E-Call Recommendation

[Coach]

Clay, where are you getting the "Over 1000 sounds to choose from" figure? Not trying to nit-pick, but the Master Sound List on their web site only contains 318 by my count, and that includes stuff like Zebras, Moose, Hyenas, Lynx, Moose etc. Substantially less that are actually useful for predator calling. That said, I don't see any use whatsoever for having 1000 sounds, or even 100's for that matter.

 

Just keeping it real. Like I said, after hours and hours of research, I opted for the WT, so I don't need to be convinced of their merits. But that's not to say that Foxpro doesn't make good callers, or even that WT are vastly superior in every way. There are guys across the country doing very well - some winning big money - with both. I think technique is probably a bigger factor than technology.

[DUG]

[

 

 

I put a call in to him today to find out

 

I hope to know more soon.

 

Amanda

 

 

 

Think he would do a group buy? Like if you got 5 or 10 people from here who would buy one, they would knock off a few bucks. I would be in for this.

[willhunt4coues]

Clay, where are you getting the "Over 1000 sounds to choose from" figure? Not trying to nit-pick, but the Master Sound List on their web site only contains 318 by my count, and that includes stuff like Zebras, Moose, Hyenas, Lynx, Moose etc. Substantially less that are actually useful for predator calling. That said, I don't see any use whatsoever for having 1000 sounds, or even 100's for that matter.

 

Just keeping it real. Like I said, after hours and hours of research, I opted for the WT, so I don't need to be convinced of their merits. But that's not to say that Foxpro doesn't make good callers, or even that WT are vastly superior in every way. There are guys across the country doing very well - some winning big money - with both. I think technique is probably a bigger factor than technology.

 

This is dirrectly from the WEB SITE. It says it can store 1000 my bad if there aren't 1000 sounds I have never counted so I just figured there were over 1000 sounds and the list LOOKS like it has 1000 sounds.

 

The sounds listed below represent the world's largest studio-grade sound library of North American animals. Every sound in our library is an authentic professional recording and labeled correctly. Many of the sounds in our library are the only known recordings of that animal. All of the sounds in our library are studio-grade quality. You may choose from the sounds listed below to create your own sound list. Our wildlife caller can store up to 1000 sounds at a time. If you want to buy additional sounds, the cost per sound is $10. with a 6 sound minimum. We recommend picking several sounds to use as complements to the distresses, to create more realistic sound environments for the target animals. This ensures greater calling success. Example: You are playing a distress sound and switch to a coyote, fox, owl or hawk call to simulate a predator killing a rabbit which in turn would trigger a territorial response from the predator that resides in the area. You could also switch from a prey distress to mobbing crows or ravens fighting over food which would immediately bring crows or ravens into the area to create an environment that will look more natural to the predator. The sounds listed below are not downloadable. If you would like to hear some of the sounds listed below, give us a call and we will be happy to play them for you.

 

 

I am not trying to convince you of anything Jason. Just stating IMO they are a better caller because the dogs can hear the difference in sound too.

[willhunt4coues]

I have 47 on my call and there are lots of bobcat, coyote, lions, and bird talk I want to get that would be very usefull in the hills. I have seen first hand on a very stuborn coyote that I could not get to come in I used over 8 sounds and guess what he is dead. So mutible sounds (crows) create and enviroment that the coyote and others feel comfortable in. IMO

[willhunt4coues]

By the way It is a memory card for storage anyways so the posibilities of having more than over 5000 sounds could be possible. I know I want alot of sounds (about 100) but you are right there is no need for 1000 or more but you could if you wanted.

I heard someone out the other day with a call (don't know what kind) but man he had cop sounds (hands up) and everything on there. Now what good is that for.

[Coach]

I'm glad you are happy with WT your caller, Clay. Looking forward to playing around with mine when it arrives too.

[CouesWhitetail]

I am happy to announce that Mark Healy of Wildlife Callers just signed up as a sponsor of CouesWhitetail.com. He will be registering soon with a forum account and can answer questions from you guys about the call he sells.

 

In the meantime, check out his website:

http://www.wildlifecallers.com/

 

 

[bonecollector]

Good to hear, cant wait to hear more info on the callers he has.

[Healy Arms]

Clay is right, that wildlife tech call is awesome!! And besides a friend of mine owns the company

But they are not cheap, so if you don't want to spend a bunch of money, I hear great things about those foxpro callers.

 

He may be donating one to the AZ Deer Assoc banquet along with a 1/2 day of calling with him showing the lucky winner how to use the call.

 

Amanda

Since you have an in at the company will you be stocking them at the CWT.com store?

 

 

I put a call in to him today to find out

 

I hope to know more soon.

 

Amanda

 

 

Good Afternoon Everyone,

 

Wow...

 

I finally made it on here!! We have been swamped with the Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom parts shortage problem, and I can report it is OVER as of today. UPS delivered a fresh supply of electronics to the manufacturer and we're back to processing orders on the day they are received and can help anyone on here with theirs.

 

The guys on here who say the sound quality of the Mighty Atom machine is outstanding are absolutely correct. The sound quality is so good you can tell over the phone, so don't heitate to call us for a demo.

 

THANK YOU Jason for the referrals & kind words.

 

We will also be talking with Amanda about how we can support the Deer Banquet this summer with a caller and a demo hunt - looking forward to meeting more of you.

Good calling to everyone,

 

Mark Healy

 

 

[Healy Arms]

By the way...

 

The Mighty Atom has the capacity on the Micro SD card to hold ~1000 sounds (sound file size could impact that number slightly).

 

Wildlife Technologies has about 320 sounds available for purchase at this time.

 

There have been some rumblings from the manufacturer about a way to download other sounds to their machines. IF that becomes a reality, you will be able to remove your SD card - put more sounds on it - put it back in your WT unit and your remote will que the sounds based on the numbers you've assigned each new sound.

 

You will not be able to access the WT sounds and put them on any other machine.

 

Best regards,

 

Mark Healy

[cessna]

My WT unit is coming friday Mark.

i appreciate your answering my questions while you were at the expo.

Can't wait to use it. It was purchased from you after a comparison side-by-side with a FP unit.

Much clearer, and I really don't need hundreds of sounds.

Again thanks for being a Coues Whitetail sponsor.

[Red Rabbit]

The WT sound comparison on their website with the FX3 is an ear opener

http://www.wildlifetech.com/pages/home.htm

[coues4u]

I bought an FX3 last year and in the first month of owning it I called in coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. It holds 32 sounds which can be changed with a computer at anytime and 32 sounds is more than plenty. My favorite sound is the DSG Cottontail. I have called in coyotes, foxes, and bobcats with the DSG Cottontail sound. GET THE FOXPRO FX3!!!

[Hyperwrx]

I am going to interject here with some cold hard facts about electronic callers. My intent is not to ruffle feathers but to provide sound understanding of some of the details of calling with electronic callers and the callers themselves. I will provide my own opinion, based on my background knowledge of the subject and cite 1 another individual I feel is the most knowledgeable individual on electronic predator callers with no affiliation to any company.

 

I held the position of field staff for Minaska Outdoors a few years ago and am now Pro Staff for another electronic caller company. I am the president of Arizona Predator Callers club. http://www.azpredatorcallers.com I call every single weekend from September to March so it stands to reason I call in a lot of predators. I don't kill them all but I sure can call them in- one of the reasons for my success is I use an electronic caller.

 

There are several factors that polarize people to one caller or another. Some want ease of use, others want the loudest caller on the market, others want clarity, others want a vast electronic sound library and some only have a certain amount of money to spend. All of these are important details and depending on your particular situation you should find the caller that best fits criteria you subscribe to.

 

The 4 main calling companies on the market today are the following:

 

Foxpro

Wildlife Technologies

Flambeau/ Minaska Outdoors

GameTraks

 

My take on each company.

 

Foxpro

FP makes a quality caller and their customer service is 2nd to none. I have owned 4, had an issue with 1 and it was fixed quickly and at no cost to me. Their sound library is quite good and the units have the capabilities of adding your own created or downloaded sounds. Remote is nice and distance on the remote is great. Good and loud. You can mail order them from all over and Bass Pro and Cabellas have them in stock always. Their custom shop's CS-24is the caller many experienced callers are going to as it uses a TOA horn (more on that later). $499.95 is the price of the CS-24.

 

Wildlife Technologies

Company's owner is a pain in the butt to work with in the past. Mark Healy is a great guy and is the work-around for the poor customer service. The WT callers all use TOA horns and have a closed curcuit calling system meaning you can not add any of your own sounds. Their calling library is quite extensive so many hunters rely on the calls they get loaded on. $489-589 are the prices on their two newest callers- the mighty atom series. I have never owned a WT caller but have hunted a few times with guys who used one- no complaints.

 

Flambeau/Minaska Outdoors

I have owned 3 Minaska Outdoor callers. 1 had a problem and was fixed with away at no cost to me. Their sound library is good and you can download your own sounds onto the unit. Their loudest caller is the Big Country which uses a TOA horn. That caller is priced at $499.95.

 

Gametraks

Gametraks is a different animal using a planar speaker system (ribbon). They have a calling library that is good and their units allow a user to download their own sounds onto the unit. The ribbon speaker produces the highest sound quality but lacks the volume the TOA horn can produce (more on this later). Their unit is $599.95

 

 

Speakers Used

The loudest speaker in the industry is the TOA horn. Because of this, 3 of the 4 companies I listed use them in their callers. The horn shape makes the caller bulky but some are willing to sacrifice this for efficiency (loudness). The only limiting factor on the TOA horn is its frequency range. The TOA website list their TOA SC-610 (the one most of these companies use) at 315 Hz - 12.5 kHz. Coyotes hear high tones in particular much better than humans do. Humans can pick up an average of 20,000 acoustic vibrations per second (kHz), whereas a dog is able to perceive between 40,000 and 100,000 vibrations. In this department the TOA horn falls short and the Gametraks ribbon speaker is able to produce upward to 20,000 kHz. The ribbon speaker can not produce nearly the lows the TOA horn can. The majority of the animals that are on the predators menu produce high or low frequency sounds? Is your caller's speaker reproducing these sounds as close to the original as possible? Does this bit of information even matter?

 

A man by the name of Gary Clevenger is an engineer by trade and an avid predator hunter who lives in California. gary is an accomplished hunter turning in club numbers in the triple digets year after year using the simple tactics of standing up with his over and under 12 GA. He purchases just about every caller that comes on the market for the sole purpose of testing them. He has no alliances to one company over another and tell it like it is. Many calling companies dislike him for this review he wrote. Hundreds of hunters have used his review to help make their decision before purchasing an e-caller. Here are his findings I am pulling from a different predator calling site.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

General

 

This year’s caller comparison took a hard look at five portable remote callers in the $400 - $600 price range. Four of the models can be purchased at AllPredatorCalls.com and the fifth is available only from Kanati direct. Right up front, I don’t care who wins, loses, or ends up in the middle of any category. I just called it as I saw it. All callers were bought, begged, or borrowed, and no one is owed or owned. No one is ever completely happy with one of my reviews.

 

 

Foxpro CS-24

 

* Speaker – TOA SC610 singleAmp – Two channel with one speaker. Will accept an external speaker

* Batteries – 10 x AA NIMH(12V), external charge.

* Remote Operation Only - TX500 LCD Scrolling or direct numeric sound entry. Scrolling volume. 10 presets (2-button); #1 & #2 also 1-button. Recall last sound. 3 x AA.

* Sounds – 500; 50 with caller. Plays Foxpro .FXP or .24P; MP3 or .Wav files

* Memory – 4 GB internal

* Price - $490. No batteries; no charger. USB and sync cables included. 16 sounds $25.

* Form - 1600g 9x8x6”; aluminum w/SS handle/bracket; plastic cap. Nylon external battery case.

* Aux – Speaker & decoy

 

 

 

 

Foxpro Fury

 

* Speaker – Dual cone and small horn

* Amp – Two channel stereo. Will accept 2 external speakers.

* Batteries – 8 x AA (10.2V), internal or external charge.

* Remote or Console Operation - TX500 LCD Scrolling or direct numeric sound entry. Scrolling volume. 10 presets (2-button); #1 & #2 also 1-button. Recall last sound. 3 x AA.

* Sounds – 500; 100 with caller. Plays Foxpro .FXP or .24P; MP3 or .Wav files

* Memory – 4 GB internal

* Price - $600. No batteries; no charger. USB cable included. 16 sounds $25.

* Form - 1330g 9x7x5”; plastic custom case w/internal 8 x AA battery bay.

* Aux – Speaker x 2 & decoy.

 

 

 

 

Kanati-Tek CX-1H

 

* Speaker – Single plastic horn

* Amp – Two channel with one speaker. Will accept 2 external speakers.

* Batteries – 8 x AA (10.2V), external charge.

* Remote Operation Only – 15-button direct numeric entry. Scrolling or direct numeric volume. 5 presets (2-button). Recall last sound. 1-button sound change within 10-sound folder. 2 x AA.

* Sounds – ~40 Kanati Sounds** Plays MP3 or WMA.

* Memory – 1GB USB flash drive

* Price - $390. No batteries; no charger. No sounds available.

* Form - 1170g 9x8x6”; small plastic case w/horn bracket attached; internal 8xAA battery holder.

* Aux – Dual speaker & decoy.

 

 

 

 

MAD Big Country Bandit

 

* Speaker – Dual cone and TOA SC610 horn

* Amp – Two channel stereo. Will accept an external speaker.

* Battery – UB1213 12V SLA (13.2V), internal charge.

* Remote Operation Only – 15-button direct numeric entry. Scrolling up/down volume. 1-button sound change within 10-sound bank. 9V.

* Sounds – 100; 100 with caller; free downloads. Plays MP3 only.

* Memory – 1GB Compact Flash; ^16GB.

* Price - $500. Batteries, charger, USB cable, and CF reader included. Free sound downloads for 1 year.

* Form - 2250g 9x8x7”; internal gel-cell.

* Aux – Speaker, decoy, input to level line amp.

 

 

 

 

WT 2030MS

 

* Speaker – TOA SC610 single

* Amp – Mono

* Batteries – 10 x AA (12V), external charge.

* Remote Operation Only – 15-button direct numeric entry. Scrolling volume. Internal antenna. Timed on switch. 2 x AAA

* Sounds – 1000?; 40 with caller. Plays WT sounds only.

* Memory – 1GB micro SD; ^16GB

* Price - $490. No batteries; no charger. 6 sounds $60.

* Form - 1530g 9x8x6”; aluminum w/SS handle/bracket; plastic cap. Nylon external battery case.

* Aux – None

 

 

 

 

Form

 

Two of the five models, the Foxpro CS-24 and WT2030MS, are built from a TOA speaker with the electronics built into the rear cap. These are so compact they sometimes elicit the reaction, “Where’s the caller?” A third, the MAD Bandit, uses the same TOA speaker attached to a Pelican case. The Foxpro Fury uses the same well-worn case from the FX3/5 line of callers. And finally, the Kanati-Tek CX1-H, a last minute addition, is a small plastic case with lightweight plastic speaker mounted to the exterior.

 

The lightest of this year’s models was the new Kanati-Tek CX-1H which weighed in at a little more than 2.5 pounds with remote. The smallest is the Foxpro Fury whose console will only take up 315 cubic inches of pack space. The heaviest and biggest was the MAD Bandit, which is equipped with dual speakers including a TOA horn, a rugged Pelican Case, and a gel-cell battery. The MAD caller and remote combo weighed in at 3.4 pounds.

 

Notes on durability

 

The aluminum construction of the TOA makes it tough. They handle weather and abuse extremely well.

 

The WT’s external antenna wiring takes a flexing every time the receiver antenna is extended or folded. The model I tested was a year old and the insulation was already worn through. Plan on an annual wire replacement if you hunt much. The other 4 models tested all had better antenna connections.

 

The Kanati case and speaker are both light plastic. I've seen the MAD and other TOA models fall from 6 ft up a Joshua tree, and seen the footless FX case roll off the hood and cab of a pickup many times. I know they’ll survive a beating. The Kanati is the most fragile of the callers tested. The speaker and mount are going to get broken.

 

Speakers

 

As far as I can tell, the speakers are the weakest link in the audio chain. The three TOA models all get a thumbs up for solid construction, good frequency response, and excellent sensitivity. Foxpro’s Fury/FX horn is a little rougher and always seemed a bit cheap, but volume testing proved it still carries the mail. Add the good quality cone to the other end, and the Fury is great package, loud and lightweight, stereo and reverse stereo, with remote Foxfade balance control. Kanati’s horn also fared well in volume, but it lacked heft and did not handle music well. I’d also like to see how it handles bitter cold weather when plastic is brittle. The MAD Bandit also has a good quality cone built in for stereo sound capability and better frequency response to back up the TOA horn in the front. The MAD is big and heavy, but it easily has the best overall speaker combo and was a clear winner in the music test.

 

Volume

 

Volumes were measured by OSHA/ANSI noise dosimeter for a 1 KHz tone played at maximum volume. Measurements were taken at 4 distances as shown in the chart below.

 

 

A note on volume - Decibels are not linear. The decibel is a unitless way to express a ratio. It's a comparison. A change of only 3db represents DOUBLE the volume. Comparing just the Foxpro Fury's horn at 33 feet (99 dB) and the CS-24 at 33 feet (105 dB), a difference of 6 dB, is actually 4 TIMES the volume. So while the numbers may only seem like a small change, the volume is a BIG change.

 

The CS-24 was a clear winner for volume. Painfully loud in front of the horn, it was louder set on 21 than the Fury's horn set on 28. Above that, I needed hearing protection.

 

Sound to Noise

 

Have you ever heard white noise or “hiss” coming from a caller when it’s paused? Or when it’s between screams? Well, that’s an issue for some guys. I played a I completely silent file on each of the callers I could program. This is the volume of the "silence" file with the caller amplifier set at maximum gain, not the pause or mute function.

 

* Silent room - 27

* Foxpro CS-24 - 51

* Foxpro Fury horn - 50

* Foxpro Fury cone - 44

* Kanati CX-1H - 51

* MAD Bandit horn - 54

* MAD Bandit cone - 51

 

 

 

 

Remotes

 

While the Foxpro remote had more features, all the remotes allowed easy sound and volume selection. The Foxpro was the only remote with an LCD.

 

The Foxpro callers both used the TX500, a large remote with a good-sized LCD that comes with a lot of features, including a recall for switching between two sounds and a stand timer. The remote will display the name of the sound file, up to 21 characters, and up to 500 sounds. It's also the only remote to use a "spread spectrum" transmitter. Scrolling to find a sound with the LCD still has its fans and foes. It uses a knob which turns to select the sound, and the same knob is pressed down to send the information to the console. One minor flaw in the knob's design is that it can rotate slightly when it's pressed to send, and the selected sound can change. New to this model remote is direct numerical access for those who know the number of the sound they want. Presets (10 of them) will take two button presses and include volume. The remote displays the sound, the current volume, and a half-dozen other settings (see picture above). The “on” sequence requires a boot up and the send knob on the top has to be held down until the start sequence is complete. Several times during startup I released the button prematurely, and the remote just quit. To reset it, a battery will have to be removed and replaced. An inconvenience, to be sure, but it is easily fixed. The TX500 had the most features, but it’s also the biggest, heaviest remote and the LCD's screen can give off a shiny reflection. When paused, it stays paused even when switching sounds. The LCD is red backlit and puts off a pretty good glow when the lights are out.

 

The Kanati remote is a 15-button remote that uses 10 folders of ten sounds each. It also has a recall feature. Sound changes to another folder take three button presses, but changing sounds within a folder only take one. Volume can be changed by up/down arrows or by direct numeric access. On/off is via a button on the pad. It stays on for 2 hours and will shut off automatically if left on. It has a soft rubber exterior with a good grip. It has lots of LEDs, almost one for every button which let the user know at a glance the number of the sound playing. Even without using it at night yet, I can say the lights will have to be hidden or it could give away your position in the dark.

 

The MAD remote is almost identical to the old Minaska remote, a 15-button model with 10 banks of ten sounds each. Sound changes will take 3 button presses between banks, but only one button press within the same bank. Volume changes also are scrolled with up/down buttons only. The direct sound level addressing of the Gen 3 Minaska is gone. A new keypad has raised buttons and more feel. A pushbutton at the top turns it off and on indicated by an easy-to-hide green LED. Switching sounds releases the pause function. The numbers glow via some luminescent paint which can be charged with a flashlight or left dark. The MAD remote is the easiest to use.

 

The WT remote is also a 15-button model. It has 10 presets. The antenna is internal. The “on” feature is timed and only lasts 30 seconds. The remote will have to be turned on again for almost every change. The remote has a single pinhole LED in the coyote logo’s eye that can barely be seen. There’s nothing on this remote to give the user away at night. This is the only remote tested that is not fitted for a lanyard attachment.

 

Remote Range

 

Remote range testing was done with the callers about 4’ up on a rock, just about like I would if I were hunting. At 75 and 100 yards I tested them from both standing and sitting positions using the pause, volume and sound changes. The ground was just a bit hilly, but there was no vegetation. In all tests there was a direct line of sight from the caller to the remote.

 

 

Posted Image

 

In this test, I used one location and I didn't try to analyze "why" a caller wouldn't work. I set up just like a hunt and it either worked or it didn't.

 

Batteries

 

All three TOA based models, WT, CS24, and MAD, can run on 8 x AA, 10 x AA, or a gel cell, since the batteries are either external or in the large Pelican case. Any 10-15 volt source will work. The Fury and Kanati are married to their 8xAA battery pack due to their small internal battery bays.

 

Cutting corners this year, most of the callers came without batteries or chargers. The MAD caller was the only one to come with them. Smart chargers for AA batteries that will handle both 110VAC and 12VDC are going to add at least another $30 and the batteries another $10 for basic rechargeable NiMH batteries or as much as $25 for Sanyo’s Eneloops. Still one of my favorite features, the gel-cell, is included with the MAD caller. It also came with a 200 mA AC charger. While not recommended, the gel-cell can be recharged in about 20 minutes with a direct connection to the truck’s accessory socket without destroying it. Fastest, easiest, and best recharge goes to MAD’s stock gel-cell. Add this battery to your kit if you plan to run and gun multiple days and want to charge on the fly.

 

Run to Zero

 

This test measured how long a caller would play a constant 1 KHz tone at full volume starting with freshly charged Sanyo Eneloop batteries (that had been cycled less than 6 times) or the MAD with its SLA battery, until the caller quit. This was a brutal test that gave no rest to speakers, batteries, or amplifiers, just a solid two hour+ scream. You can expect better run times in the field with intermittent screams and lots of pauses, but this was a good test of the amplifiers’ efficiencies.

 

Run times in hours:minutes

 

CS-24 - 1:57

Fury - - 2:09

CX-1H - 2:31

MAD - - 2:10

 

 

Sounds and Programming

 

All callers will require a computer to change or re-sequence the sounds. Those with removable storage media can usually be swapped in the field. Those with on board storage (Foxpro) cannot.

 

Foxpro callers will play MP3, Waves, proprietary .FXP and the new 24-bit .24P files. While the numbers still sell products, and 24-bit sounds have more overhead for editing (which can still only be done by Foxpro), better calculated dynamic range and sound-to-noise, you won’t notice any difference between them and a cd-quality 16-bit sound using this kind of audio device. The great thing about Foxpro is the size of their sound catalog. Still growing and expanding, and still reasonably priced, it’s not too hard to find appropriate sounds for calling any of the legal species in your state. Foxpro easily wins a thumbs up for the size, quality, and value of their sound library.

 

Reprogramming, changing, or re-ordering sounds with a Foxpro caller can only be done with a USB cable and a computer. Cable connected to a Mac or PC, the caller acts like any other external hard drive formatted Dos FAT. Sounds are numbered 000-499 and the caller recognizes new sounds easily and instantly. The TX500 will display sound file names up to 21 characters. The CS-24 requires a 3.5mm stereo cable to sync the remote and console. The Fury will sync its remote without a wire from a distance of 3 feet.

 

MAD callers use the Minaska library and play MP3 only. While the first few years of Minaska sounds were a bit rough with those synthetic rabbits and 8-bit internet stuff, the quality of the library went way up with the addition of new recordings and some of Murray Burnham’s material just prior to the buyout. Not up to the Foxpro level, but you’ll still find a lot of good usable sounds for predator calling. And still the best of coon sounds will be had on a MAD.

 

Reprogramming a card for a MAD machine is a breeze. Number them 000-099 on a CF card. I’ve even hot swapped cards with the caller on. The MAD caller comes with a CF reader and a USB cable included. CF cards are an older media type. Some deletions do not seem to free up space and cards can require a reformat (Dos FAT) prior to reprogramming.

 

Admittedly, I have not kept up with any new additions to the sound library at WT, but any WT owner should be relieved to see that the WT’s proprietary sounds have dropped drastically in price from $33 to only(?) $10 each. By any measure, the WT sounds are still ridiculously expensive for something that won’t play on anything but the caller on which it’s installed. Foxpro tested both the 2030MS caller and the sounds and reported the results at the Foxpro website. They do not agree with much of the information posted at the WT website.

 

Worst feature of all time goes to WT. WT cannot be programmed in any way by the user. Adding sounds or even just changing their order will require you to send your card to New Hampshire for any changes. I left it out of the run-time and S/N testing because I couldn't put a test tone or a silence file on it. I need more hands. Four thumbs down to WT.

 

I spoke several times to Jeff Lewis at Kanati-Tek over the phone and was intrigued by his description of the care and effort he put into his sounds’ production. He stated all his sounds were so many bits, bytes, hertz, and at least 2 minutes in length. I also heard my own words about the cadence and urgency needed in good distress calls come back to me. As far as I know, the numbers and quality of the sound library has been the only thing keeping APC from stocking KT callers. After listening to the sounds on this caller and expecting good things, saying that the sounds were disappointing is an understatement. The KT sounds on this caller were sadly lacking, many less than 15 seconds, and poor quality. It had a couple of "coaxers," but I couldn't find a single quality rabbit for hunting. Unless I really missed something, Kanati buyers will have to provide their own sounds.

 

Kanati’s sound files are numbered 000-099 on the card. They’re stored 10 at a time in ten directories numbered 00-09. So you can replace a sound, or a directory of 10 sounds, or the whole USB flash card. I had trouble swapping cards and the console could not recognize the new one. A few resets, a score of off-on cycles, a lot of double-checking that sounds played everywhere else, and a few hours later, it started working. Swapping cards should not have been this hard.

 

Addendum: Subsequent sound edits/card swaps using an HP 2 GB USB flash have gone without a hitch.

 

Foxpro and MAD are still the easiest to add, remove, or re-order sounds. Kanati’s folder system added another layer of complexity and being resistant to an easy card change has added two hours to an already long test regime.

 

Second worst feature of this year is a tie. Foxpro and WT fail miserably to hit the mark for sounds that can't be edited by the user. They both expect everyone to want to use their sounds as they sell them. I do not call continuously. I pause the caller a lot for many good reasons, and none of the Foxpro or WT sounds are edited for pausing.

 

I'll be hunting with my own edits exclusively again this year. Western hunters are still not represented by a call manufacturer.

 

COMING SOON - a new section with a full evaluation of current sound libraries. Stay tuned.

 

Consoles/Memory

 

Only the Fury will play without the remote. It’s a handy feature if you lose it, forget it, or just run out of battery power. I’m not a fan of the footless flashlight case and the smallish speakers and battery bay, but the combination of quality, features, small size, and durability make the Fury a real contender.

 

While all the callers advertise their maximum storage capacity via user memory upgrades, it was interesting to measure the actual storage capacity of the media as it was shipped with the stock units. Foxpro’s on board 4GB in both the CS-24 and Fury were the high end. The other three, Kanati, MAD, and WT, all shipped with only 1GB of removable storage.

 

Sound Quality

 

I evaluated the callers in their stock form, just as they were shipped from the factory. All of the callers can be made to sound much better with the addition of quality external speakers. But like most run and gun hunters, I want to grab one handle, not a bag full of extra gear. I evaluated the callers just as they were shipped from their factories, not with my own extra speakers.

 

All of the callers are good enough to call coyotes, but they certainly are not equal. There are some very clear differences in sound quality coming from the callers. This was surprisingly easy to judge. For me, there was a clear-cut winner, loser, and a couple in the middle of the pack. Using both classical orchestra and rock ‘n roll with a bass-driven backbeat, it’s easy to tell these callers apart.

 

The MAD Bandit was the clear winner in the music test. It was the best at bass, treble, and clarity. I gave 2d to the Fury followed closely by the CS-24. You might switch #2 and #3 if you prefer treble over bass. WT will be a tie with the CS24 for sound quality just based on the speaker. For both classical music and rock n roll, the Kanati came in last. It just wasn’t as good as the others. All of these callers will call a coyote. None of them are good enough to handle Dire Straits or the London Festival Orchestra. For that you'll still need an Alpine or Bose.

 

Addendum: Presented to the hunters at the September monthly membership meeting of the Arizona Predator Callers in Mesa, AZ, with all the callers hidden behind burlap, the crowd voted 34 to 4 for the MAD Big Country Bandit. The Foxpro Fury was locked solid in second place. Third place went to the Foxpro CS-24. The WT couldn't be included in the demo, due to its lack of programming, but it's fair to say it would be a #3 tie with the CS-24 based on identical speakers.And #5 went to Kanati's CX-1H without a dissenter.

 

 

Customer Service

 

This is an easy one this year. Foxpro clearly has the most well-staffed and efficient customer service. They're the only one of the four with any history to back that up. Flambeau/MAD and Kanati are both brand new and unknown quantities at this point. WT remains capricious - some people swear by it and the rest swear at it.

 

Acknowledgements

 

Rounding up all the new callers was the hard part. Thanks to all of you who sold me, lent me, or sent me callers for the show. I’m taking good care of them. They all were evacuated with me when I left ahead of the forest fire.

 

Thank you also to V2 Photography for their quality production photos.

 

Testing was strictly quantitative but very time consuming. I just did the measurements and reported them. Forming an opinion and expressing it here is a much more difficult process. None of that was quick, easy, or arbitrary either. It was all based on multiple criteria, much of which was not listed here for brevity's sake. Those details left out, the topic was still far from brief. I can tell you which caller I think did the best in each category, but I can’t make a decision for you when it comes time to purchase a caller. You’ll have to make your own decision based on the features that are most important to you.

 

Happy Screaming.

 

©2009 Gary Clevenger

©2009 V2 Photography

V2PhotographyandDesign.com

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ADDED REMARK BY GARY A FEW WEEKS LATER

 

Thanks goes to the members of APC and their help judging the hardest of all measurements in any e-caller comparison - SOUND QUALITY.

 

The members of the Arizona Predator Callers met Thursday night for the regular monthly membership meeting in Mesa, AZ. At the beginning of the evening's program and before any discussion, the programmable e-callers we're hidden from the audience's view behind a piece of heavy camo burlap and played in their stock form, just the way they're sold to users, with no extra upgrades, batteries or speakers. The callers were each played in turn several times using the same sound file, a song from the Australian rockers, Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing. Not exactly scientific, but most of us are much better at comparing the sound of music than we are comparing screaming rabbits. This particular piece of music was selected by a music producer for it's production quality and I use it because it starts on both channels instantly and has lots of bass, high-end, and mid-range frequencies. Then, the audience voted and ranked their favorites for the elusive title of best sound quality. I only noticed one person sneaking around the back of the table, checking the remotes, watching me push buttons, and apparently voting for a brand instead of the sound. After the vote was settled, the camo was removed and the callers revealed.

 

You'll probably be surprised by the results. #1 was not unanimous, but the crowd voted 34 to 4 for the MAD Big Country Bandit. The Foxpro Fury was locked solid in second place. Third place went to the Foxpro CS-24. The WT couldn't be included in the demo, due to its lack of programming, but it's a fair appraisal to say it would be a tie with the CS-24 based on their identical speakers. Fifth place went to Kanati's CX-1H unanimously.

 

We also collected a few of the choicer comments when people were asked to briefly describe the sound quality of their favorite or least favorite in a sentence or a word.

 

My two favorites:

 

From the back row: "That one sounds like a 1955 Japanese AM transistor radio."

From one of the directors of the largest coyote club in AZ: "Total shoot."

 

I couldn't make this stuff up.

 

At the break, I added a Pioneer coax speaker to one channel of the Kanati and a Foxpro SP-55 speaker to the other, and pumping up the volume on the same Dire Straits tune, it turned the worst into the best. The cheap little plastic disaster Kanati shipped with their caller can kill any sale. I can tell one of these guys how to build a good product, and I have, but I can't force him to do it right.

 

I've played all the callers with various speaker combos, including Alesis studio monitors. They all may call coyotes, but a guy looking for the best value for his money, given the opportunity is always going to choose the best value, best features, and best customer service.

 

Thumbs up to Dillon's CS-24. Don't be put off by it's #3 in the sound quality category. It's EXTREMELY loud and a real killing machine. To the audience's chagrin I threw mine on the floor from six feet up at the seminar. I managed to knock the batteries loose, but other than that, it's indestructible. I put a rubber band around the AA's so next time it falls from a tree (or the next time I throw it) the batteries won't come out. Mine needs a slightly better handle, maybe a wrap of neoprene, so it doesn't pinch a finger when I'm carrying both the caller and shotgun in the same hand.

 

Listening to the callers one after the other playing the same exact sound is always much more interesting than hearing one caller alone, and then another at a later date, sometimes weeks or months apart, when a good comparison just isn't possible. I wish all the manufacturers listened as carefully to the buying public as the buying public carefully listened to their e-call products on Thursday night.

 

I am one of the privileged few who gets to evaluate, program, listen to, and use all the callers. Thanks also goes to the guys who sell me, lend me, or send me, callers for a comparison like this one. I spend weeks, months, thousands of dollars, and more than a hundred hours, getting ready to write a paper like this one and then showing them off. It's fun, interesting, and a whole lot of work. Not everyone is as fortunate.

 

BP, in the "silence file" test I'm trying to make "sound to noise ratio" easier to understand for the hunter. My measurement was the volume in decibels of a silent file played at maximum volume on each of the machines. But better than decibels, it's the output number on the noise dosimeter I use to quantify the volume of the sound. A completely noise free room measured 27, so use that for a comparison rather than an absolute. I could tell you that db are a logarithmic scale, but who cares? For this test, 54 was a tiny bit louder than 44, and everyone understands that.

 

Thursday night, I passed the Fury around the room with the cone playing the silence file and the volume on 40 (the Fury's loudest setting). The white noise was barely audible and you had to hold it up to your ear to hear anything at all. None of these callers produces much white noise. This isn't the "pause" function, it's the sound of a silence file. On pause, most of the callers made zero sound. MAD's Big Country was the loudest on the silence file, but is totally silent on pause.

 

 

Matt S., who also made the trip to AZ, hunted a dozen stands with me between Phoenix and Blythe on the way home Friday. Matt shot this typical male AZ bobcat, long, tall, and skinny, while we were calling with the MAD caller and later in the day, a coyote coming to the CS-24. Temperatures on our stands ranged from 96 to 109 on Friday.

 

-----------------------------------

 

I hope these comments can help everyone make an informed decision when purchasing an electronic callers. If you have any questions or comments feel free to post them here and I will make an effort to check back. Good luck and happy hunting.

[MangeyJoe]

I have the Primo's Power Dogg and it's great and not too expensive... It's 160 at Bass Pro, I got mine for free in exchange for 20 7.62x54R Russian Ammo. It wont let you down. I Give You My Word!!!