# Green Monster



## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

I have tried the Answer whistle and according to training partners,it does not stand out at 400 yds in the spillway,as does the Green Monster.Question is this: My GM squeels and makes weird noises ! Are they all the same or should I get someone to test them when I buy another one ? One other feller in our group has the same problem with his.It seems strange to me that many of the big names at the nationals were using the Answer.My dog responds to it well as long as it is not lunging water.


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## Howard N (Jan 3, 2003)

I use the orange answer whistle. I couldn't stand the green monster. It makes to many squeals and squawks. There's no doubt in my mind that the green monster is heard a little farther out than the orange whistle. My dogs are conditioned to the green monster and I can switch to it at a distance but I seldom do. 

One thing about the green monster is you can't use inflection with it. It seems like you only get the 400 yard whistle and when you lighten it up it squeals more.

I think cold weather brings out more squeals in the green monster also, I think in warmer weather it's better.


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## Goldenboy (Jun 16, 2004)

I tried and tried and tried to use the Green Monster but hated the inconsistencies, the squawks/squeeks, and the damage to my eardrums. Decided that I was willing to take the risk of losing the dog on a blind at 400 yards in running water.

Also saw a large number using "the answer" at both National's and will give her a go this spring.


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## Bayou Magic (Feb 7, 2004)

Jay,

I switched from the GM to the Answer for one simple reason....without a doubt, *my dog* hears the Answer and responds to it better than the GM. I, on the other hand, hear the GM better. But Roux isn't blowing the whistle hoping I can hear it, I'm blowing it for _him_ to hear.

fp


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## KPR's Texas Retrievers (May 2, 2004)

Jay, I’m not sure why you’re getting note changes with your GM. I’ve used one for about 3 years. It came about after losing Anna on a running water blind in an open. By the time she heard my mega whistle it was too late. I do know it takes a little more lung power to use. The tone carries a very long way. The only time I’ve ever had one of my dogs not hear the GM was in a cut corn field when the chaff was left on the ground and Rosie did not hear it at 75 to 100 years. They scrapped the test after several dogs had run and not stopped regardless of which whistle they were blowing. Because I’ve used mine so much I’ve learned how to get inflection with it but best of all, when I blow it all out I have confidence that Anna will hear it either at 100 yards or 500 and that’s the biggest part. Very seldom do I blow a second whistle to have her stop. For your information I clean my GM about twice a year by leaving it in water and Polident overnight. I take a Q-tip to clean the holes. Maybe that would help.


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## Charles C. (Nov 5, 2004)

Try super gluing the crack between the mouthpiece and the cover so that it's airtight. Less sound comes back to your ears and it squeaks less. I used the answer for a little while and determined that if I kept blowing it, I'd be deaf in a few years because the sound is not directed out as well as with the GM.


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

I hear ya Frank ! I really like the Answer because of its consistency and clarity up to the 300 yd distance.Also the difference in the whistle to others training in the area is nice ,as there may be three people honking down on on GMs while you are running a blind.Main thing I wanted to know is if the squeels were because of the whistle or the fact that one cannot use it for close in finesse stops.I do note that people that use the GM use a strong loud beep close in,whereas I use a softer beep close in.I'm going to work with the Answer some more.Thanks for the feedback yaul .


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## wetland_retrievers (Jul 22, 2005)

I use Answer primarily. I too at first had a problem with the rebounding noise. Really hurts my ears. But I played around with different things to make it quieter and to direct the noise forward and not back. I popped the whistle part out(just held in by a little glue, can be wiggled out) and dipped the bell cone in plasti-dip. Once nice and dry glue the whistle back in. It won't rattle around your neck any more and it makes it considerably quieter for the operator.


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## Chris Miller (Dec 16, 2005)

Can you get it in black, that orange just sticks out too much.


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

Maverick said:


> Can you get it in black, that orange just sticks out too much.


I decided the orange is great for trials, testing and training. I bought a clear "competition" without the shroud for hunting and cut the cork out through the air exit slot with a utility knife in about thirty seconds. That little thing is what I keep on my hunting lanyard to try and give my dog a sound/pitch pretty close to what he hears training or trialing.

I read before that someone picked the pea out of a black shrouded competition with pea (aka Megawhistle) but I sure can't figure out how you do that without some surgical skills!

You could always wrap the outside of the orange one with some black electrical tape if it really bugged you...but that may dampen the sound a bit.

Chris


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## Chris Miller (Dec 16, 2005)

Chris Atkinson said:


> I decided the orange is great for trials, testing and training. I bought a clear "competition" without the shroud for hunting and cut the cork out through the air exit slot with a utility knife in about thirty seconds. That little thing is what I keep on my hunting lanyard to try and give my dog a sound/pitch pretty close to what he hears training or trialing.
> 
> I read before that someone picked the pea out of a black shrouded competition with pea (aka Megawhistle) but I sure can't figure out how you do that without some surgical skills!
> 
> ...


I just removed the whistle out of the mega and glued in a new peeless. Done, black answer ..lol


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

Mark Smith and I did some whistle checks again in the spillway yesterday.400 yards.The answer was heard but faint.GM was clearly heard.Now we are talking human ears,so I am going to try the bent whistle for yardwork and close in,and hang the GM for blinds and trials.I did take a GM and cut a inch off the end to decrease the bulk,but have only tested it here at the kennels.I epoxy puttied any spaces between the whistle and shroud,and cant get it to squeel now.Weather or not it affects the distance shall remain to be tested.I am not a Doppler or Ferriday scientist .......just trying for a practical,reliable,fair way to communicate with my dogs in extreme terrain.


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## John Lash (Sep 19, 2006)

Jay,

I was at a trial a year ago and someone had a Green Monster that made all kind of sounds, inflection if you will. I asked the guy about it and how he could make all those different sounds with it.

He acted a little embarassed and said he had to get another one because he had cut a little bit off the end of that one to make it smaller and now he couldn't tell what was going to come out of it.

I use the GM, but it took me a long time to change. It's too big and too loud sometimes but it's terrible to go out 'cause your dog didn't hear the whistle. 

I've heard some experienced field trial people say that the GM will just make for longer blinds in the future, now that the dogs can hear that far, let's go further. 

John Lash


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

Bwahaaaa sounds about right! No, I cut mine off a bit,and sealed up all daylight spots,and it is ten times better,no squeel or weird noises now.Thanks !


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## tbadams (Dec 29, 2008)

I found the GM to be to cumbersome and hard to hold in my mouth. I wrapped a large rubber band around it and made it easier for my teeth to hold.

Recently I bought a whistle without the rain gauge made by Acme in England that I found in a local sporting goods store. 

It's the same whistle and the tone is more consistent but loud on the ears, cupping my hands around it seems to help.


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

Used my cut down version today on double land blind,and a loooong water blind.No problems at all,cept I could not see if my dog was treading square.I just gave the cast and she took it.Looks like some binox in my future.


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## wayne anderson (Oct 16, 2007)

I found that regular soaking in water and dental cleaning tablet helps keep my GM from sounding funky. I use the orange Answer pealess because it is much more user-friendly and just as effective for my GM-trained dog--but keep GM handy in case of super long blinds! (P.S. I hate GMs when I am judging).


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## ghak99 (Jun 1, 2007)

Maverick said:


> I just removed the whistle out of the mega and glued in a new peeless. Done, black answer ..lol


I use the Answer for all training, but could not bring myself to hunt with a big orange whistle. Such a simple fix.....I can't believe I didn't think of it.

.........off to see if I've still got any Megas laying around to tear apart.


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