Bee Label Scanner Recommendations

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sydneyshumar

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Jul 3, 2025, 11:23:14 AMJul 3
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Hey Bee Folks, 

The trusty Bee Lab scanner has stopped working after more than a decade of scanning bee labels. We're in the market for a new one and was hoping you all have some recommendations. Our current one was the Honeywell 4820, so we're hoping for one fairly similar plus the following parameters:

  • Not bluetooth, must be connected to computer by USB 
  • Must be able to scan matrix codes, not just barcodes 
  • Have a narrow scanner beam 
  • Prefer to have it be rechargeable

Thanks!

Sydney Shumar 

Lab Manager, USGS Bee Lab

Biologist, U.S Geological Survey

Eastern Ecological Science Center

12100 Beech Forest Road

Laurel MD 20708

Phone:443-716-8227


Keng-Lou James Hung

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Jul 3, 2025, 11:33:12 AMJul 3
to sydney...@gmail.com, beemonitoring
We use this one:

The beam is not narrow, BUT, we made a blinder out of high-quality printer paper (schematic attached) to restrict the "vision" of the reader beam and it works like a charm! Bonus points for this scanner because it also illuminates the read area with bright LEDs, so that with the blinder on, you can pinpoint exactly what the scanner is seeing. We use it to scan ca. 5mm QR codes on our labels and it never reads the wrong code even when we have specimens packed nearly label-to-label.

Hope this helps!
James
Dr. Keng-Lou James Hung, Assistant Professor
Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory & Oklahoma Biological Survey
The University of Oklahoma


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Scanner blinder schematic.pdf
scanner_with_blinder.png

Parys, Katherine - REE-ARS

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Jul 7, 2025, 10:10:45 AMJul 7
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Hey Sydney- 

We've bought several over the years and different folks seem to use/like different scanners, but they all work with 2D barcodes. I've also constructed shades for some of them like what James had posted. I've got a few of the honeywell scanners that came recommended when we first started, but they're bulky and expensive. These that we've ordered can all be used bluetooth OR wired. 


Katherine

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H

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Jul 7, 2025, 11:03:03 AMJul 7
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Sydney- 
We too had used that old Honeywell. The replacement that we went with was the Honeywell Xenon Extreme Performance 1952h - High Density (HD) with USB Kit and I suggested the 5v-1a wall charger as well. The wall charger for the base will keep the unit charged even if your computer is turned off over the weekend. 

If you have made cheat sheets and programming protocols for special projects using the programming-barcodes for the old honeywell, these will work on the 1952H. Keyence (https://www.keyence.com/products/barcode/barcode-readers/)  has some handhelds that are "better" as well as stationary heads that can scan and record entire units but the upfront cost was not worth it for us. 

Hope that helps. H


When the bug in your system is Aha ha, you know you're in trouble. 




Blanca Miryam Guillén Martínez

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Jul 11, 2025, 5:15:18 PMJul 11
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Hello, 

We use this scanner and it works great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WG1ZKZR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1



To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/beemonitoring/CAOb68bpBTH27nxDic9HdEU6oDG639uoFebxdtUFxOXKvNApFeA%40mail.gmail.com.


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Blanca Miryam Guillén Martinez

Ph.D. Candidate, Woodard Lab

University of California, Riverside

http://www.woodardlab.com/

         

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