Graham,
Glad to learn that approach worked out for you. I've never tried to
manage data from more than about 15 units at a time. Using the
storage zcaim serial GPS input to label the files of compressed
recordings from each station/deployment helps avoid some
errors that follow from chronic sleep deprivation.
I'm sure you have found Chris Corben's web site
(www.hoarybat.com) which has CF zcaim firmware updates.
Tony Messina's site (http://www.nevadabat.com/Remote) shows
step wise construction methods for microphone extension
cables and solar equipped static enclosures.
We debugged and ran systems similar to those on his site
through much of the winter in Yosemite NP, recording surprising
levels of bat acoustic activity in a landscape largely blanketed
with snow. The new systems were built by Tracy Allen
(www.emesystems.com) with help from Chris. To lower power
demand (by 1/3-1/2) and provide simultaneous environmental
data (temperature/RH/other channels), Tracy patched into the
storage zcaim, so it is now controlled by a separate miniature
logger that draws 50 microamps quiescent. The logger has an
uploaded sunrise/set table to adjust sampling times daily and
determines whether to record each night based on battery
voltage (i.e., no data taken if solar recharge has been
inadequate). The ecological context for monitoring is sketched at
(http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/power/research.shtml). We also have
one monitor running with the microphone on a 75 ft lead at the
top of a young riparian forest patch and are assembling longer
lead systems for listening in redwood canopies. This all is
perhaps of marginal interest to the group, so we could discuss it
off list.
Bill
--- In "Graham M Smith"
<> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Just as follow up to the two previous threads on bat monitoring
using
> recorded sounds from bat detectors. To those who weren't
involved I asking
> for help in choosing a recording tool to record output from
electronic bat
> detectors. This was purely as a scientific monitoring tool to
map bat flight
> paths. But I had issues with battery life, recording times and
analysing
> long lengths of blank recordings that only had the occasional
bat record.
>
> I finally realised, based a lot on what was said here, that I had
to go with
> Anabat, I bought one to try out (Detector and data logger) and
then managed
> to secure the monies to buy another 35 Anabat recorders, with
the ZCAIM
> Compact Flash recording unit, for the actual project.
>
> The money is easily recovered from the time saved in
analysing the results,
> setting up the units in the field is so so easy compared to
fiddling with
> other types of detectors and minidisk or jukebox recorder
options, the
> standard battery life is good (lasting about 7 days in the field)
and using
> an external battery is easily done.
>
> Simple analysis, counting the number of bat events, time of the
event and
> whether the bat was a horseshoe bat or a non-horseshoe bat
is very quick and
> easy to do with the Anabat Analook software.
>
> Many thanks everyone for your help.
>
> Graham
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