Revised Sound Lure Version 3.0

Revised Electrical Circuit Version 3.0

The sound lure has been significantly revised with additional resistors put into the set up, additional amplification and small changes made to the electrical circuits.

The key components of the set up and the unit have remained the same.    In terms of testing of the unit there is a considerable increase in the volume output, which has been improved, and the coding efficiency of the unit has increased significantly.

Based on previous testing there was still some days when prior to day break the lure was starting to show some stressing on the battery power.   This appears to have been addressed and now the unit works soley on the basis of a solar charge alone, without the need to have a mains power if the unit is not in full sun.   Previously shaded units required to have mains boosting, this no longer appears to be the case and will undergo further testing.

Above: IP Rated Casing for unit

Boxing: Previoulsy we have relied with the units being boxed by 3D Printed designs by students. 

The first five deployed units were created and developed by students, with the boxing created and designed by 3D Printers.    Examples are detailed on this blog.

The first five deployed units which were deployed locally in November and December 2019.     Four of these units were deployed to local farms and one was kept inside for testing purposes.    Of the four deployed units three were deployed when there was rainfall during the month of December (2019) and January (2020).  Two of these units suffered clear rain damage. 

In the first case the unit box was filled with significant water which caused obvious damage to the unit as given the rainfall of the time the unit ended up immersed in water.  This unit had a 3D Printed Box and Lid, which was sized correctly.

In the case of the second unit, which had been prepared with insulation/electrical tap.   In both cases rainfall was able to enter the unit and connect with the breadboard/battery.   As the battery has been mounted beneath the unit this was contacted with water first.

Given the season is Summer and Winter in South Taranaki can have significant rainfall a plan was developed to ensure that the electronics of the unit could be protected.   The soultion is featuring the box/unit that is visible in the photograph about.  In this case the boxing is IP rated, meaning that water cannot enter the casing.   There still needs to be some testing and condsideration around how the sound is emitted from the device, however this is likely to involve drilling and water proofing and should be minimal.

There is also an aerial on view in the photograph above and a receiver.   Future versions of the sound lure are going to be enabled to send and receive data based around temperature, activations and battery level and solar power charge level.   This is significantly going to allow the collection of real time data.