SPY HAT Review & **SPECIAL FOOTAGE**

So, What Do I REALLY Think of My SPY HAT?

I've had a little while now to try out my SPY HAT, and I think it has great potential.

It seems to me that having a SPY HAT gives a person a fantastic ability to capture unscripted and candid footage of everyday life and its many strange encounters.  I look forward to chronicling some of the stranger moments in my life as a Maker with mine, and sharing those moments with others.

It's not all perfection though.  The SPY HAT I bought has many limitations, and I began to encounter them almost immediately.

1) The interface (three momentary switched integrated into the bill) isn't the most intuitive

2) The battery time is limited, at about 40 minutes

3) The file naming mechanism is really clumsy

4) The overall build quality of my SPY HAT is really low, and I fear for its durability

So, all in all, I find the idea of a SPY HAT really powerful and evocative, but the reality of my particular example of a SPY HAT a little on the disappointing side.

I think just a few small tweaks and changes, some of them costing nothing, would have made my SPY HAT a much more intuitive, useful and durable unit.

It left me wondering if I, armed with my experience with this SPY HAT and knowledge of how to make things (and how to get things made in China), couldn't make a much better SPY HAT than the one I ended up reviewing here:

Help a Maker Out?

Did you see anything in this video you want for yourself?  If the answer is yes, consider using one of the link(s) below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  If you do, I will get a small, but very encouraging commission that keeps me going!

Bill of Materials

RecorderGear HC100 HD 1080P Hidden Spy Camera Hat/Surveillance Body Worn Camera/Professional Grade
https://amzn.to/34PGxrd

Amazon Unboxing (2019 12 20)

Another installment in our ongoing Amazon unboxing series!

The box that arrived on December 20th, 2019 held a small group of very important goodies:

A) PB Blaster High temperature gasket maker, which I will almost certainly use on LIME, the compressor I will be rescuing soon.

B) NASUM Wireless microphone (Headset & Lavalier) which I will be using to improve all of my videos from now on, in terms of quality

C) Spring Compressor, which I will be using to (I hope) take apart EZ-RIDER's suspension so I can see what it's made of and maybe even make it a custom color.

HELP THE MAKER OUT
===================
Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself?  If you did, please use one of the links below to buy it from amazon.com.  If you do, I get a small commission and encouragement, both of which help me in my career as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
J-B Weld 31314 High Temperature RTV Silicone Gasket Maker and Sealant - Red - 3 oz.
https://amzn.to/2PNWE4g


NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output
https://amzn.to/391dSTn


8MILELAKE 14inches Coil Spring Compressor Strut Remover Installer Tool Kit
https://amzn.to/2Zm7SA7

How I **HACKED** My Ultra Cool SPY HAT!

In this video, I go over how I have customized my SPY HAT to make it even more covert, robust and useful!

1)  I installed a 32Gb micro SD card
2)  I installed VELCRO on the second internal flap
3) I darkened the camera ring with a permanent marker
4) I installed a 45-degree adapter to the USB connector
5) I installed a pin to the hat to distract from the camera ring

Future hacks include:

6) Installing more pins to further distract from the camera ring
7) Installing a higher capacity battery for more recording time
8) Figuring out how to remove day/time stamp from the videos

So far, hacking the hat has been a lot of fun!  I look forward to further extending its capabilities and seeing what kind of footage I can get by using it in the field!

I think it's going to be a complete blast (and revelation) to show people where I go and what I have to do to acquire gear to fix!  You'd be amazed at how people are reluctant to let JUNK go - either because they want too much money for it, or they feel guilty selling something that's BROKEN to someone.  

People can be so completely unreasonable and irrational - and that's half the fun!  Life would be so boring if it wasn't so strange!

HELP A MAKER OUT?
=================
Do you see anything in this video you want?  If you do, please use the link below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  When you do, I get a small commission that encourages me to continue as a YouTube Creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
RecorderGear HC100 HD 1080P Hidden Spy Camera Hat/Surveillance Body Worn Camera/Professional Grade
https://amzn.to/34PGxrd

Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSDXC EVO Select Memory Card with Full-Size Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM)
https://amzn.to/34SG5Zo

Sharpie Extreme Permanent Markers, Black, 4-Count
https://amzn.to/2sUju1c

Chic Master Set #1 of 12 National Flag Badge Button Pin Pinbacks (Better)
https://amzn.to/2sWM2Y1

**CHEAP** Wireless Microphone Review (GOOD!)

Now that we've UNBOXED (see previous video) and also OPTIMIZED THE PACKAGING (see previous video) of the NASUM Wireless Headset & Wireless Lavalier Microphone, it's time to strap one on and see see how it works!

Getting ready was simple. I took the headset out of the packaging and screwed it into the Body Transmitter. I like the fact that it screws in, which should prevent it from getting accidentally unplugged. I then ran the wires under my shirt (further helping to reduce the likelihood that the wire would get snagged on something) and clipped the Body Transmitter to the bottom of my pocket with clip that's integrated into the case of the Body Transmitter.

I then connected the Receiver to my camera using a series of reducers. My camera has a 2.5mm jack and the NASUM Receiver has a 6.5mm plug (1/4 inch / Phono / Headphone). The NASUM comes with a 6.5mm-to-3.5mm adapter (Mini Headphone) and my camera came with a 3.5mm-to-2.5mm adapter, so it was just a matter of clicking them together, then plugging the resulting stack of Receiver and reducers into my camera.

I then used a a cable management strap to hold that somewhat ungainly assembly to a tripod, so it too wouldn't get snagged on anything and come apart by accident, as well as reduce mechanical strain on the camera microphone jack, which is pretty small and probably not that physically robust.

Powering everything up was simple: A momentary push of the power button on the Receiver, then a momentary push of the power button on the Body Transmitter. The units powered on without any trouble, and they negotiated a common communications channel without incident.

After that, using the units was as easy as talking. Once they had become linked, anything I said was pushed from the Wireless Headset to the Body Transmitter to the Receiver. Physically speaking, the experience was identical to using a wired mike.

There was no electrical noise or static and sound quality was dramatically (in my opinion) improved. The NASUM Wireless Headset Microphone picked up much less ambient noise. There was dramatically less echo. There was NO fading of sound volume as I walked away from (or approached) the camera. I was able to roam freely in the room I was in. I did not leave the room, nor did I put any obstacles between myself and the Receiver, because I do not think that I would do that in normal use with this unit.

In conclusion, I believe that the NASUM Wireless Headset & Lavalier Microphone is an inexpensive, effective means of bringing increased physical freedom to a VLOGGING experience, or any scenario where a person wants to have an wireless microphone experience.

HELP THE MAKER OUT?
====================
Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself? If you did, please use one of the links below to buy it from amazon.com. If you do, I get a small commission and encouragement, both of which help me in my career as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output

https://amzn.to/391dSTn

Unboxing: https://www.facebook.com/MyManTheMaker/videos/454464308575307/

Packaging Hacking: https://www.facebook.com/MyManTheMaker/videos/1426790267499038/

Wireless Microphone Packaging HACK!

When I recorded the unboxing video of the NASUM Wireless Microphone, I noticed that the packaging was NO GOOD!  Here's why:

The instructions take pains to point out THREE very important points under the a heading entitled ATTENTION:

1) There are 32 channels
2) DO NOT BEND THE ANTENNAS
3) Do not take the microphones apart without technical support

I found instruction #2 to be very strange!

Why?  Because BOTH the Transmitter and the Receiver ship from the vendor with their antennas bent at ninety degrees!  Either the person who wrote the instructions don't know what they are talking about, or (more likely) whoever designed the packaging for this product never read the instructions and don't understand how antennas work!

Anyways, after staring, dumbfounded, at the apparent violation by the vendor of their own rules, I set myself the challenge of resolving the situation before proceeding any further.

Considering the fact that this equipment is going to be living in this packaging for 90+% of the time (maybe 99+%) AND the fact that we are not supposed to be bending the microphones EVER, it's just crazy that they need to be bent to be able to put them in storage!

Fixing the problem took a little figuring, trying and re-trying of a bunch of different layouts, but I finally got things arranged in the packaging to my liking.  In the end I was quite pleased with the result.  No longer were the antennas being bent at crazy angles to fit in the packaging, and I also got that feeling of satisfaction that you get when you move the needle on something from LESS RIGHT to MORE RIGHT.

HELP A MAKER OUT?
==================
Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself?  If you did, please use one of the links below to buy it from amazon.com.  If you do, I get a small commission and encouragement, both of which help me in my career as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS
=================
NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output

https://amzn.to/391dSTn

FINALLY! My *WIRELESS* Microphone(s) Arrived!

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new wireless microphone set (headset & lapel) because I think it will make a significant difference to the quality of my videos.  I want my videos to be at least as pleasant for people viewing them as it was for me to plan, shoot, package and post them!

The NASUM wireless microphone set wasn't expensive at all, and it arrived in good order.  It features a body transmitter to which a headset or lapel (Lavalier) microphone may be attached, and a receiver that plugs into any audio gear with a 1/4" (6.5mm) RCA/Phono jack. 

The only thing that kind of bothered me about the unit was the way it was PACKAGED, which seemed to be in direct contradiction to the Use & Care instructions provided by the vendor under the byline ATTENTION.  Weird!

Anyway, in this video I go over all of the parts in the packaging, what I think they are for and how to best go about using them.  It's an exhaustive, deep dive into a critical piece of equipment that I hope will make a big difference to the quality and entertainment factors of my videos!

HELP A MAKER OUT
================

Do you see anything in this video that you would like to get for yourself?  If you do, please use one of the link(s) listed below to buy it from amazon.com.  If you do, I get a small commission.  This encourages me to continue as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with 
Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output

https://amzn.to/391dSTn

SPY HAT! Unboxing and Initial Reaction

In an attempt to give my audience as realistic an experience as possible, I have decided to go undercover! I have always wanted to have some kind of "Mystery Shopper" capability...and now I do! The hat is plain and unassuming - but the application is NOT! What I want to do is bring my audience with me to the seething streets of Hong Kong, where deals are made every second of every day! My favorite place to buy 2nd hand electronics, tools and other goods is Ap Liu Street in Sham Shui Po, a venerated area of Hong Kong that hasn't lost a whit of its local color. Ap Liu is a window on the commercial psyche of Hong Kong, and it's an awesome experience! My favorite part is where elderly street vendors have semi-permanent huts set up on the roadside, and they liquidate all of the interesting bits and pieces that surface from the refuse stream that only a city of 6M people can produce. You never know what you'll find - and I have found many, many treasures on this street, not to mention hundreds of hours just walking around and browsing the wares of the hundreds of different shops, stalls and street vendors. Ap Liu Street is a real "Candyland" for MAKERS, and I can't wait to give my audience a Point of View (POV) tour of one of my favourite places on earth! Baseball Cap Camera: https://amzn.to/36SB4RS