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------------- Original message (ID=1B7EB1EA) (101 lines) ------------------

Well John, I didn't reply because I recognize that I have a little bee
knowledge and a little knowledge of monitors and computers and the rest of
what it might take to get a usable system working.  Just enough of each to
to be dangerous.

However, when I was working in the solar industry, we designed a logic
circuit and had it produced in only modest quantities for very little.
The capabilities are now greatly improved.

When the discussion first began, I envisioned a single weight sensing
device under one side of each hive.  I'm sure that a fairly hard plastic
shell could include something to measure how much the plastic shell was
compressed or deformed and that an electrical measurement of that one
parameter could be accomplished on a chip.  The same chip could include a
short range transmitter which could be polled by a computer sited locally.
Each measurement device would have to have signature (serial number).  The
frequency of polling would be determined by the computer.  The plastic
case would have to have a battery in it, but the power drain would be
minimal until/unless the transmitter was on.  Some correlation would have
to be made so that the weight on a single sensor would reflect the actual
weight of the hive.  Perhaps relative weight is sufficient.

For the trial, data could be retrieved from the computer and crunched
elsewhere.

_IF_ the weight data proves useful, then the circuitry could be enhanced
to
provide that large changes be reported to the central computer - an alarm.
_IF_ the data proves useful, then a provision for transmitting it "home"
in real time could be made.  But that expense should be minimal because
many ways of transmitting data from remote sites already exists.  Cell
phones or wireless computer connections are all adaptable off the shelf
items.

By using existing equipment, costs can be kept low.  A weather station
consisting of a temperature sensor, a cell to measure the amount of
sunlight about, perhaps some way to measure relative humidity might be
useful.  The same might be true of wind velocity.  But all those devices
are commonly on the market.

Later, packages could be put together depending on individual need.
Software could be configured to deal with various additions of equipment.

The key is that weight measurement device.

And to help get the project off the ground: there have to be other uses
for such a device.  Incremental weight gain/loss or sudden weight
gain/loss functioning as an alarm should have many applications.

How dangerous is that?

On Fri, 11 Feb 2000, Lewis wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> We have some very revealing results from the hive monitoring poll.

---------------
Richard Yarnell, SHAMBLES WORKSHOPS | No gimmick we try, no "scientific"
Beavercreek, OR. Makers of fine     | fix we attempt, will save our planet
Wooden Canoes, The Stack(R) urban   | until we reduce the population. Let's
composter, fly tying benches        | leave our kids a decent place to live.