Disrupting coque frog mating calls with feedback

[Kerry]

Disrupting unwanted persistent noises such as coqui frogs, dogs, and, possibly, raucous/abusive prison inmates--such as seen in National Geographic: Inside Guantanamo --using audio sound equipment.

Equipment for coqui frogs:

(1) Stereo receiver/amplifier w/microphone input port
(1) Omni directional microphone
(1) Reverb (delay-echo) amp
(1) Hi-Fi speaker

Ideally, the sound equipment for coqui frogs should be able to capture and reproduce the 20-20000 Hz frequency spectrum (typical specs for most of today's stereo equipment).

If necessary, construct waterproof shelters for the reverb and each speaker.

Set the reverb to delay the output of the microphone's input so that there is a tiny but noticeable echo-like delay. Within micro-second(s) a male frog will hear its own mating call. Hearing an echo of his call immediately causes confusion and then silence. The frog soon starts up again and again the equipment picks up and plays back his call. The male's call coming from the speakers confuses the female who is always searching for the location of the most sonorous mate. Over a period of nights, the confusion greatly hinders the female in locating any male, effectively stopping the mating process.

For dogs:

A similar feedback system can be used for incessant dog barking. The difference in equipment for dogs is that ideally* you want a microphone, receiver, delay amp, and speakers that can amplify and play above 20 kHz. Also what's required is a transformer that will turn the 20 Hz - 20 kHz sounds of a dog bark into a higher frequency noise (a whistle).  The reason is that the frequency of most dog whistles is in the range of 23 to 54 kHz --above the range of human hearing. Then what happens is the dog barks, the mic picks up the sound and the amp will both micro-delay and transform that sound into a whistle and send it back through the speakers to the dog as though you were blowing a dog whistle. The whistle startles the dog and causes the dog to pause in wonderment. He/she then barks again; again the dog produces the same whistle. The reverb decay time depends upon your distance from the dog.

* It's OK to use normal 20 Hz - 20 kHz listening music equipment for a dog however, it's advised that you send the dog's owner a letter** saying that you'll be playing back their dog's barking for a while until the dog gets so confused from barking at itself that it stops.

** Why a letter? (read Gabby's Tip about neighbor's barking dog)

For prison inmates:

I believe it would be worth trying an equally similar feedback system to be used in prisons where inmates, while in their cells, yell profanities, throughout the day and night. For prisons, a microphone would be glued onto the outside of the cell door wall. A large 15" speaker is also fastened to the outside of the cell door. Both the mic and the speaker are facing the inside of the cell.  The speaker has a soundproof enclosure around it. When an inmate yells from inside his/her cell the sound bounces off the inmate's cell walls which now serve as a microphone, a huge transducer, and picks up the sound and plays it back through the speaker. The speaker, being flush with the cell door wall, reverberates the inmate's own noise back into his/her cell. The sound-proof enclosure keeps the sound from echoing into the space of other inmates. Another option is the equipment could be set to play loud Rave music every time it hears a loud yelling after "lights out". Fellow prisoners will be very upset with the yeller. 

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Last edited 8/8/23