Budget Delks
Most budget bite alarms look, errr… just that: budget, right? Not so with Delkim’s new EV-D. It looks very similar to the top-spec Delk but is so much kinder on your MasterCard
These latest Delks look a lot like its bigger, more expensive brother—same hard casing, dials, LEDs on the ears, embossed logo—but it’s the price tag that’s most notable. £49.99. Forty-nine-ninety-nine for a Delkim! Like you, we were intrigued to see just how good a “budget Delkim” could be, and after a four-night French trip and a couple of overnighters, here’s our report to your questions…
A £50 Delkim! Right, let’s start with the build quality: does it differ greatly from their top-end model, the Txi-D?
Not at all! Believe it or not, the EV-D is manufactured to the same standards as the flagship Txi-D. However, the clever boffs at Delkim have even managed to make the EV-D smaller and more compact than its bigger brother!
That’s impressive, but how do the features differ between the two?
Of course features have to differ between the two, some of the more advanced features of the Txi-D such as the ‘Beep Speed Control’, ‘LED brightness’ and the ridiculous ‘64 different tone settings’ aren’t present in this wallet-friendly iteration. However, there are still a healthy amount of essential features crammed into this tiny package. 16 tone settings, day/night functionality and memorised preferences are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Ev-D’s feature list. And don’t worry: of course, everything is based around Delkim’s famous tried and tested ‘Vibration Sensing Technology’.
Are these compatible with a receiver?
Unfortunately not, the Ev-D is a non-radio digital bite alarm, meaning there are no signals given off by the alarm. You will note there is a socket in the alarm but this is for the brand’s illuminated hangers.
Ah! So they have the same NiteLite Output Socket as their bigger brothers?
They do indeed! The Ev-D is compatible with all Delkim Visual Indicator Systems, as well as the Safe-D V2 and D-Lok V2. Better yet, you’ll be able to find these Ev-D heads in all six of Delkims signature LED colours, so if you’ve already bought into the Delkim garden, there’s no need to change anything!
Where does the brand’s top-end model win over these then?
Of course, like anything in life, you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for a system that really is the best of the best, with no workarounds in terms of receivers etc., then the Txi-D is going to be the alarm of choice. With endless settings and customisation, it really is hard to beat and for some, the ‘Advanced Security System’, ‘Stealth Mode’ and ‘Digital radio technology’ is too
much to overlook. But not for all…
Sum up in a sentence how good these are then?!
If like many, money is tight right now but still want to be the envy of your angling counterparts, then the Ev-D really is a formidable alarm. 80% of the Txi-D in a smaller lighter packaged, at £50 per head. Looking the other way is now an impossible task
