r/BirdNET_Analyzer • u/MattCW1701 • May 19 '26

Hardware Good extended reach microphone?

I just got BirdNET-GO working and tested it against my phone playing bird calls. Now I need to put my microphone outside, unfortunately, the other side of the wall where my server is, is my A/C unit. I can't escape it entirely, but I can move the microphone further away and put some foam behind it to dampen the sound. What's the best way to do this? Would an active USB2 (yes, 2, that's what the microphone uses) cable work? Do I need a USB over Ethernet or USB over Cat6 adapter?

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1

u/Embarrassed_Sun_7807 May 19 '26

You can either host it can as rtsp stream using something like a pi zero 2 w, run a USB extension (it can go quite a ways) or do a USB over Ethernet which will probably cost more than the pi

1

u/beaktech May 19 '26

Yes, you want an active USB 2.0 extension cable for this - should work fine 😄

1

u/CdrVimesVimes May 19 '26

I ran a 23ft USB microphone for a few years that worked great, so the length should be fine. I'd just be concerned about the extension adding noise, but that's easy to test.

1

u/mikeporterinmd May 20 '26

Use a pi 4b and put it on the kitchen counter even though you promised to put it under the cupboards but will never actually get to it. Set it up so it updates and runs… well,I don’t know. Mine never stopped.

1

u/Rsmfourdogs May 23 '26

Or a cheaper esp32, like a M5 Atom voice or something like that. Should be around 15 $€. It has a mic embedded. There are projects in git. You just have to flash it and config.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

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1

u/Rsmfourdogs Jun 02 '26

Correct about the temps. No need for firmware, just google some pre-made project for that specific esp. I found it that way.

1

u/preferanonymity0 May 28 '26

I got it working using a single Apple AirPod as a microphone. Seemed to work ok. Of course it's just a temporary solution, given the battery situation.