Boondock Technologies
Audio & Music
Sub-GHz

Boondock Echo

Internet-backed recording and playback device for two-way radios

$24,738 raised

of $6,000 goal

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$159

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The Boondock Echo is an internet-backed recording and playback device for two-way radios. It can denoise, transcribe, translate, and use keyword notifications to email users the audio and transcription of important messages. Multiple Boondock Echos can be used to monitor multiple radio frequencies or create a repeater network that is easy to manage and deploy.

Use Cases

Features & Specifications

Extended Recording Capacity

A RAM-based circular audio buffer ensures uninterrupted recording of all audio that leaves your radio. Captured audio is stored on a preinstalled 32 GB microSD card that can hold up to 260 hours of .WAV file audio. If you use the device to record a continuous audio stream (100% duty cycle), that’s almost 11 days of audio! For many use cases (four hours of audio per day, or ~17% duty cycle) that is over two months of on-device recording before older audio files are overwritten.

You Choose: Standalone or Networked Operation

Boondock Echo is designed to be internet-backed but not reliant. You can use it as a completely standalone device without any connectivity other than to your radio. In standalone mode, you will have access to basic functions like recording .WAV files to an internal microSD card and playing those files back. You can also connect it via Wi-Fi to access online services of your own or those hosted by a third party. We offer an optional, subscription-based online service specifically for use with Boondock Echo for more advanced features like denoising, transcription, translation, and keyword notification emails.

Comparisons

FeatureBoondock Echo Simplex RepeaterVoice RecorderRepeater Controller
ManufacturerBoondock Technologies Argent DataOlympusNode-Ventures
MPNBE-1 ADS-SR1VN-541ClearRPT V2
MSRP159 USD 89 USD35 USD395 USD
Recording Format.wav unknown.mp3unknown
Recording Time260 Hours 218 sec 1100 hours unknown
BatteryOptional Yes Yes No
On-Device PlaybackYes Yes Yes No
Internet ConnectivityYes No No Yes
Online PlaybackYes No No Yes
TranscriptionYes No No No
TranslationYes No No No
Control Push-to-TalkYes Yes No No
Keyword DetectionYes No No No
Email NotificationYes No No No
IFTTT IntegrationYes No No No
Open-SourceYes No No No

Online Services

Boondock Echo will record and playback without a subscription. But for advanced features such as email notifications, SMS notifications, IFTTT integration, and more, you’ll need a subscription or you will have to set up your own server. All Boondock Echo purchases include one month of Advanced User priveledges at BoondockEcho.com. Advanced and Power users do not need multiple licenses. Multiple docks can be used by one user under the Advanced User and Power User licenses. Subscriptions will be available for purchase at https://BoondockEcho.com once manufacturing is complete.

FeatureIntroCasual UserAdvanced UserPower UserEnterprise
Pricing per monthFree$5$15$25$50
Number of devices per account112510
Cost per additional deviceNA10/dev/mo$10/dev/mo$10/dev/mo$10/dev/mo
Additional user account per deviceN/AN/AN/A$5$10
Automated transcription *No 100 / day500 / day2000 / day5000 / day
Cloud audio storage **7 days30 days90 days1 Year3 Year
On-device audio storage260 hours260 hours260 hours260 hours260 hours
Ads on webpageYes Yes No No No
On-demand audio transcriptionYes Yes Yes Yes Yes
PTT on Boondock Echo deviceYes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote transmitNo Yes Yes Yes Yes
Email notificationsNo Yes Yes Yes Yes
Boondock remote control & automationNo Yes Yes Yes Yes
Share your Boondock audio feed for transcription creditsNo No Yes Yes Yes
Mobile accessNo No Yes Yes Yes
Storage add-on ***No No Yes Yes Yes
Transcription add-on creditsNo No Yes Yes Yes
AI audio auto-leveling & noise removalNo No Yes Yes Yes
SMS notificationsNo No Yes Yes Yes
Audio & data exportNo No Yes Yes Yes
Keyword notificationsNo No Yes Yes Yes
Early access to new featuresNo No Yes Yes Yes
IFTTT integrationNo No No Yes Yes
3rd party API & integrationNo No No Yes Yes
AI / GPT integration (Smart Alerts ****)No No No Yes Yes
Priority supportNo No No Yes Yes
Data analyticsNo No No Yes Yes
Access to Boondock Streams libraryNo No No Yes Yes
User management & controlNo No No Yes Yes
One-year extended replacement warrantyNo No No Yes Yes

* Fair usage policy applies. After the limit, transcriptions are done on low priority.
** Fair usage policy applies. After the limit, old audio is automatically deleted.
*** Additional long-term storage can be purchased for audio storage.
**** Smart alerts are AI-driven alerts, like crime, health emergencies, severe weather, etc.

We use a queue-based transcription system that allows up to 7-simultaneous transcriptions per server. There are currently three entry-points in the queue for each server: High-Priority, Low-Priority, and Manual-Transcription. Depending on the subscription level you choose, once you exhaust your high-priority queue entry usage, you’ll be automatically moved to low-priority queue usage (transcriptions might be delayed), and after that manual-only transcriptions. Once we see real-user usage, we reserve the right to adjust minutes per day of transcription usage to maintain server stability. Note: Dead-air, breaking-squelch, etc., when detected by our system, will not count against your transcription counts.

Of course, it’s also possible to set up your own noncommercial server without paying us for a subscription. But be warned, it takes several days of waiting for API licenses from various entities to setup all the SMS, email, IFTTT, etc. integrations and about 20 hours to set up an AWS installation for 1-10 users at 50% duty cycle, which will end up costing $300 to $400 per month for server rental and transcription requests through OpenAI’s Whisper. We expect these costs to decrease as we improve performance and streamline the installation processes. If you are a commercial entity and wish to run your server, please get in touch with us and we can work with your IT department to establish a server that fits your security needs.

Support & Documentation

Boondock Echo is open source! Embracing the spirit of open source, we invite users and developers to explore and contribute to Boondock Echo’s software and hardware, fostering a community of innovation and collaboration. Additionally, you can run your own transcription/action server and avoid subscription fees altogether. The Boondock Echo GitHub repositories contain all hardware, firmware, and software files. Explore the Boondock Echo documentation for guides and instructions. Join the Boondock Technologies Discord community for discussions and assistance.

Warning

Users must have appropriate radio licensing in their country to transmit with the Boondock Echo. U.S. users should familiarize themselves with FCC Title 47, Chapter 1, Subchapter D, Part 97, §97.025 and §97.201.

In the Press

Hackaday

Hackaday

"It sounded like the perfect system for me — something that would let my scanner work for me, instead of the other way around."

Hackster News

"Once Boondock Echo captures a message, it uploads the audio to its cloud service, which uses OpenAI to transcribe it. And, frankly, the results were impressive."

Save It For Parts

"The Boondock Echo is essentially a radio answering machine. This gadget uses an ESP32 system to record audio from a two-way radio and act as a time-shift message center."


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Produced by Boondock Technologies in La Habra Heights, CA, USA.

Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.

Boondock Echo

Internet-backed recording and playback device for two-way radios.

$159 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

About the Team

Boondock Technologies

La Habra Heights, CA, USA  ·   boondockecho.com  ·   boondocktechnologies  ·   discord.gg/xMm6GYs2kH

We pioneer remote radio reporting tools using advanced open source wireless communication technologies. Our products improve the clarity, reliability, and convenience of two-way radios, making it easier for you to stay connected, regardless of where you are.

See Also

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