Sharx is a Fox 40 brand whistle.

A few months ago, someone on this site posted a link to a very thorough study on the actual effectiveness of different types of survival whistles.

I've tried to find it on this site but cannot and a Google search seems to turn up a lot of unrelated stuff. Does anyone remember where this study came from?

No I mean the fox 40 classic whistle, or whatever it's called. Local store only carry two decent whistles, the big storm whistle and fox 40 classic.

The Fox40s are durable and reliable. I have both the regular and mini styles. Good whistles, though I wish the pitch was lower.

The Storm is big, but holy cow is it loud. While it's bulky, there's no noticeable weight penalty. I have carried it in cargo pant pockets and it didn't bother me at all.

For some reason, my hounds seem to ignore the Fox40s but respond to Storms and those 3-chamber flat boating whistles. Why I cannot say, but I suspect it's the lower pitch.

I also have the smaller version of the Storm but can't comment since I haven't really used it.

If you can afford the space, a Storm will serve well. And there's no reason you can't have a Fox40 mini with you as well.

P.S., has anybody tried one of these? They're $5 at a local outdoor outfitter. They look robust. Double chambered with synthetic peas. Opinions?

Scotty No. 780 Lifesaver Whistle



http://www.scotty.com/boating-supplies-equipment/safety-equipment/whistles.htm

I have the Storm, the Fox40 Sharx and the Fox40 Sonik Blast. Note that the Sharx and the Sonik Blast are newcomers within the last year. The Storm's claim on being the loudest whistle may be outdated information.

Anyway, all three whistles are incredibly loud. I honestly can't tell which is loudest. Each left me with ringing ears, a mild headache and a pissed off dog.

I have to say though that my favorite is the Sharx. It's about half the size of the Storm. It's sleeker looking than the Sonik Blast. It has no pea. Peas have been known to freeze. I can totally see how that happens. Condensation could freeze around the pea, rendering the whistle useless.

The Storm may, or may not, freeze during freezing weather. Fortunately, I don't have to find out because I will carry my Sharx when it gets really cold. Heck, I'll carry my Sharx or Sonic Blast all the time anyway. The Storm is kind of like a big honking camera that takes great pictures but stays at home. The best camera is the one you have with you, likewise with whistles.

I noticed storm whistle has a very rapid oscillation in frequency, I can even feel the whistle vibrate, whereas fox 40 classic is just one higher pitched sound. Is the sharx and sonik blast similar to classic?

Oh and I always plug my ears with little fingers when I test whistles.

The Sharx and Sonik Blast are like the older Classic, except the newer Fox40 whistles are a bit louder.

The Storm does have that oscillation and is a heck of a whistle. The oscillation in frequency is due to the pea rattling around in the chamber, thus causing slight frequency changes. What you hear may actually be oscillations of loudness. I don't know what is technically correct here. Note that any pealess whistle, like a plastic Fox40, is NOT going to have that oscillation sound.

A finer point...The Storm provides better control on loudness. I think that's due to the pea. That control may or may not be useful to you. The Fox40 kind of goes from soft to loud, with not much in between. I personally have a whistle for emergencies, NOT for dog training or normal communication or whatever. So, control is not really all that important to me.

By the way, I've developed a slight obsession with whistles over the last month. The technology and the histories of the whistle companies have fascinated me. Also, a whistle probably has the highest value/weight ratio of anything in your survival pack. An example of a probable survival situation for me is an earthquake that causes me to be trapped in a structure, like what happened recently with people in Haiti and Chile. So, now, I just wear a whistle all the time like a necklace.

Oh, I plug my ears now, but I had to experience the full loudness once for each whistle because I was curious.

Heh, I've never noticed storm whistle has a pea before, went to shook it and sure enough.

Probably not a good thing in the cold thou, where the condensation from breath could freeze it in place.