Bite Alarm Glossary

A to D

Anti-theft

A feature that alerts your receiver if an alarm is switched off or moved. See receivers.

Bankstick

A metal pole pushed into the ground to hold an alarm or rear rest, with a threaded top.

Bite indicator

A hanger, bobbin or swinger clipped to the line to keep it on the sensor and show movement. See indicators.

Bivvy

A carp angler's shelter. Receivers are designed to work from inside one.

Bobbin

Another name for a hanger: a weighted indicator on a cord or chain.

Buzz bar

A bar that holds two to four alarms on one bankstick or rod pod.

Buzzer

Informal name for a bite alarm.

Channel

A slot on a receiver for an alarm. Some channels accept several alarms.

D-Tec

Fox's name for the roller sensing system in its Micron alarms.

Drop-back

When a fish swims towards you, the line slackens and the indicator drops. Alarms signal it with a different tone. See how alarms work.

Dual sensing

Combining vibration and roller wheel detection, as in the Wolf Icon Qi.

H to P

Hanger

A weighted indicator hanging from a cord or chain.

Illuminated indicator

A hanger or swinger that lights up, powered from a socket on the alarm.

Indexed control

A dial that clicks between fixed positions, so you can set it by feel.

Latching LED

An LED that stays lit after an indication so you can see which rod moved.

Liner

A false indication caused by a fish swimming into the line rather than taking the bait.

MMCX

The bayonet connector Nash uses for indicators on the Siren R4.

NiteLite

Delkim's illuminated indication system, connected through a 2.5 mm socket.

One-toner

A fast run that makes the alarm sound one continuous tone.

Pairing

Linking an alarm to a receiver so it recognises that alarm's signal.

Piezo sensor

A sensor that produces a signal when it vibrates; used in Delkim alarms. See sensing types.

PP3

The rectangular 9V battery used by many alarms. See batteries.

R to W

Range

How far a receiver can be from its alarms, as claimed by the maker in open ground.

Receiver

A handset that plays your alarms' signals by radio, also called a sounder box.

Recoil elimination

Ignoring the small backwards movement of line after a pull, to avoid false drop-back signals.

Rod pod

A free-standing frame holding alarms and rear rests, used where banksticks won't go in.

Roller wheel

A magnetic wheel turned by the line; each magnet passing the sensor makes a pulse.

Sensitivity

How much movement the alarm needs before it sounds. See set-up.

Snag ears

Raised sides on the alarm that stop the rod being pulled off on a fast take.

Swinger

An indicator on a hinged arm under the alarm, with an adjustable weight.

Wave sensing

Nash's mode for ignoring the regular movement of line in waves. See speed and wave sensing.

More terms you will meet

Betalight

A small, long-lasting glowing insert that fits a slot on some alarms and indicators, such as the Wolf Icon X1, so you can find them in the dark.

Cone speaker

A speaker with a paper or plastic cone, used by Fox and Trakker, for a fuller sound than a simple buzzer.

Do-not-disturb

A receiver mode on the Delkim Rx-D v2 that stops heavy rain triggering it.

Homecoming Mode

A Nash Siren R4 feature that lights an alarm's rear LED from the receiver to guide boat anglers back to their swim.

Intelli-Sense Mode (ISM)

Trakker's DB7-R setting for filtering out indications caused by rough weather and boat movement.

Night light

A low glow from the alarm's LEDs that helps you find the rods in the dark.

Power-on protection

A design that stops an alarm switching on accidentally in your bag and draining the battery.

Rolling code

A coded radio signal that stops your receiver reacting to other anglers' alarms.

Snag bar

A bar or set of raised ears fitted to an alarm to stop the rod being pulled off, such as Delkim's Safe-D.

Stealth mode

A setting that dims or switches off LEDs, and sometimes sound, so you don't light up the bank.

Undertow

Water movement below the surface that drags the line, a common cause of single bleeps.

Run LED

The LED that lights with each bleep, as opposed to the latching LED that stays on afterwards.

Sounder box

An older name for a wired or wireless receiver.

Swim

The spot on the bank you fish from.

Tone

The pitch of an alarm's bleep; giving each rod a different tone helps you tell them apart in the dark.

VDS

Wolf's Variable Detection System, the sensing used in its Icon alarms.

For the numbers on a spec sheet, read bite alarm specs explained.