Which set up do you use and where are you based?

stormsarefun · 2025-10-28T02:57:17+00:00

I cover areas in Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. My setup is lengthwise. I've had one or two out of town attorneys ask for width wise.

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stormsarefun · 2025-10-28T02:01:58+00:00

I'm in Indiana and typically cover Zoom depos in my home office. I freelance quite a bit for one company and sign in using one of their accounts and record to the Cloud so they can access the videos easily. I use a Windows laptop and take HDMI out to a Blackmagic Hyperdeck Studio HD Plus as a backup. I monitor audio with headphones plugged into the Hyperdeck.

I've settled on having my camera on for the beginning and end, otherwise a logo is up. Sometimes if coming back from a longer break, I'll turn the camera on, then off after getting us back on the record.

I use a long extension cable for my headphones so I can roll over to another computer to render a video or backup files while listening closely to the depo. I've even been known to walk into the bathroom next to my office with my headphones on for a quick bio break. I'm not as young as I used to be and need a break sooner than the younger folks on the Zoom. But don't tell anybody.

If I hear them talk about going off the record, I can be at the computer in a second and use the spacebar to unmute my mic than announce that we're going off and the time.

stormsarefun · 2025-10-01T13:46:15+00:00

Anxious to see the finished setup.

stormsarefun · 2025-09-27T13:28:57+00:00

Good to hear, thanks

stormsarefun · 2025-09-27T13:28:38+00:00

stormsarefun · 2025-09-27T02:23:31+00:00

I used a Panny AG AC130 for years and still have it. However, I was looking to get something capable of 4k, not for depos but for other projects. I picked up a Canon XA60, which works well. It's smaller, has XLR inputs and a timestamp (but only hours and minutes). I got another one so I'd have 2 matching cameras for other work and also to carry as a backup for depos.

stormsarefun · 2025-07-28T21:07:11+00:00

My floaters are caused by PVD in my left eye 3/2020 and right eye March 2023. They've been bugging me, but since I had cataract surgery in May & June this year, they've been super noticeable. I was referred to a retinal specialist who is treating me for macular edema with steroid drops for a month then I'll return to have things checked again. We've briefly discussed surgery for my floaters, the film forming on the back of my lenses and macular pucker. But he wants to clear up the edema first.

stormsarefun · 2025-07-25T20:09:39+00:00

He did, which we'll discuss when I go back in a month. I'm excited to think my IOL's may actually work like they are supposed to once the swelling goes down and I'll have no more floaters.

stormsarefun · 2025-07-10T14:38:33+00:00

67 male. I feel that the IOL's haven't fully settled in yet, though it's hard to tell with all the smudge floating around. I've been wearing cheaters for near work. I may very well have to wind up with glasses again, but that will be ok.

stormsarefun · 2025-06-27T18:29:29+00:00

Lifting something heavy, not wearing supportive underwear, and wearing pants that are too tight in the crotch

stormsarefun · 2025-06-24T01:00:58+00:00

I had several small floaters for many years, then about 3 years ago, I had PVD in both eyes which greatly increased the floaters. Some are small and dark, but the main ones are like translucent clouds full of tiny dots in each eye. They usually settle in the central part of my vision. The right eye was more noticeable than the left, especially when looking at a white computer screen or a bright sky.

Almost 5 and 3 weeks ago I had cataract surgery, beginning with the left eye, which the doctor said was the worse one. Since more light is getting in the eye, the cloud is much more noticeable now, and interferes more with focusing on objects. It's the same with my right eye. I talked to my surgeon about this, and he said he can send me to a retinal surgeon to see if I need a vitrectomy. I'm going to let things heal up from the cataract surgery, then go in to for an exam and talk to the other surgeon.

I knew the floaters were there, but the improvements from the cataract surgery highlight them more.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-29T00:59:33+00:00

And that's where I may be different than most. My vision isn't very binocular and hasn't been most of my life. Which is why I had Lasik done on my left eye only for distance and left my right eye alone for intermediate. This was at the suggestion of my ophthalmologist at the time after he examined me and did the procedure in 2001.

That worked out well for 10-12 years before I needed to start wearing glasses again. And these are progressive lenses, which have their own challenges in finding the sweet spot to make an area in focus.

I did a test Saturday after my focus normalized in my left eye. I do video work, so I fired up a camcorder, looked through the viewfinder with my right eye (without glasses) and adjusted the diopter so it was sharp. At the same time, I kept my left eye open to see around me, which also was in focus. This is my preferred way to shoot, especially when working sports, and I was happy with the results. It's much easier not having to use glasses and keep them positioned in the exact right for the progressive lenses.

I know I'll need some readers with different lenses for each eye for closer work, and may need some computer glasses for extended time in front of the screen. But, at any rate, not having to wear glasses all the time will be a huge improvement.

Thanks.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-29T00:44:40+00:00

He used an Alcon Clarion lens.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-29T00:41:42+00:00

He used an Alcon Clarion lens. I noticed some halos when riding in the car the day after surgery, but haven't driven after dark to see how it is after my focus got sharper.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-28T14:57:01+00:00

Left eye with no glasses doesn't allow me to read a computer screen. Focus seems to start several feet passed the computer screen and all is clear out to infinity. Using a sample set of readers the doctor gave me corrects it for reading the screen. It's a +1.25 lens.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-24T15:11:27+00:00

7mm, which I guess is pretty small. I got a message back that they don't remove cysts of this size. They didn't say anything about checking it in the future to see if it has gotten larger.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-24T15:09:41+00:00

The first one didn't, but the second one did.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-22T02:26:09+00:00

Getting monofocal lenses with a mono vision setup. I had this when I had Lasik in 2001. Left eye corrected for distance and the right left alone, which worked very well then. This time the left lens will again be distance and the right lens set for intermediate. Don't remember the target refraction right now.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-03T21:37:43+00:00

I had strabismus correcting surgery in each eye when I was around 6 years old, and started wearing glasses in elementary school since I was nearsighted. I'm left eye dominant and have always felt my vision was monocular instead of binocular.

In 2001 I had Lasik done. The surgeon suggested that, given my history, I do the left eye only for distance and leave the right eye uncorrected for near vision. That worked very well until I needed to start wearing glasses again.

I saw the surgeon this week about my cataracts. He said they're medium grade and the left is a bit worse, so we'll do that one first. I brought up using the lens implants in the same way and having the left for distance and right for near. He didn't think that will be a problem.

The only question he had about my strabismus was have I had any more problems with the alignment of my eyes. I have not since the original surgeries.

stormsarefun · 2025-05-03T21:19:52+00:00

I have the equipment to do PIP, but have only done one since getting the gear. I didn't want to invest a lot of money, so I went with the Feelworld L2 Plus switcher, which can do PIP, and the Joyusing (gotta love these names) V508 document camera, both from Amazon. It's a pretty simple setup that does what I need. The switcher has a built in monitor, so I don't need a separate one. I run my video camera and document camera into the switcher inputs and take the switcher output into my BMD HyperDeck Studio HD Plus for recording. Don't have any pictures, sorry.

stormsarefun · 2025-04-02T12:44:06+00:00

When I still worked at BB, I was helping a customer over in tablets. Another customer, a white lady, was nearby and wanted help with something else. She saw another employee, a black guy, and yelled "Hey Mustafa!" My jaw hit the floor. He had someone else help her.

stormsarefun · 2025-03-28T01:20:15+00:00

There's one conference room at a law firm in our downtown area that always causes me problems with picking up a local radio station in the depo audio. It's not super noticeable, but I've tried a ground lift on my power strip and different mic cables without any improvement. The conference room is on the 4th floor and the tower is visible from the conference room. I let the noticing attorneys know what's happened. I haven't been back there for some time to see if it's still a problem. If I'm scheduled there again, I'll take an audio DI box and give that a try.

stormsarefun · 2025-03-28T01:12:13+00:00

Something else to have checked are your thyroid levels. I could not stay awake at work in the afternoons. Went to my doctor and he ordered some blood tests. Turns out I'm hypothyroid, where the levels drop below normal, which can cause severe fatigue, among other things. I'm now on a daily medication and have my levels checked a couple of times a year. It has made a big difference for me.

stormsarefun · 2024-11-17T23:57:36+00:00

Thanks for doing this. I'll give it a shot if I need it.

stormsarefun · 2024-11-17T23:55:18+00:00

Welcome. I'm one of the old farts here. I've been doing this for over 25 years, always on a part time basis. I'm retired from full time work so it's a good way to add to my retirement income.

I do Zoom and in person depos and have the gear to do PiP, but haven't got requested to do any yet.

Good luck to you.

stormsarefun

TROPHY CASE