Bird box camera, radio, wire?

[dave]

I'd like to rig up a camera inside a bird box we have fixed to our cherry tree. The box is about 8' above ground level. We have also had a bat box up there for a couple of years (but never had and bats go it

- even though they fly around the garden in the evenings).

Just wondered if there is a (not too ) expensive camera I could get to fix inside and connect up to a monitor of some kind. I few things: i suppose it's a special camera with very short focal length (£££?).

Would it be best to get some kind of radio link from camera to monitor

- although I guess the expense goes up quite a lot to do that. Do radio ones interfere with normal tv's?

Wired one could be powered from the cable I guess? whereas the radio one would need batteries (don't real want to go to the fuss of changing them up a tree every 5 minutes.

Any suggestions as to kit? Thanks.

[George]

I can give you a few ebay links for the cheaper wireless camera,they're from HongKong but are reliable as I have bought two cameras from them plus a led IR light.

As for power if you aquire an 8 to10 amp alarm sealed lead acid battery this would last about 5 days or more? but then you would have to have a means of charging it.

[George]

Westmidlands locality for this one. The power supplies are naff for CCTV cameras because after they have been on a while they tend show a band rolling up the monitor screen bu the camera and reciever wor o when a good supply is powering them up .

[Mike Clarke]

Unless you can keep the battery well away from the nest box the birds aren't likely to nest in it if you're forever climbing up and changing the batteries.

[fred]

In article , George writes

lost or damaged during transit."

Not the most professional sounding business.

[George]

And your point is?

You'll find a number of ebay shops spout those words and so does a number of internet shopping sites.

[fred]

In article , George writes

The point is that it is a misleading and unlawful diversion of risk from a business supplier to a consumer.

A UK business supplier is responsible for the security of goods until they are safely delivered to a consumer, irrespective of what their Ts&Cs say. Anyone stating otherwise is at it and IMO well worth steering clear of.

[Roger Mills]

What you want is one of these

or similar. It has about 15 metres of cable, and is powered through the cable - so no batteries. It has IR lights which work at night, and can be focused down to a few inches. They're often on offer for about £20, so if you're not in a hurry . . .

[Peter Crosland]

Whilst deciding which to use remember that you will not be able to get any legal access to the kit when the box is in use by birds. Also beware that any cable does not provide a route for agile rodents to get at the box. You will need a much shorter focal length lens that normal surveillance ones have.

Peter Crosland

[Rod]

Just wondering if it might be possible to use a fairly ordinary digital still camera? Some have the capability of being operated and viewed remotely. Many have a macro feature. I can't help feeling that the possibility of getting some quite good resolution images would outweigh the relatively poor video (low-ish frame rate) that you might expect. Also, some suitable older cameras might be pretty cheap. Someone else will have to evaluate this idea and make model suggestions.

[dennis]

No. However there are a lot of cheap illegal cameras that work on frequencies (e.g. 1.5 GHz) that interfere with other stuff. If they catch you you will be in serious trouble.

2.4GHz stuff is legal but can be interfered with by WiFi networks and there are only three channels so can interfere with each other.

You can get IP cameras that have a built in web server and these are wireless (WiFi) or wired and are better if you intend to use it on the web.

[George]

Can't say mine have been interfered with as of yet Dennis.

Too expensive for the task in hand.

[George]

Can I suggest you stay away from ebay when buying something.

[dennis]

They would be here.. I have three WiFi access points and the neighbours have five.

[George]

How do you know if this was the case?,you can't until you have actually tried

[dennis]

I have tried, do you think I am making it up? Surprisingly the video doesn't have much effect on the WiFi. If you have tried it and not had any interference then I bet you have bought illegal 1.5G stuff from eBay.

[George]

Nope,2.5Ghz. Doesn't a WiFi have more channels than the camera?

[dennis]

8<

Yes, but there are only three that don't overlap (1,6,12 IIRC) with each other and they all overlap the three video channels that fit. If they say 2.5G they are illegal it is 2.4G that is illegal BTW.

[Michael Chare]

So if, as happens, a bird makes a nest in our garden shed, does that mean that I am not legally allowed in the shed?

It is just as well that I stopped birds nesting above my soffit boards.