THREAD: plantpot parabolic construction! After popular demand, a few images describing the simple procedure to make one yourself. Feel free to contribute thoughts and ideas for improvements, but it’s working very well so far! (Recordings to follow).

The materials needed:
Some bungee cord
Short piece of dowling wood
A handful of screws and washers
PLUS... – at Hells Mouth

...a dish and handle of your choice.
I used a plant pot and the handle off a litter picker hoop which you afix onto black plastic bags for collecting trash.

You could use a plastic mixing bowl or similar for the dish, and some thick rope or a wooden handle. – at Hells Mouth

Create two or three large holes through the base of the pot: one for your headphone lead to run through, and two for affixing the bungee cord.

Drill two smaller holes for screwing into the piece of wood... – at Hells Mouth

Cut your piece of wood to the inside diameter and screw from the outside (the phone partly rests on this as the mount). – at Hells Mouth

Place your phone inside (if this is the recording device you will use) and measure out the right length of bungee cord so that it’s held firmly against the edge of the pot and the wood.

IMPORTANT: find where the mic is on your phone. This needs to be at the base in the centre – at Hells Mouth

Use two washers on the outside of the pot two fasten the ends of the bungee cord so that they won’t slip through the holes made for them – at Hells Mouth

Get your desired hand and screw to the pot from the inside, making sure you’ve drilled holes into the handle if necessary. As mentioned, I found this perfect handle from a litter picking decide (we will still pick up litter, don’t worry) – at Hells Mouth

After acquiring an appropriate audio recording app (I use ‘Twisted Wave’), slot your phone into place and secure with bungee, attach your headphones and fasten in the hole using some blue tack.

Get out there and start recording!!! Enjoy!!! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😁" title="Grinning face with smiling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Grinning face with smiling eyes">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐧" title="Penguin" aria-label="Emoji: Penguin">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🎶" title="Multiple musical notes" aria-label="Emoji: Multiple musical notes"> – at Hells Mouth

I hope this was useful. I will post up some tester recordings using this setup to give you an idea of how effective it is. Any feedback please feel free to share! – at Hells Mouth

A brief example of the difference. Here are two sonograms from recording a Yellowhammer this morning. The first is with the parabolic, the second without (using all the same settings).