Spying on garden beasties

Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Just had a quick look on eBay and came across this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300997295323. Spec looks reasonable but first
hand experience would be much appreciated.

Tim

On 22/01/2014 21:49, Tim+ wrote:
Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Beasties eh?

This one big and bad enough?

http://tinyurl.com/nkmem52

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/caught-redhanded-burglary-suspect-captured-on-bbc-wildlife-presenter-simon-kings-fox-family-camera-9074601.html
--
Phil Cook

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:49:07 +0000, Tim+ wrote:

Just had a quick look on eBay and came across this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300997295323. Spec looks reasonable but first
hand experience would be much appreciated.

A common type, probably all coming out of the same chinese factory
with different brand labels on. Shop about I'm sure they are
available cheaper.

It's not weather proof either. To avoid reflections of the camera
itself or the IR LEDs you don't really want it on a window sill
inside... There are similar spec and price "weather proof" cameras
but they lack the remote PZT.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Tim+ wrote:

Anyone done this? Got any
recommendations regarding kit?

I can't comment on the kit you are looking at, as my experiences go
back a few years to when I was a hedgehog carer and had a camera in my
garden to watch their night-time antics.

When a hedgehog was fully recovered after treatment, I would do a
"voluntary release" in which they'd be placed in a special brick-built
hidey-hole with lots of straw, water and food, and an open entrance at
the end of a short tunnel. They could stay in it if they wanted, or
venture out, knowing they had a safe place to return.

Most followed the same pattern: short ventures to start with, then
longer ones, and after three or four days they wouldn't come back.

Anyway, the roof was made of a transparent plastic sheet, with a sheet
of wood covering it during the day. At night I'd remove the wood
sheet, so the camera could see inside. I didn't have movement
detection back then, so it was a matter of recording all night and then
fast-forwarding to the interesting bits.

You know how hedgehogs love to eat slugs and snails? Well, one night I
recorded the hedgehog feeding at its bowl of cat food, and standing(?)
right next to it, also feeding at the cat food, was a big juicy slug.
I don't know if they called a truce, or the cat food tasted better than
a slug, or maybe the hog was deliberately fattening up the slug to eat
at some other time.

On another occasion I saw the hog eating at its bowl, and in wandered a
rat, who went straight to the water bowl and started drinking. I
wondered how they might interact, but interestingly both the hog and
the rat completely ignored each other, despite being at adjacent bowls
and no more than three inches between them. After a while the rat
wandered off again. I was surprised, as I'd expected there to be some
kind of competition for the food or water.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll have some fun with it.

--
SteveT

"Dave Liquorice" wrote:
On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:49:07 +0000, Tim+ wrote:

Just had a quick look on eBay and came across this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300997295323. Spec looks reasonable but first
hand experience would be much appreciated.

A common type, probably all coming out of the same chinese factory
with different brand labels on. Shop about I'm sure they are
available cheaper.

It's not weather proof either.

Ah, well spotted. Hadn't realised that.

To avoid reflections of the camera
itself or the IR LEDs you don't really want it on a window sill
inside... There are similar spec and price "weather proof" cameras
but they lack the remote PZT.

Cheers. Looks like I will need to spend a bit more.

Tim

In message

nal-september.org, Tim+ writes
Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Just had a quick look on eBay and came across this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300997295323. Spec looks reasonable but first
hand experience would be much appreciated.

Tim

Was it not one of these, or one very similar, that hit the press last
year when someone hacked into it and started swearing at a families baby
via it?

--
Bill
( A different one )

On 22/01/2014 22:00, Phil Cook wrote:
On 22/01/2014 21:49, Tim+ wrote:
Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an
IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Beasties eh?

This one big and bad enough?

http://tinyurl.com/nkmem52

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/caught-redhanded-burglary-suspect-captured-on-bbc-wildlife-presenter-simon-kings-fox-family-camera-9074601.html


His garden looks a bit of a mess

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:49:07 +0000, Tim+ wrote:

Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Just had a quick look on eBay and came across this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300997295323. Spec looks reasonable but first
hand experience would be much appreciated.

Tim

The "bonehead" lad on last night mentioned a trail camera - the sort of
thing that the BBC uses to leave out near, er, trails. I don't know if they
are still only or video, but the must be rainproof. Might be worth looking
for that sort of thing.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On 22/01/2014 21:49, Tim+ wrote:
Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Just had a quick look on eBay and came across this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300997295323. Spec looks reasonable but first
hand experience would be much appreciated.

Tim


I built one with a Raspberry Pi board, and its noir camera module, in a
housing with an IR led illuminator ring.

Not very expensive all in. I had to get (from memory)

Pi board (I had 3 already, but £30 if you have to get one)
Powered USB Hub (so I can power stuff) £10
USB WiFi adapter for Pi £8
Pi NOIR camera module £20
CCTV camera housing £12
IR Illuminator ring £3

It's all a bit tab-a into slot-b, rather than an actual 'project' as
such, but still fun. I managed to get some soldering out of wiring up
the illuminator, and powering it.

Software wise, running the latest raspbian, and the motion-mmal motion
detection and video recording software on it.

The pi camera uses its wifi to store the stills and videos from
motion-mmal on to my NAS via a share.

The video quality from the NOIR camera board is great. If you want
daylight use, choose the standard camera though, as the colours are all
sci-fi on the noir one.

Anyway, there are lots of Pi camera guides on the net. It's fun to mess
with.

I expect its supposed to appeal to wildlife. After all uou don't see badgers
putting in neat rows of beans or cutting back their hedges do you?
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"stuart noble" wrote in message
...
On 22/01/2014 22:00, Phil Cook wrote:
On 22/01/2014 21:49, Tim+ wrote:
Having watched some "Winterwatch Unsprung" I feel inspired to fit an
IR IP
cam at the back of our house. Anyone done this? Got any recommendations
regarding kit?

Beasties eh?

This one big and bad enough?

http://tinyurl.com/nkmem52

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/caught-redhanded-burglary-suspect-captured-on-bbc-wildlife-presenter-simon-kings-fox-family-camera-9074601.html


His garden looks a bit of a mess