# Handler Whistle



## 43x

Anyone own one of these ? What do ya think ?

http://www.crobiltcalls.com/handlerswhistle.html


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## Keith Stroyan

Looks great. What's it cost?


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## Howard N

$90.

Anyone used one? How does it sound? Does the sound carry? Easy to blow?

$90 for a whistle I use all the time is wellllll not really OK but doable if the whistle is good, that is the dogs hear it at a distance, doesn't blow hard, and I can inflect the sounds. Using the Gonia innards makes me feel OK about them but if the bell doesn't help the sound like the Answer seems to, it's just a pretty piece of junk.

To me the Answer sounds crappy, but it doesn't take to much air, the dogs respond well to it, and I can talk to them with it to some degree.

I'd hate to spend $90 on a whistle and **** can it after a couple of weeks 'cause it doesn't communicate to the dogs as well as the Answer. For $12 I get about a year out of an Answer before the darn thing breaks.


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## tim bonnema

I am not too sure about putting a metal whistle against my lips during a MN winter.


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## Eric Fryer

I know several of the locals that have them and seem to like them. From what I have seen they are loud. I know that they are machined and I believe you can take the bell apart and replace the whistle when it wears out.


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## Howard N

tim bonnema said:


> I am not too sure about putting a metal whistle against my lips during a MN winter.


I expect it's mostly the plastic against your lips. I will not keep the whistle against my lips when it's colder than 5 below. 0 I can stand for awhile 8 below NO WAY!!

Quick toot regards,



PS. So far I haven't had a plastic whistle stick to my lips in the cold so maybe you have something there about the metal whistle.


Anyhoo, I called and ordered one. I'll let everyone know what I think of it after I've used it for a week or so. The owner seemed like a decent guy.


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## Yellow Dog

I'm curious to hear about the volume. I'd really like to get a REALLY, REALLY loud and projecting whistle. 

I have a regular Roy Gonia whistle that works well for me. However, hunting with a buddy this past Fall, he almost had a disastrous situation. He sent his dog out after a blind in the Chesapeake and a driving rain fall moved in in seconds, while his dog was out in the water. It was raining so hard that the pounding of the rain on the water prevented his dog from hearing his whistle. Dog kept going and he couldn't get him to stop going. Had to get the boat and go get him. 

It was at this point that I said I need to get a REALLY, REALLY loud whistle to throw in my blind bag, in case I were ever to encounter a similar situatior (which I hope I never do, knock on wood).


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## Keith Stroyan

Howard, what's the verdict on the aluminum megaphone?


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## DaveHare

I have had my aluminum megaphone for one week,great whistle! the pitch is higher than my plastic megaphone looks cool too.
Dave Hare


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## Yellow Dog

DaveHare said:


> I have had my aluminum megaphone for one week,great whistle! the pitch is higher than my plastic megaphone looks cool too.
> Dave Hare


What about volume?


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## BonMallari

I have a custom made one that was given to me , it very good, very durable, tone is excellent compared to my plastic one above...


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## DaveHare

Yellow Dog said:


> What about volume?


 You can hear a difference, in the pitch and volume it's much better!!!
Dave Hare


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## crp66

It looks like the whistle can be replaced if it breaks. Is that the case?


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## BonMallari

crp66 said:


> It looks like the whistle can be replaced if it breaks. Is that the case?


Yes..the shroud is held together by a hex bolt that can be removed by an allen wrench


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## Howard N

Mine came this week. I have used it twice. 

#1. It's hefty. No light weight here. The aluminum is not stamped out, light weight sheet metal. He told me it was machined out of a bar of aluminum and I believe him. Two halves screw together with a flat head allen wrench screw. I haven't had mine apart yet.

On a long water blind where you have to have the whistle in your mouth watching the dog for a misstroke swimming along a shoreline your jaw will be atremblin'. It does for me with the Green Monster and the Dalahasee too.

The sound is different. The Answer has a slightly higher pitch. It seems like the Crobilt whistle is lower pitched and there are two tones which hetrodyne. At least that's what I think I'm hearing. I first tried it swimbying the yearling. She heard it, responded to it no problem. I tried running a 420 yard x-wind land blind with it. I ran out of whistle at ~350 yards. The dog didn't respond to the Answer at that range and wind conditions either. She did a Dalahasee on the way back. That's the only two times I've used it so far.

My gut feeling is that the Answer is a little louder and will reach out a little further. I think the lower pitch and the mixing of two tones might be robbing a little volume/distance from the Crobilt. Don't know for sure and I'll know more in a couple of weeks.


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## Bayou Magic

Howard N said:


> Mine came this week. I have used it twice.
> 
> #1. It's hefty. No light weight here. The aluminum is not stamped out, light weight sheet metal. He told me it was machined out of a bar of aluminum and I believe him. Two halves screw together with a flat head allen wrench screw. I haven't had mine apart yet.
> 
> On a long water blind where you have to have the whistle in your mouth watching the dog for a misstroke swimming along a shoreline your jaw will be atremblin'. It does for me with the Green Monster and the Dalahasee too.
> 
> The sound is different. The Answer has a slightly higher pitch. It seems like the Crobilt whistle is lower pitched and there are two tones which hetrodyne. At least that's what I think I'm hearing. I first tried it swimbying the yearling. She heard it, responded to it no problem. I tried running a 420 yard x-wind land blind with it. I ran out of whistle at ~350 yards. The dog didn't respond to the Answer at that range and wind conditions either. She did a Dalahasee on the way back. That's the only two times I've used it so far.
> 
> My gut feeling is that the Answer is a little louder and will reach out a little further. I think the lower pitch and the mixing of two tones might be robbing a little volume/distance from the Crobilt. Don't know for sure and I'll know more in a couple of weeks.


Howard: What do you think now?


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## Howard N

I'm getting ready for our first trial of the year and haven't been using the new whistle. I am happier with the lighter Dallahasee and Answer. I'll play more with the Crobuilt after these next two weeks. Honestly, I don't think it's as good as what I'm using now but I'll work with it more after our first two trials.


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## Penner

Ok,newb here, but doesn't anyone use a metal Acme Thunderer anymore? Thats a durable whistle very loud whistle (probably carries 1/4 mile), I've had it & used the same one for 29 years, I ride horses with the dogs loose & they've always heard it.


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## Charles C.

Penner said:


> Ok,newb here, but doesn't anyone use a metal Acme Thunderer anymore? Thats a durable whistle very loud whistle (probably carries 1/4 mile), I've had it & used the same one for 29 years, I ride horses with the dogs loose & they've always heard it.


Any whistle without a shroud is a ticket to early hearing loss for the handler.


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## DDRUGG

The new sport dog Gonia special SUCKS wish i could find my old ones


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## J. Walker

DDRUGG said:


> The new sport dog Gonia special SUCKS wish i could find my old ones


I agree. I still use my old Lucky Dog mega that I bought in 1995. I happened to find some still in the box old Lucky Dog stock of this whistle on Ebay several years ago for $5.00 including shipping so I bought another one. I really don't buy into the whistle hype too much. I've been to, run in, and worked at a number of field trials. While working at events at the long bird station, I have not heard any real difference in volume among the old mega whistles and the Dallesasse/Green Monster whistles. From what I've heard while working at events, the Answer whistles are by far the worst of the lot. Out in the field, the volume of that whistle seems to be well below that of the others especially in wind. The ability to blow an old mega consistently is a different issue though. A well-known pro I've seen run in many events used the old megas for many years. I noticed recently that he is now using the Dallesasse. He told me the only reason he switched was because some of his clients had an easier time blowing it so despite the fact that he never had problems with getting volume and tone of the megas, he switched just because some of his clients did. Then again, that could also be a Sportdog issue with the quality of the current megas being awful.


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## Angie B

Howard N said:


> Mine came this week. I have used it twice.
> 
> #1. It's hefty. No light weight here. The aluminum is not stamped out, light weight sheet metal. He told me it was machined out of a bar of aluminum and I believe him. Two halves screw together with a flat head allen wrench screw. I haven't had mine apart yet.
> 
> On a long water blind where you have to have the whistle in your mouth watching the dog for a misstroke swimming along a shoreline your jaw will be atremblin'. It does for me with the Green Monster and the Dalahasee too.
> 
> The sound is different. The Answer has a slightly higher pitch. It seems like the Crobilt whistle is lower pitched and there are two tones which hetrodyne. At least that's what I think I'm hearing. I first tried it swimbying the yearling. She heard it, responded to it no problem. I tried running a 420 yard x-wind land blind with it. I ran out of whistle at ~350 yards. The dog didn't respond to the Answer at that range and wind conditions either. She did a Dalahasee on the way back. That's the only two times I've used it so far.
> 
> My gut feeling is that the Answer is a little louder and will reach out a little further. I think the lower pitch and the mixing of two tones might be robbing a little volume/distance from the Crobilt. Don't know for sure and I'll know more in a couple of weeks.


I don't think it's the volume with the Answer,,, it's the pitch. If a dog doesn't respond to a whistle they aren't listening for it.  I've run some pretty nasty long crosswind blinds with the Answer in Texas and got a good response.

Angie


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## TroyFeeken

Angie B said:


> I don't think it's the volume with the Answer,,, it's the pitch. If a dog doesn't respond to a whistle they aren't listening for it.  I've run some pretty nasty long crosswind blinds with the Answer in Texas and got a good response.
> 
> Angie


I use the Answer whistle and really like it. Easy and sharp to blow at short distances, easy to apply varying inflection on the whistle for slightly different tones and it can reach out there a ways. The only problem with it is that up her in the Midwest, there are a species of blackbird that mimic sounds and have started seeing more and more popping issues on big blinds. If only the Dalahasee could be a consistent product as I've heard many of their whistles and they all seem a bit different. I'd be willing to switch but don't really feel like buying 10 to find the one that works.


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## Spring

Looks good...thanks for the post.


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## Chris Videtto

I just ordered one today cause curiosity got the best of me! Jeremy was great to work with! I'll let you know what I think moving forward!

Chris


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