General Category > General Discussion
Clubs restarting?
The Bowler Hatted Turner:
Willstewart I am set up to do remote live demonstrations, and have done a few now. Asking questions is not really a problem.In my workshop I have a pair of speakers set up sothat I can hear someone hollerin' but I am also going to get a headset that will allow me to hear them more clearly.I have a boom mic close to my mouth and that cuts out any noise from the lathe so participants can hear my replies quite well too. When all this was first muted about 5 years ago I was a bit sceptical about it,but having to do something for my business because of the pandemic meant that I have worked harder to get it right in a shorter time. Each one I do gets better (that is of course just my opinion) but I have to admit that talking to the camera still feels odd but I do think that although it will never(possibly) replace a live demonstration in a church hall it will be adpoted to run alongside. And with the ever present danger of a second peak hanging over us many may come to realise that if they want to interact with other turners this may have to be the way for some time to come.
Twisted Trees:
Have to say I am struggling with Zoom, it doesn't fit my house layout well. My main computer is in the bar which is a small room that connects the house to the kitchen, if I have Zoom on my wife doesn't like to walk through to make a cup of tea or even come downstairs as she doesn't like to make noise when I am on it, which makes it hard to use in a relaxed manner.
I have a screen in the workshop, but that is just a small 10" screen which is great for browsing a sketch-up drawing, or running through the detail on a YouTube demo pausing it to copy the steps but not so good for sitting and watching, can get it on the main TV but no camera or mic there, can type on a tablet (badly) but that doesn't feel inclusive.
If this goes on it will be worth spending a few £ to have a social contact point with other turners that doesn't imprison my wife, but when and how is the big question...
Valkrider:
--- Quote from: Twisted Trees on July 10, 2020, 12:37:41 AM ---I have a screen in the workshop, but that is just a small 10" screen which is great for browsing a sketch-up drawing, or running through the detail on a YouTube demo pausing it to copy the steps but not so good for sitting and watching, can get it on the main TV but no camera or mic there, can type on a tablet (badly) but that doesn't feel inclusive.
If this goes on it will be worth spending a few £ to have a social contact point with other turners that doesn't imprison my wife, but when and how is the big question...
--- End quote ---
How about getting a bluetooth keyboard for your tablet to improve your typing. A lot of tablets can be plugged into an external screen that has HDMI input so a modern computer monitor or small TV could serve the larger screen purpose. Alternatively a laptop in your workshop would be another solution.
Twisted Trees:
--- Quote from: Valkrider on July 10, 2020, 07:45:16 AM ---How about getting a bluetooth keyboard for your tablet to improve your typing. A lot of tablets can be plugged into an external screen that has HDMI input so a modern computer monitor or small TV could serve the larger screen purpose. Alternatively a laptop in your workshop would be another solution.
--- End quote ---
Now that I am over 60 I find demonstrators under 24" are just too small to see :) so laptop is not an answer, bigger screen is, but it is in the workshop so it will have to be wall mounted and will cost around £100 mark so a commitment of both space and cash I have to decide I want to make. I have considered a mini projector I could project onto a screen takes less space than a monitor and folds up when not in use.
Referring to Brian being the cat amongst the pidgins, he is quite right those of us on the forum are computer users, IF non-physical meetings are the future of woodturning clubs, it needs the enthusiastic to review the options probably waste some money on ideas that don't work out, figure out the protocol of meeting online instead of in the church hall, and put solutions that work into paper media so that the non technical turners in the club can benefit from ready made solution ideas.
We are all engineers in as much as we run machinery and construct things from wood, the mental process of digital engineering is the same, you just need the willing to go out, prototype ideas and create cut lists to follow.
As I have said before deciding on if this is a worthwhile venture does depend on how long we are prevented from going back to any old form of gathering, but while learning that we may possibly gain knowledge that can be merged with the old method that can save demonstrators driving around the country until the early hours of the morning.
Don't know how this Covid-19 will play out, but I do suspect it will change the world we knew in several ways for the medium to long term probably for the remainder of our lives for a lot of the current club members. So doing anything is better than doing nothing and waiting for things to go back where they probably won't go.
Valkrider:
You may find a cheap s/h monitor on FB or Freecycle in your area my son picked up one for my grandson that way for nothing from someone upgrading.
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