Bite alarm not responsive...but not dead

[parry mcgary]

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

 

[Keith M]

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:

How To Fix A Fox Micron MX

Posted on behalf of Steve. Please add all replies to this thread: Hi there, i recently picked up a set of secondhand fox micron mx bite alarms, they are a bit old and 2 of them work fine but one is a bit tempermental. Does anyone know how to open these units up so i can give them a carefull clean...

www.anglersnet.co.uk

Hope this helps.

Keith

 

[parry mcgary]

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

 

[Ray Roberts]

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]

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]

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]

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.