Diaphragm call questions

lyingflatlander

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
251
Location
Wisconsin
I just returned from a 9 day archery elk hunt and used diaphragm calls exclusively. After a couple days I was having trouble getting the second tone of a two tone location bugle out. At first I thought it was because my mouth was dry which only improved a little after I drank water. Later I discovered that the tape on my calls were getting flimsy since I had them in my teeth all day. This allowed air to leak in the roof of my mouth when I was making the second note. My questions are; how often do you switch out diaphragm calls during the course of a day? How many spares do you carry for a 7 day spike camp hunt? Is this possibly a problem of how this brand fits in my mouth? What are the reasons you personally throw a call away and say it’s worn out? I was using Phelps green amp and Phelps grey amp. Thanks!
 

Gerbdog

WKR
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
816
Location
CO Springs
Yea, theyll wear out pretty quick with use, i carry 5-6 diaphragms in my bino harness pouch at all times, blow outs on those things could occur on the third use or the 50th, you just never know. I'll switch out and toss out the one im using when it gets so flimsy, as you pointed out, that the notes on a bugle are starting to become inconsistent
 
OP
lyingflatlander

lyingflatlander

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
251
Location
Wisconsin
Thanks! I had 2 spares for each and went through them. Ultimately I went to the white amp which has a stiffer reed and was a little more difficult to use in practice. However, after blowing on them for five days I could really make that white amp sing! I was screaming lip balls at a bull at one point and feeling pretty damn proud.
 

ElkAB1212

FNG
Joined
Jul 23, 2020
Messages
21
If you are heavy on the air/tongues pressure and tend to **** with them in your mouth all day (guilty)
Try a thicker/stiff latex, even a double or a triple. My black AMP lasts a good three days of elk action but my pink signature lasted 7-8 days no worries, still goes actually


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slick

WKR
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
1,799
Agreed with the above. The more time you swap them from cheek to cheek, put them up against the roof of your mouth, bite down on them, just all around moving them around your mouth the faster they seem to wear out.
In addition the more you really hammer on them, the quicker they will wear out.
I’ve noticed that when I go to grab it, if it appears the latex is loose at all, it’s likely going to shit out in you when you least want it to.
White AMP, Green AMP, Blue Rocky Mtn are my go to. The green flubbed on me real quick. I have 2-3 of each.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,528
Location
Colorado Springs
Mine will normally last all season with 20+ days of chewing on them and using them. The only time I'll throw mine out is when the latex stretches too much and I can't get the notes or transitions that I want.
 
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lyingflatlander

lyingflatlander

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
251
Location
Wisconsin
What do you think you do different to make them last that long? Do you rotate them during the course of a day to dry them out?
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,528
Location
Colorado Springs
What do you think you do different to make them last that long? Do you rotate them during the course of a day to dry them out?
Nope, they're in my mouth 12+ hours a day, and if they're in my mouth I'm chewing on them.......not the latex. I use triple latex so it's stiff to start with, which is what I want. That will last most the season generally. I don't even think about the seal around the outer edge of them. But I have wondered what those materials and dyes do to me after chewing on them all season.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
I've found one that I can do a nice cow call, satellite bull, and decent big ass herd bull with. I like having one call that does everything. I usually make sure I have 5-7 per season and I'm scared it'll disappear so I usually have about 20 in the house!

Once I lose the high note I trash it, or once the tape starts to separate, or if the tape gets stiff. All of those make it hard to get a good seal which makes that high not hard to hit. Blowing big old mean bugles will blow them out in my experience, but that's what they're there for. So yeah stock up on at leats 5-7 of the ones you like.
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
42
Depends how much your using them and how hard your blowing on them. I like using the same call and just having 2-4 spares through September. Once you have trouble hitting the high notes pure on your bugles its time to get a new one. You can keep using the blown out call for cow and calf calls.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
Depends how much your using them and how hard your blowing on them. I like using the same call and just having 2-4 spares through September. Once you have trouble hitting the high notes pure on your bugles its time to get a new one. You can keep using the blown out call for cow and calf calls.
I'm an ok caller, not great, but not the worst in the woods. I use one diaphragm for all my calls. When it's worn out for the high notes I just replace it for everything. Reason being is I want the call to be predictable, to do the same thing every time I pick it up. A worn one for me is harder to get even cow and spike calls with, so I like a brand new one so I know what it will do.
 
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