🔧 Consumer Hacks & Mods

Marantz UD5007 power supply replacement (kittenlabs​.de). Brute-force power-supply replacement for Marantz UD5007 using ATX extension, picoPSU, 12V input, and Wago connectors; showcases troubleshooting and hardware hacking

3D Printing Wowza (ma​.tt). 3D printing custom holders for everything in his junk drawer, showcasing maker/hacker mindset and open source collaboration

Hacking on the reMarkable 2 (sgt​.hootr​.club). Hacking on the reMarkable 2 explores DIY OS downgrades, Toltec, rm2fb, xochitl, and open-source display drivers with Rust and Zig

Patching Pulse Oximeter Firmware (stefan-gloor​.ch). Patching Beurer PO 80 firmware using dynamic analysis, SWD bypass, Python tooling, and GDB patching with a1exdandy collaboration

💾 Retrocomputing & Vintage Tech

The Amiga 1200 That Fought Back: The Faults I Missed the First Time (linuxjedi​.co​.uk). Repairing an Amiga 1200: tracing HSYNC faults, PS/2 pull-ups, and ceramic capacitor failures with hands-on testing

Calculating Pi (relaycomputer​.co​.uk). Relay Computer calculates Pi to 20 digits, using assembly, hardware division, and a high-level .NET prototype

A vector graphics workstation from the 70s (justanotherelectronicsblog​.com). Tektronix 4051 vector graphics workstation repair and restoration, history, ROM expander, and DOS-era hardware quirks

Replacing a 48 year old Commodore PET with a Raspberry Pi Pico (pointinthecloud​.com). A retro-computing project using a Raspberry Pi Pico to emulate a Commodore PET 2001 and generate VGA video via RP2040 peripherals

Replacing some chips on 1130MRAM board based on testing (rescue1130​.blogspot​.com). Testing 1130MRAM board: toggling storage read, sensing outputs, and replacing chips with Digikey-order replacements

Homespun radio (pointinthecloud​.com). Repairing a 53-year-old Lenco GL75 turntable and building a cosy internet radio setup using a Goodmans Module 80, with DIY fixes and listening to 78s

🏠 Home Automation & Energy

The lazy Floridian’s Halloween and Christmas lighting (philip​.greenspun​.com). A Floridian DIY holiday lighting guide using WiFi/Thread bulbs (Govee, Feit, Wiz) and home-automation networks

Replacing a Google Nest Thermostat with Home Assistant (bentasker​.co​.uk). Replacing a Google Nest Thermostat with a locally controlled Matter thermostat and Home Assistant using Zigbee sensors and a Python Matter server

Monitoring Energy Usage With Home Assistant (2025 Edition) (blog​.gruby​.com). Home Assistant energy monitoring using Aeotec Z-Wave Home Energy Meter 8; equipment installation, CT clamps, Node-RED calculations, minor setup notes

huelights: I switched my lights to Philips Hue lights (iio​.ie). A personal account switching to Philips Hue lights, using a bridge, REST API, and custom scripts in Go and AI-assisted configuration

💻 Raspberry Pi & SBC Builds

Most Stable Raspberry Pi? Better NTP with Thermal Management (austinsnerdythings​.com). Thermal management and CPU core pinning improve Raspberry Pi NTP timing accuracy using GPS PPS, Python, and PID control

Nvidia Graphics Cards work on Pi 5 and Rockchip (jeffgeerling​.com). Jeff Geerling discusses Nvidia GPUs on Raspberry Pi 5 and RK3588, patching open-source kernel modules with mariobalanica and testing Vulkan/CUDA through llama.cpp benchmarks

The Recovery Kit Nano (doscher​.com). Desk-friendly Raspberry Pi-based Recovery Kit Nano with easy assembly, portrait-mode screen rotation, modular parts, and optional tactical build

RISC-V OrangePi RV2 Linux SBC (blog​.nobugware​.com). RISC-V OrangePi RV2 Linux SBC with Ky X1 CPU, 8 cores, riscv64, Ubuntu 22.04, two NVMe slots, 2x Gigabit Ethernet, Go tools, NATS cluster

Howdy Y'all (analoghobbyist​.bearblog​.dev). Raspberry Pi NAS update, Proxmox on MacBook, Tailscale access, Pi Zero Kodi, and future cyberdeck/desktop builds

🔌 USB & ESP32 Development

Native TinyUSB on ESP32S3 using my own device class (revk​.uk). ESP32S3 native TinyUSB integration with a custom CCID device class using TinyUSB driver hacking in ESP-IDF (C) and reading/writing bulk endpoints

USB project (revk​.uk). A DIY ESP32-based USB CCID reader and keyboard utility for SIM cards, using TinyUSB, ESP32 PWM/UART, and libusb on macOS

USB Cable Tester (handsonkatie​.com). Identify USB cables and learn their specs with a compact tester, linking hands-on crafting to tech gear insights

Optimizing RAM Usage on ESP32-C2 (developer​.espressif​.com). RAM optimization on ESP32-C2 using ESP-IDF v5.5+, IRAM reductions, flash suspend, and configuration tweaks for BLE/Wi-Fi coexistence

🤖 Robots, Motors & Motion

Lego Vehicles (brickexperimentchannel​.wordpress​.com). Lego vehicles showcased by Brick Experiment Channel, featuring RC concepts, 4WD/4WS designs, walkers, tanks, and boats using LEGO parts and Circuit Cubes

Cyberbricks - are these the Lego Mindstorms killer? (kevsrobots​.com). Cyberbricks overview: modular ESP32‑C3 based system with Core Board, shields, joysticks, motors, WS2812 LEDs and 3D‑printed models for LEGO‑like robotics

Feetech STS3250 Smart Actuator: Evaluation of Accuracy, Torque and Backlash (robonine​.com). Comprehensive evaluation of Feetech STS3250 servo: accuracy, torque, backlash, thermal behavior, and 12-bit encoder feedback using 25 V? 12 V tests, with PID control and protection analysis

T55 JFJ motor (philsworkbench​.blogspot​.com). Chunky skew-wound French motor from 1981 with a large magnet and back contacts, unsure if AC compatible

INTVAL 2.0 (sixteenmillimeter​.com). Open-source hardware intervalometer for Bolex 16mm cameras using Arduino Trinket Pro, 3D printed parts, laser-cut base, L298N H-Bridge, and Rexofader integration

🎵 Embedded Audio & MIDI

Making music with an Atari STE (thefoggiest​.dev). Musician father, Atari STE setup, Notator, C-Lab Unitor-N, MIDI workflow, and DIY restoration through 1990s–2025

Bash script for testing a syn6988 voice synth module (briankhuu​.com). Bash scripting to test a SYN6988 voice synth module via a serial interface using a custom test script

SAM2695, A50 and NSX-39 thoughts (sandsoftwaresound​.net). Explores ultra-low-cost MIDI tone modules: SAM2695, A50, NSX-39, with M5Stack, MIDI, SysEx, and VCE concepts

📡 RF & Wireless Hacking

Glasses to detect smart-glasses that have cameras (github​.com). GNU-like project exploring BLE fingerprinting and IR-based retro-reflectivity to detect smart glasses with cameras using ESP32 hardware and pattern sweeps

Setup Huawei MA5671A SFP GPON for Your Fiber ISP (kaspars​.net). Replacing ISP modem with a Linux GPON SFP stick (Huawei MA5671A) and unlocking root via UART for OpenWrt-based GPON configuration

Plug, Play, Pwn: Hacking with Evil Crow Cable Wind (mobile-hacker​.com). Hacking with Evil Crow Cable Wind: a Wi‑Fi controlled HID injection cable resembling a USB charger, enabling up to 1,000 keystrokes per minute

2025-11-26-Cardputer ADV_RF_2in1 Module (kasiin​.top). Guide to Bruce firmware setup with CC1101/NRF24 pins and antenna installation for Cardputer ADV_RF_2in1 module

Using Claude Code to Build gocat (blog​.herlein​.com). Porting RFCat to Go with Claude Code in a safe localdev container for YardStick One RF transceiver control

🧠 MCU Debugging & Control

GPS-enabled Dash Cam Power Switch (fpaynter​.com). GPS-enabled dash cam power switch using TinyGPSPlus, Sparkfun Pro Micro, and NMEA data to auto-shutoff power based on speed

A Neat Debugging Trick (neacsu​.net). Debugging Raspberry Pi Pico interrupts on RP2040 with CAN and a clever two-core monitoring trick

How to Use the Command Line (CLI) With the Arduino UNO Q (shawnhymel​.com). Using the Arduino UNO Q CLI for VS Code, Python, and Arduino integration with SCP, SSH, and Bridge-based communication

📷 Vision & Image Sensors

Making Robot Perception More Efficient on NVIDIA Jetson Thor (developer​.nvidia​.com). Explores using NVIDIA VPI and Jetson Thor accelerators (PVA, OFA, VIC) with Python/C++ for stereo disparity and multi-stream pipelines

Configuring Raspberry Pi for OpenCV: Camera & Cooling Workflow (2025 Refresh) (opencv​.org). Step-by-step Raspberry Pi setup for OpenCV with Ubuntu, NoIR camera, V4L2, and Python-based demos

Time-mode CIS paper (image-sensors-world​.blogspot​.com). Extended time-mode digital pixel CMOS image sensor enables IoT with low-leakage pixels and wide dynamic range

🏭 Hardware Design & Labs

Name that Ware, November 2025 (bunniestudios​.com). Behind the November 2025 Ware: a two-board hardware puzzle donated for guessing contest

Winner, Name that Ware October 2025 (bunniestudios​.com). Winner, Name that Ware October 2025 discusses an ADAS1010 ECG module, EMI shielding, ADI parts, and megabytephreak’s win

FA-5 VizControl (jayakody2000lk​.blogspot​.com). VizControl uses Lazarus/FPC to manage the FA-5 frequency counter with a portable GUI and real-time plotting

Taking FEDEVEL's Advanced PCB Layout Course (insanity4004​.blogspot​.com). Hobbyist builds a PCB with DDR3L SDRAM and a Zynq-7000 SOC, learning about impedance and high-speed design through FEDEVEL's course

A Visit to The Electrum Lab (jakob​.engbloms​.se). Tour of Electrum Lab in Kista, Sweden; cleanroom, silicon carbide research, MyFab collaboration, teaching with KTH, MEMS, and startup space

👋 Before you go...

I've got a big favor to ask - keeping Blaze running isn't expensive, but it does all add up, so I'm asking readers like you to help, if you can, by joining the Patreon page. Nothing flashy, just a way for folks who find value in these newsletters to chip in a little each month.

If you are getting value from blaze, checking this out would mean the absolute world. But if you can't contribute, no worries - the newsletters keep coming either way. Thanks for reading and being part of this nerdy corner of the internet. All the best for the coming week - Alastair.