Nestbox Solar Option C1B2ZSO User manual
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User Guide
Advanced Wireless
Camera Nest Box
(Solar Option C1B2ZSO)
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Contents
Section Topic Page
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Setting Up Your Equipment and System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3. Unpack and Familiarise Yourself With Your Nest Box . . . . . . 2
4. Setting Up Your Equipment for Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.1 Charge the Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.2 Connect up the Nest Box and Electronic Battery Box . . . . 3
4.3 Set up the Receiver and Connect to TV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.4 Fit Nest Box Outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5. Miscellaneous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.1 Use of the Mode Control Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.2 Adjustment of Lighting System and Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.3 Audio Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5.4 Transmission Range. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5.5 Cleaning the Nest Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.6 Mains Power Supply for Nest Box . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6. Specifications, Warranty etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
7. Care for the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8. Accessories for your Nest Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing one of the Nestbox Company’s family of products.
We hope you will enjoy many years of viewing nesting birds with this nest
box.
2. Setting Up Your Equipment and System
The Advanced Wireless Camera Nest Box (Solar Option) consists of 3 main
components:
1. Nest Box with Camera
2. Electronic Battery Box
3. Solar Panel
4. Receiver
As well as this, it includes everything necessary to connect the parts of the
system together, to power sources, and to your computer or TV.
It is easy to put the system together by following these step by step instruc-
tions.
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BATTERY
BOX
RECEIVER
SOLAR
PANEL
NEST BOX
WITH
CAMERA
OUTSIDE INSIDE
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3. Unpack and Familiarise Yourself With Your Nest Box
As well as this User Guide, you should have the following parts:
Nest Box with Camera, including elec-
tronic control system and cable to con-
nect to Battery Box.
Electronic Battery Box, includ-
ing mode switch and battery hold-
ers.
Mains power supply for Battery
Box (Internal Use Only). This
provides an optional alternative
to running the system on batteries.
Receiver, with Antenna, mains Power Supply
and Video/Audio Lead to connect between the
Receiver and TV.
Set of Rechargeable Batteries Solar Panel with fixing kit
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4. Setting Up Your Equipment for Operation
4.1 Charge the Batteries
Using a mains battery charger, fully charge all 8 rechargeable batteries. These
are high capacity batteries, and depending on your battery charger, this may
take 24 to 48 hours, or in some cases longer.
Most customers will need to charge the batteries from time to time from the
mains, so it may be useful to use a fast charger to minimize the time the bat-
teries are out of the box.
Fit all the 8 charged batteries into the battery holders inside the Battery Box
(with polarity as shown on the holders).
4.2 Connect up the Nest Box and Electronic Battery Box
Open the nest box by removing the peg from the roof,
tilting out the top of the removable side panel, and
then lifting the panel away.
Plug one end of the black cable into the black
socket on the circuit board. You may find it
helpful to slide the circuit board out slightly to
do this.
Ensure that the camera is pointing towards the
base of the nest box, and then replace the side
panel, running the cable through the small gap at
the top back corner of the panel.
Open the front of the Electronic Battery Box.
Connect the other end of the cable coming from the Nest Box to the socket on
the circuit board attached to the front of the Battery Box.
Connect the white connector at the end of the cable coming from the solar
panel to either of the two matching connectors on the circuit board.
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Line up the cables to leave the Battery Box
through the cable slot in the bottom of the
box.
If you choose at any time to power the system
using the mains power supply, you should
remove the batteries, and disconnect the Solar
Panel. Then connect the PP3 connector on
the mains power supply to the mating PP3
connector in the Battery Box marked with a
yellow sleeve. .
4.3 Set up the Receiver and Connect to TV
Screw the Antenna onto one end of the Receiver.
Adjust the angle of the Antenna so that it is approxi-
mately vertical. The receiver can be mounted vertically
using the screw holes provided, or rested in a horizontal
position.
Fit the Receiver Mains Power Supply (it has a cylindrical
plug) to the Receiver (DC 9-12V) and plug it into the
Mains. Switch the power on. The red indicator light will
show it is on.
Fit one end of the Receiver Video/Audio Lead to the Re-
ceiver, connecting one colour to “VIDEO OUT” and the
other colour to “AUDIO OUT”.
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SCREW ANTENNA
ONTO RECEIVER
Cable from
Nest Box
Goes here
Cable from
Mains Power
Supply Unit
Goes here
Cables from
Solar Panels
Or Wind
Generators
Go here
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Fit the other end of the Receiver Video/Audio Lead to the direct input video
and audio connectors of your TV. Connect the colour you connected to
“VIDEO OUT” on the Receiver to Video In on the TV, and the colour you
connected to “AUDIO OUT” on the Receiver to the Audio In socket on the
TV.
As an alternative, you may prefer to connect this cable to the Video/Audio
connectors on a video recorder or VCR.
If you only have a SCART input socket for your TV or recorder, you can fit
the cable through an appropriate adaptor (see our accessories range).
The cable (and the signal it carries) is not suitable for direct connection to
your TV aerial or antenna socket.
Turn the TV on, and switch it to the direct video/audio input.
Move the switch on the Battery Box to the CONT position. Set the Channel
Switch on the Receiver to the channel number indicated by the label on the
back of the camera. You should see the base of the Nest Box on your TV
screen, and hear through the TV if you tap the box. If you didn’t notice which
channel it was set to, simply move the switch in turn to each of the 4 channels
until you see the picture.
Make any final adjustments to the camera angle..
Before leaving the factory, the camera focus has been adjusted to a little
above the floor of the nest box. You can adjust the camera focus by turning
the lens turret. The camera is a very delicate part of the system so please do
this gently, and be very careful not to touch a finger on the lens.
4.4 Fit Nest Box Outside
You are now ready to set up the nest box, battery box and solar panel in posi-
tion outside.
First find a promising location. Nest Boxes are normally fitted (with the lid
uppermost) to a tree or wall, about 2 to 4 metres high from the ground. How-
ever, depending on the situation, it is generally OK to fit the box higher. For
further advice on siting nest boxes, you may find it helpful to check with the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds or the British Trust for Ornithology.
It is generally best to place the box so it does not get sun all day or too much
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wind and rain. This means that you could face it to the North East or South East.
The Nest Box should be fitted in a position where it is close enough to the Re-
ceiver so that you get a good picture. Although the nominal range is 100 metres,
the actual range depends on a number of factors, particularly including obstacles
close to and in between the Nest Box and the Receiver, such as
walls and trees. If you are in any doubt as to the position, it
may be better to fix the Nest Box temporarily until you have
checked the reception.
The Nest Box is designed to be fitted in most situations with
just 1 screw or nail, using the concealed keyhole in the back of
the box. Fit the screw into the tree or wall first, and then offer up the box onto
the screw so that the screw head goes through the lower part of the keyhole.
Then slide the box down so that the box is securely fitted. The keyhole is posi-
tioned opposite the entrance hole into the box so that it is easy to see through for
fitting, and the screw can be tightened once the box is fitted. If you wish to se-
cure the box with a second nail or screw, a hole in the base/back of the box has
also been provided, although in most situations this will not be needed.
Thin rope, cord, string or wire can also be used to fit the box. To do so, pass a
loop of string etc through the keyhole, and
attach it to a small twig, nail etc. Position
this horizontally at the top of the keyhole.
Tie the cord round the tree.
Position the box away from other trees,
bushes, branches etc which may make it
easier for predators. Try to provide a clear flight path into the entrance hole. It is
recommended that you do not place it near to a bird table or other place where
you feed the birds, because the constant traffic of birds will deter nesting.
Run the black cable down the tree or wall, to the Battery Box, which should be
fitted in a convenient location for changing batteries and reaching the control
switch.
The Battery Box can be mounted onto a wall or tree etc using just 1 nail or screw
through the mounting bracket at the rear of the Battery Box. If preferred, it can
alternatively be mounted using up to 4 screws through the concealed mounting
holes which are visible when the front of the box is removed.
Fit the solar panel in the sunniest location you can, angled to face the sun as far as
possible. You don’t require direct sunlight to charge the batteries but it helps. For
fixing the panel, you will either have been supplied with a metal bracket, or large
re-usable cable ties to go through the holes drilled in the sides of the panel.
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5. Miscellaneous
5.1 Use of the Mode Control Switch
The switch on the front of the Battery Box has 3 positions:
“STD” Standard
We recommend you normally run the box on this setting. In this mode, the
movement detection system monitors the inside of the nest box for movement of
the birds. If movement is not detected for a prolonged period, the nest box elec-
tronics will be partially shut down to save battery power. When movement is
detected again, the system will switch back on and transmit pictures and sound to
the receiver.
Whilst partially shut down, neither video nor audio is transmitted from the box.
Your TV will either show a still picture or “snow”, depending on which TV you
have and the precise instant when the shut down occurred. You will lose sound,
so may wish to press “mute” when this occurs.
Please remember that because the electronics are designed to work with live
birds, the detection system is not 100% accurate. The movement sensor system
may sometimes be triggered by insects or air movement, and sometimes will not
trigger when there is movement. To avoid “jitter”, it is designed to wait a few
seconds each time it switches before it will switch again.
This setting is designed to give a long battery life, depending on how much
movement there is in the box.
Central Position, “OFF”
This position provides power to the electronics, but switches off the lighting, mi-
crophone, camera and transmitter. It hardly takes any power, so the batteries
should last a very long time in this position.
“CONT”, Continuous
This setting puts all the systems within the box on continuously, and will take the
most power out of the batteries.
This is suitable when you want to be sure that your picture is not interrupted
when there is no movement, perhaps because you are recording a video.
Naturally, this setting will require more power from the batteries, and is more
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likely to take more power out of the batteries than the solar panel is putting in. If
the batteries run out, simply take them out of the battery box and charge them
separately using the mains charger. You can also run the nestbox using the mains
or single use batteries.
5.2 Adjustment of Lighting System and Focus
Before leaving the factory, the camera focus has been adjusted to a little above
the floor of the nest box. You can adjust the camera focus by turning the lens
turret. The camera is a very delicate part of the system so please do this gently,
and be very careful not to touch a finger on the lens.
The lighting system has 3 “states” or modes of operation, and whenever it is
switched on, it will always be operating in one of these 3 states.
State 1: High level: when bright external or natural light reaches the camera, the
internal lights are switched off.
State 2: Daylight: whenever the lighting system is switched on, and the camera
needs some additional light to provide a good picture, and the external light is
bright enough to indicate it is daytime, a supplementary white light is switched
on.
State 3: Night time: whenever the lighting system is switched on, and the external
light is dim enough to indicate it is night time, a supplementary infra red light is
switched on. This is invisible to human and bird eyes, so does not disturb the
birds’ natural rhythms. Although the camera continues to give a colour picture,
this form of illumination means that the TV picture looks as if it consists of
shades of grey.
The point at which the lighting system switches from state 2 to 3 has been factory
set to correspond to an average dawn/dusk. However, if your box is in a particu-
larly open, or shady location, or for some other reason if you wish you can
change this setting as follows:
1. Choose a time when the light level outside is the level at which you want
the system to switch.
2. Start with the system in the “OFF” state.
3. Turn it to “CONT”, and then immediately back to “OFF”.
4. The system should now be in “set” mode and the white light inside the box
should flash on and off 6 times to show it is waiting for you to set the
switching point. If you don’t get 6 flashes, try from step 2 again.
5. Wait until after the 6 flashes, check that the light level is the level at which
you want it to switch every morning and evening, and then switch back to
“CONT”.
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6. Leave the system in this state for at least 30 seconds.
7. It will now have saved this setting until you set it again.
8. You can now switch off or on as normal.
The point at which the lighting system switches from state 1 to 2 has also been
factory set to correspond to the correct light level for the camera. If your box is
in a particularly bright situation, you can change this setting as follows:
1. Choose a time when the light level outside is the level at which you want
the system to switch.
2. Start with the system in the “OFF” state.
3. Turn it to “STD”, and then immediately back to “OFF”.
4. The system should now be in “set” mode and the white light inside the box
should flash on and off 3 times to show it is waiting for you to set the
switching point. If you don’t get 3 flashes, try from step 2 again.
5. Wait until after the 3 flashes, check that the light level is the level at which
you want it to switch, and then switch back to “STD”.
6. Leave the system in this state for at least 30 seconds.
7. It will now have saved this setting until you set it again.
8. You can now switch off or on as normal.
If you accidentally switch the system into “Set” mode, and at any point you get
either 3 or 6 flashes, disconnect the nest box from the battery box by pulling the
plug out of the socket in the Battery Box. This will avoid resetting the switching
points.
5.3 Audio Volume
The audio system is fitted with an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) which in-
creases the amplification when the microphone is picking up little sound, and
decreases it when it picks up more noise. In quiet situations, this results in high
gain, and can result in what sounds like a loud hum.
We suggest you set the volume on your TV or PC to a level where in quiet condi-
tions, any background noise or hum is barely audible, and is not intrusive. When
the birds take up residence, and start making a noise, the AGC will ensure that
you hear their sounds well above the level of the background noise.
5.4 Transmission Range
The Transmitter and Receiver have a nominal range of 100 metres.
The actual distance achieved will vary depending on atmospheric conditions, the
position and type of nearby obstacles (such as walls, trees, or metal objects) and
the state of the batteries.
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Moving the Receiver just a few centimetres can sometimes make a big difference
to the strength of the signal, so to obtain the best reception, we suggest you move
the Receiver around to find the best location by trial and error.
5.5 Cleaning the Nest Box
Once a year, after the nesting season has finished and all the birds have left the
nest, we recommend that you clean out the Nest Box and dispose of all nesting
material and unhatched eggs etc. Under UK legislation, you can only remove
unhatched eggs between August and January, and then must dispose of them.
To do this, remove the circuit board and carefully clean it with a soft cloth or
brush, being especially careful with the camera lens and electronics.
Take out any nesting material and throw it away, and wash out the box with boil-
ing water. With the side panel removed, leave it for a day or two to dry out, be-
fore refitting the circuit board, and putting the Box back in position.
The Battery Box will also benefit from an annual clean, and it will be worth using
a small brush to remove any insects or debris from the box, electronics and bat-
tery holders.
5.6 Mains Power Supply for Nest Box
The system is designed to be used on battery power, but if it is convenient, you
may prefer to use mains power.
The mains power supply which is included is designed for interior use only. It is
intended to be connected to an internal socket on a fused 13A electricity supply.
IT IS DANGEROUS TO FIT IT OUTSIDE OR IN A DAMP ATMOSPHERE.
The cable (which operates at low voltage) is safe to use outside. If you need to
extend this cable, this can be done with the “Mains to Battery Extension Cable”,
product A35.
To use mains power instead of batteries, remove the batteries and disconnect the
Solar Panel from the circuit board. Fit the PP3 connector at the nnd of the lead
from the mains power supply unit to the mating connector marked yellow on a
short wire from the circuit board.
The nest box can also be operated with single use batteries.
The battery box has a connector for fitting a second solar panel or a wind genera-
tor, either of which will increase the energy collected and reduce the chance of
the rechargeable batteries running down.
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6. Specifications, Warranty etc
The specifications of the product described and the contents of this User
Guide are subject to change without notice, as part of our continuous im-
provement process.
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this document, we real-
ise that it will still be possible to improve it. If you find any errors, omissions
or points which are not clear, or have any suggestions for improving it, please
let us know by email at mail@nestbox.co.uk. We will endeavour to deal with
any problem to your satisfaction, and learn from it for future versions.
The contents of this document may not be reproduced in whole or in part ex-
cept for your personal use.
The Nestbox Company Limited warrants all its products against defects in
materials and manufacture for 6 months from the date of purchase. If a defect
is discovered, The Nestbox Company will repair or replace the product (at its
option) free of charge, provided it is returned to the address in this User Guide
at the customer’s expense.
The Nestbox Company Limited is not able to accept any responsibility for any
loss, damage, or loss of data suffered by any customer or third party as a re-
sult of use, misuse or malfunction of the product or this User Guide. In par-
ticular, whilst the product has been extensively tested, we are unable to war-
rant that is error free.
If you have a further technical or user question relating to the product, please
email it to us at mail@nestbox.co.uk.
From time to time, we provide customers with product updates. Please check
the web site for details.
7. Care for the Environment
As you might expect, The Nestbox Company cares deeply about the Environ-
ment. We have adopted an Environmental Policy designed to demonstrate
our commitment to operating our business in harmony with the natural and
man made environments. If you wish to see the full policy, it is available to
read on our web site.
Our products are developed to be economical with natural resources, both in
manufacture and use. We comply with the relevant laws and regulations, in-
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cluding those relating to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (known as
RoHS) and Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE).
The wood used in our products comes from responsibly managed forests, as
part of our commitment to the Forest Stewardship Council.
When you have finished using this product, please dispose of it
responsibly.
Please separate it from other household waste or recycling, and use
a local facility for waste electrical and electronic equipment.
This User Guide is printed on recycled paper.
8. Accessories for your Nest Box
Our comprehensive range of accessories is designed to enable customers to
make the best use of their purchase. Why not accessorise your equipment to
extend its capabilities and make it do exactly what you want? The following
examples of our accessories may be of interest:
Connection to PC/Laptop
This small converter allows you to feed pictures from your camera straight
into your computer. No need to install any hardware inside the computer.
Solar Panel
A second solar panel will increase the charging effect and reduce the chance
of running out of battery power.
You can find the full range of
accessories on our web site, www.nestbox.co.uk,
or just scan the QR code here:
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Did you know we produce an extensive range of nesting boxes for birds and
small mammals, and feeders and insect boxes?
We also make a wide variety of Camera Nest Boxes, and Wildlife Cameras
and Accessories?
Some of our products:
Nature Watching Camera
A sophisticated remote video camera for watching wildlife. Use it wired or wire-
less, day or night.
Wireless Camera Nest Box
A full function Wireless Camera Nest Box, but with simpler electronics. Small
translucent window gives colour pictures in daylight , while infra red lights give
pictures at night. Mains or battery operation
To order, or for more details of all our products:
Visit us at www.nestbox.co.uk,
Telephone us at +44 (0) 1675 442299
Or scan the QR code :
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The Nestbox Company Limited
Eastcote House
Barston Lane
Eastcote
Solihull
West Midlands
B92 0HS UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 1675 442299
Fax: +44 (0) 1675 442421
Web site: www.nestbox.co.uk
Email: mail@nestbox.co.uk
This publication, our products and our designs are
© Copyright 2015 The Nestbox Company Limited.
Certain of our products are protected by UK Patent 2420242
WEEE Producer Registration Number WEE/HA3702UR
Battery Producer Registration Number BPRN03345
All our products are tested
for compliance with the
relevant directives, and carry
the CE Mark
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