Bat detector articles
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Below is a list of articles that I have, showing circuit schematics and giving instructions on building your own bat detector. Feel free to e-mail me about them.
In chronological order. Newest first.

Bat detector articles list

  • " Bat band converter" , Bill Mooney, Everyday Practical Electronics, p. 262-266, April 1996.
    Use your a.m. portable radio and this novel design to tune-in to the secret world of bats. This small unit will convert the ultrasonic sounds or calls emitted by bats into a medium wave signal for reception on a portable a.m. radio. No electrical connection is required between the radio and the Bat Band Converter.
  • " Ultraschall-Konverter", ELVjournal 4/96, p. 63-70.[in German]
    Der hoerbereich des Menschen deckt nur einen geringen Teil des vorhandenen Schallspektrums ab. Interessante Laute wie z. B. von Fledermaeusen, Rauschen im Blaetterwald oder auch von Ultraschall-Fernbedienungen und diversen Alarmsensoren sind vom Menschen normalerweise nicht wahrnehmbar. Der neue Ultraschall-Konverter von ELV setzt diese Signale in den hoerbaren Bereich um und bietet damit vielfaeltige interessante Hoererlebnisse.
    [English: The hearing range of humans covers only part of the available sound spectrum. Interesting sounds, like for example from bats, sounds in the foliage or also from ultrasonic remote controls and various alarm sensors are not normally perceptible to humans. The new ultrasonic converter from ELV converts these signals to the audible range and so offers numerous interesting listening experiences.]
  • " Ultrasonic detector", Chris Barlow (design), Peter Fry, Chris Barlow, Maurice Hunt (text), Electronics - The Maplin Magazine, p. 12-19,42,43, June 1995.
    Build this super-sensitive listening device with a difference, and snoop on the communications between bats and insects that emit high-pitch (ultrasonic) utterances - 'bug' the bugs! May also be used to listen in on other ultrasound sources, enabling checks of alarm and remote control transducers, mechanical system bearings, and as a monitor of noisy equipment. In fact, the unit is so sensitive, that it enables you to hear the crystal vibrating within quartz timepieces! The kit also represents excellent value for money, compared to commercial equivalents, which can cost hundreds of pounds.
  • " Bat detector", L. Lemmens, Elektor electronics, p. 62-66, April 1995.
    The detector makes sounds at frequencies of 10-300 kHz audible to human beings. The conversion is carried out either by a superheterodyne circuit or a frequency divider. Although it enables listening to bats, and a number of other mammals, as well as insects, the detector is particularly useful for testing ultrasonic alarm equipment.
  • " Vleermuis detektor, ultrasoon oor", Elex 6, Juni 1993. [Dutch version of the Elektor detector]
    Niet alleen voor de bioloog, maar ook voor de electronicus vormt deze " vleermuis-detektor" een interessant zelfbouwprojekt! Het apparaat zet ultrasone geluiden van 10..300 kHz in het voor de mens hoorbare gebied om. De omzetting geschiedt naar keuze via een superheterodyne-circuit of een frekwentiedeler. Behalve voor het beluisteren van vleermuizen e.d. kan de schakeling ook gebruikt worden bij het testen van ultrasone alarmschakelingen.
  • " Vleermuis ontvanger, hoorapparaat voor ultrasone golven", Elex 10, 19??. [in Dutch]
    TCA440 heterodyne circuit, piezo transducer.
  • " Listen to a new world of sounds with ultrasonic detector", Brian Dance, Electronic experimenter's handbook (brought out by Popular Electronics), 1982 edition, p. 78-81.
    Inexpensive detector converts ultrasonic sounds from insects, compressed gas leaks, etc., to an audio output.
    Heterodyne circuit using a piezo transducer, two opamps for pre-amplification, two-diode mixer, CMOS inverter oscillator and LM386 end-stage.
  • " Vleermuisdetector", Frans Bruin, Radio Elektronica no.16, p.23, 24 augustus 1977. [in Dutch]
    Heterodyne (3 transistoren 2N712, 1 MOSFET 40673 en een NE555)
  • " Vleermuisontvanger", Elex juli/augustus 1975. [in Dutch, There is also a German version]
    Transistor heterodyne circuit, piezo transducer.

This page was last updated Saturday, January 22, 2000