The pic taken with digital camera or mobile phone? I think the easiest way is to use a memory card reader to copy out the JPG file. Can't wait to see 100 birds circling your car.
What's your advantage of using car stereo system? I've heard story of an experience farmer advising people not to get branded players. Himself using full set Pioneer player and amplifier for his first year. They lasted for a year only. They he changed to cheap China made VCD player. Also lasted for a year or so. For internal sound it's normal to play 24/7. Amplifiers maybe can last longer. The CD player may not. To extend the life of CD players we need to isolate them with the farm's humid environment. One way is put players and amps outside the farm's humid area. For me no place to put outside. So I made a wooden cupboard with aluminium foil as inside layer to isolate the humidity.
For people who's buying new players I'd like to recommend those DVD players with USB port. Even the CD player "kong" we still can use the USB port to play MP3 chirping sound from USB flash drive or memory card through card reader plug in to the USB port. So the player lifespan will be longer. An electronic shop in my town is selling a China made model for RM188. A friend of mine bought 2 units for his farm for internal and external sound. I heard Tesco selling even cheaper.
1 bad thing about car amp from my experience. It run hotter than normal integrated amps. Also you'll need 12v DC adapter to run each unit of player and amp. Before I had this idea of using car stereo also because I thought they should be cheaper. Then I found out they're more expensive than those Made in China systems. I'm not expert in sound system but I know if you don't want to stress your amplifier too much can add a condenser to each tweeter. The condenser I asked last week was RM1.20 each. Piezo tweeter special offer. 95 cents each.

This post has been edited by seeseng: May 22 2007, 12:35 PM

Piezo tweeters are the cheaper type and widely used in swiftlet farming. The difference with coil tweeters is piezo technology is simple, low cost of making and very durable. Very unlikely to short out. It doesn't contain magnet like coil tweeters. Piezo is technically water proof. Though it will no sound when the IC part soak in water. When water dry up it will still works fine. For entrance caller piezo is a must. I drill a hole at the back of my 45dg upwards piezo tweeter for water to come out. The sound from piezo is louder and crispier than coil. It require less input to produce sound. So at the same output we're able to install more units of piezo than tweeters.
As for coil tweeters it produce more natural and realistic sound to human ears. For example coil tweeter= black record. Piezo=digital CD. Or maybe coil=vacuum tube amplifier VS piezo=electronic IC amplifier. Crystal Swiftlet recommended "Carbon Carbite" tweeters for best sound qaullity. But I've no idea what type of tweeter is "Carbon carbite".
For piezo and coil so far nobody can prove which type is better for swiftlets' ears. Soon I'll try to prove it. Guess what? I will use both types of tweeters for my internal sound. My email address: seeseng@gmail.com

Are you going to use expensive Kenwood sound system? I personally think for swiftlets the sound quality from expensive sound system and China made player/pre-amps won't make much difference. For example MP3 is a lower quality sound format compare to CD. In real situation those IC players, SD memory card players which plays MP3 chirping sound perform equelly well as CD players.

This post has been edited by seeseng: May 22 2007, 10:05 PM

Actaully been busy with my full time work lately. Because when the carpenters at work I need to go supervise on and off so many work postponded. So now need to clear up some work. Watched the movie. Very successful bird call test. They really circling the car. I think in average the bird size is slightly bigger than average town area swiftlets. Is that true or just angle problem? I went to see a farm at urban area. The birds are also bigger. Due to more than enaugh food source and only a few farms operated there. Your farm is the pioneer farm in that area. Sole pioneer some more. I predict at least X3 population every year. My carpenters had finished their 8 days work. Finished nesting planks, leakage reapir, roof sprikler pipings, dog kennel entrance. Now left all my DIY. Tomorrow will do wall insulation with aluminium foil and ceiling board. This is a main disadvantage of wooden farm. Need extra work to conseal heat and light. Experimenting which type of heat insulation is the best. I'm trying rock wool, reflective aluminium foil and polysterin board. My tomorrow schedule includes paint inner part of the DK entrance.
Now got a problem. My roof top sprinkler using a water pump to suck water from ground floor water tank. My chicken farm humidifier take water direct from ground floor to 2nd floor tap. When the sprinkler running for few hours, the tank water level go down. Main water will flow into tank to fill it. When filling process not enaugh force to go up to 2nd floor tap for humidifier. Any suggestion? My idea is to use a small size plastic water tank to reserve water for the humidifier so it can still run when the main pipe not able to supply water. Then sprinkler timer controlled for 20 minutes running stop 10 minutes. So it won't suck the tanki so much.

This post has been edited by seeseng: May 25 2007, 01:27 AM

Welcome to the forum Pak liurmas. Can you introduce a bit about your farm? How long is it being operating? The movie we're talking about is not from Youtube. It's taken by our forum member Swifbuild himself when doing bird call test. Youtube have so many movies on Aerodramus Fuchiphagus. Which one in your mind? I've watched Youtube movies. Most are inside Indonesia farms movies. The 30 thousand Voux's swifts flying into a school chimney movie is amazing. But they're not Aerodramus Fuciphagus. They're migrating Vaux's Swift in Oregon, USA.

This post has been edited by seeseng: May 25 2007, 06:54 PM

A secondary tanky is a good idea. But must put at higher level than the primary tanky. 2nd tanky take water from direct pipe then flow into primary tanky. So my double sprinkler pump can have more water to suck. BTW the pump will only be turned on during hottest time of the day. Later will add timer switch for the pump. Let it run on and off every 10 minutes. Rest 10 minutes. Main tanky got time to fill up and pump motor won't stress so much.
My chicken humidifier will not use timer. I will use humidistat/hygrostat instead for better accuracy. My hygrostat will arrive from China 15th June. My chicken humidifier take water from main pipe. Because the humidifier tap is on the first floor, the tanky is in ground floor. When the tanky water level low main pipe will only flow to the tanky and not enaugh force to go up 1st floor. Maybe it's better to add another small size tanky at 2nd floor just for the humidifier. Since humidifier consume a lot lesser water than double sprinkler. The small tanky can still supply water to humidifier when main pipe cannot push water to 1st floor.
From my test chicken humidifier won't help much in bring the farm temperature down. Only 0.x dg celcius only. The double sprinkler really help to cool down the zinc roof. Without sprinkler zinc roof surface temperate over 50. After on sprinkler down to 30dg. I'm not installing 2 layers of aluminium foil to all the walls then cover up with asbestos ceiling boards to cut down heat from the walls. If concrete walls can save lots of insulation DIY.
Swiftlets won't mind to stay even the humidity is low. Just the nests at low humidity farm may crack and fall because too dry. I tested piezo tweeter with multitester. No ohm at all. It's made in China and come it big carton so I don't think it got any manual. The structure is very simple. Just a piece of IC buzzer and a piece of black paper inside glued to the buzzer.

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Added on May 26, 2007, 3:10 amFoster method is very time consuming. Can't they use the same method as in Malaysia? Design a AF specialise farm then just use chirping sound to attract AF to stay? AF is originated from Java so I presume there got more AF than Malaysia. In foster method how they lure grass swiftlets to breed in house farm?

This post has been edited by seeseng: May 26 2007, 10:26 AM


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What if the chirping sound change to A.F. chirping sound and the internal light intensity change to 2-3 lux only? Then can directly lure only A.F. into the farm to stay lah. At that low light intensity common swift cannot stay in the farm.

Pic of my dog kennel style entrance hole. Not yet painted and long range, mid range tweeters not yet install. The holes size @2.5'x2' one facing south and the other facing river at west.

This post has been edited by seeseng: May 26 2007, 11:46 AM


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swifbuild,
The south is where most birds from nearby farms fly to for food searching. Then in the evening most birds fly home from the south to north. So my south entrace is waiting for them. Telling them no need to waste energy fly home so far. Can stop here half way to stay.

Both piezo tweeters in the pic I bought @ 95 cents each. The shop directly imported from China to sell in their few shops. Other shops selling RM2.xx each. Crystalswiftlet price of RM2.30 i think should be normal selling price. The shop selling 95 cents tweeter finished their 1st batch of 500 units in the first day of promotion. Did you try to find in Jalan Pasar? Do you know any swiftlet farming accessories shop in Klang Valley? I'm looking for more rubber synthetic nests. Nest Tech selling RM68 for a pack of 10 pieces. Super expensive man. Looking for cheaper source.
To attach picture in post just go down to File Attachments section. Press the "Browse..." button to find your picture file in your computer, choose the file the press the "Add This Attachment" button. Then "Add Reply" to summit the post.


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The 4" PVC pipe tweeter I made is for mid range. 2 feet long. The advantage is sound can reach upt to 500m away and the disturbance to neibouring houses can cut down up to 50%. I will make long range tweeter later. With 4 feet long pipe. Hopefully sound can reach up to 1km and nearby disturbance cut down to 70%. Of course cone shape is better. But will be harder to make. Need to use zinc or aluminium and will require some welding and grinding jobs. Nest Tech is selling those type of mid-range and long range tweeters. Their specs performance is mid-range up to 500m with 50% less disturbance and long range up to 1km with 70% lesser disturbance. Mine are "home made" sure cannot compare with their performance. I've compared with and without PVC pipe. The disturbance really lesser and at range of about 40m I compare, same level of volume. I can hear the PVC pipe tweeter louder than just bare tweeter. So it really works, easy to make and most important. Cheap! Cost of making less than RM10. Anyone know how much Nest Tech selling their mid and long range tweeters? The concept is like fishing rod. At the same force apply with longer rod we can throw longer range than shorter rod. I have an idea of putting more than 1 piezo tweeter inside the pipe. Since the pipe will act as its cone, I'll cut off the cones of round piezo tweeter so can fit in more than 1 tweeter. Nest Tech's mid and long range tweeter using 4x piezo inside. Without the big cone I'll try to fit in 4x piezo fit in 4" PVC pipe. If not 2-3 tweeters also good enaugh.

Because the pipe tweeters are pointing 45dg to 60dg upwards. Rain/water proof must be considered. For water proof as far as I know only piezo-electric tweeters can be used. You are right. By wrapping the pipe with sound damping meterial outside or apply to inside wall is a good idea. This can cut down disturbance and may be can increase range.

p/s pics borrow from www.nesttech.com.my


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Actually I mean using sound proof material for inside wall. Such as Sonotube. The material people use for custom made speakers and woofers. But these kind of material sort of hard to get.

Received your CDs today. Haven't test power yet. Sent you 3 CDs by Poslaju today to your Mentakab address. The address no mistake? House number then taman name then Mentakab. No street number?

For tight budget I also choose to buy the hormone from Nest Tech. It's RM280 for 5L or 4.5L? Their quotation to me stated 5L.
What type of potion your consultant sprayed? If it's 30 days potion then wait after 30 days to spray the hormone lah. No need to waste.

I bought 2 Liter gardening pressure spray for that purpose. Come with metal nozzle. Price forgot. Less than RM10 lah. How your tweeters facing? Only 1 side? Both sides or multiple sides?

Status of my farm. Still under construction. Busy with full time job. Need to pick up the pace. Must open within this month. Otherwise next month my wife going to HK for 3 weeks. I need to take care of 10 months old boy.
Now what I'm doing is insulating 2 sides of the walls which take direct sunlight in the morning and evening with 2 layers aluminium foil then an asbestos ceiling board on top of them then paint the ceiling boards black. Now I'm running out of ceiling boards. Need to wait till Sunday to get my short 7 pieces. Inside walls of my DK entrance painted black & grey. Also I'm installing 4" ventilation PVC pipes. I've seen people using up to 4 or 5 feet max for the inside elbow. Because they said using 3' also got light come in. I have a tip for DIYers to reduce the length of ventilation PVC pipes.
1) Sand paper innner side of elbows to make it rough.
2) Sand paper or brush with steel brush inner part of PVC pipes.
3) Wash them and let them dry.
4) Paint the inside with black emultion paint.
The sand paper is to make the PVC more "makan" paint. Alternatively can use spray paint "Flat Black" colour but spray paint will leave some ordour. I use PAR "Crown" black. Almost ordourless. After first layer dried check and see got part not "makan" paint then paint a bit there. This method tested and proven really reduce light.
Now also waiting for Nest Tech to send me my order of 45dg corner boards and some artificial nests. I have 30kg of swiftlet shit but I'm still consider to use it or just Nest Tech hormone. You see, even Dr. Chris own farm in Melacca is using Nest Tech's "To build up a swiftlets' smell environment" potion and "Attract swiftlets and build nest with short period " potion. Those names are the english name they use in their chinese website. FYI Dr. Chris also use Nest Tech's 3 types chirping sound. I found out that in Mr. Phang Kam Wah second book about examples of successful farms using Nest Tech's products.

This post has been edited by seeseng: Jun 2 2007, 01:55 AM

For a 5 years farm, 20-30pcs is less than half kg. It's consider a failed farm. From the results I presume it's a double storey shoplot. Both shoplots got farm on 2nd floor or just one? Lots of things to consider before you buy.
1) Is it near residentioal area
2) Determine the reasons of failure
3) 20-30pcs nests can cover bank installment?
4) Is the area ready populated with Aerodramus Fuciphagus?
5) Are you willing to spend extra to renovate the farm?
The risk is high. Do a bird call test nearby first and foremost.

weihow,

After using the hormone can notice significant increase or not? How many liter you used for your 2 floors? You use the 10L backpack sprayer?

This post has been edited by seeseng: Jun 4 2007, 12:04 PM

Finally received your CD today. Tested on my PC and I notice it's a remix version of few different CDs. Especially the part with echoes I have the whole CD with the same echo effects.
My nail gun supports 1", 1.5" and 2" brad nails. There's a bigger type up to 2.5". 1 size smaller than mine only support 1" nail which is not enaugh because our plank already 1" thick. I only use the nailgun for corner boards installation myself with a borrow 2.5HP compressor FYI my nailgun do not support T-nails yet cost me RM200(Personally I think this price sort of cut throat) 2HP compressor should be better with lighter weight.
My advice, DIY the nesting planks only if you got 1-2 helping hands. Alone? Don't. I just sprained my right elbow last week when 1 hand holding asbestos board and 1 hand screw in. Until now I grab fist and lifting things elbow feel pain.

RM5600 material+workmanship for 70'x20' so good deal fast fast ask them do lor. Higher density wood shouldn't be a problem as long as you got enaugh grooves on them. Mine meranti bukit is also quite hard. Harder wood has the advantage of durability & better/more accurate echolation. There's a thread in kelab walet Indonesia where someone asked about nests being built on concrete walls just beside nesting planks. Their conclusion was walls provide more accurate echolation. Check out http://www.swiftnests.com/ there are pictures of nests build on concrete walls.

Nesting plank installation consider heavy job not to mention red meranti is heavy. If not used to heavy work after that musle pain here and there some more you'll need to set up scafolding for plank installation. Plain ladder just won't do the job.

Just like what I did. Hire the pros to do. We watch and learn. After watching them do step by step may be you'll realise it's the right decision to ask the professional to do. There are lots more other stuff for us to DIY. So which type of entrance are you going to use?

Today I will do more corner boards installation. Get to play with nailgun hehe. The more I do my plan keep changing results in more DIY things to do. 10 more ventilation holes were added coz just found out that side good wind blowing after evening.

This post has been edited by seeseng: Jun 10 2007, 02:37 PM

Open roof is so far the best no doubt. If I have a choice I would've do it. RM79.99 for a circular saw is dirt cheap. So which type of meranti wood are you going to order? If red meranti better ask for length more than 8' because I heard from my plank supplier got ppl sell durian tree wood as red meranti. They look/smell exactly the same but durian wood a lot cheaper. To avoid this ask for 12' or up length because durian wood maximum only 8'.
I just measured my floor to ceiling is 9' 5 inches. So if deducted 6" nesting plank should be 8' 11 inches from floor to nesting plank. Still consider in the range of ideal height lah. I think ideal height should be 8' to 10'. Higher no advantage at increase bird poplulation unless later your farm full house higher height has the advantage of making double or tripple layer planks.

Successful or failure rate of a swiftlet farm. In my opinion number 1 is height, then skill/knowledge, then design lastly only luck. We're already lucky we're in A.F. populated region. The American, British etc. where got this kind of "luck" ?