The Upcoming AudioMoth Conference! Starts Nov. 28th

A temporary post, to remind everyone about the AudioMoth Online Conference coming up.

It's presented by Barbastella Academy.

The cost has been recently discounted - Learn more and sign up Here.

(I got my ticket!)

I'm determined to test and review the new AudioMoth (1.2.0) here in 2023!

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!

Acoustic Ecology of European Bats by Michel Barataud

 Acoustic Ecology of European Bats

Bats, being nocturnal flying mammals, have developed a special and very efficient means of navigating in the dark: the sonar. Although the acoustic signals they emit are inaudible to the human ear, they can be perceived, recorded and analysed with appropriate equipment and software.

This book is a product of the knowledge and skill acquired by its author over more than two decades of constant research on the subject of ultrasound detection. The initial, purely auditory, approach is complemented by the computed-assisted analysis of the ultrasonic signals. 

With the method described in this book, a bat detector and a computer, the reader will be able to identify about 85% of bat acoustic records in Europe, carry out bat inventories and other more in-depth surveys without disturbing the animals. Thirty-five of the 42 European bat species, including all the most widespread species, are covered.

This book is a product of the knowledge and skill acquired by its author over more than two decades of constant research on the subject of ultrasound detection. The initial, purely auditory, approach is complemented by the computed-assisted analysis of the ultrasonic signals. With the method described in this book, a bat detector and a computer, the reader will be able to identify about 85% of bat acoustic records in Europe, carry out bat inventories and other more in-depth surveys without disturbing the animals. Thirty-five of the 42 European bat species, including all the most widespread species, are covered.

Michel Barataud has spent many years of research working on the bats of not only Europe, but also the Guianas and Lesser Antilles. Over time, and taking advantage of the ongoing technological progress, he has developed a very efficient identification method and disseminated his findings through a large number of publications. An enthusiastic teacher, he has trained several hundred bat workers in ultrasound analysis and given impetus to a vast network of naturalists.
Yves Tupinier, an expert and pioneer on bat sonar, is a life-long friend. His contribution to this book is a precious addition.

Book+DVD set
The DVD includes numerous audio examples to illustrate the method as well as scatter diagrams for the identification of the emitting species

Find online regular updates

Summary
The biological sonar
Ultrasound detectors
The sonar signals of bats: classification and interpretation
The acoustic identification of bats
Applications
Acoustic ecology
Frequently asked questions on acoustic detection and identification
Perspectives
Appendices

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!