Sony MDR-XB1000 detachable|recable mod

 https://youtu.be/rOvAni2ztB4?feature=shared

Sony SA-C5B

 was able to bring the electronics back to life with the help of online manual. these are good sounding speakers that sounds adequate for most music.

ETX Autostar display fixed

my etx90 is up for sale. there are inquiries but not a serious buyer yet. the only issue with my set is the display on the autostar that 'disappeared' . so i opened the autostar again last night to try and fix it. just to confirm if the issue was with the lcd cable, i did a reseat then checked the lcd. tried to view it against a white paper first and i noticed it was working!

then looking at the white paper on the 'backlight', i noticed it has faded and is already off white. so i thought maybe it needs a bright white as a backlight.

fortunately i still have some photo paper w adhesive and cut a portion that will fit the backlight... and it actually worked :)

i hope this can help other etx autostar users out there

another thing i observed/learned from this...

at some point in setting up the autostar the backlight will dim and when that happens i noticed i cant read any text again. but if i use my cellphone's camera, the text is visible. asked help from my boys to try and read it - they can! after some experimenting i noticed i can read the text if i put the autostar at ~arm's length. i guess i need to have my reading glasses calibrated again.

btw, i decided not to sell it anymore :D realized it's expensive to have a light 1250mm scope so i'll just make the most of it and do more moon shots while learning more of post processing.

some pictures of the autostar:

Lunar Eclipse/First Light

Philippines experienced a full lunar eclipse last night. It will be my first time to use a couple of gadgets in my astrophography gear specially the Skywatcher Adventurer 2i which I got 5mos ago.

One issue that disappointed me was the 'backlash'. After the event I had to google and find the recommended fix while opening the unit and see for myself why the backlash is happening. Most of the video I found also included opening the unit...

I soon found out that the "fix" is a documented screw adjustment that can be found in the manual nyahahaha. Facepalm moments.

The screw is #24 called Worm Gear Meshing Adjustment Screw. There's not much mention of it in the document but looking inside made me realize that it's a very clever way of adjusting how to secure the worm gear. Just don't tighten it too much.

I hope this will help other owners out there :)

Some pictures from last night's event.

a7s2 with the rokkor 500rf, cropped

a99 with the etx90, camera struggling w the exposure :P

and just another shot for/from the a99. cropped.

I tried to keep the exposure as close to how I was seeing the eclipsed Moon. It was really dark even when using binoculars.

Cheers

 The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i

After years of owning the 'now defunct' Meade ETX-90 Tabletop Mount Maksutov telescope with GoTo electronics, I decided to sell it and upgrade my gear. I never really used the electronics of the ETX-90 much. Mostly used the OTA which is great on shooting the Sun and Moon during eclipses. It's effective FL being 1250mm. Aperture is f/13.

This year 2025, a lot of comets sprung up. Most of them are faint and fuzzy and given the chance, my current setup will not be able to image them properly. Hence I decided to dispose the ETX and move to the Adventure 2i which is a very good entry level celestial tracking head.

My unit ordered from abroad arrived today. Consequently it started raining :D

It is a wi-fi enabled gear and will connect to the SkyWatcher app. Can't wait to try the features specially the Time Lapse function which can operate an attached DSLR via shutter cable.

Hope to post another update soon... while i'm in this new rabbit hole :D

iso12800

impromptu night shot

fibiboi on the car outside chilling looking up on me

sony a58 iso12800 min100-300/5.6 1/10s manual setting/focus. stfc

surprisingly a usable image. look at those eyes

some say the a58's hi iso can compete w the a99... will know soon 

the ebay madness

this seller (thegoldcruz) listed the sony mdr-xb1000 for a good price and i paid for it when suddenly he cancelled it and listed it back for another USD99! 👎

i wanted to add to the negative feedback of the seller which is 'already' at a 'low' 96.7% so i reported the matter to ebay but ebay said they can't find fault in it

yeah i gambled with his rating and 'suffered' the consequence :D

you can check my test tracks in spotify

dogears' test tracks in spotify

 The SONY XDR-S3HD Digital Radio with the REL Q50 Subwoofer

Recently got really curious what else can a 15in FR driver improve on my current Betsy 8in and was ready to order a pair but the staff are having their Chinese New Year holidays so I have to wait...

Then the next morning being a weekend I usually listen to the Sony Radio with its pair of 2.6in (2.8W) drivers. Bass is supported by the REL subwoofer and this combo amazes me everytime. Not so much treble extension but the sound is very satisfying. (Then realized I can use the Japan tweeters on this).

Intrigued on going smaller than 8in, I then got a pair of old Coral 6inchers. I set them up on another room. Haven't really compared with the Betsy OB yet. They sounded nice in their stock cabinets. There's a bit of bass but still needs bass support to sound fuller. They were plugged on a solid-state amp. Still have to try with low wattage tube amp.

After having the 6in Coral, I get to learn about another vintage drivers that are smaller than 6in but they are hard to find (expensive on ebay already). I really want to try these drivers and will see if there will be a part 2 to this entry nyahahaha.

the Sony and REL combo

Sony DSC-F828 full spectrum hack

Just recently learned about this and I know I'm VERY late to the party :D

I've been a long time fan of infrared photography and was actually deciding to get a full modified full spectrum camera from ebay.

Then my A700's AF drive got busted and triggered me to check used A-mount cams. Surprised that there are still a lot of them being sold. I can opt for a full frame (FF) A850 (D)SLR or the FF SLT A99. Decided that I dont need FF and will settle for an APS-C SLT w better low light ability - an upgrade from A700 will do.

Wondered if I can get a full spectrum body so I searched for 'Sony + full spectrum'. At this point I encountered the Sony DSC-F828 which is a bridge camera from 2003 AND it has this full spectrum (FS) hack using a (strong) magnet. Putting the magnet near the tripod mount will trigger the switch to FS. Switch it OFF to reset. Very cool indeed.

Long story short I got one locally and here's a sample:

Left is the 'visible light' (VL) version and on the right is the FS.

The advantage of a full spectrum camera is that you can add infrared filters like the R72 (720nm) without affecting the cam's meter. With a normal camera adding an R72 will darken the scene and register a longer exposure. With a FS, it will almost not affect the (light) metering. Apparently the 850nm does affect the metering but only by 2 to 3 secs depending on the scene.

Here's a sample of FS vs R72:

Very pleased with the F828 and FS hack. I just recently purchased the 850nm and will post when I get more sample shots.

But apparently all is not well with the F828.

One of the feature that makes F828 stand out from the competition during its release is the 28-200 (f/2.0-2.8) Carl Zeiss T* zoom lens. Almost constant! With the electronics getting old and stressed over time though, it is bound to have issues. I just discovered that the zoom will not take proper pictures when set to 3.1x (~86mm). And this is common with the model.

Tonight I played more with the zoom and noted the effect starting at 3.1x and here's a sample with MrBombay the cat

So just expect this issue if you're getting one or own a unit.

BTW, I might get an Axx SLT cam soon :D

 The Fuji Feather track bike and Formula hub

2 years ago I was looking for a fixed gear when I saw a used Fuji Feather track bike.

It was advertised as a single speed and I just assumed it will be easy for me to convert it to fixed gear.

I was wrong 😅

Apparently the fixed gear side of the hub is splined. It's my first time to see this type of mount. I then researched and learned that this splined mount is currently used in bike's disc brake system and is called 'centerlock'.

I didn't want to replace the hub to keep the bike as stock as possible.

So upon learning how it's called I was again positive that I can find the sprocket/cog for this hub.

I was wrong - again! 😂

Took me some time to find 2 alternatives:

1. The disc hub from https://www.velosolo.co.uk/shopdisc.html that cost GBP35++ - sold from UK and ebay

2. The exact "formula" cog that is only sold in Indonesia - advertised as "Taiwan Formula Cog"

How crazy is that - a Japanesed bike with a hub from Taiwan that is only sold in Indonesia 😜

I alson sent an e-mail to Fuji (US) asking for the splined cog but they said it wasn't availble. Major disappointment :P

Based on the 2 available options - I decided to DIY my cog with a centerlock disc brake mount and a cog from a single speed conversion kit.

I painstakingly drilled 3 holes on a solid steel cog and hoped for the best that they will align on the 3 holes (of 6) on the centerlock adapter.

Long story short, I was able to build my cog.

Once, during a long ride - the bolts on the DIY cog loosened and I had to call for SOS so I can go back home 😆 Stress and vibration can actually loosen bolts so learning from this, I put a considerable amount of thread locker on the 3 bolts. This solved the issue.

But I still desire for the splined cog on the hub which apparently was made by Formula(?): https://theradavist.com/formula-hubs-centerlock-spline-fixed-hub/.

I know people from Indonesia (office/work related) and I just hoped then that I can ask them to order for me online and wait for some people to travel JKT-MLA 😁

After 2+ years the wait was finally over and now my Formula hub is reunited w a Formula cog 😎

The DIY centerlock rotor adapter and drilled cog with the Formula cog (15T)

close-up

The Formula centerlock/spline hub

fits nicely

used a spare new lockring

let the lockring push the cog inside

installation complete

edit/update 07Mar2025: apparently there are online shops that sell 'centerlock track cog':

https://boydcycling.com/products/centerlock-track-cog

thinking if i should get the 14T :)

The Sony XDR-S3HD Radio (3 yrs after)

I have a REL Quake lying around after building a speaker setup w 'dual or stereo subwoofer'. Almost sold it but decided to 'fix' it.

Was very surprised it paired well (size and sound) with the S3HD radio :)

I'd listen to these pair when I'm in the mood to listen to music while W'ingFH.

Since the radio came from US and has a 110V PSU, I actually bought a step down transformer that I use with it. REL plugs straight to the outlet since its 220V.

Didn't know it will cause me trouble one day when I wanted to listen to the setup and after I plugged the REL and step down transformer straight to the outlet - I also plugged the S3 PSU to the outlet forgetting about the transformer *facepalm*. 110V PSU RIP T_T

 I went to some local repair shops to inquire about salvaging the transformer w rewind but they all pointed me to Raon (Manila) which is quite far from me. And I doubted they can do it for me since it's already burned/shorted. PLUS I'm not sure what are the voltage output of the PSU since the online service manual says ~10v/~5V and 12V/7V. Yes, the PSU is dual voltage. Something that surprises some people :D

So I started looking for a dual voltage power transformer but they are mostly available only from the likes of Digikey and Mouser where one has to order php2K to get free shipping. While the transformer I need only cost around php600 - I presently didn't have other electronic related stuff to order. So I kept searching lazada and shopee... also went to ebay, amazon, etc etc... but to no avail T_T

Based on the google results, I then decided to make my own dual voltage supply from a single transformer based on circuits using power transistors that converts voltages to distinct output based on the transistor code e.g. LM or AN 7812 = 12V, LM or AN 7805 = 5V.

So I bought the parts from my fave local elex shop: OHM using the diagram from https://www.circuits-diy.com/12v-5v-dual-power-supply/. Quite surprised the parts are really very affordable.

Then proceeded to arrange them on a generic pcb - my 'first' time to actually build something without a premade pcb! So I was very careful and made sure I am following the circuit diagram. 220V is not a joke :D Long story short - I was able to make it work using 12V and 6V supply. Unfortunately, the 6V rail gets really really hot so I abandoned it.

I was then thinking I'm really forced to get the dual voltage from digikey and just get some stuff to reach php2K to get the free shipping. But before I proceed with the purchase - I really  wanted to make sure I'm getting the correct output. I actually sent an email to XDRguy (David Stambaugh) and he said 12.7V and 7.2V. Unfortunately for some reason, there is no power transformer that converts to 7V! So weird. And I didn't want to venture into LM317s anymore :D

And so I was ready to order from digikey but I accidentally got the correct search words on shopee and found a dual voltage power supply:

"Adjustable Dual Double Double Output Dual Module Switching Power" :D

It's not even available in lazada. Kinda pricey but it's better than building from scratch.

Long story short I got the S3HD working again... and I really had a great 'adventure' from that 'mishap' - soldering 2 versions of the dual supply :D 

Just ordered a case for the new dual voltage power supply :)

 The Sony XDR-S3HD Radio

A long time ago I bought the Sony SRF-S84 pocket radio which got rave reviews from audio sites. I even used it with the Sony Fontopia earphones.

Fast forward to 2020, my interest with tuners was 'reactivated' due to the pandemic. Mostly working from home and got more time with my hobbies.

Got interested with its sibling - the SRF-M35 which some say sounds more 'audiophile' than the SRF-S84. I ordered one from ebay. I then confirmed I preferred it sound over the S84. S84 sounded like EQ'd while M35 sounded more natural.

After the M35 I googled tuners and encountered the Sony XDR-F1HD which I believe was introduced on 2008 and was then discontinued by 2012. Price was ~USD99.

Nowadays, the unit is fetching ~USD185 in ebay because its very famous among DXers. Not to mention common tuner-persons also like it due to its very good sound quality. I wasn't 'willing' to spend ~$185 for this unit based on the issues like 'overheating' and 'rolled-off treble' so I googled some more until I encountered its cousin: the XDR-S3HD. Actually there's one more which is the XDR-S10HDiP. It is commonly know that all 3 radios have the same internals but the heat and treble issues were already addressed on the newer cousins. The F1 had line out, the S10 had only line in and the S3 have line in and headphone out. Both S10 and S3 have built-in speakers. I'm just surprised Sony remove the line out in the S10. All three models are discontinued btw.

@ebay, the S10's average price is ~$45 while the S3 is ~$70. The S3 (wood) is way heavier than the S10 (plastic) but it really looked better and should sound way better. S10 doesn't have a headphone or line out so I'm left with the S3 - I just have to bear with the shipping cost :D [edit: authorized this for sea freight but was sent to me via air \m/]

To cut the long story short, I am very pleased with the S3HD. The headphone out going through my passive attenuator (LDR) then to the power amp sounded good. I then had to try the power amp connected directly to the S3 thinking it should sound better. The Sony radios all come with remote controls (but rarely sold used with it). If I can use the S3's line in then the power amp connected to it - then I should be able to remotely adjust the volume control (VC). The S3's volume control is in the digital domain so I'm also assuming it should sound great. Unfortunately, there is quite a noise when the power amp is directly plugged in the headphone out. Not surprised here since the headphone out is already amplified.

Torn between "not giving up on the idea of remote controlled digital volume control" and "didn't want to open it up anymore" - I got curious what can I see from the bottom 'window' where the fan is sitting... it's fairly very easy to remove with just 4 screws and the 'window' is quite big.

Took a pic and downloaded the service manual.

And after some time going back and forth the picture and the manual... lo and behold - the pre amp chip is there staring at me :D The rest as they say is history :)

Reminds me very much of the Dared MP5 pre out mod.

Here are some pics on the mod.

 

 

 

Raspberry Pi with PI2AES

 

Olympus TG5

 Tried some of the TG5's features with this pest.

Using an LED ringlight in microscope mode (2.9x)

with maximum magnification at 11.6x. See those eyes!

this one in 5.8x magnification

and my favorite shot with available light