How long can Owl Sense record for?
The calculator below can be used to explore various scenarios. Keep in mind that there can be other variables at play and runtimes are not guaranteed. The battery is assumed to be a Molicel M35a(3500mAh).
Weather
Cold weather, especially below 0C will cause a reduction in performance. Generally this is relatively negligible with Molicel batteries above 0C.
Battery
Batteries self-discharge at a small rate, typically a few percent per month.
As rechargeable batteries age they also lose capacity.
Schedule
Schedule idle time will slowly eat into overall runtime, but the effect is generally relatively small.
Memory Card
Some cards use dramatically more power than others. This could increase power consumption by 20%-100%. This calculator is assuming Samsung EVO Plus cards we sell on our store.
Audio Format
- WAV uncompressed audio is the standard format. It's universally recognizable, but data usage is high. We generally recommend WAV for most users.
- WavPack - Lossless is a compression codec that does not result in any audio quality loss, but data use is 60% of normal. Runtimes can increase by 15-20%
- WavPack - Lossy is a compression codec that results in a small amount of usually inaudible audio data loss. Data usage is 30% of normal. Runtimes can increase by 30-40%
The results provided by this calculator are estimates and may vary depending on various factors. In extreme cases, such as recording for only 1 hour per day, the estimates may be significantly incorrect due to the impact of self-discharge and other environmental factors. Please use these results as a guideline, not a guarantee.