Electronic calls?

[giddens1972]

What is the consensus on the best Electronic call?  I'm thinking of getting my dad one for Father's Day.  I don't want some cheapo, but I don't want to spend a fortune either.  Just want something dependable.

John

[Glanceblamm]

While the cheapo can work, it just doesnt give the volume and clarity of the higher priced unit. An amplifier can be spliced in but that is another story.

The cheapo may also come with a remote but your range may just be 100 ft verse 250 yards for the higher price units.

Foxpro seems to be on the leading edge. Someone will probably respond here to give you an exact model for your Dad's application that will not break the bank with all the extra bells n whistles.
The lower end foxpro's can still be expensive and I again suspect that someone will jump in here with a different model that works well, but with more savings.

[Sourdough]

I have several small units, that have great sound quality, but lack real volume.   I bought the Cass Creek Big Horn speaker.  All of the smaller units plug into this unit that has it's own built in amp along with a speaker.  Other people look at the wire as a drawback, but I don't.  Since I do all my calling from a tree stand it's not that big a problem for me, I simply use the wire to drop the speaker to the bottom of the tree.  Sometimes I will swing it over into a bush.  I can control the volume with the hand held unit.

[manofthe45]

Fox pro "spit fire"  their entry level at 199.99 maybe alittle less if you find a sale

I started with the entry level johnny stewart has its drawbacks but better than the extreme dimension caller IMO.  Had one of the proseries by extreme dimension.  It stank.

IMO go with foxpro once and be done.  The micro units for less than 50 aren't worth the money

[chewie146]

That spitfire is 180 from amazon with super saver shipping. 

http://www.amazon.com/Foxpro-Spitfire-Digital-High-Performance/dp/B002YBJXB0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1306352950&sr=8-1

That sounds good to me.  I want one for Christmas.  I'm trying to get into predator hunting.  I never have done it, but would like to try it out.  Let me know if you get one of those for your dad, and let me know if he likes it.

[ole 5 hole group]

Which model did you decide on and how’s it working out for you?
 
I would think how often you plan on using it, location and what type of varmint you’re going after, might come into play in what type caller you decide on.  If you get out 30 times or more a year you may want to invest in a good caller and that means several hundred dollars, like $500/$600.00 when everything is said and done.
 
If you need volume due to wind or long range then there’s a couple on the high end that would do you a fine job, namely the FoxPro CS-24 and the Wildlife Technologies MA-21.  FoxPro is heavy into marketing their fine products while WT goes by word of mouth mainly. 
 
If you don’t need big volume and are only going to use the unit “occasionally” over a year, then just about any unit out there will probably do and Fox Pro has several models to choose from and they have been around for awhile now and have decent CS.  Go on some varmint sites and there are plenty of smaller units for sale at a good price.
 
Myself, I have the MA-21 (because they have been around longer and had the best sounds in the business for many years plus the range on their remote is the very best in the business today) and it’s all I’ll ever need for the rest of my days.  I started out with a Herter’s record player back in the late 50’s or very early 60’s and then moved up to the tapes etc. – the high-end callers today are just amazing and when you look at some of the bells & whistles on a remote, such as those FoxPro has, you may think you’ll have to go back to school.
 

[backstrap]

I started predator hunting last year and started with a mp3 player and a 50 feet wire to a buggle speaker or where ever kinda speaker you want to call it its funnle shaped i shot 1 coyote with this call. And i went out and spent 250.00 on a fox pro spit fire and it is worh every penny, i added that funnle speaker to it and it reaches out the plus i can turn it back 1 way and call 2 diffrant directions while the built in speaker of the fox pro is faceing the other way, or have them both faceing the same way i wouldnt trade it for nothing, wireless remote if i where you i would look into this caller i shot 5 coyotes and 2 bobcats useing this call and cant wait tell this fall to get out and start calling and kill some more ferr, kinda wish i didnt start predator hunting it is very adictive    i know there are calls out there for 4 or 5 hundred dollers but i am not going to pay that for a call and this fox pro spit fire will do what every your dad needs it to do,i set my call about 50 yards away from me, i have never stuck it out in the open to see how far the wireless remote works ,but they claim i think its like a 100 to a 150 yards

[TwoSeventy]

I started out with a home made caller, mp3 player/amp/horn speaker, and used it for a couple of years with good success. After that, I invested in a Foxpro FX3. If you are going to do much predator calling, a good call is essential.
 
The benefits of a call like the Foxpro are mostly of convenience. It is a small self contained call with a wireless remote. Which is alot easier to use than the home made setup. Sound quality is better.
 
It's a good bet that you could find a used caller at a reasonable price. Look in the classifieds on a site like Predator Masters and you can usually find a pretty good deal, especially on the older FX3 or FX5 models.