Pond Boss
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Feeder improvement ideas - 09/22/16 05:30 PM
I have a few ideas:

Option to select days of feeding - daily feeding often isn't necessary and can lead to water quality issues due to unused food.

Remote ability to shut down feeder via smart phone or PC. When cold fronts move in Spring and Fall I know feeding will be suppressed, but often lack the time to drive out to farm and shut down feeder. High wind events where feeder is downwind also can cause significant feed blown into shore leading to potential water quality issue/eutrophication.

Camera to view feeding response remotely.

Other ideas? Would you pay more for these features? I would - especially as a absentee land owner.
Posted By: DonoBBD Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/22/16 05:47 PM
Photo sensing for brightness of the day. Our perch need to feed just as the sun sets. Turning the timer up in the spring and turning the timer down in the fall sucks. In the last month I have gone from first feed at 9:00pm to 7:30pm now.

Cheers Don.
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/22/16 05:57 PM
Photocell with adjusted sensitivity is a great idea...I too wish I could just have it hit at same light conditions AM and PM and run a few times after that every 10-15 minutes.
Posted By: BrianL Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/22/16 07:49 PM
To help combat high winds, you can feed shorter times more often.
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/22/16 08:32 PM
Good idea, I already feed multiple short bursts for that reason to limit shore drift, regardless of wind speed. However, I would shut down entirely on high wind days blowing directly into feeder. Remote access would be ideal.
Posted By: sprkplug Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/23/16 12:56 AM
I would use a feeder if it could monitor how the fish respond to the feed and adjust the amounts accordingly...... grin
Posted By: FireIsHot Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/23/16 12:08 PM
A stainless steel piano hinge for the lid.
Posted By: snrub Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/23/16 02:22 PM
That is a good idea.

But why not an entire stainless steel box? Fish food contains salt which is corrosive. Since labor and electronics is likely a higher part of the total cost of the feeder than the steel in it, the stainless steel box might add another 100 bucks to the overall cost.

Would cost more but essentially make it a life time feeder as far as the mechanical part is concerned. Then only the electronics would need to be replaced as needed.

I've seen the difference between stainless and mild steel fertilizer spreaders for fertilizing farm fields. The mild steel ones rust down to a pile of rust. The SS ones have the mild steel under frame rust out and need be replaced but the box stays good for ages.
Posted By: NEDOC Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/23/16 05:26 PM
It'd probably be just as easily done with two separate feeders, but I'd like a feeder with 2 hoppers and adjust to different feeding times. With the specialty feeds out there, such as Optimal Bluegill and Optimal Bass, it'd be nice to feed them at separate times. But I'm guessing the results wouldn't be that significant and not worth the extra cost. I'd still love to see it.
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/23/16 06:13 PM
Originally Posted By: sprkplug
I would use a feeder if it could monitor how the fish respond to the feed and adjust the amounts accordingly...... grin


You could achieve this by using the video function, maybe - and adjust remotely?
Posted By: NEDOC Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/23/16 09:40 PM
Have a portion of it refrigerated. A portion roughly large enough to hold a 6 pack. grin
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Re: Feeder improvement ideas - 09/24/16 05:59 PM
Originally Posted By: NEDOC
Have a portion of it refrigerated. A portion roughly large enough to hold a 6 pack. grin


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