The drop off clip should be right beneath the spool, the line should go from the spool directly down to the clip where it is held, to stop further line peeling off, and then on to the rod rings.
The bail arm is usually left open to remove any resistance that the pike might feel which could cause it to drop the bait. For this reason, the rod should always point directly to the bait to remove any resistance also.
The best one I ever saw was the Fox Micron PSR although this only deals with the one rod, so you'd need two and they are quite expensive. Their beauty is, that the alarm is only active whilst the rod sits on top of it via a microswitch. As soon as you lift the rod it's cut off.
I have one that has two weighted clips and can therefore deal with two separate rods from the one alarm, but sadly it was almost a custom build and the guy just stopped making them. In effect, mine is only switched on via a mercury switch when you get a bite.
If you have two standard carp alarms, it might pay you to just buy a pair of swing arm indicators, as thus -
and use the normal alarms up front WITHOUT any other form of swing indicator beneath them. If set up correctly these would give you the sound whilst the clips beneath the spools will give you the visual indication.
---------- Post added at 11:22 ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 ----------
PS: These indicators are not just for legering deadbaits, BTW. Use them with float fished deadbaits, float fished live baits, in fact - any kind of pike bait. You sometimes need to strike before the clips fall off as well so keep watching them as a pike may take the bait and just sit there scoffing it or run it sideways to the alarms.
