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Wildlife Survey & Monitoring  Bat Survey & Monitoring  Bat Detectors  Heterodyne Bat Detectors

SSF Bat2 Detector

One of the most advanced heterodyne detectors currently available
SSF Bat2 Detector
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Average customer review
  • SSF Bat2 Detector In stock
    £242.49
    #187950
Price: £242.49
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SSF Bat2 DetectorSSF Bat2 Detector

About this product

The SSF Bat2 is a new generation of super-heterodyne detector that is set to become the detector of choice for watching bats. In addition to its heterodyne function, the SSF Bat2 also uses frequency division to monitor all frequencies. It will report the peak frequency, and at a push of the button you can jump to that peak frequency. To read a full review of the SSF Bat2, see the Review tab. With the option to input pre-set frequencies, you can jump between frequencies and greatly minimise the chance of missing bats. The LCD display also displays a small graph showing the frequency range of the received call.

Features: 

  • 2 parallel methods of detection: manual and automatic;
  • Manually operated: mixer mode (Heterodyne).
  • Automatically operated: scanner with frequency indicator and spectrogram of bat calls - so no bat call goes undetected.
  • Applicable for expert as well as for beginners.
  • Frequency range of 15 KHz to 130 kHz.
  • Continuously display of maximum values while scanning; ideal for easy bat detection.
  • Up to 4 fixed frequencies; programmable for fast accessing of known bat species.
  • Easy to handle; adjustments get saved
  • Excellent sensitivity; a special ultrasonic microphone in combination with a high-quality pre-amplifier stage.
  • Excellent sound quality; brilliant clear and differentiated transfer of bat calls through an integrated 1.5W speaker.
  • LCD screen with adjustable backlight (which can be switched off).
  • Adjustable auto shut-off for battery protection.
  • Battery charge status indicator.
  • 3.5mm earphone jack plug.

A detailed instruction manual in English is available for download here: SSF Bat2 User Guide.

See the Review tab for a full review of the SSF Bat2.

Specification

  • Power supply: 4 x AA alkaline battery or rechargeable NiMH battery
  • Battery life: according to mode of operation, up to 40 hours
  • Power consumption: approx. 30mA
  • Weight (including batteries): 230g
  • Dimensions: length 185mm, width 65mm, height: 28mm

Customer Reviews (1)

  • SSF Bat2 Detector
    By IAN 20 Jul 2018
    I bought this as an upgrade from my Magenta bat 5 and I wanted a bat detector that had a scanning (frequency division) function so that fewer bats would be missed during survey work. The detector came within 48hours and was extremely well packaged. NHBS are always brilliant to order from.
    The bat detector has several useful functions such as manual scanning (you tune the frequency yourself), automatic scanning (the detector scans and displays the bats peak frequency) or the use of 4 preset frequencies that you can jump to which saves wasting time dialling around between low and high frequencies, you could jump from 20 kHz to 100 + kHz at the push of a button.
    I've only tried out the detector once so far, I didn't feel the need to use the preset frequency function, but I did use the frequency division ( automatic scanning mode ) which picks up all the bats, so all you have to do is interpret call and frequency without being distracted tuning around.
    The SSF bat2 is very good quality with useful functions and ideal for bat walks and surveys. It has an adjustable wrist strap which is essential but unfortunately doesn't have a case.
    40 of 40 found this helpful - Was this helpful to you? Yes No
One of the most advanced heterodyne detectors currently available
Media reviews

 

 

Customer Reviews:

SSF Bat2 Detector
by David Dodds in United Kingdom
For some time I have been wondering what the next steps in bat detector technology would be. The SSF Bat2 may well have taken those steps. If I were to ask what are the major drawbacks of using a heterodyne detector, compared to say and £1800 Anabat + PDA you might say these: 1. The hassle of tuning up and down in order to find bat calls. 2. The difficulty of identifying the peak frequency of a brief bat pass. 3. The risk of missing a bat because you're on the wrong frequency.
The Bat2 display shows the frequency the detector is tuned to, as you might expect. But it has three other displays. Firstly, there is a second frequency display, which shows the peak frequency of the bat call you are listening to. Hit one of the four buttons on the front of the detector and the detector jumps to that frequency (and unlike the Italian Dodoultra, which also included this function, it works properly. The Dodo had a tendency to latch onto harmonics, instead of the main call). Pipistrelles and other frequency-critical calls can be swiftly tuned to peak, even during a brief pass.
All heterodyne detectors have the problem that they only receive a limited range of call frequencies at one time. How broad a range depends on the individual detector, but between 5 and 20 kHz is usual. Of course this means that, if you are tuned to 20kHz, listening to a Noctule and Greater Horseshoe flies past you are going to miss it. The Bat2 includes a small graph on its display, showing the frequency range of the received call. In theory this means that you can see that Greater Horseshoe, though you would have to be walking about staring at the display, which means you're not going to see any bat behaviour and will probably trip over a tree root. Nonetheless it's a handy function.
The Bat2's tuning is controlled by up and down buttons on the front. If, like me, you like the thumbwheel tuning on the current generation of Bat Box detectors you may view this with the same suspicion that I did. It turned out to be surprisingly usable, even one-handed (as every chiropterologist knows, bat surveys require at least three hands). Cleverly, the detector has four user pre-set frequencies which can be jumped to by pressing a button, thus removing the tedious need to c=tune from one end of spectrum to the other.
All good stuff so far, so what are the downsides? Well, apart from it only being a heterodyne detector (and surely that graph indicates that this machine must be processing frequency division internally? Couldn't it have an FD recording output?), the only complaints I have are very minor. The battery compartment is held shut with a small Phillips screw. Nice and secure, but hardly the game you want to be playing in the dark at 2am when the batteries run out.
My other niggle also relates to the batteries. It uses 4 AA batteries, which makes it a little heavier than other detectors which use 9 volt PP3 batteries, but not enough to be a problem. I found that the battery indicator read low as soon as I inserted a fresh set of batteries. It took me a while to realise that rechargeable batteries only deliver 1.2 volts, compared to the 1.5 volts of a dry cell. Thus, the Bat2, when presented with rechargeable batteries registers low battery, regardless of the state of charge.
All in all I am delighted with my Bat2 and for the time being it is my detector of choice for watching bats, though for anything where I may need to review calls later I'll still use an Anabat+PDA or a Bat Box Duet and digital recorder.

 

 

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