Resurect the Model 512 or Dennis Kirk Casstette Player

[uncle buck]

Same Ole same Ole...Same ole pitch of the FX5,  decided to get some of the dust off of the old Model 512.  the battery should be charged from time to time anyway...used it just last Saturday...So nice to hear that large speaker of the Model 512 performing canine distress sounds into the night...Something about the speaker system on the JS cassette players..


Over the years I have owned some electronic callers.  I can't say that once I went more high tech the predator started to run me down when called in.  Nope the old Model 512 and the one before that ....JS Rectangular cassette player that worked with D batteries all called in predators in large quantities..

kind of sad that you hardly even see the Model 512 or Model 612 for sale anymore...


Nice that their is a closed season for fox...That by next year a new brood is born...Since you figure?  How many of us really have the same ole same ole pitch playing predator caller...
See sometimes it good to do a change out now and then when calling.....




Also many predator callers are buying the cheap remote player... Now thats good! however maybe just maybe one would want to pick the unique sounds that other callers are not buying. Say? instead of the Red Bird sound buy the Shore bird something others don't pick out or select in bulk......OR better yet place your own mouth calling sounds on the chips and or boards not the factory sounds.

Anyway see it's good they close the season...Maybe we all need to give the fox a chance to forget some of those same ole same ole sounds...

Or

the fieldmouse?  a fieldmouse is a field mouse is a field mouse...thats one that probably never gets old for a predator...

[uncle buck]

Used the Model 512 and the Dennis Kirk caller last night...Notice the difference in the sounds.  Seemed like the old Model 512 just did not bellow out the volume like it use too..This could be due to the battery soon needing replacement...  The Kirk call when hung in a tree the batteries in the bottom of the caller...(Gravity) would cause them to shift and there were moments I had to go back and jiggle the turn on knob..However once I put it on the ground...Gravity did not loosen the batteries in the compartment and it worked fine..Wow the sound was just awesome.

I  also had my Powerdogg with me...Purchase the expensive Energizer AA to use in it.  However made the mistake of not removing them from the caller the last time I used the Powerdogg....Dead drained from just being inside the caller...So now I know after every hunt to make sure I remove the module and insert it prior to hunting ...I even took the batteries out of the modules too. No problem , many mfg recommend you take the batteries out of electronics if your not going to use them for an amount of time. 

I like the sound of the Kirk so well this past hunt that I am going to attach a Lohman speaker to the Jack of my FX5.   This might even make the FX5 sound better then even the Cone speaker it already has...
Also the add on speaker could make the coyote vocalization real nice too..



Just want to post a few things about callers in general...See no matter they are made by humans and they will get old and fail and or need special things done to them to make the work better and longer.. 

Gee even mouth calls start to show wear and tear too after awhile and they too need a bit of maintenance to bring them back into tip top shape...

[foxtrot]

The cassette players and tapes are getting harder to find and I suppose in a couple years will no longer be available.I had several over the years and they all did very well.At times it seemed that some of the cassettes were more productive then the new technology.

[dreamcatcher]

Still have my Kirk caller and cassettes. Tried to sell them several times, no one interested. Just takes up space.

[uncle buck]

Yes....There are a few that one should at least dub from the original..Problem is that your at the mercy of the person recording equipment.. There could be a hum, buzz, click in recording which in my opinion renders it useless..
When one see certain tapes in old stores or at flemarkets it might be good to buy them... Tapes like Johnny Stewart Grey Fox's Pup...I already have two of these and I do not use the newer yellow labeled one. still use the old white labeled one until it goes Kaput...

[foxtrot]

I still have some smith cassette tapes that worked real well.Thats a name you don't hear anymore.

[uncle buck]

I would think? If you could find a Smith Gray Fox Pup sound, What ever it's on that it would be worth some money someday? Since he is the inventor of The Grey Fox Pup Sound.....

[foxtrot]

Not many people would know that unclebuck.Also is it true he was a Pennsylvania resident?

[foxtrot]

I was looking through my cassettes and found another one that worked real well.It was produced by Richard Faler Jr. Greenville,Pa. in 1982.What happened to all these companys that seemed to produce a good product?

[uncle buck]

Notice that many of the small companies went bankrupt...The way the existing companies made it is by signing over the rights to larger companies.  Most times we see mergers of big company.. Funny that even predator calling companies have to do this to survive.  If I may name some of the companies Hunter Specialties now are responsible for Johnny Strewart Products and Carlton Calls...MAD now control Miniska Electronic callers. Primos control R.  Anderson products..
Um wonder if this is why some of the large quantities of calling products (Predator Calling Sounds) have been reduced not because they were bad but as a market thing...The more products you carry the more likely your overhead goes up etc etc etc..
I remember talking to one of the mfg and they telling me that you have to keep changing your noncustom product line to make it in the calling industry.  The same ole same ole results in people not buying the item anymore...  Look at all the companies that are making it...They are coming out with new types of everything year after year after year.
 

[uncle buck]

Not many people would know that unclebuck.Also is it true he was a Pennsylvania resident?

Yes he is...He use to have a stand at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show at Harrisburg..I purchased one of his crow calls...Last I heard...I think that was last year he was still alive too...

See Pa like Texas has a lot of roots when it comes to predator calling..We all should be proud of that...I once read that both Gerald Stewart and Major Boddicker commented on the quality of the predator callers in Pa at seminars or in their articles...

[uncle buck]

Also Johnny Stewart was hunting and he saw a rabbit get caught in a fence...the thing started crying...Article said that all of a sudden wolves  Probably Texas red wolves came in and rip the rabbit apart...That how he decided about using a record with a rabbit in distress sound on it to call in predators...
Murray Burnham....His dad used his voice to call in predators.. Both the brothers Murray and I think his name was Morton invented a mouth call that mimic their dads distress sounds.
Even Jim Smith thats how I heard tell he stumbled on the Grey Fox Pup sound.  He either shot a grey fox or had one in a trap and it started squealing and right at that moment it also called in another grey fox..So he used a live grey, captured his sound on a recording and thats how the Grey Fox Pup sound was invented..