Basic Bat Recorders
These are basic bat detectors that can record to an external device, such as a digital recorder (bottom of the page).
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These bat recorders are listed according to price, with the most affordable at the top.
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Note that you get a free extra year's warranty with all bat detectors from us!
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Batbox Baton
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
The Baton is a frequency division bat detector and comes with a version of BatScan sound analysis software, developed especially for the Baton. In addition, if attached to the soundcard of a laptop computer by a stereo lead from the ‘line out’ of the Baton, it will produce real-time sonograms, allowing detailed analysis of calls when used with BatScan software. With carry pouch.
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Does not have a frequency display, so you can only tell the frequency of the bat call if the Baton is connected to a computer, or when you analyse the recordings later.
Probably the cheapest option if you'd like to record bats.
Echo Meter Touch 2 for Android
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Using the power of the Android platform, the Echo Meter Touch 2 offers unprecedented features and ease-of-use.
The Echo Meter Touch 2 has all the tools you need to identify species in the field:
Stunning, full colour, zoomable spectrograms. Ability to listen to bats in real time with unparalleled fidelity. Recordings that match detectors costing hundreds of pounds more. Onboard bat auto-identification using Kaleidoscope algorithms. The number crunching power to (try to) identify a bat to species in seconds. GPS tracking that tags all recordings with location information. Free Auto-ID app. And it all works on a range of Android devices.
Available in two models for hobbyists and professionals.
Price includes the EM Touch module, but not the Android device.
You will need the app for recording and auto-ID (free) from Google Play Store.
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The best bang for your buck. Like jumping in at the deep end, but with armbands.
Batbox Duet
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
The Batbox Duet is a dual-mode bat detector, with both heterodyne and frequency division, designed for single-handed operation. The large LCD back-lit display is extremely accurate and easy to read at all light levels. Frequency amplitude detection allows post-recording computer analysis of sonar peak-frequencies. There is a voice commentary button for annotating recordings. With carry case.
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When using headphones, the 'tuned in' heterodyne is played in one ear and the full frequency range in the other.
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A cracking bit of kit, always has been. Trusted by professionals and produces lovely recordings when used with a digital recorder.
Pettersson D230
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
A combined heterodyne and frequency division detector with backlit, large digit, accurate digital display, showing the tuned frequency in the heterodyne mode. The frequency and volume controls are on the side of the case, making it easy to adjust. Using stereo headphones, the heterodyne signal is heard on the left channel and the frequency division signal on the right channel. When the built-in speaker is used, a switch is used to select the heterodyne or frequency division signal.
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This is a really nice bat detector and, like everything from Pettersson, is very well made and exudes quality.
Pettersson D240X
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
Very popular heterodyne and time expansion detector with backlit, large digit, accurate digital display, showing the tuned frequency in the heterodyne mode. The frequency and volume controls are on the side of the case, making it easy to adjust. Using stereo headphones, the heterodyne signal is heard on the left channel and the time expansion signal on the right channel. When the built-in speaker is used, a switch is used to select the heterodyne or time expansion signal.
A digital recorder can be connected to the D240X to record the time expanded calls for analysis on a PC. If the recorder has a "voice activated" recording mode, a fully automatic bat recording system is obtained, which can be left in the field for unattended recording of bat calls.
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This is a fantastic bit of kit and a favourite of many professional bat workers. Pettersson units are top quality.
Zoom H1n
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
The Zoom H1n Portable Digital recorder is an ultra-compact pocket recorder with renowned recording technology at an affordable price. The H1n's on board microphones are configured in an X/Y pattern, for stunning stereo imaging. Get high-resolution, 24-bit and 96 kHz stereo recordings, from a pocket sized recorder. To increase the maximum recording time, you can switch easily from uncompressed PCM recording to space-saving MP3 mode. Thanks to USB 2.0, you can rapidly exchange your recordings with your PC. With a two AAA battery the battery life is around 10 hours. Combining powerful recording capability with elegance and simplicity, the Zoom H1n suits everyone.
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This is a really nice digital recorder, suitable for recording from a bat detector or recording music or other sounds, e.g. for videography.
Zoom H2n
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
The Zoom H2n is an improved portable digital audio recorder, ideal for using with bat detectors and other wildlife sound recording equipment. It has a choice of recording formats including .MP3 and .WAV. Recordings are stored to SD memory cards and the Zoom H2n is also compatible with up to 32GB high capacity SDHC cards, allowing over 50 hours of recording in WAV format (16-bit/44.1kHz) or 555 hours in 128kbps MP3 format. An automatic recording function allows the unit to be triggered whenever sound is detected and stopped when sounds cease. The timestamp function is handy for editing and analysing recordings. The H2n has not one but five built-in microphones so you can make excellent quality stereo recordings with the recorder alone. Ideal for making comments or references whilst making field recordings.
You can even use the Zoom H2n as a USB microphone, enabling you to record directly to your computer, and the recorder provides over 20 hours of continuous operation on 2 standard AA alkaline batteries.
3.5mm - 3.5mm jack lead
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
A good quality 3.5mm jack lead for connecting your bat detector to your digital recorder, or anything else that needs a 3.5mm - 3.5mm jack lead.
1m long.
Sony Headphones
With 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Backup & Support
These headphones are comfortable and good quality, ideal for use with bat detectors as well as MP3 players and other portable units. Has 30mm drivers for excellent sound reproduction.
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I use these myself, both with bat detectors and for other stuff. Good value.
Bat Detective Book & CD
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This book, together with the accompanying CD, provides an essential reference for bat enthusiasts who would like to gain or improve their skills in identifying British bats, using a bat detector. The material is suitable for those who have just acquired a bat detector as well as for more experienced bat workers. The sounds of 13 bat species are included in the 48 tracks of the CD. This is the first ever comprehensive compilation of British bat recordings on compact disc.
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With recordings of what the bats sound like on a heterodyne bat detector, this makes it much easier to work out which species you're listening to. If you know the peak frequency of the bat and the 'pattern' of the call, with this guide you can identify many of our commonest bats to species level. Others are a little harder!
British Bat Calls
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Knowledge of bat echolocation, calls and identification using bat detectors and programs such as BatSound has grown significantly in the last decade. In this practical guide Jon Russ and contributors (Kate Barlow, Philip Briggs & Sandie Sowler) present the latest data in a clear and concise manner.
The book covers topics such as the properties of sound; how bats use sound; bat detection methods; recording devices; analysis software; recording techniques and call analysis. For each species found in the British Isles, information is given on distribution; emergence times; flight and foraging behaviour; habitat; and echolocation including parameters for common measurements.
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If you want to get further 'into' bats and their calls, this is an essential addition to your bookshelf.
Social Calls of the Bats of Britain and Ireland
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Bats are fascinating mammals about which we still have much to learn. As well as using ultrasonic echolocation calls for orientation and while foraging, they also have a complex array of vocalisations for communication. These are known as social calls and are an essential component of their colonial lifestyle.
This book brings together the current state of knowledge of social calls relating to the bat species occurring within Britain and Ireland, with some additional examples from species represented elsewhere in Europe. It includes access to a downloadable library of calls to be used in conjunction with the book.
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When you've mastered echolocation calls it's time to dive (swoop?) into social calls and this book, or the one below, is the place to start.
Social Calls of the Bats of Britain and Ireland (second edition)
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This updated and expanded edition includes additional information and new examples not found in the first edition (further down this page). The call library now includes full spectrum sound files, as well as many new examples. Survey guidelines are included in the book.
The social calls of bats are an area about which relatively little is known, with more research still required to expand our understanding. This book summarises what is understood so far about social calls of the bat species occurring in Britain and Ireland, and north-west Europe.
This new edition contains: foreward by Michel Barataud, author of Acoustic Ecology of European Bats; almost double the number of figures and tables as the first edition; completely overhauled call library, all in full spectrum, with new examples; three entirely new chapters, covering bat-related acoustics, settings for social interactions, and survey guidelines.
An excellent update on the first edition.
Bat Calls of Britain and Europe
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A comprehensive guide to the calls of the 44 species of bat currently known to occur in Europe. Following on from the popular British Bat Calls by Jon Russ, this new book draws on the expertise of more than forty specialist authors to substantially update all sections, further expanding the volume to include sound analysis and species identification of all European bats.
Written by Jon Russ, a well-respected bat worker and author of British Bat Calls.
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Expanding the focus into bats on the European mainland and substantially updating all sections of British Bat Calls, this is an excellent book.
The Handbook of Acoustic Bat Detection
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An accessible and comprehensive guide to all things acoustic bat detection. This highly illustrated handbook provides an in-depth understanding of acoustic detection principles, study planning, data handling, properties of bat calls, manual identification of species, automatic species recognition, analysis of results, quality assurance and the background physics of sound.
Written by Volker Runkel, Guido Gerding & Ulrich Marckmann and translated by Iain Macmillan.
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Essential reading if you want to understand the fundamentals of bat detection and call analysis.
Is That a Bat?
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The occurrence of non-bat sounds during bat surveys can be distracting, intriguing or annoying. Recordings can include difficult to ID species of bat but also sounds not related to bats. This can be especially true when noise triggers such as insects, small mammals or birds look like bat-related noise. Therefore, only knowing what bats sound like is not enough. It's extremely useful to know what other sources of noise look and sound like within the same soundscape. This book will help bat workers, in whatever environment they're in, to be more confident in recognising, categorising and dismissing other sounds. The book includes a substantial downloadable sound library (.wav format) that readers can listen to by ear or process through sound analysis software.
Written by Neil Middleton, a well-respected bat worker and author of Social Calls of the Bats of Britain & Ireland, as well as The Effective Ecologist.
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Essential reading if you want to avoid confusion with non-bat sounds.
Bats of Britain and Europe
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This concise and definitive guide presents all 45 bat species that regularly occur in Europe (of which 17 are known to breed in the British Isles). The extensive introduction details the remarkable biology of bats and explores the latest findings in bat evolution, behaviour and echolocation.
This is followed by in-depth species accounts covering life history, conservation status and identification, including echolocation characteristics, and complemented by accurate distribution maps, with the book illustrated throughout with superb colour photography.
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A really good introduction to the bats that are regularly found in Europe, including the British Isles, with distribution maps so you know which you're likely to be hearing.
