Review: The Ranger - From Titley Scientific

The Ranger is a brand, new, cutting edge, wildlife recorder, which has just been released from Titley Scientific.

Building upon the success of their Chorus and AnaBat Swift Titley has developed a fully customizable, long-lasting, wildlife recorder.

Photo credit: Titley Scientific

It features:

• Three microphone ports.
• The ability to choose from a wide range of microphones.
• With Titley‘s currently available microphones, many different combinations are possible.

The Quick Start User Guide.

Two audible microphones, and one omnidirectional Ultrasonic microphone.

A quick peek at the Titley ranger powered on.

The Ranger’s main specifications are as follows:

• Physical size: 194 x 123 x 50mm (7.64 x 4.84 x 1.97 inches).
• Weight: 478 Grams (16.86oz.) without batteries.
• it may be powered by: 4 or 8 AA size batteries, external power sources, or solar (optional kit available).
• Sample rates: 500, 384, 320, 192, 96, 48, 44.1, 32, 24, or 22.0 5 Ksps.
• Frequency range: 20Hz to 250kHz.
• 2 SD cards supported (up to 1TB each)
• GPS - The Ranger performs daily fixes, and supports GPS enabled transect mode.
• 3 Channels: 1 Front mounted, ultrasonic or acoustic, two sides (acoustic only). simultaneous recording.
• Headphone jack for FD output (ultrasound) and stereo acoustic.
• File Output: Full spectrum (wav), ZC, GPS (.gpx), Temperature (.csv).

The Ranger unattended bat/wildlife sound recorder, has the ability to use many different microphones. Among the commonly selected options are:

• Low-profile, side-mount, audible microphone product code: AAAB028 current price $99 US 
• *Remember to always check Titley’s website for prices*
• Omni directional acoustic microphone AS-0 product code: AAB016 V1 $225 US
• Directional Ultrasonic microphone US-D product code: AAAB013 V1 current price $325 US 
• Omni-Directional Ultrasonic Microphone US-O V3 product code: AAA012 V3 current price $199 US

The Ranger arrived to me, here in New York (from the headquarters in Australia) in a heavy-duty, black plastic bag with embedded bubble wrap:

And inside of that black package…

And finally upon opening the box:

Remember that your (chosen) microphones are under the cardboard flaps.

Additional specifications: 

• Housed in a camouflage, weatherproof/shockproof (IP67) with tripod mounting hole.
• 2.4 inch color LCD touchscreen display.
• Warranty: Recorder 2 years, Microphones 1 year.
• Lockable security box, microphone, extension cables, power lead, and solar panel Kit are all available options.

Some additional items of interest include:

• The microphones are indeed “weatherproof, and highly sensitive”.
• When testing the headphone jack, with default settings, the output was very sensitive and accurate. As sensitive as any microphone I’ve ever tested.
• Batteries are stated to last 100 nights (ultrasonic) or 700 hours acoustic (depending on temperatures).
• The Ranger may be configured as: mono or stereo – acoustic, as well as Ultrasonic – simultaneously.

The new Ranger, deployed on carbon fiber tripod (on my deck).

The resulting recordings (Northern Barred Owls & Coyotes, will be featured on my YouTube Channel soon...

Here's an unboxing video:

Additional accessories available, include:

• Chorus and Ranger security box and cable lock product code: AAAB032 $145 US *Please remember to check the Titley website for current prices*
• Solar panel kit for the Ranger (is provided with everything needed). Solar Panel for Ranger or Swift product code: AAA034 $120 US
• Ranger accessories bundle: case, microphone cable, and USB cable product code: AAAB035 current price $70 US

Quick Start User Guide:

• Informs you of AnaBat Insight software (With QR code).
• Refers you to the user manual (via QR code).
• Firmware updates, Titley website, AnaBat user community, and YouTube channel are all provided via QR code squares.
• Microphone care guide.
• How to start recording with your Ranger.
• Inserting microphones.
• Selecting, recording mode: a.) custom, b.) day only, c.) dusk and dawn, d.) Night only, e.) continuous
• Select microphone settings.
• Information about GPS.
• Final checks, etc.
• Testing/ensuring all is OK using the magnet on lanyard.

On the subject of batteries…

• I installed the Duracell optimum batteries to start with. They only lasted about one full overnight session.
• The energizer batteries, I replace them with fared much better: providing several nights of recording.
• Those were replaced with Kodak brand AA batteries.

This was definitely a case for eneloop brand batteries. And I promptly ordered some.

The Ranger creates several file folders by default, whenever it records. These are Recordings – main folder/root, which then contains three subfolders: Acoustic, FS Ultrasonic, Simultaneous. This turned out to be very convenient in practice. 

The latest firmware adds, a host of brand new features!

Things I like - Generally speaking:

• The features it has.
• The fact that it can use 2 audible and 1 ultrasound microphone simultaneously.
• It’s robust design (similar to previous models).
• The ease of deployment – easy to choose/preset mode selection.

Detailed Battery status 

One of my local bats, just having a snack...

Having a look at a Ranger FS recording (just a peek at the spectrogram) with AnaBat Insight software.

Amoung some of the interesting, and/or unique features of this new unit, are things like:

• The ability to input an Asset Tag Number.
• Ability to set the sensitivity of the attached microphones, etc.
• Being able to set what the voltage level should be, for external power cutoff (the default is 10v).

Pros:

• With microphones supplied: it is extremely sensitive.
• Creates clean, accurate, recordings.
• Default settings, produced excellent sound quality recordings – well balanced/no clipping.
• Excellent/detailed battery status information.
• Ease of deployment – easy to choose modes – via mode button.

Cons:

• May be considered relatively expensive.
• Bluetooth connectivity would've been nice.

Obviously, Titley wildlife sound recording products have a loyal following, worldwide; and for good reason: They produce professional-level products. Their recorders are used and trusted by many of the world's top researchers, et al.

Those who are loyal customers of Titley, will be happy to see many of the great features they have come to expect from this brand. Things like:

• Ease of deployment.
• Accurate, professional audio recordings.
• A myriad of customization features, as well as scheduling, etc.

Currently, you can order the new Ranger units, right on Titley's website!

I plan to add some more Ranger-specific tips & tricks to this review soon... There will also be some audio files...either here, or on my YouTube channel.

Some additional tidbits: I've recently learned that one (US-based) group studying wolves, sets their recorders to:

• Record between 6am - 6pm
• 22kHz sample rate, 12dB of gain
• 200-750 for mid max frequency
• 1.5 to 60 second recordings

Also, that coyotes typically vocalize at 600Hz on the low end.

Another (US-based) group, studying Barn Owls:

• Set their recorders to record at 30-60 minutes after sunset / and 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Set their sample rate to 12kHz - for Barn Owls (24kHz for other owls).
• Often record in 30 minute blocks
• Set their gain to 24db
• Frequency 1.5 to 3.3 Hz
• Detection length to 0.3 to 1.2 seconds
• Maximum inter-syllable gap to 0.001

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!