Tag Archives: video

To Catch a Moose

equipment, humor, nature, techniques, video, , , , , , , ,

or any other creature on video

I understand that I need to keep the gate to the backyard closed otherwise unwanted animals might stray onto our property. I especially don’t want a moose coming into the yard; it would eat all of our newly planted vegetables.

I came across an article in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago that convinced me that I could make sure that neither a moose nor any other undesirable fauna would sneak into our yard.

And so I followed the advice and found an inexpensive device that I hope will alert us to potential invaders.

This trail camera package includes a strong metal case that protects it from the elements and external tampering.

Here the motion detector, four infrared beams and the lens are on top while a color viewing screen and control buttons are on the bottom of the camera.

Here is the camera with the cover over the screen and control buttons. It is decorated in a camouflage pattern.

My camera was in heavy rain for several days but has not been affected by the moisture. I feel comfortable positioning it on the ground.

The camera uses a set of six AA batteries. Having used it for three weeks and recorded 150 clips, the batteries are still 70% charged. The motion detector is said to be sensitive up to 80 feet although I have not confirmed this. Additionally, the nighttime infrared illumination is adjustable to 120 feet, another item I have not confirmed.

You can choose to record either still images or video clips. When set for still it can fire off up to sequential eight images. It can also make time lapse recordings.

I chose to record 10 second video clips. Clip duration is adjustable in increments up to 60 minutes. When the unit’s motion detector is tripped, recording begins. Optionally, you can choose to record a status line on the bottom of the images that have time, date, etc.

Here’s a couple of video clips of our first encounters with nature’s offerings. BTW, night images don’t appear in color, only day light when the IR illumination isn’t being used.

Well, we didn’t catch that moose on the video, just a hungry little rabbit. But I assure you that the trail camera is ready for whatever may invade our yard.

Staying Clean

equipment, health, informational, video, , , , , , , , ,

Keeping Safe during the Covid Pandemic

Many businesses that have been allowed to open during the Covid pandemic have had to follow strict guidelines to keep their employees and customers safe. This has been proven to be an especially challenging task.

For the past year we’ve all been using some combination of face masks, shields, gloves, disinfectants, bleach, gowns, paper towels and hand sanitizer among other things all with the goal of keeping the virus away from our bodies.

Like other establishments we were spending a considerable amount of time cleaning our facilities. We use spray bottles of sanitizer to clean tables, chairs and other surfaces and then wipe them dry. To save time and supplies, we purchased an electrostatic sprayer. They are different from conventional sprayers in that an electrostatic charge is applied to the disinfectant as it leaves the cone making miniscule droplets that are evenly dispersed. That the droplets are so small allows them to dry quickly.


This employee is using a large electrostatic sprayer to clean a dining table.

The cone on the end of the wand evenly distributes the disinfectant. The disinfectant dries in a few seconds and is safe to the touch.


In this slow motion video the employee is using the wand to apply the disinfectant.

This 3 gallon capacity sprayer has a rechargeable battery and can be worn as a backpack.

This is a smaller sprayer comes with two rechargeable batteries. The unit weighs less than the orange one above. Instead of a wand, the nozzle is used to adjust the spray pattern of the disinfectant.

The one gallon capacity tank for this sprayer has backpack straps for easier use. Two ounces of the concentrate are mixed with water to make a gallon of sanitizer. This brand of concentrate is confirmed to kill Covid germs.

So far we’ve had good success with these sprayers. If you’re looking for a way to keep your facility clean you’ll want to consider an electrostatic sprayer.

Backyard Ice Rink

personal, recreation, video, , , , , ,

A Fun Outdoor Activity

This year winter came a little late to Michigan. The cold weather seemed to wait until mid-January to swoop down upon us. Then suddenly we got a bunch of snow and the temperature dropped.

With the Covid pandemic keeping us close to home, we were looking for an activity that would be fun but safe. My wife came up with the idea to build a small backyard ice rink so that the grandkids could have some outdoor exercise.

After a little thought we decided upon a 20′ x 40′ rink. We made a couple of visits to a nearby hardware store to buy 140 feet of 4″ PVC tubing, a bunch of connectors to keep them attached and a bunch of 2″ x 4″s as a support frame. The hardest part was the hours it took to locate a large plastic sheet (30′ x 50′) to hold the water. After buying all of the supplies we were ready to start.

First we had to clear the snow from the area where we want to build the rink.

Next we carefully laid the plastic sheet down over the PVC frame and then filled it with water.

Hurry up and wait. We had to wait for two days for the temperature to do its trick. That’s how long it took for the water to turn to ice thick enough for us to use.

However before skating we have to smooth the surface using our home-made “zamboni”.

Finally a look at the rink after we smoothed out the ice.
I took the liberty of pretending to practice hockey as I did 50 years ago on a local lake.

The weather has remained cold for February and so the grandkids have been able to use the rink since.

Everyone was definitely tired of being in lockdown. It’s been a boon to getting the grandkids out and about. The skating and hockey has been a very welcome addition to their activities.