Song Meter SM4 BAT FS Recorder
Free extra year's warranty, plus a free book or voucher worth £35!
Setting the standard for ultrasonic wildlife recorders
Specially engineered to capture quality ultrasonic bat recordings, the Song Meter SM4BAT is the industry leading bat audio recorder.
With the ability to store terabytes of data and the battery life to record in the field for weeks at a time, the Song Meter SM4BAT FS gives scientists a flexible, reliable tool for conducting bat surveys.
Free extra year's warranty, plus a free book or voucher worth £35 - let us know which you want!
New Generation Ultrasonic Microphone
RECORD FAINTER BATS OR BATS AT GREATER DISTANCES.
The SMM-U2 microphone is significantly quieter than the previous generation SMM-U1, and competitor's microphones. The superior signal to noise ratio results in recording fainter bats and bat calls at greater distances. In addition, more echolocation pulses are recorded, which allows more accurate identification.
The enclosure's innovative waterproof design includes a built-in mounting bracket that provides a wide range of mounting options. The microphone includes a 5 metre cable, and can connect with cables up to 100m in length with no adverse effect on recording quality.
Best-In-Class Recording Technology
OVER A DECADE OF CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENTS.
The SM4BAT FS intelligent recording triggers and noise file scrubber help maximize the number of bat echolocations recorded and minimize recordings that do not contain bat echolocations. The SMM-U2 along with the SM4BAT FS and its advanced trigger technology produces the cleanest and quietest bat recordings available.
Easy Programming
QUICKLY SET UP AND DEPLOY WITH LESS WORRY.
To get you started quickly, the SM4BAT FS features easy-to-use Quick Start schedules, such as sunset to sunrise. You can also customize your schedules for specific recording needs. The free SM4 Configurator software can be used to configure settings and schedules from a computer. The SM4 Configurator software also provides a Security Lock option to prevent accidental changes to deployment and recording settings.
Features
- Industry standard line of ultrasonic bat audio recorders, with over 20,000 SM4 family recorders sold to date
- Proven and reliable, with only 0.64% of recorders requiring in-warranty repairs
- 3-year warranty (4 years if you buy from me!)
- Weatherproof design suitable for any environment
- Designed for use with the low-noise, waterproof SMM-U2 microphone
- Built-in fail-safe and fault-tolerant tech, including two flash cards for failover and extensive internal diagnostics
- Compact, at 8.6” x 6.0” x 3.1” (218 mm x 152 mm x 78 mm)
- Extended field deployments, with up to 48 ten-hour nights of battery life using alkaline batteries, or even longer using external power.
- Choose a quick-start schedule or easily create your own
- GPS attachment allows you to set date, time and location for multiple recorders
- Advanced triggering to record only when bats are present
- Optional noise scrubber automatically deletes false triggers that do not contain bats
- Optional 16 kHz high pass filter to reduce lower frequency noise
- Capable of storing terabytes of data on two SDHC/SDXC flash cards
- Save card space via W4V compression, doubling the capacity of SD cards without degrading recording quality
- Compatible with Kaleidoscope Pro software to quickly review recordings and automatically suggest bat species (in supported regions)
Specifications
Recording Format
- Single-channel
- 16-bit PCM .wav files or compressed .w4v files
Sample Rates
Full-Spectrum, single-channel;
192kHz, 256kHz, 384kHz, 500kHz
Run-time
Up to 480 hours (e.g. 48 10-hour nights), depending on bat activity
NOTE: SM4BAT FS run times can vary by as much as 50% depending on the characteristics of specific brands and models of flash cards, the kind and quality of batteries used (alkaline versus rechargeable), temperature and configuration. We recommend SanDisk brand SDHC/SDXC cards.
Power Options
- Internal power using 4 D-size alkaline or rechargeable NiHM batteries
- External power via optional SM3/SM4 Power Cable
Storage
- 2 SDHC/SDXC flash card slots (class 4 or greater)
We recommend using SanDisk SDHC/SDXC cards. You can add them when you buy. - More than 1 terabyte total capacity using 2 512GB SDXC cards
- Compression is available to further increase storage capacity
Dimensions
Height:
8.6" / 218 mm
Width:
6.0" / 152 mm
Depth:
3.1" / 78 mm
Weight
Without batteries: 1.6 lbs/730g
With 4 D batteries: 2.9 lbs/1300g
Enclosure Material
Polycarbonate
Enclosure Environmental Protection
Fully Weatherproof
Operating Temperature
-4° to 185° F / -20°C to 85°C
Warranty
3 years (4 years if you buy from me!) (microphones 3 years)
Microphones
The SMM-U2 microphone's low noise and superior sensitivity results in recording bat calls at greater distances. The enclosure's innovative waterproof design includes a built-in mounting bracket that allows for a wide range of mounting options. The microphone includes a 5 metre cable, and can connect with cables up to 100m in length with no adverse effect on recording quality.
For legacy projects that require year-to-year microphone performance continuity, the SMM-U1 microphone can be used in place of the more advanced SMM-U2.
Accessories
For researchers who have large geographic areas to cover, the GPS option is a valuable, time-saving tool. When deploying multiple recorders, use a single GPS accessory to set and synchronize the date, time and location settings on/between each of your recorders. For mobile transects, connect the GPS accessory to log recording locations and transect path.
The SM3/SM4 Power Cable allows your Song Meters to run on external battery power, or a complete solar panel charging system. Simply plug the cable into the recorder's power connector and connect the other end to the battery system using the included spade or ring terminals. Song Meters will handle external power sources from 4.5 to 17V DC and is protected against accidental reverse voltage.
Marine-Grade Padlock
This lock will ensure your recorder's cover is secured. The unit features a brass body and cylinder to provide extra resistance to the elements. The marine grade lock is keyed alike, allowing multiple locks to open with the same key.
The adjustable locking mechanism holds the 6'/1.8m cable tight in any position for a secure fit. The unit features a weather resistant lock and vinyl coated 5/16"/8mm braided steel cable. Note: Locks are keyed differently.
Made of indestructible steel and coated in a durable powder epoxy finish, this custom-designed case is the best solution for preventing prying teeth and claws from damaging your SM4BAT. It provides visibility of the unit's LED light and also protects the unit's cable and power connections.
Ultrasonic Microphone Calibrator
Since ultrasound is beyond the range of human hearing, verifying proper system and microphone performance can be a challenge. The Ultrasonic Calibrator is designed to verify the sensitivity of our ultrasonic microphones as well as overall system performance.
The Song Meter Surge Suppressor protects SM4/SM4BAT recorders from power surges that could harm your recorders. This accessory should be used wherever microphones are mounted at elevation. Combine the Surge Suppressor with the SMM-U2 Grounding Bracket for added protection.
The suppressor is also compatible with the SM3 and SM3BAT.
If you’ve mounted your SMM-U2 ultrasonic microphone to a metrology tower, wind turbine or some mounting point at elevation, this custom-designed bracket protects the SMM-U2 from electrical surges or static discharge that could damage the microphone and recorder.
The grounding bracket is easy to attach and can be used with the Song Meter Surge Suppressor for maximum protection.
Use of the Song Meter Surge Suppressor with the grounding bracket is highly recommended.
NOTE: The SMM-U2 microphone not included.
SM4BAT-FS RS-232 Monitoring Interface Cable
Designed for wind farm operators who need to know the status of their Song Meters, the SM4BAT FS RS-232 Status and Activity Monitoring Interface cable connects the SM4BAT FS to data loggers such as the Ammonit Meteo-40 and Campbell Scientific CR1000.
The SM4BAT FS can now respond to remote operator requests for cumulative numbers of bat passes and pulses detected, as well as timestamp, voltage, temperature, and flash card capacity.
NOTE: The RS-232 Monitoring Interface Cable only works with SM4BAT-FS recorders having serial numbers greater than S4U06942