Dawn song update and question.

flyin-lowe · Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:37 pm

I was messing around on my computer today and converted my Dawn Song CD to MP3 format. When you make a CD with MP3's it saves them by data space and not by minutes. So instead of 80 minutes of dawn song I was able to put 700 MB of dawn song on a CD. What does this mean??? In a newer style radio that plays MP3 format (or from a computer) this one CD will play for 12.5 hours.

Now, I am looking for someone on here who has a portable radio (jam box, or whatever) that has a timer feature on it. With my work hours I am just not able to get up at 4AM. I have been to every retailer around and nobody has any radios (other then alarm clocks) that can be set to start at a certain time. And the ones I have seen wont start up automatically when turned on so I don't think a separate plug in timer would work. Could someone out there post info on a radio that plays CD's and has a timer or alarm feature and is loud enough or has a jack for an external speaker. Every radio I saw said programable on it but that is just to program what order the songs play in and not when they start. Also my computer and property are situated in a manner I could not run a speaker from the computer to my PM housing.
Thanks

Guest · Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:01 pm

I bought my cd player/radio at Wal-mart for 87 dollars and it is programable to come on at your choosing, its a Panasonic.
It's not a boom box

Guest · Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:10 am

My experience is that when the unit is powered down...by on/off switch or timer, the CD will not play automatically when the power is restored. I have not found any way to get this 'automatic' idea to work. I also don't like getting up at 4AM to start it. Bill

Guest · Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:42 am

flyin-lowe wrote:So instead of 80 minutes of dawn song I was able to put 700 MB of dawn song on a CD. What does this mean??? In a newer style radio that plays MP3 format (or from a computer) this one CD will play for 12.5 hours.

When you create an MP3 what you are doing is compressing the audio. In MP3 format this is accomplished by throwing out some of the sound ranges that you dont miss most of the time, but sound quality is degraded.

80 minutes of uncompressed audio (round about) will fit on a cd, whereas many many hours of compressed audio can fit on a 700 mb cd.

Im not sure if this is a solution for you, but the way I play dawnsong is to create a scheduled task on my PC to play the audio cd every morning and to end the task after X hours. The program I use to play the CD I have configured to auto repeat. Then I ran some speakers outside the house and never have to worry about getting up and turning it on or turning it off.

Aaron

flyin-lowe · Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:16 am

I live in a tri-level house, and the computer is in the basement portions on the opposite side of the house from my T14. Without too much boring detail I have some crawl space and not really any good way to get speaker wires from my computer to anywhere near my PM house.
I am trying to get my hands on an old laptop that I can put in my garage and dedicate to this and then like you said I can schedule it to play and not need the MP3 cd I made.

Guest · Mon Apr 07, 2008 6:00 am

flyin lowe, I'm by no means any computer geek or sound expert but you might want to look at what Bose has to offer...at least in terms of quality external speakers is concerned.

Right now I'm using my external Bose remote speakers (run off of a CD of the dawn song) to try to attract some subbies to some new housing I've put up.
This is my 3rd morning I've run the CD, and the neighbors think I'm NUTS!!!

But, I'm concerned a little....about a few things....

How close to the housing, proximity-wise should the dawn song be played, ideally ?
Do I have to have the song coming from just "under" the house/gourds, or will the martin subbies likely "figure it out" if it's played, say, 30-40-50 feet away from the martin pole, on my back patio ???

Also.....how long of a time period, starting from sunrise going forward, should a person play the dawn song on a given morning before "calling it quits" for that day?

flyin-lowe · Mon Apr 07, 2008 6:37 am

Marcos,
A lot of people actually place a speaker directly on their housing. But it seems that as long as it is in the area once you get the PM's attention they will find the housing. Most say that the dawnsong should start around 4AM and play until 9-10 AM and then play the daytime chatter CD. Several times last year when I was out working in the yard in the late afternoon and evenings I would turn my dawn song on and a few PM's came in.

Does the Bose remote speaker you talk about only run off of a Bose radio or can you power it from any sound source?

Thanks

Guest · Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:41 am

flyin-lowe wrote:Marcos,
A lot of people actually place a speaker directly on their housing. But it seems that as long as it is in the area once you get the PM's attention they will find the housing. Most say that the dawnsong should start around 4AM and play until 9-10 AM and then play the daytime chatter CD. Several times last year when I was out working in the yard in the late afternoon and evenings I would turn my dawn song on and a few PM's came in.

Does the Bose remote speaker you talk about only run off of a Bose radio or can you power it from any sound source?

Thanks

Hmmm... I might start playing the day time chatter, to see if I can draw any guests in. Is this something you can find for free, or comes on a CD?

I bought the SongBird Purple Martin Magnet, so that I would have an automated Dawn Song for in the mornings. However I think it only runs for 2 hours then shuts off for the day, so that's a bummer.

Thanks,

Guest · Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:52 am

flyin-lowe wrote:Does the Bose remote speaker you talk about only run off of a Bose radio or can you power it from any sound source?

Thanks

Not real sure about that.
I'd go to their website and ask them directly.

Thanks for the tip about martin "daytime chatter".
Instead of buying another expensive CD, I wonder if I can just download this somehow ?
(I think I'll likely be in the POOR HOUSE the very same day the first subbie scout lands on my property !!

)

malachy cleary · Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:34 pm

I have a compact Sony stereo that I program to turn on at 3:30 A.M. and stop at 8:30 P.M.. I had the unit a year before I carefully read the instructions and realized it could be done. On my machine which cost about $150 ( I am sure thay are cheaper now) I go to " Daily Set" and set the times and then programmed the dawnsong to play twice followed by 12 daytime chatter sides and then back to to dawnsong for the evening. It usually instructs you to choose the play format (as in CD )and then don't forget to turn the unit OFF otherwise the timer won't work. Of course the unit must be plugged in to power the entire time. The major disadvantage is that if the power goes out or hiccups the whole thing has to be reset. Make sure to have the manual handy. I have to follow it every time. It does work and has so far been very reliable.

RLee · Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:15 pm

Malachy,
Do you have the Model Number of the Sony player and where you purchased it?
Thanks

Guest · Thu Apr 10, 2008 11:03 pm

I think another problem is that a clock radio - even if you can have it "wake to CD" - will turn off after just one hour.

Yes, Jack, Malachy: if you have a solution let us know, including model numbers, so we can try to get the same features.

appreciate it...

- Steve

WanderingPM · Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:55 am

Like you I invested a great deal of time trying to find the optimal solution.

I was able to find a good solution for me that allowed me to play the CD in repeat mode over a book self like stereo system:

See my post at:

http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic ... highlight=

Good luck

flyin-lowe · Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:15 am

Another option I am going to check into is I have found a few relatively cheap ($30-$50) PA amps. I am thinking that I can run from the alarm clock I already have (headphone jack) to the amp and then from the amp to a horn speaker outside.

CMI
The alarm I have will play the entire CD and then I set the second alarm to go off. I think the CD I have is about 70 minutes so I get over two hours, again I just need some more volume.

Guest · Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:57 pm

flyin-lowe wrote:Another option I am going to check into is I have found a few relatively cheap ($30-$50) PA amps. I am thinking that I can run from the alarm clock I already have (headphone jack) to the amp and then from the amp to a horn speaker outside.

CMI
The alarm I have will play the entire CD and then I set the second alarm to go off. I think the CD I have is about 70 minutes so I get over two hours, again I just need some more volume.

Holy monkey !
Lots of $$$ and energy devoted to the 'dawn song' and it's broadcast decibel level..
Makes you wonder... how did people get along and actually attract subbies and/or adults in the "good ol' days" ?!?
Just decoys ALONE ?!?