Setting the Recorder's Clock, Deployment Location, and Time Zone

These settings must be set correctly in order for the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 to record its schedule. These settings can be updated automatically during pairing or by manually entering settings.

Clock

The Song Meter Mini Bat 2 has an internal clock that tracks the current date and time. It is powered by the primary batteries and a small, rechargeable backup battery built into the recorder's circuitry. The backup battery will keep the clock running for long enough to replace the primary batteries in between deployments. After longer periods spent without primary batteries, the clock will stop running, and you will need to pair the Song Meter Configurator app with the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 to resynchronize the clock before recording.

Time Zone

The recorder's Time Zone setting determines what local time convention the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 follows, determined by an offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In most circumstances, you can simply apply your mobile device's time zone setting to the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 during pairing.

There are scenarios in which you may choose to set the recorder's time zone manually, including the following:

  • You are configuring the recorder in a different location with a different time zone than your deployment location, and you will not be able to pair with the recorders at the deployment location.
  • Your region will switch its daylight saving time convention during the course of your deployment. The Song Meter Mini Bat 2 cannot update its own Time Zone setting mid-deployment, so you should choose to use either standard or daylight time for the duration of the deployment.

Deployment Location

The Song Meter Mini Bat 2 can save one set of latitude and longitude coordinates at a time. This saved location is used to calculate the times of sunset and sunrise each day, and it is also saved as metadata to each recording file and to the recorder's summary text file. This provides a record of where each audio file originated.

During pairing, the Song Meter Mini Bat 2 can take its deployment location from your mobile device's location. Alternatively, you can manually set the recorder's deployment location by configuring the recorder directly or using a configuration file.