo things a few lower intensity vids are not a problem, I'd say have a quiet week or two but that may not suit the algorithm, ha a good new year mike.

[@TregMediaHD]

Im almost immediately reminded of Dave Gormans toot toot story , happy xmas and merry new year from the Nurburgring

[@TregMediaHD]

Via Netherlands

[@DeathInTheSnow]

That fire engine looks like something Ashens would've reviewed 12 years ago. It's one of those things that's destined for the bin the second it's conceived, let alone built, and I _loathe_ that attitude towards products. This was perhaps a Tomy toy concept back in the 70s or 80s with much more robust tooling, design and, dare I say, _consideration_ for the consumer. But it's been bastardised and cheapened beyond recognition. And if you're wondering why it still uses the incandescent bulb and other parts of a similar vintage - it's because they are copying a copy of a copy, and there's a surplus of these parts that are designed to fit. The moulds are cloned endlessly. The irony is that the plastic parts probably _are_ quite old, but they've been made and awaiting assembly that could've been much more recent. The top light may have been put together with that bulb 20 years ago! But the rest has been made more recently. The logistics of it is fascinating.

[@mark314158]

If you connect a battery and speaker to the epoxy blob then random connections between the other inputs will make it go through its repertoire of sounds...

[@baratono]

Sweet, a new Big Clive! Wait a minute...

[@Fairyfink]

I didn't understand a word you said, Mr Shrimp, yet enjoyed every minute of it.

[@africa_everyday]

That kind of battery is very rare here.

[@emmashannon5191]

Low effort or not, these tech teardown videos are actually some of my favourite videos of yours!

[@kevinmartin7760]

That last chip (marked 32.768k) is perhaps a crystal for the clock as this device has to keep the time of day accurately. The crystal frequency of 32768 can be counted in a 15-bit counter to yield one tick er second.

[@Pooky-Cat]

Thanks Mike 💕

[@adamendacott8707]

Another great video... I might be wrong but i thought the caps on motors were to give them a bit of extra oomph to get them spinning. Like i say, i might be wrong. After the christmas overload this was a very enjoyable video!!!

[@howmanygecswasthat]

This is my first time being this early to one of your videos! I don't think I'll ever regret turning on notifications. Thank you for the fun videos, and for the advent calendar! I didn't watch every single one but I enjoyed all the ones I did see, especially the last one. Thank you for spreading useful information and positivity always

[@TechGorilla1987]

@10:15 - Heat staking. Works for repairing plastics as well.

[@gerardmcquade9102]

do you still do wood carving or whittling? because i remember seeing you make a walking stick with a spoon on it but i haven't seen anything else

[@AtomicShrimp]

It's been a while, but I was thinking I need a new wooden spatula, so maybe soon

[@VultureSkins]

@@AtomicShrimp looking forward to it!

[@gerardmcquade9102]

@@AtomicShrimp i would love to see that because i just started doing figures, i have a small slide show short on my channel of the grinch i did

[@africa_everyday]

I'd love to ride on this. 😅😅😅

[@---qh9tb]

Fun and informative watch!

[@charinajohansson3890]

It became a toy for granddad instead 😂😂

[@FriendlyKitten]

Thank you for doing you

[@ShellyS2060]

Ooo, tear down and components salvage... maybe they could be made into a bun toaster for a wobble dog?

[@Jacobpeper]

No Rest for the Wicked

[@j_yh]

This was excellent, actually. Very enjoyable… Not so different from an unboxing or unwrapping style video. 🔥 The "effort" you put into a thing is not correlated with its quality or the satisfaction it brings your audience. 👍

[@TheNixoy]

I'm assuming the two pin header is for an external temperature probe, not a JTAG connector. A lot of thermostats have the option for an external temperature sensor.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Could be, or maybe it's a switched output to feed into something

[@kyrathorsinclaire]

I'm quite interested to see if you can get the thermostat board to do anything, and if you can find a use for it. All in all, perhaps low effort video, but still quite enjoyable to watch.

[@TechGorilla1987]

I was first recommended your channel after a My Mate Vince video. Seems that KZbin really understood the situation. I enjoy tear-downs of anything really.

[@thetraumabutton61]

Seeing you save some electronic parts,,, does this mean we get to see you build an electronic device in the future? o3o -->

[@milksheihk]

I remember when I was in primary school in the mid 80s someone had a very similar fire engine to that in show & tell.

[@outandaboutwithphil941]

Should've let my mate Vince have a look at the fire engine

[@stephenlamb90]

I wonder if the thermostat could be linked to the auto watering system in some way to add some kind of temperature-related-watering-frequency programming?

[@MaudandMyfanwy]

27:44 I'm getting a strong case of pareidolia, the poor forlorn, redundant, surplus to requirements heating controller!

[@DrunkChimp]

Disappointed you didn't encase the dead woodlouse in resin and call it Chas.

[@volodyadykun6490]

KZbin Audio Library has outro music with appropriate name for every your activity

[@fellenXD]

That ATmega seems quite overkill and quite an expensive option, but maybe works well for low volume production. I wouldn't bet on being able to repurpose it though. Embedded micros like that are often locked after programming at the factory. I also doubt the two pin header is for programming, at least I haven't seen such a thing before. You would expect four pins at least, usually even more with JTAG and such.

[@lizadams7662]

Interesting, I can more or less follow shrimp's explanation, but the experts in the comments are baffling. Shrimp you have a very techie following!

[@17Blower]

It would have been nice to send the fire engine to another KZbinr called "My Mate Vince" He would have got that back up and running for you.

[@raraavis7782]

Hehe. I bet all parents just loved how very realistic (and loud) the sound effects are 😆

[@Mike_Downey]

I was a bit confused when I clicked on the video. I saw the word "teardown" and I was expecting something from Big Clive.

[@notsonominal]

That 2 pin terminal look like a pluggable header that can take a moderate amount of current so unlikely to be programming (the line of test pads on the reverse much more likely)

[@TomOConnor-BlobOpera]

I'd put money on them actually being for houses where RF comms aren't suitable, or they're replacing a wired thermostat, and on the other side of those is a itty-bitty relay or triac or something, and they actually switch mains to control the heating circuit.

[@tigg5036]

the heating controller thingy - could it be used in an automatic watering timer thingy?

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

29:08 And they're only getting better.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

Thank you for the ecologically valuable separation of waste types. You should be offered honorary citizenship by our German government.

[@TomMannCenturia]

Made me a bit melancholy after watching the toy get dismantled and wires snipped and tabs broken etc. knowing it was destined for the bin. I think it's probably because I watch so many fix it channels that repair this kind of thing (this kind of thing being financially not worth very much or have any particular special feature or uniqueness), and get the warm feeling of seeing them back working again, hideous or otherwise. This isn't a criticism of your channel, I know you're not a fix it youtuber specifically, merely sharing my thoughts (hope that's okay)

[@AtomicShrimp]

It's fine. I know exactly what you mean. Prior to the video I was myself hoping to maybe fix it up, but it's jyat a bit poor quality of a toy. There are sharp edges and finger-pinching joints all over the thing.

[@11seconds26]

I was expecting you to use a battery and test the sound individually

[@jimbolambo103]

A 30 minute video disassembling an old toy and working out the electronics is low-effort? Let's hope Shrimp never comes across "reacts" content!

[@CarJul666]

Interesting, now I don't have to dissemble a plastic firetruck.

[@Deipnosophist_the_Gastronomer]

That was fun, thanks.

[@themadhippy6911]

The 32.768 k crystal is most probably for time keeping.divide it by two. fifteen times and you get 1 pulse per second .

[@AtomicShrimp]

That makes sense, but I don't think the thing has any actual clock features - it might just use that for the watchdog timer, or to properly control the RF comms or something

[@juanitatabe7472]

That was interesting thank you

[@martinbalmforth2665]

We needed Big Clive to do a reverse engineering and schematic thing. One moment please…

[@kimvibk9242]

Nice to see you channeling your inner Big Clive! 😆

[@foragingadventures]

Now Mike needs to put curry baked beans into a soda stream

[@RaunienTheFirst]

​@@foragingadventures "welcome back to Weird Stuff in a Soda Stream"

[@MyManiacGamer]

We need a crossover

[@LethologicaGaming]

This is slow TV for another type of person. (Me)

[@KirkNorthrop]

It’s not that surprising they’ve used two micro switches instead of a rotary encoder - the former costs a few pence and the encoder is maybe closer to a pound or more. Rotary encoders are stupidly expensive. The 32.768kHz crystal is probably for the real time clock. The 13.56MHz one is odd. It’s usually used for NFC and the internet suggests that some of these thermostats are powered by inductive coupling (ie Qi style charging). When you said wireless I assumed it meant one you could carry around the house, but maybe it’s just wireless in that it talks to the boiler through a wall?

[@RaunienTheFirst]

I also couldn't find anything about that little chip in the corner. Quite a mystery.

[@psychedelikchameleon]

That reminds me, I need to watch Everything Everywhere all at Once

[@hongusgogus2144]

2c size and 2 AAs?

[@pixie706]

My 2 brothers got severely told off for dissecting their toys 😮😮

[@VultureSkins]

Luckily, as an adult, there are fewer people who can get away with telling you off!