Method of Exit

An easy and quick way to route your BirdGazer.net camera birdhouse cable is out a window. Find the spot outside your house you want to place the camera birdhouse and then route the cable line out the nearest window. There are some issues to consider before doing so.

Most new modern homes are constructed with windows with energy seal weather stripping made of soft foam that provides a tight fit when the window is closed. Some do not. If your window can be closed and locked on a small thickness pen without damaging the pen or window (test slowly), the camera cable will pass out the window with no modifications needed. If your window sits in a pocket or a ledge type window sill and your test pen appears to face cetain damage, you will have to modify the exit point and you may not be able to lock the window.

The modification needed will be to place some thick weather stripping foam or thick strips of carpet foam to sandwich the camera cable with. One piece of foam stripping will be against the bottom of the window, one piece of foam stripping will be below it resting on the window sill, the camera cable will rest between the two strips of foam. The closed window will rest on top of all of this, the foam will engulf the camera cable and produce a weather seal. You still may not be able to lock your window for security. If this is a problem the other choice for this method is to run the camera cable out a second story window which is out of reach, if you have one. Whatever method you choose be careful not to damage your window or cut or crush the camera cable during testing or installation.

If you have a window air conditioning unit on the side of the house you want to locate the BirdGazer.net camera birdhouse or a side close to it, pass the cable out next to the unit’s filler bellows. This is the part of the air unit which expands outward from the sides of the unit to close the remaining part of the window opening the air unit did not fill up. Next to the window jam and the bellows is a great place for the camera cable to exit. Secure the line outside to the camera birdhouse as needed.

Just like running the camera cable out a window, a door can provide a good exit for the cable line. Most modern doors have a weather strip sweep that might be loose enough for the camera cable to pass by without any damage. Older wood doors may have a natural gap at the bottom which is sealed with a rubber ‘push’ sweep mounted on the inside of the door at the floor to keep the weather out. A good test for your door is if you have been able to run an extension cord out your door with it closed and not damage it in the past, the camera cable line should be able to pass out the door too.

If you have determinded your door has enough undamaging space to to exit the camera cable line out of your house, go ahead and start planning the installation. From your computer route the camera cable down the wall that is next to it and along the base of the wall near the floor and toward the chosen door. Desired fasteners can be as simple as tape or small nailable staples. Hug the wall tight all the way to the door’s jam and follow the jam tightly around it and out the door. Once outside the door, exit tight to the outside wall away from the door entrance to insure the camera cable line cannot be tripped over. Continue toward the camera birdhouse keeping the camera cable out of the way of any activity with may damage it or create a safety issue. A buried plastic conduit is recommended if your birdhouse location is away from the house, across a lawn or some other active location.

A more involved method for your camera cable to exit your home is by locating and drilling a hole in a wall on the side of your house that you want the BirdGazer.net camera birdhouse to be located. The placement should also be convenient to your home computer location.

If home improvement and the drilling of holes is not your thing, consult a professional home improvement contractor for assistance. Although drilling a hole in a wall is not a hard project to undertake, what may be inside your wall could cause problems. A home improvement contractor will have experience locating inner wall utilities and know how to avoid them when drilling a exit hole. A 1-1/4″ exit hole is required. A buried plastic conduit is recommended if your birdhouse location is away from the house, across a lawn or some other active location.

Once you have determined the birdhouse location and measured cable distance (to insure plenty of cable length) and drilled the exit hole, feed the cable from the birdhouse location to and through the exit hole back into your house, to your computer and plug the USB male end into your computer’s USB port. Test the camera signal. Finish the installation by securing the entire cable and caulking the exit hole to seal out the weather.