Foxpro 631 Digital Game Caller User Manual Prairie Blaster manual

Foxpro Inc Digital Game Caller Prairie Blaster manual

Users Manual

TOPIC PAGE 1.0 Quick Operating Guide 1 1.1 Installing Batteries in Your Prairie Blaster 1 1.2 Installing Batteries in Your TX-500 2 1.3 Playing Sounds Manually 2 1.4 Operating the Prairie Blaster by TX-500 Remote Control 3 1.5 Powering Down 4 1.6 Power Save Mode 2.0 About the FOXPRO Prairie Blaster Speakers 4 3.0 Batteries and Charging 5 3.1 Installing Batteries 5 3.2 Charging Batteries 5 4.0 “AUX” Jack Function 6 5.0 Using External Speakers 7 5.1 Connecting External Speakers 7 5.2 Disabling Internal Speakers Manually 7 5.3 Turning Speakers On/Off with the TX-500 8 6.0 TX-500 Remote Control Operation 9 6.1 Installing Batteries in Your TX-500 10 6.2 Understanding the Menu System 10 6.3 Turning on the TX-500 12 6.4 Selecting Sounds 12 6.5 Setting the Volume 13 6.6 Mute 14 6.7 Sound Sequences 15 6.8 Sound Presets 17 6.9 FOXFADE 17 6.10 AUTO-V 18 6.11 AUX 20 6.12 Recall 20 6.13 Channel Selection 21 7.0 TX-500 & Prairie Blaster Customizations 23 7.1 Prairie Blaster Control Menu 23 7.2 TX-500 Configuration Menu 25 8.0 Programming Your Prairie Blaster 26 8.1 Purchasing New Sounds 26 8.2 Downloading the Programming Utility 27 8.3 Programming with the Utility 28 8.4 Downloading New Playlist to the TX-500 30
Important Information FOXPRO’s goal is to provide our customers with the highest quality products in the industry. We take great pride in manufacturing our products in the USA. Please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance, comments or questions. FOXPRO Inc. 14 Fox Hollow Drive Lewistown, PA 17044 (717) 248-2507 Fax: (717) 247-3594 Hours of Operation Monday – Friday 8AM – 5PM EST Contact Us Customer Service: (717) 248-2507 Toll Free Orders Only: 866-463-6977 General Inquiry E-mail: sales@gofoxpro.com Stay up to date with the latest sounds by visiting our online sound library. Watch for new products and upgrades from FOXPRO. Visit us online: www.gofoxpro.com
Using the FOXPRO Prairie Blaster Digital Game Call Congratulations on the purchase of your FOXPRO Prairie Blaster digital wildlife caller! You have chosen a highly advanced product that is easy to use and loaded with some of the most innovative features to date. The Prairie Blaster is the product of an engineering effort that has spanned several years. Please take this time to read and understand the information in this instruction manual to ensure the best possible experience with your new FOXPRO Prairie Blaster. Features Overview 1) Rugged Injection Molded ABS Housing 2) Decoy Manual On/Off Button 3) On/Off Switch-Manual Volume Control 4) Rear Speaker Slide Switch 5) Front Speaker Slide Switch 6) Sound Up/Down Keys 7) SP-55 Horn Speaker 8) Front Tweeter 9) Front External Speaker Jack 10) Rear External Speaker Jack 11) Rear Tweeter 12) Cone Speaker 13) Internal Decoy 14) Auxiliary Jack
1.0 QUICK OPERATING GUIDE This manual will explain all features of your new FOXPRO Prairie Blaster in depth to help ensure the best overall experience. We realize, however, that you may want to try out the Prairie Blaster right away. The Quick Operating Guide will provide you the basic steps on how to get started. It is strongly recommended that to fully understand the features and abilities of your FOXPRO Prairie Blaster, that you read this manual in its entirety. 1.1 INSTALLING BATTERIES IN YOUR PRAIRIE BLASTER Since your Prairie Blaster is shipped from the factory with no batteries installed, the first step is to install batteries. The Prairie Blaster requires 8 “D” batteries. 1) Remove the battery door. The battery door is located on the side of the caller and is held in place with a knurled thumbscrew. 2) Orient the batteries as per the directions shown in each cavity within the holder. Note that the battery polarity alternates. 3) Replace the battery door after the batteries are installed. 1.2 INSTALLING BATTERIES IN YOUR TX-500 The TX-500 transmitter operates from 3 “AA” batteries. Please use high quality alkaline or lithium batteries. 1) Remove the battery compartment cover located on the rear of the transmitter. 2) Insert the “AA” batteries into the provided cavities. Note that the battery polarity alternates. 3) Replace the battery compartment cover after the batteries are installed. 1.3 PLAYING SOUNDS MANUALLY Your Prairie Blaster can be operated with or without using the TX-500 transmitter. There may be times when you want the sound of the unit right next to you or perhaps you want to walk with the unit to create a traveling sound. 1) Make sure that at least one of the speaker selector slide switches is set to the right, or “ON” position
2) Turn the On/Off/Volume knob clockwise to the “ON” position – you should hear a soft click. Please note that this switch is also the volume control when the unit is operated without the remote control. The further clockwise you turn the knob, the louder the unit will play. At this point, the LCD display on the PRAIRIE BLASTER will first display the channel of operation, the software revision, and then display three horizontal bars “---“. 3) Press the up or down arrow keypad button on the PRAIRIE BLASTER to select a sound number. Once selected, release the button, and the sound will play. To select a different sound, simply press the up or down arrow buttons again to select your desired sound. 1.4 OPERATING THE PRAIRIE BLASTER BY TX-500 REMOTE CONTROL 1) Turn on the TX-500 transmitter by pressing down and holding the sound selector knob for about 4 seconds. The screen will display “FOXPRO the caller of the wild” then show the remote version number on the button line of the display. If you bump the button or do not hold it for 4 seconds, the screen will briefly display “FOXPRO the caller of the wild” then turn back off. 2) Select the sound you wish to play by turning the rotary selector knob on the top of the transmitter either clockwise, which will scroll up, or counter-clockwise which scrolls down. 3) When the sound desired appears in the displayed list, highlight the sound, and press down on the rotary selector knob. You will notice that the number associated with that sound will appear in the bottom text line. This text line also displays the current channel setting, a mute indicator, volume level indicator, battery monitor, and timer. The top text line displays the front speaker, rear speaker, auto volume (AV) and a play mode indicator. For more information on the text lines, see the TX-500 features section of this instruction manual. 4) Now that you have selected the sound to be played, simply bring the volume up to your desired level by depressing the volume up arrow. As you depress the volume up arrow, note that the volume setting number in the bottom text increases. Muting the Sound To mute the sound, simply press the mute button. The letter “M” will appear in the bottom text line. The mute also serves as a pause feature, meaning that when you un-mute the sound again, it will start playing where you muted the sound instead of starting over again.
Changing the Sound To change the sound, simply highlight your next sound preference and depress the rotary selector knob. Your sound will instantly change. You can also use the numeric keypad to enter the three digit number of the sound you wish to play. When you begin entering a number on the keypad, the numbers you type will appear in large text on the screen. You need to enter the three digit number of the sound you wish to play. For example, type in a number in the range of 000 through 499 to play the corresponding sound. Note: Make sure that you do not enter a number that is larger than the total number of sounds programmed in the Prairie Blaster. For example, if you have 100 sounds and type in 234, nothing will happen. 1.5 POWERING DOWN Be sure to power down both the Prairie Blaster and TX-500 after use to help prolong the battery life. Powering Down the TX-500 Push and hold the selector knob until the selection menu appears (with TURN OFF TX-500 already highlighted). By pressing the selection knob a second time the transmitter will shut off. Should you forget to turn off the transmitter when you are finished, it will automatically shut down after 2 hours of non-use. Powering Down the PRAIRIE BLASTER Turn off the PRAIRIE BLASTER by rotating the On/Off switch to the off position. 1.6 POWER SAVE MODE The Prairie Blaster features a special mode of operation for those who wish to extend battery life. Power Save mode restricts the maximum gain achievable by the user which will, in turn, help to maximize your overall battery life. Power Save mode will not allow you to play your sounds as loud as normal mode. To Engage Power Save Mode: 1. Press and hold the sound selector down button on the front of the Prairie Blaster. 2. While holding the button in, turn the Prairie Blaster on. Watch the LCD panel closely. Continue holding the in the button until you see “P-S” appear on the LCD panel. 3. Release the button.
2.0 ABOUT THE FOXPRO PRAIRIE BLASTER SPEAKERS The PRAIRIE BLASTER incorporates three different types of speakers. There are two speakers in the front—a high efficiency SP-55 horn and a tweeter. Distress sounds of rabbits, small rodents, birds, canines, and many others are best reproduced by using the front horn only with the rear cone speaker turned off. This will also ensure maximum battery life as playing both speakers requires almost twice as much battery power. There are also two speakers in the rear—a large cone speaker and a second tweeter. The rear cone is best suited to sounds that have significant lower frequency content. These sounds would include bear growls, mountain lion roars, certain owl hoots, and some other large mammal sounds. The rear speaker, however, is not as efficient as the front horn. Because of this, it will not play as loud as the horn. Understand that not all calling sounds will benefit greatly from playing both speakers at once. If you elect to do this, remember that battery life will be reduced. 3.0 ABOUT THE BUILT IN DECOY The Prairie Blaster is equipped with a built-in decoy. From the factory, you will receive the “Jack” topper and an 18” support rod. The tip of the support rod has a bend, while the opposite side has a standard banana clip, and a black support grommet. The bent end gets inserted through the bottom of the “Jack” topper via the plastic sleeve. The opposite end will connect to the motor inside the Prairie Blaster through an opening on the top of the handle. From the factory, this opening will be plugged with a black grommet. To remove the grommet for operation, simply pop it out with a pocket knife or fingernail. Once removed, slide the support rod down into the opening until you feel it connect snuggly. Finally, slide the black support grommet down until it snaps into the opening. The rod should stand straight and rigid with no play. Operating the Decoy Manually 1. Connect the decoy topper to the support rod. 2. Insert support rod to motor through opening on handle 3. Turn on the Prairie Blaster. 4. Press Decoy button on the front of the Prairie Blaster to turn the decoy on and off. Operating the Decoy Remotely 1. Connect the decoy topper to the support rod. 2. Insert support rod to motor through opening on handle 3. Turn on the Prairie Blaster. 4. Turn on the TX-500 5. Press Auxiliary button on the TX-500 to turn the decoy on and off.
NOTE: If you have a secondary decoy attached to the Prairie Blaster via the auxiliary device jack, using the AUX button on the TX-500 will control it along with the internal decoy simultaneously. The Decoy button on the front of the Prairie Blaster will only control the internal decoy. 4.0 “AUX” JACK FUNCTION The PRAIRIE BLASTER is equipped with an auxiliary jack labeled “AUX”. The purpose of this jack is to allow for the connection of certain external devices, such as the FOXPRO Jack-in-the-Box Decoy or other approved devices, and to be able to turn these on and off with the TX-500 remote control transmitter. However, there are some strict electrical limits involved with this jack. If these limits are exceeded, damage to your PRAIRIE BLASTER will result. This damage is not covered by warranty. The electrically inclined will want to know that the jack is connected to the drain of an internal Field Effect Transistor with a maximum current rating of 2 Amperes. The “tip” polarity of the 3.5mm jack is positive, while the sleeve is negative. If the external device is connected with the polarity reversed, an internal protection diode within the FET will conduct, causing the device to stay on constantly. The maximum voltage applied to this jack must never exceed 15 volts. Typical uses for this jack would be to control the FOXPRO Jack-in-the-Box Decoy or to start and stop a video recorder. Instructions on connecting various devices to the “AUX” jack are beyond the scope of this manual. You are urged to seek help from a knowledgeable professional before connecting any unapproved device to this jack. Remember that damage to your Prairie Blaster caused by improper use of the “AUX” jack is not covered by the warranty, nor will FOXPRO be liable for damage to any devices connected to this jack. The AUX jack is configurable for momentary or latched operation. Please see section 6.11 for more information. 5.0 USING EXTERNAL SPEAKERS The PRAIRIE BLASTER is equipped with two External Speaker Jacks, which allows you to connect up to two additional speakers. 5.1 CONNECTING EXTERNAL SPEAKERS The external speaker jacks on your Prairie Blaster accept standard 3.5mm plugs. When choosing an external speaker it is recommended to use one with an impedance rating of 8-ohms.
NOTE: Be sure the Prairie Blaster is turned OFF before connecting an external speaker. To connect an external speaker, plug the connector of the external speaker into one of the external speaker jacks. You will notice that each external speaker jack corresponds with one of the internal speakers. For example, internal front speaker and front external speaker are linked together. If you wish to have ONLY the external speaker(s) produce sound, you must disable the internal speakers as the internal speakers are not disabled automatically. 5.2 DISABLING INTERNAL SPEAKERS MANUALLY Move the speaker slide switch to the “OFF” position for the desired speakers you wish to disable. The SP-55 and front tweeter are controlled by the switch labeled FRONT INT. The large cone speaker and rear tweeter are controlled by the switch labeled REAR INT. The following image shows the two slide switches. To re-enable the speakers later, simply place the slide switch back to the “ON” position. By disabling the internal speaker(s) when using an external speaker(s), battery life will be extended longer than having all of the speakers operating at once. Disabling the internal speakers by way of the slide switch will result in the external speakers still playing. The only way to disable the external speakers is by using the TX-500. 5.3 TURNING SPEAKERS ON/OFF WITH THE TX-500 When you turn off either the front or rear speakers by way of the TX-500 remote control, the associated internal speakers will also be disabled. 1) Press the FOXFADE button one time. 2) Use the selector knob to move the cursor left or right. Clockwise will move the cursor to the left for the rear speakers, while counterclockwise moves it to the right for the front speakers. By moving the cursor to either extreme (left/right) and pressing the send button will result in either the two front or two rear speakers shutting off. Moving the cursor to the far right and depressing the rotary selector knob will shut off the rear speakers, while moving it to the far left and depressing the rotary selector knob will result in the front speakers shutting off. 3) Press FOXFADE to return to the main screen.
6.0 TX-500 REMOTE CONTROL OPERATION Features 1) Rear/Front Speaker On/Off Indicator 2) Auxiliary Button 3) Quick Access for 2 Presets 4) Volume Down Button 5) Mute Button 6) Lanyard Loop 7) Recall Button 8) Numeric Keypad 9) Volume Up Button 10) Bottom Information Line Indicating channel of operation, mute status, sound number, volume level, battery level, and elapsed timer 11) Preset Mode Select Button 12) FOXFADE On/Off 13) Sequence Mode Select Button 14) Mono/Stereo Indicator 15) Auto-Volume On/Off Indicator 16) Rotary Selector Knob 17) Graphic LCD Panel The PRAIRIE BLASTER features the TX-500 transmitter. The features of this transmitter include a large graphic display (eliminating the need for printed sound lists), 10 custom preset buttons that make your favorite sounds and volume levels available at the touch of a button, a volume and mute indicator, a recall button, an elapsed timer, and a rotary sound selector knob for ease of changing sounds. The TX-500 transmitter operates on three standard AA batteries. Please use high quality alkaline or lithium batteries.
6.1 INSTALLING BATTERIES IN YOUR TX-500 1) Remove the battery compartment cover located on the rear of the transmitter. 2) Insert the AA batteries into the provided cavities. Note that the battery polarity alternates. 3) Replace the battery compartment cover after the batteries are installed. 6.2 UNDERSTANDING THE MENU SYSTEM Your TX-500 transmitter has a menu-driven configuration system that provides you with a navigable interface for making various operational changes to both the PRAIRIE BLASTER and TX-500. Throughout the scope of this manual you will find many references to the Main Menu. It is important that you are familiar with and understand how the menu system works. The Main Menu can be accessed at any time while operating the TX-500 transmitter. To bring up the Main Menu simply press and hold the rotary selector knob for 2-3 seconds. The normal screen will change to reveal the Main Menu. By default, any time you enter the Main Menu, the “TURN OFF TRANSMITTER” option will be highlighted. The line that is highlighted will be referred to as the selected item throughout this manual. You can move the highlight bar using the rotary selector knob to change the selected item by rotating the knob clockwise or counter-clockwise. A selected item can be activated by pressing down on the rotary selector knob. In this case, with “TURN OFF TRANSMITTER” being the selected item, pressing the rotary scroll knob down would result in the TX-500 turning off. The Main Menu has sub-menus. These sub-menus will provide you with access to making various system changes. The two main sub-menus are PRAIRIE BLASTER CONTROL and TX500 CONFIG. Each one of these sub-menus has other menu items inside. The following chart will display the layout of the menu. The factory default value of each setting will be noted in bold:
PRAIRIE BLASTER CONTROL provides access to: • MONO/STEREO o MONO (.24b only) o STEREO o R STEREO (.24b only) • PLAY MODES o REPEAT MODE o SINGLE PLAY MODE o JUKEBOX MODE • AUTO-V ON • AUTO-V OFF TX500 CONFIG provides access to: • AUX o MOMENTARY (JIB) o LATCHED • DISPLAY o TEXT  NORMAL  LARGE ‘NUMBERS ONLY’ o GRAPHICS  NORMAL  REVERSE IMAGE  SET CONTRAST o SCROLL  PAGED  SINGLE o BACKLIGHT  ALWAYS OFF  LOW  MEDIUM  HIGH  ALWAYS ON • CHANNEL o 0 – 15 • VOLUME STEPS o 2 o 4 o 5 o 8 o 10 • UPLOAD SOUND LIST
6.3 TURNING ON THE TX-500 To turn on your TX-500 transmitter, simply push and hold the selector knob for 4 seconds. This delay is to help prevent an accidental turn on. Be sure to turn off the TX-500 transmitter after use so that unnecessary battery drain is prevented. To do so, push and hold the selector knob until the selection menu appears (with turn off transmitter already highlighted). By pressing the selection knob a second time the transmitter will shut off. Should you forget to off the transmitter when you are finished, it will automatically shut down after 2 hours of non-use. 6.4 SELECTING SOUNDS The TX-500 provides you with two methods of selecting and changing sounds on your FOXPRO Prairie Blaster. You can use the rotary selector knob to scroll through and send sound selections or you can directly enter the sound number by using the numeric keypad. Rotary Selector Method: The rotary selector knob is located on the top right of the TX-500. This is a dual-function knob that provides you with clockwise/counterclockwise action to scroll through the sound list as well as a push button function to send sound changes to the unit (it also works to confirm or lock-in various menu changes by pushing down it.) With the TX-500 turned on, you will see six sounds displayed on the screen. Clockwise rotation of the knob scrolls the highlight bar up the page, while counter-clockwise rotation moves it down. Once the bar reaches the top of the 6 displayed sounds, the next movement of the knob in the same direction will cause the sounds to increment or decrement. Once the sound you wish to play is highlighted in the display, push down on the selector knob to have it transmitted to the PRAIRIE BLASTER for play. You can scroll through sounds one at a time (up or down) very quickly by turning the rotary sound selector knob or if preferred you can configure the transmitter to scroll by six sounds at a time. The rotary sound selector knob is used to highlight sounds on the display, change the page being viewed, and to send the selected sound to the PRAIRIE BLASTER. Counterclockwise rotation decrements the sound lists. Clockwise rotation increments the sound lists. If you wish to start your current sound playing from the beginning, simply depress the knob again. To switch sounds, simply select and highlight your desired sound and depress the rotary selector knob. As you can see, even with hundreds of sounds programmed, you can be set up to be never more than a few revolutions of the rotary sound selector knob away from any sound.
Numerical Entry Method: You can also directly access any sound by direct numerical entry on the keypad. For example, if you want to play sound 005, simply press the numbers 0, 0, and 5 sequentially on the keypad. 6.5 SETTING THE VOLUME When the TX-500 is first turned on, the volume setting is preset to 00, as the display will indicate. Once you have selected and transmitted your sound to the PRAIRIE BLASTER, simply depress the volume up button on the transmitter to your desired level. Depressing the volume buttons will cause the volume number to change in the display from a low of “0” to a high of “40”. These changes are transmitted to the PRAIRIE BLASTER in real time, causing the volume to ramp up or down. The TX-500 allows you to change the volume step size to a specific level. By default, the ramp speed will be set to 2. This means that every time you press the volume up or down button, the volume level will increment or decrement by 2. You can change this value to 2, 4, 5, 8, or 10. To set this value: NOTE: If you have volume steps 2 or 4 selected, you will notice that when stepping the volume up or down using a continuous key-press, the volume steps will gradually increase to 5. 1) Press and hold the rotary selector knob to access the main menu. 2) Highlight the “TX500 CONFIG” menu and depress the rotary selector knob one time. 3) Use the selector knob highlight “VOLUME STEPS” and then depress the selector knob one time. 4) Use the selector knob to highlight the desired volume stepping value and then depress the selector knob to lock it in. 5) Exit the menus. The volume numbers are important, as you will begin to identify your preferred volume settings, and with the PRAIRIE BLASTER placed away from you, it gives you the ability to know exactly at what volume the PRAIRIE BLASTER is playing. Without this, you may have a difficult time determining just how loud or
soft your unit is playing. 6.6 MUTE To mute the current sound that is playing, simply depress the mute button on the TX-500 transmitter. Mute mode is indicated by an “M” appearing in the bottom status line. To un-mute, simply depress the mute button again. The mute feature also serves as a pause function. When you mute the current sound being played and un-mute again, the sound will begin playing at the point where you muted it. While the Prairie Blaster is muted you can change to a different sound and volume level. When you un-mute the unit, it will begin playing the new sound and volume setting. You can also restart the current sound from the beginning by depressing the rotary selector knob down one time while the unit is muted. 6.7 SOUND SEQUENCES The Prairie Blaster can operate from a special sequence file that provides the unit with instructions on how to operate for the duration of the hunt. Sound sequences can provide you with a completely hands-free experience in the field. You can have up to ten unique sequences in your Prairie Blaster. Creating a Sequence There are two ways that you can create a custom calling sequence; manually with a simple text editor or with the help of the graphical interface that runs on Windows-based PC’s. Mac users will have to type their sequence file out by hand. Creating Sequence Files with Utility Utility coming soon! Creating Sequence Files Manually The Prairie Blaster will be looking for ten individual files pertaining to the particular sequence. These files range from S00.seq through S09.seq. NOTE: If you save a sequence file for later use, make sure you update it if you make any programming changes to the unit. For example, if sound number 005 used to be a rabbit and it is now a coyote, your sequence file will now play the coyote. The sequence file must be in plain text format. You cannot use MS Word or other rich-text editing software to create the files. If you are manually creating the file, use a program such as Notepad (or basic text editor) for authoring. The following is an example of what the file should look like:
V 30 S 12 P 60 V 23 S 1 Q The translation of the above example would equate to: Set volume to 30 Play sound 12 one time Pause for 60 seconds Set volume to 23 Play sound 1 one time End The above example uses the following syntax to denote instructions for the Prairie Blaster. All possible commands are shown below: Instruction Value Description S 0 – 499 Denotes numerical value of sound on unit V 0 – 40 Denotes numerical value of volume level P 1 - 99999 Denotes delay value in seconds (approx.) J n/a Denotes Jukebox Mode R n/a Denotes Repeat Mode Q n/a Denotes Single Play Mode Any time you author your own sequence file manually, make certain that each instruction code is followed by a space and then the value. Note: Each file must begin with a P or V value—if you start the sequence with a sound, the Prairie Blaster will not know at what volume level to play the sound. Also make sure that you end the instructions with a capital J, R, or Q. If you end the file with J, the Prairie Blaster will move on to the next available sequence. If the file ends with R, the Prairie Blaster will repeat the current sequence. Ending the file with a Q will result in the sequence playing one time. If you desire to have a sound play more than one loop, you will need to have the sound listed as many times as you wish it to play. Example:
V 10 S 16 S 16 S 16 V 15 S 16 Q This example shows that the volume is set to 10 for three loops playing sound number 16. The volume then switches to level 15 and plays sound 16 one last time. After creating your sequence file in Notepad (or basic text editor), be sure to name the file in the format of S00.seq through S09.seq so that the Prairie Blaster will recognize it as a valid sequence file. Notepad will try to name the file .txt by default; this must be changed to .seq. You can add a description to the file title as in the following examples: S00 Stand 1.seq S02 Bobcat Special.seq S01 Stand 2.seq S03 Coyote.seq Loading a Sound Sequence to Your Prairie Blaster Manually In order to get the sound sequence file from your computer into your Prairie Blaster, you will need to locate the USB cable provided with the unit. Remove the battery compartment door on the Prairie Blaster and remove the battery pack. Locate the USB port in the bottom of the battery compartment. Using the USB cable, connect the Prairie Blaster to your computer. Take note to what drive letter is being assigned to your Prairie Blaster. Copy the sequence files from your hard drive directly into the drive letter of the Prairie Blaster. Playing a Sequence Sequences can be engaged at any time during operation. 1) Press the SEQUENCE button on the TX-500 2) Press a number button on the keypad to play the corresponding sequence from 0 – 9 or highlight the desired sequence with the rotary selector knob and depress it one time. Play Modes and Sequences If you have selected a different playback mode (i.e. jukebox or single) sequence mode will ignore this selection. 6.8 SOUND PRESETS The TX-500 provides you with quick access to your favorite sounds and
volumes with the push of a button. The TX-500 can hold a total of ten individual sound presets, each one having their own unique volume level. You will also find two quick-access buttons (P1 and P2) that provide you one-button access to the sounds stored on presets one and two. Creating Presets 1) Press the PRESET button and hold for approximately 3-4 seconds to enter set preset mode. You should see SEL SND/ VOL on the top line of the TX-500 display. 2) Use volume up/down buttons to set the desired volume level 3) Select the desired sound by using the rotary selector knob to highlight it on the screen and then press the selector knob down one time. 4) To lock the selected volume and sound in, press the desired number (0-9) for that preset on the keypad. When pressing the number button, this exits you from set preset mode and you are now in the preset mode. 5) To add another preset, follow steps 1-5. Playing a Preset 1) Briefly press the PRESET button one time to enter preset mode. 2) Press the desired number of the preset you wish to play. Make sure that you have preset in place prior to attempting to play it. The chosen preset should play immediately. 6.9 FOXFADE FOXFADE allows you to fade the volume level of the sound being played between the front and rear speaker and allows you shut them off. There are three ways in which FOXFADE can be used; mono, stereo, and reversed stereo. FOXFADE will provide the best effect when using a stereo audio file that contains two separate animal recordings; however, it can be used with mono sounds that are being played in stereo mode. Using FOXFADE 1) With the sound playing, press the FOXFADE button on the side of the TX-500 transmitter 2) Use the selector knob to move the cursor left or right on the screen.
Moving the knob clockwise will result in the bar moving towards the left of the screen which corresponds with the front (horn) speaker and the left audio channel. By moving the bar in this direction, the volume level of the back speaker will go down. Moving the cursor to the far left and depressing the rotary selector knob will result in the front speaker being turned off. Moving the knob counterclockwise will result in the bar moving towards the right of the screen which corresponds with the back (cone) speaker and right audio channel. By moving the bar in this direction, the volume level of the front speaker will go down. Moving the cursor to the far right and depressing the rotary selector knob will result in the rear speaker being turned off. 3) Once you have positioned the bar in your desired position, press down the selector knob one time to lock the change in place. FOXFADE in Stereo Mode When you are operating the Prairie Blaster in stereo playback mode and playing a stereo audio file, the left audio channel will play through the front horn speaker and the right audio channel will play through the rear cone speaker. Let’s say that the sound you are playing is a coyote and rabbit stereo file; coyote on the left channel and rabbit on the right channel. When you enter FOXFADE and move the vertical bar towards the left and lock the selection in, the sound of the rabbit on the right channel will be reduced. If you move the bar to the right and lock the selection in, the sound of the coyote will be reduced. FOXFADE can help create many new scenarios in the field and help add realism to your stand. Using a Mono File in Stereo Mode If you are playing a mono file while operating the unit in stereo mode, the Prairie Blaster will play the same sound out of both speakers. FOXFADE will act in the same manner as playing a stereo file with fading out the volume of one of the channels depending upon which way you move the bar. 6.10 AUTO-V AUTO-V (auto-volume) provides you with a sort of “cruise control” for volume adjustment and attenuation. When engaged, AUTO-V will start at the lowest possible volume (0) and slowly climbs to 75% or volume level 30 which is the default maximum volume level for AUTO-V, across a three minute period. Once volume level 30 is reached, AUTO-V begins to reduce and increase the volume level by 30% increments every ten seconds. For example, volume level 30 will be reduced by 30% in a ten second period, and then increased back up 30% across another ten second period. It will continue operating in this manner until
it is shut off. Note: When using PRESETS while AUTO-V is enabled, the preset volume control may not be recognized. For proper operation while using PRESETS, turn AUTO-V off. Turning AUTO-V On It is not necessary that you have a sound playing prior to engaging AUTO-V as it will begin its cycle after the sound begins playback. 1) Hold down the selector knob for 2-3 seconds to access the main menu. 2) Select PRAIRIE BLASTER CONTROL 3) Select AUTO-V ON to engage AUTO-V 4) Exit the menu AUTO-V will begin its volume adjustment cycle as soon as you begin playing a sound. You will also see the AV indicator on the top line of the TX-500 screen show ON. Turning AUTO-V Off AUTO-V can be turned off at any point during operation. When AUTO-V is disengaged, the Prairie Blaster will continue playing the current sound at 65% of the maximum volume to help prevent an erratic volume level change. 1) Hold down the selector knob for 2-3 seconds to access the main menu. 2) Select PRAIRIE BLASTER CONTROL 3) Select AUTO-V OFF to disengage AUTO-V 4) Exit the menu Setting the Maximum Volume Level AUTO-V will climb to volume level 30 as a maximum across a three minute period by default. You can change the maximum volume level for the climb by using the volume up/down buttons on the transmitter once you have engaged AUTO-V. Note: Making changes to the volume level after AUTO-V has been engaged for a while can result in erratic volume level changes. Get familiar with how AUTO-V works before using it on a stand. Note: If the Prairie Blaster is turned off, be sure to reselect AUTO-V function prior to operation.
6.11 AUX This button is used to operate either the internal decoy or external device that is connected to the Prairie Blaster. Depressing the AUX button will begin operation. A second press of the AUX button will cease operation. For more information on the AUX function, see the AUX Jack Function in the beginning of the manual. The AUX jack can be configured to be momentary or a latched output. This can be useful if you are using external devices that must see a latched connection as opposed to the momentary connection required to activate/deactivate FOXPRO’s Jack-in-the-Box Decoy. Adjusting AUX Jack Operation 1) Access the main menu by pressing and holding the rotary selector knob for about 2-3 seconds. 2) Highlight the TX500 CONFIG menu item and press the rotary selector knob one time. 3) Highlight the AUX menu item and press the rotary selector knob one time. 4) Highlight the desired operation, either MOMENTARY or LATCHED menu item and press the rotary selector knob one time. 5) Exit the menu. Note: For use with the FOXPRO Jack-in-the-Box Decoy, make sure you select MOMENTARY. 6.12 RECALL The recall button will allow the last previous sound and volume setting to be recalled and played. For example, let’s say you just switched your sound from a rabbit distress at volume 18 to a coyote pup distress. Now, you bring the volume up on that coyote pup distress to volume 29. By depressing the recall button, your sound will switch from the coyote pup distress at volume 29, back to the rabbit distress at volume 18. The recall button will also work with the presets. NOTE: If you press the recall button while playing a sequence, you will go back to the last sound and volume level that was used prior to entering sequence mode. 6.13 CHANNEL SELECTION The TX-500 has been designed to be able to operate up to 16 different FOXPRO Prairie Blaster units. This is great for folks who are using multiple units and wish to control them from a single transmitter. It is also convenient for folks who are hunting with a partner who is also using a Prairie Blaster so you
can both operate on separate channels without interfering with one another. You can quickly and easily change the channel of operation through the menu, but you must be certain that your Prairie Blaster and TX-500 are both set to operate on the same channel. Changing the Channel of Operation on the TX-500 1) Access the main menu by pressing and holding the rotary selector knob for about 2-3 seconds 2) Highlight the TX500 CONFIG menu item and press down on the rotary selector knob one time 3) Highlight the CHANNEL menu item and press down on the rotary selector knob one time 4) Rotate the rotary selector knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increment/decrement through the available channels. When you arrive on the desired channel, press down on the rotary selector knob 5) Exit the menu Changing the Channel of Operation on the PRAIRIE BLASTER 1) Remove the battery compartment door from the back side of your Prairie Blaster and then remove the batteries. 2) Locate the DIP switch to the right of the USB port. 3) You can use the tip of pen or pencil to modify the values of the DIP switch to change the channel of operation. There are four individual switches that are dual position. The two positions are referred to as ON and OFF. Refer to the following image and switch positioning matrix when you are making channel modifications:
The above image is looking directly down onto the switch from the battery compartment. The two possible switch positions for each of the four switches are noted on the top as ON and OFF. The ON position is selected by moving the switch to the left (towards the USB port). The OFF position is selected by moving the switch to the right. Each of the four switches are marked 1 – 4. When referring to matrix below, be sure that you modify the switches starting with 1 then continuing on through number 4. CH 1 2 3 4 CH 1 2 3 4 0 OFF OFF OFF OFF 8 OFF OFF OFF ON 1 ON OFF OFF OFF 9 ON OFF OFF ON 2 OFF ON OFF OFF 10 OFF ON OFF ON 3 ON ON OFF OFF 11 ON ON OFF ON 4 OFF OFF ON OFF 12 OFF OFF ON ON 5 ON OFF ON OFF 13 ON OFF ON ON 6 OFF ON ON OFF 14 OFF ON ON ON 7 ON ON ON OFF 15 ON ON ON ON NOTE: Unlike the TX-200 transmitter, the TX-500 will not be able to control FOXPRO units such as the FX3, FX5, Scorpion, etc. 7.0 TX-500 and PRAIRIE BLASTER CUSTOMIZATIONS The TX-500 and Prairie Blaster have many features—most of which can be customized to work in a manner conducive to your needs. This section will
examine the menu system in detail and explain the available customizations that you can perform. 7.1 PRAIRIE BLASTER CONTROL MENU This menu allows you to select how the Prairie Blaster will operate. From speaker selections, mono or stereo playback, and AUTO-V—use this menu to get the Prairie Blaster working the way you want it. MONO/STEREO This menu allows you to specify the playback mode of the Prairie Blaster. To change the playback mode, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time: MONO STEREO REVERSE STEREO By default, the Prairie Blaster will be set to operate in stereo mode. Reverse stereo mode allows you to flip the left and right audio channels. For example, if you have a stereo sound (coyote on left channel, rabbit on right channel), but you would prefer that each sound come out of the opposite speaker, simply select reverse stereo mode. This can be changed during sound playback. NOTE: Make sure you have read and understand the FOXFADE section as making changes here will directly affect how FOXFADE will work. PLAY MODES This menu allows you to specify which play mode the Prairie Blaster will operate on. To change the play mode, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time: REPEAT MODE (plays sounds/sequences continuously) SINGLE PLAY MODE (plays sounds/sequences once) JUKEBOX MODE (plays sounds/sequences incrementally) NOTE: By default, REPEAT will be set as the play mode. AUTO-V ON & AUTO-V OFF You can turn AUTO-V on or off by highlighting the desired one and press down on the selector knob one time. See section on AUTO-V for more details.
7.2 TX500 CONFIG MENU This menu allows to you setup how the TX-500 will operate. Everything from contrast to how the AUX button performs will be configurable through these menus. AUX This option allows you to specify whether the AUX function will be momentary or latched. To change the AUX settings, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time. NOTE: FOXPRO’s Jack-in-the-Box Decoy requires that the AUX function be setup for momentary. Please check the specifications on the device you are trying to operate prior to connecting it to your Prairie Blaster. DISPLAY The display menu has many submenus that will customize the TX-500. Each one will be discussed. To enter the submenu, simply highlight the desired one and press down on the selector knob one time. Text There are two options for text; NORMAL and LARGE NUMBERS ONLY. The vast majority of users will leave this setting on NORMAL, but for those who have trouble reading the information on the screen, you are invited to use the LARGE setting. To change the text settings, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time. Graphics The graphics menu allows you to control whether the screen NORMAL or REVERSE IMAGE. Reversing the image may be beneficial for users who are hunting at night to help reduce the glow from the screen. You can also set the contrast. To change the graphics settings, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time. To set the contrast, highlight the SET CONTRAST option and press down on the selector knob. You will see a cursor appear in the middle of the screen. The middle position is the default position. To make adjustments, rotate the selector knob clockwise or counterclockwise to set the bar. Moving the cursor to the left will decrease the contrast and to the right will increase. Once you have a desired setting picked, press down on the selector knob one time to lock it in. Scroll This menu allows you to adjust how the scrolling function will work. PAGED will result in six sounds being displayed per page and six more sounds
being displayed upon incrementing to the next page. SINGLE will allow you to increment up by one sound at a time rather than a page at a time. NOTE: By default, the scroll option will be set to SINGLE. Backlight There are four options in the backlight menu; ALWAYS OFF, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, and ALWAYS ON. To change the backlight settings, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time. NOTE: You should experiment with the different settings to find out which ones work the best in varying conditions. CHANNEL You can select the desired channel that you want to TX-500 to operate on from this menu. Make sure that the channel selected in the TX-500 corresponds to the same channel setup in the Prairie Blaster. See the channel selection section for more information. To change the channel, use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time. VOLUME STEPS This menu allows you to customize the speed at which the TX-500 will ramp the volume. The options are 2, 4, 5, 8, and 10. To change the volume step settings use the selector to highlight the desired option then press down on the selector knob one time. NOTE: Experiment with the volume steps to find out which one works the best for you. By default, the volume step will be set to 2. UPLOAD SOUND LIST After reprogramming your Prairie Blaster, this menu item will allow you to upload the new sound list from the Prairie Blaster to your TX-500. For more information read the programming section of this manual. TIMER The TX-500 transmitter features a timer displayed on the bottom status line. This makes it handy for determining length of stands, and to determine respond times of incoming animals. When your TX-500 is turned on, the timer begins counting. The timer displays minutes and seconds up to 99:59. Once this time is reached, the timer rolls over to 00:00, and commences
counting. The timer can be reset at any time in the back menu by selecting the RESET TIMER option. Once you turn your TX-500 transmitter off, the timer stops counting. BATTERY MONITOR The TX-500 transmitter also features a very effective battery monitor on the bottom status line. The TX-500 transmitter operates on three standard AA batteries. Please use high quality alkaline or lithium batteries. Battery life of the TX-500 transmitter can approach two months with heavy use. Watch the battery monitor and replace the battery before the batteries become completely depleted. 8.0 REPROGRAMMING SOUNDS ON YOUR PRAIRIE BLASTER You can locate an extensive guide to programming your Prairie Blaster on the FOXPRO website at: http://www.gofoxpro.com/program.php Also featured is a video that guides you through the programming process. We recommend visiting the website and viewing the information and video for additional assistance in programming your Prairie Blaster. The PRAIRIE BLASTER comes standard with a USB 2.0 port built in (no reader / writer is necessary), which makes reprogramming or adding sounds to your PRAIRIE BLASTER easier than ever. A computer is required in order to reprogram your sounds. The PRAIRIE BLASTER can be reprogrammed by using personal computers equipped with Windows operating system version 2000 ME or later (98 SE or earlier is not compatible), or a Macintosh computer with an operating system of 9.X or later. 8.1 PURCHASING NEW SOUNDS You can access the FOXPRO website at any time to purchase new sounds to program in your Prairie Blaster. The website is located at: http://www.gofoxpro.com Once you are at the site, access the “Sounds” option from the main menu and click on “Purchase Sounds.” You can purchase 4 sounds of your choice for $8.00, 8 sounds of your choice for $15.00, and 16 sounds of your choice for $25.00. Consult the programming link listed at the beginning of this section for more details on purchasing, downloading, and installing new sounds from the website. NOTE: Prices mentioned in the proceeding section are accurate as of the publication date found on the back of this manual. All prices are subject to change without notification. No guarantees are made
in product pricing. Always consult the website before making a decision to purchase. If you do not have access to a computer, sounds can be reprogrammed or added for a fee by sending your Prairie Blaster to FOXPRO. 8.2 DOWNLOADING THE FOXPRO PROGRAMMING UTILITY We have developed a utility that simplifies the reprogramming of sounds on your PRAIRIE BLASTER. You can download the utility from our website. To download and install the Programming Utility from the website 1) Using your web browser, navigate to: http://www.gofoxpro.com 2) Click on “Programs/Utilities” from the main menu 3) Locate and click on “FOXPRO Programming Utility” 4) Click on “Download Now” 5) Click on the Save button to save the executable file to your hard drive for installation. If you choose to save the file to your hard drive, we recommend saving it to your desktop. NOTE: When saving the file, the name of the file on your Desktop (if you choose your desktop as the location to save) will be labelutil.exe. 6) Double click the labelutil.exe icon, and select Run. The installation process will now begin. 7) At the next screen, select OK. 8) Click on the button where prompted (the button is the one that resembles a computer). 9) Click on the continue button. This should complete the setup of the FOXPRO Programming Utility NOTE: The icon on your desktop is only an .exe file used to install the programming utility to your computer. Once you have completed the installation of the program, this icon can be deleted. The actual program will be in your program files on your computer, and is called FOXPRO Programmer.
The Programming Utility is also stored on the Prairie Blaster memory card. To download and install the Programming Utility from your PRAIRIE BLASTER 1) Connect your Prairie Blaster to your PC with the supplied USB cable. Once the PRAIRIE BLASTER is recognized by the PC it will be assigned a drive letter. 2) Enter your “MY COMPUTER” icon and locate the PRAIRIE BLASTER from the list of available drive letters. Once you have located the drive for the PRAIRIE BLASTER, double-click on the icon to open it up. 3) After the drive is opened, locate the file named labelutil.exe and then refer to steps 6 through 9 for installation of the Programming Utility. 8.3 PROGRAMMING WITH THE UTILITY To gain access to the Prairie Blaster’s USB port 1) Remove the battery compartment door from the back side of the Prairie Blaster and remove the batteries. The USB port will be accessible through the bottom of the battery compartment. 2) Connect the provided USB cable between this port, and the USB port on your computer. Once the connection is made, your computer should recognize the PRAIRIE BLASTER as a removable drive. Programming Process 1) Double click the folder on your desktop or go to your programs folder and open the FOXPRO Programmer. You will be prompted to make a backup of your sounds. 2) Select OK, you will then be taken to the programming utility. 3) Select the proper USB drive for the PRAIRIE BLASTER. This is marked as Select Device, located in the upper right portion of the programming utility. NOTE: This drive varies on different computers. Once you have selected the drive, the list of sounds currently on your PRAIRIE BLASTER appears in the right vertical window. You will now notice that a new button appears above the Select Device window that reads “Backup”. If you have not made a backup of your sounds, simply click on this button. The programmer by default will backup your sounds to a “FOXPRO” folder, and a sub folder “Backup”. This is also a good folder to use to add new sounds prior to adding sounds, or reprogramming your PRAIRIE BLASTER. You can also
create sub folders for different species, if you choose, rather than to have all sounds located in one folder. Once your backup is complete, you are ready to reprogram your PRAIRIE BLASTER. 4) Select the “source” folder of your new sounds (located on the left hand side of the programmer screen). This is the folder where your sounds are located. 5) Double click on the C:\ prompt, and locate the “FOXPRO” folder. The sounds sub folder should show up, assuming that you have used this folder to store your sounds. If this is not the folder that your sounds are located in, select the proper folder. 6) Once the proper folder is selected, double click the folder. The sounds should now appear in the left side column, called “Source Sound Files”. Now, determine the position that you would like to add new sounds to your Prairie Blaster. For example, if you would like to add the Jackrabbit Distress to your Prairie Blaster, highlight the sound in the left side column. NOTE: If this sound does not have a three digit number and a space located at the beginning of it, you must check the Append Sound Number box located below the left column. By selecting this box, the sound name will not be shortened. If there is a three digit number and a space before the name of the sound, there is no need to check this box. The first four characters will be either truncated or ignored, by not selecting this box. 7) Select the position in the right column where you would like to add the sound. If you want to overwrite the sound in that position, then click on the overwrite box, located between the two columns. This will replace the current sound in that position. NOTE: The sound that was located in that position will be deleted. If you choose to insert the sound in that position and move all other sounds down one, click the insert button. This will add the sound in that position and not overwrite the current sound. If you would like to remove sounds from the right side column before adding new ones, simply highlight the sound, and click on the “Remove From List” button, located between the two columns.
If you would like to relocate a sound in the right sound column, you can high light the sound and then type the position number that you would like to move it to in the “Move To” box (located below the right side column). This will move the sound to your designated number. You can also highlight the sound that you wish to move on the right column, and then click on the up or down arrows below the right side column to move the sound one position at a time. If you would like to reset your list at any time, click on the Clear/Reset List button located on the right side of the screen. This will reset the list to its initial sounds. 8) Click on the “Copy to Caller” button located on the right side of the screen. Your sounds will now be programmed to your PRAIRIE BLASTER. IMPORTANT NOTE: Your PRAIRIE BLASTER will play .FXP, .24b .mp3 and .wav files. Other file types are not supported. Although you may store .FXP and .24b sounds on your computer for later use, they can not be played on your computer, or on any audio player other than a FOXPRO caller. 8.4 DOWNLOADING NEW PLAYLIST TO TX-500 Program your sounds into the Prairie Blaster as outlined in the instruction manual. Make certain that you do not use the same number for more than one sound! Note that the transmitter can only display 21 characters per line. The first 3 characters must be the sound number, from “000” through “499”. Place a space between the sound number and the sound name. 17 characters remain for the sound name. Although the sound name can have more characters, the TX-500 will only display the first 17 characters. Any additional ones will not be displayed. 1) Disconnect all accessories from the Prairie Blaster (i.e. charger, speakers, etc.) 2) Turn the power off on both the Prairie Blaster and the TX-500. 3) Turn on the TX-500 and Prairie Blaster. 4) Access the Main Menu 5) Enter the TX500 CONFIG menu 6) Highlight the UPLOAD SOUND LIST menu item and press down on the selector knob one time 7) Make sure the Prairie Blaster is within 3 feet of the TX-500 8) A progress bar on the TX-500 display will indicate the playlist is being transferred NOTE: This process may take a few minutes. DO NOT turn off the TX-500 or Prairie Blaster during this process.
FCC Information NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that the interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. • Connect the equipment into an outlet or circuit different that to which the receiver is connected. • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of this device. Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment under FCC rules. RF Exposure Safety Notice The TX-500 transmitter is not intended to be operated closer than 20cm (about 8 inches) to your body. The transmitter can produce a radiated RF field similar to that of a standard cell telephone, although the duty cycle of this RF field is much lower than that of a cell telephone. Using the transmitter closer than 8 inches to your body can increase your exposure to RF energy levels thought by some to be harmful. Additionally, operation in close proximity to your body can detune the antenna causing a decrease in operating performance. The antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 20 cm from all persons and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. End-users and installers must be provided with antenna installation instructions and transmitter operating conditions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. Industry Canada Notice Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause harmful interference and This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
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LIMITED WARRANTY STATEMENT Your FOXPRO wildlife caller is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship that diminish its usefulness for a period of five years from the date of purchase. Return the unit prepaid and packaged securely along with proof of purchase to the address shown below. Include a note describing the defect or problem. This limited warranty is void if the unit is physically damaged, used in a manner contrary to intended use, or otherwise abused, either intentionally or unintentionally. Also specifically excluded are batteries and damage caused by attempts to charge batteries not intended to be recharged, and water damage. Please record the serial number for your Prairie Blaster (Located on a sticker in the back of the battery compartment) Serial Number Publication Date: August 6, 2009

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