Recommended BroodMinder Configurations
We offer a wide variety of devices so you may ask, "How do I get started?" Here are a couple of configurations that we recommend.
Just looking
If you are still investigating if you want to go down the monitoring road, then we suggest purchasing a single BroodMinder-T2SM device ($29.99). With that, you can get a good idea of the type of information you will get from your hive. You can monitor brood stability and swarming as well as winter survival. Note that all BroodMinder devices can be read using your cell phone and our free app.
Economical Apiary Setup
Once you decide to take the plunge, there are many ways to configure your apiary. As you add sensors, you may want an easy way to read them all. That is where the -SubHub helps. The best bang for the buck is this... suppose you have 4 hives...
2 BroodMinder-T2SM ($42.99)
1 BroodMinder-CS(T2/T2) ($239.99)
1 BroodMinder-SubHub ($129.99)
1 Old Cell Phone or Tablet ($0.00)
1 MyBroodMinder.com Subscription ($54.00)
Total Cost $467, Cost per hive = $117
With this minimal configuration (4 -T2SMs) you will be able to keep an eye on all of your hives. We recommend one scale under your most ambitious hive so that you can observe nectar flows. With the Apiary-App in hub mode, you will get real-time alerts to inform you of swarm activity from anywhere in the world. All of the data transfer is automatic to MyBroodMinder.com.
All In
Some of us love data and love the opportunity to understand our bees to the fullest extent. In that case we would configure the apiary like this.
4 BroodMinder-CS(TH/T2) ($319.99)
1 BroodMinder-SubHub ($129.99)
1 Old Cell Phone or Tablet ($0.00)
1 MyBroodMinder.com Subscription ($54.00)
In this scenario we would install the -T2SM above the lower brood box and the -TH2SM above the upper brood box. You could also consider a BroodMinder-WIFI for real time data. If this were a remote apiary, we would replace the cell phone with a BroodMinder-Cell unit.
Total Cost $1,464, Cost per hive = $366
Do It Yourself
For those who like doing fabrication, then the BroodMinder-DIY is a way to save some money. With it, you can support 4 scales. You can find more information here.
4 BroodMinder-TH2SM ($76.99)
4 BroodMinder-T2SM ($42.99)
1 BroodMinder-DIY ($99.99)
4 200 KG load cells ($34.99)
1 BroodMinder-SubHub ($129.99)
1 Old Cell Phone or Tablet ($0.00)
1 MyBroodMinder.com Subscription ($54.00)
Total Cost $804, Cost per hive = $201
Honeybee Research
Some of us love data and love the opportunity to understand our bees to the fullest extent. In that case we would configure the apiary like this.
4 BroodMinder-TH2SM ($76.99)
4 BroodMinder-T2SM ($42.99)
4 BroodMinder-W2 ($327.99)
1 BroodMinder-SubHub ($129.99)
1 Old Cell Phone or Tablet ($0.00)
1 MyBroodMinder.com Subscription ($54.00)
In this scenario we would install the -T2SM above the lower brood box and the -TH2SM above the upper brood box. The -W2 is our whole hive scale which is more accurate than the -W which measures half the hive and doubles it.
Total Cost $1976, Cost per hive = $494
We have designed our products for a wide range of situations. Feel free to contact with your particular needs at Support@BroodMinder.com
