El cheapo

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kastles

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Lower Mainland, BC
Anyone here build an "el cheapo" predator caller lately? What did you use for an amplifier? Since we have no RadioShack up here in Canada where did you find the mini amp? thanks

kastles
 
The Source can not or will not get the speaker amp or power horn. We drove to Buffalo and picked two of each up. Get them to ship it from a Radio Shack.
 
I use one of these http://store.casscreek.com/Product/558/Big-Horn-Remote-Speaker/ & just attach it to an MP3 player. I have lots of various calls in mp3 format. Works well for me, although I have had to repair the cord a couple of times.
 
I tried to make an "el-cheapo", but couldn't get the radio shack parts unless I wanted to buy from ebay. So I tried a ghetto blaster. Not even close to loud enough. So then I ordered a horn speaker with built-in amp from casscreek (as glang1 mentioned), and it is great! It comes with 75 feet of wire that your iPod plugs into, and it is VERY loud and very clear. It is also MUCH more portable and compact than any ghetto blaster. Couldn't ask for more. WSS is selling it right now for $60. I paid about the same by ordering from the US after shipping and duty. The only downside is that it's larger than some callers (but they cost several hundred dollars), and it uses 4 C batteries, which some people object to (to me it just means more power and longer lasting performance).
 
Theres are $40 guitar amp @ Walmart. I took it apart, re mounted the parts into an old ammo can w/ 2x 6v batteries in series, and power inverter from Canadian Tire. I use my MP3 player for sound. It's a bit of a battery hog when you crank the volume but its LOUD. I could post pic's if you like. $hit simple to make.
 
Hakx: Post up pics for sure. And a little more "how to" on the power inverter end of things. I grabbed an old speaker horn from work and I can get all the old 12v batts that I want from there too.

And if I cannot get that figured out i'll try the casscreek. Thanks for the links

kastles
 
I bought one of these at home depot and added a power horn in place of the speaker (took it apart and soldered it in place). I gave the unit a blast of spray paint to camo it up a bit.

I use my Blackberry to play the sounds through it. I have yet to call in a 'yote with it, but it seems to work.

post-ryobiradio.jpg
 
Daveg - It is so wierd cause my bro who I've been looking to get one of these things set up with suggested using the one out of his kit for this, much the same how you said to do it. Some questions: Do you get good run time with it? Loud enough?
 
Has anyone been able to locate a source for the parts to build the El Cheapo? I checked the local "Source by Circuit City" and they had none of the parts! If anyone knows where I can get the mini amp and power horn, please drop me a pm. Cheers!
 
Crappy pics - cell phone cam


Started life as $44 guitar AMP from Wally world
AMp.jpg


Took it apart, a mounted in a Milsurp ammo can along with a 200 Watt inverter ($20 on sale) from Crappy tire, and two 6v batteries wired in series.
Call.jpg

otherside.jpg


Loaded my Coyotes greatest hits onto this..
MP3.jpg


I press play and set this in the woods.
finalproduct.jpg


If taken it to the woods a few times, no kills yet. If you crank the volume, battery life an issue. Still pretty cool. I guess I could engineer some smaller components, but for the price of whats available (and their engineers did all the math), no point really. I might place it into a larger case that will accomodate a motorcycle battery one day.
 
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