Tech Tangents
Season 2
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Hello
I wanted to put some information out there about my channel and what I want to do with it in the future.
Big Box PC Game Collecting/Shipping Pains
I guess I just needed to rant a bit about how many games I get damaged in the mail. This isn't close to all of them, but these are some highlights. Water damage, crushing,, per-shippment damage, missing discs, and so much more. Sometimes I do get a well packed box that is water sealed and crush protected, but most often not. As a notice, the blue version of Earthworm Jim 3D was likely available in the US but everything I search for online brings up mostly yellow boxes. So YMMV.
Nexus 6P Battery Replacement
My Nexus 6P has the dreaded battery degradation, and the manufacture quoted me $160 to fix it. Or I could just do it myself... I had never opened a modern phone before. They suck. I'll take screws at 5x the size over glue any day. I did have to open it twice since I left the cable retension bracket out. So I hated it a little extra. Overall I would still rather do it again than buy a new phone or pay to have it done. But I'm kinda weird like that. The original battery was never pierced through to the cells, just the outer layer of protection. I gave it a salt water bath non the less.
Prototyping Inline Volume Controls V2 LIVE pt1
This was a live stream where I took the existing inline headphone controls that I had made and rapidly prototype a new version.
My 3D Printer an Anet A8
I took me a while to finally buy a 3D Printer. I had a much more pleasant experience with a dirt cheap printer than I thought possible.
Switch to a PEI Print Surface
My LokBuild was trashed by my faulty sensor. I guess it's time to try PEI I'm not thrilled with how thick this is for the sensor. I'm going to look into an 8mm sensor for this. Or maybe a capacitive one if those can directly detect the PEI. The glossy finish on the bottom of parts is a cool novelty. I'm sure that will wear off about the same time the micro scratches dull the surface away. Chapters
SOBAX ICC-1600 Nixie Calculator from 1973
I am still fawning over this calculator! 1973, Nixies, Sony... this thing is oozing cool. I really enjoyed restoring this thing. Unfortunately I cleaned out the old smell, but it's better that it's not full of dust.
Tektronix Type 503 Oscilliscope a Recent Acquisition
This is just a quick look at a Tektronix Type 503 I recently acquired. It looks a little work before it makes a full appearance. I'm trying this out as a new format for videos. I'm thinking about doing this for things I think are cool and want to talk about but I don't have as much to say. Or it's something I want to cover later but I'm excited about it and want to get an initial reaction for interest in a longer video about it.
META: My Audio Setup
I have a strange way of recording audio for my videos. Here is a walk through of some new modifications I made today.
Macintosh Classic II Repair
My Macintosh Classic II decided to be uncooperative after my first time using it. So I needed to crack it open and get it fixed. This is clearly a temporary solution. I will need to recap this thing. Cleaning the leaked electrolytic fluid off of the PCB is fixing a symptom, not the problem. The dishwasher method may work as well. I'm just not going to older electronics into a situation where I'm not completely in control.
Pioneer Stereo Receiver Restoration
I got this Pioneer receiver for next to nothing. All it needed was a little help to get back to into good shape. The SX-424 isn't a show stopper, but it has some charm. 12Wpc is definitely nothing to brag about, but with some reasonably sized speakers it does a good job. It's not replacing my Yamaha RX-V365 anytime soon though.
Channel Updates
Here is an update on my progress towards 4000hrs to keep my partner status. I need a lapel mic for videos like this. The audio sucks because my shotgun mic decided to record more static than voice.
DIY LED Filming Lights
This is a look at the progress I've made on one of my longer ongoing projects to make my own filing lights.
Resurrecting The 98 Machine
I'm finally ready to face what ever has gone wrong with The Windows 98 machine.
Kindle DX 3D Printed Repair
I needed to get this Kindle DX up and running again. A new joystick might be available, but this seemed like a job for 3D printing!
IBM Model M Repair
One of my IBM Model Ms developed a problem that needed some work. So it's time to crack it open and take a look. So it wasn't to big of an issue. Just a little LED. But it was a good enough excuse as any for me to make a Model M video. I would have preferred to fix the flex cable, but this solution will work out better in the long run. I have invested quite a lot into my Model Ms because I plan on never buying another keyboard again. Although I wouldn't mind getting a happy hacking keyboard for a smaller portable option.
Era Linux on The 98 Machine with Druaga1
Druaga1 and I try to install a period correct distro of linux on the 98 Machine.
$15 ChugPlug Battery Outlet Hack
Seriously, you could destroy stuff if you don't understand what the limits of this are. Proceed with caution if you try to make one. I'm probably only going to use it with 12V 2A or less switch mode power supplies and resistive devices. The low 80VAC output is a large concern because devices will need to pull 1.5X the current on the AC side to get the same power.
Pioneer SX-780 Repair
I set out to resurrect a Pioneer SX-780 I got recently. This was a very satisfying video to make. Rescuing an old worthwhile device that could be destined for the trash can is one of my favourite activities.
SB-S407 Speaker ReCap
My speakers have been sounding a bit distorted, time for a recap! Since the concept here was very simple I thought I would make it a bit more interesting by taking a look at how the distortion is effecting the signal on a scope. I was caught off guard by the shift the signal did on the mid. But the capacitors were fully dead so weird results make sense.
Solid Polymer ReCap of Mac Classic II
Time to get the Mac Classic II back on it's feet and better than ever. I really don't know what I was thinking when I decided I couldn't get tantalum for the 47uF caps. Oh well. It's nice to finally like this computer. It did take a great game I hadn't heard of before though. But vintage computers usually aren't useful for their intended applications anymore, but games are always fun.
3D Printed Belt for CD Player
I decided I wanted to try to make my own belt rather than wait for one to ship. So while the belt works for now the real question is how long it will hold up. I'll probably do an update on this in a few months to share how it's going. This really wasn't the best material to do this with. If this fails I'll try to get something much more malleable and hopefully somewhat elastic to replace ts.
Bolt Modding an IBM Wheel Writer 3
The keyboard on this buckling spring typewriter doesn't work. Time to bolt mod it! The end result here was a bit mixed, most of the keys are working. I'd say not bad for my first time doing a bolt mod overall though. I can probably disassemble the keyboard back down to the springs to find the problem.
Canon BJC-85 Portable Printer Finally Prints
I finally got around to getting the printer working and trying out the battery. Then I fought IR for a while... I had to baby that print head to finally get it to work. It took about 12hrs hot constant hot water + soap exposure to get it to stop releasing more ink. Tranxit may be a proprietary IR interface and IrDA may be a more standardized version. This laptop is from '94 which I think predates IrDA.
The Smallest Trinitron
A portable, 3.7", color CRT. The Sony Trinitron KX-4200. I've had some fun with this thing and I thought it was interesting enough to do a video on. It's not in perfect shape but it's cool and not super common.
META: Linux Video Editing - Blender Workflow
Today I wanted to give an updated look at my Blender video editing workflow. My new addons make this much easier.
50X Video Magnifier Composite Out Mod
Today I take a look at a CRT video magnifier and see if I can mod it. It's too bad there wasn't a color CCD in there. It would have been really cool to get color out. Now that I think back about it, the custom processing board might work with color, if I get a color CCD to play with I'll try throwing it in there. I'm still not sure how I'm going to use this thing. It's really big and heavy. So I wont want to drag it out all the time. But it registers high on the cool factor.
Dot Matrix Typewriter
I found this Brother EP-20 and thought it was quite interesting If I was going to seek one of these out I would try to get an EP-22. It would be nice to be able to use this as a printer. It's a pretty cool little typewriter. It weird how this is one year older than the Wheel Writer 3
Manually Cleaning a DLT Tape Drive
I need to clean this tape drive but I don't want to have to buy a cleaning cartridge. I still need to get a new VS1 tape to test this thing properly, but I really think it's working fine now.
HP86 New 3D Printed Key Stems: Disassembly and Design
I decided it was time to make some new parts for an old computer.
HP86 New 3D Printed Key Stems Installing and Testing
Time to get the computer put back together and try out the new stems!
Metcal MX-500 "Repair"
I have a failing Metcal MX-500 and decided to see if I could make it work. That really bugs me I couldn't "solve" the issue. Maybe it will come back, maybe it wont. It's hard to say. In the mean time I'm going to make the fixed one my workhorse iron so I can be somewhat sure that it's working. I think I'm going to try making a 3D printed hand piece that holds both irons as a ghetto talon.
3D Printed CD Player Belt Follow Up
Time to see how it's going with the 3D printed belt for the CD player. Yeah, it's not as going well as I had hoped. I'm going to have to do another follow up video about the new belt.
1972 Unisonic Calculator Diagnosis
This Unisonic calculator and clock isn't doing so great. The MK5010P is basically a consumer version of the MK6010 which was the first single-chip calculator ever. So there are probably some minor problems with how they were produced. It's a cool calculator but it's not that uncommon, I've seen two at goodwill, and there are cooler calculators, like the SOBAX, so I don't think it's really worth going all out to fix it. The negative voltage logic difficultly is actually more interesting to me than making it work. So if I do ever come back to this, it's because I want to have a go at that.
Anet A8 Upgrades, the good and the bad
Here's what I think of the different Anet A8 upgrades out there. This ended up being a more opinionated video than I would have liked but right now I'm in a bit of a time crunch.
The Real Windows 98 Machine Fix
Nothing I've tried has been a permanent solution up to this point. And I feel almost ashamed of what the problem was. How did I not swap out the PSU sooner. That is literally the first thing I do when I work on someone else's computer.
Hyperkin's New Duke on Linux
The New Duke doesn't work with Linux by default, let's fix that.
Sharp Windows CE PC NiMH Battery Rebuild
The battery on this Sharp Mobilon HC-4500 is completely dead. Time to rebuild it! Don't solder to batteries, there, I said it.
20 Years...
Something is coming...
Windows 98 20th Anniversary All New PC Build
Building an all new computer from 20 year old parts for the Windows 98 20th Anniversary.
3DFX Voodoo 5 5500 ReCap
In the midst of building The New 98 Machine I had to stop and repair my new Voodoo 5 5500.
An Overdue IBM 5150 Repair Tech Tangents 217K subscribers
It's time for me to get my 5150 up and running.
Casio 121-L Calculator Restoration
I got another 70's calculator. I guess I run the calculator ranch up state. I do like me some reed switches. You can hear them when you use it. Unlike the Unisonic, you cannot hear the VFDs turn off and on.
Commodore PET Disk Drive
I thought it was about time I brought out the Disk Drive for my Commodore PET.
1 Year of Making Videos
I've been regularly making videos for a whole year now. I've released 57 of what I consider "main" videos that get a project number.
Floppy Disk MIDI Player
As far as I'm concerned, this thing is made for enjoying MIDIs just like a CD player or turntable. Overall, I'm very happy with this. But man, does it have a lot of cons.
GPIB Data Logging Like It's 1982
Let's take a look at how you would use GPIB/HPIB/IEEE-488 for data logging in the 80's. No excuse is too small for me to bring out my HP-86A and play with it. This was a really fun exercise in how technology changes in someways, but not others. HPIB was created in the 1960's and you can still buy equipment with that port on it. It doesn't need complex handshaking like TCP/IP, it is more flexible than USB, and it is more reliable than bluetooth.
Upgrades for The New Windows 98 PC
Time to get some more parts in the New Windows 98 PC! Wow, that Soyo USB card sucked. I'm glad I didn't get around to putting it in the first time. If I find another better Front USB solution I'll be looking to put that in. It would be cool if I could find a hub that I could plug into the CompUSA card I have.
IBM PCjr ATX Power Supply Adapter Prototype
I didn't get the external 18VAC with my IBM PCjr and I'm not paying eBay prices for one.
Questionably Legal Star Trek Font Pack
This Star Trek font pack is a curious thing. It feels kinda grey market to me. I don't know if this thing is legitimate or not. I know I was a bit focused on the license but that would have made the thing feel a whole lot more authentic.
Server Updates: Rack and Network Switch
My server has a new home! I spent some time getting it set up but there still the matter of the switch. I could have done some hacking on the switch to reduce the speed of the fans. But I don't like the idea of modifying something like that that is on 24/7. This was far from my best video, but you may have noticed that 0x0037 was skipped. Well that one really kicked my butt, but that's something that I'll talk more about later when it comes out.
Sony LiveView: The First Smartwatch
I kinda miss my LiveView, it is a horrible cheap little device. But it was the perfect device to make for when it was released.
IBM PCjr ATX/PicoPSU Adapter Update
The boards are in and I got a PicoPSU! So let's try out my replacement PSU board for the IBM PCjr It figures it would have a show stopping problem with the PicoPSU since I didn't design the board to be used with it. Oh well, boards are cheap so I'll just get some new ones in. If you do want to get one of the external standard ATX boards I have email me at akbkuku [at] akbkuku.com and we'll work something out. I don't know if you'll want the red switches I got to use with it(they work pretty well, they just don't mount solidly).
TL866II+ EEPROM Programmer Review
This is a more in-depth look at an TL866II+ I was sent by Banggood.
Creative Nomad II: MP3 Player from 2000
I open up my 18 year old sealed Creative Nomad II to see how MP3 players were in 2000. This thing is amazing. I really wish 128MB wasn't that maximum storage for it and that SmartMedia cards weren't so expensive. I could easily see myself still using this device today. It stood the test of time very well.
Linux Setup of Generic Input Devices for Accessibility and Macros
I wanted to go into detail about how to setup a custom udev device after noticing a lack of in depth documentation on it.
PCjr ATX/PicoPSU Power Adapter
I finally have my PCjr power supply adapter finished!
Floppy Drive Refurbing
This floppy drive will not work due to the head being unable to seek back and forth. It took a lot more effort to fix it than I thought.
XT-IDE Setup and DOS Install
I was sent an XT-IDE adapter to make a video on, so it's time for my 5150 to be floppy free!
Pioneer LaserKaraoke Minor Repair
My LaserKaraoke is having difficulties with the automatic side changing. You know, the usual laserdisc things... The rubbing was bad enough that when there was something on top of the LaserKaraoke then it wouldn't be able to deflect the case out enough and it would get stuck. That was the root of the problem.
MailCall 0x00: Mail from viewers like you!
This is amazing, you guys are awesome, thank you! If you want to send me something you can send me a DM on twitter, email, or a message on Discord.
Sharp PC-7000 Restoration
I recently picked up this portable IBM PC compatible and need to give it a little TLC This thing really wants to give me a hard time. This video didn't really go as planned and took much longer to make than I planed.
ATX2PCjr Final Update
It is finally completely done! There is nothing left to change on the ATX2PCjr adapter.
IBM 5150 Tecmar Captain RAM Card Upgrade
Time to upgrade my IBM 5150, and it can basically be done completely with just one card.
Dual Monitors on an IBM 5150
What happens if you put a CGA and MDA card in the same computer? Oh, it just works and it's awesome? Why didn't every one do that! If you know of any software that can take advantage of this setup I'd love to know about it!
IBM 5153 CGA Monitor Simple Recap
A "spurt" sound isn't something you ever want to hear from your monitor... I knew I wasn't going to get away with leaving it shifting between blue and red for long, but I didn't think it would be this short.
Canon TP-8 Palm Printer Calculator Refurb
I let the box for this calculator sweet talk it's way into coming come with me. But the calculator itself had some problems to be solved. I like my old calculators. None of them in particular have any wild features, but all of them are unique. This one in particular caught my eye for a video today.
1/2 yr Update on HP-86 3D Printed Key Stems
The 3D printed key stems on my HP-86 have held up pretty well over the last 6 months. But there are a couple problems to fix.
MailCall 0x01: Mail from viewers like you!
I'm still floored by all this, thank you everyone who sent something in! If you want to send me something you can send me a DM on twitter, email, or a message on Discord.
LPT Sound Card In CD Drive is Almost Awesome
This sounds so good on paper to add sound to a 486 laptop. Unfortunately, it has one problem.
Commodore 1541 Floppy Drive Repair - pt 1
I finally got a 1541 drive so I can actually start using my C64. But it needs some work first. Well, that didn't go like I expected. I don't know when I'll get back to this but I do think I have some good leads on possible repairs. This is one of those computers I really need to get some more seat time with so I can start to get comfortable with it.
Fancy S-Video Color Processor
This thing is crammed full of features. It can do so much, but not much of it is of real use. It's a Sony XV-C900 Color Corrector.
K&F Concept Nikon Lens Mount Aperture De-Click
I like the functional nature of this adapter. But I need to get rid of that awful clicking. Pretty much, you would have to try to break this thing if you want to do this yourself. Just remember to get thin ring in the right way and it will be good. It's so much better now with the smooth aperture. I look forward to mounting this on something to try it out...
Perspectives: Apple iMac G4
The iMac G4 is known for its exceptional styling, but I think it's worth taking a different kind of look at it. There are some really noteworthy features in this computer
MailCall 0x02: Mail from viewers like you!
I am continued to be stunned by how awesome and generous you all are. Thank you so much to everyone who sent something in!
Vintage Computer Pop-Up Book from 1984
This thing is awesome. I must have said it 12 different ways in this video but I really enjoy this thing.
Casio CQ-1 Diagnosis and Repair
I decided it was time to solve the problem with the Casio CQ-1 I was sent in. I didn't have a lot of hope, but it went better than I expected! I'm really happy to have got this working! It's such a cool calculator and I felt bad letting it sit for so long. Well it's finally up and running again.
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