Month: May 2018

Scoping My Mower

Steven Guccione

 

A couple of years ago I set up a Worx Landroid mower in the back.  I wanted to be able to send him into the front yard, but it gets complicated.  There is a “boundary wire” that has to  make a complete loop enclosing the mowing area.   With my fence and trees I couldn’t figure how to make it work.

This weekend I was wondering what sort of signal went into the boundary wire.  If only I had an oscilloscope I could check it out and maybe make my own little mowing areas.  But scopes are big and expensive.  Or at least they used to be.  Found this little guy, called Quimat on Amazon for $40.  Got it in the mail today, and as soon as I got home from work, I put on some shorts and set out to check out the signal.

Turns out it is a pretty crumby 60 Hz 15 Vpp signal.  I could probably make one of these with an op amp and a few parts.  Maybe battery / solar power it.  I would have to carry or somehow direect Mr Mow to the front, but that part of the yard doesn’t need cutting as often.  And I would like to control when Mr Mow is out the front yard.  Not that I don’t trust my neighbors, but I could see Mr Mow becoming target practice for some of our redder necked residents.

In all the excitement I seem to have put on a mismatched pair of shoes.

 

Fish Salad

Steven Guccione

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Had some left over salmon that was so good, I couldn’t throw it out.  Thought I would make a simple fish salad, like tuna salad, but with salmon. Also on the left over plate were a couple of bacon wrapped jalapenos and some asparagus.  I figured:  why not?  Chopped them up with the onion, got some dill from my new little indoor garden, a little mayo and lemon and we are done.  Gonna be good on toast with maybe some pickle relish.

Goodbye, Mr. Koi

Steven Guccione

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(A photo of Mr. Koi from April 2013)

I have a small pond in the yard.  Something we put in years ago when we added the patio.  I had some goldfish in it for a few years, but a Night Heron ate them while I watched one rainy weekend morning.  After that I put a cover over the pond and bought a small koi.   I fed him every morning for the last decade or so.  A few mornings this week the cover was pushed aside, so I put a couple of heavy rock on it.  Twice this week the rocks were pushed off and the cover partially submerged in the pond.  I figured a racoon was going after Mr. Koi, and that I would have to make a better cover.  But I figured the koi was big enough to fend for itself until I got around to it.  This morning I came out and both rocks were moved off, and the cover half in the pond.  No sign of Mr. Koi. I searched the yard, thinking I would find some remains, but none were to be found.  I will have to figure out a better cover, and perhaps start over with a small koi or two.  A friend with koi thinks it might have been a night heron again.