FoxPro Wildfire Vs Western Rivers Pursuit

	Wildfire 2	Pursuit
Remote control	Yes	Yes
Remote range (yards)	80-100	200-250
Batteries	No	No
Synchronisation cable	No	Yes
Programing cable	No	Yes
Cary case	No	Yes
Free standard calls	35	200
Speakers	1	2
Warranty	1 year	3 years

 

Comparing the units against the above information I can't help but think the Western Rivers Pursuit comes out on top.  The range of the remote far exceeds that of the Wildfire, the unit and remote have a warranty which is 3 times that which is being offered by FoxPro and the standard calls which are included by Western Rivers cast a dark, towering shadow over FoxPro's offering, not to mention the Pursuit has two forward facing speakers where the Wildfire has only 1.  

Personally, with the specifications of the Wildfire being compared to the Pursuit, I would expect the Pursuit to be quite a bit more expensive than the the Wildfire but this isn't the case.  Let's analyse the costs involved when purchasing these units.

 

	Wildfire 2	Pursuit
Cost of caller and remote (£)	199.99	179.95
Batteries (£)	7.47	7.47
Cables (£)	8	FREE
Cost of new calls (£)	15.96 for 16	FREE
Carry case (£)	39.99	FREE
Remote lanyard (£)	5.99	FREE
TOTAL (£)	261.44*	187.42

* I have not included the cost of additional calls within the TOTAL.  If we were to purchase more calls to bring the available calls of the Wildfire in line with the Pursuit the TOTAL cost of the Wildfire would be £426.03

I should mention at this point, before I continue, that both units are able to play sounds in the following formats; MP3 and WAV.  However, FoxPro have their own proprietary format which is not compatible with other devices.  So any purchased calls from FoxPro will only be compatible with FoxPro callers.  Western Rivers calls will work on any caller which can play the listed formats.

 Having both units sitting in front of me my initial thought is that the Pursuit looks better than the Wildfire but does this really matter?  After all, they're going to be placed on the ground and bound to get a bit dirty.  The main difference between the callers, as far as construction is concerned, is that the Pursuit has two speakers compared to the one speaker offered by the Wildfire.  The remote controls for both units are also quite similar with the functionality they provide.  The Pursuit remote seems to be a lot more responsive than the Wildfire and I am finding the green back illuminated display easier to read and navigate through.  My only real gripe so far with the Pursuit remote is the display that is shown for the level which the volume is displayed.  Unlike the Wildfire remote, which displays the volume level in numbers 1-20, the Pursuit has a volume bar which doesn't seem practical at all.  

Speaking of volume levels both callers are impressive.  Sitting them side by side at the other end of the office, 5 meters away, I decided to test them one after the other.  I had a great thought - let's test the maximum level of volume they can punch out.  Up first was the Pursuit.  You're probably reading this now, shaking your head, thinking; Graeme that's a not a good idea - maximum volume at that distance.  How right you are.  The volume of sound was very impressive - who doesn't enjoy listening to a cotton tail in distress from 5 meters away at one million times the normal dB level you would expect?  Not deterred, and ignoring my perforated ear drums and instant migraine from the Pursuit, I moved onto the Wildfire.  Both Callers were exceptionally loud but it is hard to distinguish between the two as to which came out on top.  At maximum audio levels both units are clear and the sound travels well.  Even though the Pursuit has the additional front speaker I cannot tell myself whether or not it makes any difference.  You do have the option to switch between one or both but it's difficult to notice any changes.

Testing the remotes, I ventured outside with the Callers - something I wished I had done whilst testing the volume.  Pushing the volume to maximum, and sitting them side by side, I tested the range of the remotes.  It's quite clear the Pursuit annihilates the Wildfire with the remote range and quite substantially too.  Both remotes were responsive at their maximum range and I could find no fault with either.  I still found the Pursuit remote easier to use and navigate through the listed calls but this comes more down to personal preference than anything else

In conclusion, and I think you know where I am going to go here, I believe the Pursuit is phenomenal and far superior to that of the Wildfire.  The Pursuit is cheaper, the calls are free, the cable are included and the additional warranty time and remote range it very much welcomed.  For the sort of money you pay for these Callers I would much rather have 3 years peace of mind rather than the one.  Having them compared side by side with their specifications listed it's difficult to see why FoxPro comes out on top.  My conclusion is that it comes down to Brand name and awareness.  FoxPro has been around far longer than Western Rivers offerings and I know what things are like.  If you're out with your friend and you see them using a FoxPro and how effective it is, you're more than likely to order the same thing which is a pity as a lot of us are missing out on a truly remarkable Caller.