Installation

Install Raspberry Pi

Operating System

Install the Operating System Raspbian on the memory card, as described and available here.

Basic settings

• Insert the memory card into the Raspberry Pi
• Connect to the Raspberry Pi:
  • Screen via (Micro-)HDMI cable
  • Mouse (USB)
  • Keyboard (USB)
  • USB-C Power cable
• Go through the basic configuration of the Raspberry Pi
  • Select language, username, password
  • Connect to a network
  • Update the system
    • If you fail to update at the beginning, use following commands one after another in the Terminal for manual update:
      • sudo apt-get update
      • sudo apt-get upgrade
  • Reboot

Install Birdiary

Clone repository

Clone the repository by entering into the Terminal:

git clone https://github.com/Birdiary/station.git

Install scripts

To install all the scripts needed, enter into the Terminal:

bash /home/pi/station/get_pi_requirements.sh

This might take some time. In the meantime you can already focus your camera or register the station on the website (see next steps; calibrating weight only works after scripts are installed).

When the installation is finished, reboot the Raspberry Pi.

Register station

To send data and view them later, register your station on our website: wiediversistmeingarten.org

• Click "Erstelle Station" / "Create Station"
  • Insert the name you want to be displayed
  • (Optional) Enter a Mail you want to notify when a bird is visiting
  • Select the location of the station on the map
  • Accept the terms
  • Submit
• Copy the displayed ID -> Strg + C (the ID is also part of the link, when you look at the station later)
  • Open the file "config.yaml" in the folder station (/home/pi/station/config.yaml) with a text editor (e.g. right click the file and select geany)
  • Replace the ID in the file with the ID of your station (paste it here, e.g. with Strg + V)

Focus camera

To get the best footage of your birds, focus your camera with the enclosed tool. Using it to rotate the lens, changes the focus point of the camera.

Enter raspistill -t 0 into the Terminal, to open a preview mode of the camera.

Try to set the focus of the camera around the perch or even nearer to the camera.

Close the preview with Strg + C.

Screw camera to station

With two screws (Spax 4 x 16), screw the camera with its case on the hole of the front panel on the inside of the station. Its way easier when you first unscrew the front panel from the station.

Attention:

• Attach the Plexiglas in front of the camera
• The camera should be mounted "upside-down", i.e. the side of the mount with the hole for the cable should face upwards.

Calibrate scale

When you have installed and connected everything correctly, after restarting your Raspberry Pi you should see a terminal starting automatically and showing you weight values. The values probably do not make any sense and are for example around minus some thousand. To calibrate the scale, it is necessary to use a something you know the weight of, that you can hang on the perch. Ideally it has a weight around 500 gramm (Assuming you use the 1 kg straine gauge).

1. Hang the weight on the perch
2. Wait until the weight in the terminal levels off at a constant value
3. Open the config.yaml file (home/pi/station/config.yaml)
4. Change the following values:

• Calibration weight: The weight of the object you hang on the perch
• Terminal weight: The 'constant' weight value shown in the terminal

5. Save the file
6. Reboot the Raspberry Pi

Now the weight values in the terminal should be around 0 (+-1), as long as nothing is loaded on the scale / the perch.