Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: fly-by on March 05, 2019, 10:32:49 AM

Title: E-caller battery question
Post by: fly-by on March 05, 2019, 10:32:49 AM: I use a Foxpro Banshee with 10 aa rechargeables. Battery life in cold weather is maybe 90 mins on high volume. I would like to upgrade to a single 12v rechargeable. Connectors are the common Tamiya variety so there are lots of choices in Li-ion or Nimh

My concern is burning up the unit with too much amperage. Looking for advice from someone who understands electronics on how to safely accomplish this for less than the $100 FoxPro charges for A Li-ion battery and charger.
Title: Re: E-caller battery question
Post by: lord grizzly on March 05, 2019, 10:56:23 AM: Just buy the fox pro batteries. I have there rechargeables in my shockwave and I can go two full days of calling easy with out recharging. I actually killed the batteries on purpose one time just to see by leaving it running on low volume in my gear room and it took three days to die. If your doing serious predator hunting 100 bucks is pretty cheap
Title: Re: E-caller battery question
Post by: fly-by on March 05, 2019, 12:42:03 PM: Thanks lord grizzly. I'll probably go that route too.
Title: Re: E-caller battery question
Post by: KFhunter on March 05, 2019, 12:49:56 PM: get these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JB0T6AK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

20 batteries for 26 bux, 2300 mah so they'll last a good long while. This is what I'm using now. I keep two sets fully charged (20 batteries) and it lasts for days and days of calling.

I just replaced my energizer rechargeables after 5 years and they're still going fine, but I'm getting a couple that aren't charging fully so I ditched them all.
Perhaps you got one or two bad batteries messing up your call times? I keep them all identical.

Also I use a tenergy 16 bay battery charger in my truck that plugs into the cigarette lighter to top off batteries between sets when I'm driving around.
It comes with a car adapter.
https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-TN438-Protection-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00ZYTX93M/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2K6CSPHLGT6GO&keywords=tenergy+16+bay&qid=1551819035&s=electronics&sprefix=tenergy+16+bay%2Celectronics%2C264&sr=1-3

Another thing I did was order a 10 bay battery holder for easy swap outs, it's identical to the foxpro one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZTUI7Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I want to get another pouch and attach it to the other side of my CS24B caller and hook it to an auxillary speaker.

I don't see any reason to pack a car battery in the field, just get good ni-mh batteries with higher mah ratings. I wouldn't go less than 2300mah
Title: Re: E-caller battery question
Post by: fly-by on March 05, 2019, 04:11:46 PM: Thanks for the suggestions. I woner if you can charge them in the 10 pack given the right connector. It's a PITA taking them out, especially in the field.
Title: Re: E-caller battery question
Post by: Okanagan on March 05, 2019, 05:46:55 PM: Fry's Electronics in Seattle (Renton?) and Batteries Plus have little rechargeable gel batteries, in 12V and 6V. Mine is 4"x2x1 3/4, weighs less than a pound and will run e-caller plus a big TOA external speaker all day on full volume raspy low tones, which drain batteries faster than high tones. Batteries Plus near South Center had a gel battery half the size of this one, about 2x2x2, which I wish I had bought.

The gel battery shown blow fits in a shirt pocket and makes for an extra step to plug into the e-caller on a stand. Even when running the minimal e-caller with no external speaker nor external battery, I take the gel along in case I run down the internal AA batteries.

I have a connecter pigtail so I can run the e-caller off of the external gel battery, shown below. It plugs into the recharging port of the e-caller. Online similar batteries run from about $6 to $30, in various sizes and modes. I think I paid $16 for mine at Fry's, can't remember.

Maybe ask the call maker about external batteries, though most makers want us to buy their proprietary items. You might take your e-caller into Batteries Plus or a Radio Shack to fit power draw and connector plugs.

I have a recharging set up in my vehicle but have never used it on the gel battery, even on three day calling trips.

(https://i.imgur.com/6cE9vWL.jpg)
Title: Re: E-caller battery question
Post by: Bofire on March 05, 2019, 07:54:30 PM: my experience is that none of them recharge as much/fast or often as they say! LOL I'd call or email FoxPro first, I have found them very helpful
Carl