Off the wall monitor problem

Has anyone with a Merlin@Home monitor found a way to turn off that ghastly green power light. It feels as if I'm sleeping inside a badly lit aquarium, and is impacting my sleep quality.

Plastic tape over the light is a non-starter due to the presence of a cat dedicated to removing and eating plastic tape wherever it exists. The vet bill would not be fun.

At my first check up I'll be asking about the monitoring schedule to see if i can keep it turned off most of the time and/or relocate it to e.g. my home office where it will be less intrusive but have a decent time window to operate in proximity to me.

But I'd like to have other options up my sleeve.

Helen

 


11 Comments

green light

by new to pace.... - 2023-08-16 17:21:04

I have a Medtronic an my green light is on during the day or when i turn on a light.  At night and in the dark it is not lite.

new to pace

What about placing it under the bed as long as it is within range?

by Gemita - 2023-08-16 17:49:11

Helen, have you tried placing it covered under the bed or would it be out of range?  I see some models may need to be placed at chest level to be in range.  I know many members place it under the bed.  I tried this successfully with my Medtronic bedside monitor that used to glow green and amber when it was transmitting nightly.  

Or what about covering the device where it sits with a cardboard box, leaving a hole for ventilation.   You can cut one to size.  Use your imagination for a cover but tell your cat not to investigate - they love boxes.

My green light

by Lavender - 2023-08-16 22:40:56

I have my monitor beside the bed but way back underneath an end table. 

Green light

by AgentX86 - 2023-08-16 22:46:20

I unplugged the thing and threw it under the bed. I hated that thing. Not only was that infernal green light, bright enough to light the room, but all the lights would flash in the middle of the night.  At first I thought it was lightening.   I have the app now, which is unobtrusive,

Green Light

by Stache - 2023-08-16 23:38:02

I painted mine with whiteout...cat proof and dim now.

So glad I'm not the only one...

by atiras - 2023-08-17 04:22:36

Thanks, all.

Gemita, under the bed is not an option; I have an ottoman bed.  In the bed might work, but I'd have concerns about fire safety.  I may get Himself to build a custom cover.

Lavender, I don't have room for an end table next to my bedside chest, unfortunately.

AgentX86, I'll ask about the app when I go for my first checkup. It would be my first choice of solution.

Stache, that's a good fallback option -- thank you.

 

Green light

by Mjolnir - 2023-08-17 06:59:35

I cover my monitor with a black facecloth or a small towel, and it completely dims the light. I don't have a cat though, so I'm not sure if a cat would mess with that..?

Power LED

by piglet22 - 2023-08-17 07:08:56

Had a quick look at this monitor and it looks as though it has a membrane panel and the various switches and indicators are either part of the membrane or will have some sort of cut out under the surface to allow the light to shine through.

The power LED is an essential part of the system and it is unlikely that it could be disabled. Some displays can be designed to react to ambient light levels and dim, but I doubt that this has.

The only constraint on where you place it is to be in range of Bluetooth, assuming that's what it uses to communicate between base unit and PM. Medtronic use a different system of communication between the separate chest reader and the base unit.

It's not something I would experiment with.

Have you had a good look through the instructions to see if it's even possible?

I would be wary of doing things like painting it over as a solvent based paint could cause long term damage to the membrane.

The cat rules out the obvious solutions like tape, but again, tapes could damage it.

What about simply placing something against it like a piece of card? It wouldn't affect heat or transmissions. Just don't use anything metallic. Use something that the cat doesn't eat.

Rubber bands, Blu Tak? Hang it off the ceiling? Give it a lamp shade? there has to be a solution. The cat is the problem.

Ultimately, mobile phone or some other app device should solve the problem or at least until the cat gets the hang of using the phone or eating it.

Plaster

by Penguin - 2023-08-17 11:55:39

 Use something absorbent like a fabric plaster and smear a bit of something that cats hate to eat on the tape. I'd try something like chilli paste or chilli oil - strong enough to deter them. 

Mind you, your cats sound like they have a strange palate! 

strange palate

by AgentX86 - 2023-08-17 21:56:23

We have one that insists on licking the stainless steel refrigerator door.

It just gets worser and worser :)

by atiras - 2023-08-22 16:42:37

Thanks for the suggestions, all. I shall report.back after my first device check next month.

In the meantime I have discovered something worse about the damned thiing. In the middle of the night (28 days from when the pm went in), it squawked loudly. Both cats and I leapt to attention out of a sound sleep and watched the dance of the yellow lights. It finally chirped in loud satisfaction and returned to the sickly grren glow.

The cats went back to sleep. I couldn't. A soundproof lightproof box is getting more attractive by the day.  Or the phone app, if it will run on Android.

You know you're wired when...

You read consumer reports before upgrading to a new model.

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