That rotating heron chaser

For what its worth..Here is what I came up with that WILL work and
saave a bundle of money in the process to do exactly what this item
does. I posted this on the Koiphen forum earlier, but if someone here
is interested in making their own, it is simple. Lots of room to make
deviations and substitute other materials.

Out of curiosity without spending much time on it, I am able to cobble
up one of these devices from on hand materials I have laying around
the place.

What would work and be as neat looking as a factory made unit is:

1...13 foot fiberglass foam core antennae extension mast......FREE
1...108 inch fiberglass whip
antennae...............................FREE
1....BBQ grill electric rotisserie
motor................................FREE
1....4" x 4" x 4 foot PT
timber..........................................FR EE
1.....25' outdoor extension
cord........................................$7.95
1......60 pound bag of
Sakrete..........................................$ 2.60

Miscellaneous odds and ends to fasion pivot mount and adapt to
rotisserie unit.
Hole saw and basic tools.....

Dig hole and mount 4 x 4 PT timber in desired spot and secure in place
with sakrete.
4 x 4 needs to have one hole drilled thorugh it to allow the
fiberglass extension mast to fit through it..

Hollow out fiberglass extension mast.....really easy to do since they
are usually foam core. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the whip mount end,
through the brass ferrule, until I hit the foam core, cut out the
bottom socket end in the bottom end, and pulled embedded coax cable
out. Used a piece of rebar with a point and cutting edge ground on the
one end to push, bore, hog out a clean hollow channel following the
old coax cable path inside the extension mast. Used a vacuum cleaner
to suck a string through this hole, to which the end of the outdoor
extension cord can be attached and pulled through the extension mast
after cutting female plug end off.

Make mount for rotisserie from a piece of exterior plywood or aluminum
or fiberglass sheet.........and attach to end of extension mast with
typical pipe hanger clamps......
Cover the rotisserie motor and mount plate with a PVC outdoors
electrical box. OR use one of the 4 1/2" square outdoor PVC boxes for
mount and enclosure......

Fashion mount to rotisserie motors shaft to hold whip antennae, out of
a block of plastic or use PVC pipe coupling or pice of PVC pipe which
is poured full of epoxie or fiberglass resin, with hole for sliding
over rotisserie motor shaft and another at a 90 deg positon to allow
sliding whip antenna through it or it can be drilled and tapped to fit
the 3/8" threads on the typical whip antennae. A screw can be inserted
thorugh this adapter mount to secure it to the motor shaft so it grips
it firmly so it does not slip on the motors end. Make electrical
connection on rotisserie motor to extension cord......slip extension
mast into hole in the 4 x 4, and use a screw to keep it in place so it
does not rotate.

Other materials can be used to fashion the motor to whip antenna mount
as well as the mount for rotisserie motor, as well as method used to
mount motor to extension mast.

I did not actually make one, but did hollow out the extension mast for
a clean passage of extension cord, which is easy to do. I fiddled
around with various methods to attach the various parts, and its
totally doabale with basic hand tools and a couple of hours time, so
you can say I basically made a dry run on assembly of the chaser, and
its certainly doable. A rotisserie motor can often be found curbside
with old BBQ grills on trash day or at thrift stores, and check radio
communications shops, and marinas for discarded extension masts and
whip antennae......Probably less than $20 worth or parts at any
builder supply store will get you the balance of what you need for the
varous odds and ends (clamps etc) So with my on hand scrounge junk I
can assemble one of these for under $20.........with sakrete and
extension cord being the only items I would have to buy....
A typical 10 to 13 foot extension mast with a 96 to 108 inch whip
antennae would give you coverage to reach well out there and sweep an
area of approximately 16 feet in diameter. I think it would certainly
be a most doable weekend project for those in need of one of these
chasers and probably more effective than a motion sensor.......
A motion sensor could even possibly be hooked up to the chaser as
well........
Approximately 2 hours time is what I figured I could assemble this
thing in after doing the "dry" run just piddling around.

YOu can use shorter or longer antenna mast extensions or whip
anatennae to suit yuour size of pond. ALl these materials are out
there "scrap" wise if you just look in the right places. I probably
have 12 or more antennae mast extensions, and probaby double that in
fiberglass whip antennaes. I have left a few rotisserie motors behind
when I find scraped aluminum BBQ grills as most of these motors are
too slow for most of my needs but work fine for this chaser., I am
usually only after the cast aluminum in the BBQ grills to melt down
and recast into something usefull.

==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

"~Roy~" wrote in message
...
For what its worth..Here is what I came up with that WILL work and
saave a bundle of money in the process to do exactly what this item
does. I posted this on the Koiphen forum earlier, but if someone here
is interested in making their own, it is simple. Lots of room to make
deviations and substitute other materials.

Out of curiosity without spending much time on it, I am able to cobble
up one of these devices from on hand materials I have laying around
the place.

What would work and be as neat looking as a factory made unit is:

1...13 foot fiberglass foam core antennae extension mast......FREE
1...108 inch fiberglass whip
antennae...............................FREE
1....BBQ grill electric rotisserie
motor................................FREE
1....4" x 4" x 4 foot PT
timber..........................................FR EE
1.....25' outdoor extension
cord........................................$7.95
1......60 pound bag of
Sakrete..........................................$ 2.60

Miscellaneous odds and ends to fasion pivot mount and adapt to
rotisserie unit.
Hole saw and basic tools.....

Dig hole and mount 4 x 4 PT timber in desired spot and secure in place
with sakrete.
4 x 4 needs to have one hole drilled thorugh it to allow the
fiberglass extension mast to fit through it..

Hollow out fiberglass extension mast.....really easy to do since they
are usually foam core. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the whip mount end,
through the brass ferrule, until I hit the foam core, cut out the
bottom socket end in the bottom end, and pulled embedded coax cable
out. Used a piece of rebar with a point and cutting edge ground on the
one end to push, bore, hog out a clean hollow channel following the
old coax cable path inside the extension mast. Used a vacuum cleaner
to suck a string through this hole, to which the end of the outdoor
extension cord can be attached and pulled through the extension mast
after cutting female plug end off.

Make mount for rotisserie from a piece of exterior plywood or aluminum
or fiberglass sheet.........and attach to end of extension mast with
typical pipe hanger clamps......
Cover the rotisserie motor and mount plate with a PVC outdoors
electrical box. OR use one of the 4 1/2" square outdoor PVC boxes for
mount and enclosure......

Fashion mount to rotisserie motors shaft to hold whip antennae, out of
a block of plastic or use PVC pipe coupling or pice of PVC pipe which
is poured full of epoxie or fiberglass resin, with hole for sliding
over rotisserie motor shaft and another at a 90 deg positon to allow
sliding whip antenna through it or it can be drilled and tapped to fit
the 3/8" threads on the typical whip antennae. A screw can be inserted
thorugh this adapter mount to secure it to the motor shaft so it grips
it firmly so it does not slip on the motors end. Make electrical
connection on rotisserie motor to extension cord......slip extension
mast into hole in the 4 x 4, and use a screw to keep it in place so it
does not rotate.

Other materials can be used to fashion the motor to whip antenna mount
as well as the mount for rotisserie motor, as well as method used to
mount motor to extension mast.

I did not actually make one, but did hollow out the extension mast for
a clean passage of extension cord, which is easy to do. I fiddled
around with various methods to attach the various parts, and its
totally doabale with basic hand tools and a couple of hours time, so
you can say I basically made a dry run on assembly of the chaser, and
its certainly doable. A rotisserie motor can often be found curbside
with old BBQ grills on trash day or at thrift stores, and check radio
communications shops, and marinas for discarded extension masts and
whip antennae......Probably less than $20 worth or parts at any
builder supply store will get you the balance of what you need for the
varous odds and ends (clamps etc) So with my on hand scrounge junk I
can assemble one of these for under $20.........with sakrete and
extension cord being the only items I would have to buy....
A typical 10 to 13 foot extension mast with a 96 to 108 inch whip
antennae would give you coverage to reach well out there and sweep an
area of approximately 16 feet in diameter. I think it would certainly
be a most doable weekend project for those in need of one of these
chasers and probably more effective than a motion sensor.......
A motion sensor could even possibly be hooked up to the chaser as
well........
Approximately 2 hours time is what I figured I could assemble this
thing in after doing the "dry" run just piddling around.

YOu can use shorter or longer antenna mast extensions or whip
anatennae to suit yuour size of pond. ALl these materials are out
there "scrap" wise if you just look in the right places. I probably
have 12 or more antennae mast extensions, and probaby double that in
fiberglass whip antennaes. I have left a few rotisserie motors behind
when I find scraped aluminum BBQ grills as most of these motors are
too slow for most of my needs but work fine for this chaser., I am
usually only after the cast aluminum in the BBQ grills to melt down
and recast into something usefull.

==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

As someone else mentioned earlier, how do you prevent such a devise from
either chopping up or damaging the plants sticking up out of the pond, or
else getting stuck on those plants? As ugly as it is, I think vinyl/nylon
netting is the cheapest, safest, and easiest way to deal with herons. It
also keeeps the fall leaves out of your pond. But that's my own opinion.
Tha end.

Well George, I can't answer that........and probably will never be
able to answer that, but thats is not what my post was abaout, it was
about how to build on on the cheap if they desired such a
device........I certainly don;t I just like to tinker and see what
things can actually be made for that companies seem to chaarge out the
ying yang for........I owuld need one with a 1`30 foot whip antennae
to cover my pond.....so theroetically its not really an option for
me..

However a few things do come to mind........Most with all the how can
I questions probably have an assortment of tall and low plants and
other obstacles.......lots probably do not have any obstacles......I
would imagine you could "strategically position" the device so it
rotates within the obstructions, and the movement alone would
probably deter a heron. It does not rotate fast so nothing would
probably get tangled up in it, with the rotating "whip" being so
limber it would probably flex and things would slide off, but it could
still break foilage on some types of plants. I seriously doubt it
would harm a heron or a person that might walk into it. It could
probably be set to be above lots of plants, and still be just as
effective....I really do not know.......May give a new meaning to
keeping your plants trimmed up and in shape ;-) I would not be afraid
to bet, (with my design materials) that the rotating whip could even
hit up against a post or pole slip off and keep on rotating. All
designs of items do not fit into the scheme of things for everyone,
but I sure bet there are a lot of folks this design will work for, and
more would probably buy it if it was not for the exhuberant cost of
ther device............


Netting sucks big time.I don;t care how large a mesh opeing you have
it still sucks having to net and un net a pond, same for electric
fence wire strung around as well as fishing line..........I want a
pond that I can go out and enjoy, without having to undo this and undo
that. I would net it in fall to keep leaves out, but after the last
leaf is cleaned up the net would be off........

Maybe you could speed it up a bit and tie a tail or a stuffed toy bird
on the whip end and have it go around in circles...........or a long
streamer..........or hang your underwear or socks off it to dry after
you fall in the pond and have to dodge the heron chaser.........man
this device ahs all kinds of potential that has het to be
explored......;-)


On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 00:15:32 GMT, " George"
wrote:

===
==="~Roy~" wrote in message
et...
=== For what its worth..Here is what I came up with that WILL work and
=== saave a bundle of money in the process to do exactly what this item
=== does. I posted this on the Koiphen forum earlier, but if someone here
=== is interested in making their own, it is simple. Lots of room to make
=== deviations and substitute other materials.
===
=== Out of curiosity without spending much time on it, I am able to cobble
=== up one of these devices from on hand materials I have laying around
=== the place.
===
=== What would work and be as neat looking as a factory made unit is:
===
=== 1...13 foot fiberglass foam core antennae extension mast......FREE
=== 1...108 inch fiberglass whip
=== antennae...............................FREE
=== 1....BBQ grill electric rotisserie
=== motor................................FREE
=== 1....4" x 4" x 4 foot PT
=== timber..........................................FR EE
=== 1.....25' outdoor extension
=== cord........................................$7.95
=== 1......60 pound bag of
=== Sakrete..........................................$ 2.60
===
=== Miscellaneous odds and ends to fasion pivot mount and adapt to
=== rotisserie unit.
=== Hole saw and basic tools.....
===
=== Dig hole and mount 4 x 4 PT timber in desired spot and secure in place
=== with sakrete.
=== 4 x 4 needs to have one hole drilled thorugh it to allow the
=== fiberglass extension mast to fit through it..
===
=== Hollow out fiberglass extension mast.....really easy to do since they
=== are usually foam core. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the whip mount end,
=== through the brass ferrule, until I hit the foam core, cut out the
=== bottom socket end in the bottom end, and pulled embedded coax cable
=== out. Used a piece of rebar with a point and cutting edge ground on the
=== one end to push, bore, hog out a clean hollow channel following the
=== old coax cable path inside the extension mast. Used a vacuum cleaner
=== to suck a string through this hole, to which the end of the outdoor
=== extension cord can be attached and pulled through the extension mast
=== after cutting female plug end off.
===
=== Make mount for rotisserie from a piece of exterior plywood or aluminum
=== or fiberglass sheet.........and attach to end of extension mast with
=== typical pipe hanger clamps......
=== Cover the rotisserie motor and mount plate with a PVC outdoors
=== electrical box. OR use one of the 4 1/2" square outdoor PVC boxes for
=== mount and enclosure......
===
=== Fashion mount to rotisserie motors shaft to hold whip antennae, out of
=== a block of plastic or use PVC pipe coupling or pice of PVC pipe which
=== is poured full of epoxie or fiberglass resin, with hole for sliding
=== over rotisserie motor shaft and another at a 90 deg positon to allow
=== sliding whip antenna through it or it can be drilled and tapped to fit
=== the 3/8" threads on the typical whip antennae. A screw can be inserted
=== thorugh this adapter mount to secure it to the motor shaft so it grips
=== it firmly so it does not slip on the motors end. Make electrical
=== connection on rotisserie motor to extension cord......slip extension
=== mast into hole in the 4 x 4, and use a screw to keep it in place so it
=== does not rotate.
===
=== Other materials can be used to fashion the motor to whip antenna mount
=== as well as the mount for rotisserie motor, as well as method used to
=== mount motor to extension mast.
===
=== I did not actually make one, but did hollow out the extension mast for
=== a clean passage of extension cord, which is easy to do. I fiddled
=== around with various methods to attach the various parts, and its
=== totally doabale with basic hand tools and a couple of hours time, so
=== you can say I basically made a dry run on assembly of the chaser, and
=== its certainly doable. A rotisserie motor can often be found curbside
=== with old BBQ grills on trash day or at thrift stores, and check radio
=== communications shops, and marinas for discarded extension masts and
=== whip antennae......Probably less than $20 worth or parts at any
=== builder supply store will get you the balance of what you need for the
=== varous odds and ends (clamps etc) So with my on hand scrounge junk I
=== can assemble one of these for under $20.........with sakrete and
=== extension cord being the only items I would have to buy....
=== A typical 10 to 13 foot extension mast with a 96 to 108 inch whip
=== antennae would give you coverage to reach well out there and sweep an
=== area of approximately 16 feet in diameter. I think it would certainly
=== be a most doable weekend project for those in need of one of these
=== chasers and probably more effective than a motion sensor.......
=== A motion sensor could even possibly be hooked up to the chaser as
=== well........
=== Approximately 2 hours time is what I figured I could assemble this
=== thing in after doing the "dry" run just piddling around.
===
=== YOu can use shorter or longer antenna mast extensions or whip
=== anatennae to suit yuour size of pond. ALl these materials are out
=== there "scrap" wise if you just look in the right places. I probably
=== have 12 or more antennae mast extensions, and probaby double that in
=== fiberglass whip antennaes. I have left a few rotisserie motors behind
=== when I find scraped aluminum BBQ grills as most of these motors are
=== too slow for most of my needs but work fine for this chaser., I am
=== usually only after the cast aluminum in the BBQ grills to melt down
=== and recast into something usefull.
===
=== ==============================================
=== Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
=== "The original frugal ponder"
=== ~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o
===
===As someone else mentioned earlier, how do you prevent such a devise from
===either chopping up or damaging the plants sticking up out of the pond, or
===else getting stuck on those plants? As ugly as it is, I think vinyl/nylon
===netting is the cheapest, safest, and easiest way to deal with herons. It
===also keeeps the fall leaves out of your pond. But that's my own opinion.
===Tha end.
===


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

" George" wrote in message
news:EgIue.82332$x96.76690@attbi_s72...
As someone else mentioned earlier, how do you prevent such a devise from
either chopping up or damaging the plants sticking up out of the pond, or
else getting stuck on those plants? As ugly as it is, I think vinyl/nylon
netting is the cheapest, safest, and easiest way to deal with herons.

$$ The "fine" black netting isn't all that ugly. After while you don't even
see it anymore. An obvious ugly windmill-like rotating arm would be useless
against all the other fish predators out there. Herons are only one of fish
eaters pond owners have to deal with. Now that we're using hardware cloth
on the bottom 18" that keep the net above the pond water instead of wire
garden fence we wont have to keep checking for breaches near the ground. In
my area you either net your pond or it turns into a fishless pond full of
snapping turtles, bullfrogs, waterbirds and snakes.

It
also keeeps the fall leaves out of your pond. But that's my own opinion.
Tha end.

$$ YES! YES! No more standing there with the net fishing for leaves and
twigs. :-) I would do that every day throughout the fall before we netted
the ponds. We often wondered how the twigs got into the pond when the tree
didn't overhang the water. The wind probably....... we had that tree
removed.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

There is a school of thought that says koi ponds
never have plants. If you in that school of ponding
the device would work.
Most of us have plants and fish and other critters
and some of pond ornaments, statues, etc.
all of which could get caught up.

k :-)

"kathy" wrote in message
oups.com...
There is a school of thought that says koi ponds
never have plants. If you in that school of ponding
the device would work.

## I have plants in all my ponds. If you keep the pot's rim just at the
water surface they won't get to the plants. There are plants they wont
bother such as water iris, pickerel weed and water bamboo. Large rocks over
the surface of the gravel will keep them from digging the soil out of the
pots.

Most of us have plants and fish and other critters
and some of pond ornaments, statues, etc.
all of which could get caught up.

k :-)

--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

.....May give a new meaning to
keeping your plants trimmed up and in shape ;-)

This is what I was thinking. ;-) Course I was also thinking macabre things
like attaching samurai sword for those more stubborn pests. OR put rotation
on max. so it really does whip the be jesure out of them. With those
thoughts, I'd better stick to my motion sprinklers that get people a little
wet when I forget it.

streamer..........or hang your underwear or socks off it to dry after
you fall in the pond and have to dodge the heron chaser.........man
this device ahs all kinds of potential that has het to be
explored......;-)

ROFLOL! Streamers, windsoxs and chimes, that would be me. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

~ janj JJsPond.us wrote:

.....May give a new meaning to
keeping your plants trimmed up and in shape ;-)

This is what I was thinking. ;-) Course I was also thinking macabre things
like attaching samurai sword for those more stubborn pests.

There seems to be a typo there - didn't you mean "stubborn
pests/neighborhood children"?

OR put
rotation on max. so it really does whip the be jesure out of them. With
those thoughts, I'd better stick to my motion sprinklers that get people a
little wet when I forget it.

Not to mention a lot cheaper.
--
derek

"Reel Mckoi" wrote:


" George" wrote in message
As ugly as it is, I think vinyl/nylon
netting is the cheapest, safest, and easiest way to deal with herons.

$$ The "fine" black netting isn't all that ugly. After while you don't even
see it anymore.
Boy, that's eye of the beholder stuff.

An obvious ugly windmill-like rotating arm would be useless
against all the other fish predators out there.
I think the way it was described though, was that it folded out of the way,
so you wouldn't have to look at it.

Herons are only one of fish
eaters pond owners have to deal with. Now that we're using hardware cloth
on the bottom 18" that keep the net above the pond water instead of wire
garden fence we wont have to keep checking for breaches near the ground. In
my area you either net your pond or it turns into a fishless pond full of
snapping turtles, bullfrogs, waterbirds and snakes.

It
also keeeps the fall leaves out of your pond. But that's my own opinion.
Tha end.

$$ YES! YES! No more standing there with the net fishing for leaves and
twigs. :-) I would do that every day throughout the fall before we netted
the ponds. We often wondered how the twigs got into the pond when the tree
didn't overhang the water. The wind probably....... we had that tree
removed.

Don't you have to remove the leaves from the top of the netting though? My
skimmer does a pretty effective job of that.


Damn herons anyway.

San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 08:19:16 -0700, San Diego Joe
wrote:
snip
===
===Don't you have to remove the leaves from the top of the netting though? My
===skimmer does a pretty effective job of that.
===
===
===Damn herons anyway.
===
===San Diego Joe
===4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
===Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.
===
I have the same typical pond netting over the tops of my poultry runs
and pens and its a real PITA to get leaves and twigs etc out of it.
Skimmers are worth the effort and expense to have, as well as a
little elbow work which does the pond and the ponder some
good......nets over anything just plain sucks!

==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o