Airnote Quickstart

• Introduction
• Unboxing Your Airnote
• Airnote Setup
• Visit Your Device Dashboard
• Understanding Air Quality
• FAQ

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Introduction

This quickstart guide will help you get started with the Blues Airnote, a zero-configuration air quality monitoring device powered by the Blues Notecard. To learn more about the Airnote, or to purchase your own device, visit the Blues Shop.

To complete this guide, you’ll need:

• An Airnote.
• A USB cable for charging the internal batteries/capacitors (depending on the Airnote model you are using).

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Unboxing Your Airnote

Open the Airnote box. Inside, you’ll find:

• An insert with a printed version of the set-up instructions on this page.
• Eight velcro Command Strips.
• Two Phillips screws for securing the baseplate.
• One Airnote.

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Airnote Setup

To set up your Airnote and start capturing air quality readings, follow the steps below.

Turn It On

To give the Airnote a few minutes to find a cell tower and make its first connection to the Blues Notehub cloud service, you’ll next want to turn it on. Find the black slide switch at the base of the device between the two screws and turn on your Airnote.

Once you’ve flipped the switch, look at the LCD screen on the back.

If you see anything on the screen, that means the device has started its self-test sequence, and you’re ready for the next step! The first thing a current Airnote shows is Hi.

Mount It

Next, find a place to mount your Airnote. For best performance, we recommend mounting the Airnote on the outside of an exterior window that gets a lot of sunlight. Using a window allows you to see real-time air quality readings on the included LCD display.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, use a south-facing window, if possible. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, use a north-facing window.

Separate four of the included velcro Command Strips, and join the velcro sides together to make two pairs of strips. Remove the backing tape off of one side of each pair and place one above and one below the LCD screen on the back of the device. This is the side that you will want to be visible through a window.

Next, remove the backing tape from the still exposed sides of the Command Strips and secure it to your preferred location. We’ve provided eight strips in total just in case you ever need to reposition the device.

Watch the Self-Test And See Your First Reading

Once the Airnote is powered on, it runs a self-test that takes about a minute. It shows Hi and its firmware version, lights every segment of the screen, shows its voltage, temperature, humidity and air pressure, counts down from 5 while it checks the particle sensor, then shows its device ID followed by GO. The Airnote Datasheet describes each step. If the screen shows a number with a minus sign instead of GO, see My Airnote is displaying a numeric code.

Next, the Airnote connects to the cloud to get the current time, showing CL until it does. This can take a few minutes, depending on the strength of cellular service in your area. Shortly after that, the screen shows your first reading: the current Air Quality Index (AQI). You can choose a different value to display in the next step.

Scan the QR Code and Customize Your Airnote

Now, you’re ready to customize your device. Open a QR code reader on your mobile device and scan the QR code on the back of the Airnote, just below the LCD screen.

The code on each Airnote is unique to the device and directs you to a personalized landing page here on airnote.live. From this site you can update device settings, set your contact information, and view charts and graphs for your Airnote. All of the settings and contact information on this site are optional.

The device settings section allows you to assign a name to the device, set how often the Airnote should sample readings from its onboard sensors, and which sensor value (like temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.) to display on the built-in screen.

The owner settings section allows you to share your contact information with other members of the global Safecast network. Again, this information is optional.

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Visit Your Device Dashboard

Every Airnote has a dashboard that displays the device’s air quality and environmental readings over time. You can access your dashboard by visiting https://airnote.live/[Your_DeviceUID]/dashboard (e.g. https://airnote.live/dev:123456789012345/dashboard).

The easiest way to access this URL is by scanning the QR code on your Airnote, and then clicking the View your device’s dashboard button.

The Airnote dashboard displays current air quality information, as well as historical readings over the past 30 days. Its Download button saves those 30 days as a CSV, and older readings are available from the Airnote data archive (see How can I get my Airnote’s historical data?).

From the Airnote dashboard, you can also get a link to the Notehub Events view for your device, and browse other devices in the public Airnote project.

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Understanding Air Quality

Air quality is the result of several factors. The single largest contributing factor is particulate matter, or PM. According to the EPA, “PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution): the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.”

The Airnote samples and reports three different levels of particulate matter, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM_1.0.

Graphic courtesy of EPA.gov

PM₁₀

Inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller. PM₁₀ is a mixture of materials that can include smoke, soot, dust, salt, acids, and metals. Particulate matter also forms when gases emitted from motor vehicles and industrial machinery undergo chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

PM_2.5

Fine inhalable particles, with diameters 2.5 micrometers and smaller. Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is an air pollutant that is a concern for people’s health when levels in air are high. PM_2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. Outdoor PM_2.5 levels are most likely to be elevated on days with little or no wind or air mixing.

PM_1.0

Described as extremely fine particulate matter, PM_1.0 is much less frequently talked about, as there is little available data. However, it is believed to have even more significant health impacts than PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. However, scientists still aren’t clear about the health implications of these particles.

EPA Standards

PM	Safe Levels (µg/m³)
1.0 (24-hrs)	—
1.0 (Annual)	—
2.5 (24-hrs)	35
2.5 (Annual)	9†
10 (24-hrs)	150
10 (Annual)	50*

† Lowered from 12 µg/m³ in 2024.

* Originally set at 50 µg/m³, the annual PM10 standard was revoked because of a lack of evidence establishing a link between long-term exposure to coarse particles and health problems.

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FAQ

For other questions, issues deploying your device, or to share a photo of your Airnote in its new home, visit the Blues Forum.

How can I manually charge my Airnote?

Your Airnote should have enough charge out of the box to function and utilize its onboard solar panel. If, however, your Airnote shows a LOBAT warning on its LCD screen (or nothing at all) you can perform a manual charge with a USB cable.

Remove the rear bottom panel from the Airnote and plug a USB-C cable into the USB-C port as shown in the image below.

If the Airnote is off when you plug it in, you won’t see any visual indication that the device is charging, even though it is. If it’s on, see How do I know my Airnote is charging?

Once it has charged, place the bottom panel back on the Airnote and secure the panel with the two included Phillips screws.

How do I know my Airnote is charging?

If the Airnote is off when plugged into USB, you won’t see any visual indication that the device is charging, even though it is.

If it’s on, place it on a flat surface with the solar panel facing down so the screen shows its voltage. A plus sign (+) next to the voltage means it’s charging, from USB or from the solar panel. While it’s plugged into USB, though, the Airnote stays connected to the cloud, so the plus sign blinks the whole time and won’t tell you when it’s fully charged. To check how charged it is, unplug it and read the voltage.

Can I check the current voltage of my Airnote?

Yes. Remove the Airnote from its mounted location and place it on a flat surface with the solar charging panel facing down.

When the Airnote’s built-in accelerometer detects this orientation (which can take up to a minute), the built-in display will update to show the current voltage of the device’s battery. 3.7 volts or more means it’s well charged; below 3.1 volts, the screen also shows LOBAT. A plus sign (+) next to the voltage means it’s charging. While it’s plugged into USB, it reads over 4 volts.

Can I use the Airnote indoors?

While the Airnote was designed for outdoor use, you can use it indoors. To do so, check the Indoor device checkbox in your device settings. This omits your Airnote’s readings and location from external providers, such as Safecast.

How can I mount the Airnote?

Use the Command Strips included with your Airnote and affix them to the back using the instructions here.

The built-in screen on the Airnote is updating with a lot of information once I power it on. What does it all mean?

When powered on, the Airnote performs a self-test sequence before it enters normal operation. This self-test sequence is detailed in the Airnote Datasheet.

Why is my Airnote showing “LOBAT”?

If you see this on the LCD screen, it means the battery is low. Move the Airnote to a location with more sunlight, or charge the device over USB.

Why is my Airnote showing the letters “CL”?

After the Airnote runs through its self-test sequence, it attempts to connect to a cellular tower to obtain the time. Until it obtains the time, “CL” is displayed to indicate that the Airnote is waiting for clock time in order to begin capturing air quality readings.

Why is my Airnote flashing a plus sign (”+”)?

A blinking plus sign means the Airnote’s radio is on: it’s connecting to the cloud or syncing its readings. While it’s plugged into USB, the Airnote stays connected, so the plus sign blinks the whole time. When the screen is showing the voltage, a plus sign next to it means the Airnote is charging.

Why is my Airnote displaying a colon character (”:”) on the screen?

If you see this on the screen, it means the Airnote’s recent attempts to connect to the cloud failed, and it’s waiting before it tries again. If it keeps happening, move the device to a location with better cellular coverage.

My Airnote is displaying a numeric code. What does that mean?

If the Airnote’s self-test finds a problem with one of its components, it shows a status code with a minus sign in front (for example, -120) for one minute, instead of GO. The first digit describes the BME280 sensor, and the second the air particle counter:

• 1xx BME280 OK
• 2xx BME280 temperature failure
• 3xx BME280 humidity failure
• 4xx BME280 pressure failure
• 5xx BME280 general failure
• x0x Air Particle Counter not detected
• x1x Air Particle Counter OK
• x2x Air Particle Counter failure
• 999 Airnote Configuration Error

In some cases, Airnotes that have been deployed outdoors for many months (and display one of these codes) may need to be opened and inspected for insect debris.

Do I need to update the Airnote firmware or activate the device?

No. The Airnote is a pre-configured cellular-powered device. You don’t need to do anything to activate it other than turning it on, and there’s no need to update the firmware on the device in order to use it. Current Airnotes receive firmware updates over the air automatically.

What air quality sensors does the Airnote use?

For details about the onboard sensors, see the Airnote Datasheet.

In which countries can the Airnote operate?

The Airnote’s built-in cellular connection works in over 135 countries. For the complete list, see the Notecard datasheet.

What is my Airnote’s device name?

Each Airnote gets a unique name when it first connects to the cloud: three random words, separated by hyphens. Notehub calls it the device’s serial number. It appears in your dashboard’s title, and you can change it in the Device name field of your device settings.

Why does the LCD screen turn off?

The Airnote’s LCD screen shuts off if voltage is too low. Make sure to position your Airnote in a location that receives enough sunlight to charge the device, or manually charge your Airnote.

Why don’t I see data on the dashboard at the same rate data is collected?

The Airnote takes readings more often than it uploads them, and both depend on how charged its battery is:

Battery	Takes a reading every	Uploads readings every
High (3.7 V or more)	60 minutes	6 hours
Normal	3 hours	8 hours
Low (LOBAT)	12 hours	12 hours
Plugged into USB	15 minutes	As soon as it’s taken

So on battery power, new readings show up on your dashboard in batches. (The first reading after the Airnote is turned on is uploaded right away.) You can change how often your Airnote takes readings when its battery is high or normal in your device settings.

If your device is not transmitting data, you can try checking its current voltage, and manually charging if necessary.

How can I get my Airnote’s historical data?

Your Airnote’s dashboard charts show up to the last 30 days of readings, and the dashboard’s Download button saves those 30 days as a CSV.

For older readings, use the Airnote data archive, a public archive of the data uploaded by every Airnote since August 2022. To get your Airnote’s readings from it:

1. Open the Airnote data archive and the folder for the month you need.
2. Download the file that covers the time you need. Each file holds 20,000 events from all Airnotes, usually about a day’s worth. File names have the form start-end-20000.json, where start and end are when the first and last events in the file were received, as Unix timestamps in microseconds (you can convert them with any epoch converter). Airnotes sometimes upload readings in batches, so a reading can be in a file that starts after the reading was taken. If you’re missing readings, check the next file too.
3. Use jq, a free command-line JSON tool, to pull out your Airnote’s readings as a CSV. In a macOS or Linux terminal, run the command below from the folder with the downloaded file, replacing dev:123456789012345 with your Airnote’s device UID (it’s in your dashboard’s URL) and airnote-file.json with the downloaded file’s name:

jq -r --arg d dev:123456789012345 '
  ["captured_utc", "aqi", "pm01_0", "pm02_5", "pm10_0",
   "temperature", "humidity", "pressure", "voltage"],
  (.[] | select(.device == $d and .file == "_air.qo")
    | [(.when | todate), .body.aqi, .body.pm01_0, .body.pm02_5, .body.pm10_0,
       .body.temperature, .body.humidity, .body.pressure, .body.voltage])
  | @csv' airnote-file.json > my-airnote.csv

This saves my-airnote.csv, with one row per reading: the time it was taken (UTC), the AQI, PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 in μg/m³, temperature in °C, humidity in %, pressure in pascals, and battery voltage.

To keep every field of each reading, save them as JSON instead:

jq --arg d dev:123456789012345 '[.[] | select(.device == $d and .file == "_air.qo")]' airnote-file.json > my-airnote.json

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