The ARVA Neo BT Pro was recalled on January 21, 2025. ARVA explained, "This malfunction may lead to abnormal battery consumption, causing in some cases a restart and deactivating the transmit and search modes." This transceiver should be returned to ARVA to be inspected. Learn more about this recall.
The transceiver comparison table has been updated to include the Neo BT Pro, although I have not spent much time testing it in the field.
Despite the similarity in their names, the Neo BT Pro is a totally different transceiver from the ARVA Neo Pro. The BT Pro is ARVA's first transceiver to support Bluetooth.
Here are a few observations:
- The Neo BT Pro supports Bluetooth. The app allows you to update the firmware and allows the transceiver to be used in training scenarios. It also allows you to modify numerous settings and perform a 25-point diagnostic check.
- The BT Pro is 22% smaller and ~10% lighter than the non-BT Pro. It is larger than the Barryvox S2 and about the same size as the BCA Tracker 4, Diract, and Pieps IPS.
- The BT Pros's high-resolution OLED display is superb and allows the transceiver to display icons showing when you can mark a transceiver during a multiple burial search, when you should consider probing, etc. The display is ~45% larger than the non-BT Neo Pro.
- A unique app setting instructs the transceiver to notify you if it is powered on and hasn't moved for 12 (or 24) hours. That's a great feature and will undeniably save batteries. This is not mentioned in the user manual.
- The published search strip width is 80 meters (versus 70 for the non-BT ARVA Neo Pro). Based on my experience with ARVA transceivers, I suspect the BT Pro will be susceptible to false alarms. If the BT Pro reports a signal for only a few beeps, continue your signal search until the signal is strong and consistent.
- As with the Neo Pro, the analog audio on the Neo BT Pro is outstanding. ARVA has a YouTube video that explains how to activate the analog mode. (They also have a YouTube video that explains how to use the group check mode.)
- The recommended search strip width when in analog mode is 90 meters. I suspect that this might be optimistic, but when in analog mode your ears can distinguish between weak signals and false alarms.
- An app setting lets you specify whether the audio you hear is the actual signal (i.e., analog) or a digital replication of the signal. When set to analog audio, you are still performing a digital search but hearing the actual signal. This will help you distinguish between false alarms (where the transceiver emits beeps when it hasn't actually received a signal) and real signals (which you can hear when listening to analog audio).
- The Neo BT Pro performed exceptionally well during my informal spike test.
- The BT will display "Interference" if it detects interference. However, unlike many other transceivers, the Neo BT Pro does not display a suggested search strip width when interference is detected (learn more).
- The pouch-style harness can convert into a waist belt to facilitate storing the transceiver in your pocket.
