The bird feeder in this video is the Bird Buddy that is new to the market and has proven to be a good choice for a smart Wi-fi enabled motion activated bird feeder that has a feature rich phone app. The App and firmware in the camera have seen recent updates. The feeder can be bought with a solar panel roof. Where I’m located, we get to many gray days and rain especially (November - April) which winter brings low light and occasional snow that covers the solar panel. So, I bailed on the solar panel roof and designed a constant charging source that resides in my basement and comes out to the feeder underground. The power then comes up inside a 5-foot-high galvanized duct with a cap. From the top of the duct, I have a panel mount connector and another panel mount connector on the feeder for a 12-inch jumper to connect the two.
Design changes now include an overhead 2-foot-tall baffle (duct) with a polycarbonate clear top (lets light in). This squirrel proofs the Bird Buddy from Kamikaze tree jumping squirrels. At the top is a floor/wall flange is used to bolt the polycarbonate top to the 3/4-inch pipe.
Currently the final change was to update the cable inside the Bird Buddy to add a USB-A pig tail that is soldered to the panel mount pig tail and the USB-C pig tail for the camera. This is for the LED light strip. All the parts are listed below for the electrical. All the metal was from Home Depot.
The power supply is a simple 5-volt dc at 2-amp wall source that has a 5.5mm male connector. The choice to use the 5.5mm power connector is for the long run out to duct. These long 5.5mm cables are used for security cameras. Only once the power cable is inside the Bird Buddy is it then changed to the required USB-C connector to plug into the camera. There are several cabling pieces need for this setup.
The power supply is from Amazon and cost about $8. LINK www.amazon.com/dp/B08CZPVDJ3?...
The first pig tail to go from the long 5.5mm cable run and be soldered to the panel mount 5.5mm connector on the duct comes as a 2-pack and cost about $10. LINK to 5.5mm 3-foot pig tail: www.amazon.com/dp/B08PYT6HZ2?...
And here is the link 5.5mm panel mount connector pig tail cable. This pig tail is built backwards the black wire is the power center pin and the red wire is the outer connector case. The reverse color is also on the USB-A pig tail. There is a choice on Amazon - pick the copper dc pig tail choice. Cost is $10. LINK: to panel pig tail: www.amazon.com/dp/B08P5QCLL5?...
The 12-inch 5.5mm power “Jumper” cable is complete and cost $10. This is the only exposed cable that is outside of the feeder or duct. This a use up item. So, they come as 5 pieces - perfect. LINK: to the jumper: cable: www.amazon.com/dp/B016VFQJB6?...
Next is the same panel mount connector pig tail cable that requires a hole to be drilled on the lower side of the Bird Buddy. This is described above.
There is a USB-C connector pig tail that will need to be soldered to the panel mount connect pig tail that has been added inside the Bird Buddy feeder and cost about: $15. LINK to the USB-C connector pig tail cable: www.amazon.com/dp/B09X2VKSX4?...
A second pig tail USB-A cable (this is what the LED strip plugs into) also soldered to the camera pig tail and panel mount connector pig tail. (This forms a “Y” cable inside the Bird Buddy). Cost is $9. LINK to the USA-A pig tail: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B...
I chose a LED that was 6-feet long and only used about 1-foot of the strip and the rest is just cut off. Any more than 1-foot was too bright. Cost $11. LINK: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJP7BCYJ?...
The wire loom that I used (first) for wire protection is an Amazon purchase and later I added the much more secure flexible conduit that was bought from Home Depot. (Search for “wire loom” on Amazon)
LINK to the wire loom: cost about $10: www.amazon.com/dp/B00U8L9ZPW?...
LINK to the flexible conduit cost about $23: www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire...
All the metal was from Home Depot. Very little fabrication was needed. A 1-inch hole in the top of the duct. I used a hole saw blade that was 1-1/8 inch in diameter for clearance for the ¾” pipe. I hole in the duct and bird feeder for the panel mount connectors. I think these were 3/8” holes but measure and drill exactly what is required.
This was a fun project. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below the video and I will get back with you ASAP.