Photo Blog – Cleaning out my Roland D-20
My uncle was kind enough to lend me his faithful but underused Roland D-20. For the last 4 years. The less feature-packed sibling of the D-50, the D-20 is still a very powerful keyboard. It is a “multi timbral linear synthesizer multi track sequencer”, according to the imprint on it’s face. I have used this keyboard in the studio and on stage, and despite being manufactured in 1988, it still sounds and performs as new.
Alas, it has not been used intensely for a long time, and dust had begun to accumulate. Today I felt the D-20 belonged on my desk, and once I’d moved it from the stand, I began to clean the keys. However, a bit of water trickled down in between the keys, and I was not going to turn it on for risk of there still being water down there. So I took it apart, and began a 3 hour journey to clean the D-20, from the inside out.
Photo Blog – Serious Server Setup
The next many pictures will go through transferring good old BIGBLUE to a new 4U Rosewill RSV-R4000 case, and the installation of two new Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB Drives!
From start to finish:
YouTube Series – Android on the Xperia X1
Although I’ve retired it from active cellphone duty, my Xperia X1 still has something about it that makes it special. The screen has great pixel density, the slide-out keyboard is easy to use, and it feels solid and heavy.
The only real downside to this phone is the OS (and, perhaps it is a bit dated with only 256MB of RAM). Windows Mobile 6 was acceptable years ago, but with options like Android around, it just doesn’t cut it. However, there is a large group of people over at the XDA Forums who work to bring out new, different builds of Android for the X1, allowing you to dual-boot Windows Mobile and Android! I’ve played around with quite a few, and I figured I could make a video series with me trying out different builds.
Without further ado, here is the first video of the series – Installing Android.
When a Project Isn’t Successful
For every project I post on here where I obtain the results I was looking for, chances are there are two other projects I’ve tried that didn’t quite work out. Such is the nature of tinkering and hacking for fun.
Just because it ended in failure (and occasionally, catastrophic failure), it doesn’t mean I’ve wasted my time – here are some lessons I’ve learnt from failure over time.
Last Day of Summer Co-op
Today marks the end of my co-op at the David Florida Laboratories. The experience was nothing less than incredible. I was so fortunate to work alongside professionals with decades of experience in the RF qualification field, people who were so very helpful and willing to share their knowledge with me. It is going to be hard leaving this.
However, I’ve learnt so much about a field I knew so little of going in. I spent 2 hours one night reading some chapters marked in my professor’s RF textbook, and explored some Wikipedia pages – that was the extent of my training. Over the course of the summer, I was exposed to tools I will likely never personally own, and that will be hard to come by even in school: spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, high power RF amplifiers, e-field probes. It was incredible.
Here is a picture of me at my test station, in front of a 1kW amplifier, the probe monitor, the signal generator and the test software. I’ve greyed out anything I’m not allowed to share:
Yeah, I know, it sucks. I wish I could, too.
How To: Fix 1997 Honda Accord DRL Relay
A common problem with the Daytime Running Light (DRL) module in many 90’s Honda vehicles is cold solder joints at the relays in the control module. These develop over time, and cause sometimes intermittent issues with running lights. I encountered this problem, which would usually present itself on mornings with lots of dew, and would fix itself sometime during my commute to work. Rather than pay a mechanic to repair or replace the module, you can do it yourself with some basic tools.
A Google search will reveal many forums and sites with instructions to fix this problem: here are the two links which I consulted prior to performing these repairs.
http://www.nyx.net/~smanley/hondadrlfix/index.html
http://www.hondaaccordforum.com/forum/general-tech-help-7/drl-fix-3719/
Ottawa Pinball Expo – 2011 (Video)
Here is my video of the first ever Ottawa Pinball Expo! We brought three machines to the show, and I am pleased to say I played every free-play machine there! It was great fun, and I can’t wait for next year!
Filmed, edited and soundtrack composed by myself.
Pinball Party Timelapse
As it was my birthday Friday, I invited the Electronics Kids over for a night of pinball. I thought it would be cool to do a timelapse of the entire night, to see if there were any patterns in what machines people played and what areas people hung out in.
In the end, I discovered that it really depends on the people you have over. Last time the MAME cabinet was the main attraction, but this time it got almost no use. Hurricane remains the most popular machine (odd, it isn’t even in my top 3 favorites).
Summer Co-op: Canadian Space Agency
Heritage College’s Electronics program offers two summer co-op terms, which are recognized on the diploma received at graduation.
Last summer, I was employed at the very same college, officially preparing equipment for next year’s classes, making an inventory of electronics components and materials, and making a database with search and checkout functionality to keep track of components. Unofficially, I also assisted the computer services guys, setting up computers for the Jeux du Quebec 2010, then quickly dismantling and putting them back in classrooms and offices.
This year, I’m working at the Canadian Space Agency.
Cordless Phone Hack – Interfacing with a PC
For a long time I’ve wanted to be able to interface a cordless phone with my computer. I often do voice calls using Skype and G-Mail, and of course sometimes I’d like to be able to leave my desk. Wireless headsets are of course available, I’ve even purchased a Bluetooth headset, but the range of Bluetooth, and the quality, leave a lot to be desired. However, cordless phones not only have decent sound quality, they also have great range. I had an old GE phone in a box that I hadn’t used in about 2 and a half years, so I took it out and set to work.
