Installation

Installing your monitoring station

Don't connect the solar panels to the monitoring station until you've removed the plastic tag that disconnects the battery for shipping. Leave the tag in place until you're ready to commission the station.

  1. Open the lid of the nest box and attach the stoppers. These stop the lid falling open and straining the cables.
  2. Attach the antenna mount. The antenna cable is 60 cm long, so on most nest boxes the mount can be attached to the base; on deep boxes, use another convenient location. The hexagonal recess should face up. Pre-drill the holes and secure the mount with screws.
  3. Cut a 10 × 20 mm slot in the middle of the top of the nest box's back wall. You can do this by drilling a few small pilot holes and opening them up with a larger drill bit.
  4. Centre the station's camera over the base of the nest box.
  5. Pre-drill the four mounting holes in the lid.
  6. Attach the station with four screws.
  7. Connect the antenna cable, the two solar cables and the two temperature sensors. The solar connectors are marked S1 and S2 on the station's case. Ti is the sensor for inside the nest box; Te records the external ambient temperature. Both temperature sensors have a black node at the end of the cable, so keep track of which one is connected to Ti.
  8. With the lid open, feed all the cables through the slot you cut in the back wall in step 3.
  9. Gently zip-tie the cables into a neat harness, taking care not to damage them.
  10. Decide where the Ti sensor will re-enter the nest box. Ideally it should be at the height of the animal inside. Drill a 7 mm hole.
  11. Fit the Ti sensor into its housing and press it into the hole.
  12. Fit the antenna cable into the mount and secure it with the hex nut.
  13. Connect the antenna.

The monitoring station is now ready to commission. Follow the steps on the commissioning page.