Setting up your webcamera nestbox

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FOR ALL TYPES OF CAMERA NESTBOX IT IS IMPORTANT TO SET UP AND TEST THE CAMERA IN ITS BOX INDOORS ALSO PLEASE CHECK THAT THE CABLE is long enough for your needs BEFORE hanging the nestbox outside!

1.    Connect your usb2 extension cable to the camera’s cable, plug this into your pc and check that camera is working with your webcam capture software. (See below regarding free software).  

2.    Check camera lens faces centre of nestbox floor. To adjust camera position unscrew the lid of the birdbox and gently nudge camera – it swivels horizontally and vertically. The lead may pull on the camera so test the final position with lid in place before refastening. 

3.    Camera focus is set just before despatch but, should it become necessary, this is controlled by rotating the camera lens. The clearest focus should be about 5cm ABOVE the floor of the box – place a small object in the box to test this.  

4.    Finally disconnect the camera and hang the nestbox where desired. Keep exposed metal on all cables covered & indoors when out of season. We provide a basic cableguard tube but we do not claim this to be sufficient protection against rust in wet and windy conditions. If you intend to keep the camera connected year round you might wish to add extra waterproofing.

5. The LEDs on the webcamera stay on when you log out of the capture programme, to turn these off please pull the camera cable out of the pc port.  During the breeding season you might wish to protect your pc port from over wear with a usb input hub.

To use the webcam in your birdbox you will need a programme on your pc that includes capture software.    If your pc is on Windows 8.1, 10 or later the Camera application already installed on the pc is the easiest choice. Here are some basic instructions for using the Camera app:
 

• Windows 8.1 – 10: Left click Start Menu, scroll down to Camera and select.  
  Windows 11 and later: Left click Start Menu, Click on All Apps in the window that opens, scroll down to Camera and select. 

• You will now have a black window with a screen in the centre. (If you are      using a laptop this will now show you your own face but clicking on the “swivel”  icon near the top right will reverse the image to the birdbox camera.)
   
• Click on the video icon on the right hand side and the camera starts rolling (timer shows at bottom of screen).  If you don't want it to record just click on the red square at the right hand side and you will just see the live feed without making movies.
   
• To locate files of videos you have taken: From the record video screen click on the small picture square at the bottom right of the screen. Three little dots will appear to the top right of the screen. Click on "open folder" to look at the folder where the recordings are stored. You can, of course, copy and paste videos from this folder to the pc directory where you normally keep videos.

• PLEASE REMEMBER TO DISCONNECT THE CAMERA CABLE FROM YOUR PC AT NIGHT IF YOU ARE USING THE COMPUTER  AFTER SUNSET.   THE BIRDS DON' T LIKE TO SLEEP UNDER LIGHTS!

• For the microsoft versions of these instructions go to their website here:   
• Windows 11,           Windows 10         Windows 8.

• For apple MAC PCS the camera can be viewed and recorded via the Photobooth app.  See here for more details :
• https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchl034033f4/mac