Bite alarm not responsive...but not dead

parry mcgary

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Hello, I've got 3 fox micron mx alarms and they've been great, out in all weathers and never had an issue.
Last time on the bank 1 alarm started beeping every 5ish minutes.
Put it down to wind but the others were not making a sound.
When I tightened the line I noticed the alarm didn't make a noise.
When I pull line through it fast it goes off but when slowly pulled nothing.
What's going on?
I've tried fresh batteries and the low battery indicator isn't coming on.
Any help would be great

Cheers
 

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Keith M

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Hi Parry, welcome to the forum.

This may not be the problem however; are you sure that there is not any dirt stopping the inner wheel from freely turning when the line goes across it?
This might be why it only goes off when you pull line quickly across it; and not when you slowly/gently move your line over it.

I would be tempted to spray some penetrating oil or WD40 on and around the roller and give it a brush over to try to work the wheel until it gets looser and turns more easily.

Here’s a link to someone else who had the same or similar problem with their fox micron mx alarms which might be of use to you:

Hope this helps.

Keith
 
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parry mcgary

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Thanks for the reply Keith.
I've actually taken the alarm a part and everything is moving correctly and nothing jammed.
The wheel spins freely.
Even when apart if I spin the wheel quickly with the alarm apart but switched on it beeps but if I turn slowly -Nothing
 

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Ray Roberts

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I had a pair of these and they worked okay for a few years then they started to play up. The soldering on the circuit boards had started to corrode. I re-soldered the battery contacts, but they started to play up again not long afterwards. I consigned them to the great alarm graveyard in the sky. I replaced them with Delkim’s and they have worked faultlessly.
 

parry mcgary

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I had a pair of these and they worked okay for a few years then they started to play up. The soldering on the circuit boards had started to corrode. I re-soldered the battery contacts, but they started to play up again not long afterwards. I consigned them to the great alarm graveyard in the sky. I replaced them with Delkim’s and they have worked faultlessly.
I've had them open and there is absolutely no corrosion at all.
Hopefully something simple.
Is the bit that spins a magnet?
Is it possible it's just lost it's magnetism?

Cheers
 

The bad one

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I'd say the reed switch has gone on the blink and not making a contact when moved slowly. Possibly a dry weld on one of the resistors, capacitors, etc. It needs a specialist electronics engineer to sort it out. Or buy a new one.
 

Philip

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Stab in the dark...

When there is intermittant electrical type issue like that the first thing I look at is the contacts for the battery. Check the battery contacts are making a good contact with the battery...wire wool or the head of a screw river to lightly scrape them can sometimes help...also make sure they have not bent slightly apart & are makjing a good tight fit to each end of the battery.
 

Steve King

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Near ye village of Tardebigge!!
I had a Micron and it suddenly stopped working. I posted it to Cakey (who some of you may know) and he wasn't able to source the spare parts...!

I'm currently using Warriors.
 

Steve Arnold

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I think you can waste too much (fishing?) time with old bite alarms that have become temperamental. Perhaps I can understand when you see the prices of some of these units!

I have several "iffy" bite alarms in the garage. Once I have checked the obvious likely faults already mentioned here, I just bury them in the junk draw.

Now they are one of the few things I think buying "cheap" is best. I only use them for warning my rod might be about to disappear into the river when I am having a P.

Much better to "sit on your rods" and then you can see and hear the bites developing. Shimano OC baitrunners make a good noise when the fish take off.
 

Keith M

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In years gone by I used to do a lot of nights on the bank after Carp and I used to be particular about what alarms I used, but for the last 20 odd years I now just use the standard Fox Micron alarms which have lasted me for years ; even in the occasional rain shower.
I did eventually get one that was playing up (the battery had leaked) but I replaced them anyway with the latest smaller Fox Microns which are not very expensive anyway.

Keith
 
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@Clive

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I think you can waste too much (fishing?) time with old bite alarms that have become temperamental. Perhaps I can understand when you see the prices of some of these units!

I have several "iffy" bite alarms in the garage. Once I have checked the obvious likely faults already mentioned here, I just bury them in the junk draw.

Now they are one of the few things I think buying "cheap" is best. I only use them for warning my rod might be about to disappear into the river when I am having a P.

Much better to "sit on your rods" and then you can see and hear the bites developing. Shimano OC baitrunners make a good noise when the fish take off.
I got some Delkims from the charity shop at eight euros each. They are far better than the unbranded Chinese made alarms imo. But, the sound of a Trudex, Aerial or Speedia at full chat cannot be ignored....

20201215_150116_resize_23.jpg


Barbel St Surin.jpg


Carp 18lb River Vienne.jpg
 

Keith M

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What pin that is in the last pic with the Carp Clive?

It’s not the ‘BlackCat’ is it?

Keith
 

flightliner

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When I took up fishing for carp in '79 I bought two Dellereed optonic bite indicators.
They never missed a beat for forty one years until one of the pair just gave up on me, they had been thro hail, snow, rain and gales with no trouble.
I did have them converted "Bamford" style after some two years so I could raise or lower the the volume.
One is still ok and still use it occasionally paired up with a Fox Micron that must be at least twenty five years old at best.
 
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