Pettersson D500x Grab and Go Kit

Does the Grab N Go kit come with the external battery cable and does the battery cable have a two-pin quick disconnect?

Hello Shay- No external power cable is included in that kit, because no external battery is included. The cable we make is this that ends in a SAE 2 pin quick connect that is very common with many battey charger/solar accessories: https://batmanagement.com/collections/cables-adapters/products/pettersson-d500x-external-power-cable

If you want to use D cells, then use this battery pack, and it does include the connector cable: https://batmanagement.com/collections/cables-adapters/products/pettersson-d500x-extended-battery-pack-1

I'm interested in a product D500X Grab and Go Kit. Could you please tell me the difference between the standard and special edition FD. Best regards.

Hello- the Special Edition is a special request made for BCM. It contains a frequency-division chip and headphone jack for live monitoring of the bat activity. The intended use of this is when doing manual recording of specific bats or events...such as only the really "good" passes, or when collecting voucher calls from known bats. You listen with the headphones and press the manual record to simply start+stop, recording at any length of time. Our success rate in capturing voucher calls...and multiple voucher calls... went up exponentially using this tool. We would keep a notepad on the back of the D500x to record what file number went with which species, then cleaned up these records in post processing, throwing out the duds. 

This system has been now superceeded with the SonoBatLIVE app which makes everything even faster by doing all the note taking on the tablet, thereby reducing the post processing even further. The D500x SE is still a great option for those wanting a passive detector that can also make manual recordings on a whim. The FD chip does use slightly more power, so if you have no need to ever make manual recordings, get the standard version as the battery will last slightly longer.

Do you offer any bundle discounts for ordering detectors and sonobat software?

Hi Jon we do not have a product setup for such a package but could provide a quote. Email jchenger@batmanagement.com with the number of Grab and Go Kits you need and SonoBat licenses. The SonoBat license is per use on multiple devices, includes free incremential updates, and now has a ZC version. The D500x has truly stood the test of time; it still has the best sound quality among devices in it's price range, uses locally sourced microphone and external power cables, has cables that can be seperated from the microphone, and has a decent noise rejection system. 

Hi I sent in this question a few weeks ago, and sorry if I missed the response. I was wondering what size/type/brand battery you guys recommmended for pairing with D500x for longer term remote monitoring (that fits in the grab and go kit I just purchased). thanks, Patrick

All batteries have pros and cons. If using rechargeables you need 2x the batteries if you are running constantly. An issue with rechargeable is if they are not properly maintained, they become unusable. The D500x is a 6v system, but up to 9v can be used. 12v is a bit out of the specs. You can use any 6v - 20aHr sealed lead acid battery and that will just fit in the ammo box with the D500x. Take the entire setup to a "Batteries +" store similar locally to check fit. 

20 aHr size is more than 3x the capacity of using the internal C batteries. 

You can probably find lithium-ion batteries which will be smaller and lighter for the same capacity, meaning you can get something even larger capacity inside the box. Just more expensive.

Some people are using weatherproof trail camera external battery packs that take 6-D cells, and changing the plug to fit the D500x. This can be about 2x the capacity of the C cells, and is useful if you want to use rechargeable D cells which are lower voltage than alkalines, which is helpful in cold weather. 

This article has info on some of these battery packs and even a solar solution, but we've had mixed results with the solar portion and now just use the battery packs. There are instructions on how to make power cables there as well. https://batmanagement.com/pages/d500x-solar-solution

Hi, I didn't see this when searching the other day..now it pops up right at the top of the search. Is the D500X and the grab and go kit still available? thanks, Patrick

Hello Patrick, yes we typically have a number of them in stock. Thanks- JC

What are the dimensions of the Grab N Go Kit Box? Thank you

The dimensions of the ammo box are 15.75L x 8W x 10H in inches.

Is the Standard Grab and Go up-gradable to the special edition FD? Looking for passive monitoring system, but might need active monitoring at some time in the future. Thanks.

No they are not upgradable. You can use the standard for active monitoring; simply use a low cost detector that outputs sound in real time with headphones, such as the Baton or BatScanner. When you hear the sequence you want, you start and stop the D500x manually for a high end recording. 

The SE D500x simply has this live audible output built in. For making live, active recordings, we suggest using an M500-384 microphone recording directly into a PC running SonoBatLIVE or BatSound Touch; this gives you far more control over recordings, filenaming schemes, & metadata. Thanks- JC