Today, I stumbled upon this thing called Silencio Network. It sounded interesting, something about measuring noise pollution, so I decided to give it a shot.
Getting Started
First, I went to their website. It was a bit confusing at first, lots of technical jargon. But I managed to find a “getting started” section.
It turns out you need a special device to measure the noise. They call it a “Silencio sensor”. You can’t just use your phone or something.
I requested the device fill in a form, and wait.
Setting up the Device
The package arrived a few days later. Inside was the sensor, a small black box, along with some cables and instructions.
Following the instructions, I connected the sensor to my Wi-Fi. I needed to download an app on my phone to do this. The app wasn’t the prettiest, but it got the job done.
Taking Measurements
Once everything was set up, I placed the sensor outside my window. The app started showing a graph of the noise levels. It was pretty cool to see the numbers go up and down as cars drove by or when the neighbor’s dog barked.
Data and Rewards
The app said I was earning some kind of “points” for collecting this data. Apparently, this data is valuable for researchers and city planners. I’m not exactly sure how it all works, but hey, free points!
- Set up the device.
- Connect it to Wi-Fi using the app.
- Start collecting noise data.
Final Thoughts
It’s been a few days now, and the sensor is still running. I check the app every now and then to see the noise levels. It’s kind of interesting, I guess. I’m not sure if I’ll keep doing this long-term, but it’s been a fun little experiment.
If you’re into citizen science or just curious about the noise levels in your area, maybe give Silencio Network a try. It’s not super exciting, but it’s something different to mess around with.
Just prepare for a bit technical setting, that confused me a little.
