As promised this shows the latest development, and I use the word lightly, of a housing for the Y3000 camera. It’s a camera for filming wildlife, but not as we know it. If there are any other wildlife camera people out there who have tried one please get in touch.
The picture above shows the bare essentials of the camera. The lens dangles at the end of the connecting ribbon, but I have built a small shelf from a bent piece of plastic and a rubber band on which the camera will sit. The rubber bands surrounding the unit have a couple of functions. They hold the battery securely to the circuit board so that they are ‘one’, and so that there is no strain on connecting wires and components. They also serve as shock absorbers, cushioning the unit from vibration when it is placed inside the housing. Again, I use the word ‘housing’ lightly. Amongst all the electronic components it is hard to believe there is room for a micro SD recording card and a micro USB connector. The housing, such as it is, is a bit Heath Robinson, but is the result of lots of experimentation with plastics, modelling knives and super glue.
There are several main aims with the housing. It has to be extremely light as it will be carried by a falcon. It has to offer a measure of protection from the elements, though we will not be using it in challenging weather, i.e. rain. It has to protect the front of the lens, which is very vulnerable. It has to enable us to very simply place the unit on a falcon with the minimum of fuss and distress for the bird, so the bottom will have velcro on it. This will enable us to place the unit on a hood, which is then placed on the bird.
What I ended up with was a modified section of the insert for a craft product that my wife bought. It is pinched in as tightly as possible and has a cut down base, glued on with super glue. It’s not quite finished, but I’ll be updating when it us. At that point I can put on my wildlife cameraman hat and give it a try. I have not weighed the unit yet, but stripped back it was only 9 grammes, and now I would be surprised if it were more than 12 grammes.