astrodav
02-10-2010, 02:19 AM
Here's a wild one. But hey, never hurts to throw them out & see what happens.
As I mentioned in my recent "AstroCache" thread, I use to host a regular radio show on astronomy subjects. A lady friend in Australia was my co-host. We had different areas of expertise & would also occasionally tap into other members of the astronomy community for the show, to add variety.
It wasn't unusual for 3 of us, each from entirely different parts of the world, to be on the radio at the same time. The "other" person was often from Europe. But we had guests too from Canada, Chile, & Okinawa. All these connections ran through me, as the main host, so I quite obviously learned a great deal as to how to deal with factors such as voice-lag, volumn difference, & different broadcast applications being used by each separate person.
It isn't that hard really. All you need are TWO computers, a mixer, a high quality mic, & some type of broadcast application. I used, depending upon the circumstances ..... Skype, OddCast, & even a wired telephone twice. (NOT a wireless) We also started PodCasting them later, so people who missed the program could listen in later. That was about the time that I quit the actual broadcasting & started working with remote scope facilities in an attempt to start up "live viewing sessions", for those who had no scopes of their own. So I'm not sure if any of MY shows made it to a PodCast or not, in case anyone ever wanted to listen to them.
But anyway, if ArkGeo ever wants to think about having a regular radio show available from this site ....... you've got someone with the experience to set it up. I've saw "Caching PodCasts" available at other locations, but never really listened to one. I'm pretty sure ArkGeo doesn't do these, but not positive. If so, then you're already set up & don't need this info anyway. 8) :P
I can think of several items which might would be fun to do on something like this. Just a sample:
1. One Arkansas Cacher/Cache-Team per month, guesting on the show, talking about their caching particulars ..... how they got started, their most memorable, what type caching they like the most, what type they don't, interesting cache-tales they've had, etc.....sort of a "Spotlight on Rklmbl" type thing. Just using them as an example, because I KNOW everyone here would LOVE to hear their story. But it is of course a completely voluntary thing.
2. The host (or someone else who wanted the job) would spend have a special show once a month, commenting on different caching related articles/stories that had popped up recently. Say, for example, tonights show might feature the stories about "the ISS travel bug", "April's MOGA mega-event", "President Obama goes caching", & "The dog who is trained to sniff out nanos". (I made a couple of those up, but you get the point)
3. The show COULD be used for the ArkGeo board to take a 15 minutes segment & highlight any important events which have been discussed. But that would be their decision.
4. And we always use to put together 2-hour specials on every major holiday. These included holiday music to listen to, "Santa Claus Watch", a New Years Countdown, etc., etc.
Here is a general time-line of how each show was put together:
1945-2000 -- music
2000-2005 -- hosts welcome listeners & introduce themselves and the show
2005-2010 -- introduction of tonights theme
2010-2030 -- main content pt. I
2030-2035 -- reintroduction for late-comers
2035-2055 -- main content pt. II
2055-2100 -- next shows date, last minute announcements, lead-out
2100-2115 -- music
The music requires a license, which isn't very expensive. I can't remember exactly how much, but it's cheap & easy to get. That part is optional anyway, but it was always popular....just kinda gave people a chance to settle down & get ready for the show.
The only item I don't have to do this is the mixer. I gave mine to a lady in Michigan, who took my place after I quit doing the shows. The mixer is only really necessary if you are doing multi-hosts show and/or having guests....which is always popular. The ones which work the best & last the longest are around $300, maybe a bit less. Everything else I have....applications, microphones, etc. If ArkGeo wanted to do this, & wanted me to host it, I would have to ask that they supply the mixer. If someone else wanted to be the host, I could send them the mic (you need a good one, not a Wal-Mart special), the apps, & get them set up on how to do it. And too, the mixer could be added later....but only the host would be able to put the show on by himself/herself.
The shows are optimal at 1 hour, except the holiday specials. One person working completely alone can churn out a GOOD show once a month. Having a co-host to help out in preparing material can almost always make TWO shows a month, which are decently good. Any more than that & you need 3-5 people putting together material & at least 2 people set up for broadcasting ability, in case 1 of them isn't able to do it.
Just an idea. Seems that ArkGeo is looking for fun things to include on the site. And these shows are always fun to listen in on, a relaxing way to wind down the day, & something interesting to do when nothing is any good on TV. And although I haven't done anything exactly like this, I have no doubt that there is plenty of material & interesting stuff out there in the caching world to take care of at least 1 of these per month.
Toss in your ideas....that's all this is really, an idea. If it shows interest, then maybe we can set it up in the future. I'll gladly get it started out, unless someone else wants to. And I just might volunteer to actually DO the shows......if it pays enough. :twisted: :P
As I mentioned in my recent "AstroCache" thread, I use to host a regular radio show on astronomy subjects. A lady friend in Australia was my co-host. We had different areas of expertise & would also occasionally tap into other members of the astronomy community for the show, to add variety.
It wasn't unusual for 3 of us, each from entirely different parts of the world, to be on the radio at the same time. The "other" person was often from Europe. But we had guests too from Canada, Chile, & Okinawa. All these connections ran through me, as the main host, so I quite obviously learned a great deal as to how to deal with factors such as voice-lag, volumn difference, & different broadcast applications being used by each separate person.
It isn't that hard really. All you need are TWO computers, a mixer, a high quality mic, & some type of broadcast application. I used, depending upon the circumstances ..... Skype, OddCast, & even a wired telephone twice. (NOT a wireless) We also started PodCasting them later, so people who missed the program could listen in later. That was about the time that I quit the actual broadcasting & started working with remote scope facilities in an attempt to start up "live viewing sessions", for those who had no scopes of their own. So I'm not sure if any of MY shows made it to a PodCast or not, in case anyone ever wanted to listen to them.
But anyway, if ArkGeo ever wants to think about having a regular radio show available from this site ....... you've got someone with the experience to set it up. I've saw "Caching PodCasts" available at other locations, but never really listened to one. I'm pretty sure ArkGeo doesn't do these, but not positive. If so, then you're already set up & don't need this info anyway. 8) :P
I can think of several items which might would be fun to do on something like this. Just a sample:
1. One Arkansas Cacher/Cache-Team per month, guesting on the show, talking about their caching particulars ..... how they got started, their most memorable, what type caching they like the most, what type they don't, interesting cache-tales they've had, etc.....sort of a "Spotlight on Rklmbl" type thing. Just using them as an example, because I KNOW everyone here would LOVE to hear their story. But it is of course a completely voluntary thing.
2. The host (or someone else who wanted the job) would spend have a special show once a month, commenting on different caching related articles/stories that had popped up recently. Say, for example, tonights show might feature the stories about "the ISS travel bug", "April's MOGA mega-event", "President Obama goes caching", & "The dog who is trained to sniff out nanos". (I made a couple of those up, but you get the point)
3. The show COULD be used for the ArkGeo board to take a 15 minutes segment & highlight any important events which have been discussed. But that would be their decision.
4. And we always use to put together 2-hour specials on every major holiday. These included holiday music to listen to, "Santa Claus Watch", a New Years Countdown, etc., etc.
Here is a general time-line of how each show was put together:
1945-2000 -- music
2000-2005 -- hosts welcome listeners & introduce themselves and the show
2005-2010 -- introduction of tonights theme
2010-2030 -- main content pt. I
2030-2035 -- reintroduction for late-comers
2035-2055 -- main content pt. II
2055-2100 -- next shows date, last minute announcements, lead-out
2100-2115 -- music
The music requires a license, which isn't very expensive. I can't remember exactly how much, but it's cheap & easy to get. That part is optional anyway, but it was always popular....just kinda gave people a chance to settle down & get ready for the show.
The only item I don't have to do this is the mixer. I gave mine to a lady in Michigan, who took my place after I quit doing the shows. The mixer is only really necessary if you are doing multi-hosts show and/or having guests....which is always popular. The ones which work the best & last the longest are around $300, maybe a bit less. Everything else I have....applications, microphones, etc. If ArkGeo wanted to do this, & wanted me to host it, I would have to ask that they supply the mixer. If someone else wanted to be the host, I could send them the mic (you need a good one, not a Wal-Mart special), the apps, & get them set up on how to do it. And too, the mixer could be added later....but only the host would be able to put the show on by himself/herself.
The shows are optimal at 1 hour, except the holiday specials. One person working completely alone can churn out a GOOD show once a month. Having a co-host to help out in preparing material can almost always make TWO shows a month, which are decently good. Any more than that & you need 3-5 people putting together material & at least 2 people set up for broadcasting ability, in case 1 of them isn't able to do it.
Just an idea. Seems that ArkGeo is looking for fun things to include on the site. And these shows are always fun to listen in on, a relaxing way to wind down the day, & something interesting to do when nothing is any good on TV. And although I haven't done anything exactly like this, I have no doubt that there is plenty of material & interesting stuff out there in the caching world to take care of at least 1 of these per month.
Toss in your ideas....that's all this is really, an idea. If it shows interest, then maybe we can set it up in the future. I'll gladly get it started out, unless someone else wants to. And I just might volunteer to actually DO the shows......if it pays enough. :twisted: :P