Quick Start Guide

We experienced a server outage on the night of Sept 12th that has taken some PUCs OFFLINE.  Please remove all power (both USB-C and batteries) from the PUC, then power it back up.  That should get it back ONLINE.

It's possible that your PUC may have gotten into offline recording mode, which will result in it uploading those recordings then automatically powering off.  If you'd like to prevent this, you can set your Station Mode to Live-Only in the mobile app settings page.  Otherwise, just power your PUC back up after you see UPLOAD COMPLETED, and that should do the trick.

If your PUC has been outside for some time - and you hear a 'clicking' sound when plugging back into USB-C - its possible that either the USB-C cable or the USB-C connector on the PUC may have some corrosion on the contacts.  A bit of contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol and a brush should clean things up.  The USB-C port on the PUC is completely sealed, so don't worry about putting liquid in it.

If you're still having troubles - email us at support@birdweather.com

We designed PUC to be super simple to use — with just a single button, your PUC will automatically switch between 3 different BirdWeather modes:

1. BirdWeather Live Station:
   • Just turn on your PUC when it's within range of your (home) WiFi network, and it will automatically operate as a Live BirdWeather Station.
   • Click the button, and it will double-blink Blue to indicate it is Live.
2. BirdWeather Recorder:
   • Turn your PUC on when it's not within range of your (home) WiFi network, and it will automatically record to the on-board SD card.
   • Click the button, and it will double-blink Green to indicate it is Recording.
3. Uploading Recordings to BirdWeather:
   • Once you're back in range of your (home) WiFi network, turn your PUC back on, and it will automatically upload all recordings to the BirdWeather server.
   • Click the button, and it will double-blink Purple to indicate it is Uploading.
   • Note - PUC will automatically power off once all recordings have been uploaded.

To power the PUC on - simply hold down the button until it turns green.

To power the PUC off - hold down the button until it turns red.

We use the button on top of the PUC to indicate what your PUC is doing ...

Powering ON - you'll hold the button until you see the light turn Green.

Low Battery - on boot, the PUC will check the battery voltage, if it is too low, it will flash red about 8 times, then power off.

WiFi Setup Mode - continuous (about 1 flash per second) Blue blinking indicates that the PUC is in WiFi setup mode and ready to be setup via the mobile app.

Booting Up - about 15-30sec after you've powered on the PUC, you should see a double-blink.

• Blue double-blink indicates that the PUC is Live Station Mode and connected to the BirdWeather server.
• Green double-blink indicates that the PUC is in Recording Mode, storing all audio/data to the SD card in the battery compartment.
• Purple double-blink indicates that the PUC is in Uploading Mode - uploading all recorded/stored data on the SD card up to the BirdWeather server

Status - a single click of the button on the PUC will also result in a double-blink

• Blue double-blink indicates that the PUC is Live Station Mode and connected to the BirdWeather server.
• Green double-blink indicates that the PUC is in Recording Mode, storing all audio/data to the SD card in the battery compartment.
• Purple double-blink indicates that the PUC is in Uploading Mode - uploading all recorded/stored data on the SD card up to the BirdWeather server

Powering OFF - hold the button until you see the light turn Red.

Firmware Update - if you see a Red/Blue cycling pattern after powering on, this indicates that your PUC is updating it's firmware. It should take about 2min, please let it complete.

General

• Preferred Language
• Units (Imperial or Metric)
• Help & Support

Station

• PUC Name (name your PUC, please be nice)
• Mode (default is Automatic, but you can also configure your PUC for Live Only, or Record Only operation)
• Location Privacy (if enabled, this will obscure your PUC's location)

Audio

• Upload Audio to BirdWeather (this is required for detections, but a quick way to 'mute' your PUC should you desire)
• Gain (default is Automatic, this won't impact the BirdNET AI performance, but can make it easier to hear during playback)
• Recording Mode (default is Continuous, but you can also put the PUC in Scheduled mode to save battery life)
• Recording Time (default is 9sec - but you can adjust as desired)

BirdNET

• Probability - this represents the historical eBird likelihood of seeing a particular species in your location at this time of year
• Confidence - this is the 'confidence' from the BirdNET AI - basically how 'confident' the AI is that it's a given species
• You can adjust these dynamically - they work as 'filters' for the historical detections from your PUC

Reboot PUC

• This will reboot your PUC if it is currently Live - it won't reboot a PUC which isn't powered on or Live.

Setup my PUC

• This is used to add a 2nd/3rd/etc PUC to your mobile device.  It also works if you are trying to re-provision your PUC on another WiFi.

Advanced Settings Menu

Audio

• Recording Schedule - you can configure the Duty Cycle (% time the PUC will record) for each of these 4 regions.  The PUC automatically determines Sunrise and Sunset (Dawn = 3hrs around Sunrise, Dusk = 3hrs around Sunset)

POWER

• Power Bank Mode - some USB-C Power Banks may power off unexpectedly as they think the PUC is 'charged' due to it's low power consumption. Enabling this will cause the PUC to draw more power (continuously) in an effort to keep the Power Bank active.  It also will work with some USB-C wall chargers which also power off unexpectedly.

GPS

• GPS Mode - default is Low-Power, but you can also set the GPS to Continuous for more precise location, or Static for installations where the PUC isn't moving or enter the Latitude/Longitude if the PUC isn't able to obtain a GPS fix.

SD CARD

• Automatically Purge after Uploading - when enabeled, the PUC will erase the data and soundscapes after completing an Upload to the BirdWeather Server.

Calibrate Environmental Sensors

• If your are seeing unreasonable values for the eAQI, eVOC, or eCO2 - this will perform a sensor calibration.
  Note: this won't affect the temperature, humidity or pressure readings.

Erase SD card

• This will trigger the PUC to erase the contents of the SD card.

Forget PUC

• Use this to remove your PUC from your mobile device.  Note, the PUC itself will still remain connected to WiFi.

You're now able to Follow other PUCs in both the iOS and Android app(s).  Just click on the map, locate the PUC that you'd like to Follow, then when you're done minimize the map (top left corner).  You'll then be able to view all data for that PUC as well as your own!

You're welcome to use any type of AA battery in your PUC (Alkaline, Lithium, and Lithium-Ion).  With such a wide range of batteries, and operating voltages, we are currently reporting the (3x AA) voltage in the BirdWeather App.

Please note - PUC is not able to charge batteries via the USB-C port - if you're using rechargeable batteries, you'll need to charge them externally.  You can, however, power the PUC from USB-C with batteries installed, that is completely safe.

Typical battery life on current firmware (running as a live station, posting every soundscape for analysis):

• Amazon Basics Alkaline ... ~26hrs
• Energizer Lithium ... ~48hrs
• CZVV Lithium Rechargeable ... ~36hrs

Note - I don't recommend using NiMH batteries (like Energizer Eneloop) as their low operating voltage (1.2V) can quickly get below the PUC's 3.3V operating voltage.

Caution - I also don't recommend leaving Alkaline batteries in the PUC for long periods of time (like when powered via USB-C) - as they can leak when exposed to significant thermal cycles.  While this has only happened a couple times, the results are pretty disastrous, with the PUC being permanently damaged.

You can power the PUC via the USB-C port - it will work on pretty much any 5V USB-C source - your laptop, USB-C adapter, USB-C chargers, etc.

The PUC's USB-C port is waterproof - but this isn't typical across different USB-A/USB-C adapters - so you'll want to be mindful if your adapter/charger is likely to get wet.

This outdoor adapter from Blink - is weatherproof, and includes a compressible rubber seal on the USB-C connector!

I also highly recommend that you use a relatively new USB-C cable.  Older cables can be loose-fitting in the USB-C port, which can result in poor connection to the PUC, causing intermittend problems.

I've received a number of emails around using a USB-C PowerBank - so thought I would create a FAQ entry.

In theory, the PUC should work with just about any USB-A or USB-C PowerBank out there that can deliver 5V and 1W or greater.  The trick is to make sure that it's waterproof, and that the cables are pretty well sealed (on both ends) from rain/debris.  For the PUC-side, you can use the little rubber o-rings that came with your PUC.

I also can now highly recommend the Voltaic V50 which has an AlwaysOn mode which does exactly what it says!

If you have *any* questions about whether a certain model is good to work with the PUC or not - email me - support@birdweather.com - I'm happy to have a look at the specs and let you know what I think.

I also should note, that some PowerBanks will automatically time-out after a certain period - even with the PUC connected and powerd-on due to the PUC consuming (for the PowerBank) very very little power.  I'm experimenting in software to see if there is anything that I can do which would 'fool' the PowerBank into thinking that something is connected, without gobbling up a lot more excess power.

The default name of your PUC will be based on it's Station Number (PUC-1732), but you can change it to something more personal.

Just click on gear icon - then at the top (under General) - you can edit the name.  That's it!

Underneath your PUC is a little bag of rubber bits. If you’re just planning to run your PUC on AA batteries, you can just tuck them away in a safe place.

If you’re planning to power it via the USB-C port then this section is for you!

Your PUC comes with a little USB-C rubber plug installed - and a handful of spares should you lose one. If you don't have a USB-C cable inserted, it's best to keep the port plugged when it's in use outside to keep the port clean. It is waterproof, so don't worry about moisture, but it's not mud-proof!

There are also some little o-rings (new ones are clear/white silicone), which are ideal if you find that your USB-C cable has a little gap when plugged in.

PUC will automatically check on power-on for firmware updates if it is connected to WiFi. You'll know it's performing an update if you see blue/pink LEDs cycling on the button. Please wait for it to complete.

If your PUC is in a location where it will be subject to heavy rain, it will tend to do better if it is mounted more vertically than horizontally. This will keep water from pooling in the top of the little microphone ports, which can decrease the sensitivity of the microphones.

Please also check the Extra Bits Bag section above - and make sure that the USB-C connector is plugged, or if you are using a USB-C cable, that there is little/no gap between the cable and the PUC.

If you're powering off the USB-C cable, angling it downwards (I know, then the PUC logo is upsided down!) will help with water draining away from the USB-C port.

With the PUC powered on, you can return it to WiFi Setup/Provisioning mode by double-clicking on the button on top of the PUC. 
Note, if you're seeing double-blue or double-green blinks, then you'll need to click a little faster.

If you're planning to record away from home ...

• Turn off your PUC (hold down the button until it turns red)
• When you're ready to start your hike, collection, etc - turn the PUC back on (hold button until green) - making sure that the PUC is away from your home WiFi
  • It uses your home WiFi as a way to (automatically) determine your intent of live station vs. recording station
• When you're done w/ your recordings, turn the PUC back off
• Now when you're back home within WiFi range, turn your PUC back on, and you'll see a purple double-blink, indicating that it is uploading your data
  • This may take a while, as we're favoring live stations over uploading, but it will finish, given time

If you're seing no detections at all - but your PUC is showing Online - make sure that "Upload Audio to BirdWeather" is enabled.  We're processing the audio in our cloud server, so with this disabled, you'll receive no detections.

If you're missing an (obviously there/heard/seen) bird - try lowering the Probability in the Settings page (click the gear icon) - even down to 0.1%.  We use historical eBird Probabilty, and those numbers for some rarer (location/time-of-year) species can filter out that species.  This is retroactive, so if you heard, say a Carolina Wren, when you lower the Probability, it should now be in your Species/Detections lists!

Your PUC comes with a 32GB micro SD card that is located in the battery compartment.

To remove the SD card, slide down the 'door' - it will then hinge upwards.  (be a bit gentle)

You can use a micro SD card reader/adapter and examine the contents of the SD card.

If you're recorded while away from WiFi, there will be a fair number of FLAC files - these are the soundscapes that the PUC has recorded.

There will also be a PUC_Data.csv file - with entries that look like this :

There is nothing 'special' about the SD card - feel free to use a blank SD card in it's place if you're wanting multiple weeks of recordings.  With the default settings, the PUC will average about 2GB a day, so the 32GB card should be good for a couple of weeks.

You can find the BirdWeather Web Map at https://app.birdweather.com

You can find our Data Explorer at - https://app.birdweather.com/data - you'll want to create a BirdWeather Login

Start by finding your PUC in the Stations filter, then click on Update Filters.  You can then filter by time, species, recording mode, etc.  With a login, you're able to export a CSV of your detections, and download (individual) soundscapes.

We're working on integrating this into the mobile app - but in the meantime - if you find instances where the AI has made a misidentification, you can TAG or FLAG it via the web browser - https://app.birdweather.com

Location your PUC on the map, then click on it's PUC icon
You'll then see a list of Top Species for your station, scroll down until you find the misidentified species, click on that, then below select the Spectrogram.
You can then click on the thumbs-up (got it right), thumbs-down (got it wrong), or Flag it (human vocals, etc).

If you're just starting to use your PUC - AND experiencing issues with it going offline - the likely culprit is batteries.  In Live Station mode, the PUC defaults to uploading every soundscape, day and night, which results in a continuous power draw.  If you're planning to use your PUC as a 24x7 Station - and are able, I highly recommend powering the PUC via a USB-C power source - it's a bit like magic, as the PUC will stay online 24x7!

If your PUC appears stuck in a loop with the Red/Blue cyclic light pattern happening for a couple minutes, then a Green flash, it's likely that it is stuck in an Update Loop.  Please send me an email at support@birdweather.com with your PUC-#### and I can work with you to get you onto the latest firmware.

Mobile App - Detection Notifications

We're working on a couple versions of this - one when your PUC is Live, connected to WiFi, and another when it's off-grid.
We'll be rolling out the Live version first (sometime in Jan), with off-grid notifications coming later.