Power, mount & orientate your SiteHive Hexanode

 ✅ Power, mount & orientate your SiteHive Hexanode

The SiteHive Hexanode is designed to be set up quickly and easily. 
This is a guide to powering, mounting, and orientating your device on setup. 
There are many options for powering and mounting, set up is very flexible which makes deployment possible in many configurations. 

🔎 Quick Search

• Quick-step - Hexanode set up
• Powering the device
• Powering the device - Option 1: Main power via plug pack
• Powering the device - Option 2: battery & solar
• Powering the device - Option 3: Battery only setup
• Keeping the lights on
• Keeping the lights on - Check your device power performance
• Keeping the lights on - maximise your solar input
• Mounting and orientating your device
• Cable connection

⏩ Quick-step Hexanode set up

What you will need:

🪛 A Philips Head Screwdriver 

 ☀️ North Facing Area with Sunshine for the solar panel

Powering the device

The Hexanode is run via 12V power source which can be supplied through either a plug pack or battery/solar setup. 

The latest version of the Hexanode makes it easier than ever to see if your device is powered on with the new LED power light feature. 

If the green LED 🟢 is flashing you can be confident that the device is powered on and recording data. 

There are currently 3 different Hexanode models in use, each with slightly different power requirements: 

Option 1: Main power via plug pack

A plug pack is the easiest way to power your device if your site has access to 100-240V power supply through mains or a generator. 

Simply connect the plug pack to your power outlet and power on your device. 
^{ℹ️ Note that some generators can make a lot of noise, which can impact noise measurements.}

It can be very helpful to have a plug pack handy even if your devices are battery powered. If your device does not have comms reception where it's deployed, you can power your device offsite or in your site compound to periodically publish data to the platform. 

Option 2: Battery & solar

If your device can't be powered by mains, SiteHive can provide a power package including a custom stand, battery and solar panel.

The effectiveness of the power setup can be managed by the battery graph, available in the 'Manage Device' modal from Dashboard, or in the Device Details page in Site Details. The battery graph shows the battery voltage over time, in the example below the voltage of the battery can be seen charging (increasing), then being reduced during periods of no sunlight, then charging again, maintaining at least c.12v throughout the period. 

Option 3: Battery only setup

The Hexanode can also be set up in a battery only configuration. 
This is recommended for shorter deployments as the battery will need to be recharged or swapped after it discharges. 

Set Up Steps

•  To setup, first connect the cable to the battery. The ring terminals on the cable are secured with the screws provided with the battery. Carefully ensure that the red wire is connected to the positive/red terminal.
•  Insert the Hexanode power connector into the device. The green LED will begin to flash if the battery is sufficiently charged. 

🟢 Keeping the lights on 

During winter, it helps to be prepared so that you can get the best out of your device power setups. The release of the lower-power requirement SiteHive Hexanodes has made things significantly easier, and here are some more tips to help. 

Check your device power performance regularly

You can see at a glance how your SiteHive Hexanodes are performing via a power status icon on the device card. 
The status shows red 🔴, amber 🟠 or green 🟢, depending on the power situation. 

You can also see the battery voltage for each device by selecting a device card, clicking Manage, and then choosing Power.  This gives you a voltage graph (shown in the example below), where you can see if the battery is getting enough solar energy on a daily basis to recharge for continued operation. In this example, there is battery is getting sufficient solar to get charge up during the day and slow decline overnight before starting the process again. 

In the voltage graph below, for example, the battery is getting very limited solar power. There is an up-tick in voltage each day, but it is not enough to power the device for the day - so we can see the voltage continuing to reduce over time. This graph allows you to identify the situation ahead of time, and take action to prevent device outages.

In this final example, the battery is getting sufficient solar to reach a high voltage level, but it is dropping away very quickly. This indicates the battery is most likely dying as it’s not able to hold it’s voltage. 

Maximise your solar input

A 10w/20w* solar panel is sufficient to run SiteHive Hexanode devices, even in the winter months. To make sure you are giving your solar panel the best opportunity to do its job, we recommend:

1. Make sure the solar panel is not being shaded - for example by trees, overgrown shrub, buildings or site equipment. 
2. Check that the solar panel is facing north.
3. Give your solar panel a wash to remove any dust or dirt.

Keep an eye on your battery

Your battery should last you a long time, but they do have a limited life. As a battery starts to die, its ability to hold charge dramatically reduces. If you are seeing the voltage drop quickly, this is an indicator the battery may need replacing. 

Check your controller and cables 

The solar controller and cables can be a fail point in the system. Typically these will last years, but site conditions including water, insects, flora and fauna, and just general wear and tear can cause them to fail sometimes. 

Mounting and orienting your Device

There are many easy ways to mount the Hexanode:

• If you've installed the SiteHive solar stand, simply mount the Hexanode on the bracket atop the pole
• If you are not using the solar stand, SiteHive can also provide an L-Bracket which can be easily attached to most surfaces e.g. hoarding, concrete or fence posts
• For indoor applications, the Hexanode can be installed on any flat surface without any attachments.

To maximise the effectiveness of Hexanode, it is recommended that the top of the device is at least 1.5 metres from any hard surface to minimise noise reflections. 

The Hexanode does not need to be orientated North. Orientate your device so that the cameras face the primary sources of noise. The two cameras, located on either side of the device, capture 160° images. 

It is recommended to note the orientation of the device on setup. This adjusts measurements for Noise Direction of Arrival (DOA). Record the compass direction that the LED/logo on the device is pointing. This can be input when managing your device on the SiteHive dashboard. If you can't record the orientation on setup, no problem! SiteHive can help you figure out your device orientation on the dashboard.

Cable Connection

The battery, solar panel and device can now be connected via the solar controller and cables provided. The solar charge controller manages the power between the battery, solar panel and device, protecting the battery life and ensuring that the device isn't exposed to over-voltage.

1. Connect the three sets of cables to the solar controller by inserting each cable connector into the appropriate terminal:

• red wires are connected to positive (+) terminals
• white or black wires are connected to negative (-) terminals

2. Use the small flathead screwdriver to tightly secure the cable to the controller. 

3. The cable attached to the back of the solar panel is connected to the terminals marked with a solar panel icon or 'PV'. The battery cable is connected to the terminals marked with a battery icon or 'BATT'. The load cable which powers the Hexanode is connected to the terminals marked with a lightbulb icon or 'LOAD'. 

4. Give each cable a firm tug to ensure that they are safely connected. 

5. Connect the other end of the battery cable to the battery. The ring terminals on the cable are secured with the screws provided with the battery. Carefully ensure that the red wire is connected to the positive/red terminal. If the cables are connected to the incorrect terminals, the solar controller may be damaged. 

6. The solar controller should be powered. Click the 'SET' button to check that the solar controller mode displays 'C' or automatic mode. If the display shows a different mode or you wish to configure the controller differently refer to the manual that you received with the controller. 

7. Finally, power on the Hexanode with the load cable. The green light on the Hexanode will flash if powered on.

TIP: Wrap the load cable around the solar frame. This will minimise the chance of it coming loose or being a trip hazard. 

8. Place the solar controller and flathead screwdriver safely inside the battery box. Fit the lid on the battery box and secure it with the strap, ensuring that the solar and load cables both lead out of the battery box. Slide the battery box onto the rail under the solar panel.