Nikon ACULON A30 10×25 Binoculars – Review and Comparison

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Nikon A30 10x25 binoculars Box

Nikon A30 10×25 binoculars Box

When walking on trails, like I frequently do, it is nice to have binoculars on hand to view things that are seen. Having your binoculars dangling around your neck can sometimes be a nuisance and also start to hurt after awhile. Having the binoculars in a pocket for quick retrieval works out a lot better, especially when the target is fleeing.

I recently purchased a pair of Nikon ACULON A30 10×25 Binoculars and had the opportunity to provide a comparison with 2 other pairs of binoculars that I had on hand. The other 2 pairs were Bushnell Birders 7×35 that are 20 plus years old (my favorite) and also Celestron 16×32 (don’t like that one much). What I did was mark out 25 paces from an old grill that had a sticker on it. This way I could compare all three pairs. That is a good way to see what the binoculars are like, is to have them next to others.

Bushnell Birder 7x35 binoculars

Bushnell Birder 7×35 binoculars

The Bushnell 7 x 35 binoculars are pretty standard. These type of binoculars have been around a while. I have had several pairs similar to these given to me. I usually just put them in a vehicle or somewhere that I don’t have to remember to take binoculars. They are very easy on the eyes and have a good field of view.

Bushnell Birder 7x35 binoculars size

Bushnell Birder 7×35 binoculars size

The Celestron 16 x 32 binoculars have a really close up view as they are 16x, but are not real easy on the eyes. As I was looking through them, I had to squint and try to see a steady view. I have used these on my walks before and was not real pleased with this happening. I had always wished I brought my Bushnell binoculars with me. So after the first time I used them,  I just kept them in my pack and only used them if I needed to get closer, but not for general purpose. I had originally purchased these to get the 16x, but I didn’t think they would be hard to view.

Bushnell View at 25 paces binoculars

Bushnell View at 25 paces binoculars

The Nikon ACULON A30 10 x 25 binoculars are much different. Even though they are small, they are easy on the eyes like my Bushnell binoculars. I don’t have to squint, and seem to get a good view without trying too hard. I can stick these in my pocket and not have to take off my pack to get them. They are real clear just like the birders. They came with a decent strap so I can hang them around my neck in between having them in my pocket.

Celestron 16x32 binoculars

Celestron 16×32 binoculars

Celestron view at 25 paces binoculars

Celestron view at 25 paces binoculars

Nikon A30 10x25 binoculars

Nikon A30 10×25 binoculars

When I say “easy on the eyes”, I mean that I don’t have to try to see out of the binoculars. For some reason, the Celestron binoculars are hard to see out of. They are clear, but it just seems like the eye holes are too small. They are just a little small than the Nikon eye holes.

25 paces is about 75′. I could not “read” the sticker out of any of them, but could make out more as the magnification grew.

Nikon A30 10x25 binoculars View at 25 paces

Nikon A30 10×25 binoculars View at 25 paces

The Nikon ACULON A30 10×25 binoculars have some good reviews on Amazon.com.

GoPro Hero 4 Time Lapse Video – Night Sky Moonrise

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GoPro Hero 4 Night Lapse

GoPro Hero 4 Night Lapse

I was testing the Night Lapse function of my new GoPro Hero 4 and I was really impressed with my first time lapse of the night sky. The moon ended up rising out of the east halfway through the night. Many shooting stars were visible, as well as a few constellations. There was something that left a trail, either through the clouds or on its own. It may have been a jet, but it is undetermined. I can see some possibilities with this setting and will continue to experiment. The GoPro Hero 3+ only had a Time Lapse setting. I am still going to now test the GoPro Hero 3+ at night. With the Night Lapse setting, the shutter speed has many different settings. This video was with a 5 second shutter speed and shot at 30 second intervals.

I uploaded a video on Facebook and I didn’t think it did the night lapse justice. So I thought YouTube might be a bit better. You should be able to see the constellation Orion a few inches under the moon. Just above and to the right of the moon, Taurus. Then I think Venus is rising just as daylight approaches. There may be more constellations visible. Press the bottom right button to view fullscreen.

 

Top 20 Best Selling Power Banks on Amazon.com

This link is to a list of the best selling power banks on Amazon.com. Make sure and look at the mAh value as the higher the mAh the longer it will last.

You can use the 30PIN POWER CABLE WITH WATERPROOF BACK DOOR HOUSING FOR GOPRO HERO3+&HERO4 in conjunction with a power bank. Using a power bank will drastically increase the situations that you can extend your battery time. Getting the GoPro 30 pin connector with waterproof back door will extend your ability to leave the gopro oustide or even submerge the gopro under water.

How I Re-Hung my Huge Staghorn Fern

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Propagating Staghorn Fern – Post Link

I have had this staghorn fern for a long time. It recently fell and plunged to the ground. That did not hurt it much, but it will do much better if it is hung up, or even on the side of a tree, just not on the ground. I had already tried to rework it by finding the existing wire basket and tying wire onto that. Well, that didn’t last long, so it was now time to do something a little more permanent.

Staghorn Fern Laying on the ground

Staghorn Fern Laying on the ground

So I finally found what to do with this oversized Staghorn Fern. I had an old punching bag someone gave to me that needs to go in the garbage. So I pitched the punching bag and used the hangers to re-hang the staghorn fern.

Punching bag hanger for Staghorn Ferns

Punching bag hanger

I looked around and found some old chain pieces and hooked them together. Then, I found a swingset chain to make the X that I had in my mind. 7′ of chain was what I needed and that is what I was able to come up with. If I didn’t have the punching bag setup, the chain would have to be around 9′ – 10′. A larger S hook would accept the 4 rings of chain to make the X.

7ft of chains to wrap Staghorn Fern

7ft of chains to wrap Staghorn Fern

The hanger on the punching bag was too easy. Formed an X right away with the 4 S hooks. So I went with it. Tied the chains together in the center of them to eventually form the X.

Tying Chains together

Tying Chains together

Once I did that, I laid out the X underneath the hooks. I originally had the punching bag on the south side of this tree. So before I did anything, I went ahead and moved the setup to the north side of the tree. I have had success with a piece of advice given to me long ago. Staghorn ferns like to be on the north side.

Lay chain under S hooks

Lay chain under S hooks

Now for the big moment. I got the Staghorn fern and placed it on the X underneath where I was going to hang it. This way I didn’t have to move it again.

Setting the Staghorn Fern on X

Setting the Staghorn Fern on X

Ready to hang it. I just laced the chains up to the top while going around and between some of the shoots.

Hanging the Staghorn Fern

Hanging the Staghorn Fern

Yes, it was very heavy. I should have had help, but it is too late to cry about that now. Just a thought if you are going to do this, get a hand with it.

Staghorn Fern Re-hung

Staghorn Fern Re-hung

Now it is all hung and just beautiful. The staghorn fern will grow around the chains and that is when it will not fall out ever again. I would think that those chains will last 50 years or more. The original wire basket hanger lasted over 20 years.

The wire basket inside the staghorn fern

The wire basket inside the staghorn fern

I will post on how to start a staghorn (from another staghorn) at some other point. The Staghorn fern in this wire basket is one I started and you can see it has already grown around its container. This staghorn fern is probably 4 or 5 years old now.

Here is a link to a 20′ chain from Amazon.com

10′ of chain

50 pound S-hooks

Use this for the top loop, to hook all of the chains to.

More S-hooks – Stronger than 50 pounds

Creating Time Lapse Video with GoPro Studio

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Wow! I stumbled on the GoPro Studio recently and it is definitely better for processing the Time Lapse images from my GoPro camera than Windows Movie Maker is. Even though it still wants to crash, at least it doesn’t crash until after I have created and exported the finished video. Movie Maker won’t even let me get through a session of creating shorts to eventually put together. More on that later, right now I am going to “Walk Through” creating a finished Time Lapse video in GoPro Studio.

GoPro Studio Convert ScreenThis is free software provided by GoPro. So after you have downloaded it here – DOWNLOAD GOPRO STUDIO PAGE – and opened it up, this is where we will start.

To summarize what we are doing, we are going to import the images that the GoPro created into the GoPro Studio. Then convert these imports into mini-videos. Then these mini-videos will be put together, along with title, and possibly effects, to create one video of the entire time lapse project.

Converting The Time Lapse images into Mini-videos

1 – At the bottom, towards the center, there is a SAVE TO: and path. This is where the conversions are going. Put them where you want them, or notate where the default path is.

Customize Advanced Settings

2 – Advanced Settings

2 – Now just to the left of this is ADVANCED SETTINGS – click this window. This is going to determine the conversion, so check the list and make sure this is what you want. The frame rate is where you are going to set how “fast” the time lapse is going to go. I set mine for .07 seconds per frame, which equates to about 15 frames per second. Then I save as AVI (as I am PC) and I check REMEMBER SETTINGS. If you are going to do different things to different sets of images, then leave the REMEMBER SETTINGS box unchecked and then add to conversion list one at a time.

3 – Now would be a good time to go ahead and save your project. This will insure that you can continue where you leave off.

4 – Import all the images into the GoPro Studio for converting into video files. Each “set” of images will be converted to a separate file. If you have created more than 1,000 images on your GoPro, then they will be in individual folders. Start with the first folder and select all (or choose the first one, then while pressing the SHIFT key, choose the last one). You can select the files by pressing the “IMPORT NEW FILES +” button on the left side, or by dragging them into the left column under that same button.

5 – Continue adding files to the left column until you have them all stacked up in there. If you want, just go ahead and press “ADD SELECTED TO CONVERSION LIST” one at a time as you import.

6 – If you want each file to have custom settings: Click your image set, change advanced settings, add a custom file name if desired, then click the ADD SELECTED TO CONVERSION LIST, each time.

6 – Otherwise select the first set, then scroll down and while holding the SHIFT key, select the last set. Now press the “ADD THE SELECTED TO CONVERSION LIST”.

7 – OK, at this point nothing has happened. You can remove clips from the conversion list, or start over. You can select each set and then click “CONVERSION DETAILS” to make sure that each one is the way you want it.

8 – Press the button labeled “CONVERT ALL” at the bottom right side, now take a break, if there are a few sets of images this may take a while. I did 9,000 images in 10 sets and it took around 2 hours to convert to AVI.

Now to Create a Go Pro Time Lapse Video

1 – Once all the conversions are complete the button on the bottom right will now say “PROCEED TO STEP 2”. Click it.

Choose the Blank Template Option

2 – Blank Template

2 – A pop-up window will appear with selections of templates. Start with a blank template. This will allow you to customize to your liking and the other templates can be accessed later when there is nothing loaded up. Now the editing window should be up.

3 – So all of the mini-video files should be loaded up on the left. Choose one at a time, or all (by clicking on the first one, hold SHIFT, and click the last one. Now drag and drop them to the timeline at the bottom center of the screen. Next to the video camera icon it says DRAG VIDEO HERE.

GoPro Studio EDIT Screen4 – A title screen can be made by pressing on the TITLE button at the top on the left.  On the right hand side towards the top is the TITLE PROPERTIES. Customize the title.

5 – now back on the left there is a Title along with the other videos that are now in the timeline. If you want this in the beginning as an opening drag the title to the beginning of the timeline and wait until the line (cursor) is in front of the first frame. If you want the title over your video then drag it to a place under the time line where it says DRAG TITLE HERE. You will have to move it to where you want it then adjust the length of time.

6 – Now you are ready to EXPORT – at the very top next to STEP 2 EDIT is STEP 3 EXPORT – Click it.

GoPro Studio Export Settings7 – I usually will leave it on the first setting YOUTUBE, but you can choose whatever you want. It will tell you the size of the frame and also how much memory it takes.

8 – Then click EXPORT and it will bring up a window for you to name the file and choose the directory.

GoPro Studio Exporting Video

Here we go!

A power bank may be useful in creating time lapse videos with your GoPro

Top 20 Best Selling Power Banks on Amazon.com

This link is to a list of the best selling power banks on Amazon.com. Make sure and look at the mAh value as the higher the mAh the longer it will last.

You can use the 30PIN POWER CABLE WITH WATERPROOF BACK DOOR HOUSING FOR GOPRO HERO3+&HERO4 in conjunction with a power bank. Using a power bank will drastically increase the situations that you can extend your battery time. Getting the GoPro 30 pin connector with waterproof back door will extend your ability to leave the gopro oustide or even submerge the gopro under water.

GoPro Battery Life – Extended Forever and Waterproof

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First thing, this is not a charger. I have tested this product to charge and it does so, minimally. It is for constant power. The usb connection on the side of the Go Pro unit is for charging.
GoPro 30-pin power cable The 30PIN POWER CABLE WITH WATERPROOF BACK DOOR HOUSING FOR GOPRO HERO3+&HERO4 will extend your gopro battery life forever, if needed, and is waterproof. I stumbled on this product a while back and have been using it successfully for a while now. This is a wired option, but is solid. There are a few pitfalls that I will warn you about, but otherwise I really like this product. This product is compatible with GoPro Hero 3+ and Hero 4. I have successfully completed several projects with it. The 30-pin power cable is great for extended time lapse projects.

I have another post where I went on about batteries and power packs, which only last 8-12 hours or so. Of course, you can continue to switch out the power packs, but waterproof is still an issue. Go Pro Battery – Battery Extender

 

Features of the 30-pin Power Cable for GoPro Hero

1 – It is waterproof. This is the best part. The one downside is the 6′ cable where there is a USB connection. This, of course, is NOT waterproof. So this means that the GoPro unit can be placed underwater for a few feet without problems. I would suspect that the cord can be cut and a new wire be soldered or connected somehow to be waterproof, but I am not going this direction yet. This setup works fine, and I can deal with rain. I place a plant pot on the ground, then place my connection on top of it, then place a 5-gallon bucket over this. Then the connection is not on the ground and is covered. I have also found a connection cover, that is not waterproof, but will withstand the rain and being wet. It just won’t go underwater.

2- Unlimited run time. Once plugged in, it is ongoing. I have successfully done a 3-1/2 day time lapse so far, but that is the longest that I have done it. I would think that in a reasonable scenario, barring any extreme weather, that it would last as long as it had power and memory.

3 – The GoPro back door will work with my existing accessories.

4 – I have the option of 12v power, 110v power, power banks, and even plugged in to a PC. Of course, some options are as limited as they have capacity.

Pitfalls of the 30-pin Power Cable for GoPro Hero

1 – When you close the back door, the cable has a small box, which has to fit inside of the waterproof back door. This will make the cable inside the waterproof back door have to curve around to fit. There are two structural bands of plastic that run from the back of the waterproof back door towards the gopro unit itself. Make sure the cable is not in front of this. It will want to push it out into the seal, and may create a situation where the waterproof back door is not waterproof. If you are going to completely submerge the unit in water then this will come into play. If it is just getting rained on, then it may not be a problem. I found out about this the hard way.

2 – Plugging and unplugging, and withholding power may confuse it and will turn off in the middle of your project. I have had this happen. Once the 30-pin cable is plugged in, it changes the behavior of the unit. It is not like the USB plug where you can just plug and unplug and it will use the battery once it is without external power. Test, test, test.

3 – I have also had better luck with a power cord out to the project, then an adapter to plug in the USB of the 30-pin Power Cable directly to power. I am not sure why, but it seems to get to the finish line, without fail, more consistently.

 

 

Here is a link to the exact same 30-pin Power Cable without the waterproof backdoor:

Top 20 Best Selling Power Banks on Amazon.com

This link is to a list of the best selling power banks on Amazon.com. Make sure and look at the mAh value as the higher the mAh the longer it will last.

You can use the 30PIN POWER CABLE WITH WATERPROOF BACK DOOR HOUSING FOR GOPRO HERO3+&HERO4 in conjunction with a power bank. Using a power bank will drastically increase the situations that you can extend your battery time. Getting the GoPro 30 pin connector with waterproof back door will extend your ability to leave the gopro oustide or even submerge the gopro under water.

Go Pro Time Lapse – How to Process in Windows Movie Maker

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1 - 4 : Add your Go Pro Time Lapse files to Windows Movie Maker.

1 – 4 : Add your Go Pro Time Lapse files to Windows Movie Maker.

1 – Once you have Windows Movie Maker open, find where all your Go Pro images are that you are wanting to process into a time lapse movie.

2 – Get your photos or images into the Movie Maker editor. Click ADD PHOTOS, or click in the square to the right of the preview where it says “Click here to browse for videos and photos”, or simply drag and drop your images into the movie maker editor. I always choose all that I want to do at one time, click the first one, then Hold <shift> and click the last one, then by clicking on the first one again to drag into the editor. I always try to click on the first one when dragging to make sure and keep them in order. I have had them get out of order before, and I believe that was the cause. The other two methods I do think this same practice applies.

———This would be a good time to make sure your Time Lapse images are in order. Just hover over the Time Lapse images and see what the file names are. If they are from your Go Pro, the Time Lapse images should be in consecutive order with their respective file names. If they are not, you can “cut and paste” just don’t do it quick.

Let the Time Lapse images load before you go any further.

Once the images are added – Let them load before moving any further.

3 – I only take 200 images at a time and make a movie with them. At 720 medium, the images are 4MB each and that is 800MB of data.

4 – If there are labels on your images, refer to this post to remove. There are two methods.

Change the duration of each image.

Change the duration of each image. This will create a FPS.

5 – Once the photos are in Windows Movie Maker, don’t click on anything, as all the images are selected currently. Also, wait for the images at the top to load. There are usually a few images that are blank, once all the images load, then these will show their thumbnails. Now choose the EDIT tab, (the edit tab will show up after you have photos or videos in the editor), change the duration of each image to your preference. This may depend on your time lapse project, I use .07 often, but have sped up or slowed down depending on what I am making a Time Lapse Movie of. Start with .07 and then you can play with it once you go through this walk-through. Then I usually scroll through the images to make sure that they are all loaded and processed before moving on.

6 – If you did click and now only have one image selected, simply go up to the first image and select it, then scroll down to the last image and hold down the shift key while selecting it. Now you should have all the images selected.

Save the Time Lapse Movie

Save the Time Lapse Movie – Short Time Lapse Movie

7 – Now save the movie in a folder of your choosing. Top left drop down arrow, select Save Movie —-> then (I usually choose) Recommended for this project (you can try some different settings, and I believe there are some custom settings somewhere. Now your browse window should pop up, navigate to the folder and name the file. In this scenario, I make sure that I am in the correct folder then I name the files with numbers, 1,2,3. This will come in handy in a few steps. Also choose MP4 or Windows Media File. I use Windows Media File, but you may want the MP4 setting. Movie Maker will read either.

Save it again if you get an error message

If you get an error message like this one or one that says there is not enough memory – try saving it again

——If you get an error message – try to just save it again the same way. I don’t know why, but this is what it does. I stumbled across this one day, after I had tried everything. Then I scaled down to 200 images and it seemed to cooperate after that.

Start a New Windows Movie Maker Project

Start a new Windows Movie Maker project.

8 – Now that this phase is complete, it is time to move on to the next set of 200 images. Again, upper left drop down, choose New Project. It will ask if you want to save, I usually don’t when I am in between like this, but you can if you want.

Put all the Time Lapse shorts into one project

Put all the Time Lapse shorts together into one WIndows Movie Maker project

9 – Repeat the process 1-8 until you have all of your Go Pro Time Lapse images processed. Continue saving your Time Lapse movies in consecutive numbers so you can retrieve later.

Make a Go Pro Time Lapse movie

Add title, music, captions, credits, etc.

10 – Now, choose New Project again to clear the editing board. Now Add Files or refer to step 2 and pull in your newly created mini-movie Time Lapse movies. Hover your mouse over them and make sure they are in order.

11 – Add a title, add captions, add music, add credits, etc. then go through step 8 again, except this time, name the Go Pro Time Lapse movie something that represents the video instead of a number. This is the file you would upload to YouTube or Facebook.

Your Go Pro Time Lapse Movie is finished - Save it.

Your Go Pro Time Lapse movie is finished. Save it.

Good Luck and comment with any suggestions or experiences you have had with processing Go Pro Time Lapse images in Windows Movie Maker.

 

This post was more about the sensitivity of Windows Movie Maker with the large amount of files, than a how to create a time lapse. Pay special attention to the details as I have figured out how to get past some of the more challenging ones.

A power bank may be useful in creating time lapse videos with your GoPro

Top 20 Best Selling Power Banks on Amazon.com

This link is to a list of the best selling power banks on Amazon.com. Make sure and look at the mAh value as the higher the mAh the longer it will last.

You can use the 30PIN POWER CABLE WITH WATERPROOF BACK DOOR HOUSING FOR GOPRO HERO3+&HERO4 in conjunction with a power bank. Using a power bank will drastically increase the situations that you can extend your battery time. Getting the GoPro 30 pin connector with waterproof back door will extend your ability to leave the gopro oustide or even submerge the gopro under water.

Cute Spiral Notebook: DIY

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Why have a regular spiral notebook when you can add your own unique spin on it. In just a few easy steps you can have a spiral Notebook that you’ll love and have the cutest notebook in school! I am obsessed with doing these notebooks so much. Tell me what you think or any questions you have in the comments!

                SuppliesFullSizeRender

  • A spiral notebook
  • Scrapbook paper of your choice
  • Two rolls of Washi tape (Scotch is what I used)
  • X-ACTO knife
  • Tacky glue or double-sided tape
  • Small paint brush
  • Three ring hole punch
  • Scissors

              Instructions

  1. Three ring hole punch your scrapbook paper
  2. Put your glue or double-sided tape on the paper where the edges of the notebook is going to be. Don’t put glue on the paper that you are going to cut off
  3. Lay the your scrapbook paper and line up with the holes in the note book
  4. Cut off the excess paper on the sides of the notebook
  5. Put on your washi tape over the three holes and the part of the notebook doesn’t cover. If the first color of washi tape doesn’t cover the three hole then you can use your second color. That is why I used a gold metallic and then put two layers of a turquoise washi tape. When you fold over edges of the washi tape at the top and bottom, don’t let then cover the holes.
  6. Open the cover of the note book and poke tiny holes so u know where they are when you close it
  7. If your paintbrush is small enough stick it through each hole of the notebook and fold over the edges of the tape inside of the hole
  8. Enjoy your amazing note book!

Continue reading →

Automatic Chicken Waterer – 7th Idea on Drinking Cup

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Now that some time has passed while using the homemade automatic chicken waterer, I have since thought that maybe a pre-fabricated water delivery would be a little more ideal. The original design utilized items that were available, and could be reused or repurposed. This works great, but does still get dirty. Mostly from sand and stuff that gets in it and settles at the bottom. So an item I found on Amazon.com would serve this purpose. The only thing that I could see being a problem is that the sun would get inside and create algae. This really should not hurt the chickens, but does not look good at all. I mean, I wouldn’t drink out of it if there was algae visible. This would keep the dirt and poop out of the water though.

The BriteTap Chicken Waterer can be used in conjunction with my design. Click on the image or the link and it will take you to the amazon product page for purchase. Just substitute the BriteTap Chicken Waterer with the “cup” in my design, and you’ll have a clean, serviceable, chicken waterer that will last a long time. Make sure and design the position so the chickens cannot roost on top of the reservoir (or the water delivery device).

I will find out how big the hole has to be, but if you are set up to drill the hole for the toilet fill valve, then the tap for the BriteTap Chicken Waterer should be similar. After reading some of the “answered questions” on Amazon, it does come with a plastic nut that secures the unit to any reservoir. Most of the responses are from people that used a cooler as their reservoir. I guess it all depends on how much water your chickens drink. My chickens drink a lot of water. So having the automatic chicken waterer allows for fresh water to be supplied and they never run out.

In South Florida, it gets real hot in the summertime. This season is from late May through September.  So I usually worry about the water getting hot, and getting algae build-up, so protection from the sun is best. Also, the sun will destroy plastic over time, so trying to position the watering station to be in the shade as much as you can is best. Also, design your situation so that the unit is protected from the chickens and the elements. This will help the watering station last longer, and less maintenance time. All in all, once the reservoir is put together, the water delivery system can be changed out periodically as your experience grows and your needs are more refined.

In the winter time, the weather is very nice, and freezing is not something that we typically worry about. The sun is still a factor, because direct sunlight will heat up the water too much. Freezing does occur, and the shock is more the problem than the cold itself. I would think that an aquarium heater would keep the reservoir from freezing. The supply line, might be a different story though. It may benefit to have a line that can be drained during this period, if this is a threat. Then the bucket or reservoir can be filled by hand while stored in a place that won’t freeze.

A water hose fitting can also be in the design to have it more on a mobile status during the design phase.

Looking for Automatic Chicken Waterer Parts List?

Cheesy Chicken Ravioli

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Cheesy Chicken Ravioli Finished

Cheesy Chicken Ravioli Finished

Cheesy Chicken Ravioli is a really good meal item and will have the whole family wanting this for dinner. This cheesy meal can include chicken or not and can be expanded or reduced to accommodate few or many people.

This particular version was with a 3 quart pan and will feed 4 people well.

 Items needed to make this Cheesy Chicken Ravioli dish.

  • Cheesy Chicken Ravioli Ingredients

    Cheesy Chicken Ravioli Ingredients

    Baking dish around 2″ deep (ours was 13 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ x 2″)

  • Cheese Ravioli (Usually found frozen) – This is filled with cheese as opposed to Beef Ravioli which is filled with beef. The beef ravioli is what we cook with the red sauce, but it may end up being good in this dish without adding any chicken.
  • Alfredo Sauce – We are using almost 2 full jars for this dish (15 oz. jars). The alfredo sauce can be added to or taken away from this dish for personal preference. We call this “white” sauce as opposed to “red” sauce which is tomato based.
  • Chicken – We are using “Ready to Cook” chicken breast. The chicken needs to end up as bite sized pieces. So this can be a few different kinds, but this is how we like it.
  • Parmesan cheese – We are using shredded parmesan, but you may be able to use the ground version.
  • Mozzarella cheese – again we are using shredded, which is the way you normally would get mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella cheese can be added to or taken away from this dish depending on personal preference.
Mixing up the Cheesy Chicken Ravioli

Mixing up the Cheesy Chicken Ravioli

  1. Cook the chicken thoroughly.
  2. Boil the ravioli – The ravioli will float to the top of the water when they are done. We added them to a rolling boil and they should only take 3-5 minutes to cook.
  3. Once the ravioli is finished cooking, add them to the bottom of the baking dish.
  4. Once the chicken is finished cooking, cut it into bight sized pieces and add to the top of the ravioli in the baking dish. We used 2 1/2 large breast cuts for ours.
  5. Now put one full jar (15 oz.) of Alfredo sauce on the top of the chicken and ravioli.
  6. Mix this up just so that it is evenly mixed.
  7. Add 2 handfuls of the parmesan cheese.
  8. Add 2 handfuls of the mozzarella cheese.
  9. Mix again so all these ingredients are mixed adding more Alfredo sauce if needed.
  10. Now make this mix even throughout the baking dish.
  11. Add more Alfredo sauce to the top of this – sparingly.
  12. Add more Parmesan cheese to the top – sparingly – one handful.
  13. Add more Mozzarella cheese to the top – as preferred but sparingly.
  14. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  15. Place pan and cook for 40 minutes or so. Monitor after 30 minutes so as not to burn the cheese.
  16. Scoop it out with a large spoon. Garlic bread might be a great addition to this.
Cheesy Chicken Ravioli Ready to Eat

Cheesy Chicken Ravioli Ready to Eat

 

 

GoPro Battery – Battery Extender

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GoPro on a Power Bank

GoPro on a Power Bank

To get more out of your GoPro battery you can use a power bank. A power bank is typically used to charge your cell phone in a mobile setting, without the need to find an outlet. A power bank can be used to charge your GoPro camera as a stand alone charger. The power bank can also be used to power the GoPro unit and extend the single use life of the battery by 4 or more times.

GoPro Skeleton Housing

GoPro Skeleton Housing

Using the skeleton housing, you can use a myriad of the GoPro accessories available. The skeleton housing allows the charging cable to be plugged in to the side and still be in a housing. The skeleton housing is not waterproof. It is the one downside. It sure beats drilling a hole in the standard housing.

The Power Bank that I am using is the Targus 5500 mah. This unit will charge the GoPro battery in 1 1/2 hours versus 2 hours for the PC. A normal battery will last around 2 hours and 20 minutes shooting a 30 second interval time lapse. Using a fully charged GoPro battery and plugging in the power bank the same time lapse will go for just under 12 hours. This is great, because time lapse projects usually take more than 2 hours. This means that I can set up a time lapse project and not have to rely on 110v power. There may even be bigger power banks out there.

These and other GoPro Products recommended by Project Bolony

Top 20 Best Selling Power Banks on Amazon.com

This link is to a list of the best selling power banks on Amazon.com. Make sure and look at the mAh value as the higher the mAh the longer it will last.

You can use the 30PIN POWER CABLE WITH WATERPROOF BACK DOOR HOUSING FOR GOPRO HERO3+&HERO4 in conjunction with a power bank. Using a power bank will drastically increase the situations that you can extend your battery time. Getting the GoPro 30 pin connector with waterproof back door will extend your ability to leave the gopro oustide or even submerge the gopro under water.