The Retirement Thread

[BoldonLad]

I've finally finished mounting a Blink doorbell camera in a nest box and attached it to a fence. It's a bit of a bodge with black gaffer tape. I'll leave it for a while and see if there's any interest. The handy thing is that it's pointing at the bottom of the nest box and will be triggered if anything enters the box and notify me.

I would be very interested to hear how your Blink doorbell camera performs in a nest box. They are significantly cheaper than a typical nest box camera, and, appear to have superior features (ie no mains required).

 

[Tenkaykev]

I would be very interested to hear how your Blink doorbell camera performs in a nest box. They are significantly cheaper than a typical nest box camera, and, appear to have superior features (ie no mains required).

That's what appealed to me, the simplicity of it compared to the expensive commercial solutions often requiring cable feeds. The fact that it is wireless with an advertised 2 year battery life from the included Lithium batteries meant no faffing about.
I purchased the Blink wireless doorbell when it was on offer for about £29, and I have a £4 Wilko nesting box, the one with the chalet style roof. The top half of the front of the box is fixed with a couple of small screws and is removeable for cleaning / different bird species. You can just about slide the camera in there but mounting it was tricky without taking the box apart which I did. I then cut a hoole in one side of the roof and fitted a sheet of opaque perspex to form a window for natural light. ( I realised afterwards that using a piece cut from a plastic milk container would work )
I can view the inside of the box and alter the IR intensity and also the picture quality to HD.
I was concerned about depth of focus but the lens is wide angle and the focus is ok. Ideally a slightly taller nest box would make things easier.
I will get an alert on my phone if anything enters the nest box, and have set it to record a 10 second video clip if triggered, and take a photo every hour for a 24 hour compilation.
Here's a screenshot I've just taken, it is looking down into the box with the edge of the " window " in the roof just showing in the bottom right of the picture. The chewed up bit is where I enlarged the original mounting hole in the back of the box.
As I said, a first attempt and more a proof of concept. Hedghog house will be the next project 🦔

 

[BoldonLad]

That's what appealed to me, the simplicity of it compared to the expensive commercial solutions often requiring cable feeds. The fact that it is wireless with an advertised 2 year battery life from the included Lithium batteries meant no faffing about.
I purchased the Blink wireless doorbell when it was on offer for about £29, and I have a £4 Wilko nesting box, the one with the chalet style roof. The top half of the front of the box is fixed with a couple of small screws and is removeable for cleaning / different bird species. You can just about slide the camera in there but mounting it was tricky without taking the box apart which I did. I then cut a hoole in one side of the roof and fitted a sheet of opaque perspex to form a window for natural light. ( I realised afterwards that using a piece cut from a plastic milk container would work )
I can view the inside of the box and alter the IR intensity and also the picture quality to HD.
I was concerned about depth of focus but the lens is wide angle and the focus is ok. Ideally a slightly taller nest box would make things easier.
I will get an alert on my phone if anything enters the nest box, and have set it to record a 10 second video clip if triggered, and take a photo every hour for a 24 hour compilation.
Here's a screenshot I've just taken, it is looking down into the box with the edge of the " window " in the roof just showing in the bottom right of the picture. The chewed up bit is where I enlarged the original mounting hole in the back of the box.
As I said, a first attempt and more a proof of concept. Hedghog house will be the next project 🦔

View attachment 683724

Thank you for that!

It looks excellent, better quality shots than my Son-in-law's, much more expensive, purpose build job. I see an Amazon/Blink purchase coming on

 

[Tenkaykev]

Thank you for that!

It looks excellent, better quality shots than my Son-in-law's, much more expensive, purpose build job. I see an Amazon/Blink purchase coming on

On sale at £39 at the moment.

 

[numbnuts]

Walk done I was not singing

 

[classic33]

Walk done

View attachment 683759 I was not singing

Just back, how far did you walk?
There and back isn't an answer.

 

[Sterlo]

Just back, how far did you walk?
There and back isn't an answer.

By the look of it, to the nearest lamppost

 

[Dave7]

We had our fish, peas and scallops. Wouldn't rush back for the scallops but the rest was nice

 

[numbnuts]

Just back, how far did you walk?
There and back isn't an answer.

5.3 miles and now my right knee is hurting, I have just put some ibuprofen gel on it

 

[classic33]

5.3 miles and now my right knee is hurting, I have just put some ibuprofen gel on it

Hope it's not as sore later on.

 

[Drago]

Snoozed off in my armchair following my lunchtime guinness, awoke to see Fi d It Fix It Flog It on TV. The day is going well.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

OK - we're back

kids all sorted out and handed over to their Mum

Baby (well 2) was wonderful as usual
There was an 'incident' when I took him for a wander down the high street
he likes that becuase it is pedestrianised so I just let him go wherever he wants - he is a good kid and won't run off
well - not much and stops ded when I engage 'annoyed Pops' Voice
as a result he got to smile at a lot of total strangers - most of who smiled back and many layghed at him

for some unknow reason his trousers ended up quite wet
I asked him and apparently it was NOTHING to do with jumping in puddles
NO NO NO - total mystery apparently

Anyway - behved himself perfectly ( to some definition of perfectly anyway)
The other 2 came home and entertained them selves for a while until their Mum came home
only one biscuit dispensed - which is a record - they normally think I am a biscuit dispensing device!

anyway - probably need to start thinking about tea soon
the chippy might call!

 

[welsh dragon]

OK - we're back

kids all sorted out and handed over to their Mum

Baby (well 2) was wonderful as usual
There was an 'incident' when I took him for a wander down the high street
he likes that becuase it is pedestrianised so I just let him go wherever he wants - he is a good kid and won't run off
well - not much and stops ded when I engage 'annoyed Pops' Voice
as a result he got to smile at a lot of total strangers - most of who smiled back and many layghed at him

for some unknow reason his trousers ended up quite wet
I asked him and apparently it was NOTHING to do with jumping in puddles
NO NO NO - total mystery apparently

Anyway - behved himself perfectly ( to some definition of perfectly anyway)
The other 2 came home and entertained them selves for a while until their Mum came home
only one biscuit dispensed - which is a record - they normally think I am a biscuit dispensing device!

anyway - probably need to start thinking about tea soon
the chippy might call!

My youngest grandsons are nearly 21 and they still think gran has a never ending supply of biscuits.

 

[Paulus]

Just back from the committee meeting. It's pouring down with rain.
Tomorrow we are off to Earl's Court to see an immersive exhibition about the Earth, with a commentary by Sir David Attenborough.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

My youngest grandsons are nearly 21 and they still think gran has a never ending supply of biscuits.

TO be fair we made a rod for our own backs

the middle one has learning difficulties and was very late speaking - and we made a "thing" where he could only have a biscuit if he said biscuit

now he has to count them properly - and give half to his brother

but that doesn't work too well now that he can easily say biscuit (although he does pretend to say it badly as a joke!) and he is quite capable to counting to 3 twice nowadays
but it is expected!!!