FOX RX's

Stuart Dennis · May 5, 2003

I hate to say this but after Selby I found yet another fault with the FOX RX's and I’m actually quite gutted. Not only did we find out that the battery life of the receiver is 12 times less than the standard fox receiver but now there is an issue with the sensitivity. I have mine set at vibrate, supposedly giving me the most sensitive setting, but after sitting out for a few hours you can pull the line some way back through the buzzer and unless you yank quite hard no alarms sounds off. If you turn the alarm off then straight back on again then it resets itself back to sensitive. However paying out ?600 for the lot and having these kinds of issues just don't do it for me. I like to be on my rods at the slightest beep, not know a fish can kite slowly away without me knowing anything about it.

Dear Fox, I've been an ambassador for your kit for many years now, from the fantastic luggage through to stalker rods and alarms. I’ve never felt let down before by your products but this one is seriously starting to hurt. What do you suggest?

Graham, I wonder if you get the guys at FOX to have a look in on this thread mate?

Carp Angler · May 6, 2003

I must admit to being a bit shocked at that.
I used to have total faith in mine........used to....

As you say, for 600 sheets, you'd expect slightly better.

Cakey · May 6, 2003

Stu are they all doing it or is it just one ?

GrahamM · May 6, 2003

I'm on the case and will report back.

Stuart Dennis · May 6, 2003

All doing it mate!

Cakey · May 6, 2003

do you want to send them over??

Cakey · May 6, 2003

there is a few test that I can do.

Stuart Bullard · May 6, 2003

The bit about battery life - while I am not sure my mates were of the standard (cost) of your model, he was appalled at the "life" of his Fox system. I'll check what model etc and let you know.

He also seems to spend bloody hours adjusting them, which is quite irrtitating when trying to get some kip!

Hello Rik - how are you?

Stuart Dennis · May 6, 2003

I'll get them sent over Cakey, cheers!
As you know the issue with the sensitivity as mentioned above and that you have to switch them off and then back on again to get the desired setting was there before you modified them for me. If you remember, that’s why I brought them to Luton for you to check as I wasn’t happy then (before modification). No doubt Fox will be of the opinion that this was caused during and since modification. Regarding testing of battery life could you post on here your findings from the last test we did in Kent, identifying the issue with the circuit board.

GrahamM · May 6, 2003

I didn't know the alarms had been modified as that definitely puts a different light on things. I'm not saying that the modification made any difference one way or the other to the problems but it certainly makes a difference to any case we could put forward.

But that shouldn't stop us pursuing a solution of some kind, either from Fox or elsewhere.

GrahamM · May 6, 2003

Fox say: "In the instructions for the RX it states that when switching the sensing modes you need to engage the roller wheel once in the forward direction to set the alarms. This is what we think is causing the problems."

Stuart Dennis · May 6, 2003

Thanks for this Graham.

Interesting, especially as my alarms are always pre-set. I would understand if I had changed the setting from roller to vibrate within a single session, but mine are always set on vibrate. I'll try the recommendations at the beginning of each session, but my fear is that the sensitivity will die down as each hour passes and then requires a switch off then on again to reset.

Stuart Dennis · May 6, 2003

I appreciate their quick response and I'm certainly not on one of my (usual commercial) witch hunts I just want to keep what I've got but use to the best of my advantage. On this basis have they had any feedback or past experience with the buzzer needing resetting throughout a session or the sensitivity dying down after a couple of hours? Also is there a way round the battery length issues without having to resort to re-chargeables? Have they had similar experiences or feedback on this?

Cheers mate.

GrahamM · May 6, 2003

Let me know what happens and we'll keep trying to get to the bottom of it. Fox are always eager to get things right.

Stuart Bullard · May 6, 2003

Stu - I doubt you'll get round the battery life issue. That is just a consequence of the gear drawing power. More it needs, more it takes. The only option is to disable functionality (ever see Apollo 13?), which I doubt is an option.

Unfortunately it is a common design fault in many electronic consumer goods. How many times has our children had the newest whizz bang game, only to then continually pester us for new batteries!?!?

Looks like down to Woolworths for a bulk battery buy....which is what my mate has resorted to.

GrahamM · May 6, 2003

My RX receiver goes flat pretty quick too, although not so quick I thought it was too unusual compared to many other electronic gadgets I've got. I think Stuart (Buttocks) is right about the battery drain: a common problem, and one I had with a different make of alarm receiver before, although not quite as bad. But there again it didn't have all the gizmos that the RX has.

If I'm not mistaken the greatest drain on it is when the distance between the receiver and transmitter is at its greatest, or there are obstacles between the two, causing it to continually seek out the signal.

And before anybody jumps to say we shouldn't be that far away from the rods, I'm talking about when I've left a mate watching my rods when I've gone off for whatever with the receiver in my pocket, just to let me know I've had a bite.

I haven't had the sensitivity problem with mine though.

daren heslop · May 6, 2003

I bought the txr system a while back and at first thought the battery drain was down to cheap batteries but now ive changed to top of the range duracells and im still only getting around 36 hours from the reciever.Is this somthing ive just got to live with? or should they be taken back.
I know delkims last a lot longer.

Mike Lee · May 6, 2003

I have voiced my disheartened comments about the Fox RX system in the past.

When I bought them new, one unit didn't work.

One unit stopped working in the rain.

One unit stopped working in the cold.

The RX Receiver 'ate' batteries and went flat overnight giving no audible warning.

Hearing that there's now a possible issue with sensitivity makes me feel like throwing them in the bin and buying Delkims.

Can Fox give me a good reason for not doing so?

John Pleasance · May 6, 2003

I'm surprised that there are still so many people prepared to be unpaid field testers for Fox.

I have a very old Fox chair,which needed new legs not long after purchase,these also needed to be welded up again after a fairly short time,the cover needed replacing when it was three years old and Fox were unable to supply one.I made my own cover and have not bought any Fox gear since,and don't intend to either.

Ryan Whalesby · May 6, 2003

And I thought I had problems just forgetting to turn my buzzers on!

I've got the less expensive and less all singing blue SX's and the first time I used them at night I nearly fell over they were so bright... all I could see was blue ... no I wasnt drunk and no the blue light wasnt flashing...

I have had no problems with the reliability... maybe its just the hardware involved in the vibration equipment of the upper models.

Didnt fox make an SX model in a vibration sensing option? Has anybody had the same fault with one of these.

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