• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Cheap, REALLY cheap, bite alarms

S

Steve Lewis

Senior Member
Can anyone recommend an el cheapo bite alarm please? I'm not bothered about looks, brand name or ability to tell you the size of fish you've hooked, I just want a no frills alarm which will screw onto a standard bank stick/buzz bar, make a noise and have LED/light indication, and is at least water resistant if not fully waterproof. Don't mind if it's battery or rechargeable.
 
Wychwood Signature alarms are about 16-20 quid. They are cheap and fairly reliable. I have had 3 for about 3 years now and they have been out in 24hours of rain and still worked. Cheap enough to not worry about and just about good enough to be reliable

Other than that there are loads of cheap ones one ebay.
 
I have had some non branded ones for a while now and they work well (having said that I seldom use them, just occasionally when ledgering for tench or perch), no frills thought, you cant even adjust the volume, just an on off switch, just be sure to take the batteries out when not in use if you go the unbranded route as the cheap ones will all discharge even when turned off.
 
JRC Radar C1 alarms are good value for money at around £17 each. As sensitive as you will need, and the travelling LED feature is a handy feature for spotting drop-backs. T

They are made for JRC by a Czech company called Flazjar who market them as the Fishtron E1. The build quality is excellent for that price. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpDSZXjeMp8

Those chub's that Tony has posted a link to look a steal though for £8/each!
 
tipthingy02.jpg
 
Bought 2 of these 3 years ago. very sensitive. adjustment for vol, tone and sensitivity. Dare i say they are just as good as my old "D" ones. The battery lasts well with a plus it an ordinary 9v battery. eBay item number:172371454342 they have go up a quid since i bought mine but still a bargain at £4.99. You can also find them rebadged for triple the price as well
 
Paul Collins said:
I forgot
A finger.
A stick.
Watching the rod tip.
Centerpin screaming.
A float.
Click to expand...

Paul - will you quit it with the futuristic fantasies!!!


On a serious note, and to explain, I've got myself a 3 rod licence to try this coming season, and I plan to float fish with one rod (which, of course, requires my eyes) and then some form of ledgering or feeder fishing with the other two. I figure having the two bottom rods on bite alarms is a more sensible solution than trying to concentrate on all three at once.
 
I recently got a set of the Korum alarms with a receiver for about 45 quid. Decent enough alarms for the money, used a fair bit and haven't let me down. Worth a look.
 
Received my Wychwood Signature alarms this week, cost for two inc pp £32.99
Very small and compact excellent value.;)
 
Nash Siren

The basic Nash Siren, batteries last for eons and they do not break the bank, after 3 plus years still good and have had a few down pours to contend with and the sound isn't like some demented rave , also the volume can be adjusted , unlike some of the really cheapo alarms, I have two that have a different tone so when fishing two rods just gives you that quick beep as to which rod the bite is on as often , barbel bites often start as small taps.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions guys, although several of them I wouldn't put into the "REALLY cheap" bracket!

In the end I plumped for some no-name Chinese ones from the 'Bay at £3.79 each as a starter, given that they won't get very regular use. They're broadly similar to the ones Iain suggested above, although not the same. You can change the volume, tone and sensitivity, and they claim to be water proof.

So we shall see how we go, but if these give up the ghost fairly quickly I know I'll need to spend a bit more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top