re: Any podcasters here?

My brother used to do the TechnoRetro Dads" podcast under the name Shazbazzar. It took about two hours to prep, two hours to record, and about four to six hours to edit and produce a 77 minute podcast. (He always made his podcasts 77 minutes long because Star Wars came out in '77.)

He also sits in with Steve Glossen occasionally to do podcasts for "Geek Out Loud" or the "Big Honkin' Show." Steve does a lot of work in prep as well as editing to make it flow nicely. A result of this is that he hasn't released an episode of "Big Honkin' Show" in a long time and "Geek Out Loud" isn't done weekly like it once was.

Prep, production, and post-production are going to be the big time drainers in podcasting. Of course, depending on your topic, prep time will vary.

Insofar as gear for recording, a good laptop is a necessity as well as a decent mic. Make sure to use a pop filter for your mic. It makes a difference.

Another thing my brother would do on podcasts he would produce is that he would pan the hosts' voices about 15 to 20 degrees left and right in a stereo mix to give the audience kind of a sense of being in the studio with them. It sounded like you were sitting at the table across from them with one to your left and one on your right as they discussed the day's topics.