1 Introduction

Welcome to the Blū Revolution! Your CTT BlūSeries Receiver provides up to four (4) 2.4GHz radio channels for you to detect BlūSeries tags. These include the groundbreaking BlūMorpho tag (weighing as little as 0.06g and totally battery-less!) and the BlūBat tag, a new battery-based tag weighing as little as 0.16g and able to last 76 days beeping every 5 seconds! There are a few things you should know about your BlūSeries Receiver, and we’ve compiled them below.

2 Unboxing your BlūSeries Receiver

2.1 What’s in the box

  • BlūSeries Receiver with Case
  • USB-to-Ethernet Adapter (to connect the receiver to your CTT SensorStation)
  • Mounting hardware bag (4x backplate bolts, 4x standoff grommets, and 4x nuts)
  • One-piece mounting backplate
  • Wire holder, screw, and cable gland

Current-production hardware: Each receiver ships with one full-size mounting backplate. The previous-generation separate top and bottom mounting plates are not included.

2.2 What you’ll need

  • Ethernet Cable: CAT-5 up to CAT-8 will work. Any length under 100m. Choose a cable without a covering on the ends as this will make it difficult to impossible to fish through the cable glands and into the Receiver and SensorStation.
  • Coaxial Cable(s) for antenna(s)
  • 2.4GHz Antenna(s)
  • Hose clamps or similar hardware for attaching the mounting backplate to your mast

2.3 Tools

This assumes you have a CTT SensorStation with a pre-existing cable gland for getting the Ethernet cable into the SensorStation. If not, you will also need a drill and circular bit for the dimension of whatever cable gland you choose. If you purchased a new CTT SensorStation with this receiver your case should provide a pre-existing knock-out for installing your cable gland.

  • #1 and #2 Phillips-head Screwdrivers
  • Coax tape
  • 2x Crescent Wrenches

3 Assembly

3.1 Installing the Ethernet cable and Cable Gland into the CTT Node V3

  1. Unscrew the Node V3 case using a #2 Phillips screwdriver. Open the Node lid and place the lid and screws to the side.
  2. Unscrew/disassemble cable gland into its 3 plastic pieces

Disassembled gland. Note: the rubber grommet is still inside the main component (middle).

  1. Push out the rubber grommet from the main gland component
  2. Put the split grommet around the Ethernet cord (with the tapered end of the grommet facing away from the working end of the cable).
  3. Insert the Ethernet cable into the gland’s main housing (starting from the “toothed” end of the connector). Some force may be required, but take care not to break the Ethernet cable end.
  4. Fish the grommet into the connector and be sure the grommet is circular, uniform and not deformed.


Partially assembled gland on the Ethernet cable. The end shown will plug into the receiver.

  1. Put the threaded cap onto the opposite end of the cable, bring it towards the end that you have already started connecting. Thread on the connector a couple of turns until the gland is on the wire snug but can still be slid up and down with some force.
  2. Insert the partial cable/gland assembly into the case with the recently “capped” part of the gland on the outside of the case.

Important: Make sure that the Ethernet cable stays under the 4 wires running from the printed circuit board (PCB) to the bottom of the case. Also, for best performance, be sure the Ethernet cable is not twisted or kinked from the gland to its connection onto the PCB.

  1. Inside the case, thread the last piece of the gland onto the rest of the gland assembly. Tighten fully either by hand or with a couple of crescent wrenches.
  2. Feed the Ethernet to the back of the case, as shown above.

3.1.1 Installing the cable holder

Completed Ethernet and gland installation
Completed Ethernet and gland installation
  1. Slide the cord holder around the Ethernet cord with the flat side of the holder facing down and to the left. You may want to pull the cable out, or push the cable into, the case.
  2. Connect the Ethernet cable. Be sure there is minimal kinking and twisting of the cord between the gland and the connection onto the PCB.
  3. Use the remaining screw (and washer, if provided) with a #1 Philips head screwdriver to screw the connector in place. See the photo above for the exact location of this step.

3.1.2 Installing the Mounting Backplate: Photo Guide

Current-production BlūSeries receivers use one full-size mounting backplate. Follow the photos below for all four corners. The four standoff grommets create the clearance needed to feed hose clamps behind the backplate.

The current one-piece backplate fully assembled on a BlūSeries Receiver.
The current one-piece backplate fully assembled on a BlūSeries Receiver.
  1. Check the hardware. The bag contains four bolts, four black standoff grommets, and four nuts—one set for each corner.
One complete hardware set: bolt, standoff grommet, and nut. The receiver includes four of each.
One complete hardware set: bolt, standoff grommet, and nut. The receiver includes four of each.
  1. Seat the nuts. Open the receiver and keep the inside of the case facing upward. Drop one nut into each molded corner pocket. Center each nut over the bolt hole and make sure it sits flat. The pocket keeps the nut from spinning once the bolt engages.

Drop a nut into the molded anti-rotation pocket. Center the nut over the hole and make sure it sits flat.

  1. Place the standoff grommets. Put one black grommet in each corner hole on the case-facing side of the backplate. Each grommet must sit between the backplate and the receiver case.
Place one standoff grommet in each backplate corner hole, on the side that will face the case.
Place one standoff grommet in each backplate corner hole, on the side that will face the case.
  1. Insert the bolts. From the outside face of the backplate, pass one bolt through the backplate and standoff grommet, then into the receiver case.
The bolt passes through the backplate and standoff grommet before entering the case.
The bolt passes through the backplate and standoff grommet before entering the case.
  1. Start all four bolts. Turn the first bolt gently until it catches the nut. Do not tighten it fully yet. Repeat at the other three corners so all four bolts are engaged.

Keep the inside of the case facing upward while aligning the bolt with the seated nut. Turn the bolt gently until its threads catch the nut; the molded pocket prevents the nut from rotating.

  1. Tighten evenly. Tighten the four bolts gradually until the backplate is secure and parallel to the case. Do not overtighten or compress the case.
After all four bolts have caught their nuts, tighten them gradually and evenly.
After all four bolts have caught their nuts, tighten them gradually and evenly.
  1. Check the clamp gap. Confirm that the four grommets hold the backplate evenly away from the case. Feed the hose clamps through the rectangular slots and around the mast or other mounting structure.
Completed backplate installation. Confirm that all four corners are secure before routing the hose clamps.
Completed backplate installation. Confirm that all four corners are secure before routing the hose clamps.
  1. Place the receiver lid back onto the case and tighten all four lid screws securely.

Note: Keep the open case facing upward while starting the bolts. Gravity will help the nuts remain flat and centered in their pockets until the bolt threads catch.

4 Quick Start Guide

Once you have assembled your BlūSeries Receiver you are ready to deploy it into the field. Unlike the SensorStation, you will want to mount the receiver up nearest to the 2.4GHz antennas. This has several advantages: 1. Reduces the need for long coaxial cables, costing significantly less to deploy than VHF and UHF counterparts 2. Reduces any signal loss due to long cable runs. 3. Allows for mounting the antennas farther from the CTT SensorStation, as the signal is carried without loss across the Ethernet cable, which can be up to 100m long with zero impact on signal.

We recommend mounting the BlūSeries receiver within .3m from the antennas, allowing you to get away with coaxial cable runs of ~.5m or less.

4.1 Mounting

Your BlūSeries Receiver comes with one full-size mounting backplate with four rectangular pass-through slots for hose clamps or similar mounting hardware. Attach the receiver to the antenna mast nearest the 2.4 GHz antennas. Once the receiver is mounted, place the antennas above or below it as appropriate and connect them with coaxial cables. The receiver end of each cable requires an SMA male connector.

Backplate generation note: Current-production BlūSeries receivers ship with one full-size backplate, as shown in the photo guide above and in the current installation photos below. Separate upper and lower mounting plates were used only on the previous generation and are not included with current receivers. Any previous-generation field photo is labeled explicitly and is provided only as a deployment example; use the single-backplate photo guide when assembling current hardware.

Align each antenna boom with its support tube before inserting it and securing the connection.
Align each antenna boom with its support tube before inserting it and securing the connection.
Current BlūSeries Receiver installed with the four-antenna kit. Keep the receiver close to the antennas and use short coaxial cable runs.
Current BlūSeries Receiver installed with the four-antenna kit. Keep the receiver close to the antennas and use short coaxial cable runs.
Closer view of the current receiver mounted above the antenna array, with short coaxial cable runs.
Closer view of the current receiver mounted above the antenna array, with short coaxial cable runs.

Previous-generation example — not current mounting hardware:

Previous-generation BlūSeries Receiver deployed at Las Joyas Biological Station in Jalisco, Mexico. This older receiver uses separate upper and lower mounting plates; current receivers ship with one full-size backplate.
Previous-generation BlūSeries Receiver deployed at Las Joyas Biological Station in Jalisco, Mexico. This older receiver uses separate upper and lower mounting plates; current receivers ship with one full-size backplate.

4.2 Deploying

Once mounted, simply run the other end of the Ethernet cable into your SensorStation (depending on your setup, you may need to install a cable gland on the SensorStation, if you don’t already have one installed) and plug it into the USB dongle provided. Then plug the USB dongle into your SensorStation (which USB port does not matter). The BlūSeries receiver is plug-and-play, and should be immediately recognized by your station.

Deployment Checklist:

  1. CTT BlūSeries Receiver is mounted and Ethernet cable is connected inside
  2. BlūReceiver Dongle has Ethernet connected, and is connected to CTT SensorStation via USB
  3. CTT SensorStation is running newest disk image (2024-07-16 or later)
  4. BlūSeries test tag is on-hand for generating test data

4.3 Check your Disk Image Version

If you received your SensorStation after August 1, 2024, you most likely have the latest disk image and are fully compatible with the new CTT Node V3. To confirm this, connect a computer to your SensorStation via WiFi or Ethernet see directions here and navigate to the SensorStation Overview.

If your station indicates you are running the Disk Image from July 2024, then you have the correct one. If not, you’ll need to flash your Raspberry Pi with the newest Disk Image per the instructions here.

4.4 Testing

Unlike 434MHz tags, these new 2.4GHz BlūSeries tags do not give off noise, and therefore you will want a test tag to ensure your system is functioning.

4.5 Accessing your BlūSeries Data

Data received by the BlūSeries Receiver is sent to the CTT SensorStation and stored on the station, and depending on how the station is set up, is also transferred to CTT servers where additional payload information is decoded (such as temperature, for instance). Therefore, to download data follow the instructions in the CTT SensorStation User Guide.

4.5.1 Data Format

5 Final Thoughts

This User Guide is a living document. Your experiences and input are greatly appreciated so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us regarding what you’d like to see included here. You can submit your suggestions and any errors to our Customer Service Desk here and we will work to incorporate them in future revisions. All material © Cellular Tracking Technologies, 2024.