Bite alarm questions, answered

A bite alarm sits under the rod with the line running across a sensor. When a fish moves the line, the sensor (usually a magnetic roller wheel, or a vibration sensor on Delkim alarms) sends pulses to the electronics, which sound a bleep and light an LED. Read how bite alarms work.

Only if you fish away from your rods or overnight. A receiver plays your alarms' bleeps in the bivvy so you can turn the heads down. For day sessions beside the rods, standalone alarms are enough. Receivers explained.

Neither is simply better. Vibration alarms such as Delkims register very small movements and have no wheel to freeze; roller wheel alarms give a predictable reading that is less affected by wind and rain. Compare them.

Makers quote from about 100 m (Prologic BAT+, Korum KRI) to over 750 m (Nash R4), but these are open-ground figures. Trees, banks and your bivvy reduce real range, so test the receiver from where you'll sit. What affects range.

Lower the sensitivity one step at a time, add weight to your indicator, keep the rod tip low, and make sure the line isn't rubbing on the alarm. Alarms with wave or Intelli-Sense modes can filter wave action. Set-up guide.

A drop-back happens when a fish swims towards you, the line goes slack and the indicator falls. Most alarms signal it with a falling or different tone, and some flash the LED instead of holding it solid.

The Delkim Txi-D takes a PP3 9V battery; stockists recommend a quality alkaline such as the Duracell MN1604 and advise against rechargeables. Batteries for every alarm.

Only if the maker says so. Stockists advise against rechargeables in the Delkim Txi-D and Wolf Icon Qi, for example. Alarms with built-in rechargeable cells, such as the Wolf Icon X1, charge by USB-C instead.

Most alarms run for a season or more on one battery. Steve Neville quotes about a season; Gardner says its ATTx V2 receiver lasts up to six months of regular angling on one AA. Cold weather and bright LEDs shorten battery life.

Usually not: receivers are designed for their own alarms. The main exception is Gardner's ATTx V2 system, which can take a signal from most alarms with a jack-plug output via a plug-in transmitter.

A complete budget set with a receiver, such as the Korum KRI, Sonik Herox or Prologic BAT+, gives you everything you need to start. See our buying guide.

It means three alarms plus one receiver. Sets are usually sold as 2+1, 3+1 or 4+1 and cost less than buying the parts separately.

Delkim, Wolf and Steve Neville make their alarms in the UK. Many other brands design in the UK and manufacture elsewhere. Brands guide.

A silent alarm has no speaker on the head, so every bleep comes from the receiver. Gardner's ATTs works this way. Silent alarms explained.

Switch it off, remove the battery, shake out the water and leave it to dry completely somewhere warm before putting the battery back in. Troubleshooting guide.

Yes, for the best indication. A hanger, bobbin or swinger keeps the line against the alarm's sensor and shows drop-backs clearly. Indicators explained.

An LED that stays lit for a set time after an indication, so you can see which rod moved by the time you reach the rods. Times vary, for example 10 seconds on the Korum KRI and 15 seconds on the JRC Radar CR.

Start in the middle of the range, check that a small pull gives a bleep, then lower it a step at a time if wind or undertow causes stray bleeps. Step-by-step set-up.