So you’ve got your ToadTurret — nice one! Whether you’re battling cane toads around the veggie patch, protecting the dog’s water bowl, or just sick of hearing them in the garden every night, you’re in the right place.

This guide will walk you through getting your device set up and connected. The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and by the end of it you’ll have a toad-detecting turret keeping an eye on things while you put your feet up.

Here’s the rough idea: you’ll pick a spot, connect the device via Bluetooth using the mobile app or website, get it on your WiFi if you want cloud features, and then you’re good to go. Easy as.

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, make sure you’ve got these sorted:

• Your ToadTurret device — out of the box and ready to go
• A 12V 3A power supply — a USB-C PD (Power Delivery) charger paired with a PD trigger cable works well. The trigger cable negotiates 12V from the charger. We offer PD trigger cables and a solar kit in the ToadOps store, and compatible USB-C PD chargers can be sourced cheaply from most online retailers.
• A device with Bluetooth (recommended) — a smartphone or computer with Bluetooth is needed to link your ToadTurret to your online account. Without it, the device will still detect and spray toads, but you won’t be able to view detections online and image recognition performance will be reduced.
• A 2.4GHz WiFi network (recommended) — WiFi lets the device upload siting images, receive settings from the cloud, and send notifications. The device can’t connect to 5GHz networks. Without WiFi, the ToadTurret will still operate independently — you just won’t have remote monitoring.
• A suitable outdoor spot — somewhere water won’t pool around the device, ideally shaded to avoid overheating in summer, with a clear view of the ground (more on this below)

Step 1: Choosing a Location

Where you put your ToadTurret makes a big difference. Cane toads are creatures of habit — they tend to hang around the same areas, especially at night.

Best spots to try:

• Near water sources — garden taps, pet water bowls, irrigation lines. Toads are drawn to moisture, especially on warm nights. If you’re using a spray solution, be mindful of the warnings below about keeping essential oils away from waterways.
• Along garden beds and retaining walls — toads love to follow edges
• Near outdoor lights — insects gather around lights, and toads follow the food
• Around pet areas — outdoor feeding spots, anywhere your pets spend time. If you’re using a spray solution with essential oils, see the warnings below about keeping distance from pet resting spots.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Make sure the camera has a clear, unobstructed view of the ground in front of it. The AI needs to be able to see the toads to detect them.
• Avoid anywhere that water might pool or submerge the device — a bit of rain is fine, but standing water isn’t.
• Try to find a cool or semi-shaded spot. Direct sun on a hot day can cause the device to overheat, so a bit of shade goes a long way. This is more important than keeping it dry.
• Toads are most active after dark, so don’t worry if you don’t see anything during the day — that’s normal.
• If you’re using a spray solution that contains clove oil or other essential oils, avoid placing the device near ponds, dams, or waterways. Clove oil is toxic to fish and other aquatic species.
• Avoid placing the device directly next to where pets sleep or rest. Some dogs and cats can be sensitive to essential oils, so keep a reasonable distance from kennels and pet beds.

Step 2: Connecting via Bluetooth

Once your device is in position and powered on, it’s time to connect. You can do this using either the ToadOps mobile app or the web interface. Both support Bluetooth setup.

1. Open the ToadOps app on your phone, or head to app.toadops.com.au on a Bluetooth-enabled computer
2. Tap “Add Device” on the devices screen
3. It will scan for nearby ToadTurret devices using Bluetooth, so make sure Bluetooth is turned on
4. Your device should appear in the list. Tap it to select it
5. Follow the on-screen wizard to complete the connection

The setup wizard walks you through each step, from registering your device to connecting via Bluetooth and configuring WiFi.

The Bluetooth connection is only needed for the initial setup. Once your device is on WiFi, day-to-day management happens through the cloud.

Step 3: Connecting to WiFi (Recommended)

After connecting via Bluetooth, the setup wizard will guide you through WiFi configuration:

1. Select your WiFi network from the list — remember, it needs to be a 2.4GHz network
2. Enter your WiFi password
3. The device will connect and register itself with the ToadOps cloud

Once connected, your ToadTurret will start uploading siting images whenever it spots something. You’ll be able to see everything from your dashboard.

If you don’t have WiFi available at the device location, that’s okay — the ToadTurret will still detect and respond to toads on its own. You just won’t have remote monitoring, cloud-based image review, or push notifications until it’s connected.

Step 4: Your Dashboard

Now for the fun part — seeing what your ToadTurret is picking up.

You can check your dashboard in two ways:

• The mobile app — available on iPhone and Android
• The web dashboard at app.toadops.com.au

Here’s what you’ll find:

• Device status — see if your device is online and connected
• Recent sitings — every time the AI detects a toad, it captures an image. You can review these and see what’s been hanging around.
• Activity log — a timeline of everything your device has been up to

Each siting includes the captured image and a confidence level — the AI’s best guess at whether it’s looking at a cane toad. When connected to WiFi, the system uses a dual-layer verification process, checking on the device first and then confirming on the server for better accuracy.

Tips for Best Results

• Turn on your device before dusk. Cane toads come out at night, so you want the device watching when they’re most active.
• Check your dashboard in the morning. If you’re connected to WiFi, have a look at what happened overnight — you might be surprised how many visitors you had.
• Adjust positioning if needed. If you’re not getting many detections after a few nights, try moving the device to a different spot. Sometimes just shifting the angle makes all the difference.
• Keep the camera lens clean. A quick wipe with a soft cloth every now and then keeps the image quality sharp.

What’s Next?

You’re all set! Your ToadTurret is ready to go.

Here are some handy next steps:

• Read our monitoring best practices guide for tips on getting the most out of your device
• Got questions? Head to our contact page — we’re always happy to help

Welcome to the toad-fighting crew.