Deploying your Sentinel sensor
🔧 First-time setup
On first power-up, your Sentinel creates a WiFi hotspot called WildEcho-Setup. Connect from your phone, enter your WiFi credentials and hive or site name. The sensor will self-provision and begin uploading automatically. Full setup guide at device-setup.
Wildlife monitoring
Mount 1.2 to 1.8 metres above ground on a post, fence, or tree. Aim the microphone toward vegetation or a water source. Keep clear of metal structures that vibrate in wind.
Beehive monitoring
Mount directly at the hive entrance, touching the front board if possible. Mic faces the entrance slot. Morning recordings (8 to 11am) are most diagnostic. Enable hive mode when uploading recordings manually.
Solar placement
Angle the solar panel north-facing (Australia) at 15 to 30 degrees from horizontal. Clear of shade for at least 6 hours per day. The 6000mAh LiFePO₄ battery handles 3+ days of cloud cover.
WiFi range
Keep within 30 to 50 metres of your WiFi router for reliable uploads. The external antenna extends range beyond standard enclosures. If signal is marginal, position closer to a window or use a WiFi extender.
When to record
🌅 Dawn chorus (5 to 8am)
The single best time to record. Birds are most vocal just after sunrise. You'll detect 3 to 5 times more species than at any other time of day.
Dusk (6 to 8pm)
Second best. Many species call before roosting. Owls begin to wake. Frogs often become active around sunset.
Night (9pm to 2am)
Ideal for owls, frogs, and nocturnal insects. Lower bird activity but excellent for detecting Cane Toads and tree frogs.
Midday
Quieter for birds, but good for insect detection. Bees, cicadas, and other insects are most active in midday warmth.
Where to record
Face toward vegetation
Point your microphone toward trees, shrubs, or water. Avoid open sky or concrete. Most species call from within or near vegetation.
Wind at your back
Wind noise ruins recordings. Position yourself so the wind is behind you, and use your body as a windbreak for the device.
Away from traffic
Move at least 100 metres from roads. Vehicle noise masks species calls and reduces detection accuracy significantly.
Near water sources
Creeks, ponds, and dams attract maximum biodiversity. Water sources are hotspots for frogs, birds, and insects.
How to record
Hold at chest height
Hold your phone at chest height with the microphone facing upward. Avoid holding it at your face as this adds breathing noise.
Record for at least 30 seconds
15 seconds works, but 60+ seconds gives dramatically better results. Longer recordings capture more species.
Stay still and silent
Don't talk, cough, or move during recording. Your movement disturbs wildlife and your phone microphone picks up every noise.
Try multiple spots
Record at 3 to 4 different locations in the same property. Each microhabitat (creek, paddock edge, forest) has different species.
Accepted file formats
Wild Echo accepts all common audio and video formats. No conversion needed.
📱 iPhone recordings (M4A/MOV) and Android recordings (MP4/OGG) work perfectly. Video files are automatically stripped to audio.
Tips for specific targets
Birds
Dawn (5 to 8am), near trees, face northeast (morning sun side). Avoid windy conditions. Species are most vocal in the first hour after sunrise.
Frogs & Cane Toads
After rain, near water, evening/night. Frogs chorus most actively after rainfall events. Stand at the water's edge, stay very still.
Bee hive health (Varroa detection)
Place your phone or Wild Echo Sensor AT the hive entrance, touching the box if possible. Record for 60+ seconds. Morning (8 to 11am) when bees are most active.
Insects (wasps, locusts, cicadas)
Near flowering plants, midday warmth. For wasp nests, record 1 to 2 metres from the nest entrance. Locusts are audible in open grassland.
Owls & nocturnal species
9pm to 2am, away from lights. Owls call most after dusk. Playback of calls can help attract, but use sparingly as it disturbs territory behaviour.
Ready to try it?
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