Best of the Best E-callers Part 1

[snowcamoman]

I have and use quite a few of the electronic callers on the market today. I’ll go through a portion of the callers I have hunted with and try to explain what I like and do not like about each of them. I’ve purchased all of these callers, so I’m not brand loyal. I use what works and whatever doesn’t work, stays on the shelf. I like to collect callers, so I typically keep them, even if not in used for hunting. I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty specs of each caller here. There was another e-caller review done with very good information on tech details. If you do a search in Google for 2009 E-caller review, you’ll find it, should be the top link. All I can say is do your homework and read as much as possible if you feel as though you have to have a caller with x frequency response that plays CD quality sounds. If it’s that important start another thread about it so this one doesn’t get locked down instantly. Please note that I hunt in temperatures down to around -42ºF (ambient temperature, no wind). These conditions are typically far more extreme than what most hunters are willing to hunt in. The extreme cold is very tough on caller materials, batteries, and basically anything for that matter. I must have equipment that is reliable in the cold. Having to take gloves off to tinker with small pieces and screws or wires is simply asking for frost bite and misery. I also travel by snowmachine (snowmobile) around 500 to 800 miles a year with my callers strapped on the back, pounding along on tundra trails. My photos do not necessarily depict how you would receive the callers if you purchased them. I add white tape and/or paint to them to camo them up as well as camo wrap to help quiet any ringing sounds or the occasional branch that hits them while hiking in the woods. Remotes get additional items as well once I get them so they will do exactly what I want. Some companies will try to customize a caller to your liking, others will tell you not to mess with their products or you’ll void a warranty.

Somebody is bound to be offended if I slam the caller they feel is the “best”. If you’re offended, get over it. Post a question or tell us what callers you’ve used and compared to make your sound opinion. Saying so and so won a contest with Brand X means absolutely nothing in relation to what a good e-caller is, period. If you put the right guy behind a record player he’ll be able to kill animals. Every piece of electronics can have a problem. Just because Jimmy Bob’s cousin’s caller had a remote range of 2 inches, does not indicate that all products from that manufacturer are low quality. Every manufacturer will have problem products and components at some point it’s a part of working with anything electronic. Any one of them that claims otherwise is lying. How they handle it and take care of you and your purchase is important. Do your homework.
Email me at snowcamoman@gmail.com if you have questions that you feel you can’t post here.

If I receive new information from a manufacturer about this post, I’ll update and edit.

And please do not ask me for sounds, I do not send people sounds and do not appreciate being asked.

I do not have the newest models of the Minaska Ultimate One and do not know what changes have been made since I purchased mine. I’d wager the caller form and function is the same, with the possibility of maybe new circuit design. The FoxPro Scorpion was put in here just because it’s been a great little caller. FoxPro has a newer/improved Scorpion (X1B) that utilizes the same case, yet different remote and circuitry. I have several Wildlife Technologies callers on the line due to all of the questions and comments I receive from people about them and some of the differences. I was going to write this as a spec sheet type review, but didn’t. I’ll just write what is good and not so good about the callers. Ask as many questions as you want and I’ll try to give you as much information as I can. This is a small portion of the callers I own. If you have a different model and have a specific question, please ask and I’ll try to help you out.
Callers from left to right.
Minaska Ultimate One, WT KAS2030 (Original 2030 model, circa 2005/2006), WT MA-21, WT KAS2030MS (circa 2009), FoxPro Scorpion (front), FoxPro CS-24

Remotes from left to right.
Minaska UO, WT 2030MS, MA-21, FoxPro TX500

#1 E-caller
The best caller on the market in MY opinion is the FoxPro CS-24, customized to my specs. My specs simply include dual external power jacks. I had my caller made like this so I can run dual packs, and so I can quickly remove my battery and wires in the field. I use 14.8 Li-Ion battery packs with the CS-24. FoxPro made me some custom 90 degree fittings with heavy duty arctic wires so that they lay flatter to the TOA speaker cap. This caller is almost indestructible. I have some straps mounted around the caller for even quicker attachment to the cam lock buckles installed on my snowmachine.

The caller has plenty of volume and has been 100% reliable for me. It’s light, tough, and just works outstanding. As is, my CS-24 weighs right at 2 pounds 11 oz. It’s programmable and I have ton of JS, WT, Minaska, FoxPro and everything else on it. I would never own a non-programmable caller in this day and age, plain and simple. At -40, I like to simply push a single button and let my 15 minute custom sound sequences do the work for me. The remote screen can be very sluggish in the cold with the LCD screen. The buttons all work fine, but the LCD screen will lag drastically. The easy fix is to just put a foot warmer pack onto the remote.

These packs keep the screen going strong in the coldest weather and also keep my hands a bit warm too if I do decide to hold onto the thing. I also use a Boondocks Outdoors neoprene case for my TX500 remote, which keeps it quiet and insulated a bit. You need to be careful with the side buttons on the remote. It’s easy for me at times to accidentally smash a side button and have a sound start playing. The solution is to just make sure I’m not smashing the thing down on my jacket when I sit down. For night hunting, the remote is the absolute best. Nothing compares to it, or even close to it without modifications. I put small dots of JB Weld on my TX500 remote for easy finger location without having to look. I don’t do every button, but a pattern that allows me to feel things better.

With this caller, I can also run another external speaker and control a decoy if I choose. I don’t utilize those features, but they’re on it if needed. I many times carry a little MOJO Critter that I’ll stick in the snow or wedge onto the CS-24 speaker/bracket. For sound programming, three screws must be removed from the TOA rear cap. Then, just plug in the USB cord and it will show up on your computer as a removable storage device. Use FoxPro’s programming utility, or manually number the sounds.

Note: Wrap your TOA speaker bracket with some camo tape or some other type of thermal break if you’re hunting in the cold. That metal bracket sucks the heat right out of the hands. Plus, it keeps the caller quiet if a branch smacks that bracket.

#2 E-caller

The second best in my opinion out of the callers I have and have used is the Minaska Ultimate One. This is also a very tough caller and has handled the cold well. I’ve added foam padding to the inside to help insulate the batteries (10 AA).

I wanted to run the 14.8volt Li-Ion packs I use, but was told that it was not recommended by the manufacturer. Not a huge deal, I have plenty of 10AA packs. The Ultimate One has a built in decoy, which is handy when I want to use a decoy at times. I had to add a small section of fiberglass arrow shaft to my UO so I could more easily install my decoy. In the cold, the plastic tube that the decoy goes into was near impossible to fit without proper alignment. With the fiberglass tubing and a little bit of chamfering of the plastic tubing, the decoy rod goes in easily in the cold. Batteries seem to drain quicker on this caller than the other models. I’ll typically use up a 10AA pack and a good portion of another one in a long day of calling along with running the decoy intermediately. Weight of the Ultimate One as is for me with the 10AA packs is right at 4 pounds 10 ounces. The geometry of the Pelican case and speakers makes this caller tougher to carry around the waist on a strap, like I do at times. Slinging another item around my shoulder along with the rifle is a pain when post holing in the snow or moving. Moving branches out of the way and such is just a pain with something heavy in my hands. It’s not that huge of an issue, but something that is important to me to stay light and fast in the field. This is the only caller in the list with dual speakers. I do not use dual speakers or play stereo sounds, plain and simple. The additional cone speaker is just added weight to me. I’ve thought about getting another Pelican case and making it with just the single TOA speaker, but don’t care to mess with that project since I almost exclusively use my CS-24 now. This caller plays MP3 files only and is programmable, a definite bonus to this tough caller. The Minaska will often ride with me in the truck as my back-up caller.

#3. FoxPro Scorpion
This little caller is in a totally different class “as is”, but add an external TOA 10W speaker or SP-55 and it runs up there with the big boys on the volume scale. My Scorpion is an older model, but has been very reliable. Being able to stick it in a pocket is very handy and makes for the quickest and lightest “hunting” on the snowmachine, due to me not having to unstrap it. The newer Scorpions use the new, antenna-less TX9 remote and have several new features that my older model lacks. It’s still a great caller that has worked flawlessly for me. If you have back problems, or simply do not need a ton of volume, the Scorpion would be worth looking at. I break out the Scorpion every so often and use it if I’m hunting close to home on the snowmachine and want to go uber-light. Sounds are programmed via USB plug and FoxPro Programming Utility or manually numbered and named. Battery is also stored and changed inside the case.

 

[snowcamoman]

#4. Out of Production Wildlife Technologies KAS2030 (Original 2030, not the MS, MM, or ML models)
From my list of callers I have, the best WT model built in my opinion was the KAS2030 (original), circa 2003. This caller used the large 30W TOA speaker, which is far superior to the new, all plastic MA-21 for me. The remote on the older KAS2030 was larger and had an antenna, but had two LED lights on it. One LED which told you that it was on (RED) and another Transmitting LED in Green. The Green LED would flash when a button was pushed, letting you know that it was a successful button push. That’s a good thing in the cold, because sometimes with gloves on, you’re not always 100% sure if you pushed hard enough. The downside to this remote is that it’s slow. You have to wait for the LED to turn off before the next button can be pushed. Not a huge deal, but definitely not the fastest sound access. The antenna on this, the WT KAS-2030MS and my MA-21 all used a poorly designed fold up antenna. This antenna design has been beat up since it came out and they now have a totally internal antenna, which should remedy the problem. This caller is non-programmable, so rates low on my list due to that feature alone. The remote requires a minimum of 2 button pushes to access sounds, even in the “Favorite” mode. You must push FAV and then a number to play your favorite sounds. It’s really a poor way to try and quickly access sounds if you ask me. The volume is good on this caller, louder than the WT KAS2030MS and slightly louder (to my ear) than the CS-24, Minaska UO and above other callers. That volume comes with the price of having to tote the large 30W speaker though. For me, the additional weight and lack of programmability is not enough to hassle with. This caller due to it being out of production and antenna prone issues sits in my collection along with my many other old WT’s. If you can find one of these for a good deal, it’s not a bad caller to hunt with. A good deal to me would be in the price range of $300 with a decent sound list.

#5 WT KAS2030MS (out of production)…..sort of…
PHOTO
This is another out of production WT caller from 2009. While I say this caller is out of production, this caller’s circuit appears identical to the newest MA model of callers from WT. I know several people who have converted their plastic MA’s to the prior, superior speakered TOA model by just taking the circuit out and installing it in a TOA speaker. The Micro SD cards are interchangeable between the two, which is handy I guess, if I want to change cards on them. The caller runs on 10AA Ni-MH batteries stored in a Lowe Pro camera case mounted to the TOA bracket. I’ve thought about removing this battery configuration and installing a female jack on the caller, but simply have no reason to do so since I do not use this caller any more. The exposed 9 volt snap connector wires are small and tend to crack in the cold if they get hit or are flexed often. This caller uses the same type of antenna as the above 2030 model, minus the small black box (Linx RF) receiver.

These were nice little callers, but again lack any programmable options by the customer. The remote is a smaller, non-antenna setup that runs on two AAA batteries. The remote is comfortable to hold. Trying to hunt with the WT remote in the dark “as is” from the manufacturer is a problem. I added raised button pads to one of my MA remotes and on the other same remote added a lanyard attachment loop, glow paint on the numbers, and raised Aqua-Seal buttons. You can see that I’ve added my own lanyard attachment via drilling a hole and installing a para-cord loop. This is a cheap fix for a simple problem. There are other ways of making a lanyard attachment or using a case, I just went with the simplest and most effective method to solve the problem. I’ve heard that this can void your WT warranty, but honestly I don’t care and have a backup if needed. The remote has the same two button mandatory push to get a Favorite sound to play. There is a small, red/orange LED in the eye of the coyote on the remote that indicates it is on.

By default the remote will shut off by itself after 30 seconds. You can reprogram the sleep mode by pushing 9992XXXPLAY, where XXX is the time in seconds that the remote will stay on. The max time is 999 seconds, or 16 minutes, 39 seconds.

#6 Wildlife Technologies MA-21

This is Wildlife Technologies most current model. Mine is a year old and has the external antenna. New models have an internal antenna. This thing is heavy and cumbersome to tote around for me. As is with the 14 AA’s, I show a weight of 5 pounds 13 oz. It’s over twice as heavy as my CS-24. I’ve used this caller off of my snowmachine before, but only on trails I know are smooth. I’d be very leery of letting this thing take a pounding in the really cold weather due to the all plastic construction and lack of decent tie down points. The caller runs on 14 AA batteries, which are accessed in the rear by turning two small screws.

I must remove my gloves to change out these batteries. In the cold, this is something that is a real pain to do. I’ve thought about adding a larger head type bolt onto this for easier access, but simply do not use this caller in the cold anymore. Actually, I don’t use this caller at all and it sits dormant. Once you open the battery compartment, you’ll notice a handy sticker on the larger 10AA pack that says “Warning! Don’t remove the battery snap from the battery holder when replacing batteries”. I figured OK, I can handle that. WRONG!!!

On my third trip with this caller I probably voided my warranty and installed my own 10AA battery pack. For my other 10 AA battery callers (Minaska UO, Scorpion, WT’s), I always carry two spare 10AA holders ready to go with a wrap of electrical tape around them to keep the batteries held tight. I carefully remove the battery packs and plug in the new battery packs rather than mess around with individually changing out the batteries in the field. Why in the world there is a Warning sticker on the MA battery pack is beyond me. I’ve used this caller in the cold several times and each time regret it and end up resorting to my backup caller. Battery case cracking, antenna wire snapping, too heavy to “float” in the snow. I have to really put a mound of snow down and pack it a bit to keep this caller from sinking in. There’s just too much ground pressure from the thing to effectively use and mess with in my fluffy snow. I have zero reason to want to take this caller out hunting. I’d grab any of the above callers before this one due to the weight, size, and durability. A salesman’s pitch about this being the best WT is simply a sale’s pitch to sell the thing. Sure it can run louder than the prior WT models, but that’s not enough reason for me to need to use it.
Added side note WT information because so many people ask me about this:
This caller and prior 2030 models that utilized the Micro SD card are not programmable. You cannot add or remove the sounds on the Micro SD card. If you try to put the card in your computer you will see two folders. One that says “System” and another one that says “Sounds”. The sound files are in a proprietary .wtx format and you cannot rearrange them or do anything with them. They are somehow linked into the files in the System folder and cannot be rearranged, deleted, or changed and be played. Accessing the Micro SD card can be difficult if you have larger hands. Taking the card out is not so tough, but getting it back in may require the use of tweezers to align the card and push it into the holder. There are four long bolts that hold the caller together. Use caution when tightening these because there is no metal insert in the case to prevent stripping out or cracking as far as I can tell. My case already is showing signs of wear from circuit access.

CONTENDER at #2 if I owned one.
While I currently do not have one, the FoxPro Fury is an excellent caller that rates high on my list. I’d probably put this caller at number 2, it’s just that I haven’t really put one through the super cold weather paces. I’ve hunted over one and have used a friends, I just do not have my own to photo. They feature the same TX500 remote and features as my CS-24 as well as the option to run the caller without the remote. This is something that could prove very handy if you’re prone to losing things, like remotes. I know the Fury is very comfortable to strap and carry with the handle configuration. I kept it around my waist on the snowmachine while riding and it was pretty comfortable and easy to deploy. Battery life was good on the Fury, but I wasn’t able to use it in the super cold for extended periods of time when I was out. It ran all day long for my calling when the temperatures were 10ºF. That would probably suffice for most of the lower 48 I’d wager. I would like to run my Li-Ion packs with this caller and could do it with a little modification to the case and a pig-tail for plugging it in. I’d wager that FoxPro could set this up for me, I just have no reason to own one at this point in time.

That’s about as much as I can think of off the top of my head with my callers. I know I don’t own every one of the newest models around with the newest features, but this is a good starting point for discussion. As far as sounds go. FoxPro has added more and higher quality sounds to their library than any other manufacturer in the past 5 years. Minaska seems to almost be at a standstill for new sounds and WT hasn’t added anything new as far as I can tell lately. Johnny Stewart sounds are good and being able to play them on a caller should rate high on a customer’s list if you ask me.

 

[Jackindistress]

Great information. Thanks for taking the time to write all of that. I intend to buy a new caller before next winter and I am leaning hard towards getting the Foxpro CS-24.

 

[snowcamoman]

You can't go wrong with the CS-24 Jackindistress, it's my northern workhorse.

 

[Webopper]

I know you didn't get into it, but I think after a review like that, we also have to consider the customer service side. All the callers you are talking about are complex electronic devices, and as such, from time to time, are going to have issues. If you run into one of those issues with FoxPro, they have the reputation of stepping up and getting it taken care of. Some of the other companies...yea, not so much.

I recently bought a used CS-24 and upon testing found that it wasn't putting out the volume it should. Because I wasn't the original owner, I was hesitant to call FoxPro, but decided I had nothing to lose by doing it. Without questioning me, they said to send it to them and they would take care of it. A week later, I had it back, functioning as it should. They also upgraded the remote firmware to include a couple of previously not included features and replaced a loose knob.

Yea, you have to include the customer service aspect in there...

 

[dirtydave]

Thanks for the great info. I followed Snowcamoman's recommendations on the Li-Ion batteries. They last forever and also in the cold weather.
Dave

 

[Ursus21]

"FoxPro, they have the reputation of stepping up and getting it taken care of. Some of the other companies...yea, not so much.

AMEN!!! to that!!!

 

[DoubleCK]

As always good comparison.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

I recently purchased a CS24B.

I really had a hard time deciding between it or the MA21. Then I realized ... WHY ON EARTH would anyone want a caller that they can't program themselves? It makes no sense to me to spend that kind of money on a caller & not be able to add your own sounds to it as you please. Plus the CS24B is made right here in the good ole USA & backed with top-notch customer service to go with it.

I was considering the other because why???

I'm glad I come to my senses!

 

[megedagik]

Awesome reviews thanks

 

[possumal]

As always, Snowcamoman provides a nice service to his fellow predator hunters. I can't imagine hunting in that kind of cold, let alone figuring out ways to make it more fun while out there. My hat is off to the man of the north.

 

[SkwentnaMan]

Great thread SCM. I must be getting soft in my old age, I wont go out in -10 let alone -30. Most people don't under stand the temps we deal with. Taking your gloves of for a few seconds can be pain full. I love my scorpion, I just hooked up the TOA speaker and WOW is it loud. I think it is going to be a good combo for the times I need the vol.

Thanks for all the great info and helping with questions.

If your ever in the wasilla area look me up, I have a couple extra snowmachines and critters nearby. Also a cabin in Skwentna.

 

[snowcamoman]

Skwentna,
Thanks for the offer, I'll definitely look you up if I get down your way.

Amazing what that little TOA does to the Scorpion isn't it? You have a really versatile caller there with the extra speaker.

 

[COYKILL]

I think all call manufacturers should give snowcamoman a call to test in the cold. I wonder what ones would let him test?

 

[1coyoteslayer]

How does the cs24 compare to the fury? I hve an fx 3 and looking to upgrade.

 

[snowcamoman]

1coyoteslayer,
The CS-24 and Fury are two different types of callers if you ask me. The CS-24 is louder and more durable, but lacks the ability to play without the remote. It also has a single speaker vs. the Fury's double speaker configuration. Size and weight are very similar. Both use the same remotes and have the same aux jack, external speaker jack, and USB connection for adding/removing sounds. If you know somebody in your area with a CS-24, I'd highly recommend you try and hook up with them and get a look and listen to the CS-24.

 

[1coyoteslayer]

Thanks

 

[cbosshog79]

Very good write-up. It is always nice to hear from guys with knowledge of multiple brands.

 

[compaq12]

Have you done a volume and clarity comparison test between the WT and the CS24?

 

[unloaded]

My buddy and I have compared a MA15 and 10w CS24 side by side. Neither of us can detect any difference in clarity or volume. We were even able to play quite a few of the same sounds on both.