Where to Buy Rat Headphones....

[soupie]

Does anyone know where to purchase a new set of Rat headphones??....I cannot find any sites that sell them....are they still in business?
Thanks for any info

Soup

 

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[Lowbatts]

Hey Scott give Ron Shore a call or PM him. He may be able to get you a set or at least know the current status and he's probably got some good other options.

 

[makton]

Soupie, The guy that makes them still does a limied supply from time to time. He made a couple of dozen last year and they were gone pretty quick. Google it...his name is Rick something and you can send him a message. He will get in contact with you when he makes more as he did with me last year. He has a Facebook page. Good luck. Todd

 

[makton]

Soupie, I think it's rick.viola.com. Todd

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Soup,

Did you check the classifieds here, Satlwater Max had a new pair for sale that he posted on March 3.....?

 

[soupie]

Thanks for the info all...

I called Ron @ windy city and he was out,said he would call when and if he gets some...

I will try to contact Rick...

Soup

 

[Lookn4Seated]

Thanks for the info all...

I called Ron @ windy city and he was out,said he would call when and if he gets some...

I will try to contact Rick...

Soup

I looked into getting Rat Phones last year, but then after realizing how hard it was to find a pair... how would you get them fixed or exchanged if something were to happen with them. That's when I opted to get the sunray gold ones instead. has a limiter switch on them as well. It looks like the guts of both of them are the same.

Good luck and hope you can find yourself a pair.

 

[soupie]

I have a set of Sunrays and Killer Bees (they need a new end) I used a set of rats once and holy cow....there was no comparison....but it could just be my ears...I am about half deaf ....

 

[Lowbatts]

Thanks for the info all...

I called Ron @ windy city and he was out,said he would call when and if he gets some...

I will try to contact Rick...

Soup

I looked into getting Rat Phones last year, but then after realizing how hard it was to find a pair... how would you get them fixed or exchanged if something were to happen with them. That's when I opted to get the sunray gold ones instead. has a limiter switch on them as well. It looks like the guts of both of them are the same.

Good luck and hope you can find yourself a pair.

Audio range is the key to the sound quality, a limiter is one half of a compander. It only affects the input audio RMS V above a certain level. Several makers have used both in-cup and in-line companders in the past.

I shy away from them because I want the faint signals to sound faint, so I know I'm looking at something deep or different. A faint target that goes through a compander can end up sounding like a deep beer can, something you don't want it to sound like.

I think the Minelab folk have onboard audio down to an art by way of comparison to the other makers because the faint targets can still sound very good if they are good. That's opposed to other rigs where the faint targets will very often change target id dramatically dependent on depth.

 

[d-dub]

Thanks for the info all...

I called Ron @ windy city and he was out,said he would call when and if he gets some...

I will try to contact Rick...

Soup

I looked into getting Rat Phones last year, but then after realizing how hard it was to find a pair... how would you get them fixed or exchanged if something were to happen with them. That's when I opted to get the sunray gold ones instead. has a limiter switch on them as well. It looks like the guts of both of them are the same.

Good luck and hope you can find yourself a pair.

I have the same headphones and found the limiter switch worked wonders on my F-75. It allowed me to crank the volume so I could hear the faint signals while at the same time cutting the volume of the surface targets(cans). On the E-Trac, I found the limiter had no effect on the signal volume and actually have since rewired the connections in the cups to go straight to the speakers. Like Lowbatts said, the E-Trac does a good job at this internally and has those features accessible in the menus. I.E. volume limit/volume gain. I set the volume gain a little lower than the max limit so deeper targets "sound" more faint than surface targets. This gives me a way to process the signals based on depth without having to constantly look at the screen. The volume is always cranked up as the max volume is not overbearing like it was on the F-75 eliminating the need for a limiter and if I choose to have those deep targets "sound" as good as shallower targets, I can just crank the volume gain to the max.

 

[dirtyJohn]

Sounds like a set of Black Widows might suit your hearing needs. http://www.detectorpro.com/blackwidow.htm
I built a pair without the limiter and I can only turn them up a 1/3 of the way without having my ears start to bleed .
HH
John
P.S. You can save about $20 or $30 if you buy them on ebay.

 

[soupie]

I shot off a email to Rick and on standby for a reply
I also Pm'd Salwater Max as well as emailed on the used pair...I have dealt with him in the past and has always treated me well....hopin for the best...
Thanks for the info folks,....

Soup Out

 

[Gimmie The Loot]

Put away the minelab and get the Ace back out... only 2 sounds there so no fancy headphones needed

 

[soupie]

Bring that Yellow beast down here and I will show ya how to use it Grasshopper...