Game Traks E-caller report

DavidM

DavidM

New member
Just got back from field testing the new Game Traks 3 speaker unit and let me tell you it is everything you could possibly want in an Ecaller. This unit will absolutely amaze you. The sounds are incredible and the ease of use for the hand held will blow you away. I am writting an article about it and will hopefully have it published soon. PM me if you have specific questions.

David
 
David,
I'm just curious as to how those speakers fit into the bases? I'd be scared to take one of those things out at -30ºF and try to take it apart. Plastic and those temperatures just don't mix. Maybe you can find out if Gametraks plans on offering a cold weather edition or maybe some specs on the plastic they're using for the base? Thanks for the update and I'm looking forward to the writeup.
 
Snow camo, the base doubles as a speaker cover/ protector while in transportation in the vehicle or to the stand. Once at the stand, the base is "slid" off the speaker and the speaker base slides into the stand /cover while in the horizontal position. It's a friction fit in the stand - may or may not be an issue at -30 (I suspect not). I would be more concerned with LCD operation and battery packs (installed in the speakers) for longevity.

I would also like to hear his comments regarding dual speaker use with stereo sound or dissimilar calls, true hunting range of the remote, appraisal of volume with a special focus on the coyote communicative vocals - loud enough..?..

I have my impression from the unit we field tested - Like to see some other user feedback

davidM, last question, what is your association with Gamtraks, if any?
 
I know guys, I am on a deadline and not much time to write. Ask your questions and I will answer them as best I can.
 
First let me say that I am NOT being paid by game traks. I told them up front that I would test the equipment and if I didn't like it, I wouldn't use it or promote it. I am a custom call maker and WAS a total hand call guy till I used this unit. Will I use it extensively? Not a chance. But I will use it 30-50% of the time. I much prefer it to the other brands on the market and find it more user friendly.

The speaker bases are a little difficult to get the speakers in when it got below zero. But I just left them set up in the bases and carried them that way.

I will admit that some of the coyote vocalizations weren't as loud as I would have liked. Others were! Just like anything you use there will be good sounds and ones that you just don't use. I found most of them to be of good quality. You can also load your own sounds.

The dual speaker option is awesome. Being able to set the speakers in different locations and use different sounds was VERY beneficial as it seemed to keep the coyotes guessing. I am headed back out tomorrow for a few days and will try to make a recording so you can hear what the "stereo" effect is like. I am telling you that this thing is amazing. One of the other features that I tested was to place the speaker in a spot I wanted to call and then leave the area for a while. I came back in about 2 hours and the speaker immediately recognized the handheld and worked. The hibernation feature is nice. I haven't left it out overnight because it has been extremely cold here lately.

The battery longevity in the cold wasn't great. They lasted for a couple of days, but when they died, they flat out died.

The only glitch that bothered me was the true range issue. While I haven't put it to a true test I did notice that line of sight is an issue. If the handheld can't "see" the speaker (line of sight) then it might or might not play. Not a big issue but one I intend to bring to the attention of GameTraks and see if they have a fix.

One of the nice things also is that the handheld and speakers get regular software updates through the internet. So little fixes are automatically done once the update is on the site. Just plug it in and it does the work for you.

David
 
Thanks for the information, it's taken along time for them to get this thing to market it seems. If the plastic base seems to get really stiff at cold temperatures, I don't think I could personally use it up here. Running a snowmachine with a storage box on the back will destroy plastic items on a rough trail. I have to wrap everything up in foam or small towels if there are plastic items in there. Is there any way to carry one of the bases in a large pocket? If so, there might be a chance to use it in the arctic cold. The LCD screens also don't perform well when it hits around -20ºF, unless a handwarmer is strapped to the remote near the LCD screen. It looks like it has some interesting features and I'm looking forward to hearing more reports about it. Those Ti-Lion batteries go from alive to dead in a hurry though, that's for sure.
 


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