Net Work December 2025

This month’s column is the final in the long-running monthly series. I bring news of the SpaceX Starship program, there’s welcome news for Windows 10 users, some puzzlement over using smart battery chargers and it’s the end of an era for one of the most popular names in electronics book publishing, Bernard Babani.

It’s easy to forget that it will soon be 60 years ago that man first set foot on the moon. A YouTube video uploaded by Associated Press captures the tension of the time at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzApsIPHRwo. The spacecraft used state of the art technologies, but the idea of using hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX) as propellants for a rocket has been attributed to the Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1837 – 1935). Indeed, ideas for a Sputnik-like spacecraft were scribbled out nearly 150 years ago in 1883, as shown in Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Tsiolkovsky

Back to the present day, and the development of Starship, the world’s largest rocket, is continuing unabated. Starship could carry a payload of 150-250 metric tonnes and SpaceX has an ambition to land on Mars. The eleventh test flight was scheduled to launch in mid October.

^ Starship is intended to launch V2.0 Starlink satellites into low earth orbit, using a stacked system dubbed the ‘PEZ Dispenser’. (SpaceX.)

A previous Starship mission demonstrated something that’s been likened to a PEZ-dispenser (a character toy that pops out PEZ candy refills). It ejected a series of dummy satellites of the same size and weight as the new V2.0 satellites would be, like slices of toast popping out a toaster, as shown in time lapse at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUKi2IVTwKc

^ The SpaceX Starship is the largest rocket ever built, and is being ‘crash tested’ into the Indian Ocean after gathering more test flight data.  (Image from a previous flight mission.)

Starship’s eleventh flight is essentially another crash test in a long line of trials designed to capture more data. The ability of the Super Heavy booster to land vertically and be captured by ‘chopsticks’ is an astonishing spectacle, and can be seen in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUr-5PYA7s

^ A concept image of NASA’s Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project, a nuclear power plant destined to be constructed on the moon. (Credit: NASA)

Meanwhile, NASA’s Artemis SLS (Space Launch System) will ultimately take man back to the moon, and a 4-man crew is due to slingshot past the lunar body on the next Artemis mission. As Artemis aims to establish a permanent US presence on the moon, NASA recently published their Directive on Fission Surface Power (FSP) Development which proposes accelerating the construction of nuclear fission micro-reactors both on the moon and, eventually, on Mars.

A new space race is in the making, as the US endeavours to be the first to build a nuclear power plant on the moon within the next five years.

Charging up for winter

^ The CTEK MXS 5.0 is a popular 12V smart charger used by vehicle manufacturers, but note the polarity of the SAE connector.

Back home here in England, with wintertime gradually approaching, attention is drifting towards the matter of maintaining certain types of battery and battery-powered equipment through the cold season. The problem of maintaining batteries over winter can affect not only car owners but also those who own, say, a motor home, motorcycle or classic car. Popular smart charger brands include Sweden’s CTEK and the US manufacturer NOCO.

Next in line for winter treatment was a small 12V sealed lead-acid (SLA) battery that’s used to power a lawnmower starter motor. Although new battery chemistries come along all the time, there is plenty of life left in the rugged SLA and millions of them are in constant use today.

In my own application, the best known battery type is the Enersys Cyclon brand, see https://www.enersys.com/en-gb/products/batteries/cyclon/cyclon/. In my experience, they have a peerless reliability and performance – a Gates (now Enersys) Cyclon battery came fitted to the lawnmower when new and it endured very many years of punishment. For anyone interested, some notes and the application data for Cyclon batteries are downloadable from https://www.enersys.com/493c0d/globalassets/documents/product-documentation/cyclon/amer/us-cyc-am-007_0408.pdf

This type of compact SLA appears in garden machinery, tractors and other equipment and they’re utilised in a very wide range of demanding applications.

If I need to replace the battery I’ll look for the 6-cell module type (ie 2V/ cell), similar to the Cyclon, rather than imported block-shaped so-called “leisure” batteries that perform badly in my experience. A compatible equivalent (though not a genuine Cyclon) that I’m currently using is at https://www.amazon.co.uk/CYCLON-Sealed-Battery-12V-6-Cell/dp/B0BXY62XWT

^ The classic two-pole SAE connector, found on small batteries, solar and automotive gear.

When used in garden machinery or, say, motor cycle applications, this style of battery uses the two-pole bullet connector, known as an SAE (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers). A Wikipedia entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_connector#SAE_connector sheds a little more light on the background.

Several electronic ‘smart’ battery chargers include SAE connector types. CTEK sells a huge range of connectors, panel mounting sockets and extension leads to go with their smart chargers.

However, if you hook this style of battery directly to such a charger, the polarities are reversed, which technically shorts out the charger; its protection circuit is relied upon to detect the fault.

I also tried a small mains-adaptor style ‘smart charger’ produced by Sealey Tools.  Their Autocharge100HF is a 1A 6V/ 12V compact charger that comes with a few connectors including an SAE type. It had the same battery polarity issue – plugging them together will short the charger.

^ The Sealey Autocharge100HF is a compact mains adaptor style smart charger with reverse polarity protection.  Again a polarity changer is needed here.

As shown in my photo, what’s needed is an SAE polarity changer, which is widely available from AliExpress etc.  It seems this workaround is common knowledge in automotive circles, but nowhere did battery charger manufacturers point it out.

^ An SAE polarity changer is needed if charging a sealed lead-acid battery from a smart charger.

CTEK was initially unaware of this anomaly until I sent them photographs. I found Sealey’s operating instructions were not the best, but Sealey did not reply to my query. The lesson is clear: double-check the polarity is correct when connecting these types of products together.

Looking for Live wires

Regular Net Work readers will recall that I picked out some digital multimeters by Aneng that highlighted the low prices of some test gear that’s now available from overseas.

^ The Aneng M113 is a very basic pocket-size DMM that could almost be considered disposable.

Two more low-cost digital multimeters by the same manufacturer recently arrived. The Aneng  M113 is a compact autoranging 1,999 count digital voltmeter rated up to 600V AC/ DC and resistance up to 10M. With only three buttons, it’s very easy to use and will suit anyone who doesn’t need any advanced features. The meter includes a continuity buzzer, Data Hold and Non-Contact Voltage testing. The price weighs in at less than £5 on AliExpress and Temu.

^ A large backlit LCD dominates the Aneng 620A, which makes it easy to read. A single wire ‘Live detect’ range flashes the screen red as shown above right.

The Aneng 620A sports a large, easy to read LCD with digital and bargraph segments. As well as the usual ranges, it also measures lower values of capacitance and frequency and a thermocouple bead (supplied) can check temperature up to a claimed 1,000°C. The instructions aren’t as clear as they could be, I felt, and a mystery ‘single watch pen wire test’ is, in fact, a live voltage probe. Touching the positive probe tip to a live mains contact turns the LCD backlight red and it flashes up a warning.

I’ve seen it listed at up to £35, but my model arrived for under £6. Look out for extra kits bundling a full set of test leads, available from the usual sources.

Testing protocols

I’ve previously mentioned a range of USB adaptors sold under the Kowsi brand that contain a digital display to monitor current, voltage and more besides. When Power Delivery (PD) is used for faster charging, this is also denoted on the display.

^ The Kowsi KWS-X1 is a low-cost inline USB-C monitor that shows charging curves, ripple voltage and data on a colour IPS display. 

A sophisticated USB monitor arrived that has a graphical display like a mini oscilloscope. The Kowsi KWS-X1 is a USB-C dongle that measures ripple voltage, current and PD/ QC protocols, showing digital data or a ‘scope-like curve on its colour IPS display. The sampling speed is selectable from thirty seconds to two hours. It’s feature-packed and rated 4-30V and 0-12A, but getting to know the device takes some effort.

It costs about £12 but mine came from Temu for just £6. If you need to check out charging protocols, this low-cost USB-C inline tester might be worth considering.

Windows 10 Updates – a respite!

Also in this column I describe this month how Windows 10 users can obtain extended security  updates, even though Microsoft has theoretically de-emphasised them in favour of pushing Windows 11.

Where a PC is eligible for Windows Extended Security Updates (ESU), an “Enrol Now” link will appear in the Windows Update section of Settings. A few basic conditions have to be met, but it’s likely that most consumer systems that are up to date will automatically be eligible for ESU. You can read all about Windows 10 Extended Security Updates at https://www.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/extended-security-updates.

Bye Bye and thank you, Mr. Babani

^ The 1996 title “The Internet and World Wide Web explained” was typical of the ubiquitous handbooks published by Bernard Babani.

London-based Babani Electronic Books found a place on every hobbyist’s bookshelf at one time or another, in an era when hobbyists relied completely on the printed word as a source of essential technical data, project circuit ideas and inspiration in general. Eventually hundreds of modestly-priced Babani books would embrace technical topics, software, microprocessors and the web.

This Wiki page has a lot of interesting background about its founder, Bernard Babani:  https://sdiy.info/wiki/Bernard_Babani_(publishing)_Ltd

I was not aware that a teenage Clive Sinclair (1940 – 2021) ran the firm’s publishing side for several years.

The publisher’s cryptic address of “The Grampians” in Shepherd’s Bush Road, London, often conjured up images of a mysterious place that seemed a world away for young Babani readers like myself. It can now be revealed in all its glory:  it’s a ground floor business property under an apartment block, and can be seen at https://maps.app.goo.gl/rJF8K6FBsenWVGbp6.

Enquiries show that Bernard Babani Publishing was wound down earlier this year after, and it’s safe to assume that its dedicated Director Mr. Michael Babani, the son of Bernard, finally retired. Sadly this means that the book catalogue is likely to go out of print as a matter of course, but used copies will appear on the likes of AbeBooks.co.uk and Amazon.

The 1996 Babani title “The Internet and World Wide Web explained” was published in the same year that Net Work was founded, nearly 30 years ago, aiming to help readers harness the emerging online world of the Internet. Now seems an appropriate time to announce that the December 2025 column is the last in the monthly series of Net Work. I hope Net Work will return occasionally during 2026, and in the meantime I extend my best wishes to regular readers and thank you for your continued interest and support. One thing’s for sure, there’ll always be something new to write about!

— Alan Winstanley

alanwinstanley.com