Bird Nesting Box Camera

LSainsbury · 15-08-2010, 20:54

Hi,

I'm looking for a camera to put into our bird box for next year.

The box is on the back fence away from the house, so the cables will have to run through the side of garden.

The only cameras I can find either have a power supply or battery. I don't want to run a power cable and I don't want to keep changing the battery and risk disturbing the birds.

Any ideas on potential devices I could use?

Paul · 15-08-2010, 21:08

You don't want a mains lead or battery? How do you envisage powering the camera without one of those 2 items? You could try a set up from here
http://www.enjoybirdsmore.co.uk/Wild...a-Accessories/
as they do a solar panel to power their camera kits, won't be cheap though.

**Kymmy** · 15-08-2010, 21:08

All cameras (apart from old cine-wind up) need power of some sort... You could run a lead down to a 12v GEL-CELL (like what you get in alarm systems) to run a small camera but then you still have to have the cable to take the video signal back.. A wifi camera uses more power so battery might not be an option

blackthorn · 16-08-2010, 05:47

Why not a small webcam connected to pc.
You can get usb extensions up to 20 metres here.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CABLE-EXTENT.../dp/B001GU0WJM

**Kymmy** · 16-08-2010, 07:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackthorn

Why not a small webcam connected to pc.
You can get usb extensions up to 20 metres here.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CABLE-EXTENT.../dp/B001GU0WJM

It might not work, USB has a maximum workable length for a single cable of about 5 meters, some have reported longer lengths working but it depends on the equipment (whether it gets it power from the usb lead or via it's own PSU).. Normally to extend past 5meters you'd need powered hubs/extenders every 5 meters.

So printers might work at longer lengths but mice/keyboards/webcams that are powered by the cable might not

Tightscot · 16-08-2010, 09:22

you could look for a POE camera?

haydnwalker · 16-08-2010, 09:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tightscot

you could look for a POE camera?

Aren't they generally rather large....? Remember its got to fit inside a bird box...I think a powered one, dug into a small trench around the outside of the garden will probably be your best bet.

Tightscot · 16-08-2010, 15:10

agreed they're usually large, but it depends how big the nest box is

was simply offering an alternative to getting power down alongwith the network...

the OP could always drill a hole in the side of the box, stick the lens through the side of the box and mount the camera body externally?

Osem · 16-08-2010, 15:21

We used a small low voltage PIR activated B&W camera (Micromark??) for just this purpose several years ago and it worked very well connected by scart to our video recorder. Of course it needed a wire but that was easy to run (no need to bury it) and remove when the young ones finally fledged.

idi banashapan · 16-08-2010, 17:42

Give the birds a disposable camera and get them to take the pictures themselves. When they have used up the film, ask them to leave it outside the backdoor so you can get it developed. That won't require batteries or mains.

LSainsbury · 17-08-2010, 11:20

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses - ok - what I'm tying to aviod is running electrics around the garden. Yeah I know the camera will require some power - the solar stuff that Paul suggested seams like the way forward!

Waldo Pepper · 24-08-2010, 11:17

The main problem you will have with solar power is that to power the camera for say 8 hours a day will require more power than can be provided by generally available solar cells during the day. It's not as though they can be charged overnight.

Get a path foot trimmer and cut into the garden. I have external CCTV looking at the rear of the house that does just this.

The gouges in the grass will soon grow over and the buried cables will be invisible within a few weeks.

There are plenty of outdoor cameras on the market and all the recording etc can be done within the house.

Failing that, Maplin do a range of bird box cameras but they are battery powered and use an SD card for storing time lapse images.

LSainsbury · 24-08-2010, 19:40

The camera won't actually be running 8 hours a day though - only when we decide to flip the TV over to watch the incoming signal from the camera - it does not need to be powered 24 /7. We won't be recording the stream like CCTV.

I can run the cables round the garden and into the house - that's no problem.

**Kymmy** · 24-08-2010, 19:44

An IR camera (with IR light source) will be your best bet.. as that will work in the dark and won't disturb the birds too much

LSainsbury · 24-08-2010, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

An IR camera (with IR light source) will be your best bet.. as that will work in the dark and won't disturb the birds too much

Still requires some sort of power connection though - correct?