How Long Do Your Diaphragms Last?

[Swede]

How long do your elk call diaphragms last you normally? What do you do to keep them in good condition?

I store mine in the basement, in a drawer. The humidity is higher here on the wet side of the Cascades, but not excessive. I have a dehumidifier in the basement that helps maintain the humidity at about 50%. I don\'t use my diaphragms as much as some of you, but after about three years, they don\'t seem to make the sharp crisp sounds they did when new. I use fairly heavy tongue pressure. That may explain why they don\'t last longer. What is you experience and what could I do to make them last longer? Maybe I just need to quit being too cheap????

 

[razorback]

I have used Troy\'s for two years and they have held up well but will need to be replaced for next season. I practice quite a bit and probably abuse them. When it comes to turkey calls. I will wear multiple calls out over the course of a 3 week season. I don\'t do anything special for storage just keep them in a case in a closet.

 

[iccyman001]

Depends on the call, but usually a season.
When storing them, my one and only goal is to keep them cool!!!!! Never above 70 degrees.

 

[Ol' Arky]

I still have 2 that I used when I was elk hunting that are good to use... I store them in the little plastic case they came in when I bought them... Id make sure they are well dried when I put them in the case... But I did use mine for both elk and turkey... Does anyone else do that????

I took them out last turkey season and they were just fine... I last elk hunted in 2007 and was using them for turkey up 2012... They stay in my bedroom (controlled environment) for all the time I\'ve had them except when in use...

 

[Bowfreak]

I keep all of my turkey calls in the fridge. I never wear them out....I lose them or break them latex trying to pick the layers apart. I don\'t lean on turkey calls when using them like I do when bugling so they don\'t wear out. I don\'t have any experience with wearing out elk calls as last season was my first.

 

[WW]

For me, about three years is the limit. And I use the heck out of them. I have tried keeping them in the fridge and in my desk drawer. I see no difference either way. I think the main thing is to keep them in a fairly dark place. Sun light will ruin a diaphragm call in no time at all.

 

[Buglemaster]

For me, about three years is the limit. And I use the heck out of them. I have tried keeping them in the fridge and in my desk drawer. I see no difference either way. I think the main thing is to keep them in a fairly dark place. Sun light will ruin a diaphragm call in no time at all.

X2. Mine are in my archery tool box the entire year. Seriously, I\'ll bet I have calls that are 4-5 years old that will still work well. Not the prettiest but still functional.

 

[Guest]

That is a tough question as we are all chemically different. What that means is we all have different levels of acidity in our saliva. The more acidic your saliva is the faster it will degrade the latex.

Plus some guys use the reeds every day and some guys use them for only a couple days in the season. Now some guys use a very large amount of pressure while calling on the reeds and some guys use very lite pressure !!

So as you can see we are all different with how long we can use reeds. It is truly different for everyone. The great thing about reeds is they are cheap and all I can say is try some of the new reeds on the market and have fun with them. Unfortunately they are made from latex and will only last for a short time but you can have so much fun until they do.

One other hint I can say is once you wear out your bugling reeds don\'t throw it away. Keep it as a cow reed as once the latex is soft and loosened up you will get sweet musical cow sounds !!

Hope this helps and sheds some light on reeds for you.

Trav

 

[Swede]

Good points Travis. Diaphragms make great cow calls long after they quit making good bugles. I notice that when I first put a diaphragm in my mouth, I get better sound than after it is warmed up and softer. Is that a sign that it is getting old, or is it just me? Maybe it is a sign that I am getting old.

 

[Bowfreak]

Good points Travis. Diaphragms make great cow calls long after they quit making good bugles. I notice that when I first put a diaphragm in my mouth, I get better sound than after it is warmed up and softer. Is that a sign that it is getting old, or is it just me? Maybe it is a sign that I am getting old.

Swede,

I am not sure what it is with elk calls but with my turkey calls I have the same thing happen. What makes them sound better is that your saliva gets the reeds lubricated to the point they no longer stick together.

This may not be what you are talking about but I would assume that this would also be a factor with elk calls.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Mine last about a year but that because I practice ~20 minutes a week all year long.

 

[Guest]

Good points Travis. Diaphragms make great cow calls long after they quit making good bugles. I notice that when I first put a diaphragm in my mouth, I get better sound than after it is warmed up and softer. Is that a sign that it is getting old, or is it just me? Maybe it is a sign that I am getting old.

I also find they sound better after a few calls and wetting them in your mouth.

My routine with all reeds is to put it in my mouth and flip it over end over end with your tongue. This gives the latex time to warm up and the tape to soften just a little bit. This all may take 20-30 seconds and then I go right into calling. If your still finding the sounds are worse after you use the reed for a bit then ya I\'d get a fresh reed and start all over again. Latex unfortunately will weaken after some use.

I don\'t think it\'s because your getting OLD !! LOL You look good for 20 !! :haha:

Trav