Technology continues to work into our shooting experience. And today I present to you another new to me product that brings more electronic gizmos into the shooting realm. Our subject today is the Walkers Game Ear Suppressor Bluetooth Earbuds. These are electronic bluetooth earbuds that have the noise cancelling Walkers is famous for, with all the added benefits that your typical earbuds also give.
Everything you see here is included
Walkers Game Ear Suppressor
Walkers is famous for the ability to not only protect your hearing, but amplify your surroundings at the same time. This has typically been more for hunters than shooters. The Suppressor Bluetooth Earbuds offer the next level of both protection, situational awareness, and even entertainment.
With omnidirectional stereo sound from four microphones, the Suppressors give you 25 DB protection from gunfire. While also providing you connection to your surroundings, and even the ability to enhance those sounds.
Not only does it come with various sizes of foam and silicone tips for maximum comfort, they also allow four different frequencies of sound to customize your hearing experience. All this in a wireless rechargeable earbud set much like those all the cool kids are wearing these days. And like the popular kids, you can charge these up to three times in their discreet battery powered case. The case can also be charged via a USB-C included cord.
charging the earbuds in their case
As if all that wasn’t enough, you can customize your listening experience on the fly using the Walkers Link 4.0 application on your phone to adjust balance, volume and the differential between your favorite tunes playing by bluetooth and the ambient noise around you.
Controlling the Suppressor Earbuds
Aside from directly operating the earbuds through the app, you can also adjust the volume, skip songs, and change hearing settings all by touching the control surfaces on the exterior of the earbuds.
You can also adjust the auto-off setting between 2, 4, and 6 hours. Or not at all. You can balance between your ears if you choose as well.
Sound Quality
As an earbud, these are fantastic. The quality of the music sound played from my phone is as good as other comparably priced earbuds I borrowed from my wife.
Additionally, the sounds picked up by the microphones are also impressive. As I type this out, I can hear the keystrokes over the music playing at an aggressive volume. I could also hear my wife’s phone playing a video inside another room with a closed door.
The various ear canal gaskets give you various options. I tend to prefer the foam ones as the silicone ones seem to work loose on me. The foam plugs are a bit stiffer and keep a good grip inside your ear, aided by the rubber rib mounted under the plug. If you have sensitive ears, the silicone plugs might be better as they don’t press out against your ear canal as hard.
These Suppressor Earbuds do stick out a little further than I’d like. Its not like I’m gonna be snagging them against tree limbs or something. But they are out there enough that you could brush them loose when adjusting your beenie or glasses. This is certainly not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of.
I’ve used these earbuds on the range several times now, in addition to my wearing around the house and office to listen to music. They do a great job keeping the noise of firearms down. As someone who wore foamie ear-plugs for the majority of my shooting career, these feel like they cancel the noise just as good as any foamie might. With the added benefit of being able to hear those around you, in stereo. It also allows me to listen to John Wick Mode by Castlevania while I do reloads with my Staccato.
Pros and Cons
There are very few cons that I found with these earbuds. I mentioned the slight protrusion from the ear, and the possibility of the foam pressing out against your ear canal. Other than that I can confidently say they knocked it out of the park with these earbuds. I remember nearly a decade ago paying twice this much for custom fitting electronic ear protection. Only to find within the first few minutes that they were slightly worse than foamies, and were always dead with expensive batteries.
In Closing
My conversion to electronic hearing protection is fairly recent. But I don’t think I’ll be using foamies anytime soon short of an emergency. I quite enjoy these earbuds, and look forward to more days at the range wearing them. If you are looking for electronic hearing protection, these might be right up your ear canal, especially if you like accompaniment.
I remember once as a child, my brother and I sending Morse code messages through our walkie talkies. We thought we were quite funny until my father who was listening called us out. Long gone are the days of cheap two-way radios, at least for me anyways. In today’s market there are many great two-way radio options and today I bring you a new one. In the interests of a hunting tool in remote country, I wanted a quality radio set we could use in the big country of the Rocky Mountains. Something we could use during road trips, fishing trips and such where immediate communication coincides with little to no phone service. Today’s subject is the Midland GXT67 GMRS 5-Watt 2-Way Radios.
Specifications
5 Watts of Power: Maximize two-way Midland radio range
Repeater Capable: Communicate across further distances with 8 repeater-capable GMRS channels.
Heavy Duty: IP67 waterproof and dustproof to withstand all the elements like rain and dust.
Long Lasting: 16-hour battery life with up to 4 days in standby and rapid radios 4-hour rapid charge with included desktop charger, AC wall adapter, 6ft USB-C charging cable, and snap-on DC vehicle charger.
NOAA Weather Alert Radio: Prioritize safety with the latest weather radio information straight from the National Weather Service.
each radio comes in a nice zippered soft case with all these accessories
Features
Repeater capable
5 Watts
IP67 waterproof and dustproof
4-hour rapid charge
Up to 4-day battery life
Intuitive menu interface
Up to 99 GMRS/FRS channels
22 standard GMRS/FRS channels
8 GMRS repeater channels and split tones
28 preset privacy code channels
Up to 49 user-defined channels
142 privacy codes and group mode
38 CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System)
104 DCS (Digital Coded Squelch)
10 groups, 143 group codes
Microphone Automatic Noise Canceling (ANC)
NOAA Weather Alert Radio
Channel scan and Dual Watch Pro scan
Optional interface customization with AVP34 cable
Soft-shell carrying case
Narrow and wideband operation
VOX hands free (4 levels)
10 call alerts
Vibrate alert
SOS siren
Silent operation
Whisper talk
Keypad lock
Headphone jack
3-year warranty
Controls and Menus
By far my favorite feature off these radios is to turn off all the sounds. One thing I always hated about other walkie talkies is the inability to mute the call sounds. Nothing worse when you are trying to sneak through the forest undetected and hear someone key the mic for a startling sound.
Aside from turning off noises you can also customize functions with vibration notifications and changing colors of the display. You can select Dual Watch function to monitor multiple channels if needed, and you can also select a whisper mode which should come in handy in the fall.
here you can attach a remote microphone, you can see the robust cover even has a rubber gasket to keep out water
While charging the screen turns red, and shows a battery icon and charge status. Once the battery is fully charged, the screen changes to green, making it very quick to determine if a radio is ready for action.
Accessories
The radios come with a belt-clip you can snap into the back, this will keep the radio in place when you are on the move. The Midland shoulder mic is another handy accessory you can attach to the GXT67 radios.
the red screen indicates it is charging, the screen turns green when fully charged
In the Field
Whether you plan on using these in an urban environment or in the wild country outdoors, there is something for you. While using the GTX67 radios in the city, I found it didn’t take long to find somebody on my same channel. Luckily it wasn’t hard to find the privacy features and set a privacy code.
I was hoping they would reach a little further up front. I was in a thick city environment, flat ground, with nothing but buildings and such. It turned out to give me around 1.5 miles before losing contact. This was on the medium power setting, with the high power setting they would reach further to around 2-3 miles. The battery power was great lasting easily through an 8 hour work day speaking occasionally. Keeping them charged was easy using either the 120v charging station, or the 12v charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter.
in the city, it seemed like 1.5 miles was the furthest we could reach
While visiting more remote parts of the country, I found there was much less radio traffic. And in the wide open spaces of the desert we could speak to each other as far as 4 miles away. I found the NOAA weather report by accident while pushing buttons. This turned out to be a happy accident, and we sat and listened to the weather report.
Hiking around through backcountry we were able to keep in touch easily. To be honest I wouldn’t want to be much further away from the rest of my party than these radios will reach. They don’t weigh much which is nice, especially if you are going deep into the mountains. And the repeater function allows a greater distance connections among a group. Midland also sells a repeater module you can mount in the area of use, for better communication.
the radios were great for communicating in the backcountry
Conclusion
These are definitely a step up from the inexpensive radios you’d buy your kids for a camping trip. They bring professional features and durable batteries and construction for those who need it. They are definitely good enough for my purposes, keeping in touch with those in my hunting party in these big mountains.
Mantis is a firearms training tool manufacturer, the Illinois company manufactures a variety of differing products all designed to help gun owners improve their skills. Today we are taking a look at one of those products, the Mantis Titan X. Like other Mantis products, the Titan X uses both technology and props to help you sharpen your practice. By adding some technology to dry firing and some structure to training, Mantis offers a great value in practice and savings in ammunition.
Mantis Background
The Titan X is a polymer training pistol that can be had in various copies of popular pistols like the Glock 19 used here today. The pistol has onboard electronics to monitor the movements and trigger manipulation by the user. This and other data is sent by bluetooth to your phone, where the Mantis app analyzes and gives you feedback on every aspect of your draw, presentation, and trigger pulls. The whole idea is to perfect dry-fire training, and improve your handling.
This is the trend with Mantis products; using their technology to give excruciating detail of firearms handling. Giving you the ability to watch your own movements and replay every trigger pull. Additionally, the Titan X has an adjustable laser that fires when the trigger breaks, illuminating the “impact” of your shot. This alone is extremely helpful in dry fire practice.
Mantis Features
The Titan X comes in a padded soft-case, with the instructions, charging cable and two magazines for reloading drills. As a copy of Glock pistols, it can accept your favorite weapon lights and lasers. And it has an optics cut to accept RMR and RMSc red dots on top of its immovable slide.
the Titan is optics ready for your RMR and RMSc red dots
The weighted magazines offer a realistic feel and fit to the whole ensemble. It really feels just like a Glock in your hand, and sure to fit in your holsters just like your live fire pistol.
The Mantis App was free to download, and very simple to connect to the Titan X. Charging the Titan X pistol is done using a micro USB cable that plugs in where the chamber would be (if it had one). There is a single button on top of the chamber used for syncing the pistol and other operations.
the Mantis X app gives you feedback on your trigger finger movement, and how it moves the pistol upon firing
The Titan’s internal sensor can tell exactly what direction the pistol is pointed. It can tell where the gun is aimed and any movement between shots, as well as trigger inputs. This is all recorded and can be replayed in real time or slow motion so you can see your overtravel on the target, as well as the movements you put in while pulling the trigger. You can even watch live as you shoot with the gun to see all the right and wrong inputs you are doing. Or have a partner watch on your phone and give you coaching.
Other Mantis Products
Other products from Mantis are in a similar style of training but offer different use cases. The Mantis X system is a phone based app training module that uses a sensor attached to your firearm. It gives feedback on handling and aiming while using your actual firearm. The X2 version of the product is designed for use as dry fire practice only. Adding live fire to the training is done with the X3 version, which allows the same drills and skill practice while running live ammunition on the range.
The Mantis 10X version combines all features of the X series products, and maximizes your ability to train both on the range and at home. And not just handguns either, it can be used with long-guns and even archery tackle.
The Mantis Laser Academy is another training module, again using your phone and other props in addition to a laser cartridge chambered in your gun to practice shooting. Its quick and easy setup allows you time on the trigger of your favorite gun without leaving home and saving ammunition costs along the way.
The Mantis Blackbeard system is a product you install on your AR15 rifle, it allows you to dry fire the rifle without having to recharge the rifle every shot. The Blackbeard resets the trigger for you, and its optional laser also gives you a witness of the impact from each trigger pull. This helps build handling skill and again saves ammo costs. There is another model called the BlackbeardX that combines the Blackbeard system with the MantisX technology giving you the best of both.
Mantis Titan X Review
I dry fire a LOT, ask anyone who knows or works with me. I am always practicing my draw from holsters, and presentation of whatever gun I happen to be carrying that day. Up until now, the only feedback I could give myself was based on the sights location when the trigger breaks. Watching to see where my red dot is on my point of aim as the striker snaps, as I’d imagine many of you do as well.
The Titan X is perfect for this practice as it adds something you can’t do with a real firearm, at least not safely. The laser impact on your aimpoint serves the same purpose as a bullet when you shoot. After all; shooting is simply a process of aligning sights, cleanly breaking the trigger, seeing the impact and adjusting accordingly for the next shot. The Titan X allows you to do all those things without ear protection, without leaving home, and most importantly without blowing through your ammo stash.
Operation
With the Titan X you can practice with the pistol, complete with your favorite accessories such as red dots, weapon lights, holsters and such. And execute the same training by drawing, aligning the sights, and breaking the trigger. Seeing the laser as the impact gives you the exact same ability to analyze your sight alignment, trigger pull and more. The only thing missing is the recoil and noise. Add to that the data record captured by the Mantis app, that allows you to analyze every aspect of your shooting and trigger pull. Additionally, the laser is far more consistent than even quality ammo can be. That translates to better training because your gun is literally a laser beam, and the “hits” will be more valuable because you are removing the anomaly of variations in ammunition. Sim guns, rubber bullet guns, and even airsoft can offer some of the same training aspects, but some of those are semi-destructive to your home decor. And none of them are as accurate as the laser.
Shooting the pistol right out of the box I found it immediately useful. Seeing the laser “impact” right where the sights lined up gives you that immediate feedback much like a bullet does. I had no reason to adjust the laser out of the box as it lined up great with the sights.
But because I usually shoot with a red dot it wasn’t long before I decided to install one. For that purpose I went with an easy choice, the Gideon Optics Alpha red dot. Its RMR footprint which would make it easy to attach. At that point you could either adjust the red dot to match the laser impact. Or vice versa adjusting the laser with an Allen wrench to match the red dot.
In Business
With the sight mounted and everything lined up, I got busy shooting the Titan X. The very best part of this product is you can train at home in your pj’s if thats what you desire. I found a spot in the house with roughly 8-10 yards from a wall. Then got to work making my way through the various drills included in the Mantis app.
Following the training regimen in the Mantis app, I found a variety of drills that were both fun and educational. Drawing from both CCW holsters and OBW holsters gave good insight to my draw and first shots after. The realistic weight and feel of the Titan made it very natural. It should have come as no surprise to me how much better you can focus on your trigger control when it isn’t covered up by noise and recoil. And if you add to that the impressive after analysis with the app you can really quickly find what you need to improve on. The Titan gives you the ability to really shoot without burning up ammunition. This gives you much better insight on what happens before the bullet leaves the muzzle.
It only gives you analysis after the fact, so don’t expect the Mantis Titan to make any corrections to your execution (it’s not a training wheels). You will still have to do everything but load magazines. So don’t count on the Titan to correct your finger placement or grip angle, you will still need to know the fundamentals. What it will do is show you if your finger placement is causing you to pull one direction or another.
Lessons Learned
The more I used the Titan, the more holes I found in my shooting. And if nothing else, the Titan did an excellent job showing me what I’m doing wrong. So I know what to work on. Much like an honest friend, the Mantis Titan will tell you what you suck at. No sugar coating here, just the straight truth of how your handling flows. And the Mantis app keeps a history of your training, so you can go back and see how you’ve improved over time.
Obviously there is never any danger with the Titan, as it cannot be loaded. This also makes it very useful for training. Whether you are at home, in the office, or elsewhere you don’t have to worry about office pops. Which is a concern with dry firing your regular pistol. The bright red color also gives the impression of a training pistol. I doubt it would keep an unlearned cop from turning you into a deadly training story.
The Mantis X App
Not only does the app come with a list of various popular drills, but additionally several courses of training. They are set up in progressive sections, finishing one with a high enough score opens the next. You can create a profile, and the app will track your progress and scores.
Much like a video game you can configure the drills depending on skill level. With difficulty levels of beginner, intermediate, advanced, and even a custom setting.
The drills have a shot timer built in that signals you to fire just like at the range. And you can adjust the delay to your liking as well.
Here you can see how the Mantis X app shows you both your draw to the target and the pull of the trigger
The app helps you analyze your own handling of the pistol. Giving you times from the holster to breaking the trigger, and your time between shots etc. You can watch every draw and watch the muzzle tracking as you do, and every trigger pull is also shown allowing you to see what needs work. What it doesn’t do is give you a target, anything you choose can be an aimpoint. The Titan tracks the aimpoint based on where you shoot. You could quite literally set up targets in your house and run drills on them. There is really a lot more to the app than I can go over here, but I found it to be very helpful in analyzing my shooting.
Mantis Titan X Pros and Cons
There is very little I can judge against the Titan based on its purpose. It does what I expected it to do, even better than I thought it would. I didn’t really think I would like a training pistol this much, the immediate feedback of my shooting really blew my mind. I suppose if I had to say something I’d like improved on the pistol it might be this; I would like it if the slide was operational, even though it’s not really necessary. I’d like it for the reloading drills, so you could actually operate the slide lock and such. The adjustment screws for the laser were slightly janky. I never did figure out exactly which size Allen wrench I used to adjust it, but I made it work. The battery life lasts longer than expected which means you can get a lot of trigger time on the gun.
As it is there are a few different pistol models of the Titan. Mantis is also taking what appears to be suggestions on their website. I expect they are looking to see what the next most popular model is that should be produced.
Mantis Titan X Report Card
Shootability (A) it feels like every other Glock 19 clone you’ve handled and shot
Reliability (B+) I seems like the laser wandered slightly with use, but the laser never didn’t go bang
Ergonomics (B+) Gen5 Glock feel, no finger grooves and undercut trigger guard
Accuracy (A) The laser can’t miss when you aim properly
Value (A) For the amount of training the Titan is an exceptional value
I found the trigger to feel very comparable to the Glock and Glock clone pistols that the Titan is designed to mimic. The take up and snap of the trigger feels close enough that if blindfolded I would likely not distinguish it from any other random Glock copy.
Does the slide move on the Titan?
The slide of the Titan is fixed, and not meant to move as far as I can tell. There is no need to operate the pistol slide anyways, as all operations are done without it.
Is it compatible with standard holsters?
In my experience, the Titan fit perfectly in my various collection of Glock 19/17 holsters. Several different Safariland ALS holsters, as well as the IncogX and Gravity holsters.
How do the smart magazines work?
The Titan senses the magazine when seated, which is used during various reloading drills. I also found that standard Glock magazines will fit in the Titan as well for additional training.
It’s nice that the Titan X uses the popular RMR and RMSc footprint, and since the gun doesn’t recoil you needn’t worry about it shifting on the base plate. And using the Titan together with my holsters that I use every day make drawing practice more valuable. And reloads can be performed using the mag-caddy’s on my gun-belt.
Final Thoughts
For the asking price of $199 I think the Mantis Titan X is a great deal. Sure you can argue that you can get something like a PSA Dagger for just $50 more. But the Titan X will save you far more in ammunition and practice. That is where the value comes in, the Titan X costs only a bit more than a case of ammo for training. And you can certainly argue that you’ll get more training out of the Titan. It gives you all the ability of safe dry fire and nearly live fire practice, with exceptional analysis of your practice with the Mantis app. I was a bit skeptical of this kind of product when I first saw it, but it only took a few moments to see what a great asset it can become.
The VEEKTOMX charger is a compact battery pack that has several different built-in cables. The various cables allow you to charge the unit, as well as connect to various different devices to charge them.
The VEEKTOMX power pack also incorporates a small screen indicating its readiness and power level. You can use USB, USB-C, Micro USB and Apple Lightning cables to charge most small portable electronics. One of the cables does double duty as a wrist strap.
This power pack has 9 layers of protections with various overcharge and heating protection features. It is TSA friendly according to the manufacturer, which I assume means you can take it on planes. The 10,000 mAh charger can charge your phone, camera, or other device quickly and on the go.
the Screen indicates power bank charge status
My Experience
I’ve been using the VEEKTOMX charger for several months now. I’ve taken it on planes, to keep my phone charged. I’ve carried it in my backpack into the frozen Rocky Mountains to keep my camera and thermal scopes charged up. It has been very handy, allowing me to keep my electronics in peak condition. For the $30 that it costs, I think this is a great lightweight power bank to keep with your equipment. Whether it be hunting, hiking or just to keep a speaker powered up while ice fishing in my Ice Tent, I think its a great option.
here you can see the charging ports and cables neatly stowed
