Author Topic: Techno-savvy Redneck Caller (Read 1205 times)

jmayton · « **on:** November 24, 2009, 04:14:59 PM »

So I was browsing around on the internet today and came across some free predator call mp3's and some ideas on how to make a home-brew electronic caller. So a $17 trip to radio-shack, a few downloads, and some time with iTunes and I've got a great little caller that I'm ready to test out this weekend. It consists of my iPod, a 1/8" cable, and a speaker amplifier powered by a 9 volt battery. It's pretty loud and I can simply set up a playlist to run the calls I want. The whole thing will fit in my pocket and I can add a powerhorn speaker later if I want more volume and distance. We'll see how it works.

TwoSeventy · « **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2009, 04:43:00 AM »

It will work, and call the critters in just fine. I hunted with the same setup for several years before buying a foxpro. The only big advantage that you will get from a call like the foxpro is convenience, a small, self contained unit with wireless remote. It is a big advantage to put the call 30 or 40 yards out, especially if you use a decoy.

You didn't say where you found your sounds, but Varmint Al has some really good ones on his site.

jmayton · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2009, 05:39:33 AM »

It was Varmint Al. And he has a sequence that has two minutes of silence at the beginning so that we can walk off and get set up. I can just set it to repeat so that I don't have to go mess with it.

Cottonwood · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2009, 10:31:58 AM »

Quote from: jmayton on November 25, 2009, 05:39:33 AM

It was Varmint Al. And he has a sequence that has two minutes of silence at the beginning so that we can walk off and get set up. I can just set it to repeat so that I don't have to go mess with it.

I want to thank you for posting this, I just downloaded the complete sound links off of Varmint Al's page. I don't mind setting up a Redneck Caller one bit. I realize its not wireless, but something is better than nothing. I will get my extention wire and speaker set up now, at fraction of the cost I was looking at. Just trying this out, is going to be fun and if I get results I will be posting those too

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #4 on:** November 26, 2009, 01:57:30 PM »

I've probably built over a dozen or so E Callers over the years.

I have used Cassette Players, CD Players, MP3 Players and the little Cass Creek Callers as the sound source. The best speaker I have found is the Speco SPC-5 (something about the frequency responce of this speaker, and such things I don't understand).

For Amps I have used the Radio Shack Mini Speaker Amp, generally removing it and mounting the Amp Cirtuit Board and Battery in a Radio Shack Project Enclosure or a large Coffee Mug (on the Coffee Mug Callers the Speaker was mounted in the Coffee Mug also).

The one I am currently using has a Cana Kit 12 VDC Amp that I have housed in a Radio Shack Project Enclosure, along with a SLA 12 Volt Battery. For a sound source I am using a RIO 600 MP3 Player (it was cheap off of e bay). I 21 or 22 tracks on it, some are Western Rivers downloads and others from Johnny Stewart Calling CD's that we ran through Gold Wave Sound Editing Software to isolate one sound loop so as to not use up so much hard drive space.

Only your imagination will limit what and how you can build one of these callers. Some guys have added NADA or ADZEN WLX-PRO Wireless Remotes for Video Camcorders to make these callers remote. This is a plug and play type of arrangement, plugging the amp & speaker into the receiver and the MP3 Player (or other sound source) into the transmitter with 1/8" mini plugs.

Larry

Jal5 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2009, 08:43:17 AM »

I made one several years ago from VarmintAl's page and it works great. Called in several yotes with it the first year, last year didn't get much time to hunt them. Hopefully this year will be better, since I am hearing them every night since deer gun season opened up!

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2009, 02:39:12 AM »

Ended up making three of them (been several years now) with a voice recorder, a bottom of the line Johnny Stewart w/remote, and an MP3 player.

They all worked great but are in possesion of my Son & S-I-L. I think that they are ok but I just cant seem to get away from the mouth calls, howlers, and various coaxers.

I believe that I learned how to make my first one from SD Handgunner.

Cottonwood · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2009, 08:09:27 AM »

Here is what I put together so far, but I do think I need a little mini speaker power amp for more volume.

MP3 with up loaded sounds from Varmint Al's site

Speaker that takes 3 AAA batteries that I just picked up on close out from Cellular One for $10.00 from Altec Lansing called a 360* Sound.

As it is my wife said the pups yelping were going to driver crazy and looked at my like I better shut it off

I have another MP3 MP4 that I believe will have more volume

Now my wife is really gonna love this, as I'm headed down to Radio Shack to get my speaker amplifier powered by a 9 volt battery for $15.00

Cottonwood · « **Reply #8 on:** December 04, 2009, 09:56:53 AM »

Now having just got back from Radio Shack they had the 9 volt amplifier/speaker for $15.99 plus the little extension for another couple bucks total of about $18.99. I took the above pictured power speaker back to Cellular One with no problems and go my money back on that.

This little unit is louder than the Johnny Stewart that I demo'd at the store, and Varmint Al's MP3 files are great. Now I just got to get out and test it for some coyotes.

Jal5 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2009, 10:31:25 AM »

I had the same setup as Montanan but I added a cone type speaker from Radio Shack as well, cannot remember the number right now. If you need that info let me know.

jmayton · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2009, 12:02:07 PM »

Mine's basically the same, but I run off my iPod Nano. I will also be getting the cone speaker to get more volume and distance. That little 9V amp is amazing! The guy at Radio Shack thought I was crazy when I told him what I wanted to do, but we tried it out in the store and he was blown away. So far, though, I haven't had any success with mine, but that' probably because I was out using it with my loud and not-so-discrete brother-in-law.

hammerless99 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 09, 2009, 05:44:01 PM »

Montana

That 9V amp and an MP3 player is all you need?
I'll be doing my hunting in the Maine woods, do you think that would work OK here?
Please excuse me , but I'm not too electronic savy.
Do you think it would be easy enough to snip that cable that goes betweem the player and the amp, and connect it to 50-100 feet of speaker wire so that it could be opperated as a poor mans remote caller?

Cottonwood · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2009, 02:56:40 AM »

All you would have to do is add an additional speaker with speaker wire w/earphone plug end, as your little mini applifier/speaker then works as the volume control.

Mtn Jack · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:06:38 PM »

Hello fellow bush wolf wackers, i am sorta new here but not to guns or hunting. Mainly hunt west Pa and some in our Mtns. Any chance we non electric type guys could get a little drawing of what you are building and where do you get the parts, the idea is great and i would like to get started. Is there a place that shows how its done? i like the idea a lot. The wolves here get smart to the mouth calls real quick and it would be great to mix up the sounds, and bug the wife and dog a bit. Thanks in advance Mtn Jack

CharlieT · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:24:36 PM »

Mntn Jack here is a good place to start http://varmintal.com/ahunt.htm#El-Cheapo

Mtn Jack · « **Reply #15 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:28:19 PM »

Thanks Charlie i have found that one and it is a good start, but i though there may be a newer or more updated project i really would like a remote setup i think. Stay safe Mtn Jack

kwells2006 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:54:05 PM »

i added the varmint al's calls to my foxpro card. i love em and with that combo... dang

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #17 on:** December 10, 2009, 07:01:03 PM »

Mtn Jack check your PM box.

Larry

Mtn Jack · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2009, 01:54:40 PM »

Larry your the man this was very nice of you, i have my girls looking for a mp3 to get started,some of there friends are sure to have upgraded. This will be a cool project as i will be layed up for a couple of months with the transplant. Need stemcells ,so hunting all i can until then.Thanks again Mtn Jack

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2009, 06:40:22 PM »

You are very welcome.

When it comes to building one of these callers only your imagination will limit how you build it. I have built them all one piece using a large coffee mug to house everything, or used a Radio Shack Project Box to house the amp and battery.

I guess I always remove the Amp circuit board from the Radio Shack housing and put a seperate on/off switch (and LED Indicator Light) in the power wire between the amp and battery. I then find the sweet spot on the volume control (the point at which turning it up louder does not increase the volume but rather just increases amp noise) and hot glue the volume control in place. I then just use the volume control on the sound source (MP3 Player, CD Player etc.

I have built quite a few of these over the years. Problem is I show them off to friends and they end up talking me out of them so I build another one. I have one buddy that even mounted a Speco SPC-5 PA Speaker behind the grill in his pickup to plug his caller into. He uses it to locate Coyotes before shooting light. When he gets and answer in a certain area he then figures out where to walk to to set up and call when it gets shooting light.

As stated lots of options on how to build one.

Good luck with the health issues.

Larry

Cottonwood · « **Reply #20 on:** December 14, 2009, 07:49:04 AM »

Well I tried mine out the other day, and was not happy about hearing a hum between the calls on the digital MP3 or from the mini amplifide speaker. It could have been just because I had it to loud, but when I tried my hand calls, they were much clearer and cleaner than the MP3 was putting out.

I'm not as tecno inclined as SD Handgunner with adding additional stuff. But will try this again, on my next trip out just to see if I can fool them sly coyotes.

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #21 on:** December 14, 2009, 07:00:25 PM »

Quote from: The Montanan on December 14, 2009, 07:49:04 AM

Well I tried mine out the other day, and was not happy about hearing a hum between the calls on the digital MP3 or from the mini amplifide speaker. It could have been just because I had it to loud, but when I tried my hand calls, they were much clearer and cleaner than the MP3 was putting out.

I'm not as tecno inclined as SD Handgunner with adding additional stuff. But will try this again, on my next trip out just to see if I can fool them sly coyotes.

The little Radio Shack Amps do indeed produce amp hiss if the volume on the amp is turned up too high. Try this, turn the volume on your MP3 Player down so it is not annoying to play in the house. Play with the volume control on your Amp, going up and down. You should find a spot on the volume control in which the volume of your calls does not get any louder, but amp hiss (or background noise) does indeed get louder. At that position on the amp's volume wheel make a mark that is easy to see or feel (I actually have used a tri cornered file to file a groove in the volume wheel on the amp that I could feel so I knew where to set it without looking) and then when you go out calling do not turn the amp volume up past that point, but rather use the Volume on your MP3 Player to control your volume.

Larry

torpedoman · « **Reply #22 on:** December 15, 2009, 12:32:32 PM »

I have been using an old battery powered c.d. player with varmit Al's calls for years and have had great luck with it outdoor speaker and 200 ft of wire. I like to use the 2 minutes of silence recorded 3 or 4 times in a row to give a long break between calls. The factory units are nice but with mine you can't change the calls so it looses effect in an area.

tangob5 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 20, 2009, 09:12:01 AM »

I use the same radio shack componets with an iPod. Only other addition I have is a Nady 351 video wireless lavalier system making the caller a wireless remote. The range varies according to terrain but I get up to 50 yards which is more then enough to position the caller away from me. I set the amp/speaker low to avoid the hum and use the volume control on the iPod to adjust the volume up or down. I can either use playlists I created for calling or use individual calls. As far as Varmint Al's sounds go they are great and you can find other sounds on the net with some searching including some tree/bird/bunny hugger sites (don't tell them).