Bird House with IP Camera

Last crawled date: 4 years, 3 months ago

Reasonably simple set up:
Print
A: 1 Birdhouse Top
B: 1 Birdhouse Bottom (it has a 1-1/2" hole for various birds). It also has a 1/4" hole for a perch if you want a perch!
C: 1 Birdhouse Hole (1-1/8" hole for Wrens) (Plug perch hole for a Wren house!)
D: 1 Birdhouse Plug (if you want to paint your birdhouse)
Buy:
1 Camera with 64mm Outside Diameter (or make the hole in the top the correct size for whatever cam you have).
Either of these two cameras have a 64mm outside diameter, there are probably others, but I OWN these so I know they're both the correct diameter body (tip, buy them ON SALE, they go on sale for a TON cheaper than "normal" price:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DYS149B
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G1U4MVA
You may be able to find a wifi camera so that you don't need to run Ethernet out to it (just power), but I have easy places to put mine and didn't bother looking for wifi cams...
Things you need to do:
Print all the parts :p
Take the front off of the camera (1 phillips screw) and re-focus the camera for near distance focusing. The lens is held in place with a dab of hot melt glue. Luckily, you are going to unscrew (counter clockwise) the lens about 3/4 of a turn (CAREFULLY using a pliers to do so). I didn't need to try anything to pull off the hot melt glue because it simply came loose while unscrewing the lens. Use a ruler to test your focus distance as you want it to focus well between 2" and 8" which is well within it's autofocusing IF you take the time to focus it well.
Now, with the front still off of the camera, stick the camera through the Birdhouse Top and then re-attach the front to the camera. If you're planning on painting the birdhouse, put a piece of blue painter's tape over the lens leaving one end sticking way up so you can pull it out through the hole. Glue (I used hot melt glue) the top, bottom and hole in place.
Now you're at the point where you want to make sure the camera is orientated the way you want it. Plug your camera in and check out placement (you see how I've got mine orientated in the 3rd pic. I have the hole facing down). Being a fussbudget, I made my camera orientated parallel to the front and back. Holding it there, put a few dabs of hot melt glue to keep it in place. After the hot melt glue cooled, I then put a ring of hot melt glue all the way around the camera/top.
If you're going to paint it, push the plug into the hole. Paint. Remove plug. Remove painter's tape.
I used PLA+ and have the house located under an eave of the house for shade and protection from the elements.