Philips 9@9++ (2026)

This is my first own GSM mobile phone (before, it was D-AMPS phones).

It's the Philips 9@9++. I bought it in 2004 for $133. And it still works.

Although it wasn't as convenient as Nokia phones at the time, it was more power-efficient. The 9@9++ could go a week without needing a charge. The phone body is also sturdy.

I even made a cable to connect the phone to a PDA to access the Internet (via GPRS).

See also related notes:

• Эх, мобильные телефоны... (2014-03-07)
• Philips (2009-11-16)

Image albums:

• Mobile

Pentax K 28/3.5: Samples [2] - FF - f/3.5

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)

Lens: Pentax K 28/3.5 at f/3.5

See also related notes:

• Pentax K 28/3.5, K 30/2.8, K 35/3.5: опять к старой теме (2022-05-22)

Image albums:

• Pentax K 28/3.5

RockShox SID SL Base 3P 110mm: Installed

I installed the RockShox SID SL fork instead of the RockShox Recon RL fork.

The SID SL is noticeably lighter. The SID SL weighs 1570 g (with the uncut steerer tube, and including the axle). The Recon RL weighs 2200 g (with the cut steerer tube, and including the axle).

At the same time, the Recon RL has longer travel (120mm vs 110mm) and also allows for larger tires.

For example, the Recon RL has a lot of space for the Vittoria e-Barzo Trail 29x2.6. The SID SL can also accommodate this tire, but there is rather little clearance between the fork and the tire (with the i27 rim).

Anyway, I will keep the Recon RL and use it in the winter.

See also related notes:

• RockShox SID SL Base 3P 110mm (2026-05-07)
• Cannondale Cujo 1: Vittoria e-Barzo Trail 29x2.6 mounted (2025-12-23)
• Vittoria e-Barzo Trail 29x2.6 (2025-12-19)
• Koozer XM1850 (622x27) wheelset (2024-06-29)
• Cannondale Cujo 1 (2018): компоненты и спецификация (2018-10-14)

Image albums:

• Bicycle

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 (FE): Embedded profile

Some time ago, I complained that there is no profile embedded in the metadata of images taken with the Viltrox AF 28/4.5 (FE) lens. Recently, however, I noticed an enabled embedded profile for such images in ART.

I thought this was related to an ART update, but old ARW images still open without an embedded profile.

The reason is the new v1.11 lens firmware. With this firmware, the Sony a7c camera embeds the working lens profile.

Here are some examples.

Without correction:

Geometric only (almost invisible):

Geometric + Vignetting:

Without correction:

Vignetting only (it looks overcorrected):

See also related notes:

• Viltrox AF 20/2.8 & AF 28/4.5: Firmware updates (a7V support) (2026-02-27)
• Viltrox AF 28/4.5: Samples [1] - FF - f/4.5 (2025-02-02)
• Viltrox AF 28/4.5 (FE): Wide-angle pancake lens (2025-01-24)
• RawTherapee (2022) и ART (2022-03-30)

Image albums:

• Viltrox AF 28/4.5 FE

FTP Practice (~1999)

Practice using the FTP protocol: FTP: File Transfer Protocol

As far as I know, it's a rather old publication, from around 1999. Some of the information is still interesting today.

ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8: Samples [3] - FF - f/2.8 + close focus (helicoid) adapter

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)

Lens: ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8 at f/2.8 

The close focus (helicoid) adapter was used instead of the built-in focusing mechanism. This reveals the true nature of the triplet.

See also related notes:

• ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8: Samples [2] - FF - f/2.8 - Two types of focusing (2026-04-23)
• ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8 (M42x1/45.5): Triplet with simple focusing mechanism (2024-05-21)
• Noname Leica M-Sony FE/E close focus (helicoid) adapter (2023-07-30)

Image albums:

• ISCO-Göttingen Iscovitar 50/2.8

RockShox SID SL Base 3P 110mm

My new bike fork: RockShox SID SL Base 3P (FS-SIDS-BSE3-D1) with 110mm travel. It is the cheapest version in the SID SL series. And 110mm is the longest travel (axle to crown 516 mm with 44 mm offset).

Some details.

It weighs 1570 g with the uncut steerer tube.

See also related notes:

• RockShox SID SL Base 3P 110mm: Installed (2026-05-15)

Image albums:

• Bicycle

Pentax Q7: SR and Live View

In my opinion, the Pentax Q7 is much better than the Pentax Q. But unexpectedly, the Pentax Q has one important advantage.

The Pentax Q7 lacks the ability to perform shake reduction (SR) during Live View!

The Pentax Q has the related SR option.

(Pentax Q's option)

The Pentax Q7 has no such option. SR only works during capture time.

This is important for manual focusing (with so-called "Unique lenses", for example). Although the Q7 provides more magnification for accurate focusing, the shaking during Live View with a long focal length lens is disruptive.

Even half-pressing the shutter button doesn't stabilize Live View. The goal is probably power efficiency.

See also related notes:

• Pentax Q7: Better, but still too specific (2025-11-13)
• Pentax Q "Unique Lenses" (2025-09-19)
• Pentax Q: Non-electronic lens support (2025-04-07)
• Pentax Q: Useless mirrorless camera (2025-02-14)

Image albums:

• Pentax Q (series)

Socks5: Non-standard commands

The Socks5 protocol is defined by RFC 1928. It includes three commands:

0x01: CONNECT

0x02: BIND

0x03: UDP ASSOCIATE

Also, there are some proprietary extensions that introduce new commands:

0x05: UDP IN TCP (by HevSocks5)

0xF0: RESOLVE (by Tor)

0xF1: RESOLVE_PTR (by Tor)

Pentax M 50/4 Macro: Samples [2] - FF - f/4

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)

Lens: Pentax M 50/4 Macro at f/4

See also related notes:

• Industar-61L/Z-MC 50/2.8 and Pentax M 50/4 Macro (2023-04-15)

Image albums:

• Pentax M 50/4 Macro

Romoss Solo 5 power bank (2017)

In 2017, I purchased the Romoss Solo 5 (10000 mAh power bank) for $10 with free shipping.

It was cheap, but the main reason was the internals of the Solo 5. This power bank contains five standard 18650 batteries.

(source video)

I knew about this, and I wanted to disassemble the power bank and use the batteries in other devices. It could be very profitable.

Although I didn't initially need a power bank, this one turned out to be useful. So, I kept it without taking it apart. And, despite its inconvenient microUSB port (input for charging), the power bank is still used today.

Image albums:

• Electronics

Maxxis Rambler 700x50c: Mounted tubeless

I mounted the Maxxis Rambler 700x50c tires on the Koozer 29" wheels.

The tires were mounted tubeless without any problems.

The tire carcass width is 51mm (2.0") on these i27 rims at 3 bar (43 psi).

See also related notes:

• Maxxis Rambler 700x50c (2026-04-17)
• Koozer XM1850 (622x27) wheelset (2024-06-29)

Image albums:

• Bicycle

Sony a7c: v2.03 firmware

Firmware version 2.03 has been released for the Sony a7c.

As for v2.02, the change list for v2.03 is obscure:

===

Improves the operational stability of the camera

===

As usual, I will wait for some time before updating.

See also related notes:

• Sony a7c: v2.02 firmware (2025-09-11)
• Sony α7c (Alpha 7C, a7c) (2022-03-18)

Image albums:

• Sony a7c

ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8: Samples [2] - FF - f/2.8 - Two types of focusing

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)

Lens: ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8 at f/2.8

The ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8 has a simplified focusing mechanism. Only the front optical element moves. So, like the Riconar/Rikenon 55/2.2, two types of focusing can be used: with the built-in mechanism or with the lens adapter. See more details.

There are comparisons between these the two types of focusing.

1.

(lens focusing)

(adapter focusing)

2. 

(lens focusing)

(adapter focusing)

3.

(lens focusing)

(adapter focusing)

See also related notes:

• ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8: Samples [3] - FF - f/2.8 + close focus (helicoid) adapter (2026-05-09)

Image albums:

• ISCO-Göttingen Iscovitar 50/2.8

Koozer 450: Six-bolt vs Centerlock

Which bike rotor to choose? Six-bolt or Centerlock? It is often a matter of preference. However, some hubs are designed differently depending on the type of rotor.

For example, there are front Koozer 450 hubs in MTB versions (based on a 15 mm wheel axle).

Hubs for six-bolt rotors use bigger 18307 (18x30x7 mm) bearings. And there is an internal hub axle (15x18 mm) that goes through the bearings.

(J-bend spokes)

(Straight-pull spokes)

Hubs for Centerlock rotors use smaller 6902 (15x28x7 mm) bearings. These hubs have no internal axle going through the bearings, just a spacer sits between them.

(J-bend spokes)

(Straight-pull spokes)

This applies to the front MTB hubs only. Regardless of rotor type, the front/rear road versions and the rear MTB versions of the Koozer 450 use 6902 bearings and an internal hub axle (12x15 mm).

See also related notes:

• Koozer XM1850 (622x27) wheelset (2024-06-29)

Image albums:

• Bicycle