TekMaker - make something!

 This is in three parts so you can skip sections if you are only recording audio or only ever use a mobile phone.  Check out the accompanying videos to this article  Part 1 https://youtu.be/DzL4REzFaRQ Part 2 https://youtu.be/cRp_b9D5Iy4 Part 3 https://youtu.be/pUa5ySCwZcM   1 Equipment and useful accessories Camcorder - these generally give more predictable results than mobile phones, a necessity if you want shake-free scenes. Buy one within your budget, sturdy enough to be shake-free and light enough to take out with you. Microphone and Mic stand/anglepoise bracket. Sound can make or break a great video, even a budget (£20) condenser mic like mine can give great audio (used with 45V power supply or mixer) or a budget moving coil mic. Use a stand, split shield and cradle to eliminate unwanted sounds. Headphones - check your test recordings and footage regularly, headphones guarantee that you can hear everything and are cheaper and more portable than studio monitors. Great for outdoor

    Things to do with an SDR, using Windows 10 or 11, a Macbook or Linux PC or laptop What is an SDR? A Software Defined Radio is the front-end of a radio receiver built in hardware. It was originally designed to allow people in caravans and leisure homes and boats to have a low cost way to receive digital video broadcasts (DVB) or digital television. Those same chips have more recently been repurposed to be used for radio reception and due to their flexibility can be used to decode many types of demodulation and signal processing which can be done in software and customized to what the user desires. These can generally  be bought for less than 30 GBP and often come with aerials which will give basic reception but are best thrown away asap. I have made my own folded dipole aerial from coaxial cable and scrap plastic pipe that have performed 15 dB better! SDR are incredibly versatile and low-cost radios and can be used with an SBC or Raspberry Pi or maybe an old laptop or pc that has be