My friend Camille and I came up with this, and I've recently built a prototype, using a $30 radio shack dome tweeter, hotmelt-glued to a heavy cardboard tube, driven by a 555 oscillator driving a chirp circuit (mounted on a little breadboard).
List of possible improvements:
higher volume - how loud can the tweeter really go? (test it to destruction, in half-second sound bursts) If its mode of failure is overheating, add a heat sink of some kind. - flaring the tube like a trombone, so energy isn't lost diffracting around the rim.
more annoying sound - quasi-random "stutter" - random pitch change every few seconds
targeting "scope" - laser pointer - triple laser pointer, as in the movie Predator - adjustable-angle pointer, to experiment with off-axis signal strength
auto-targeting, using an infrared camera and pattern recognition - or just leave it turned on for 5 minutes and do a random x-y sweep of an area.
multiple units, mounted on other neighbours' property-- kevynct, Dec 06 2000 Just right! It should get the culprit dog howling with pain which will in turn set off every other dog in the neighborhood in a cacophany of barking the like of which you have never heard. Are you really sure you want corpses from every area graveyard in various states of decay wandering up and down your street moaning their complaints at the loss of their peaceful slumber? May I recommend ear plugs instead, or simply turn up the volume on your TV, perhaps a white noise generator! Now if you came up with a way to keep squirrels out of my yard that I would buy.-- Jonathan, Dec 06 2000 I think the only way to get rid of squirrels is to raze your backyard, tearing out all trees, vegetation and anything remotely resembling something to eat, and then pour a concrete slab over the resulting mound of dirt.-- PotatoStew, Dec 06 2000 Another strategy, more animal-friendly: "double-u double-o eff, Hoople Radio": A bark recognizer (could be human, in an early version) which triggers a multi-station very short range FM broadcast of the same barking (possibly recorded previously). Or replace the FM broadcast with leaving a few messages on the owner's voicemail.-- kevynct, Dec 06 2000 Throwing it off a boat?-- bookworm, Dec 06 2000 Isn't that how they get cork?-- rmutt, Dec 07 2000 It would be nice if I had something like this for the dog's owners, since they're sometimes more to blame than the dog. Zap *them* with it, and they might be less likely to leave their precious pooches out at night, where people like PeterSealy or me might kidnap them and debark them.
Of course, one can always file a complaint with their city Bylaw Enforcement department (ie. the dog pound), and get the dumb owners fined. A former neighbor of mine insisted on leaving her yappy little mutt out all night until she received several written warnings and a $500 fine for her ignorance.
Want to stop the mutts from barking? Go after their idiot owners.-- BigThor, Dec 08 2000 BigThor - you have the right answer. My neighbors, for whatever reason, insist on leaving their very well behaved dog in their backyard long after they get home. The dog (for reasons unknown to me) really wants to be with these people, so it starts barking, and barking and barking at their patio door. Coincidentally, our deck overlooks their patio, so any peace to be found having a happy hour on our deck is shattered. I vote to lock the people outside and let the dog in. No cannons for dogs, just for their owners - or blast their door open so the dog can get in.-- chili2k, Dec 08 2000 Walk up to the offending owner, pull out a gun, shoot the dog twice, nod your head, turn around, walk off.-- CasaLoco, Jun 13 2001 I take it you're trying to send high-intensity ultrasound? Gluing a cardboard tube to a tweeter won't work very well (but try it and see, I guess).-- egnor, Jun 13 2001 I thought ultrasound CALLS dogs..... What exactly do you intend to do when all the dogs in your neighborhood show up and pathetically look at you for further guidance?
Regarding squirrels. I've had them in the attic, the cupboard...very dangerous little things when they invade the house. I have 4 "barn cats" now.....no squirrels in sight.-- Bob Wade, May 12 2002 Maybe I just do not know how to use this site, but I would like to get my hands on this design, can you please tell me how to get to it.
Please let me explain; I live in South Africa, and have a problem with a barking dog - barks all night long. there are City Regulations against this, but in SA it is impossible to get the police to do anything. Laziest bunch of morons you have ever come across.
The owner's attitude is that if the dog is barking it means it is not sleeping, and therefore it is protecting the house!? &^^&&^((^%#
I also love animals and have 4 well trained dogs - when they bark there is a problem. This dog though starts like clockwork at 01H00 and stops around 06H00.
I have not slept properly in more than a year. Earplugs are as annoying as the dog. White noise does not help.
I am now in a fight between my health and that of the dog. The owner has even threatened to sue me for harassment. wish i had the money to take him on in court.
I agree with the sentiments about it not being the animal's fault. BUT WHAT DO I DO??? i am turning into a nervous wreck.-- LeonBouwer, Mar 05 2004 random, halfbakery