Back to Old School

 I have a remote control I can attach to a live trap to trap specific cats while others go in and out without being caught.   However, I have to watch the trap to trigger it.  

I used to have a couple awesome baby monitors, whose monitor and camera both were rechargable.  Over the years both failed.  A lot of years.  I got another online at amazon.  It was advertised as having a monitor and camera both rechargable but the camera is not rechargable.  This means I have to attach a power source to it.

I tried today to use the remote on a trap and baby cam combo, to catch Chaos.  The weather was sketchy, sometimes windy, sometimes dripping rain.  The first problem I encountered was that the remote control sender unit wasn't charged.  So I charged it up last night.  Next problem was that the baby cam camera drained the power pack I attached to it, in under an hour then quit.

I need to identify which cat is eating in the trap before I can pull the trigger on the sender unit of the remote to close the trap from the comfort of my recliner.  Lazy ass trapping but isn't that what electronics are supposed to do for us?   Ooops that didn't come out right.  I'm sure they're not to make us lazier.

So I ran an electric cord out to the baby cam camera from the garage.  Next, the baby cam monitor charge faded away.   It only came with one ac adapter/charger and that one was being used for the camera.  I found another that worked from another device.  I have a drawer full of cords to who knows what.

Next failure--the receiver unit of the remote failed and closed the trap when its power went dead.  Batteries dead. Takes four AA. You have to unscrew four tiny black screws on the back to get to the battery pack and change out the batteries.   I took a break and finally set it up again this evening.   After an  hour, once again the receiver on the remote control failed and closed the trap when it did, on a cat I wasn't interested in catching.  I did flea treat her before release.  And that was that, I gave up.  

Frustrating day electronically speaking.

I think the remote receiver is being interfered with by the frequency of the camera.

I rarely use the remote control because of  its constant failures for one reason or another.

When I do, its out in the middle of nowhere where its not subject to much interference.

Then I watch it with binoculars not a $25 baby cam set up that has the feel of a Macdonalds happy meal childs toy and would break if hit by a bit of wind or if you look at it wrong.  In other words, its a piece of crap.  Built to not last.

I'm probably going to try to catch Chaos instead with the old fish line and scissors method.  I've done it that way for eons if I want to be sure of no equipment failure at a crucial moment.   It's a whole lot less expensive and less frustrating too.

It wasn't a good weather day to be doing it anyway, but I was bored and it was interesting to say the least.

This evening, I get a text from my brother.  He received a text alert for MY next physical therapy appointment.  Now that was strange.  How in the world and why would he get a text from my provider about my appointment.   Pretty sure AI is to blame.   Tomorrow I will call my provider and ask how in the world.   I'm very curious.  And its a bit of a privacy violation to say the least.   

Stevie, the neighbors cat, is a peeping tom.

Hungry pretty house finches

Next Sunday's high temp has been downgraded to below 70.  I am vastly disappointed.   Maybe it will change again by then, in a good way.  In other words, warmer way.

$35 to get just over half tank of gas today.  As you can imagine, I've become quite the hermit and probably will remain so until something gives with the price of existing.