Smarter Receivers: Anti-Theft, Homecoming Mode and More
Receivers have quietly become the cleverest part of the system. Here are the new features, which brands have them and which are worth paying for.
A receiver used to be a simple sounder box that copied your alarms' bleeps. Today's flagship receivers do much more, and in many systems they're now where the clever features live. Here's what's arrived and which alarms offer it.
Anti-theft alerts
Tackle theft is a worry on any water, especially if you're fishing overnight. Several systems now raise an alarm if a head is tampered with:
- The Delkim Txi-D v2 sends an alert to the Rx-D v2 if an alarm is switched off or moved, and the receiver sounds a security alarm.
- Wolf's Icon alarms send a power-down alert to the HUBB when switched off.
- Nash's R4 receiver includes an anti-theft alarm.
Homecoming Mode for boat anglers
Anglers who fish big European waters often row out to play fish, then have to find their swim again in the dark. Nash's Siren R4 has a Homecoming Mode: from the receiver you can light the rear LED on one alarm as a direction guide, or on all of them, with a quoted remote range of up to 750 m in good conditions.
Do-not-disturb for rain
Heavy rain hitting the line can trigger sensitive alarms. Delkim's Rx-D v2 has a do-not-disturb setting that stops the receiver being triggered during heavy showers, so you can sleep through a downpour without missing the alarm heads entirely.
Screens and menus
Wolf's HUBB receivers use an LCD display to navigate settings, and the Icon Qi lets you adjust its eight sensitivity levels from the receiver instead of walking to the rods. It's a glimpse of where receivers are heading: a control centre for the whole system.
Bigger pairing limits
Receivers can now handle far more alarms than three or four:
| Receiver | Alarms it can handle |
|---|---|
| Nash R4 | 4 single channels plus a buddy channel for up to 32 more |
| Trakker DB7-R | Up to 16 (four per channel) |
| Delkim Rx-D v2 | Up to 12 Txi-D v2 heads |
| Wolf HUBB | Up to 6 |
Nash's buddy channel is designed for fishing with friends: one receiver can let you know when a mate's alarms are going.
The basics still matter most
Clever features are welcome, but the job of a receiver is still to tell you reliably that a fish is on. Before paying for extras, check the quoted range, how it performs from inside your bivvy, how easy it is to read in the dark and how long the battery lasts. Our receivers guide explains what to look for, and the comparison table shows which receiver comes with each alarm.
