Project Summary

How?
The surveys will take place from a moving vehicle driven at 25 km/hr for one and a half hours, covering up to 40km if single carriageway roads per night. The bat acoustic call recordings will be collected by attaching a time expansion bat detector to the rear window of a car. Other wildlife sightings will be noted by the surveyors when spotted. The use of a PDA (handheld computer) linked to a GPA mapping system enables us to gather accurate geo-referenced records and identify the routes driven.

When?
The evening surveys will be carried out 30-45 mins after sunset from the start of May to the end of September.

Where?
Groups will be asked to survey one different route per month of approximately 40km in length over the 5-month study period. In addition, the route surveyed in July will be repeated in August to provide baseline monitoring data, making a total of 6 surveys.

Equipment needed?
A time expansion bat detector, minidisk recorder, PDA/GPS unit, clamp and leads.

1. Planning and Preparing for the Survey

Timetable

Each team is asked to collect data from five different transect routes, one in each of the months of May, June, July, August and September. These data will be used to generate distribution maps of relevant species.

In addition to the five transect routes, each team is asked to repeat the transect of the route that was done in July, in August. These data will be used for long term MONITORING of the relevant species.



A total of 6 transects.

The most important transects are the ones in July and August for monitoring. The more monitoring transects done then the more sensitive the program will be to detect change. Although, the surveying transects are useful for mapping out species distributions, the main effort should be focused on collecting data from the monitoring transect in July and August. If there are limited resources then the surveying transects should be sacrificed in favour of carrying out more monitoring transects. The same monitoring transects will need to be repeated every year of the program.

Equipment List

An iBats equipment pack containing:

• Clipboard and pen
• Survey protocols
• Recording sheet - to record details of each survey, e.g., weather, survey events, other roadside wildlife - available from the Support Materials section on this webpage
• Map of your area
• Tranquility bat detector with fresh batteries, and a clamp to hold the bat detector
• Minidisk recorder with a car power adaptor, a fresh battery, and a blank 1GB minidisk OR a mp3/wav recording device 
• GPS/PDA unit with a car connecting kit and a blank 1GB memory card
• GPS Tuner software
  
• Head torch
• Thermometer
• Car power adaptor with a 4 way cigarette socket adaptor
• Stereo lead to connect the minidisk to the bat detector
• Spare batteries

Planning your route

Plan a 40 kilometre long route. Try to avoid transects on major roads as you will be driving quite slowly. The route should minimise backtracking unless unavoidable. We recommend that the route should not start under dense cover so that the GPS has a clear line with the satellites.

Notes/Troubleshooting:

Although it is possible to simply drive from a start point for 40km without planning, we strongly recommend that you plan your route beforehand in order to aid navigation and maximise the transect coverage.

  Familiarise yourself with the GPS/PDA unit

The GPS/PDA should be fully set up for use. Important information is contained in the manual provided by the manufacturer and we recommend familiarising yourself with the following sections:

• Hardware feature (pages 1-4)
• Connecting to AC power and charging battery (page 7)
• Basic skills (page 7)

Copies of the manuals in english for the two types of PDA's used for iBats projects can be downloaded in the Support Materials section on this page (see Mio A201 manual and Mio P350 manual).

Inserting and removing a Memory card

The memory card contains all the map data and the GPS data from the survey routes that you have completed. When the GPS unit is off, the memory card can be removed by slightly pushing in the top edge of the card to release it and then pulling it out of the slot. To insert a memory card, simply push it in fully into the slot until it clicks into place.

Notes/Troubleshooting:

When using the PDA/GPS pull up the GPS receiver into the horizontal position. Note that some of the more recent versions do not have an external GPS receiver so this might not be necessary.

Familiarise yourself with the GPS Tuner software

1. Opening the GPS Tuner software

Open the GPS Tuner 4.2 or 5.3 software (available from your project leader) by tapping Start on the Menu at the top-left of the screen of the PDA and tap on GPS Tuner.

The GPS Tuner software manuals (4.2 or 5.3) is available for download from the Support Materials section on this page.

In GPS Tuner 5.3 access to all the GPS options and menus is by clicking on the icons along the bottom of the screen. Clicking on them twice in slow succession will bring up further options and menus. For example, clicking on will bring up the map - you will notice that the icon has changed to the same icon but with a little cog at the top-left hand corner . If you click it again you will enter another screen with various options. You can then scroll through successive screens using the buttons.

2. Setting up GPS Tuner

The basic GPS settings should have already been set by your project leader.

In GPS Tuner 4.2 if you need to do this yourself, then tap GPS, then SETUP and then GPS Settings and tap 'Auto Setup'. This will find what channel your GPS device is located on. To set the basic settings we use for the iBats protocols, then Tap GPS, then SETUP and then TRACKLOG and make sure boxes 'ON' and 'AUTOSAVE' are both ticked. Select 'TIME'and '5 secs'. This means that the GPS will take a reading every 5 seconds.

 

Tip: If you wish save the PDA battery, make sure that you turn off the sound in the GPS/Setup/Sound section of the menu.

In GPS Tuner 5.3, then if you need to configure the settings yourself and are using the program for the first time then a pop up box should appear.

Click "Configure it!". This will find what channel your GPS device is located on. To set the basic settings for iBats, tap the GPS icon , click the new GPS icon , then click the 'Track' button . Make sure the box 'AutoStart' is unclicked and the box 'Autosave' is ticked. Select 'Time interval' and '5 sec'. This means that the GPS will take a reading every 5 secs. Then click the new GPS icon.



Tip: If you wish to save the PDA battery, make sure that you turn off the sound by clicking on the 'Other' button and unticking the Conn/Nav sound box.

3. Starting and stopping the GPS

For GPS Tuner 4.2, press START and the GPS will begin looking for satellites.Once sufficient satellites have been located then 'GPS Valid' will appear beside FIX. Latitude/longitude figures will appear next to Lat/Lon and the satellites will be displayed as green and blue bars in the orange fix box. It may take a couple of minutes to locate enough satellites. The GPS works best outside buildings, under clear skies. When the GPS in on, a record of the lat/long readings will be automatically recorded to a track file. You can stop the track recording and the satellite fix by pressing 'stop'.

 

If you want more details on satellites tap TOOLS , then SATELLITES. Blue circles indicate active satellites.

In GPS Tuner 5.3., Make sure that you are on the GPS page by clicking on the GPS icon . Press 'Start GPS' and the GPS will begin looking for satellites. Blue bars will begin to appear on the available signals list. Once sufficient satellites have been located some of the bars will change to green and 'Fix Invalid' will change to 'Fix: Valid 3D'. It may take a couple of minutes to locate enough satellites. The GPS works best outside buildings, under clear skies.


Start Track Recording. To start the GPS recording the track file of your route (i.e., to record the lat/long readings of your route), click on the Manager icon and then click on it again (Manager options) . In the next screen click on the Start Tracklog button.
 

The red light on the right hand side will change to green. Note that you must have already started the GPS (see previous step). The GPS track will now begin recording. You can navigate back to the map by clicking on the map icon.
.

Stop Track Recording. To stop the GPS recording, go back to the recording screen (as described above) and click on the Stop Tracklog button.
 

4. Getting a Map of your study area

If you wish to use a map of the area around your transect, then you first need to obtain a digital map. The survey can be completed without using a map and you do not need to load one. However, travelling with a map will decrease the chance of you getting lost and will add to your personal safety. So we recommend it as a useful tool. You can easily download one from Google Earth or scan in any paper map that you have. Detailed instructions are below and see GPS Tuner users manual ( see Support Materials ). In addition, the new version of Map Calibration 2.4. available free here allows you to download maps (alhough you need GPSTuner version 5.3 to use this facililty). In Map Calibrator, zoom into the approximate area that you are interested in. Click 'Online Maps', select Google Map, then zoom into the area which contains your transect. To save the map in the correct format click "Save - Save Multiscale map slices".

1. Make sure that your map image is rotated North and save your map image as a .jpg file. Open the image into the software program Map Calibrator (version 1.8 to 2.4) on your PC ( see Support Materials ).

2. Set some calibration points on the map, so that the GPS Tuner knows the latitude and longitude of the features on the map. Move the cursor to a point on the map which you know its exact latitude and longitude for, then right click and select 'Calibration' and 'Add new calibration points'. It is recommended that you use easy to spot areas such as intersections or landmarks as calibration points.

3. Input the latitude and longitude of that point. You must input at least 2 calibration points, although more points make the calibration more accurate. Make sure that the points are as far apart on the map as possible.

4. In version 1.8, save the file. Map Calibrator will generate two files 1) the original .jpg file and 2) a .gmi file which contains the calibration points for the map. You will need both of these files to transfer over to your PDA to use in GPS Tuner. In practice unless the map is very small, the file size will be too big for GPS Tuner software to handle. In this case it is better to save the map in slices. These are much smaller than the whole file and will be pulled up in sequence as you travel along the transect.

To generate slices for the map, select Options/Slices and click on 'Auto'. You can change the slice settings in Options/Slices/Settings, where you can change the degree of overlap of the slices. Then go to File/Generate map slices and navigate to a folder where you want to save them. The slices will be numbered sequentially. Transfer these files (both .jpg and .gmi files) onto the memory card of your PDA.

In version 2.4c, click the save button and select 'Save map slices'. Map Calibrator will generate 1) a .gmi file which contains the calibration points for the map and 2) one or more .jpg files. You will need both of these files to transfer over to your PDA to use in GPS Tuner. Transfer these files (both .jpg and .gmi files) onto the memory card of your PDA.

5. To use your generated maps in GPS Tuner 4.2, go into GPS/Setup/AutoSelect and select the folder on the memory card that contains the map files that you have created. Then click on Map/Options and select 'GPS centered' and 'Auto Select' so that these are ticked. These options will make sure that the relevant map slice will be loaded as you drive along your transect.

ITo use your generated maps in GPS Tuner 5.3, tap the GPS icon, click the new GPS icon , then click the 'Map' button . Make sure the 'GPS Centred' box is ticked and the 'Autoselect'. Browse to the folder on the memory card that contains the map files you just generated. Then click on Map/Options and select 'GPS centered' and 'Auto Select' so that these are ticked. These options will male sure that the relevant map slice is loaded as you drive along your transect.

To open a map click on the map icon and then on the button to expand the menu. Click on the yellow folder button and browse to the map you generated on the memory card. Click on the file name and click 'OPEN' and your map will load.

  Testing the recording device and detector

It is important to determine that the time-expanded sound from the detector is being recorded correctly to the minidisk or other recording device. To do this, set up the recorder and bat detector as outlined in the sections below ("Setting up the detector" and "Setting up the recording device"). Turn both devices on and press play and record on the minidisk. Record a few seconds while jingling a set of keys in front of the detector microphone. Play back the section you have recorded to ensure that you can hear the slowed down sound of the keys. It should sound like a steamroller running over a group of bell-ringers! Once you are satisfied that everything is working correctly, make sure that you erase the test track.

  Safety

Your safety is the overwhelming priority. One person should be assigned to drive and the other should carry out the recording and navigation. It is very important that the assigned driver should only drive and their full attention should be on the road at all times.

You should attach a large sign to the rear of your vehicle to inform people of what you are doing - e.g., 'Wildlife Survey'.

Make sure that you have a full tank of petrol and inform the Police of your activities (if appropriate ). Take a mobile phone to summon help in case you get into difficulties.

Don't forget to warp up warm - it can get very cold with the car window down!

  When to survey

The surveys take place from May to September. Only survey in good weather, i.e., the temperature is greater than 7^oC, no rain, light wind. Your survey team has been asked to survey a total of five different routes, one in each of the months from May to September. In addition, the route surveyed in July should be repeated in August.

  Start time

The survey should start 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. Click here for a list of sunset times for your area.

2. Setting up Equipment in the Car

  Equipment

Ensure that you have all the equipment, including the recording sheet, from the equipment list.
Don't forget to charge the PDA/GPS battery before use!

  Fixing the PDA/GPS inside the car

Fix the GPS/PDA unit to the windscreen following the diagram in the user manual (page 5). The unit should be fixed to the passenger side of the vehicle, i.e., where the navigator sits.

Don't forget to raise the GPS receiver to the horizontal position as in the diagram. Note though that some of the more recent versions do not have an external GPS receiver so this might not be necessary.

Although the GPS/PDA battery should last for the duration of each survey, the unit should be plugged into the car cigarette lighter socket. Plug the 4 way cigarette socket adaptor into the car cigarette lighter socket (making sure to switch the 4 way adaptor from 1.5 volts to 3 volts). Then plug the GPS/PDA adaptor plug into the 4 way adaptor. 

  Turn on the GPS to receive a signal

Turn on the GPS/PDA unit and open GPS Tuner, load in any maps that you have for your transect and press START to obtain a satellite fix (for GPS Tuner 5.3 see section 3 above for details). GPS Tuner will start searching for satellites and you should wait until it has a valid fix on your position. Ensure that you have a memory card inserted in the GPS/PDA unit.

  Positioning the bat detector

Attach the detector firmly to the car bracket using the provided velcro strips and three strong elastic bands.

For Tranquility II types of detectors, the front (microphone end) of the detector should be up against the join in the brown seating plate (see diagram A). For the Tranquility Transect detector, the microphone is located on the top of the machine, therefore a window clamp with a right-angled bracket is required (see diagram B). Attach the detector to the back of the bracket with elastic bands and velcro so that the microphone is positioned just above the top of the bracket and pointing outwards over the top of the tripod. The bracket should be attached firmly to either the front or rear passenger side window (i.e., the one nearest the kerb).

The rear passenger window may be preferred to stop the navigator/recorder getting too cold! To set the correct detector angle (10cm inside the car, pointing upwards and angled towards the rear of the car), touch the metal adjustment handle to the inside right hand side of the mounting bracket, then lift it up by 1cm (see diagram C). This should maximise the detection of bats and minimise wind interference.

A: Tranqility II                  B: Tranquility Transect               C: Window clamp

Notes/Troubleshooting:

We have noticed that the battery outer casing of the bat detector rattles against the rest of the detector casing. This is making loud clunks in the sonogram recording. You can minimise this by taping the battery casing firmly to the rest of the detector casing to stop it rattling.

Setting up the detector

Attach one of the leads supplied from the TAPE (or REC) socket of the detector to the LINE IN socket of the minidisk recorder. Install a fresh set of batteries into the detector. Turn the detector on and set the time expansion function to 320ms. Turn the SENS knob fully clockwise. At this setting the time expansion will be triggering constantly. If the detector has a time expansion option (i.e., x10 or x32), this should be set to x10.

Setting up the recording device

If you have an mp3 or wav recording device the refer to the manufacturers instructions for guidance. If your recorder records in both formats, then select wav format over mp3 format. Plug the lead from the bat detector in the line in socket. If you are using an mp3 recorder select the highest bit rate (e.g., 192 bps, 320 bps) if this is an option.

If you have a minidisk, then the power supply should be connected up to the car cigarette lighter socket using the supplied adaptor lead plugged into the 4 way cigarette socket adaptor (making sure to switch the 4 way adaptor from 1.5 volts to 3 volts). A new dry cell battery should be installed before every survey as a backup. This is very important!! If you lose power during the recording of your sonogram, you will lose all of your data. Also check that the minidisk is being powered by the cigarette lighter by removing the battery briefly to see if it is all connected correctly.

Insert a new, Hi-MD blank disc. Make sure the recording mode is in Hi-MD and set to Hi-SP stereo. To set the recording mode press NAVI/MENU button for 2 seconds then rotate the jog dial until REC SET flashes. Press the ENTER button and REC MODE should be flashing. Press ENTER button again and rotate the jog dial until Hi-SP is flashing. Press the ENTER button and Hi-SP mode will be selected. A small head torch is essential for seeing the recorder but do not distract the driver whilst it is on.

Check that the lead connecting the minidisk recorder to the bat detector is working correctly. These leads are very prone to being damaged and this will ruin the recording which is hard to spot until you look at the sonogram after the survey. You can listen to the sounds coming from the bat detector through the minidisk when it is on using a pair of headphones plugged into the headphone/line out socket of the minidisk. This enables you to assess whether the equipment is functioning correctly before the survey. Additionally it allows you to listen to the time expansion recording (and therefore bats) during the survey.

3. Starting the Survey

At this point, all the equipment should be in place and on, all maps and recording sheets and readily available. To start the survey:

1. On the Recording Sheet fill in the Project name (e.g., iBatsBulgaria), the route name (a unique single word name to describe the transect, this could be the nearest human habitation, or distinguishing landmark, e.g., Dragoman), the date of the survey (e.g., 19062007), whether this is a resample of a previously recorded transect (yes/no) and who owns the event (person responsible for either uploading the data to the website or sending it to the Project Leader). Note that once these data are uploaded to the website, only the data owner can edit/change the information about the event.

Recording sheets are available to download from the Support Materials section on this webpage.

You will also need to record all the surveyors names that took part in the transect (specifying who is in what role), and the equipment and the settings that you used. Also record the conditions of the survey at the start and the end: temperature (^oC); humidity; cloud cover; and wind speed. The time (hrs:mins:secs) at the start is 00:00:00, and the end time equals the length of time of the survey, e.g., 01:45:45). You can see the length of the time of the survey by clicking on the trip computer setting on GPS Tuner on the GPS/PDA device (details of how to do this below).

Please also note any other roadside wildlife that you see along the transect with the time from start of the survey that these were recorded. See example below. 

2. Get the minidisk ready for recording by pressing REC and PAUSE at the same time, and leave it in Pause mode (the display will blink "00:00" and "REC").

3. Before you begin recording your GPS track you will need to delete any previous routes.

In GPS Tuner 4.2 press the STOP button on the GPS and delete the automatically recorded track of latitude and longitude points just prior to driving. To do this select GPS/Manager/Track/Clear and answer 'Yes' in the confirmation box that follows. You need to do this in order to make sure that the track that you will record for your transect starts clear.


In GPS Tuner 5.3 click on the Manager icon until the Manager Options screen appears.


Click on the rubbish bin and then click on the 'Yes' to delete the previous tracks.

4. Once you have deleted the previous tracks then start the GPS.

To do this in GPS Tuner 4.2, press the START button again, and when the FIX reads 'GPS VALID' you need to depart as soon as possible as this helps accurate geo-referencing.

To do this in GPS Tuner 5.3, click on the GPS icon. Press 'Start GPS' and the GPS will begin looking for satellites. Once sufficient satellites have been located some of the bars will change to green and 'Fix Invalid' will change to 'Fix Valid 3D'. It may take a couple of minutes to locate enough satellites.

5. Finally, to start the survey using GPS Tuner 4.2, when you have a fix, start driving away and AT THE SAME TIME unpause the minidisk or start your mp3/wav device recording.

If you are using GPS Tuner 5.3, then in very quick succession:
a) Click on Start Tracklog (see section 3 above) to begin recording your track
b) Click on the Trip Computer icon and then click on the rubbish bin and 'Yes' to restart the trip computer.
c) Start driving away and AT THE SAME TIME unpause the minidisk or start your mp3/wav device recording.

TRY AND KEEP TO A CONSTANT SPEED OF 25KPH (15 MPH)

Occasionally, it will be necessary to change your speed, for example when crossing main roads, railway lines or for safety reasons and this is acceptable. Also you may be stopped by the police or for some other reason. We recommend that if you are stopped for more than 10 minutes, then you should abandon the survey.

4. During the Survey

   Recording information during the survey

Note down any wildlife seen along the road or any other problems (e.g., minidisk failed, stopped by police) with the time from start of the transect using the GPS time (hrs:mins:secs) on the trip computer.

For GPS Tuner 4.2, access the trip computer by pressing the rightmost icon in the bottom row to display the 'Track Analysis' screen.




You will see information about the speed, duration and length of the track. The current time from the start of the track is displayed in the 'Total Time' field. When you see any wildlife along the transect, you will need to write down that value on the recording sheet.



If the Total Time field is not visible, you can change the visible fields by tapping once on any of the fields to display the field selection menu.

To switch back to the map screen (where the you can press the 'STOP' button to stop the GPS), press the second icon from the left on the bottom menu row. You can switch back to the Track Analysis screen at any time.



For GPS Tuner 5.3, access the trip computer by pressing the icon until 'Trip Computer' appears at the top of the screen. You will see information about the speed, duration and length of the track. The current time from the start of the track is displayed in the 'Total Time' field. When you see any wildlife along the transect, you will need to write down that value on the recording sheet.



If the Total Time field is not visible, you can scroll through the different fields by tapping the buttons.
To switch back to the map screen tap . To go back to the GPS screen (where you can press the 'Stop GPS' button to stop the GPS) tap the icon.

5. Finishing the Survey

You should stop surveying after you have driven for one and half hours or 40 kilometers. Bring the car to a complete stop (in a safe place) and at the same time, press 'STOP' on the GPS and press 'CANCEL' on the minidisk or other recording device . If you have GPS Tuner 5.3 you will need to click 'Stop Tracklog' (see ection 3 for details).

  Saving data at the end of your route

When you have finished your route, it is essential that you save the data collected by the recording device and GPS.

Once you press 'CANCEL' on the minidisk, you will see on the minidisk screen the message "Data Save" followed by "System File Writing". Until this message disappears from the screen please hold the minidisk steady and do not shake it because otherwise the audio track might be damaged and be unusable. Be aware that it can take up to 30 seconds for the minidisk to write the collected data to the disk. In some cars, if the engine is turned off, power is cut from the cigarette lighter to the minidisk, which means losing the track. Although the back up battery in the minidisk should power the minidisk until the track is saved, we recommend that the car engine is left on until the minidisk has finished writing the data to disk.

For GPS Tuner 4.2, to save your GPS data as a .gpx file, tap on GPS/Manager/Track/Save.

For GPS Tuner 5.3, to save your GPS data as a .gpx file, tap on the icon. Select 'Track' from the menu and click the save icon . Then click on the 'Track' button.

You now need to save the file using the following conventions.

Name : choose a name for the file 'projectname_routename_date', e.g., ibatsromania_bucharesti_27052007'. You can enter numbers and letters by tapping the relevant buttons. To delete, click on the black solid left pointing arrow at the top left hand corner of the keyboard.

Folder : Leave this as 'None'.

Type : Select 'GPX track Unicode' (*.gpx).

Location : This must be set to 'Storage Card'.

When you have finished, click OK in the center of the screen.  Make sure that you completely turn off the GPS Tuner software after exiting by accessing Start/Settings/System/Memory/Running Programs and choosing to stop the GPS Tuner Program.

Record the duration of the transect on the recording sheet (this will be the time in the Total Time field on the trip computer) and the environmental conditions at the end of the transect.

6. After the Survey

You can upload your transect data directly onto this website using add an event (see tab above). Go to add an event and use the web form to add in details of your event. Add an event eventually asks you to upload your .gpx and sound files. You can complete the form without uploading these files, so if you have problems with this, you can pass on  your .gpx track and minidisk to your Project Leader, who will upload the data for you.

If you do want to upload your .gpx and sound files directly yourself, then before using add an event you must first transfer your files onto a computer.

  Transferring your .gpx file

Transfer your .gpx track onto your computer by connecting the GPS/PDA to your computer (with the supplied USB lead), and copying the file across from your memory card. Alternatively you can just copy the file across from your memory card. You can check that your .gpx file is correct by dragging and dropping the file into Google Earth, when it is open and it will automatically plot out your transect.

You can then upload the file using add an event (see add an event tab above).

  Transferring your sound file

If you are using an mp3 or wav recorder jump to step 8(f) below.

If you are using a minidisk then your sonogram has been recorded onto the minidisk as a compressed .OMA file. In order to upload this file to the website, it needs to be transferred onto your computer and converted into a digital .WAV file. This requires a software program called SonicStage 3.4 (see Support Materials). DO NOT USE THE VERSION 2 OF SONIC STAGE SUPPLIED WITH THE MINIDISK. Detailed instructions for version 3.4 follow:

1. Connect up your minidisk to the computer via the supplied USB cable.

2. Install SonicStage 3.4. and click on 'ATRAC files' when SonicStage asks you what type of files you want SonicStage to be set as the default program for.

3. Answer 'No' on the next screen when SonicStage asks whether it should scan and import sound files onto your computer and click FINISH to complete the setup process.

4. The program automatically starts on the 'My Library' screen by default. You'll need to click on the 'Transfer' part of the upper bar to display the contents of the minidisk. The screen will now show the contents of the minidisk on the right side, with the contents of the 'My Library' folder on the left side.

5. Select the recording(s) from the right panel and then press the red 'Transfer' button (the arrow pointing left). If you wish to hear the recording before transferring it, use the player controls in the upper left corner.

6. Answer 'yes' to whether you really wish to import the track and 'no' when asked if you wish to 'get CD info for the tracks transferred...'. SonicStage automatically saves all the transferred files into 'C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\SonicStage\Packages'. If you want to change this then click on 'Tools/Options' and select 'Location to save imported files' and select another location.

7. When the transfer is complete a dialogue box will be displayed and you will need to tick 'Save in WAV format when importing' checkbox, and specify where you want this file saved. After ticking this box, all imported recordings will be converted into WAV files once the transfer is completed. Rename the imported .WAV file using the following convention: ' projectname_routename_date'. Alternatively, if you didn't click the checkbox, you can right click on the imported .OMA file and click on 'Save in WAV format'. 

8. If the minidisk has generated more than one sound file from your survey  (e.g., 1.wav, 2.wav), you will need to paste these together after converting them into WAV format. The files need to be combined in the right order (sequential) before uploading to the website. You can use a program 'addawav' (see Support Materials).

 

a)       Open the program addawav.

b)       Click the ‘Add’ button and select the tracks that you want to merge together (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9). HINT: Highlight the last track first, hold down the shift key, then click on the first track. This saves you having to reorder the tracks.

c)       Ensure that the tracks are in ascending order. If they are not you need to use the arrow keys to move them about. This usually involves moving the last one (which is at the top) all the way to the bottom.

d)       Click ‘Go’.

e)       Now go to the folder containing the files. The first file listed will contain the added files and the rest can be deleted. For example, if you have added 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the file named 3 will now contain all the tracks, tracks 4-9 can be deleted.

f)        Rename the track file using the following convention as above ' projectname_routename_date'.

9. If you have used an mp3 player you will need to convert your file from the mp3 format to the wav format. To do this you will need a copy of mp3decode (available from here). Once you have installed mp3decode click the 'Add' button and locate the file that you wish to convert. Select an output folder, then click on 'Decode' to convert the file.

10. Sonogram WAV files tend to be very large (around 1GB). Our uploader on add an event may take a long time to upload your file to the database (depending on your connection speed). If you are having problems, please let your Project Leader know and they can arrange for other transfer options. A new program which allows transfers of extremely large files that we have been using successfully is PANDO which can be downloaded from here. Alternatively, you could burn the WAV file onto a DVD and post it to your Project Leader.