Field Notes

Occasional writing about software, hardware, and long walks.

Rebuilding a 2009 synthesizer power supply

14 August 2026

The original linear supply had been running hot for years. Replacing the filter capacitors bought maybe another season, so I gave up and drew a new board around a pair of LM317s.

A slower approach to backups

2 July 2026

Every backup system I have built failed the same way: it worked until the day I needed it. The version that finally stuck does one thing, writes one log line, and mails me when that line stops appearing.

Notes from a week without a laptop

19 May 2026

Nothing dramatic happened. That was rather the point.