Carp Spirit HD5 Bite Alarms

Carp Spirit, recently announced as Ian Russell’s new tackle sponsor, are carving out a reputation for over delivering. There is a real sense that with each new product they have released the designers have been allowed to sneak in an extra feature or two without raising the cost. That mentality is certainly in evidence across Carp Spirit’s bite alarm range, within which the HD5 sits proudly at the head of the table. Let’s have a look at five of the key selling points…

1 Adjust everything
There are four dials on the stylish faces of the HD5 alarms and that means four things you can tinker with. There are six volume settings ranging from mute to ‘max high’, while the tone can also be adjusted four ways. Likewise, you can also fiddle with the sensitivity so that it’s just right for windy days or detecting tiny liners. Most impressively, the fourth dial can whizz you through six different LED colours without a soldering iron in sight. The options are Red, Green, UV Blue, Yellow, Purple and White.

2 The tech
As well as the basic functions of an alarm, the HD5s also have plenty of neat circuitry included. The alarm makes a different sound when you get a drop-back bite, so you know instantly what’s going on, and there’s a twin-tone system that also indicates how quickly the line is moving. The rolling code that keeps the heads and their receiver paired together also stops any interference from other nearby HD5 owners and you also get a handy low-battery warning.

3 Extra touches
In that typical Carp Spirit fashion of going above and beyond, these alarms also boast soft-touch rubber inlays to protect your rods, a permanently glowing LED night mode that can be switched on or off, and a power-output socket for illuminated indicators. Carp Spirit have also made the bankstick thread just a little bit longer to accommodate bobbin and swinger brackets. It’s these little things that can make all the difference. 

4 The receiver
The matching receiver is just as impressive as the HD5 alarm. It comes supplied with a table support and belt clip, and has the ability to emit an audible alarm or a vibration when you get a bite. It has a range of up to 150m in clear surroundings, but most impressive of all is the way it effortlessly pairs with the alarm heads and the way you can cycle through the alarm colours with a simple side-mounted button.

5 Bundles galore
Carp Spirit love a bundle as much a child in a school playground. You can, of course, buy the HD5 on its own at a mightily competitive £59.99, but you can also pick up two, three and four-head kits with receivers. With a full three-rod kit bearing an RRP of just £234.99 these alarms represent fantastic value for money given the features and quality of engineering they offer.

Led Snag Ears
Powered by any alarm with a power-output socket, these nifty little snag ears won’t just save your rods from being pulled in, they’ll glow nicely to remind you where they were in the first place! Available in four colours (Blue, Red, Green or Yellow), these matt black snag ears have a lightweight aluminium base and can be seen illuminated from 360 degrees.
£11.99