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My Escape To Reality.


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I would look for a 15" upright or cocktail to mame a 20" is rarer and therefore more sacrilege to mame :)

 

Yer, I just had a think about it looking at this Taito 20" table and thought it may be worth a lot more to someone exactly as it is rather than me making it non standard for a couple of people to use a couple of times a year that actually prefer playing pinball anyway.

 

It is complete as it stands and is probably worth a lot to someone as it is as it is pretty much as built originally with a few new parts installed several years ago.

 

I do have a Taito 20" upright that I could mod to 12volts and just throw in my Defender board and a multi board or even sell the pair of them and just play the games on the projector or T.V. I have down the farm

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just "aquired" a couple of nice batteries for the solar..

 

t-1275plus-battery-specs.png

 

Second hand but in fine condition and 4 in total.

 

By God these things are heavy.

 

150amp a piece and true deep cycle batteries made in the US.

 

I'm just hopeing the solar will be happy charging them up.

 

The specs sheet for the batteries is asking for 16volts to charge them and no set amperage.

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Don't know if this article would be of any help .. I certainly didn't think about the types of charging phases when I read your post

 

https://solartown.com/learning/solar-panels/solar-battery-care-maintenance-and-safety-dont-touch-the-terminals/

 

This one looks helpful too

 

https://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-information/battery-maintenance.

 

I have considered having batteries added to our solar system at home but they are still too expensive to make it a viable option as yet

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I got a good deal from Supa Cheap yesterday as well.

 

A Sony car DVD Radio 25% off for only one day so I went for it.

 

I have been using a Sony car radio for the farm's music/amp system and foolishly didn't get one with blutooth, something I thought at the time I would never need..Wrong.

 

I heard on the radio here a Supa Cheap sale and went and grabbed a catolog to have a look through and saw a Sony radio with blutooth for $115 and was happy with that but the wife thought go for a DVD as well so we can use it for movies.

 

Well good idea I thought and grabbed this unit...

 

http://sonyglobal.scene7.com/is/image/gwtprod/66bb9e032e9e8d631b36421ac8230046?fmt=pjpeg&wid=1014&hei=396&bgcolor=F1F5F9&bgc=F1F5F9

 

 

25% off made it a realistic price.

 

Now I need to swap it over in the media box I made some time ago.

 

DSCN0743.jpg

DSCN0744.jpg

 

Yes a bit of router work but at least I have all the wiring done on plugs so it is litrally an unplug and plug in operation other than the video leads as I want to run an external screen, slightly larger like 5 times larger.

 

I grabbed this unit because it does allow for an external screen.

 

It also has video in so I can hook up a RPi I have with Kodi loaded in it or some other source

 

I was quite happy with that idea till I saw how to hook a Chromecast to this car DVD using a HDMI to AVI converter.

 

Now we're talking. I have a WiFi LAN network I'm about to put in the farm house and the modem, I deliberatly targeted one that supports USB hardrives so it could WiFi stream content around the house and with Chromecast hooked to the radio, it can stream the content from the modem.

 

Here is how to Chromecast your car radio when it doesn't have a HDMI input like my situation.

 

 

So there you have it well the theory anyway. Now to put it all into practice.

 

I'm not a big fan of going down the farm to watch videos however music videos I can handle at night time and while I'm out working during the day, the wife and boys may get some use out of the setup.

Edited by Autosteve
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Well, good news for the batteries I was just given. They all took a charge fine so that is four 12volt 150amp deep cycle batteries and a pair of 6volt 225amp batteries I have to add to the farm's solar battery bank.

 

I'll wire the 6volt batteries is series to take them up to 12volts and 225amps and I add that to the 4 12volt batteries will take it up to 825amps.

 

As the batteries aren't brand new, I'll take off probably 100amps but that is still 725amps at 12volts to run the place, well the lighting and a few other things at night.

 

I just bought 30 meters of 50amp solar cable so I now have enough cable to hook up all the solar panels, well 6 of the 100watt 12volt panels I have anyway.

 

I have 8 100 watt panels in total but that would exceed the 50amp cable anyway so I'll have to think of something else to get them on line but this will be a vast improvemnt on what I have had in the past.

 

I was just using 4 100 watt panels at one stage and when I doubled the size of the house as well as raising the roof, these 4 panels were only getting sun till midday.

 

Last visit, I relocated the panels as well as made new mounts for them at one end of the house that gets the sun all day.

 

While the solar and batteries need the generator as well when using things like the microwave and pinball etc, the batteries are able to supply power for the radio and lighting.

 

Anyway, next visit I'll attempt to hook them all up and throw in the new batteries and see how it goes.

 

While making your own power suks and isn't cheap, at least this place gives me no ridiculous power bills like the suburban house is.

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I've been using a couple of these in the past.

 

The only thing I'm worried about this time is running the 6 100 watt panels into a pair of these 30amp units in parallel.

 

In the past I have only fed under 30 maps into each regulator but this time I'm feeding 50amps into two.

 

I can't see it making a big difference, they should just share the load between them.

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cRAAAOSwvflZOSJI/s-l1600.jpg

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I have been useing a 30 amp EPsolar unit to charge my 400AH setup

My pabels are 3 X 80V 110Watt panels and it does the job nicley

I am going to reconfig to 24volt setup soon and retire the old panels and put up 4 X 190Watt panels

for a cheap unit I cant fault them I have tryed a few in the last few years and these are great for the price

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/EPsolar-30A-MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller-Battery-Regulator-MT50-Remote-Meter-/222028338554?epid=2078888020&hash=item33b1eb957a:g:rIIAAOSwezVWxsVx

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

Wow, August was my last update. Sorry about that.

 

I went back down the other day only for the night and the following day but good to get down and check the place out.

 

Got a few things done but brought back a lot to do here and take back down, mainly measurements so I can build it here and simply fit it next visit like an exhaust pipe extension so I can run the generator with the workshop doors closed.

 

I have a 7KV generator and it has been a problem always needing the workshop doors open and move the genny up close to let the exhaust out. Well hopefully that will be a thing of the past now with the steam pipe I just bought from Bunnings.

 

I got a 3/4' joiner I'll weld to the existing generator exhaust pipe that will give me a 3/4" connection I can attach a 100mm long section of pipe, (threaded each end 3/4").

 

The end of the 100mm pipe has a threaded elbow screwed on it and a 600mm length of pipe screws to the elbow.

 

All up this gives me an L shaped section of gal steel pipe attached to the generator that will run the exhaust through the wall of the workshop when the doors are open or not.

 

I took down a 32GB thumbstick with me with a heap of new content like music videos, movies, scans of instruction manual Jpegs, ( unfortunately the RPi doesn't play pdf files so JPegs it is) and some music that all got uploaded to my farm entertainment unit, a trust RPi running OpenLec and a 2TB hard drive, twin monitors and sound through the car stereo I use to the 4 speakers, one in each corner of the house.

 

This entertainment system does well I think but most importantly, it runs on 12 volts and 5 volts for the pie at about 5 amps total.

 

The wife's 2 seater buggy has had issues with a dodgy battery wiring harness so it come back and I made a new one, (with soldered lugs this time), so that should mean no need for a mate to hold the battery wire while someone starts it burning your mate's fingers any longer.

 

I checked the 9000 liter water tank and was glad to see it was overflowing from the constant rain I had while I was there. Unfortunately the 1000 liter pressure water tank I use for the water taps and toilets appears to be leaking. I actually think so arse hole has shot a hole through it because the last couple of times I've been down, I've had to pump water up to it.

 

Can't really say it has been shot, it's just that it would make an outstanding target being on a stand 8 meters off the ground. A job my eldest son and I nearly died getting the tank up there with no machinery, just two 10 meter poles we slide the tank on up to the top of the stand using ropes and ladders.

 

Driving in the place after seeing no wildlife the whole trip down which is extremely rare, I was grad to see a couple of

ducks on the main dam and an echidna walking across the main paddock.

 

I took a couple of measurements of some wire harnesses I need to make for the power distribution board. This thing is constantly being upgraded as the house grows but these mods are simply for extra meters that aren't just a volt meter or an ammeter.

 

They combine both in the one meter so now I will have a separate volt/amp meter per solar bank of cells, (I run 3 backs of solar panels ATM), a volt/ammeter to measure what the wind turbine is putting out, a volt/ammeter to see how much total is being put into the battery bank and the voltage the battery bank is as well as a volt/ammeter to see what is coming out of the battery bank and being used by the house.

 

The new panel meters aren't as pretty as the old single purpose meters but it is the extra information I'm after.

 

These look like the new volt/ammeters...

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMFgxMDAw/z/eYIAAOSw1-RUZFrJ/$_35.JPG?set_id=2

 

And these are the old ones being replaced....

 

http://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PDT/BIG/935/B1134089935.jpg

 

Another reason for changing them is the original meters, (the ammeters), were only rated at 20amps and once above that you simply get a line. The new combo meters are 100amps but as you could possibly understand, these new meters need new shunts as the old ones were only 20amp rated and that is why the harnesses need to be changed to allow for the extra shunts to fit neatly on the board.

 

As I'm always interested in the temperature both inside and outside, ( so I can see how hot I can get the place in winter with the 3 woodfire heaters going), when I'm at the farm, I'm now after some neat looking temperature panel meters.

 

I was looking at this style....

 

s-l1600.jpg

 

But I'm now thinking this style, they just look so cool I think...

 

s-l400.jpg

 

A switch on the back changes them to Celsius.

 

No matter which style I choose, I'll fit one meter for inside temp at the top and another meter for outside temp under it. I was going to put in a switch to select and use just one meter with two probes but these meters are only a couple of bucks each so why not buy a couple.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Celsius-Fahrenheit-Digital-Thermometer-Temperature-Meter-Gauge-C-F-30-C-110-C/361110723844?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41451%26meid%3De4436f9ebbb5492eb9daeb6dc28a8ebf%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D131833910870&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

I just hope the probe that actually does the measuring is twin wires I can easily extend for the outside measuring and not some other form of measuring that I can't extend like mercury in a pipe. I'd highly doubt it is anything more than a sensor and two wires but we'll see.

 

Anyway, that's about it. Until next time I update.

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As I'm always interested in the temperature both inside and outside, ( so I can see how hot I can get the place in winter with the 3 woodfire heaters going), when I'm at the farm, I'm now after some neat looking temperature panel meters.

 

I was looking at this style....

 

s-l1600.jpg

 

But I'm now thinking this style, they just look so cool I think...

 

s-l400.jpg

 

A switch on the back changes them to Celsius.

 

No matter which style I choose, I'll fit one meter for inside temp at the top and another meter for outside temp under it. I was going to put in a switch to select and use just one meter with two probes but these meters are only a couple of bucks each so why not buy a couple.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Celsius-Fahrenheit-Digital-Thermometer-Temperature-Meter-Gauge-C-F-30-C-110-C/361110723844?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41451%26meid%3De4436f9ebbb5492eb9daeb6dc28a8ebf%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D131833910870&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

I just hope the probe that actually does the measuring is twin wires I can easily extend for the outside measuring and not some other form of measuring that I can't extend like mercury in a pipe. I'd highly doubt it is anything more than a sensor and two wires but we'll see.

 

Anyway, that's about it. Until next time I update.

 

I used similar meters when I was breeding fish, they used the same sensor which does just have two wires.

Thanks for the update.

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I used similar meters when I was breeding fish, they used the same sensor which does just have two wires.

Thanks for the update.

I ordered 4 of these temperature meters last night. $18 all up and knowing I can extend the sensor wires so they can reach outside to sample the temp outside is nice to know.

 

I was looking at placing them on common walls but now I will move them inside the main room.

 

Been looking at ways to remove tree stumps on YouTube lately. Another problem I need to tackle. I've cut down about 80 trees now so it doesn't all burn down should a fire come through plus some of them simply are taking the limited nutrient the ground has to offer and never going to develop into anything other than scub.

 

Better to knock them over and let the remainders turn in to good trees I think.

 

I think this process shows promise. It is relatively easy to prepare, doesn't poison the ground, uses nearly no fuel, and is relatively self maintaining so I don't need to sit there and watch it other than the occasional glance to check the hill isn't on fire.

 

 

Yes, I know this guy had to come back a few times and restart it. I think the idea is good and providing a clown isn't doing it like this guy appears to be, it should work fine plus I won't be lighting up fires in near gale forced winds like this idiot did.

 

Being relatively easy to do, I'm thinking I could get a few of these fires going at once providing I don't have fire bans and let them safely burn through the night.

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Two simple wires I'll extend with some speaker wire, excellent.

 

Amazing, I looked at my order and they were $4.66 each with free post and I ordered 4 total = $18.64 with free post due on the 24TH of December from Hong Kong.

 

Now look at this EBay listing for exactly the same meter but "allegedly" from Brisbane and would maybe arrive 6 days earlier and $18.99 each. ...

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Temperature-Meter-COLOUR-LCD-12V-PC-Digital-Thermometer-Gauge-Probe-Sensor/232028589692?_trkparms=aid%3D777003%26algo%3DDISCL.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140117125611%26meid%3D2d72e6a78d054580b72b7f984a741b96%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D141746441508&_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982

 

That is why I order direct from China rather than alleged Aussie stock but not only the price, Look at the specs....

 

Specification:

Size of display: 4.70*2.70*1.70cm

Power: 12v DC Molex connector or add your own connector

Probe wire length: 58cm

Power wire length: 60cm

Measuring Range: -10Celsius - 70Celsius.

 

That sort of implies 12v DC operation which on my one I ordered it clearly states 5vDC operation or damage will result.

 

Seems this Aussie supplier doesn't actually know the product that I'm sure he is simply ordering from China himself when someone orders from him and he gets the Chinese to send to the buyer.

I've had a few things from "Aussie suppliers" that were obviously sent direct from China to my address in the past.

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Yeah alot of sellers do that.

I bought a cheap beginner quality Guqin (7 stringed instrument) from a seller on Ebay for $130 that sells on Taobao for around AU$30. I didn't want to stuff around and was comfortable spending $130 for something that wasn't available here in Australia. Below is a post from one of the Guqin forums.

 

"My advice to all of you here is do not buy a Guqin from any seller from China on Ebay.

 

Most of them will sell you any item they have 3X the price they paid plus they are not even Guqin specialists. Basically they just purchased from a shop down the street or from taobao.com.

 

Here is a shocking example for you all of Ebay rape of foreigners.

 

cgi.ebay.com/china-Music-Instrument-guqin-desk-and-tablet-chair-/130549581249?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e655c85c1

 

They are asking 320$ U.S for an item sold at 62$ on taobao.com.My examples could go on for the instruments as well most of them also use the direct pictures from other online shops in China.

 

Just be careful. We can also say the same of U.S seller when they sell you a cheap Qin at 350$ plus shipping it means they must have paid 150$ so my final words is get a teacher or if possible get one directly from a known seller/maker in China where your momey spent will be of the exact value it represents."

 

http://starvoid.proboards.com/thread/1424/buy-any-guqin-on-ebay

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Steve. Is that 7kva genset diesel or petrol? Either way but maybe when you are doing the exhaust extension outside a spark arrestor near the end may be a good idea but you're a forward thinker so it maybe already done. personally I'd love it to be a diesel genset.
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Steve. Is that 7kva genset diesel or petrol? Either way but maybe when you are doing the exhaust extension outside a spark arrestor near the end may be a good idea but you're a forward thinker so it maybe already done. personally I'd love it to be a diesel genset.

 

No, it is petrol powered electric start but I am quite happy with petrol powered as I know nothing of how a diesel motor works as I learnt when I stupidly ran my diesel tractor out of diesel.

 

I did get the extension sorted and it works well actually considering I did have my concerns such as restricting the exhaust causing starting issues or overheating but no, it doesn't seem to worry it.

 

There is a spark arrestor built into the original muffler but I'm now curious, are you implying the gal on the inside of the steam pipe I'm using for the extension could burn off as I didn't consider that?.

 

I've just been down the farm for the last week and I'll add an update to this thread when I get a chance but without wanting to give away to much, my Trail Cam I repaired about a month ago caught something I wasn't expecting to see.;)

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.....There is a spark arrestor built into the original muffler but I'm now curious, are you implying the gal on the inside of the steam pipe I'm using for the extension could burn off as I didn't consider that?....

No I hadn't considered the gal myself either . I was just more concerned if it had no muffler/arrestor at all and just straight pipe but I see you've answered that one.

 

Curious to see what comes from your Trail-cam:)

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No I hadn't considered the gal myself either . I was just more concerned if it had no muffler/arrestor at all and just straight pipe but I see you've answered that one.

 

Curious to see what comes from your Trail-cam:)

 

This is the generator..

 

eExr1QI.jpg

 

You can see the threaded pipe I added to the exhaust so if need be, I can remove the extension exhaust like if I need to do welding down the back of the farm, it can easily be transported in a vehicle.

 

The exhaust extension was needed so it could fit in this location and operated with the shed doors shut and let the exhaust through the wall the ladder is currently leaning against....

 

LZvGMvs.jpg

 

ez2BXnV.jpg

 

I did a bit of work on the wife's buggy. It was a pig to start so I made a new battery harness, the cause for the hard weak cranking when starting. Nice, think cables and soldered lugs. I also remounted the battery using a better battery holder with new bolts, (custom made form all thread)...

 

Nsx6Ydp.jpg

 

The forward/ reverse planetary gearbox was also giving problems constantly breaking the control cables and this was becoming annoying as the cables aren't easy to get, (ball on one end and barrel on the other with a 90 degree elbow at the ball end.

 

lI1BEXn.jpg

 

All cleaned up so I could see how it actually works...

 

GT1FSNg.jpg

 

I pulled out the folk that makes the gears slide to change from forward to reverse and it was this spring that just seemed miles to hard. It is this spring the cable has to compress to enable forward and how hard this spring is, no wonder the cables are breaking so a total of 1 1/2 turns cut off the spring and bingo, the way is should have been made, I hope.

 

PcOUJ3S.jpg

 

@Railways That lovely new Bally front door logo put to good use. ;)...

 

VqLY7XS.jpg

 

d364e9a.jpg

 

This is our modest little bar my son set up last time he was down. A good couple of bottled headaches there I think..

 

MazXP2X.jpg

 

A far bit of work went into changes on the power distribution. This board takes the power from the two banks of solar panels and the wind generator, regulates it to 14.5 volts DC to charge the bank of batteries that lay on a shelf near the floor.

 

The work I did this visit was making new leads to fit in the new volt/ammeters to each of the solar regulators. These new meters are the black boxes with the red and blue displays in each located under the grey solar regulators.

 

These meters allow me to see the current and voltage coming in off each solar bank in real time. They are also rated at 100 amps a piece where as the old single ammeter that could only measure both banks of panel was rated at only 20 amps and was often being clocked.

 

eBxYFaR.jpg

 

This is my entertainment unit. I made the box retro style that houses the Sony car DVD player/radio/amp. It also has the RPi running OpenLec with all the content, (there is no internet here), on a 2TB hard drive. The display on the wall is hooked to the RPi via HDMI cable. Sound comes out of the RPi via the analog plug and into the radio's audio input plug, through the amp to the 4 speakers set up in the room.

 

gNKI6OG.jpg

 

The valley end balcony door upstairs has been an issue for a number of years now and a job I never seemed to get around to but not this time. It was rehung the opposite way, primed and painted and the outside security door fitted much to my wife's delight.

 

bwGbeXS.jpg

 

About 6 hours in the tractor and I finally have to two 5 meter round flat mounds of dirt to put the two 28,000 liter water tanks on. The thing about this place is there is no shortage of water, you just need to capture it when it rains, snows or is icy.

 

The idea is to have the tanks sitting this side of the shipping container wall along side the existing 9.000 liter tank in the picture the whole house is currently using. The water from these tanks is hooked to a pressure pump, Mains powered from the generator or the 12volt DC pressure pump powered off the battery bank. This pressurized water goes to the two showers either direct for the cold or via the LPgas heater for the hot.

 

The 12volt pressure pump ready for a rebuild but still working well after 6 years in that location...

 

KOlV2gr.jpg

 

The area the tanks will live....

 

EjOzoaH.jpg

 

U93SoUG.jpg

 

eDqw1ye.jpg

 

The excess dirt went around the backfill areas we have been working on to extend out the flat area the house and workshop sit on. This area was once a hill with the tip taken off and we are just creating more level ground around the house but that requires heaps of dirt and a whole heap of trees I cut down. It's actually easier to backfill the ground with trees rather that dirt so I lay big trees in and cover them with a dirt topping.

 

These are a couple of areas we have backfilled or in the process of backfilling....

 

gPEF7My.jpg

 

IlM9Fdh.jpg

 

9y3PNns.jpg

 

Now, the trail cam I repaired about 2 months ago got put back into use snapping pictures and videos of the animals you don't always get to see especially with tractors, quads and generators going but you know they are there by the many tracks and shit they leave.

 

These are what it "Saw"..

 

The colour shots are daytime, the black and white are IR taken at night with the actual time, date and temperature. timestamped on the picture.

 

Sorry, I can only display the pictures. I don't have a video upload site set up yet...

 

TSk2bFf.jpg

 

2F05DwV.jpg

 

1K6Nls6.jpg

 

KhwabjL.jpg

 

sXweJi3.jpg

 

WIj0mll.jpg

 

kqs3kKQ.jpg

 

CXSdxhj.jpg

 

Dw5ZHuH.jpg

 

Now this one was the surprise. I have suspected but nothing is as good as a picture aye.

 

aTy6g49.jpg

 

These pictures were all taking in the one location about 250 meters in the valley behind the house over 4 days. It was windy and the trail cam goes mad snapping away at movement that is often wind moving grass or even leaves blowing in the path of the camera falsely triggering it. I edit all those pictures out.

 

All these pictures do contain animals although not always easy to see at night. I can assure you they are there but I was able to also use the 10 seconds of video that goes with each of the pictures that made some easier to identify.

 

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. I know this post is big and intense but I figure I owed a good upload and this 5 days I did get a lot of work done and the trail cam lives again, yes I'm real happy.

 

Looking forward to setting it up at a few location right down the back of the block around where my sons and I saw the black thing I swear was a medium sized pig with a very long, straight tail.;)

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That is awesome that you have deer on the property. I actually thought the surprise shot may have been of the mysterious black thing (I hadn't forgotten that you mentioned it earlier in the thread) . It would be great to get some footage of that. However apart from solving that mystery the deer is definitely the next best thing. Thanks for the update @Autosteve. Already looking forward to the next installment.

 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Aussie Arcade mobile app

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