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Do ''Turbo Flappers'' really work any better than slow


floc_de-coy
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Gents,

Thinking about a new Flapper for the season and I'm wondering about Turbo Flappers, I've always been a bit suspicious that the only thing they were good for is attracting punters at shows, as I'm now in the market I'm interested to know what the forum thinks of them and who has had experience with them(good or bad).

 

regards.

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I have both and I don't think it makes any difference, but obviously I have no scientific proof.

Two of my flappers are fitted with timers and on one period in the sequence they flap for far too long, looking more like a wounded bird than one thats just landed.

I have posted before that they do spook incoming birds, if they flap at the wrong time.

Its interesting in the latest Fieldsports TV video that Andy Crow comments on this and is trying out a remote controller, I would buy one of those (although the flapper in the video looks a bit "Heath Robinson).

 

My older ones are "hard wired", with a simple on/off switch and I tend to use these the most.

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Like most things they can work well on their day , though I must admit I do not find them as effective as they once was.

Cranfield , I once tried a remote on mine and was not long before I sold it on , I spent far too long faffing about trying to turn it on and off and while i was doing that I was not looking at the bird , I felt it cost me far more pigeons than I gained.

I now use a timer on which the on / off delay can be adjusted.

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From my own experiences, I found the old Semark manual flapper a really good puller. ( See Ditchman on here for an up to date version!!) Ok, bit of a faff with cord back to the hide. But we didn't have braided fishing line then. No batteries to charge, only flaps when you want it to :good: I found that two flaps and then leave it would draw a passing birds attention from quite a way off, the decoys then did the rest. I agree with Cranfield, the electric ones flap for too long. I approached the maker of one of the timers to see if it was possible to shorten the flap time to just two, but he wasn't interested. Like others, I also feel that they can flap at the wrong time, spooking birds. I too tried the remote like Fenboy, but its all a bit hands all over the place....as you can see from Andy Crows video.

 

The one comment that crops up a lot on here is how some days these things work and some they don't. I suspect on the days they work, the birds would possibly have come in anyway :yes:

Edited by turbo33
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I have 2 of the original 'slow' version (UKSW?) running on an adjustable flap/pause timer. I've always thought, with no evidence, that the turbo version set in or close to the decoys gives off a 'panic mode' signal to incoming birds. I've shot many birds that have been paying more attention to the flappers than the decoys. As they did work, oppo bought a couple which had now been 'improved' to the turbo version which showed I had it wrong as they also worked. But, as has been said, if either flap at the wrong time then they can be more trouble than they're worth and sometimes it's better to realise that they're having a bad day and just switch them off completely.

 

Edit: Hadn't seen Turbo 33's post and do tend to agree with his final sentence.

Edited by wymberley
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I use a turbo flapper with a remote controler and a home made flapper with a timer , birds have decoyed to both used in the same pattern at the same time so I have not found there to be much of a difference.

But to be honest my trips out with them have not been numerous of late and general shooting on my permissions in generaly is poor.

A tip I got from Mr Cosd regarding the remote range and effectiveness in operation is to hold the remote on the underside of your mouth with your mouth open and press the operating switch , dont ask me how but it does improve the range and switching reliability, I also mount the receiver on a decoy peg hard wired to the flapper and place it 5 yards nearer the hide with the battery, the operating switch I have on a lose elastic around my wrist for conveinient operation.

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I find that turbo flappers tend to catch the eye a bit better than a standard flapper.

I find it interesting that some of the above posts mention the flappers 'flapping at the wrong time' and spooking birds. I don't believe this to be the case. How do you know it was the flapper that put the birds off? It is very easy to start pointing the finger at your equipment when the birds don't behave how you want them to.

'Panic mode' was also mentioned. Has no-one ever seen a pigeon on the ground quickly get up and move to feed a few yards away?

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After a previous post from another PW member I bought a adjustable timer for my Turboflapper and am now happy with the 4/5 flaps and longish delay. I think it was about £8.50 off the bay. I also have a on/off remote, but haven't used it as much since I got the timer to my liking. I do think pigeons can be put off sometimes if the flapper starts as the bird is right over the decoys, but hopefully by then it'll be too late! My semark flapper & cord stay at home these days, but I may get nostalgic and dust it off!

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Good comments all round,here's mine,last week setup on flight line,all woods with guns in,so a good few birds moving,set up on a SE wind about10mph,could not pull a bird,shot 14.

 

Now yesterday set up same location on a NW wind about 25 mph,birds decoyed well shot 61,in my view if the birds what to come to a particular spot they will the flappers give them more confidence to land in your pattern or kill zone.

 

Would I bye another turbo flapper YES on there day there a good bit of kit and are lighter than a magnet.

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I have turbo flappers , normal speed flappers you name it,spent a fortune over the years but the flapper I like best and use the most is a simple hand made, hand pull flapper (made by a member on here ) it works when I want to, for as many flaps as I want, and it works.

 

 

KW

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I have turbo flappers , normal speed flappers you name it,spent a fortune over the years but the flapper I like best and use the most is a simple hand made, hand pull flapper (made by a member on here ) it works when I want to, for as many flaps as I want, and it works.

 

 

KW

 

I used to have some very good results with manual pull flappers when i was a lad , unfortunately since I have had dogs I have to stay away from them as too often they run into the cord.

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I have both , I think the 'turbo' bit is to catch the punters as they run at the same speed turbo or not, but they are great bits of kit and mine are out every time I am, wouldn't be without them. :lol::lol:

Sorry to disagree but they don't, that's the point of this thread, I've tried making them and the old ones are very slow compared to the turbo's, at least the ones I have seen, It would seem from the comments so far that they both work well in certain circumstances but just like the magnets its up to the pigeons if their effective.

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  • 1 month later...

I run two flappers, a turbo from AA and an ff4. After much use and much study i have done away with the timers and have them both on cables with a button. I use them wholley and solely to get a birds attention, nothing else. if i see a bird out wide i give three quick flaps on one followed by the same on the other, trying to imitate a bird just landing. once you have his attention let your decoy pattern do the rest. I too experienced birds coming in only to flare away at the last moment when the flapper burst into life looking like a bird jumping in panic to escape danger. They do take a minute longer to set up, but it works for me.

RICHARD G

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We have in the distant passed set up four manual flappers all rigged to one pull line. These would turn birds from great distance off flight lines where we could not shoot. When they came close we would hold the tension on so they became " angels" further use found that between four and eight "angels" worked just as well. We now carry ten "angels" all the time if we find ourselves in a simular situation . I think Motty said that flappers do not spook birds and I agree if you watch pigeons as much as I do in none shooting situations they spook on lifting birds some times and even collide with them others.

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