Close encounter from afar.

• Author: Middleton, Saundra
• Position: Wildlife watching

Does the animal kingdom behave differently if a human's scent or physical presence is not there to intimidate it?

We may now find out with an innovative video system designed by Homer resident Daniel Zatz. This summer, Zatz' See More Wildlife Systems launched a prototype in cooperation with the Kachemak Bay Discovery Program and the Seldovia Native Association.

Zatz installed four cameras on Gull Island and transmitted their audio and video images-via microwave-to the Pratt Museum eight miles away. Visitors not only viewed wildlife up dose-including the hatching of a puffin chick in its burrow-but they also operated the cameras by remote control.

"Most of the animal world view humans as predators. If we can factor out the human, it opens up a whole new world of imaging," says Zatz, a wildlife cinematographer. Zatz has been using remote videoing for years in his film-making.

Mike O'Meara of the Pratt Museum says he first heard of Zatz' system during the public "broohaha" over the proposed Fish and Wildlife Visitor Center. The museum recognized the value of having something similar and SeeMore Wildlife Systems was born.

The system needed to include a number of features, such as:

* the ability to tolerate Alaskan weather

* 120 days of attention-free service

* 8 to 10 consecutive hours of use

* clear visibility in spite of rain, salt spray and bird guano

* reliable power for a remote location

Seemore Wildlife Systems opted for solar power. To keep the solar panel clean, Zatz devised a Mylar[R] covering system similar to the old rest room hand towels.

When needed, the 50-foot roll of Mylar film can be remotely operated to advance over the panel, replacing the dirty covering.

For every hour that the sun is up, the system produces five hours of power. Enough excess power can be stored in two deep-cycle batteries for 10 days of operation, and the system, which activates when a user touches the joystick, automatically shuts down after 10 minutes of non-use. The system requires only one amp.

Other special features include:

* remotely operated windshield wiper and spray system for lens cleaning

* 64X power zoom

* 350-degree range of view

* nitrogen-filled, waterproof housings to keep the cameras as moisture-free as possible

* infra-red lighting for puffin burrow

The operational loop includes a user joystick linked to a computer at the Pratt Museum. A UHF signal is sent to a receiver on Gull Island, translated by another computer and relayed to...