FoxPro PA-17044 Hell Cat User Manual
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
Getting Started
To avoid personal injury and product damage, please read all operating instructions before using the Prowler.
Prowler Overview
Figure 1 Image of the Prowler
The image shown above features three different views of the Prowler. Numbered lines are present to highlight different features found on the Prowler. The following list corresponds with the image:
- The handle is located at the top of the Prowler.
- The horn speaker is located on the right side.
- The horn speaker on/off switch is located to the right of the power switch.
- The tripod mount is located on the bottom side of the Prowler.
- The pilot lamp/low battery indicator is located under the horn speaker on/off switch.
- The external speaker jack is located to the right of the auxiliary jack.
- The auxiliary jack is located under the power switch.
- The power switch is the leftmost switch on the control panel.
- The USB access panel is located on the back side, opposite the speaker.
- The battery compartment door is located on the side opposite the control panel.
Installing Batteries in the Prowler
The Prowler requires 4 ‘AA’ batteries (not included). FOXPRO recommends the use of lithium, rechargeable NiMH, or high-quality alkaline batteries for the best performance. If you plan to use the Prowler in freezing conditions (under 32°F/0°C) we suggest lithium batteries for the best performance.
To install batteries,
remove the battery compartment door (you may need a coin or screwdriver to release the tab). Locate the battery holder and pull it out. Note that the holder attaches to a 9V-style battery connector. Never connect a 9V battery to this connector! Only use the supplied battery holder. Place the batteries into each battery cavity while observing the correct polarity.
Double check the power connector is connected, return the battery holder to the Prowler, and secure the battery compartment door. To verify power, slide the power switch to the “on” position (to the right). The power LED should illuminate green, indicating the power is now on. If you notice the LED blinking approximately two times per second, that means the batteries are low and need to be replaced.
TX433XL Transmitter Overview
Figure 2 TX433XL Transmitter
The image above depicts the TX433XL transmitter. The image contains numbered lines pointing to various areas of the transmitter. The following text describes each of those areas. The transmitter has two main sections. The handle portion contains buttons that allow you to interact with the transmitter. Above the handle is a display that provides information such as sound categories and names, volume, and more. Not pictured in the image is the battery compartment door, which is located on the backside of the transmitter.
- On the top-left side of the transmitter is the telescopic antenna.
- To the right of the antenna is the sound upload jack.
- On the front side of the upper portion of the transmitter is the screen. The screen can be viewed in two areas: the sound list/categories/selectable elements consume the largest portion, and the bottom line of the screen is the status line.
- On the bottom right part of the screen is the elapsed stand timer.
- To the left of the stand timer is the battery level indicator (referring to the battery level of the battery in the transmitter).
- On the handle portion, in the upper-right area is the Back/Menu button.
- In the center portion of the handle, there is a large button in the middle. Above and below that large button are the Select Up and Select Down arrow buttons used to move the highlight bar up and down the screen.
- In the lower-right portion of the handle is the User 2 button.
- To the left of the User 2 button is the AUX button.
- On the very bottom of the transmitter housing is a lanyard loop.
- To the left of the AUX button is the User 1 button.
- On either side of the large middle button are the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons. Volume Up is on the left and Volume Down is on the right.
- The large button in the middle is the Play/Select button.
- The power button is located opposite of the Back/Menu button on the upper-left side.
- Located to the left of the battery level indicator is the Mute Status indicator.
- To the left of the Mute Status Indicator is the Volume Level Indicator.
Installing the 9V Battery in the TX433XL
The TX433XL requires a single 9V battery. To install the battery, remove the battery compartment door and connect the 9V battery to the connector. You can place the battery into the compartment and slide the battery compartment door back in place. To verify power, push and hold the Power button (top left) on the TX433XL for 1-2 seconds. The screen should turn on and show “Favorites” and the first few categories.
Playing Sounds
Turn on the Prowler as described previously. Make sure that the internal horn speaker is turned on. Turn on the TX433XL remote control. Notice the black highlight bar horizontally situated across the screen; this bar moves up or down by using the up or down select buttons. You can move the bar to highlight one of the sound categories and then push the Select button on the remote. Performing this action reveals the sounds stored in that category.
You can scroll through the sounds by using the up or down selector buttons. To navigate to another category, simply push the back/menu button to return to the main screen. After finding a sound that you wish to play and moving the highlight bar to be on top of that sound, push the play/select button on the remote. You won’t hear anything immediately and will need to increase the volume. To increase the volume, use the volume up arrow button. Conversely, to decrease the volume, use the volume down button. There are a total of 20 volume steps with 20 being the loudest. The volume level is displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen.
To mute the sound,
push the mute button on the remote. You will notice the letter “M” appears directly to the right of the volume level. If the “M” is shown, the audio is muted. To unmute, push the mute button a second time, and the “M” will disappear. Note that the mute function acts as a pause function. This means that if you push mute 30 seconds into a sound, subsequent unmuting will result in the sound playing again from where you left off.
To turn off the Prowler,
slide the power switch to the left or “off” position. To turn off the TX433XL, push and hold the power button for 1-2 seconds and it will turn off.
Favorites
The TX433XL allows you to create a list of your 25 most frequently used sounds. These sounds are found in the “Favorites” menu. Favorites allow you to quickly play a specific sound at a specific volume level. Using favorites is the same general idea as playing any other sound. Instead of going into one of the available categories, go into the Favorites menu, move the highlight bar onto the favorite you wish to play, and push the play/select button one time. Remember, the sound will start playing at the volume level you set.
To create a new favorite,
select the “Favorites” menu from the main screen. You have 25 different slots available to assign a sound and volume. Move the highlight bar to the slot you want to use for your new favorite. Push the play/select button on the remote. From here, you use the sound up or down arrow buttons to cycle through the list of sounds to move the highlight bar onto the sound that wish to use for this favorite.
Next, use the volume up or volume down buttons to raise or lower the volume level to the desired level you want for this favorite. Finally, push the play/select button one last time. Notice that the slot you selected now displays the sound you selected along with the volume level. You can continue this process to set up the other favorites.
If you need to change or overwrite a favorite,
the process is quite similar. Move the highlight bar so that it is on the favorite you want to change. Push and hold down the play/select button for about 3-4 seconds. You can now scroll through the sound list, highlight a different sound, adjust the volume to a different level, and then set it by pushing the play/select button a final time.
User Buttons
User buttons 1 and 2 can be assigned a function of your choice for quick one-button access. You can choose from: Favorite 1, Favorite 2, Favorite 3, AUX, Recall, Timer reset, and Backlight. To change the functions of the User buttons, highlight the “USER 1” or “USER 2” menu item, push the “Play/Select” button, then use the “Scroll Up” or “Scroll Down” buttons to cycle through the options. When the desired option has been set, push “Play/Select” a final time to set it. Below is a detailed explanation of the available choices:
- Favorite 1,2 or 3 (see sections 1-4 for set up)
- AUX triggers the auxiliary function if the FOXPRO decoy is attached.
- Recall will recall and play the last sound played through the Prowler at the volume it was last playing at.
- Timer Reset
- Backlight toggles backlight on/off.
TX433XL Menu System
This section covers the TX433XL in detail including breakdowns and explanations of each menu item.
Primary Display Area
When powered on, the TX433XL briefly displays a startup screen and then goes straight to the primary display area. The Favorites menu item holds your 25 favorite sounds. Below Favorites are your sound categories. The bottom line of the display is a status bar that shows (in order): the current volume level, mute status, battery level, and elapsed timer.
You navigate through the screen with the Scroll Up and Scroll Down buttons. As you scroll, the black highlight bar moves up and down, respectively. To select a menu item, push the Select button. To move back to the previous screen, use the Back/Menu button.
Main Menu
The main menu provides access to a variety of transmitter configurations. To access the main menu, push the Back/Menu button a single time. The available menu options are as follows: Sound Settings, Display/Power, Timer/User, and Remote Settings. The following sections cover each of these menu items and their sub-menu items in detail.
Sound Settings Menu
Volume Step
The TX433XL has a range of volume steps from 0 – 20. You can choose step values from 1, 2, and 3. The value assigned to the Volume Step option will be retained between power cycles.
Play Mode
This menu allows you to specify which mode of sound playback the Prowler operates on. The available options are repeat, single play, and jukebox. The default setting is repeat. In Repeat mode, the Prowler will play the selected sound repeatedly until you interrupt it. In Single play mode the sound will play a single time, then stop.
In Jukebox mode the sounds play a single time, and then advance to the next sound and plays it a single time, continuing this until all the sounds have been played. At that point, it will start at the first sound again and continue the pattern. The Play Mode setting is NOT stored between power cycles. You will need to change this setting each time you power on the Prowler remote.
Fav Mute OR
During normal operation, if the Prowler is muted and you request to play a favorite, the sound is queued for playback, but it cannot be heard until the caller is unmuted. Favorite mute override will take care of this and eliminate the need for unmuting the sound upon preset activation.
Display/Power Menu
Backlight
This allows you to change the intensity of the red backlight in a range from 5% – 100%.
Bklt T.O.
This allows you to set the duration for the backlight timeout. The backlight illuminates every time a button is pressed. If the backlight is illuminated and you do not push a button within the set period, the backlight will automatically shut off. Available values are 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 1 minute
Contrast
This allows you to adjust the screen contrast. In normal display mode, the higher the value, the darker the text will appear. In inverse display mode, the higher the value, the darker the background will appear.
LCD Mode
This setting allows you to set the desired display mode. Available options include normal and inverse. In normal mode, the text will be black, and the background will be light. In inverse mode, the background will be black with light text.
Auto Off
If the TX433XL does not sense any button input for a set duration, it will automatically power off to preserve battery life. You can adjust this duration from 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
Remote Settings
Download List
Any time you reprogram the Prowler to add new sounds or rearrange existing sounds, you must download a new copy of the playlist to the transmitter. This menu item will guide you through that process. To download the playlist, you will need a 3.5mm stereo male-to-male cable (included).
AUX Cntrl
The auxiliary jack operation specifications can be changed from either momentary or latched. All FOXPRO decoys require that the jack be set up for momentary. This setting is retained between power cycles.
View
The TX433XL can display your sounds either by general numerical listing or by category listing. Sound categories are the easiest to navigate if you have many sounds. The TX433XL supports up to 25 unique categories. This setting is retained between power cycles.
Snd Nums
The TX433XL displays your sound list in a numerical format based on the index value of each sound file. The sounds are numbered from 000 – 299. You can choose to either have the index values visible in your sound list or you can hide them. This setting is retained between power cycles.
About Info
The About Info screen displays a variety of information about the version number, number of sounds loaded, number of favorites, and transmitter health.
Cable Detect
If cable detection is turned on, the transmitter will automatically prompt you to perform the download list function when a 3.5mm stereo cable is connected to the sound upload jack. You can manually initiate the download list process, if you prefer, by disabling this feature.
Product Care and Maintenance
Avoid exposure to all precipitation and moisture. Moisture can potentially enter the unit or the battery compartment and cause serious problems. Proper care should be taken to mitigate the introduction of moisture into the machine and make sure that no moisture is present during storage. Moisture can quickly lead to corrosion, electrical shorts, and even rust—all of which can render the unit damaged and out of warranty.
This type of damage is preventable! If you are operating in rainy, wet conditions, it is recommended that you place the unit inside a large plastic storage bag or use a water/weatherproof deployment bag to keep water from getting to it. When storing the unit for prolonged periods, be sure that you keep it in a dry location and remove batteries before storage or extended periods of inactivity!
All batteries, whether alkaline or rechargeable, should be removed from the game calls, decoys, and transmitters before storage or periods of inactivity. Batteries left inside electronic devices can leak over time. Damages caused by this can be severe and potentially destroy the electrical components. To prevent this from happening, simply remove all batteries from all devices before you put them away. Keep in mind: damage caused by battery leakage is not covered under warranty
Troubleshooting
If the Prowler doesn’t turn on, make sure you have fresh batteries installed. If the Prowler does not produce any sound, make sure that the speaker switch is in the on position (to the right). If the TX433XL does not turn on, try replacing the battery. If you experience poor battery life in freezing conditions, consider using lithium or rechargeable NiMH batteries as they will function much better in freezing conditions. If the pilot light on the Prowler is blinking, this indicates that the batteries are low. If the pilot light blinks 5 times and then turns off for 2 seconds and repeats, this means a problem has been detected with the memory card and you should contact the service
FCC & IC Information
RF Exposure Safety
Notice The Prowler 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 near 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.
FCC Information
NOTE:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, under 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 per 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 the receiver.
- Connect the equipment to an outlet or circuit different from 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 harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, 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.
Warranty Information
Your FOXPRO® game call is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 3 years from the date of purchase if the item was purchased from a FOXPRO Authorized Retailer. Return the unit prepaid and packaged securely along with proof of purchase to FOXPRO. 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. Examples of non-warranty issues: product ceases to work after exposure to water (in the form of any precipitation), moisture, or other elemental forces; the product is physically damaged from dropping, running over with any vehicle, falling from any surface, and impacting with the ground, gunshot, misuse, neglect, abuse, animal attack;
product ceases to work as a result of battery leakage, battery damage, intentional or unintentional wiring accidents, connecting an unapproved charging device to the product, overpowering, and incorrect installation of batteries; the product ceases to work after connecting an unapproved external auxiliary device.
