Anti-fox device

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tompakenham
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Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:14 am
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Anti-fox device

Post by tompakenham »

Before I even start, please forgive me if this is totally the wrong place for a request like this...anyway, here goes...

I have a fox problem. That is, they come and do their business in my garden a lot. And I mean a LOT. It's a problem because I have kids and because I would like to eat the herbs/veg that they are crapping around.

I have tried a bunch of deterrent measures, but none of them work, so I am turning to a DIY one that I had an idea for. Simply put, it is a movement sensor-triggered automatic battery powered BB gun. Fox breaks movement sensor beam, gun fires a few pellets, stings fox, scares fox, fox runs away, fox never comes back.

The problem is that although I can use a soldering iron I am not all that clever at electronics. Actually, I am not clever at all. So I am looking for someone who is either interested in building this thing and I will pay for the materials; or interested in making a small amount of money, in which case I will pay a fee and for the materials.

The timing on the movement sensor needs to be very quick, so that the BB gun just fires a quick burst and then stops - (a) so as not to wake up the whole street with its rat-a-tat-tat and (b) so as not to run out of pellets in one activation. Apart from this it all seems pretty straightforward.

I actually have 2 automatic, battery powered BB guns, which I have gutted so that two wires are sticking out and when a current is put through them, the electric motor turns and they let rip. So that part of it is already done. It's more the movement sensor selection and wiring (including cut-off) and power supply selection and wiring. I am sure to most of the people reading this board, it's going to be a piece of cake...

If you're interested, reply to this and I guess we'll find out some way of making it happen. I am based in London, but would of course send materials etc to anywhere in the UK; and pay postage for returns too.

Many thanks,
Tom
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haklesup
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Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2002 1:01 am
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Re: Anti-fox device

Post by haklesup »

"movement sensor-triggered automatic battery powered BB gun" Yikes!!!

The problem is that making and deploying such an automated unmanned weapon even against Foxes is questionably legal at best and is a major door opener to Civil litigation should anyone ever get pinged by a bb in any way (ricochet or stray round or even an unsuspecting meter reader). How do ensure that it can never be operated when a person, neighbors cat or that cute little squirrel who is not harming your property is in its sights. Hope to remember to turn it off when the kids go out after dinner, not reliable IMO

I personally would not open myself up to such potential problems by either recommending ways to make it or actually deploying one on my property.

If you're willing to pay a stranger to make a weapon, you should have the budget to hire a licensed (and insured) pest control contractor to do a job that's guaranteed to work and safe for you your neighbors and your kids. It will be a lot cheaper given the cost of vision enabled 3 axis servo controller and platform as well as a programmable controller and software development efforts, I wouldn't charge less than 5K just for the equivalent design effort and maybe another 8-12k for the hardware.
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