Сам задал влпрос - сам и отвечаю ...

1) Берем файл frontend.class.php
Ищем строку:
if( $config->showAlphaIndex ) {
далее приведенным ниже в п.2 КОДОМ заменям все аж до строк:
/*
* build header menu
*/
if($config->showComponentLink || $config->showAddNewEntryLink || $config->showSearchLink) {
2)
//$letters = $config->key("alpha_index", "letters", "A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z,0-9");
if( $letters ) {
$letters = explode( "," , $letters );
}
else {
$letters = array("A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H","I","J","K","L","M","N","O","P","Q","R","S","T","U","V","W","X","Y","Z","0-9");
$letters2 = array("А","Б","В","Г","Д","Е","Ж","З","И","К","Л","М","Н","О","П","Р","С","Т","У","Ф","Х","Ц","Ч","Ш","Щ","Э","Ю","Я","0-9");
}
$azindex = array();
foreach ( $letters as $letter ) {
$x = urlencode( $letter );
$href = sobi2Config::sef("index.php?option=com_sobi2&letter={$x}&Itemid={$config->sobi2Itemid}");
$azindex[] = "<a href=\"{$href}\" class=\"sobi2AlphaLinks\">{$letter}</a>\n\t\t\t";
}
$azindex2 = array();
foreach ( $letters2 as $letter ) {
$x = urlencode( $letter );
$href = sobi2Config::sef("index.php?option=com_sobi2&letter={$x}&Itemid={$config->sobi2Itemid}");
$azindex2[] = "<a href=\"{$href}\" class=\"sobi2AlphaLinks\">{$letter}</a>\n\t\t\t";
}
if(!empty($azindex)) {
$this->sobi2Header .= "<div id=\"sobi2AlphaLinks\">\n\t\t\t\t\t";
$this->sobi2Header .= implode(" | ", $azindex);
$this->sobi2Header .= "<BR>";
$this->sobi2Header .= implode(" | ", $azindex2);
$this->sobi2Header .= "</div>\n\t\t";
}
}
3) Берем файл sobi2.listing.php
Ищем строку:
function showAlphaListing( $letter )
далее приведенным ниже в п.4 КОДОМ заменям все аж до строк:
$query = "SELECT itemid FROM #__sobi2_item WHERE UPPER(title) RLIKE '^{$search}' AND (published = 1 AND publish_down > '{$now}' OR publish_down = '{$config->nullDate}') ";
4)
{
$config =& sobi2Config::getInstance();
$database = $config->getDb();
$now = $config->getTimeAndDate();
$letter = $database->getEscaped( $letter );
$letter = urldecode( $letter );
//============================================
$phrase = $letter;
//$letter = "Ï";
$temp_translate = $letter;
$temp_translate = strtr($temp_translate, array(
"а"=>'à', "б"=>'á', "в"=>'â', "г"=>'ã',
"д"=>'ä', "е"=>'å', "ж"=>'æ', "з"=>'ç',
"и"=>'è', "й"=>'é', "к"=>'ê', "л"=>'ë',
"м"=>'ì', "н"=>'í', "о"=>'î', "п"=>'ï',
'р'=>'ð', "с"=>'ñ', "т"=>'ò', "у"=>'ó',
"ф"=>'ô', "ы"=>'û', "э"=>'ý', "ё"=>'¸',
"х"=>'õ', "ц"=>'ö', "ч"=>'÷', "ш"=>'ø',
"щ"=>'ù', "ъ"=>'ú', "ь"=>'ü', "ю"=>'þ',
"я"=>'ÿ',
"А"=>'À', "Б"=>'Á', "В"=>'Â', "Г"=>'Ã',
"Д"=>'Ä', "Е"=>'Å', "Ж"=>'Æ', "З"=>'Ç',
"И"=>'È', "Й"=>'É', "К"=>'Ê', "Л"=>'Ë',
"М"=>'Ì', "Н"=>'Í', "О"=>'Î', "П"=>'Ï',
"Р"=>'Ð', "С"=>'Ñ', "Т"=>'Ò', "У"=>'Ó',
"Ф"=>'Ô', "Ы"=>'Û', "Э"=>'Ý', "Ё"=>'¨',
"Х"=>'Õ', "Ц"=>'Ö', "Ч"=>'×', "Ш"=>'Ø',
"Щ"=>'Ù', "Ъ"=>'Ú', "Ь"=>'Ü', "Ю"=>'Þ',
"Я"=>'ß'
));
$letter = $temp_translate;
//============================================
if ( isset( $letter[1] ) && $letter[1] == "-" ) {
$search = "[{$letter[0]}-{$letter[2]}]";
$phrase = "{$letter[0]}-{$letter[2]}";
}
else {
$search = $letter;
}
$search = $letter;
5) Всё сохраняем и вуаля ... работает АльфаИндекс с русским алфавитом в указанной выше конфигурации.

ЗЫ: отдельное спасибо
Abix.
