Never Stop Learning!

When I started looking for a MiniDisc desk for home usage (i.e. NOT a portable) that I could hook up to an existing receiver/speaker setup, I started at Buyee (of course) and found this Sony MDS-S30. It was in great shape, was only $21 USD (Feb 2023 rates) and was confirmed to "power on" but they didn't say that playback worked...  You would think that someone could just put a MD inside to test, but oh well... Sony MDS-S30 - info from Mindisc.org  and from MiniDisc.wiki When it arrived, I was pleased with the condition since it was nearly perfect and was also a nice, compact form-factor. Unfortunately, that was as far as I got. I wasn't able to insert a MiniDisc! =( Inserting a disc would work about 80% of the way, then after being grabbed by some internal mechanism, it would just get stuck with the label end sticking out and you could hear a whirring/spinning noise. I had to forcefully pull the disc out to remove it. Note - I've also contributed to the minidisc.w...

Since the internet is full of answers to questions that no one asked... Here's my contribution. (I've also added this to the wiki ) Web MiniDisc Pro is a great way to manage your NetMD MiniDisc device for recording or simply titling discs since even the best remotes aren't as fast as typing on a keyboard! You can do this within Windows, but it requires the installation of a utility (Zadig) to manage your USB drivers. More info here . For those that want to manage their MiniDisc recorder under Windows, but don't want to install the Zadig driver manager (for whatever reason), you can use Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) to do it! Perhaps you're already a WSL2 user and use it for other things and doing a few more steps to get things running are no big deal. Install WSL2 under Windows 11: Open a PowerShell prompt under Windows 11 by right-clicking on the Start button and choosing Windows Terminal (Admin) . Accept the warning and you'll see the PowerShell windo...

I prefer reading to watching, but for those that prefer the other way around, here's short video recapping my recent article about a battery replacement for your Sharp AD-MS10BT that's found in the Sharp MD-MS200 (and related models). Should work for the following models: Sharp MD-MS200 (AKA Denon DMP-R70, Kenwood DMC-G7R, Pioneer PMD-R2) Sharp MD-MS100 (AKA Pioneer PMD-R1, Denon DMP-R50, Kenwood DMC-F5R) Get your own Streamlight SL-B26 Two pack: https://amzn.to/3Kf6uHi Amazon links are affiliate links which will help me, but only if I've helped you!

If you're getting into the hobby or trying to refresh one of your old MiniDisc players, you may have learned that batteries aren't always that easy to come by. Many MiniDisc players come with, or support, battery "sidecars" that allow you to use a single or double AA battery to power the device. That's a nice option because AAs are readily available and you can use rechargeables! For my players that do have sidecars, I'm using Eneloops and Amazon Basics AA rechargeables which are both working fine. TL;DR - These are great for replacing an old MiniDisc player/recorder's battery (compatible models, of course), BUT use a less powerful charger (maybe 500ma or less) What about different battery shapes? The challenge comes when you have a device that requires a different type of battery. There are different "gumstick" batteries, round batteries, and even some that were encased in a custom plastic cartridge of their own. In this case, we'll look at...