# Homemade electronic caller questions!



## OkieYodler (Jul 18, 2006)

I'm looking into making my own electronic caller and need some advice and or help. My dad just so happens to already have a big speaker that "looks" like it'll really put it out there(I haven't tried it out yet), if you know what I mean. We also already have a casette player, and I have a CD player, and I was wondering if there were any tapes or CD's out on the market that had all the sounds I would need to get started. If so where, because I really don't want to have to spend the money on an MP3 player that I'll have to download the sounds on to. I also would like to know what you guys think about how many yards of wire I would need to get. I'm hunting mostly in central Oklahoma where there's really a little bit of everything. I'll most likely be with my .223 and I am comfortable with it out to about 150 yards(it needs a trigger job), but I'd like to know the optimum distance for stretching out a speaker. Thanks ahead of time.


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## skinner (Jul 25, 2006)

you are starting out the same way I did with my first e-caller all I used was a old cassette player with a external speaker attached. I am not to sure about this but you may need to go with somewhat of a smaller speaker your cassette player may not have enough power to play threw your speeker you may need to by a amplfier to boost the power.
there are a lot of good tapes out there to use. I may even have a few old ones laying around I will take a look to see if I can find them and if I do I will post the results I will give them two you you just pay the shipping.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

If your computer has a cd writer it also has a program that will convert the MP3's you down load to the format that will play on your cd player. No need to buy something that is offered to you free. Download the mp3's, convert and write them to a cd and you're all set. As Skinner said you will need a small amp between your cd player and speaker. Radio Shack sells a mini amp for about $15 that will give you all the volume you will ever want. It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes and works great. The one pictured below is the Radio Shack amp and a cheap mp3 player. As you can see it is a very small package and will fit into a shirt pocket. All that is need is a small speaker with a thin wire patch cord and your all set. You can also get a 50 foot patch cord at WalMart in the sporting goods section.


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

You can go to http://downloads.western-rivers.com/sound.php and select the sounds you desire. Then just download them onto your computer in a folder you created specifically for these files. Once that is done you can write them to a CD (provided you have a CD Writer) or you should be able to plug a Cassette Recorder into one of the speaker jacks on your Computer (the other end to the Cassette Recorder) and record you own Cassettes also.

There are a lot of possibilities available to you. Another option is to buy a couple Johnny Stewart Calling CD's. They come with (if I remember right) 4 sounds per CD. and a couple should get you enough to cover what you need.

Larry


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## OkieYodler (Jul 18, 2006)

Thanks all,

I'll check more into what you all said...


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

Gohon
The size of speaker in that mini amp seems small, have you had success with it?

Reason I ask is cause I purchased the same mini amp to power a 5" horn speaker. That is the speaker used in SDHandgunner's home made e-Callers.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

I don't use the speaker in the mini amp. Like you I plug a 5" speaker into the mini amp and use it strictly as a amp. If you got the same 5" speaker that SDHandgunner recommended which is what I got, what I did was pick up a 50 extension speaker cord made for the preymaster at WalMart. About $10 if I remember right. It is the same wire gauge thickness as the wire that came with the speaker. The entire 50 feet plus the 15 feet on the speaker can be wrapped around the speaker and doesn't take up any more room than the speaker by itself.

One thing I discovered with transferring sounds to the mp3 player was after I moved the sounds to the player I would then need to open each and every sound properties in the mp3 player and change the path of the sound. After I did that then the player would show the exact name of the sound for easy selection. Might be my system but if I didn't do that then the name of the sounds would not transfer properly. The sound would transfer but not the name of the sound. In addition I created albums in the mp3 play, such as coyote, crow, rabbit and so on. Into each album went the sounds of that particular series. Then when I turn the mp3 play on I first select albums then the set of sounds I want. Makes for a easy selection instead of having to scan through all the sounds to find the animal calls I want.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

I purchased the Speco 5" speaker horn. Don't tell me Walmart carries them, I went trough a few months of watching on eBay and then purchased through a deal I found through Froogle.

I have it set up and working, but do not have the calls loaded to the MP3 player yet. Just music is on it. The MP3 player I have is a 512mb Rio SOBE I purchased off eBay. My next step is downloading the calls on to the player so I can set the volume level on the amp where I want it. After that I will finish the assembly of the caller. I am setting the speaker horn in a large Sportsmans Warehouse mug, as of now I am not planning on having the speaker detached from the player.....

I am thinking with the 16 minute and 20 minute downloads from WestRiver, this will work fine?


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

No, WalMart doesn't carry the Speco speakers. I bought the two I have from Radio Outfitters on the net. Was looking at the extra speaker, big mug, and extra amp I have on my work bench just this morning. Been thinking about tackling the same job you doing but............... maybe I'll make it a winter project.


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## HUNTERZ (Aug 21, 2006)

It looks like the web site is down for a new face lift. I hope they get it running
soon. I like to get them sounds.. Also i went to another web site that had them, I will post the url below.

http://www.varmintal.net/
later


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