bhScale is the hive scale. It measures weight and temperature, stores data in memory, and you read it with your phone over Bluetooth. bhBase is the GSM gateway for remote transfer. It sends data automatically to the app without your presence. If your hives are close to home and you visit them regularly, bhScale on its own is enough. bhBase starts to make sense when you cannot get to the apiary regularly or when you want data without a visit.
One bhBase module can handle up to 10 scales.
Only if you need remote monitoring. If your scales are close to home and you visit them regularly, Bluetooth is enough. A simple rule of thumb: if you can get to the apiary at least once a week, you do not need bhBase.
Version 2.0 has significantly better temperature stability: temperature drift is 10 g/°C compared with 25 g/°C for 1.0. In practice, that means changes in the graph reflect what is really happening in the hive better and are less influenced by ambient temperature swings. For new orders, we recommend 2.0. Version 1.0 remains available for customers who are expanding an existing setup.
BS is the standard variant. BA adds an alarm for a sudden weight change. When the weight drops by a configured value, for example during swarming or theft, bhBase immediately sends an SMS and calls the configured number. BA makes sense if you plan to use bhBase and want active alerts, not only passive graph tracking.
4G modules are significantly more expensive and require a special SIM card with an annual subscription. The NB-IoT module itself costs around 150 EUR, plus another 15-20 EUR per year for the SIM. On remote apiary sites, 2G coverage is often better than coverage of newer networks, and the initial costs are several times lower.
No, bhBase BG is enough. The BA alarm for a sudden weight change works with the standard BG module. BGE adds an external input for sensors such as a magnetic door sensor or motion sensor. That is a different function and is independent of BA.
Yes. The value of the scale is not in the number of hives but in what it shows you. Even with two hives, you can see when nectar flow starts, when it makes sense to add a honey super, and whether the bees are wintering well, without unnecessary hive openings. On a remote apiary site, a scale makes sense even for a single hive.
Yes. Scales 1.0 and 2.0 are mutually compatible and can be combined with both BG and BGE gateways. One bhBase can handle up to 10 scales.
For bhScale, you need to buy 3x AA alkaline batteries. For bhBase, you need a SIM card with a data plan. A prepaid SIM with a small data package is enough because data usage is only in the range of a few MB per month.
Place the scale on a level surface under the hive, insert the batteries, pair it with the app over Bluetooth, and set zero. The whole process takes a few minutes and no tools are needed. You can find a detailed procedure in the Guides section.
We recommend installation on the flattest surface possible. Up to a 1% slope, measurement remains accurate. With a greater slope, the weight is distributed unevenly across the sensors and measurement accuracy decreases. The plywood frame is slightly flexible, so under load it adapts a little to a base that is not perfectly even.
The probe, with a 1 m cable, is placed directly inside the hive near the brood nest. A healthy colony keeps brood temperature around 34-35 °C. A drop or instability in brood temperature is one of the earliest signs of a problem, even before anything is visibly wrong from the outside.
No. The load cells are sensitive devices and a sharp impact can damage them. The scale must therefore be removed from under the hive during transport. When you place it back, no setup is needed. The scale remembers the original zero setting and the full measurement history. You may see a one-time jump of a few hundred grams caused by a different weight distribution or temperature when reinstalling it. That is normal. Watch the trend, not this single point.
No. The construction is designed for that. The scale keeps the zero setting and the full history, and after reinstalling it continues without any manual intervention.
The scale remembers its zero setting and the complete measurement history. After reinstalling it, you will not see the graph jump back to zero. The history remains continuous. A one-time offset of a few hundred grams may occur because of different load distribution, which is a normal effect during repeated installation.
bhScale communicates over Bluetooth, with a range of about 10 m in open space and about 5-8 m when placed under the hive. GSM transfer is handled by bhBase, which sends data through the mobile network.
About 10 m in open space. When the scale is placed under the hive, expect 5-8 m. bhBase does not have to be in range of all scales at once. It collects data gradually from each scale.
For bhScale, battery life depends on the measurement interval: about 5 months at 1 minute, about 1.6 years at 10 minutes, and about 2 years at 60 minutes. For normal operation, we recommend 10 minutes. For bhBase, with 3 transfers per day and one scale, battery life is about 3 months. Battery life decreases with the number of scales and transfer frequency.
AA alkaline batteries are available in every store and replacing them takes a minute without tools. Li-Ion batteries lose performance significantly at sub-zero temperatures, exactly when the scale is working all winter. AA alkaline batteries handle frost better and a full year of operation costs only a few euros.
Follow the trend over several days, not individual deviations. Hive weight naturally fluctuates. In the morning it drops as foragers leave, and in the afternoon it rises as they return with nectar. What matters is the net daily gain and the trend over several days.
Daily fluctuation is normal. It reflects departing and returning foragers, overnight nectar processing, and water evaporation. Wooden hives also absorb moisture during rain, and the weight then drops again as the moisture dries out. Watch the trend over several days, not hourly fluctuations.
A sudden significant drop, several kilograms in a day, outside nectar flow can indicate swarming, robbing, or another problem. Swarming is typically visible as a one-time drop. Robbing may appear as multiple sharp drops within a short time. The scale does not tell you what happened, but it tells you exactly when something changed.
During installation, you set zero at the current hive weight. The scale then shows only the change from that point, not the absolute weight of the whole hive with frames, honey, and wood. The graph therefore shows gain or loss from the moment of installation, which is much clearer for tracking nectar flow.
No. The scale memory stores 160,000 records, about 3 years at a 10-minute interval, and keeps the data even after the batteries are fully discharged. After you replace the batteries and pair the scale again, all stored data is read into the app. When using bhBase, data is stored on the server and remains available after changing your phone.
The memory holds 160,000 records, which is about 3 years at a 10-minute measurement interval. Data remains preserved even after the batteries are discharged.
The scale overwrites the oldest records with new ones. In practice, with normal settings of 10 minutes, this happens after about 3 years. If you want to archive data long term, we recommend reading it into the app regularly, where it is available without time limits.
You can find the current options in the Shipping and payment section during checkout.
Yes, without any problem. Enter the billing details during checkout.
We ship within 5 working days. The scales are made to order. After the order is placed, they are finalized according to the selected configuration, size, generation, and variant, and go through final inspection before shipping.
Yes. In accordance with the law, you have 14 days to return the goods without giving a reason.
Yes. The app shows downloaded data even without an internet connection and even without active Bluetooth. When internet is available again, synchronization with the server happens automatically.
Yes. You only need to sign in with the same account. Data read on your phone at the hive is automatically synchronized to the server. At home, you can open it on a tablet or computer without any extra steps. Synchronization also works in Bluetooth-only mode: you read data at the hive, and when the device gets internet access, it uploads the data automatically.
Registration is not mandatory. Basic Bluetooth reading works without it. For synchronization between devices and server backup of the data, a simple one-step registration is required. Registration is linked to device ownership: only the person who read the scale over Bluetooth can register it.
Yes, in two ways: either you share one common account, or each person registers the device to their own account after reading it over Bluetooth. The second option gives each user their own access without sharing a password.
There are two reasons. First, bhScale uses relative measurement. It shows the change from the moment zero was set, not the absolute weight. Second, each load cell has slightly individual characteristics. If you need absolute accuracy, a calibration coefficient can be set so that 100 kg really is 100 kg. For monitoring nectar flow and trends, that is usually not necessary.
Not the scale itself. The plywood frame has a phenolic film and does not absorb water. Wooden hives, however, do absorb moisture, which appears as a temporary increase in weight during rain. After drying, the weight drops again. This effect is commonly visible in the graph and is not a fault of the scale.
Yes. Export to CSV is available for the currently displayed graph range, up to a maximum of one calendar year at a time. Each year can be exported separately.
Without time limit. Data on the server is not deleted and is not limited by time.
Contact us by e-mail or phone and include the device serial number, invoice number, and a short description of the issue.
Yes. We manufacture the scales ourselves, we keep spare parts, and we can offer service even after years. The first scales went to customers in 2019, and most of them are still in the field today.
A physical lock is not part of the design. With the BA variant combined with bhBase, you get an almost immediate alert when there is a sudden drop in weight, including when the scale with the hive is carried away. The speed of reaction depends on the configured transfer interval.
For normal operation, we recommend a 10-minute measurement interval. The interval can be shortened down to 1 minute or extended up to 60 minutes. A shorter interval gives a more precise picture, while a longer one saves battery.
At a 10-minute measurement interval, about 1.6 years. At 1 minute, about 5 months. At 60 minutes, about 2 years. Battery life is also slightly influenced by how often data is read over Bluetooth or through bhBase.
bhScale communicates over Bluetooth at short range. On a remote apiary site, bhBase is used to send the data automatically through the GSM network at the configured interval.
Choose BA if you plan to use bhBase and want an immediate alert when weight changes sharply, for example during swarming or theft. BA works with the regular BG module. It is not necessary to buy BGE.
Evaluate the graphs based on the trend over several days. Short-term peaks can be related to weather or colony activity. What matters is the net daily gain and its development over the week.
BG is the basic variant. It provides remote data transfer for up to 10 scales and an SMS alert when the scale battery reaches a critical level. BGE adds an external input for a sensor with a relay output, such as a magnetic door sensor, motion sensor, or smoke detector. When the alarm is triggered, it sends an SMS and calls the configured number, up to 3 numbers in sequence.
One bhBase can handle up to 10 scales.
With 3 transfers per day and one scale, about 3 months. Battery life decreases with the number of scales and transfer frequency. Charging is done through USB-C, and a standard power bank is enough.
After a transfer, the data is available in the app within a few seconds.
bhBase has IP30 protection, basic protection against dust, but not against rain. It should be placed in a dry environment such as a shed, shelter, hive super, or waterproof box. Two conditions are important: a dry environment and GSM coverage. Before installation, we recommend checking coverage directly on site with a mobile phone.
Yes. Any micro SIM with a data plan or SMS capability works. It is not tied to any specific operator. Because usage is low, only a few MB per month, we recommend a prepaid SIM with a small data package.
For normal operation, a few MB per month is enough. The cheapest prepaid data plan is sufficient.
The scales continue measuring and storing data. bhBase keeps trying to send it. After the connection is restored, it sends part of the missing data.
It helps to change the module placement, check operator coverage, or use an external antenna. Before installation, we recommend checking coverage directly at the apiary site with a mobile phone.