Mounting the SM2
15 Sep 2015

There are a variety of ways to mount the SM2 to a tree, I find that one of the most convenient ways to do this is to use small loops and wire. This has the advantage of allowing the lid to be removed without the need to remove the whole instrument from the tree to change batteries and SD cards.

To attachment of the small loops to the back of the instrument use small diameter screws dropped down through holes shown in the corners of the SM2 (above). Fit the stainless steel loops to the screws and secure by tightening the nut to the end of the screw. The photo below shows the small stainless steel loop with a small gauge wire threaded through the loop in order to attach this to the tree. Note: the larger visible hook is not being used to attach the meter.

Apart from the advantage of having ready access to the screws securing the lid, using this method has another advantage over using straps. The meters become less visible as there is no strap to attract the attention. A small tree was chosen to allow the microphones to detect as much omnidirectional sounds as possible, reducing the possibility of sounds being effected by the interaction with a larger tree trunk particularly in regards to diffractive effects of sound around solid barriers such as a large tree trunk.