sam vimes
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If everybody bought really good alarm systems, what would you old boys moan about? Silent heads with vibrating receivers. The way forward.
electronic bite alarm recommendations
- Thread starter xenon
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If everybody bought really good alarm systems, what would you old boys moan about? Silent heads with vibrating receivers. The way forward.
For a moment there I thought I was on the wrong post. Silent heads and vibrating recievers .
Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC}
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Metal or plastic 'polos'?
Mine eventually disintegrated, but they were bloody good value! I could never get the original plastic polos to grip properly though and upgraded to the brass ones.
I still have my Heron style one in a draw somewhere and a couple of Fox Microns that need repair. I'm currently using Fox something or others but as often as not the batteries run dead and they just double up as bulky front rests.
flightliner
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I have both Chris but I found that using the plastic tightening screw (with the very handy hook tightening ring attachment) I didnt have any probs with tightening things up tho I have had them pulled at right angles on the odd occasion when carp fishing in the margins but we compensated for it later by not foaming up so tight--lol. Those optibolts sure were heavy too.
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nicepix
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I agree. Mostly I use mine when fishing with multiple rods and I can't guarantee to be able to watch each one properly.
terry m
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The new S5 is very good, small sub £25 and very reliable
But as has already been posted most of what you can buy these days is reliable and reasonably robust. It generally boils down to personal taste and depth of your pockets.
But as has already been posted most of what you can buy these days is reliable and reasonably robust. It generally boils down to personal taste and depth of your pockets.
flightliner
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Terry, my optonics cost £19 and £20 respectively all those years ago so they are really cheap by comparison.
S-Kippy
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If everybody bought really good alarm systems, what would you old boys moan about? Silent heads with vibrating receivers. The way forward.
Oi....less of the "Old Boy"....bloody sauce !
Seriously...I wouldn't mind a "sound off" option as I am rarely more than arms reach from my rods. Given that I dont like the intrusion of other people's alarms it would be rank hypocrisy for me to intrude on others so in anything other than a full gale my alarms have always been set as low as they go. The Chub T5's I'm currently on are pretty discreet.
I switched to the Chubs because even on the lowest setting the Fox Warriors I had were too loud for me. I also found that I couldn't always see the single led on the far rod [of two] because the near rod obscured it. Decent entry level alarms but that's what prompted me to change to the Chubs which have two leds.
I guess the Chub's didn't do that well because they are being knocked out now. Well worth a look provided you can handle the humiliation of being caught on a carp lake using something other than a Delkim.
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sam vimes
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Oi....less of the "Old Boy"....bloody sauce !
I can't help it if you moan (about bite alarms) like a constipated octagenarian.
I guess the Chub's didn't do that well because they are being knocked out now. Well worth a look provided you can handle the humiliation of being caught on a carp lake using something other than a Delkim.
They aren't bad, they were just way overpriced at the original retail prices. At the prices that Eric's a knocking them out at, they aren't a bad buy.
The little push buttons can be a little finicky and they are prone to switching on in transit. A youngster I know had some, he took pelters as we walked round lakes to a bip, bip accompinament.
Delks for the river, Nash Sirens for the lakes. Function over form and fashion for me. I'm not given to caring much what the fashionistas say.
terry m
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This is a good point, and it demonstrates the benefits of improved technologies, mass production techniques, and dare I say it low cost manufacturing regions.
S-Kippy
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I can't help it if you moan (about bite alarms) like a constipated octagenarian.
They aren't bad, they were just way overpriced at the original retail prices. At the prices that Eric's a knocking them out at, they aren't a bad buy.
The little push buttons can be a little finicky and they are prone to switching on in transit. A youngster I know had some, he took pelters as we walked round lakes to a bip, bip accompinament.
Delks for the river, Nash Sirens for the lakes. Function over form and fashion for me. I'm not given to caring much what the fashionistas say.
What makes you think I'm from Octagenia ? Is that in Cumbria too ?
I started with a pair of T3's but when they started knocking out the T5's the tart in me surfaced and I had to have a pair. So far they have behaved immpecably apart from an annoying habit of remaining mostly silent bankside
Bit of a TT maybe but bankside fashionista...moi ? Most certainly not ! When I am "on the sticks" my rods are not a matching pair & my reels will be Okuma's or Daiwas...sometimes one of each and often different sizes. No bivvy,bedchair,spod or marker rod and no bloody head mounted searchlight either. I'm amazed I've not been done for a fixed penalty yet.
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sam vimes
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Good Lord! I wasn't accusing you of being one. You can't possibly be, not with Chub Neurons, even if they are the expensive version.
terry m
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So if cost was not an issue what are todays tackle tarts brandishing in the way of bite alarms?
I assumed that Delk TXi's still reigned supreme, but Nash Sirens, Nevilles, Wychwood Epics are all in press regularly.
Are Delks still the top of the tree?
I assumed that Delk TXi's still reigned supreme, but Nash Sirens, Nevilles, Wychwood Epics are all in press regularly.
Are Delks still the top of the tree?
sam vimes
Well-known member
Depends who you ask. They are still very popular but plenty bitch about them.
New, Delkim (usually TXis), Nash Sirens, ATTx, Nevs and Fox (NXr/NXTr). Not much love in evidence for the Wychwood Epics (though I liked the show demo prototypes I saw).
Still plenty swearing by their old model Fox and Delk alarms though.
One thing is for sure, it matters little which you pick, someone somewhere will slate them.
S-Kippy
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Good Lord! I wasn't accusing you of being one. You can't possibly be, not with Chub Neurons, even if they are the expensive version.
I know you weren't....it was self mocking indignation at the very suggestion ! I like nice gear but I am tight enough to like a bargain too. If it does the job I want it to do [to my satisfaction] and is decent value I dont care what brand it is....and I care even less what Torchy in the swim next door & his raucous bivvymate thinks.:w
xenon
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Blimey. Steps back in amazement. Thanks to all for this most entertaining and informative read. Truth is that I was/am looking to fish a "sleeper" rod (properly) whilst engaging in my first love, which is float fishing, and since I cannot pay full attention to both float and quiver at the same time, hence the enquiry. For my next trick, anyone recommend a decent centerpin? (Joke! gets coat)
Ray Roberts
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I had two Fox MXI's both died after a couple of years and when I took a peep inside the battery contacts had corroded and separated from the PCB's , the batteries hadn't leaked. I replaced them with two Delkims, my first impression was that they didn't seem particularly robust but first impressions are sometimes wrong and they have performed faultlessly for about three years. The other advantage is that they work on pp9 type batteries that you can get anywhere, also the batteries last ages and alkaline batteries can be picked up from the Pound shop for a quid each or 99p if you shop around.
I spent a good while looking around and asking questions of anglers who's views I respect before replacing my old top of the range Fox alarms.
I always had nagging doubts about the sensitivity of the Fox alarms, no empirical evidence really just one of those silly doubts.
I eventually opted for the Delkim TXi-plus and bought 4 of them, 3 to use in the UK plus a spare and then all 4 for when in France. I got the remote receiver to go with them as I can then turn the alarm volume right down so as not to annoy anyone else by the lake and still regisiter bites.
Expensive, yes, but then quality usually is, but they have allayed my fears around the sensitivity ranges of bite alarms.
Many of my friends and my sons have state of the art bite idicator systems costing all kinds of money . But I myself have never found it necessary to have one of these set ups. If I want it quiet I use a leaded set with a box in my bivvy if not and I am sitting by my rods I only just need to just hear it.I have not found that these super sets of buzzers catch anymore fish than a standard indicator with the exception of the antenna type indicator which the optonic superseded.
noknot
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No Peter I much prefere the Red Lights Peter
---------- Post added at 16:02 ---------- Previous post was at 15:56 ----------
As mentioned earlier in the thread, the Delkim conversions were indeed fantastic alarms, much better than Optonics IMO.No Peter I much prefere the Red Lights Peter
The other to look at, is the TLB Alarms, 100% waterproof, bomb proof basic alarms and within the budget set.
I have used all three mentioned in the past.