Gary Franklin
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aleatorus.bsky.social
Gary Franklin
@aleatorus.bsky.social
340 followers 120 following 180 posts
Techie, atheist, music lover, amateur photographer
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aleatorus.bsky.social
The perfect gift for the musical mouse in your life. I'll let you calculate the resonant frequency...
A macro photo of a, er, tiny 'tuning fork' placed on a UK five pence piece for scale.
November 21, 2025 at 2:08 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Replaced my old Slate 21 Android tablet with a new 21" touch screen, running on Win11 on a Beelink Mini S. The screen viewing angles aren't great, not as good as the tablet, but, being a capacitive touch screen, it's better than the Slate's, which used optical imaging.
#touchscreen #mobilesheets
November 4, 2025 at 11:22 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Great to be back at The Shacklewell Arms for the excellent German trio Painting on Friday night.
Lighting was a bit tricky with no front spotlights in use, relying on luminescent outfits/masks & background filler lights instead.
#photography #SonyA6500 #CanonFD #50mm #livemusic #London
October 26, 2025 at 12:12 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
A few of my photos from last night's excellent gig by Rosie Frater-Taylor at The Fickle Pickle Club, as part of this year's Southend Jazz Festival
#SonyA6500 #CanonFD #100mm #jazz
October 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Testing an old Kenwood PAL Color Pattern Generator CG-932. Works fine, still useful for aligning analogue TV monitors.
#video #testcards #tech
October 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Testing a 5GHz analogue microwave video link, comparing a homemade double biquad antenna with a commercially made omnidirectional slot antenna.
#ATV
A view from the top of Vicarage Hill in Benfleet, Essex. The 5GHz transmitter is placed on the bicycle seat, while the slot antenna lies on the rear.
September 25, 2025 at 11:31 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Suggested videos for me to watch on my Inner Marshland covers YouTube account. See if you can spot the odd one out😳🤔
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
A few of my photos from a great night at the Waiting Room in London with Beautify Junkyards, currently touring the UK, recommended.
#psych #kosmische #CanonFD #100mm #Sonya6500
September 21, 2025 at 12:41 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
A simple TV test card generator using a Pi Zero. I'm using the PAL video output here, but the HDMI out is also an option.
#testcardf #PM5544
August 31, 2025 at 6:01 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Anyone fancy finishing off this bottle of vodka? 😳
At the bottom of a bottle of vodka is a dead insect. Or maybe just drunk... Close up view of the insect
August 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Fixing a Cry Baby Wah pedal, which had lost its wah... Original inductor measures fine here, but it was badly intermittent; despite my best efforts, it couldn't be fixed. Inside is a potted core, thwarting rewinding. New one required, expensive for what it is, but necessary.
#crybaby #pedal #fasel
August 20, 2025 at 5:03 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
The term "stomp-box" should not be taken this literally... 😉
#mxr #pedal
An MXR Micro Amp guitar pedal circuit board, with the potentiometer smashed into pieces.
August 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
"Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." 🤨🙄
#Basildon #crematorium
August 7, 2025 at 9:33 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
I can't send photos on chat, so have resorted to adding to your post, sorry... These belonged to an old chap in Leigh, G3KGN, any use to you for any valve equipment/projects? If not, can you suggest anyone in this neck of the woods who may be?
July 8, 2025 at 1:54 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Why yes, lots of crackling, and it kept skipping. Had to blu tack a coin onto the tone arm...
A record shop in Leigh-on-Sea, with the words "But have you heard it on vinyl?" on the window. An old record player with a penny coin blu tacked to the end of the tone arm, playing an LP. I took this photo upstairs at the Railway Hotel in Southend, back in 2014
July 5, 2025 at 1:13 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Some views from Sunday, atop the St. Clement's Church's 80-foot west tower, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
#SonyA6500 #CanonFD #100mm #photography
Leigh-onSea Railway Station, with The Shard and Dockland's buildings in London visible on the horizon Southend pier, the longest pleasure pier in the world, stretching out 1.33 miles into the Thames Estuary. The Kent coast is visible on the horizon. Southend pier again, with the Maunsell Forts and Kentish Flats wind farm on the horizon. Bell Wharf, in Old Leigh
July 2, 2025 at 12:42 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
A few of my photos from another ridiculously hot day, at Sunday's Leigh-on-Sea Folk Festival. With Weaving in Purgatory, Wendy Solomon, Dawnette Fessey and Ozlem Simsek.
#SonyA6500 #100mm #CanonFD #photography #LFF2025 #Essex
Weaving in Purgatory, playing a violin Wendy Solomon of Dave Woodcock and The Fixtures, playing bass guitar Dawnette Fessey singing with A No Good Woman & The Kingsnakes. The crowd is reflected in her sunglasses Ozlem Simsek playing a mini harp in St. Clement's Church, as part of Emma Reed's "Leigh In C" ensemble performance of Terry Riley's "In C"
July 1, 2025 at 11:22 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
FWIW, a few of my photos from a ridiculously hot day at Saturday's Leigh Folk Festival, with Drift, Isabel Inkcap, The Ondines and Veryan Weston.

#SonyA6500 #100mm #CanonFD #photography #LFF2025
Drift at the Fishermen's Chapel Isabel Inkcap in Leigh Library Gardens The Ondines at Café Bar Hogar Del Mar Veryan Weston, playing the chapel organ at the Fishermen's Chapel
June 30, 2025 at 3:35 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
This year's Leigh-on-Sea Folk Festival kicked off last night at The Moonraker in Westcliff, with some electronica at Control Voltage, with Kate Mahoney, Lee Ashcroft, Now & Qubik.
#A6500 #CanonFD #50mm #photography
Kate Mahoney playing a keyboard Lee Ashcroft playing the Theremin Now, noodling Qubik
June 27, 2025 at 2:40 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
The final Konsztrukting Soundz until September at the Fishermen's Chapel in Leigh-on-Sea last night, with Caroline Kraabel, John Butcher/Luigi Marino/Mark Wastell Trio, Khabat Abas and Tom Mills.
#SonyA6500 #CanonFD #100mm #improv
Caroline Kraabel, playing her saxophone John Butcher, playing his saxophone Khabat Abas, playing her cello Tom Mills, playing the Theremin
June 15, 2025 at 2:04 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Meanwhile, in The Village, Number 2 sets a fiendish trap...
A closed door, marked with a big number 6, above which a sign shows that it's a fire exit
June 11, 2025 at 10:31 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Testing some old Gunnplexers, yay, they all work. These transmit above 10GHz, the same range as satellite TV. No, you can't cook anything with them, except for your eyes, if you look directly into the waveguide opening when powered on 😲
June 2, 2025 at 10:42 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Imagine the sheer horror of waking up one morning and finding yourself in Dire Straits, destined to play Sultans of Swing and Money for Nothing for the rest of your life.
TV text programme guide, with details of the film The Contractor
June 1, 2025 at 10:08 AM
aleatorus.bsky.social
Perhaps not the best way to secure your bike🙄
Photo is of a bicycle that shows a bike lock which is not threaded through the securing mount.
May 29, 2025 at 5:46 PM
aleatorus.bsky.social
This could well be my epitaph... 🙄😉
May 27, 2025 at 2:46 PM