I've played with the lot but am very happy with my Delkims - yes, TXi's but the remote is a luxury rather than a necessity. You certainly won't need a remote on the Trent - after all we all have to stay awake now the barbel police are onto us!
If you would like to borrow a pair and give them a try just pop over and pick them up. They're a few years old now and have never let me down.
There you are, I know more about the early techniques of carp fishing than most. Used to be a member of the BCSG and was the SA contact for a few years before I lost interest in the species.
I've even had the odd article published in "The Carp."
Ron, the term 'popeye', could it anything to do with the size of the rod rings? I believe they were much smaller many years ago, and this have perhaps been the term applied to 'oversized' ones fitted, similar to what we have today?