GoKit Challenge - A great event to have in your area!

It is the 6th annual Gokit Challenge in North Texas next month! I interviewed the original organizers and asked about it. It has been such a fun event I think more clubs should consider doing this in their area too!
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Paul
K5VOP

 

That guy definitely has just spotted a UFO.

 

So, did they have a BBQ to go with?

I watched about 10 secs. I dislike talking heads but loath "Zoom" formatted videos. That's my problem, still....

 

Go-Boxes are fun. This all-mode 4U unit has been going strong after almost 10 years.

22" x 10" x 16" and weighs about 40 lbs. (with batteries & transfer switch) You surely wouldn't want to carry it around too much - but it will get the job done.

 

It looks great to me! Well done!!

 

Thank goodness we all still have freedom to do as we please and have our own opinions ,likes and dislikes! cheers

 

Well put.

 

What kind of price tag does this have. Looks like something I've been looking for.

 

I wanted to go as small as possible so I came up with this QRP kit that I am able to perform SSB, CW, and digital work with via a DIGIRIG (not pictured). I mainly use the speaker wire antenna that is in the bag (Cut resonant for 80 40 20 15 10), but I do also carry that quadband for 10m if needed however it just ends up being connected to my HT for UHF/VHF. Looks like a joke, but I have made contact to Jamaica from Maine on 20m.

 

I've seen some well done "Zoom" videos, and it doesn't look that hard to do right. I can think of a few examples like Critical Drinker (critics on movies, TV, and such), Our Ludicrous Future (news and comments on technology, energy, space, etc.), Decouple Media (news and comments on energy generally, and nuclear energy specifically), and some political podcasts that I'll keep to myself because that's political and this forum is not. What makes them enjoyable to watch? Mostly two things, they know what they are going to say before the show starts, and they invested some time and money into quality audio.

Knowing what to say beforehand doesn't mean reading from a script, it means knowing who is speaking when, a general outline of topics is set, any photos or videos that need to be included are at hand, and just in general high production values. There's room for free form thoughts and conversation but have a plan on how to manage the round table so everyone can speak without going too long on a rant.

I don't know exactly how hard it is to get the audio right but I recall mention of some $200 microphones, more money yet on a microphone stand, and time experimenting with the settings. Maybe there's no need for the expensive gear but it costs nothing but a few minutes of time to get the audio levels right.

Also helpful is having quality video and nothing in the background that would be distracting. Sometimes not every participant has video but there's at least a decent photo, icon, or avatar as a stand-in. A nice bonus is some kind of subtle indication on who is speaking, which gets to be important as the number of participants increase and/or there's more than one static image for people that have no live video. If it's just people talking then the quality of the video isn't that important but what is shown should not distract from what is being discussed, only help add some context over having only audio.

I've tuned out of a lot of videos after only seconds of watching because the audio was so bad. I know I'm likely more sensitive to such things than most but it's frustrating since it should not be that hard to get good audio if people running things can afford a $1000 iPhone, or whatever, to record the video. Cell phones today have just incredible microphones but they still need good placement and adjustment of levels for audio worth listening to for a 20 or 30 minutes.

That's a rant that nobody really asked for but maybe someone reading can think about such feedback in their future podcasts.

 

In 2014 dollars it was <$1700 (w/o antenna & feedline). I suspect just about everything have gone up in price since then. The FT-991 was $800 (Yaesu deal at HRO) - but I see the best prices for the 'A' version hover around $1200. That's +$400 right these.

For UHF/VHF I already have an antenna on the truck, so that works fine with 50W. For HF I would use a simple multi-band doublet in an inverted-V format, 50' of LMR-195, and an MFJ-1919EX for the feed point. You might need to experiment with the length of the doublet to make sure it's within the internal tuner limits of the 991 (16.7 - 150 Ω / SWR < 3:1).

Good luck !

 

Ah, I see now.

 

Thank you.

 

I have always loved the ammo can concept!

 

Yeah this is all great! And most who have done anything like this already know it, but, it comes down to money. Not everyone can afford monthly payments for multistreaming platforms and servicers, frames, image/name packages, hardware, software, etc. I suppose if I was a 'podcaster' or were making money at sharing radio information I would be able to afford such. But alas I am just sharing information that others can watch or not watch, then move on. cheers