Hi--
I'm a super beginner in electronics, although know electrical stuff.
I have a fish pond and a heron keeps eating my fish.
I bought a very cheap motion alarm like
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0PHYQ0YZ9T5P5MMC2FR5
which seems to work fine, but will drive all my neighbors away as well as the heron.
I think 2-20 seconds of the alarm will be fine to scare the heron.
This alarm has 4 AA batteries so is only 6volts.
Is there an easy (555 or ???) timer circuit that will work on this?
Any help appreciated.
Thanks,
Phil

 

Can we asume from you link that this thing sounds continually once triggered?

If youn think 2Secs will do it have you tried the chime rather than the alarm?

What happens when first install the batteries?
What I want to know is will that reset it?

Al

 

I happen to also be a ponder. A heron will stick around until it has eaten all of your fish. And they are smart and stubborn.

Do you know those fake herons that are supposed to keep real birds away? Look on youtube for videos people took of the real heron trying to intimidate away the impostor, soon they realize it is a fake and ignore it (nom nom nom).

The only thing that will work is netting over the pond. Here's a good pond forum with ponds the size of a bucket to the state of Rhode Island.

 

To answer some questions--
The alarm seems to go on without stop once the motion sensor kicks it off. It is a loud screech---not a chime---and there arent two choices.
I will do the net in October for the leaves but it would ruin the look of the pond for us if we put it on now.
Phil

 

While developed for cats, this device may actually work for herons!

How to stop cats ******* on your car, The best cat video ever!

 

If anyone is going to help with anything other than Heron advice then you need to provide some detail.....

There probably hundres of ways to add a timer type function to a device and ten's nof those might be applicable to your problem but without detail you are not going to get a meaningful answer.

What happens when you power up the device?
How is the device set / armed?
How is the alarm silenced / reset?
After a silence / reset is the device armed again or is another action requiored?

Sorry to be blunt, its just how it is ...
Al