π•pistrelle Bat Detector

Pipistrelle family bat detectors are now available assembled and tested
from shop.smithrobotics.co.uk

Sales of pre-built units contribute to ongoing development of the BTO Acoustic Pipeline, and help to maintain our built heritage - and the bats that live there - via contributions to Friends of Friendless Churches.

π•pistrelle handheld bat detector / 384kHz full-spectrum recorder : AVAILABLE ASSEMBLED AND TESTED OR AS SELF-BUILD PROJECT

pippyg passive bat detector with 384kHz full-spectrum recording. Runs for up to 7 days powered by 3x AA rechargeable batteries, records to microSD card. User-reprogrammable as a 384kHz USB microphone for use with the iOS Bat Detector App : AVAILABLE ASSEMBLED AND TESTED OR AS SELF-BUILD PROJECT

"Bat Detector" 384kHz USB microphone. Use the dedicated iOS Bat Detector App to hear and record bats on bat walks, in the park, garden or on formal surveys : AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AS SELF-BUILD PROJECT, APPROX £10 BUILD COST

FEATURES

π•pistrelle and pippyg offer high-end features previously seen only on high-cost equipment, despite being the lowest-cost bat recorders on the market.

π•pistrelle - handheld active bat detector

Heterodyne detection
- Rhythm of bat calls is preserved
- Scans automatically for bat calls
- No manual tuning - "eyes to the skies" operation
Advanced "Time Expansion" mode reveals true nature of bat sounds
- Harmonic relationships of bat calls are preserved
- Slows down bat calls 16x or 10x (user-configurable)
Audio output over headphone socket
- Connect to external powered speaker to lead bat walks
10-LED real-time spectrum display
- indicates approximate frequency of calling bats
- More detail available via frequency speech synthesis
Plus all pippyg recording features

pippyg - passive bat detector

Records 384kHz / 16-bit wavs to microSD
- File size optimised for analysis by BTO Acoustic Pipeline
- Files timestamped and location-stamped
- Geolocation metadata stored in industry-standard "GUANO" format
- iOS / MacOS / Android app configures devices for recording
  - Sets up device ID
  - Date and time
  - Geolocation
Devices typically run for 4 to 7 days
- Based on measured performance using 2450mAh rechargeables
- Achievable run-time depends on number of recordings
Reprogrammable as a 384kHz / 16-bit USB microphone for use with the Bat Detector app for iPhone and iPad : apps.apple.com/gb/app/bat-detector/id6504186190

pippyg and π•pistrelle are both powered by 3 AA batteries

pippyg and π•pistrelle run identical firmware - the circuit board wiring is read by the device to determine whether it is a pippyg or a π•pistrelle

Configurable and upgradeable
- Programmable recording trigger sensitivity
- Programmable clock speed to prolong battery life when operating as static detectors

Suite of support tools provided both as C++ source code and as precompiled cross-platform binaries

Binaries are JavaScript for running in Node.js®, which is available for Microsoft, Apple and Linux
- Download Node.js® for your operating system here : https://nodejs.org/en
sonogram.js creates .jpg sonograms from recordings
chirpwav.js creates .wav file to configure devices
patchpip.js modifies firmware images to support device re-flashing with custom behaviour

Example recordings : all recorded by pippyg 13th April 2024
click any image to download zip file containing original wav files

Daubenton's Bat

Lesser Horseshoe bat

Common Pipistrelle

Serotine

Common Noctule

Brown Long-Eared bat

SELF-BUILD BAT DETECTORS and USB MICROPHONES

BUILD YOUR OWN π•pistrelle bat detectors

Buy blank PCBs, solder paste stencil and optional 3D printed cases here :
www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/pipistrelle_version_5_3_0375ab21.html
Component shopping list (DigiKey) is in the PCBWay description

BUILD YOUR OWN pippyg static detectors

Buy blank PCBs, 3D prints and solder paste stencil here :
https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/pippyg_3_3_2975f992.html
Component shopping list (DigiKey) is in the PCBWay description

NEW - BUILD YOUR OWN "Bat Detector" 384kHz USB Microphones

NO HAND SOLDERING, 10 MINUTE BUILD, APPROX £10 PER DEVICE WHEN BUILDING 10

Buy blank PCBs, solder paste stencil and optional 3D printed mount here : https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Official_Bat_Detector_USB_microphone_a267cc29.html
Griffie special edition here :
https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/USB_microphone_Griff_The_Superstar_Noctule_Edition_600dff08.html
Component shopping list (DigiKey) is in the PCBWay description

Download "Bat Detector" for iPhone / iPad : https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/bat-detector/id6504186190
If you're brave, join the public beta of "Bat Detector" : testflight.apple.com/join/M5R8kipW