Testing the ML-L3 remote

OK, to answer all your questions, the ML-L3 is an infra-red remote with an effective range of about 15 feet, more or less. It is not using rf (radio frequency) but a DIY electronics circuit can be done. Just like light, you can set the remote to bounce the signal but be aware, it must hit the in sensor (which happened to be very sensitive over a wide range). And because light cannot pass through five floors and a comforter, it si not possible to use the remote this way, unless you either make your own rf (radio frequency) to ir (infra-red) circuit or you drill a hole through five floors (and the comforter) and then insert a fibre optic cable and point it to the Nikon D50. Oh, not only that, practically, this remote works on most Nikon cameras. For the list, you'd have to Google it. Some places are selling compatible remotes that work with more than one brand of camera too. You can search for this on eBay.com or lelong.com.my

Depending on your camera setting, you could either take a delayed shot, fast shot or just bulb. This is very important when I want to get a nice shot at low ISO while using a tripod. My normal procedure would be to set everything and then use the countdown timer which, sometimes, tend to make me lose interest.

So, if you want to use this, in my case, I would set the camera on auto-focus to get the clearest shot, then switch it to manual before I activate the remote feature. Otherwise, the camera would auto-focus or try to auto-focus everytime you press the button on the remote. Which is not a good thing if your subject is fast moving or hard to focus, etc.

Here I am, testing
the ML-L3 remote

Replacing the switch's bulb

I know I blogged about this somewhere but I forgot where. Anyway, this type of switches are plastic and they do not have LEDs in them. Only bulbs. See the "12V 20A"? Its the maximum rating the switch can accept before it goes bye-bye. So, you can use 3volts, 9volts, etc. anything less than the rating stated on the switch.

Anyway, you can replace the bulb with an LED on this switch as earlier on, the idea came to me when I noticed thin wires coming out from the two holes onto the switch's legs. So, I carefully pried the red rocker cover (and watch out for the tiny springs and contacts jumping out), removed the bulb and then pushed a 3mm red LED in. You could try other colours but because the cover is red, they would look very weird.

Now, all you have is a rocker switch with a red LED inside it. Do not forget that you have to solder a current limiting resistor onto the LED's leg or it would have a very short lifespan when you try to light it up directly. So, if your circuit is using 12 volts, then the appropriate current limiting resistor is 500 Ohms.

I think I have a photo of it taken apart but I can't find it.
Moreover, its now past midnight and I don't have the
tools to open it up again. Hee hee hee hee

Suicidal Beetle

Saw this on Federal Highway. One thing nice about the
D50 is that I can switch it on, aim and shoot. All within
three seconds or so, while I was driving the van. Ha ha ha

The Enterprise-D Cutaway Poster

This is my second poster and I forgot if this was the original long version as they reprinted it on a smaller version. The first one, I gave it to a friend in Scotland as it was too big to bring it back since I had it framed. And I could not remember how I got the second one except that its here. I thought I had lost it to the termites but after finding it again, I was estatic. However, the fungus has gotten to it already and I can see some brown spots in the poster. I am not sure how to get rid of the fungus or restore it.

The reason I am asking is that I am going to get it scanned and when I save enough, I will get it printed as transparency or something which I will then frame it and backlit from behind. Then hang it from a wall somewhere.

So, now, I bought some PVC tubes to secure the poster.
No more paper tubes as they're not effective against
termites. I think the poster costs me 18.99 pounds

Clearing up the mess

Yes, its one of those times where we (try to) train Kaelynn to go to the toilet.


From here, I can guess she had a lot of mandarin oranges
After 3 minutes, the flies start to arrive....

Local Comics

[This was a draft] 23.03.2008 Its been such a long time and I forgot a lot. So, when I am free, I will try to read them again. Or, maybe you could go and buy one yourself and see how they fared.

After searching high and low, I finally got Pupeteer's first comic called Velosity. Its a story mostly about revenge in a motorcycle gang. His artwork is a bit raw here unlike his more polished "Evolusi Identiti" but its interesting to see how the two books differ with time.

This is called "5 Elemen" and its also a very interesting read. But beware, do not try to draw parallel with Luc Besson's "5th Element" movie. You'd only be disappointing yourself.