Carp Spirit HD3 Bite Alarms

Carp Spirit are on the cusp of making a very big splash in Britain. The global company are massive on the continent and while they’ve been part of the Rapala and Dynamite Baits family in the UK since 2002, you’re about to see a lot more of them. From rods to bivvies, from bedchairs to hooks, plus everything in between, Carp Spirit have a vast array of tackle. Their 2019 UK catalogue stretches to 234 pages, and the bite-alarm section is definitely worth flicking to first. This new HD3 model is built on solid foundations. It sits alongside the existing HD5, XTE, BLAX and XSE alarms in a complete range that shows Carp Spirit know exactly what they’re doing. carpspirit.com/en

Not only do the HD3’s have the tech, they have the looks too

1. No speaker

The HD3’s smooth front hints at the fact there is no speaker in the alarm head itself. All noise is emitted from the HDR3 receiver. Why? Well, it keeps down the size of the alarm and stops you making a racket at the water’s edge when setting your bobbins, but crucially this is to give the HD3 incredible battery life. The single biggest drain on an alarm’s battery comes from powering a speaker - so Carp Spirit removed it and the HD3 will run on its 12v V23GA power supply for absolutely ages.

2. Any colour you want

There’s no need to buy a specific-coloured head to match your bobbins or your particular taste in LEDs - with the HD3 you can cycle through six different colours as the mood takes you. The dial marked L on the left-hand side of the alarm head can be rotated to the hue you want. The choices are green, red, UV blue, yellow, purple or white, and there are two ultra-bright long-life LEDs on the alarm, placed either side of the rod-rest groove so you can see them from all angles.

3. A great receiver

As the HD3 heads have no speaker, these alarms must be used with the HDR3 receiver. Supplied with an upright table support and a lanyard, the HDR3 is a quality piece of kit. It has two dials on the front - one for tone and the other is a six-setting volume control, including mute. It has a vibration mode and can be paired with up to four alarms. Unlike some receivers, pairing the HDR3 to your alarms is blissfully simple and the quoted range of 100 to 150m means you’ll always pick up a signal even in a wooded swim. It runs on a 9V PP3 battery.

No speaker means less inner gublins, which results in a smaller head

4. Alarm settings

The HD3 fits a lot into its tiny body. There’s a built-in night mode to provide soft illumination over your rods if needed, while a take is indicated through ultra-bright latching and run LEDs. The latching function lasts for 20 seconds on the alarm and receiver. There’s also a power-out socket for illuminated indicators and a very useful low-battery warning on both the alarms and receiver. The roller wheel can be adjusted for sensitivity and the push-button on/off switch on the underside of the alarm heads is used to cycle through modes.

5. Value for money

Somehow, given all the functionality listed above, Carp Spirit have managed to slap an incredible price on these alarms. Available in presentation boxes, a pair of alarms and a receiver is just £84.99. Buy three alarms and a receiver and you’ll pay just £109.99. Four alarms and a receiver comes in at just £134.99. An extra alarm head is £24.99. That is astonishing value for money given the technology involved and the robust construction of these units. There is very little else on the market that can match these bundles.

The receiver is just as techy as the heads!