You can purchase the items from different sources. And the links to purchase are added.

Here are the bare minimum parts to get started

• ESP32 Audio Kit
• Micro USB Cable to program the device
• A Baofeng UV-5R or similar radio

Linked below is a video on assembly. The first part of the video talks about the parts you will need.

Link to Video

The development environment can be set up on a Mac, Windows, or Linux computer. You will need a USB port on the computer to connect the USB cable from the computer to the Boondock Echo UART port for programming. Follow the steps...

• Download and install Git-SCM  ( LINK )
• Download and install Visual Studio ( LINK )
• Add PlatformIO Extension ( LINK )

You will need these additional tools for setting up the database and transferring the files to your web server.

• Download and install Filezilla ( LINK )
• Add Amazon Lightsail server SSH connection ( LINK )
• Download and install MySQL Workbench ( LINK )

You can program and test your boondock without an enclosure. But we recommend you 3d print the enclosure to protect the board.

Open the link for details

You need a hosted webserver. In the example, we are using Amazon LightSail. But you can use the hosting provider of your choice.

Open the link for details

The Audio kit is based on ESP32. Use Visual Studio with PlatformIO extension. 

Open the link for details

Boondock Echo device detects the sound, and based on the set threshold, it will start recording audio. For a Baofeng UV-5R Radio, we have noticed that a 1/4 turn of the volume knob ( picture below ) works the best.

If the volume of recorded audio is too low, increase the volume just a little bit. And vice versa.

You can also change the audio thresholds within the code. the file main.cpp file has variables that you can fine-tune to get Boondock trigger at the right time.

#define INPUT_LINE AUDIO_HAL_ADC_INPUT_LINE2        // Uses Mic & Line input
#define DEFAULT_AUDIO_ON_SPEAKER false              // Play Audio on the speaker?
#define DEFAULT_SILENSE_BEFORE_RECORDING_STOPS 1000 // How long is it silent before recording stops; in milliseconds
#define DEFAULT_MIN_RECORDING_DURATION 3000         // Minimum recording file duration; in Milliseconds
#define DEFAULT_MAX_RECORDING_DURATION 10000        // Maximum recording file duration; in Milliseconds
#define DEFAULT_MIN_SOUND 20                        // How much sound before recording starts Range 0 to 100;
#define DEFAULT_SPEAKER_VOLUME 50                   // How much sound before recording starts Range 0 to 100;