How To
How to build a hive monitoring system.
Platform
Desktop, laptop or Raspberry Pi will work.
We seem to be moving to a standard model based on the Raspberry Pi: a solar powered, wi-fi connected, web appliance.
Power Supply
AC Power. Running from AC power mains is probably the least expensive but not the safest, nor does it provide the most protection from lightning. At the minimum, use a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) and make sure the AC connections are well taped up and waterproof or the GFI will trip when it rains.
Solar. Solar power will nearly double the cost of the system and requires more work in wiring the power supply and battery charger. We are trying to reduce the cost of the battery and solar panel by minimizing the system's power consumption.
Resources
- User Manual for the Model A POE. Developed for the South Carolina Hive Instrumentation Project
- How to load hivetool on the Pi provides detailed software installation instructions.
- Solar Design construction notes.
- Build a scale based on the Pi.
