'Distressed Rabbit' and a DOC 200: April 2020

We have placed a DOC 200, baited with egg and a small amount of peanut butter in this location, with the sound lure placed on top of the box.   The solar panel is exposed, the 4w speaker has a basic 3D Printed box and the main unit is inside the IP rated box.

This unit, in this location, with this set up will be left outside until from now on.    The location is a general sun location (in Autumn) with currently (April 2020) sun directly charging the unit until 2pm.   With the exception of the tree and the cover created by a boxthorn hedge close to unit it is exposed to the elements and will remain so.    On the other side of the unit is a large paddock which previously held maize and is reverting to grass for winter.    A unit has previously deployed at this location as was detailed in this blog here, as it is Deployment Site Two.

For the first three days at this site the unit was playing a basic 'Distressed Rabbit' profile.   This was powered by the solar unit throughout the day and would last until the evening (typically 8pm with a sunset of 6pm).   As this site has a DOC 200 deployed the sound pattern is specifically aimed at stoats.

Above: Hedgehog April 22nd 2020

Left: April 22nd 2020
Activation from the first night showing a hedgehog (large) in the vicinty of the unit.   The DOC 200 is in the top of the picture, with the bar visible, the camera was placed in an incorrect position.   The animal would have been too large to enter the unit.

By the time that this activation occurred the unit would have been still operating with audio.

Above: Brush Trailed Possum April 22nd 2020

Left April 23rd 2020
Activation from the first night showing a brush tailed possum approaching the unit.   The animal approached but did not interact with the unit, with the increased demand on the unit power with the profile it would have been idle by this point.  Typically we have seen possum interact directly with the sound unit directly including trying to open the box.   This animal would not have been able to enter the trap unit due to size.

The current distressed rabbit profile is worth noting in terms of duration.   This was sourced from a publicly available sound file on Youtube.   The day profile sound has a 26 second sound duration, and the additional tracks of sound are all of similar length, for a total sound play of all five tracks of two and a half minutes.   The general profile which is the standard audio track used up to this point for the trial lure is a chick sound during the day is 8 seconds long and the total of the five general tracks is one minute thirty.   

Based on the unit playing once a minute on random obviously the amount of power draw from 'distressed rabbit' playing once a minute would be in the region of 17 minutes each hour, the chick would be in the region of 7 minutes of audio each hour.    We are conducting considerable testing and evaluation of the power draw relative to the size of the units and the auido that is associated with it.    We will be monitoring the DOC 200 at this site to see the activations that occur at night and the presence of Stoats or rats as these are the two key animals that will be able to enter the trap.   We continue to see evidence of domestic cats consistently being attracted directly to the trap (in this instance this cat is domestic and cannot enter the DOC 200 trap due to the size of the trap relative to the size of the animal).

Water Proofing Unit - April 2020

The trial unit deployed has currenlty be left exposed in a an accessible location.   As shown in the March 2020 Rainfall Graphic (Credit: Sourced from TRC Website) was just under 50% of expected, as the nearest weather station is the one at Manaia.   April has already seen a considerable increase in rainfall. 

Based on data provided by a local weather station close to our deployment location to this point in April we have had 39.9mm in rainfall.   For this time period we have a unit deployed in an exposed location to direct rainfall, protected by just the box, without the unit having any additional protection or screening.

We have been closely checking for evidence of any mositure in the box or container and after three weeks there is no evidence what-so-ever.   The unit also has been acting as expected despite the adverse weather conditions with the exception of one evening, when the unit ceased activiation at 10pm due to battery power and moved to silent mode.   The unit then returned to operation the next morning and has operated as expected since.

Left:
Deployment as it currently stands with a live capture trap.  The yellow box and wood block are in place so that the solar panel is placed on an angle.    The wood is there to prevent the panel from blowing away in the wind.    The box that is visible (green) is a 3D Printed speaker container designed by a student. 

As stated previously the unit is combined with a live capture trap because of the close proximity to a house with domestic animals.    The cage itself has the addition of a small amount of peanut butter in the cage.

Left:
As the solar panel and speaker are directly exposed to the elements, some additional protection for the unit was required.   As part of the previous projects and design this 3D Printed speaker box was created.   It is able to provide some basic protection for the speaker and some basic drainage.   This speaker (4w) was purchased online from Ali Express in August 2019 with the first lot of equipment for the project.

Left: The unit with lid removed after three weeks deployment in direct weather conditions including significant rainfall (nearly 40mm in three weeks).   There is no evidence of any moisture that has entered the unit and is either on the lid or the base of the unit.

While this is not a study over an extended period of time, it does indicate that the unit will continue to operate in adverse weather conditions and there is minimal interaction with moisture.    With regards to the unit powering down one evening, we have had the code refined several times and are continuing to do so.   It is anticipated that this will continue to be improved on so that we reach a situation where the powering of the unit will run without interuption.

Water Proofing Unit Deployment

Currently we are deploying a unit exposed to the elements, with the regular set up, and a single solar panel charging the unit.

This has been placed in a location adjacent to housing so that it can be checked regularly by a person to ensure that the unit is responding/acting as expected. 

This has included running checks throughout the night (including at two hour intervals) to ensure that the unit is emitting the sound (which it is).   The unit would be deployed in what can be identified as full sunlight, and while this unit is not being electronically monitored as we have been doing, it is clearly charging on a regular basis and is not requiring any boosting or mains charging.   The trap is being deployed in conjunction with a live capture cage trap, baited with fruit.  There are pets that are present in the area hence the reason for the trap.   There is evidence of possums that are in the area as well as hedgehogs.   These animals have not been trapped at this time of writing.

The second part of this was to expose the unit to adverse weather conditions including direct rain and moisture from morning dew (its in now April in New Zealand where the trial is based).   The unit in this regard is proving to be meeting all expectations.   There appears to be a very small amount of moisture (if any) being able to penerate the box.

We have significant annoucements for the project that we are making in the next few days, we have considerable work going on behind the scenes, we will be rebuilding this blog and making considerable updates and information.