New Features on Automated Moth Detector
Some fun updates on the low-cost automated insect detector design! I added a custom tripod mount so we can set them up on cheap tripods in the field (or anything with a 1/4in bolt). I have also made a fun mechanism using telescoping rods that holds the target out when deployed (to attract and photograph moths, and it collapses to protect the lens when being transported. Plus it adds a pretty fun flair to the project!
Goal is to make it strong, compact and easy for field biologists like Hubert @hubert.szcz or conservationists like @azueroreforesta to set up.
The next version will shift how it holds the rods so the target can collapse all the way to the lens for A) better compactness B) lens protection. But this first prototype works great!
Also the current target is currently just cardboard I'm prototyping with, the real one will be slippery plastic with cloth on the target side to lure in insects to land.
The rods I use are these cheap magnetic telescoping pick up tools you can find online for about a dollar each. They seem quite strong and to be made of stainless steel so I think they should last okay out in the wild (like retractable antennas on cars)
If you unscrew the magnet there is a super short m2 bolt thread, but i couldn't figure out a good easy way to attach that to my target. So i actually ended up snipping and flattening and drilling a hole to then put my own bolt through. If someone has a better or more elegant solution, i would love to know!