Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter SM4BAT FS User Manual Download Page 4

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Song Meter SM4BAT FS User Guide

Contents

Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.

page

Revised and Translated User Guides

This guide is regularly updated and improved. New versions can be downloaded

from

http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/support/documentation

. It is also

available from the same webpage in Spanish, French, German, Chinese and

Japanese translations.

Tutorial Videos

Visit

http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/support/tutorial-videos

to view tutorial

videos for the SM4BAT.

Summary of Contents for Song Meter SM4BAT FS

Page 1: ...See Page 1 for Quick Start Checklist Song Meter SM4BAT FS B I OA CO U S T I C S R E CO R D E R User Guide Last updated on March 19 2018 ...

Page 2: ... 16 3 12 Replacing the Clock Battery 17 3 13 Reading the Recorder Temperature 17 4 Settings 18 4 1 Navigating the Menus 18 4 2 Setting the Date and Time 18 4 3 Setting the Device Prefix for Recorded Files 19 4 4 Setting the Location and Time Zone 19 4 5 Setting the Solar Calculation Method 20 4 6 Audio Settings 20 4 7 Setting a Delayed Start 24 4 8 Setting the LED Indicator Mode 24 4 9 Advanced Se...

Page 3: ...ds 41 7 4 How to Work with the Schedule Checker 42 7 5 How to Resolve Schedule Checker Errors 43 8 Importing and Exporting Schedules 44 8 1 SM4 Configurator Software 44 8 2 Importing a Schedule 44 8 3 Exporting a Schedule 45 9 Utilities 46 9 1 Exporting Diagnostics 46 9 2 Resetting to Factory Default Settings 46 9 3 Calibrating Microphones 46 9 4 Monitoring Ultrasound in Time Expansion Mode 49 9 5...

Page 4: ...ly updated and improved New versions can be downloaded from http www wildlifeacoustics com support documentation It is also available from the same webpage in Spanish French German Chinese and Japanese translations Tutorial Videos Visit http www wildlifeacoustics com support tutorial videos to view tutorial videos for the SM4BAT ...

Page 5: ... you must also set the latitude and longitude and time zone Alternatively temporarily attach the available GPS accessory to auto set the location date and however you must manually set the time zone It is not set by the GPS and must be set prior to plugging in the GPS for the recorder to correctly calculate local time from GPS time q Press the SCHEDULE START button The schedule begins The SM4BAT s...

Page 6: ...g trigger and noise scrubber to minimize false recordings of non bat activity Up to 45 nightly 10 hour recordings using four 4 alkaline D batteries SMM U2 and SMM U1 microphones support cables up to 100m includes 3m Supports one or two standard SDHC or SDXC memory cards Weatherproof keypad and backlit display for easy entry and status Dual color LED indicator provides recording and triggering feed...

Page 7: ...Power Switch Slide down to turn power on using internal battery INT Slide up to use optional external power EXT or to turn off if no external power Display Backlit screen displays all main menu items settings values message prompts and status information Memory Slots A and B Insert removable SD memory cards to store recordings Lock Ring Insert the shackle of an optional key or combination lock to ...

Page 8: ...ays or only for the first several minutes after you start the schedule Advanced Settings for advanced users Schedule Edit Schedule Add modify or delete schedule blocks Import Sched Setts Import a schedule and settings from an SD card Export Sched Setts Export the current schedule and settings to an SD card Utilities Time Expansion Mode Listen to bat activity through headphones Export Diagnostics S...

Page 9: ... this point you can insert memory cards adjust the power switch and connect an optional GPS or headphones Continue with the next step only when you are installing batteries 3 Press the small circular indentation between SD memory card slots A and B with your thumb to release the middle section If it is difficult to release the section press down closer to the gasket seam This section swings open e...

Page 10: ...ckly switching power off and on again avoid quick switches between INT and EXT The recorder can interpret this sudden loss and restoration of power as an error and may start creating diagnostics 3 3 InstallingInternalBatteries The recorder uses four size D alkaline or NiMH batteries NOTE We prefer Energizer brand of alkaline batteries for their superior performance The SM4BAT FS enters a very low ...

Page 11: ...rostatic discharge Install the ferrite near the end of the cable as close to the recorder as possible 2 Loop the cable through and snap the ferrite shut A zip tie is included for further securing the ferrite The image shows the ferrite as shipped right and as installed left 3 Align and seat the cable into the EXT POWER port on the side of the recorder Turn the grey locking ring black on older SM3 ...

Page 12: ...ll triggered or non triggered WAV files SD Memory Card GB Sample Rate 192 kHz 256 kHz 384 kHz 500 kHz 16 12 9 6 5 32 23 17 12 9 64 46 35 23 18 128 93 70 47 36 256 185 139 93 71 512 370 278 185 142 NOTE The above table shows recording capacity for uncompressed WAV recordings Three levelsofcompressioncan be setin theAudio Settingsmenusthatwill significantly increase these times More information can ...

Page 13: ...ording This could corrupt the card 3 6 ConnectingandMountingaMicrophone You must connect an available SMM U2 or SMM U1 microphone to record bats SMM U2 The SMM U2 is the newest generation of microphone and improves upon the SMM U1 with lower noise better weather protection and much lower cost The SMM U2 also draw less power than the SMM U1 resulting in approximately 10 longer run times The SMM U2 ...

Page 14: ...nsitive to the back For most applications it is recommended to mount the microphone pointing straight up to the sky That will maximize coverage volume in the air and minimize ground noises from insects The microphones built in mounting bracket has L shaped zip tie holes that also allow mounting horizontally for applications where the bat activity is from a known direction such as a cave exit To le...

Page 15: ...nnector 4 Turn the grey locking ring black on SM3 cables on the microphone or cable clockwise P firmly until it locks into place 5 Replace the windscreen when the foam begins to break down and flake With normal outdoor use over time the foam windscreen fades to brown however color degradation does not indicate a loss of integrity Mounting the Microphone for the Best Recording Quality To assure the...

Page 16: ...aight up or horizontally and in either orientation does not need a windscreen or any other form of protection Weather Protection for SMM U1 When installed correctly the SMM U1 microphone is completely weatherproof It features a hydrophobic membrane that is transparent to acoustic or ultrasound signals This membrane prevents unpressurized water from entering the microphone The included microphone w...

Page 17: ...void damage Avoid mounting microphones on tall plastic masts including those made of fiberglass or nylon for deployments in dry conditions A breeze flowing over the plastic mast can build up a sizeable electrical charge much like rubbing a balloon Eventually the electric charge will be strong enough to discharge with an attraction to the mass of metal in the cable resulting in a spark that could d...

Page 18: ... clock will not be set correctly 2 Open the security cover and plug the GPS cable into the GPS port on the side of the recorder 3 The recorder automatically detects the presence of the GPS When the recorder wakes up the GPS is powered up 4 Wait for the GPS to communicate with the satellites a A few seconds after connecting the GPS Accessory the GPS status is shown on the top right of all menu scre...

Page 19: ...serve the following size requirements for the lock Minimum Maximum Shackle Diameter 1 8 inch 3 mm 3 8 inch 9 mm Vertical Clearance 5 8 inch 16 mm 1 0 inch 25 mm Horizontal Clearance 1 2 inch 13 mm 1 0 inch 25 mm NOTE The lock should be rated for outdoor use 3 10 LockingtheKeypad For large scale projects it is occasionally desirable to lock down the SM4BAT such that only authorized personnel are ab...

Page 20: ...as locked or unlocked and if the SM4S is locked with a code or not a If the SM4BAT was unlocked and the SM4S file is locked with a code the SM4BAT configuration will be updated and locked with the code The user will first be prompted to make sure they understand that the configuration will be locked b If the SM4BAT was locked and the SM4S file is unlocked with a matching code the SM4BAT configurat...

Page 21: ...ar CLOCK BATTERY bay behind the display and keypad opposite the main battery bay 3 Gently insert a flathead screwdriver to pry the old battery out 4 Slide a new battery under the two pins on the top side with the CR2032 lettering facing you 5 Push down on the lower side until you feel the battery seat 3 13 ReadingtheRecorderTemperature The recorder includes an integrated temperature sensor to log ...

Page 22: ...ttons used may vary by setting 6 Press Left to exit a line without saving or to return to the previous menu TIP For improved visibility in low light environments press any button on the keypad to illuminate the display The backlight remains lit while you continue operating the recorder and turns itself off after 30 seconds of inactivity 4 2 SettingtheDateandTime Follow these steps to set the date ...

Page 23: ...recorder no longer appears in the recording file names however it does still appear in the metadata inside the file 4 4 SettingtheLocationandTimeZone You must manually set these parameters if you are not using the available GPS accessory to automatically set the latitude and longitude The time zone cannot be set automatically by the GPS and must be set manually NOTE The time zone must be set prior...

Page 24: ...u can choose from four different methods of calculating the sunrise and sunset 1 Navigate to Main Menu Settings Sunrise Sunset Type 1 Select one of the following solar calculation types sunrise set When the sun is just below the horizon civil When the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon nautical When the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon astronomical When the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon 2...

Page 25: ...in 2 pole 1 kHz high pass filter and the SMM U1 microphone has a built in 4 pole 8 kHz high pass If you expect bats vocalizing below 16 kHz set the 16k high filter to off The filter in the microphone reduces acoustic sounds below the threshold frequency If you do not expect bats below 16 kHz set the 16k high filter to on in order to reduce acoustic sounds that might cause non bat recordings to occ...

Page 26: ...do not cause a trigger and are considered noise to the scrubber A setting of 16 kHz works well for most bat applications It may be necessary to reduce this setting for recording lower frequency species Range 6 to 99 kHz in 1 kHz increments Default 16 kHz Trigger Level Specifies the digital trigger level The trigger is satisfied if a signal exceeds the specified dB level and is above the frequency ...

Page 27: ...ximum recording file size When a recording reaches either maximum it ends and a new recording file starts Values 1 second to 60 minutes 1 second increments Default 00m 15s Compression SM4BAT WAV file compression can be selected to record in a proprietary compressed W4V format The W4V format is a WAV file compression developed specifically for minimizing loss of useful information in bioacoustics a...

Page 28: ...t the schedule a warning appears reminding you of the delayed start If the date is in the past no warning appears and the schedule starts without delay 4 8 SettingtheLEDIndicatorMode The LED indicator in the keypad blinks to indicate the recorder status The LED blinks red once every two seconds when in an armed state waiting for a trigger and green once per second when triggered This light is visi...

Page 29: ...r deep discharge Selecting Schedule Mode The SM4BAT can operate in Simple Schedule Mode or Advanced Schedule Mode 1 Main Menu Settings Advanced Schedule Mode 2 Use the Up or Down buttons to toggle between the two modes The Simple Schedule Mode is easier to configure but has the limitation of only being able to perform the same schedule every day The Advanced Schedule Mode can be programmed to run ...

Page 30: ... describe creating your own Simple or Advanced schedule as well as importing and exporting schedules 5 2 UsingaQuickStartSchedule The Quick Start menu includes pre configured schedules intended to satisfy most customer requirements They also serve as excellent starting points for editing your own schedule if you need something a little different Creating custom schedules is described in the next c...

Page 31: ...icrophones Each warning appears for several seconds Press Down to proceed to the next warning After the last warning the recorder attempts to run the schedule Press SCHEDULE STOP or Left to avoid running the schedule and return to the main menu Adjust any settings or hardware to resolve the warnings Press SCHEDULE START again when you are ready 6 The recorder shows Preparing to record and indicate...

Page 32: ...US if the schedule is set to record all the time the Quick Start Record Always schedule for example On the right side of the same line is the running count of recording files saved since the recorder was last powered on Line 4 The state of the device and the sample rate PREPARING the recorder is writing the file to the SD memory card ARMED the recorder is waiting for audio activity to trigger a re...

Page 33: ...an accurate measurement of outside air temperature 3 Press the CHECK STATUS button again to return to the previous screen 5 5 StoppingaRecordingSchedule When a schedule is running or scheduled to run you have the option to stop it 1 Press and hold the SCHEDULE STOP button for several seconds 2 When you stop a running schedule the current recording is saved to the SD memory card before it ends 3 Th...

Page 34: ...sing the built in formatting utility See Formatting SD Memory Cards in Chapter 7 for more information In addition there will likely be multiple sm4dump files on the card as the recorder assumes there is an issue when the power is intermittent These can be ignored It is also possible to get a fatal clock error if the batteries were fully depleted this will not persist once batteries are replaced Th...

Page 35: ...d to the recorder in the location settings Timestamp The date and time when the recording started GPS Coordinates The location of the SM4BAT FS when the recording first started The file metadata stores the location coordinates that you manually entered on the recorder as well as the coordinates from the GPS accessory if attached Coordinates from the GPS will have the text string WGS84 Schedule and...

Page 36: ...5 9 volts TEMP C The temperature in degrees Celsius inside the recorder In the example the internal temperature has fallen from 12 00 to 11 75 degrees FILES The number of recording files written since the previous summary file line Since a new summary line is written once per minute if your recording is longer than 1 minute a zero appears on all lines until the recording ends In the example 1 0 an...

Page 37: ... schedules with their settings enables you to share entire configurations from one recorder to another 6 1 ScheduleBlocks Schedule blocks are the core components that define a daily recording schedule Every schedule has at least one block A block has the following three lines START time hh mm or rise hh mm or set hh mm DUTY always or ON hh mm OFF hh mm END time hh mm or rise hh mm or set hh mm Eac...

Page 38: ... continuously from sunset to sunrise in one block and to record 5 minutes on the hour throughout the whole day 24 hours in another block The recorder combines these resulting in 5 minute recordings during the days and continuous recordings during the nights In another example if one block generates a recording period from 08 00 to 10 00 and a second block generates a recording period from 09 00 to...

Page 39: ...t or a specific time Press Up or Down to adjust the plus or minus sign for times that are relative to sunrise or sunset For example enter rise 01 15 to start recording one hour and fifteen minutes before the calculated sunrise time b DUTY Schedules can record continuously between the START and END times always or for a specific repeating duty cycle within those times ON OFF To learn more see the s...

Page 40: ...DUTY always END time 11 15 02 03 DEL START set 02 15 DUTY always END rise 01 30 03 03 ADD DEL 6 5 ScheduleBlockExamples This section provides recording schedule examples that demonstrate how schedule blocks work A schedule specifies when the SM4BAT FS records but does not necessarily result in a single file for the entire period If you are making triggered recordings then the number of recordings ...

Page 41: ...s indefinitely START time 00 00 DUTY ON00 05OFF00 55 END time 00 00 01 01 ADD NOTE The ON andOFF periods neednot addup to an hour but if they do not addup to a factor of 24 hours the duty cycle truncates and restarts at the start time For example a dutycycle with ON 00 04 andOFF 00 03 divides 24 hours into 205 7 minute cycles plus one 5 minute partial cycle In the 206th cycle the schedule records ...

Page 42: ...oustics Inc page 38 START set 01 00 DUTY always END set 01 00 02 02 ADD DEL The first block defines a period relative to sunrise and the second block defines a period relative to sunset The combined result records for two hours centered at sunrise and two hours centered at sunset ...

Page 43: ...le schedule commands 5 Select a command and press Right Press Up or Down to adjust the associated parameters for the command 6 Press Right to complete line 01 and repeat these steps for line 02 and each subsequent line 7 When finished press Left to check the schedule Any schedule errors appear Press Down to cycle through multiple errors 8 Press Left to exit 9 Navigate to Main Menu Schedule Edit Sc...

Page 44: ...e you need a schedule that waits and continues to wait until sunrise and then you want it to record and repeat that action recording over and over until 15 minutes before sunset Loops are programmed by using pairs of REPEAT and UNT until commands nested to any depth Loops have an explicit ending condition such as a date for an UNTDATE command or a count for an UNTCOUNT command In addition loops ha...

Page 45: ...the schedule to wait until the specified date time NOTE If you use an AT TIME AT SRIS or AT SSET command in a repeating schedule and start the schedule after the time indicated the recorder will assume you wish to record starting at the previously occurring sunset sunrise or time and begin recording immediately For example if you have a schedule that starts with AT TIME 16 00 00 andyou are in the ...

Page 46: ...ng time Recording files larger than 2 0 GB are divided into smaller segments The recording period will be broken into the length as set in the Max Length setting of the Audio Settings menu PAUSE hh mm ss Pauses the schedule for the specified amount of time If you set the duration of the PAUSE command to greater than 1 minute 3 minutes if using the GPS option the SM4BAT enters low power sleep mode ...

Page 47: ...main menu If you were running a schedule and there are no errors only warnings or no problems at all your schedule starts 7 5 HowtoResolveScheduleCheckerErrors When a schedule contains warnings you can address them or ignore them and continue the schedule will run with warnings However when a schedule contains one or more errors it will not run To resolve an error edit the schedule and adjust a pa...

Page 48: ... a WAV file made with the SM4BAT in the configurator to see the schedule and setting used to make the file That information is stored in the meta data of the WAV so it is always available in the future 8 2 ImportingaSchedule You can import a schedule file for example mySchedule SM4S from an SD memory card The imported schedule includes the Simple Schedule as well as an Advanced Schedule if one was...

Page 49: ...by the Song Meter SM4 Configurator software have the option to override any of those settings 8 3 ExportingaSchedule You can export the schedule including its settings to an SD memory card The Simple schedule is exported as well as the Advanced Schedule if one was created Which schedule will be loaded upon import to another recorder depends on the selected schedule mode as set in Advanced Settings...

Page 50: ... 2 ResettingtoFactoryDefaultSettings This procedure restores all recorder settings to their original default values as they were configured when your recorder was first assembled and tested 1 Navigate to Main Menu Utilities Set factory default 2 Select Yes on the confirmation screen CAUTION When youselect Yesandreset defaults yourcustom settings andanyedited schedules are erased 9 3 CalibratingMic...

Page 51: ... tone You are now ready to test 6 Testing SMM U2 a Remove the clear calibrator microphone adapter by sliding it off the calibrator from the bottom b Place the microphone against the toggle switches as shown c Observe the dBv level on the SM4BAT FS display If the value is higher less negative than 47 dB your microphone has passed and is ready to use If the value is lower more negative your micropho...

Page 52: ...calibration utility Chirp Mode System Testing To test the system use the Ultrasonic Calibrator to emit loud ultrasonic signals that can be picked up by the recorder from some distance Analyze the recording files later to verify that the SM4BAT FS settings are appropriate and the system is functioning as expected 1 Prepare the SM4BAT FS for recording and place it no more than 20 meters away from th...

Page 53: ...or them with headphones This mode scans for ultrasonic signals that satisfy the trigger level and frequency settings in the Audio menu and then captures for the duration you specify in the Buffer Time setting After that time or when the capture buffer is full the recorder plays back at reduced speed and then repeats this cycle CAUTION The SM4BAT FS cannot make recordings during Time Expansion moni...

Page 54: ...ll deployments for optimal performance and to ensure that the cards are empty The recorder will never overwrite existing data on a card This procedure will also clear a card that has been declared DIRTY A card is labeled DIRTY if a process was interrupted which could have resulted in card corruption for example a card is pulled from the recorder while it is in the process of recording or the batte...

Page 55: ...ingtheFirmware The SM4BAT FS is field upgradeable Firmware updates are periodically available with fixes or improvements 1 Download new firmware from www wildlifeacoustics com While visiting our website you can join our mailing list to receive important notices about your SM4BAT FS and related products 2 Save or copy the firmware file to the top level directory not in a folder of an SD memory card...

Page 56: ...52 mm Depth 3 1 inches 78 mm Weight 1 6 pounds 0 73 kg Weight with 4 D Batteries 2 9 pounds 1 3 kg Operating Temperature 4 F to 185 F 20 C to 85 C excluding batteries Enclosure Weatherproof polycarbonate housing 177 3 6 98 193 4 7 62 203 1 8 00 218 2 8 59 4 7 19 13 2 52 5 1 20 12 7 50 19 1 75 38 1 1 50 59 7 2 35 9 5 38 117 1 4 61 77 9 3 07 152 7 6 01 SM MC ...

Page 57: ...on varies with different card types and manufacturers by as much as 50 Based on their low power consumption in our tests we recommend SanDisk SDHC SDXC cards however third party card performance cannot be guaranteed and other brands may also offer similar performance Other factors such as card capacity battery type and quality including rechargeable batteries temperature sample rate and level of b...

Page 58: ...ilter 256 and 192 kHz 384 kHz 500 kHz 0dB 82 4 81 4 83 6 0dB 16kHz 82 4 81 5 83 5 12dB 86 9 85 2 85 5 12dB 16kHz 87 0 85 5 85 8 10 5 SMM U2UltrasonicMicrophone Enclosure Weatherproof Polycarbonate ABS Directional Pattern Cardioid Output Differential Built in high pass filter 2 pole at 1 kHz 55 8 2 20 16 2 64 27 1 06 5 6 22 A 41 9 1 65 6 4 25 57 2 24 44 9 1 77 19 6 77 16 3 64 5 6 22 2 4 09 2 3 09 7...

Page 59: ...Song Meter SM4BAT FS User Guide 10 Specifications Wildlife Acoustics Inc page 55 ...

Page 60: ...0 Specifications Wildlife Acoustics Inc page 56 10 6 SMM U1UltrasonicMicrophone Enclosure Weatherproof stainless steel Directional Pattern Omnidirectional Element Knowles FG Output Differential Built in high pass filter 4 pole at 8 kHz ...

Page 61: ...Song Meter SM4BAT FS User Guide 10 Specifications Wildlife Acoustics Inc page 57 ...

Page 62: ...ormation on obtaining warranty service authorization Methods for obtaining warranty service may vary depending on whether purchaseswere madefromanauthorizedprovider of WAIproducts orfrom WAIdirectly All requestsfor warranty serviceauthorization must be made within the applicable warranty period Dated proof of original purchase will be required Products or parts shipped by CustomertoWAImustbesentpo...

Page 63: ...Song Meter SM4BAT FS User Guide 11 Warranty and Disclosures Wildlife Acoustics Inc page 59 ...

Page 64: ...ts EN61000 4 2ElectrostaticDischarge EN61000 4 3RadiatedElectromagneticFields Testedatoperating temperaturesof 20Cto 55C Testingincluded24 hoursoaksatbothextremesplus6cyclesforonehoureach Testedatoperating humidity of95 relativehumidityat 40C Testingincluded24 hoursoak TestedforvibrationaspertheMIL STD 810GMethod514 6 category4standard IEC60529 IPX5 WaterJetTest IEC60529 IPX6 PowerfulWaterJetTest ...

Page 65: ...ng in information storage and retrieval systems without the writtenpermissionofWildlifeAcoustics Productsthatare referencedinthisdocument suchasMicrosoftWindows may betrademarks and orregisteredtrademarks oftheir respectiveowners WildlifeAcoustics makesnoclaimtothesetrademarks While everyprecaution hasbeentakeninthepreparationofthisdocument individually asaseries in whole orinpart WildlifeAcoustic...

Page 66: ...red with the U S Patent and Trademark Office SM4BAT FS is a trademark of Wildlife Acoustics Inc SDHC and SDXC Logos are trademarks of SD 3C LLC All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners The Song Meter is patented U S Pat No 7 782 195 B2 Additional U S and international patents and trademarks are pending Wildlife Acoustics Inc 3 Mill and Main Place Suite 210 Maynard MA 01754 ...

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