Update Post - The LunaBat DFR-1 Pro From Animal Sound Labs

The LunaBat DFR-1 (Pro) had arrived directly from Animal Sound Labs (in Poland), very well packaged. With many neat accessories included.

 

 

Printed User Manual, Fujitsu AA batteries + holder, and Carry Case.

The manufacturer offers several devices of interest to Bat Workers, Bat/Ultrasonic Researchers, et al. 

I invite the Reader to visit their Website; where you can see their entry-level bat detector: The DFD-1 Which is also offered as a Kit . As well as Microphones, Recorders (and custom-made recording solutions), Ultrasonic Playback Lures, and some useful Accessories.

Happy Bat Detecting!

Review Of The Titley Anabat Swift Part 3 Of 3 - Three Optional Microphones Tested

This Post serves as Part 3 Of 3 of The Titley Anabat Swift Review (If you haven't already, see Part 1, Part 2)
As well as the testing and comparison of the 3 microphones which are currently available, from Titley Scientific. These optional Mics allow additional, significant customization of your AnaBat Recording set-ups. 

 

In it's current state, this post is just a rough outline, I'm posting it here as a placeholder. It will be added to, as soon as time allows.

Owners of either The Anabat Swift, or The Anabat Express bat recorders, should be aware of the 3 Microphones currently available, from Titley Scientific.

The post immediately preceding this one, lists some detailed specifications and information on each of the 3 Mics (as per Titley). 
What follows below, are just some of my findings:

1. The Anabat Omnidirectional Ultrasonic Microphone - US-0 V3

While doing some experimental tests, using The Bat Chirp II (artificial bat, made by Tony Messina); I was able to get (mechanical-looking) sonograms. I'm sharing these here, mainly as a "curiosity".

This was at a distance of 50 feet.

Here is just a small section of the sonogram, as recorded by "Mic #1": The US-0 V3

The Bat Chirp II as heard by the US-0 V3 Mic on The AnaBat Swift

2. Anabat Directional Ultrasonic Microphone US–D V1
 
This was at a distance of 50 feet.
Here is just a small section of the sonogram, as recorded by "Mic #2": US-D V1

 

For my own purposes of organization, I refer to this microphone: Anabat Omnidirectional Acoustic Microphone AS–0 V1

as "Mic #3" - I apologize for not having a spectrogram from this Mic to share. I am currently still sorting through the recordings made using this Mic (again with the aid of The Bat Chirp II [artificial bat]). I will be adding (at least) one sonogram to this post soon...

 

Here is a sonogram of a real bat, made using "Mic #1" Anabat Omnidirectional Ultrasonic Microphone US-0 V3

 

  

A real bat, recorded using The US-0 V3 Mic on AnaBat Swift

(bat was approx. 100 feet distant)

For further, current Info, on these Mics as well as other compatible accessories, have a look at this page, from Titley's Scientific's Site.

Until then, Happy bat detecting!

Titley Scientific's Microphones - Announcing 3 Mics Which Are Now Available!

This Post serves as a precursor to Part 3 Of 3 of The Titley Anabat Swift Review (If you haven't already, see Part 1, Part 2)
It is also a preliminary look at the 3 microphones which are currently available, from Titley Scientific.

Owners (or potential owners) of either The Anabat Swift, or Anabat Express bat recorders, should be aware of the 3 Microphones currently available, from Titley Scientific.

See below for some detailed specifications and information on each of the 3 Mics, as per Titley:

1. The Anabat Omnidirectional Ultrasonic Microphone - US-0 V3

It is a versatile and affordable option, for recording bats in all weather conditions.

Brief Info: The latest iteration of their omnidirectional microphone is versatile and affordable. Titley's most popular microphone for recording bats in all weather. The ability to attach directly to the detector or via a cable means that you can make the most of your detector and microphone placement, avoiding echoes off hard surfaces.

Features:     

• Can be attached directly to the detector or on an extension cable.  
• Improved weather resistance with waterproof acoustic membrane
• Compatible with Anabat Swift and Anabat Express
• Low power consumption

Specifications:

•  Weight: 22g
•  Dimensions: 48mm (length) x 17mm (diameter) 
•  Frequency Response: 10 – 130 kHz 
•  Colour: Black 
•  Directionality: Omnidirectional 
•  Compatible with: Anabat Swift, Anabat Express

2. Anabat Directional Ultrasonic Microphone US–D V1

Highly sensitive directional microphone, perfect to target bats and avoid noise.

Brief Info: The directional microphone is a specialized ultrasonic microphone designed for the Anabat Swift and Anabat Express. It’s highly sensitive and directional zone of reception mean you can target your recordings and avoid ambient noise. This is the only weatherproof directional microphone commercially available, and allows you to record bats up to 250kHz. 

Features:

• Can be attached directly to the detector or on an extension cable
• High signal to noise ratio (very low noise)
• Frequency response from 10 kHz to 250 kHz 
• Compatible with Anabat Swift and Anabat Express 
• Parylene coated microphone element for improved weather resistance       
• Corrosion resistant stainless steel grill

Specifications:

• Weight: 60g
• Dimensions: 60mm (length) x 46mm (diameter)
• Frequency Response: 10 – 250 kHz
• Colour: Black
• Directionality: Directional
• Compatible with: Anabat Swift, Anabat Express

3. Anabat Omnidirectional Acoustic Microphone AS–0 V1 

Weatherproof multipurpose microphone, record all audible wildlife. 

Brief Info: Another of Titley's latest microphones allows you to record audible frequencies with your Anabat Swift. Weatherproof and durable, you can survey birds, frogs and other vocalising wildlife for months at a time. 

Features: 

• Can be attached directly to the detector or on an extension cable 
• Low power consumption 
• Improved weather resistance with waterproof acoustic membrane 
• Comes with military grade, water repellent wind sock
• Compatible with Anabat Swift

Specifications:

• Weight: 23g 
• Dimensions: 60mm (length) x 30mm (diameter) (including wind sock)
• Frequency Response: 100 Hz – 20 kHz
• Colour: Black
• Directionality: Omnidirectional
• Accessories: Wind sock
• Compatible with: Anabat Swift

I'm happy to report, that each of these microphones are currently being evaluated/tested and compared. And I'll be posting my findings and remarks on the blog soon.
For further, current Info, on these Mics as well as other compatible accessories, have a look at this page, from Titley's Scientific's Site.

Until then, Happy bat detecting!

Review: The AnaBat Scout From Titley Scientific Part 2 of 2

Review: The AnaBat Scout From Titley Scientific Part 2 of 2

Let's begin with a quick summary, or overview of The AnaBat Scout - some of my first impressions:
As can be seen in the preceding posts (in Part 1 of this review, etc.) the AnaBat Scout arrives very well packaged and protected. I like the overall aesthetic of this unit; I can see that they have molded The AnaBat Scout into an ergonomic design. It is lightweight (with batteries installed), and it feels natural and comfortable in the hand.

A short video, demonstrating powering on The AnaBat Scout (with display set to Low brightness).

Amoung some of The Scout's features, are:

•  The ability to record voice notes (as previously mentioned, the Mic for this is located above the display screen).
•  Glow-in-the-dark buttons. In practice, I found that the buttons were not easy to "charge" (expose to a fairly bright light source). And not at all easy to see in the dark (out in the field, etc.).*
•  It includes a protective case and lanyard.

*I couldn't help but to immediately think that Tritium would've been very effective, instead of the material currently used for the buttons. Although I have a feeling, that some Ecologists might object to it's use...

The built-in Bat Counter of The Anabat Scout will be a welcomed feature for Ecologists / Bat Workers performing emergence surveys, etc. It will record the date, time, and location with each button press, into a .csv file (commonly read with Microsoft Excel). By default, the increment (each In or Out button push) is 1, but may be increased up to 10. Interesting, and no doubt useful for unique situations.

The AnaBat Scout comes with the free version of Anabat Insight software, which you may download Here (there is a version for Mac as well as Windows). You will notice that the User Manual may also be obtained on that Web page.

I installed the 2 AA sized batteries required, as well as a new 16GB SD memory card (I happened to have available); and pressed the OK button to power on. The user is greeted with the OLED display, featuring text (and icons) of a yellowish-green colour.

Changing the brightness level, from High to Low

My (point & shoot) camera did not give an accurate representation of the display. It appears a bit too bright in this video. In reality, it looks clear, crisp, and not too bright.

I was glad to see that the display brightness is adjustable, from High to Low. Because I prefer to keep bat detector displays as dim as possible; especially when in the field.

Short video of powering off The AnaBat Scout.

To power off the detector, hold down the OK button - The display will read "Would you like to shutdown?" And you press the Yes soft key (on the right).

The Anabat Scout has the ability to have it's sensitivity (event trigger) changed; you may choose Low, Medium, or High (High is the default setting). Very useful, for those instances when bats are flying low and/or close.

Minimum frequency is 10 kHz, and maximum is 160 kHz (both are the default settings). Either/or may be adjusted to suit the situation, under Trigger Settings on the unit. Also by default, the Recording Mode is set to triggered mode; and this may also be changed to Constant Recording Mode, when and if needed.
 
Some of the features of The Anabat Scout, which I particularly like as seen on the display are: The GPS indicator, Number of Satellites in View indication, % of SD Card Memory Available, and Tuned/Peak Frequency.
Again, those doing emergence surveys will be pleased to see the Out and In Count.
A very clear representation of these features, may be seen on Page 6 of the (freely available) User Manual.
I would encourage the reader to have a look at pages 12-14 of the Manual, which describe further opportunities to fine tune aspects of: Triggering, Recording, File preferences, and various Audio Settings. 
For audio output - You may choose between heterodyne, frequency division (which is divided by 16) - Or, if using earphones, both! In other words, heterodyne is heard in one earphone, whilst FD is heard in the other.

 

 
Some additional features which I liked were: 

When a recording is triggered, a recording symbol appears, on the bottom center of the display.
The Heterodyne auto-tune - Described on page 14 of the User Manual. 
Transect Mode - Which uses the built-in GPS to save your track as a .gpx file (it checks GPS points once per second).
The Anabat Scout also has the ability to run diagnostics on itself (should the need arise).

A user may also subscribe to receive email alerts, whenever Scout firmware is updated; very neat!
The process of updating the firmware is just what you might expect: You copy the (scout.adx) file to the root of the SD card, insert SD card, and power on the unit. At which point, you will be asked "...Would you like to update now?". At which point you'd press Yes, and wait for it to complete the update. After which, it will restart itself.

During my extensive testing, I found the the AnaBat Scout's microphone to not only be substantially sensitive, but to produce accurate-sounding results (audio tones) from the front-facing speaker. Careful analysis of the recorded bat calls, further confirmed the sensitivity, range, and overall accuracy of it's recording abilities.

I found The Anabat Scout to have sensitivity and range comparable to many other Professional-level bat detectors. Especially within it's price range. A couple of species of my local (North American) bat species, were recorded at distances of 100 meters.
See pages 20 to 21 of the User Manual, for a concise answer to the question: How far away can a bat be detected?

Pros:

•  Bat emergence In and Out Counter (separate button for each).
•  Excellent sensitivity and pick-up range of bat calls.
•  Pleasing (and adjustable) OLED display, preserves a user's night adapted vision; while providing live pertinent information.
•  GPS/transect and logging capabilities.
•  Adjustable sensitivity, and frequency range.
•  All metadata recorded on The Scout is saved to files in the GUANO (Grand Unified Acoustic Notation Ontology) format.

Cons:

•  Not weatherproof.
•  Glow-in-the-dark buttons need improvement.

The Scout has excellent features of value to Ecologists and Bat Workers who are tasked with doing bat emergence surveys. In addition to many of the capabilities one would expect from a Pro-level bat detector, it possesses some which are specifically geared towards bat emergence surveys.
The Anabat Scout also records metadata -
All metadata recorded on The Anabat Scout, is saved to files in the GUANO (Grand Unified Acoustic Notation Ontology) format. This format is now the industry standard in the field of bat acoustic studies. Details regarding this configuration may be seen on page 20 of the User Manual.

More will be added to this (part 2) Anabat Scout review soon...

Amoung the next items to be reviewed here, are some interesting new microphones designed by Titley, for use on their AnaBat Swift detector.

Happy bat detecting!

Review: The AnaBat Scout From Titley Scientific Part 1 of 2

Review: The AnaBat Scout From Titley Scientific Part 1 of 2

The AnaBat Scout is a full spectrum bat detector, designed to be used for active bat detecting. 
I will state from the start, that I have used it as a passive bat recorder on more than one occasion, and acquired excellent recordings of bat calls.

The Anabat Scout arrived directly from Titley (Australia) very well packaged & packed. The box which contains The AnaBat Scout is seen in the photo below:

AnaBat Scout box, along with included Quickstart User Guide

The AnaBat Scout is 150mm long by 74mm (at it's widest point) and 38mm thick. For U.S. readers, this translates to 5.9" x 2.9" x 1.5" in thickness.
It weighs 160 grams (5.64 ounces) without batteries installed. NiMh, Alkaline or Lithium type batteries may be used. The AnaBat Scout runs on 2 AA size batteries.

If purchased directly from Titley Scientific, The AnaBat Scout is going for $850 U.S. dollars.

NHBS also has them in stock:



As well as Wildlife And Countryside Services (UK)

The AnaBat Scout has the ability to listen to bat calls in real time, in either: Heterodyne, auto-heterodyne, or frequency division audio modes. 

It also has the ability to record in either zero crossing or full spectrum mode. The AnaBat Scout also features a built-in GPS for transect mode and geotagging. It also has an In & Out bat counter, with automatic time stamping and geotagging; as well as the ability to record voice notes. 
These are all excellent features for bat surveys.

The AnaBat Scout comes with a free version of AnaBat Insight software. It is also provided with a lanyard, a protective carry pouch, and glow-in-the-dark buttons.

 

 
The AnaBat Scout has an easy to use robust design, with a front-facing mic element. With the Mic for voice notes located just above the (OLED) screen, facing the user. It has an easy-to-navigate keypad, located just beneath the display.

Before you begin recording bats with the AnaBat Scout: It is advisable, to set the current time zone. If this isn't done, the time stamps on your recordings will be incorrect. 

The AnaBat Scout worked very well as an unattended recording device, despite the low temperatures.

The AnaBat Scout would serve as an ideal unit for both Professionals; and amateur naturalists, who enjoy using a full-featured bat detector.

The AnaBat Scout would be an excellent tool for Professional Bat Workers who frequently perform roost surveys and/or emergence counts, since it has a built-in In and Out Counter - More on this, in Part 2 of the review.

The construction of the AnaBat Scout itself, feels very solid. There are no protruding parts on the unit, which you need to worry about breaking off, or damaging. 
The Scout packs a lot of technology and features into a fairly small, and easy to handle unit. I've found The AnaBat Scout a joy to use, with it's slightly curved design fitting quite comfortably in the hand, and it's front-facing microphone. 

Of course the omni-directional microphone itself, is larger in size than the opening (seen upon closer look at the front panel). This is a clever way to keep the mic element protected, from any would-be harm encountered while outdoors.

Once your main settings have been set, and your preferences selected, it only takes a few button presses - To begin monitoring, recording, or even un-attended recording (one of my favorite methods). The process of using The Scout will be covered in detail in Part 2 of this review.
After an evening of recording, and inserting the unit's SD card into the laptop: I was able to easily select and manage large numbers of bat recordings.

I did manage to run through one set of AA-sized batteries...This is the warning displayed, when batteries are low.

I'm happy to report, that when the Anabat Scout arrived here (in the Northeastern U.S.) in late October (2019) my local bats were still active; and they provided me with excellent recording opportunities!

Overall, I have been very pleased with the overall performance and accuracy of The AnaBat Scout from Titley. I also admire the fit, finish, and attention to detail demonstrated in it's design; and functionality!

Much more to follow soon, in Part 2 of this review. Which will cover out-of-box set up, ease of use, recordings & resulting spectrograms, etc.

Happy bat detecting!