Initially posted 8-27-2014
Bonsai Tree Safety Methods. GPS, Chipping and Movement Sensors.
Safety has been a problem for a lot of bonsai artists, particularly these with worthwhile timber or those that have had timber stolen previously. Many individuals have totally different methods for safeguarding bonsai. This text will cowl a couple of examined strategies we use. The strategies described might be applied with off the shelf elements.
#1, Movement Sensors.
Chamberlain manufactures an amazing movement sensor system, half quantity CWA2000. This method comes with one wi-fi sensor and one base station. You plug the bottom station into the wall and mount the wi-fi sensor within the space you want to monitor. The bottom station will help an extra 7 sensors, half quantity CWPIR. Two sensors run in a cross sample will cowl a bonsai backyard that’s 30×30 toes. Add extra sensors round your facility for added safety. Eight sensors will present good total safety for a half acre lot. The bottom station beeps one to eight occasions relying on which sensors has been activated.
The sensors are good high quality plastic, have nice battery life and a variety of 1 half mile. The bottom station/receiver will run on batteries within the occasion of an influence failure. The batteries will last as long as 18 months. The bottom station and sensors require 4 AA batteries every.
False alarms from flying birds and swaying timber do occur and ought to be a consider your set up. The sensors might be adjusted for 15 or 30 toes. They’re set at 30 toes from the manufacturing unit. False alarms are very uncommon at night time. If the sensor is activated at night time it ought to be taken very severely.
Total the system is straightforward to mount and program. If you happen to run into issues and or have questions please e mail me from the contact web page on the web site.
TIPS:
- Keep away from utilizing rechargeable batteries.
- Don’t over tighten the battery covers.
- Windy days could trigger timber to sway and false alarms. If this turns into annoying you
can decrease the station quantity or flip the system off altogether till the annoyance passes. - Set up the sensors in a round course round your property in consecutive
order. Instance. Sensor 1, 2, 3… and so forth. This may will let you simply
establish the situation when a sensor has been activated. Location one will
beep as soon as and placement 8 will beep 8 occasions. - If you happen to program the primary sensor and it has two beeps that you must restart the
course of. Two beeps means the unit already had a sensor programmed in slot
1 and can trigger points if you add extra sensors. - Take a look at all sensors earlier than mounting them.
- Take a look at all sensors on a bi-monthly foundation. They could turn out to be deprogrammed or cease
transmitting. - Use good identify model non-rechargeable batteries. Yow will discover Duracell AA
batteries on Ebay for about 70 cents every. - Keep away from mounting the sensors immediately within the path of a sprinkler head.
- Paint the sensors to match the environment. If mounting on a pine tree you possibly can
use a pair squirts of grey, brown and maroon for nice camouflage. - The bottom station and sensor combo prices round $40. Extra sensors might be
discovered for $22 to $40 every. I’ve had seen the most effective costs on Amazon. The
costs do fluctuate. It can save you a number of {dollars} in case you are affected person.
#2, RFID Tags.
These have been coated earlier than so I cannot go too far into element. They’re very small microchips which can be implanted into your tree or pot for distinctive identification. That is much like a VIN quantity for a automobile or a serial quantity for a cell phones. It helps show possession and tree identification with the usage of a pet scanner. A $20 cell phone and dependable pets have figuring out serial numbers, why not your $500 Black Pine? The tags are bought by a number of firms together with us. Bontag and BonsaiChip to call a couple of.
#3, Bonsai Satellite tv for pc Monitoring Units GPS.
That is essentially the most thrilling safety measure I’ve come throughout. An organization known as Globalstar has a spin-off LLC known as Spot. This firm has a few nice merchandise together with the Spot Hint. The Hint is a s small GPS system measuring about 2x3x1 inches. The unit is waterproof. Activation and setup might be difficult however the finish result’s a dependable unit. As soon as its activated you possibly can bury it in your bonsai soil about 1/2 inch deep and neglect about it. You may program the unit to verify in by way of e mail or SMS as soon as a day. The unit will notify you within the occasion it has detected motion and will let you monitor your tree in close to actual time. You too can setup a “GEO fence”, an digital space to designated as house. As soon as the tree leaves that space you may be notified.
Crucial function is battery life. Earlier know-how has solely allowed for monitoring gadgets to final about 3 strong days earlier than fees. It is because GSM monitoring gadgets are principally cell phones with no keypad. They should talk regularly with cell towers. This leads to extreme battery consumption. Different components equivalent to variable sign, tower hand-off and system monitoring also can trigger further battery consumption.
No want to fret about quick battery life with the Spot Hint. This unit bypasses the entire GSM cell phone tower issues and communicated immediately with outer area. Its actually a GPS system. How cool is that! It conserves battery energy till wanted. It solely transmits a small packet of knowledge as soon as per day to verify in or when motion has been detected.
One other benefit is world monitoring because the system communicates immediately with LEO satellites, not unbiased telephone carriers that may have poor sign areas or solely function in particular areas.
The battery will theoretically final 12-24 months as a result of a bonsai tree is stationary most of its life requiring minimal transmissions. Its essential to make use of the producer advisable substitute AA lengthy life batteries. These batteries price about $5 every. Spot requires two.
Spot gives nice technical help. It is a new know-how for them. The interface might be considerably complicated. The preliminary setup can take a couple of days to grasp earlier than you’re assured to bury your monitoring system. Its definitely worth the wait. As soon as it has been setup and you’ve got totally examined the system you possibly can bury and neglect about it. It should verify in as soon as per day and notify you when motion is detected. It should ship location updates throughout the motion and notify you when the batteries must be modified.
Value is an element. The system has a retail worth of $100. I’ve discovered them on sale for $75 and $80 every with mail in rebate. I’d advocate you buy these immediately from findmespot.com or a licensed vendor to make sure you obtain the right guarantee and technical help. Many retailers of this product have web site coupon codes that may additional cut back the worth. The opposite expense is the service. It runs $100 per yr or $8.35 per 30 days. It is a strong funding for collections that exceed $10 grand in worth.
Placement is essential. Only a few folks have hundred thousand greenback collections and may afford a number of monitoring gadgets. I’d advocate you buy one unit and place it on a “bait tree”. This could be the tree most definitely to be stolen out of your assortment due to dimension, high quality and placement.
Total it is a good funding for the superior bonsai artist. Its not an entire safety scheme. If added to different safety measures it’s going to make for a sound funding.
If you happen to do buy this system and have some Spot/bonsai associated questions be happy contact me from the contact web page on the web site. Common technical help from Spot can also be out there.
Is essential to notice that this unit is marketed as waterproof however not assured in opposition to water injury. Primary mechanical abilities are required when sealing the unit again up after a battery change.
Good luck and thanks for the continued help.