General Thoughts About Active (handheld) Bat Detectors Part 2 of 2

General thoughts & Considerations About Bat Detectors Part 2 of 2

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,

Or what's a heaven for?"

-Robert Browning

What happened was: Once I had The SSF BAT3, and The TeensyBat 4.1 both up and operational:

From left to right: 

SSF BAT3, TeensyBat 4.1, EM Touch 2 Pro (on Kindle tablet).

It occurred to me, that there's one detector which would "fit right in" - The EM Touch 2 Pro.

However, having reviewed The Pro 2 here once before, meant I'd have to make a nuisance of myself - by reaching out to Wildlife Acoustics again, and explaining my intentions... Luckily, they agreed to send me a loaner.

SSF BAT3, EM Touch 2 Pro, TeensyBat 4.1 kit

 

Again, the line-up consisted of: The SSF BAT3, The TeensyBay 4.1, and The Echo Meter Touch Pro 2.

Bottom line: In the end, I decided that The EM Touch 2 Pro from Wildlife Acoustics comes out the overall winner.

The fundamental reasons why are:

• Excellent performing microphone (sensitive, accurate, and good range).
• Auto ID of bat species.
• GPS tracking.
• Stores full spectrum recordings for later analysis. 
• It's as dependable as the device it's attached to (cell phone/tablet).
• Recordings of particular interest, may be accessed & sent to your laptop, for in-depth analysis (fairly quickly & easily).

Performance-wise: 

The Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro from Wildlife Acoustics provides a comfortable listening experience - Featuring the choice of listening with either: RTE (Real Time Expansion), Het (Heterodyne), or TE (Time Expansion).

Microphone sensitivity, pick-up range, and ability to produce good/clear (legible) spectrograms:

The TeensyBat 4.1 was easily the equal of The EM Touch 2 Pro; which is impressive. 

In addition, it's ability to pick-up ultrasounds off-axis was superior (to either of the other two detectors).

The TeensyBat 4.1 also has a fairly unique 'Live Time Expansion' mode - Which is interesting, as well as pleasing to monitor (via ext. speaker). Especially if you're a fan of using time expansion mode. I won't go into it here (you'll have to wait for the TeensyBat review); but I felt compelled to mention it.

Now: Having said all that - Why exactly was The EM Touch 2 Pro the clear winner?

Well, in addition to the 6 bullet points which I listed above...There is a matter of an inconvenient drawback, on the part of The TeensyBat: It cannot record bat passes unattended. Not in a neat, automatic, and orderly fashion anyway.

Explained in another way: A TeensyBat user must be ready to press the Record button when a bat pass is being picked-up, and press the button again to stop the recording. 

In other words, a user needs to continuously attend to the Record button. If not, you can easily end up with very long (and large) recordings; with bat passes being few & far-between. I don't have to further explain how frustrating this can be when you're back at your laptop.

This is in contrast to The EM Touch 2 Pro's ability to: Automatically record a bat pass, stop when the bat is gone, save it, and go back to active monitoring. 

This results in a collection of neat recordings. With those having recorded ("confirmed") bat passes being conveniently marked with the yellow bat icon, which many of us are familiar with.

So, what happened after all these tests? I remembered that there's another, excellent (USB-based) bat detector - which would be an awesome prospect for this comparison! The U384 from Pettersson - It also fits in with it's affordable price point, as well as it's wonderful performance!

The U384 - USB based Bat Detector

As I'd received it for review

(directly from Pettersson)

     

A closer look at The U384, 

   with the 

included USB adapter.

As you can tell, this topic of discussion has the potential to get out-of-hand! All I'll say at this point in time, is that I recall the excellent performance of this Pettersson unit when I reviewed it. And I firmly believe that The U384 would do very well if it were a part of this detector comparison. I may elaborate on this in the future.

As a side-note: I've been doing quite a bit of experimenting with several external ultrasonic microphones. I'll be sharing all the geeky goodness here on the blog, in the future via Pics, etc. 

Just a sneak peek for now!

😊

So...I'm looking forward to ordering myself an AudioMoth 1.2.0, in the near future. They aren't in stock/available at the time of this writing, but have patience...

*Note: The Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro's are back in stock at Wildlife Acoustics.

Also, at the time of this writing, TeensyBat 4.1 kits are also back in stock.

Spectrograms will be added to this post in the near future. As alluded to earlier: Locating bat calls to create spectrograms of (from TeensyBat recordings) has been rather time-consuming... 

Until next time,

Happy bat recording analysis!

Unless you're enjoying the unseasonably warm Winter The British Isles is having - In which case: Happy bat detecting!

 

General Considerations About Active (handheld) Bat Detectors Part 1 of 2

In this 2-part post, we'll address the question: Which bat detector to get?

More specifically...Which detector for under $400 / €400?

Recently, there was a period of about 2-3 weeks, when I actually found myself without a single bat detector! Yikes! It didn't take very long for me to begin panicking...My thoughts turned to - which bat detector should I buy for myself?

So, in an effort to compensate (?) I ended-up ordering two, within a very short time frame. ...Fast forward about two weeks (for the small parcels to clear Customs, etc.): And I'm now working on finishing up the testing, and reviewing, of both The SSF BAT3 and The Teensybat 4.1...

...Now, these 2 detectors needed to be purchased by me, (at full retail price) using my own funds. For those who missed earlier posts, the reason why is: Both organizations are not-for-profit. 

This added an interesting element to the entire process. And allowed me to fully consider the question of: Which bat detector would I want to own myself? So, first let's get something out of the way - I'm not a professional Bat Worker (yet! - we all need goals...). As much as I sometimes like to imagine myself as a Professional Bat Researcher, I'm not. 

I'm a hobbyist (perhaps a rather advanced hobbyist) but a hobbyist none-the-less. So, exactly which bat detector would I like to actually own? - Or, eventually own (if I had the patience to save up some money). 

So you hobbyists, and advanced-level hobbyists out there: This post should be of great interest to you!

Sensitivity & Pick-up range:

The TeensyBat 4.1 Kit on the left - The SSF BAT3 on the right.

Aside from having two new, and interesting bat detectors to review for my readers. There was a serendipitous consequence as well: I was actually "forced" to take a hard look at exactly which bat detector I found to be most desirable; when considering one for regular nightly use.

To address this fairly, I had to carefully consider bat detectors which were priced at about $400 US dollars or below. Just for grins, let's also imagine (for a moment) that I had resigned myself to owning just one detector (a crazy thought, I agree!).

I will share the first considerations which came to my mind:

• It needs to be robust and dependable.
• It should provide recordings which can be analyzed later, to confirm species.
• It should be of good quality/good microphone, with excellent pick-up range.
• Further to the above: Good sensitivity, adjustable gain, and at least one filter.
• GPS tracking would really be nice.

The bat detectors which I carefully considered were:

• The SSF BAT3   --- Approx. $400 USD
• The Teensybat 4.1 kit (needed to build it first)   --- Approx. $200 USD
• The Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro   --- Approx. $349 (+ any shipping)
• The Pettersson U384*   --- Approx. $321 USD (with shipping to The US)

*Consideration of The Pettersson U384 USB-based detector came much later on. More on this later in Part 2 of this Post...

In this particular post, I won't go into a lot of specifics, or detailed comparisons, etc. (which will be addressed in the Post following this one). What I will state, is that I gave each of these a lot of careful consideration.

To be continued...

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

From Pettersson Elektronik - The USB Ultrasonic Microphones - M500 & U384

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

-T.S. Eliot

 

Coming up next here on the blog, will be:

A (second) look at The M500 bat detector from Pettersson - Full review.

And- A full, detailed review of The U384 bat detector. Both are USB-based ultrasonic units, which have been well received by bat professionals around the world.

 

In addition to the useful bits of kit which Wildlife & Countryside Services carries: See Here - They also have both of these Pettersson units in stock (as well as many others).

They provide exclusive extended warranties as well.

 

The M500 USB Microphone from Pettersson - A closer look... 

 

 

-- As well as --

The U384 USB Microphone - A full review.

Until then...

 

Happy bat detecting!

Just Ordered A New Bat Detector! - The AudioMoth by Open Acoustic Devices

Just finished placing my order for an AudioMoth - Rather excited to see how it performs!

I suppose it was just a matter of time, before I would actually go ahead and order one. See Links below for more information -

GroupGets Page for AudioMoth.

Open Acoustics Devices' page.

A selection of Great Links regarding Open Acoustic Devices' AudioMoth (Press).
Hopefully, my (upcoming) full review of it, will be among them soon!

Here's something very exciting, which I just came across:

Pettersson Elektronik has announced a brand new detector! It's a USB Ultrasound Microphone; and it comes in two versions (256kHz or 384kHz sample rate). You can have a look at them here. They are accepting pre-orders now.

There's a YouTube video as well:

 

Hopefully, I'll get an opportunity to review one here soon?

BCID Software review is in progress... Updates, and etc., will be posted here on or before October 7th. 

I'm happy to report, that I will (finally!) be able to attend some seminars, conferences, and training courses! I look forward to any upcoming opportunities to attend, and report about the experience(s) here on the blog!

Happy bat detecting!

Review: The M500 USB Ultrasound Microphone

Review of The M500 USB Microphone

The M500 Ultrasound Microphone, is an advanced USB device for detecting and recording the ultrasounds of bats.
It arrives from Pettersson Elektronik, doubled-boxed. The unit (and included accessories) come in a neat, white box. Along with a ZipLok-type bag, as seen in Pic below:

Also see my 'First Impressions' Post

The unit is intended to be used with a tablet PC (or equivalent) or a laptop computer.
I did a lot of testing of this unit on several types of devices; I preferred to use it with a laptop.
The newest version of this USB microphone, The M500-384 is very small and light - Yet, the M500 series is very strong at the same time (being constructed of sturdy Aluminum). 

As per Pettersson's Site, the dimensions are: "43 x 114 x 13 mm (incl microphone horn)"
To be clear, both The M500 and The M500-384 are now the same physical size.
You'll also find this unit's additional features listed on the link above.

The M500 Unboxed

 
The instrument's very small size, allows it to be quite flexible, in terms of which devices it may be attached to. 
It may even be used on devices as small as a cell phone. And anyone with prior experience with similar equipment, will find the unit easy to use.

I was excited about this new USB-based detector when it was first announced. I'll state, right from the start - that I really like the way it looked. I like the idea/design of the hardware itself - More specifically, the layout/design of the indicator lights (more on that later). 
And as always, I'm interested in an ultrasound recorder which can be used for both unattended, and field recording of bats.

Of course, it may also be used to record other animals / ultrasounds as well. The other pleasant surprise, is it's price: Now you'll find substantial differences in price, depending on where in the World you're located, etc. But, I've seen prices from under $400 US Dollars -to- around £465 in the UK. So, it's not as expensive as some other solutions. As always, I advise you to shop around for the best price. Check-out:
Wildlife & Countryside Services

An overview, of the very latest version of their Batsound Touch software, may be seen here.
The newly released, free version of the software has been designed to run The M500 smoothly, on almost all Windows tablets. And the M500-384, is even more flexible: It may be used on Windows an well as Linux platforms. And with different ultrasound recording software. The M500 is an ideal choice for someone who enjoys trying-out the various software packages available.

When considering the hardware which will be used with The M500: At the risk of stating the obvious, I would recommend using one with a high-power CPU, for best results.
The Batsound Touch software is very versatile, with lots of features; so there are quite a few ways in which to record sounds. More details to be added here, in the near future...

I've completed some tests and comparisons on one of the first prototypes of this unique microphone. Recording tests of The M500 revealed a very capable piece of equipment.

The M500 is lightweight and very compact. Upon plugging it in to my laptops (one running Windows 7, the other Windows 8) via USB cable, It was always recognized straight away.

I'm happy to report that The M500 can pick up bats at almost the same distances as my other top bat detectors. Some of which, have higher price tags than The M500.
And overall, it performed very well indeed! The sensitivity of this mic is wonderful!

The M500 is easy to hold and position, due to the durable & flexible USB cords that come provided.
Installation is easy, and it's easy to set-up and use: One end of the USB cable gets plugged into the M500 and the other end is plugged into your computing device.

The majority of (most commonly used) features, present themselves on your computer's screen, via The Batsound Touch interface.
The M500 (and M500-384) would be ideal units for those interested in:
Transects (esp. mobile/from a vehicle, or other forms of transport)
Unattended recording, as well as live recording (using a Netbook/small laptop PC).

When you are ready to record some bats - 

• Plug one end of the (provided) USB cable into the back of the unit 
• Plug the other end into an available USB port on your computing device 
• Launch The Batsound Touch software 
• Check the software's settings (which will be set the same as you left them) 
• Click 'Record'

After setting up the M500 on my Asus Netbook (mini-laptop) for an evening of bat recording - I got into the habit of turning off the WLAN (and Bluetooth). The initial idea, was simply to have one less device using the resources of my wireless router (overnight).
Even though, I realize that the the impact is minimal (to say the least). It seems to not only free up more PC resources (making the Batsound software scroll even faster), but also quiets background hiss even further. This may be a helpful "trick" to try, if you're using a low-end Netbook/laptop like mine.
For example, low-end notebooks will typically have suboptimal RF shielding. 

So it appears that this is another case where the more I use this bat detector, the more I like it.

Pros:

•  Front-facing, high-quality sensor (microphone element)
•  Simple device, robust: virtually nothing to break-off or get physically damaged.
•  No batteries to worry about.

Cons:

• Not weather-proof.

After a very straightforward software installation; using the device is simple:

• Customize the various recording Settings, as per your preference.
• Click the "Record" button, and you will observe the live spectrogram display and may adjust volume, etc.

The current price of an M500 directly from Pettersson Elektronik is just under $400 (US Dollars). Price is subject to change. 
It may be ordered directly from Pettersson Elektronik; here -or- by e-mailing:  (info@batsound.com)
You may also browse their full Product List by visiting their homepage.

The simple fact is, this device can detect, and make useful (accurate) recordings of bats in flight - at impressive distances.
During my various tests, I also discovered that the recordings created by The M500 were of such high quality, that they enabled Auto ID software packages (such as Kaleidoscope) to produce more accurate identifications!
More accurate identifications, as compared to recordings from the other, high-end detectors.

The spectrograms produced are lovely. They will be added to this review, in the near future...

The M500 USB Microphone would be ideal for anyone performing passive (stationary) recordings of bats. It may also perform very well for driven transects; where the use of a laptop isn't a hindrance. 
If the computing device used is very small, and light (cell phone) - I can see The M500 being a wonderful candidate for walking transects. It would be perfect for someone recording bats from inside a home. I've tested it in this way many times, using various laptops. It's very convenient to set-up. The Aluminum enclosure is secured outside, pointing in the general direction of expected bat activity. 
You may even perform work on your laptop, while detection is in progress.

With The M500, we now have another, USB-based microphone for ultrasound recording; and it may be used across several devices. This review, is actually still a work-in-progress; and more Info and Pics will be added soon.

I'm happy to see, that there are quite a few USB-based bat recording solutions available to us now. Dodotronic has also released a new version of their Ultramic; which I am to be testing and reviewing soon.

Still to come, are reviews of The SM4BAT FS from Wildlife Acoustics, and The Batseeker 3.

Happy bat detecting!

The Pettersson M500 Ultrasonic Microphone - First Impressions

The Pettersson M500 USB Ultrasonic Microphone - First Impressions: Wow!

It's here! It arrived rather quickly, here to the U.S. from Sweden. Un-boxing and first impressions are simply wonderful! As always, products from Pettersson Elektronik are always very well-packaged.

"Great things come in small packages"

For this test unit, an additional USB mini male to USB-A male was included. This is the much shorter coiled version, shown still in the package in the Pic below:

The M500 in box, along with coiled cable for Tablet PC use

I confirmed with Mr. Pettersson, and the additional coiled/compact USB cable will be included at no charge, upon request. This is the case when ordering from Pettersson directly. If ordering your M500 Microphone from an Authorized Dealer, it would be best to ask.

As you can see, the unit is small. However, it is robustly built. Very well-made, with solid construction throughout.

 The M500, standard USB cable, and USB Thumb Drive containing software

Installation was a breeze! And, although I've only "tested" it for a very short time (since it's recent arrival) - I can tell you that I am thoroughly impressed with this device!

The included recording software is perfectly laid-out, and features everything you need to start recording bats.

Much more to follow!

New Product From Pettersson Elektronik - The M500

Just a short Post for now: I just wanted to make sure that everyone was aware, of a new bioacoustic microphone, from Pettersson Elektronik - It's The M500 USB Ultrasonic Microphone. It's competitively priced, and has some excellent specifications:

• A 500 kHz sample rate
• 16 bits ADC resolution
• High-quality microphone with optional directional horn
• An advanced anti-aliasing filter

I find each of these major specifications very exciting!
I'd also like to inform you, that I will be reviewing one of these units in the future. I'm really looking forward to it!


In the meantime, I came across a very nice review of The M500, by Dean Waters (Vespero Consulting). Check it out Here.
 
I've been informed, that there will be a minor delay in the delivery of The BAT miniMIC; so that review won't be posted as early as I originally expected.

Happy bat detecting!

Thoughts On The D500X From Pettersson Elektronik

The D500X From Pettersson Elektronik

After completing extensive research on the D500X From Pettersson Elektronik, I'd like to share some of my findings (and opinions).

Many, if not most of those involved in any kind of bat research, are usually in need of a good passive monitoring system for bats. A unit that may be deployed in any number of locations - Including right in the middle of woodland areas. A device which may be deployed deep in a forest, if needed. Without having to worry about: wind, rain, and other variables having a negative effect on the equipment. 

In my opinion, if someone is going to put forth the time and effort to begin a project; they will probably want to use the very best equipment they can. Most passive monitoring projects are inherently major undertakings. I've recently become very familiar with the in's & out's of passive monitoring for bats. Especially, in the varied field of Bat Research. After reading the protocol, execution, and results of major bat monitoring projects: It's clear that the D500X is a top contender. 
In fact, it may very well be, the best passive monitoring solution available. It has been used in many studies.
If you spend some time finding, and then searching through scientific/research-type documents: You can find many projects, studies, and theses where the D500X was used.
Even studies which, in addition, went as far as including comparisons of the equipment used - For example, many of these individuals or teams were utilizing the D500X along with other detectors (in the same price ranges).
If you cannot afford the D500X, then the absolute next best possible choice, is the SM2BAT+, from Wildlife Acoustics.

I'll also take this opportunity to again convey which bat detectors I'll be reviewing the (new & improved) D500X from Pettersson. I'm also very excited to be reviewing the (new & improved) Batscanner, from Elekon; as well as their new (weatherproof) microphone (for the Batlogger M). 

Happy bat detecting!