Review: The SSF BAT3 Bat Detector by MeKV (Germany)

Review: The SSF BAT3 by MeKV, sold by All About Bats (in Germany).

The BAT3 is full-featured heterodyne bat detector.

So, firstly: If you reside in Germany, Switzerland, or Europe in general - You might be interested to know, that ordering one of these detectors is a fast & easy process. And if you're in Germany or Switzerland, you are allowed to order it with the official battery.

Product Description - The SSF BAT3 is made by the same folks who manufacture The SSF BAT2, which is a well-known bat detector - which I reviewed Here (on this blog).

Packaging - I ordered The SSF BAT3, with all the options; and it all arrived to me here (in The U.S.) well-packaged, in ~2 weeks after ordering. I ordered mine from all-about-bats.net (in Germany), but they are also available from Veldshop (in the Netherlands).

For anyone ordering one of these units: 

• If you live on the East coast of North America, you can expect the delivery to take approximately 8-14 business days (not counting Sundays).
• If you live in Europe, you'll only wait a fraction of that time - Probably about 3 days, would be my guess (mostly likely as short as 1-2 days!).

Via DHL from Germany to The U.S.

Unboxing...Black Nylon carry case (w/ belt loop); the

included user manual is in the German language.

4GB MicroSD card, USB cable, European AC power adapter

The BAT3 wrapped in protective wrap.

This unit is small! And this happens to be one of the things which I really like about it. It's also very lightweight (125 grams).

Removing the protective plastic from the screen.

Look how small and cute it is!

The (optional) carry case features a belt loop, and very secure Velcro® flap.

The unit is provided with: The attached, adjustable wrist strap; a full printed manual in German. I had printed out the English version of it (even before it arrived!)

Link to the User Guide PDF, in English:

The SSF BAT3 - All About Bats (English)

I've been able to find The SSF BAT3 for sale from two online dealers:

All-About-Bats (in Germany)

-and-

Veldshop (in the Netherlands)

As already stated, The SSF BAT3 is an active, heterodyne bat detector. It may be used as a tuneable heterodyne, or as an Auto Heterodyne (AKA the "Auto Bat" feature).

From the beginning, it's hard not to like this detector! Upon powering up and checking/testing this instrument: You will notice the incredible sensitivity and range; as well as the precision of it's volume control. These are the two main features which I noticed first.

The microphone utilized is the small electret model # FG-23629, made by Knowles.

I really like it's features! This bat detector is also fairly easy to use.
Of course, you have full control of tuning the heterodyne portion of the unit, via the Up and Down arrow buttons on the front (in 1kHz steps).

First impressions were good! The frequency range of this unit, is 15 to 150kHz. I really liked the sensitivity of the unit, and the audio output of the speaker is very good: Plenty of audio for everyone to hear on a bat walk.

The SSF BAT3 is a factory-assembled, ready-to-use detector. So, I got to charging the battery immediately. 

Note: Again, if you live outside of Europe, you will need to purchase your (Nokia-compatible battery separately).

The typical battery life is stated as being about 3-6 hours. Initial charge time for the new battery (before 1st use) was stated as 8 hours in the user manual. I was able to achieve full charge in about half that time...

One of the reference screens available - Shown in German here 

(I have mine set to English).

When I went to insert the micro SD card, the little metal door came right off in my fingers - Yikes! I got it back on it's hinges, and locked the SD card in place. 

It has a few neat little informative "pages" (screens) about bats, bat calls, sonograms, etc., - Like a "micro encyclopedia" (for lack of a better description). I'll share pics of these screens below. It's available for viewing in both the German or English language. Something to look at during lulls in bat activity.

Just a couple of examples shown above

All in all, I like it. Mainly because it packs so many features into such a tiny package. Having purchased the belt loop carrying case, means it's easy to have with you, if you expect to be anywhere near bats.

With 2 button pushes to power on, it's very easy to use. Requiring the user to press two separate buttons in succession, prevents accidental powering on.

This little heterodyne detector would be ideal for beginner or intermediate bat chasers.
It would be an excellent choice for anyone leading a bat walk; and does produce nice sounding heterodyne audio.

Short videos of The SSF BAT3 may be seen on my YouTube channel.

I found this unit to be fairly accurate in what it detected, and the resulting spectrograms were very good. I would occasionally print them out, on 8.5x11" Letter size paper: The spectrograms look good, and you can write your own notes on the printouts. Either of the ("print screen") styles shown below, may be copied/pasted/e-mailed or sent directly to your printer.

While using The BAT3Viewer App, you can toggle between 3 color choices for ths spectrogram legend: Blue(s) as shown below, Green(s), and Red(s).

An example of a "Sonogram" (spectrogram)

produced by The BAT3Viewer App

This is the .BMP screenshot feature available

when using The BAT3Viewer App

Pros:

• Uses a nice, sensitive, electret microphone element. It seems to perform as well as some other pro-level detector microphones. 
• It's tiny! If someone were in the market for a James Bond-sized/secret/full featured bat detector, this would be it.
• It has the potential to be plenty loud - enough audio, even for a large-sized group to hear on a bat walk.
• It has a built-in torch - white LED. Which features an auto shut-off (I would have liked it a little brighter).

Cons: 

• It seems to be based on a Nokia cell phone platform. It's not very robust, in fact I might describe it as closer to delicate.
• The included wrist strap would be a must! If you drop it on a hard surface, damage will occur.
• It's only a heterodyne detector, although it does have an Auto-Het tuning feature.
• The door which holds the micro SD card, is the most delicate one I've ever encountered. Use caution.

Like The SSF BAT2, the unit covertly uses a built-in Frequency Division circuit to produce spectrograms.

Green

Red

All things considered, it is a very nice heterodyne bat detector, with useful features. If I discover any other information or notes to add, I will update this review as needed.

The next bat detector to be reviewed here, will be The Teensybat 4.1 (DIY) Kit; which comes to us from The Netherlands. 

Until then,
Happy bat detecting!

Latest Status Update On The Two Recent Arrivals: The SSF BAT3 & The Teensybat 4.1

Just wanted to share the very latest state of things (progress, etc.) and whats been going on with the SSF BAT3 from Germany -and- The Teensybat 4.1 from the Netherlands.

*Please note: If you order an SSF BAT3, and you don't reside in Germany, Switzerland, or Europe - You will need to buy your battery separately. As they aren't permitted to ship Lithium ion batteries airmail/overseas.

Here is the inner box, which contains the SSF BAT3 & accessories.

Comes with European plug for USB cable charging - But just about

any USB 5v source will do (more on that in a future post).

I'd like to give you an idea of what to expect: Here you can see the well-protected BAT3 (upper RH), the optional MicroSD card which includes software options, USB cable, a User Manual in the German language, and a plug for European outlets.

Then we have The Teensybat 4.1. It is a build-it-yourself kit... Although if you're lucky, you'll be able to occasionally see a built kit for sale (on the TeensyBat Website).

I recently completed the assembly of my TeensyBat kit. For anyone experienced with soldering/building electronic kits, this isn't a super-difficult one to build. 

What might be considered the most fiddly bit of all, is in the beginning. It is the soldering of the 2 optional memory chips (PSRAM) onto the Teensy 4.1 circuit board. Accomplish this task successfully, and the rest is essentially smooth sailing! Just take your time 👍🏻

The major sections of the TeensyBat 4.1 - As received from Edwin.

Stock photo from Edwin's site - All parts laid out.

(User provided Teensy board not shown)

This is what the completed TeensyBat 4.1 looks like 

 (stock photo from Teensybat site)

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

The 2 New Bat Detectors Are Here!

 So, the two (new to me) bat detectors arrived on time/as expected (on October 6th). The SSF BAT3 from Germany and The Teensybat 4.1 from The Netherlands.

As always, here is a pic of how the units arrived, to me here on the East coast of North America:

The Teensybat 4.1 kit on the left, The SSF BAT3 on the right

Unboxing The SSF BAT3 - Just a peek!

The SSF BAT3 is a factory-assembled, ready-to-use detector. So, I got to charging the battery immediately. 

It's battery life is stated as being about 3-6 hours. Initial charge time for the new battery (before 1st use) was stated as 8 hours in the user manual. I was able to achieve full charge in about half that time...

Pros:

• Uses a nice, sensitive, electret microphone element. It deems to perform as well as many other pro level detector microphones. 
• It's tiny! If someone were in the market for a James Bond-sized/secret/full featured bat detector, this would be it.
• It has the potential to be very loud - Plenty of audio, even for a large-sized group to hear on a bat walk.
• It has a built-in torch - LED. Which features an auto shut-off.

Cons: 

• It seems to be based on a (Nokia?) cell phone platform. It's not very robust, in fact I might describe it as closer to delicate.
• The included wrist strap would be a must!
• It's only a heterodyne detector, although it does have an Auto-Het tuning feature (which is nice).
• The door which holds the micro SD card, is the most delicate one I've ever encountered. 

Having worked in the technology field for many years, I've probably opened/closed hundreds of these types of slots (from many different manufacturers)...When I went to insert the micro SD card, the metal door came right off in my fingers - Yikes! I got it back on, and locked the SD card in place.

It has a few neat little informative "pages" (screens) about bats, bat calls, sonograms, etc., - Like a micro encyclopedia (for lack of a better description). I'll share pics of these screens in the full review. It's available in both the German or English language. Something to look at during lulls in bat activity.

All in all, I like it so far. Mainly because it packs so many features into such a tiny package. I also purchased the belt loop carrying case.

First opening of Teensbat 4.1 kit

Major components of The Teensbat 4.1 detector kit

I think it's very interesting to look at both this detector, and The Teensybat - which I've already started to assemble... I made sure that I had every last component ready to go, so that when the detectors arrived - No time would be wasted!

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

The Two New Detectors En Route - A Trivial Status Update

Just an unexciting update on the ETA of the 2 new bat detectors.

I've been watching them closely, anxiously awaiting their arrival.

It  looks like they will both be arriving sometime before the end of this week. So, it took about 2 weeks for them to arrive. All good things to those who wait, and all that...

Now, I would like to share some useful tidbits of information (chiefly for anyone ordering either one of these units): 

• If you live on the East coast of North America, you can expect the delivery to take approximately 8-14 business days (without counting Sundays).
• If you live in Europe, you'll only wait a fraction of that time - Probably about 3 days, would be my guess (mostly likely as short as 1-2 days!).

So, I can't really do much more than to share a couple of random updates:

• The post just prior to this, was a brief review of a book (I was interested in it for a while) titled 'Is That a Bat?' By Neil Middleton. An awesome book, anyway you slice it. It would be especially enjoyed by anyone recording bats in the field; as well as those involved with wildlife sound recording in general.
• I'm also happy to report that I will be reviewing another book on bats here, in the near future. It is titled 'A Miscellany of Bats' by M. Brock Fenton, and Jens Rydell.
• This is also a good time to point out a new book which is scheduled to come out early next year, written by Nils Boulliard. It's title is 'Big Bat Year'

Thinking about these books again, just served to remind me: Pelagic Publishing happens to publish the most desirable books on bats (in the English language) to be found anywhere!

...Ahh...I feel compelled to go on a bit of a tangent here: Okay, there was a time (long ago) when I became very keen on the subject of Falconry. In the very beginning I did have intentions of becoming fully involved with the sport. As I began to learn a lot more, about everything that is involved, etc. - My enthusiasm with respect to the actual hunting waned. 

This was not before having read several good books, and purchasing more than one (VHS tape!) on the subject. Naturally, as with all things which interest me, the tapes were from The UK.

However, studying/following the ancient history of the sport, which goes back thousands of years, is undeniably fascinating.

Since we're already off the path here, let's go just a bit further - As I'm fond of mentioning (to anyone who will listen): All of my favorite avocations happen to have a rich history (and large following) in the British isles:

• Fly fishing / Fly tying
• Birding
• Bat detecting
• Wildlife Sound Recording
• Microscopy

Okay, we will find our way out of this little rabbit hole, in just a moment...

The interesting point that I wanted to bring up, has to do with would-be/beginning falconers: Apprentice Level (where one begins).

Falconry as a sport is steeped in tradition. And by far the most important factor to establish, when considering a new member, was their commitment to this unique sport.

 

Candidates were sometimes (often) "judged" by how many books they'd read on the subject.

In other words Master Falconers, those who would take you under their wing 😀 Could potentially gauge how serious and committed you were, by how many books you owned on the subject.

 

This was a "barometer" to your level of seriousness and dedication. I also distinctly remember reading about (more than one) enthusiastic, potential falconer who owned 250 books! More than enough to secure his entry into the guild I'd say!

And I just couldn't help but think: imagine if we gauged the dedication and commitment of potential Bat Workers by how many books they owned on bats?? 

😀 I'm just trying to be funny of course!  But, if someone wanted to jump start their collection of books, on the analysis of bat calls: They would do well to buy up the collection of offerings now featured at Pelagic Publishing.

As for me...the very latest update (checking status online) is that both detectors The SSF BAT3 and The Teensybat kit/parts, are "out for delivery" today. Yay!

Very exciting news!

•Update: I'm happy to report that both detectors arrived today, as expected. Both have arrived safe and sound, without any damage...... They went through quite a lot on their journey from Europe to the US.

Next post will be some brief 1st impressions!

Until next time, Happy bat detecting!

A Quick Review of the book: 'Is That A Bat?' by Neil Middleton

Book Review: 'Is That A Bat?' by Neil Middleton

'Is That a Bat?' is a book which intrigued me since I first learned of it (probably while pursuing books on the NHBS site).

Okay, I decided to just simply google: is that a bat by Neil Middleton

Exactly as it reads above, with no capitalization, and no question mark, just to see what would happen. The 1st link listed is of the same title, from 'goodreads' where it states "5/5" (Rating).

Below that, is the link to the publisher Pelagicpublishing.com And below that, is the link to the book on amazon.

Some details:

The complete title of the book is: Is That A Bat? A Guide to Non-Bat Sounds Encountered During Bat Surveys 

It is available in paperback, or e-book (electronic) format. It was published on January 6, 2020. It is 288 pages in length, with 257 figures (illustrations), and 36 tables. 

It features 7 chapters: 3 appendices, a glossary, references, and an index.

It measures 234 x 156mm and weighs 650 grams.

I may be getting a little ahead of myself here, but this is how the table of contents reads:

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
The Sound Library
1. Well, what on earth could it be?
2. Terrestrial mammals
3. Birds
4. Amphibians
5. Insects
6. Electronic and mechanical
7. Weather, people and other nuisances
Appendix 1 Supporting figures and tables
Appendix 2 Problem solving
Appendix 3 Additional resources
Glossary
References
Index

The price varies a bit depending on where you order from, and especially which format you choose; but NHBS currently has the paperback, in stock and available for only £34.99

This book would be quite suitable for a range of readers: Anyone from a hobbyist or citizen scientist, all the way up to professional bat workers and researchers - There is something of interest for anyone who works with bat detectors.

...Now, once I got myself (an electronic) copy, and started to look through it - Wow! I realised straight away that this review might not be so quick and easy:

Not only is there a lot of great info packed into this book; but when you buy a copy, you get access to on online sound library! (via the publishers site). I had no idea, and was pleasantly surprised by this. 

Several of the first sounds & spectrograms, are presented in a quiz/self-test format. This thoughtful inclusion helps make this book a real learning experience.

The next thing that dawned on me, was this book would also be excellent for those involved in wildlife sound recording in general. Definitely a nice cross reference, which is also pleasant to read. As I continued reading, I found myself thinking about getting my own recording equipment out...I eventually did in fact!

When visiting the dealers websites, you will commonly see some sample pages of the book made available, as a preview. The Author uses graphs, and other useful illustrations. As well as some very useful spectrograms & screenshots of various recordings. These were made using Pettersson's BatSound software (from Pettersson Elektronik). 

I found the illustrations to be lovely.

What I liked: 

• A very thorough book!

• Well written, and put together in a logical progression.

• Along with it's online sound library, it is reminiscent of having a course in wildlife sound recording.

I enjoyed 'Chapter 5 Insects', the order orthoptera was discussed (which includes crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers). As a long time fan of singing insects, I liked the included oscillograms  & spectrograms. As well as the concise facts shared about each species mentioned. 

This treatment is repeated when the subject of amphibians is covered, as well as: Small and large terrestrial mammals, birds, and rodents. To a lesser extent (for obvious reasons) even 'Electronic and Mechanical' sounds are touched on in Chapter 6. Very interesting stuff!

I was also happy to see the appendices (neat stuff), and suggestions for further reading. In Appendix 3 for instance, the Author shares some very neat websites.

Considering the wide range of acoustic subjects covered: mainly the animals which are also recorded while one is focusing on bats - This book would be great for anyone venturing into the field - both figuratively and literally!

Without a doubt, anyone who intends to record bats in their natural environment, would do well with a copy of this book. You may also be interested, in seeing the assortment of books dealing with bats, currently offered by Pelagic Publishing here.

Until next time (when we'll be discussing bat detectors), 

Happy bat detecting!

Two Wonderful Bat Detectors Are On Their Way!

Just a quick post for now - I'm excited to announce that two unique bat detectors are currently on their way here!

To make it more fun, I'll only share a few clues and hints (for now): 

• They each have lovely, colour touch screen displays, featuring live spectrograms!
• One from the Netherlands, the other from Germany.
• Both from non profit entities (I had to purchase them).
• Chances are, you've never even heard of, or seen either of them.
• The one from the Netherlands, is a DIY kit which will require soldering.
• I've been wanting to get the one from Germany since at least 2019.

The DIY bat detector kit from the Netherlands, is currently out of stock - With no ETA as to when kits will be available again. So, there's no point in discussing it any further at this point in time. 

The bat detector from Germany is in stock & available for purchase. So, I'll tell you a little bit about it:

It's The SSF BAT-3 from Microelectronic Volkmann 

The very neat-looking SSF BAT3

Check out the All About Bats page - Originally in the German language; most of the related web pages are (using the Google Chrome browser provides auto-translate).

The SSF BAT3 provides live spectrograms

in a very compact size

That's it for now! Of course there will be lots more to share over the next few days!  Including more pictures, and links!

Happy bat detecting! 

Random Thought for July

I'm running a bit behind schedule with these random, Random Thoughts Posts...

I'm just going to skip June - So here's July's Random Thought:

Can your favourite hobby stand-up against occasional set-backs? Can your chosen hobby withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

What about disappointment after disappointment?

Well, I actually went through some similar situations, to those I've alluded to above... However, my bat detecting wasn't the hobby! In fact, while on the subject, I should point out that my love of bat detecting has been put to the test (over the past 12 years) ...and has obviously survived unscathed. 

No, in my situation, the hobby whose feet were held to the fire was Amateur Astronomy.

Spoiler alert: My astronomy hobby didn't "survive".

I'll make a long story short - I was on the precipice of really taking the plunge into visual astronomy/observing (and pencil sketching Deep Sky Objects) again. 

I was making preparations for many weeks. I was slated to receive not 1, but 4 vintage telescopes: A dream come true for many amateur astronomers any way you slice it. These weren't just old telescopes, but models which are much-sought-after. In addition: I was getting these telescopes for a very modest cost, they had each been meticulously restored & cared for, and were owned by someone who wasn't only a expert astronomer, but a bona fide Scientist (he was also a very nice guy).

I was obviously very excited about receiving these instruments; and made plans for where each would reside, when & where they'd be used, etc. I was doing more than just counting the chickens before they hatched...I was organizing them as well.

Unfortunately, with the passage of time, small "hiccups" in the logistics of the situation ensued: Some expected (inclement weather), some unexpected... And as these obstacles waxed and waned, my interest and dedication to the hobby itself simply waned. In fact, it gradually waned until I'd lost not only hope, but just about all of my interest in the hobby altogether. It just happened.

So I eventually ceased my (formally incessant) pursuit of acquiring these instruments. And declined the offer to go through with the purchase/acquisition of the telescopes.

All-in-all it seemed to me, to be an interesting chain of events. For instance, there were many ways to look at the situation. As well as other options available to me... For example, I could've simply purchased a modest, brand-new telescope. Although the choices/selection were very dismal at that point - due to the trucking/shipping shortage in The USA at that particular time.

The take away from all this, is that I reached a point where I was done with it. I'd gone from the very lofty heights of excitement, joy and expectation, to the very dismal lows of losing hope. I found myself not wanting to be involved (or active) in this particular hobby any longer.

One of the odd things about it, is that I couldn't foresee this happening. I was fortunate enough to have the space to safely house the telescopes; and the great fortune of dark skies. Yet it happened anyway. 

In some strange way, I may be glad that it happened. Going through this ordeal of highs & lows, frustration, etc., literally forced me to reassess the importance/value which that pastime represented to me. It forced me to seriously asses the situation, and cut my losses. 

Bat Detecting Forever!

The next review here, will be of the very latest Echo Meter Touch 2 (with USB-C connector) from Wildlife Acoustics. 

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!