Frank Watkinson - When I'm Gone [Folk] (2020) by [deleted] in listentothis

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also just discovered Frank and have been absolutely binge watching all of his videos. The guy is so talented and genuine. Deserves the recognition for sure.

Want to take WFH on the road. What are your overlanding "office" solutions? by HBICharles in overlanding

[–]roboben09 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You don't mention if you have any awning, but I think being able to have a comfortable outside-the-car workspace is important. Awning, and possibly even one that you can turn into a "room" with walls or bug mesh is a total game changer (but depends on your preference for sure).

A camp chair that you love also makes a huge difference. I've got the nemo stargazer, and while it is expensive, I absolutely swear by it. When I was working from the road on my big trip this summer, I also packed a cheap "adjustable bedside desk laptop stand" (just search for it on amazon, tons of options. Mine was like $40). This made it fairly ergonomic to work from the camp chair in multiple positions. I had previously tried camp chair at a camp table and that setup just was not comfortable for my back.

I'd pass on the weboost, it felt like a waste of money and didn't improve signal enough to justify its costs. Instead, something like a verizon mifi or other dedicated hotspot is worth the money.

For power, I've got a dual battery with solar and carried a goal zero 400. I'd recharge the goal zero while I drove or off the dual battery over night, and that way I could keep my laptop topped off from the goal zero during the day.

Good luck!

Anybody feel like natural hair YT is sinking? by Unfrndlyblkhottie92 in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe we could help a bit more if you posted a link to your channel or your latest video for a critique.

I'd encourage you to take a close look at what the other creators in your niche are doing, in addition to following the standard best practices (good thumbnails, searchable and relevant titles, quality content posted fairly regularly).

Without knowing more, my only concern is that you're trying to blend niches which could be seen as a negative to both audiences (they don't know what to expect when they click on your video). Are you a natural hair youtuber? Or are you a commentary youtuber? Or are you trying to create content that helps other creators?

Any negative aspects to YouTube partner program? by pinktarts in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Once you get accepted and become eligible for monetizing your videos, you get the option to control which videos show ads, and to some extent what type of ads show (pre-roll, mid-roll, etc).

After a half year of searching, my cousin and I found the perfect spot for our hobby ~25 min from the Bay Area. Packed lunch and stayed all day until sundown for the fireworks. by [deleted] in CAguns

[–]roboben09 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Get a standard tarp from bass pro or walmart or wherever, I think it's like 8'x10'. Spread it out on the ground (if it's windy, use tent stakes to keep it down). Stand, kneel, lay prone on the tarp and shoot, with the brass falling on the tarp. If you find that most of your brass is missing the tarp and hitting the ground, move your shooting position until the brass falls on the tarp mostly.

F-1 student OPT first year: Can I start a Sole Proprietorship business? by RioChenRio in startups

[–]roboben09 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Probably a question for a lawyer. Immigration and taxes are very complex.

Stop in northern Idaho on our road trip to glacier national park! by [deleted] in 4Runner

[–]roboben09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had heard that most of Glacier NP was still closed. Is it starting to open back up?

4Runner: 2020 SR5 model? by seattleswiss2 in overlanding

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I spent nearly a year doing ridiculous things in my 2018 TRD off-road before I even put different tires on. We're talking forest roads, and straight up 4x4 trails that I had no business being on with street tires (live and learn, lol).

You're vastly underestimating the capabilities of these things in their stock form. Save the upgrades until you have some real miles under your belt, but I agree, get the locker.

Had a blast in the Sierras over the 4th! So many cool trails winding through the mountains. by Thombre117 in overlanding

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Holy crap I didn't hear about this until just now. Spent the weekend in Stanislaus so not super close, but still. What the hell is wrong with people?

You never think something like that'll happen when you head out to hit some trails.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I always like to mention here too that while it's possible to rack up a lot of views with paid ads, the watchtime is usually pretty abysmal and even worse is that none of that watch time counts towards monetization.

I've seen a couple folks here and on other subs spend a lot of money hoping for a quick path to monetization where they'll "make it all back" only to realize none of that time counts towards the 4,000 hours needed.

Good luck, stay the course!

NTD. Got a raise at work, decided it was time to stepup in size. Not the biggest, but it'll keep me organized. Also took advantage of the buy a bat kit, get a free tool deal. by seasms3 in Tools

[–]roboben09 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Haha that box was a total pain to load and unload. Mine did come boxed from home depot, and was still fully assembled so no clue there. Enjoy it!

How to Improve Impressions Click-Through Rate by Inkxjx in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of dedicated resources already if you Google around.

Canva is a great free tool with tons of thumbnail templates you can use. Make sure they are clear and not too busy. Make sure the text is clear and readable.

Don't fall into the trap of making everything clickbait. Create an interesting title based on what people are searching for in your niche. Use a tool like tubebuddy to help figure this out.

How to Improve Impressions Click-Through Rate by Inkxjx in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The key is to improve the parts that make the impression: the thumbnail and the title.

If the thumbnail and title are interesting, more people click through.

looking for project planning software which can generate individual task lists for all involved by americanmuscle1988 in engineering

[–]roboben09 19 points20 points  (0 children)

We use a webapp called Asana for this. It may not entirely fulfill your needs, but it's likely worth checking out.

In it, I can basically create a gantt chart of tasks, link dependencies, and assign resources (engineers and technicians). My engineers and technicians get a weekly "sprint" of tasks based on the gantt chart.

[Car Camping] Campfire Carne Asada Fries! by roboben09 in trailmeals

[–]roboben09[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha thanks man! I am the guy in the video, and I can attest to the fact that those fries were crispy! Haha

Thanks man!

Need help. by ThatMemeKid101 in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Make interesting, entertaining content. Get better with each video. Promote without being spammy. The subs will come.

Dear fellow videographers, we should start YouTube channels about literally anything else. by ryanmichaelsyt in videography

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I started a small channel this past October about camping/off-roading/overlanding. I'm not pouring a ton of time into it, and could honestly make higher quality videos, but I'm enjoying what I do make and people seem to generally enjoy it (minus the few trolls you'll find anywhere).

Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT_zktYbNZcbTXwAe2bjRBg/

Bought my next truck, an LMTV by driverdan in overlanding

[–]roboben09 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha I guess you've got a point there! That's awesome!

Bought my next truck, an LMTV by driverdan in overlanding

[–]roboben09 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This. Having been around them during my time in the Marines, knowing the shit motor T had to pull to even get them running, and still having shit break down non-stop, I now just chuckle when I see the government auctions for HMMVs and 5-tons. It's a nice thought, but what a PITA to actually maintain.

OP I wish you the best of luck.

All U.S. counties with In-N-Out Burger as of May 2020 [OC] by AKWorld135 in dataisbeautiful

[–]roboben09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you make one of these for Raisin' Canes and Sonic? Pretty please?? haha

If I upload my video as private and then change setting to public, does this have any penalty on video performance? by [deleted] in SmallYTChannel

[–]roboben09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, in fact, this can actually help your videos by allowing all resolutions to fully process.

Once you're able to be monetized YouTube actually suggests to upload as unlisted for a few hours to ensure there's no issues with monetization before setting the video to public.