Illuminating the future
The Holy Grail: something that’s bloody awesome, but also bloody cheap. Say hello to the SMX – ProLogic’s all-singing, all-dancing, all-tech-filled bite alarm
Every so often, the world of carp fishing will witness a landmark moment, from the introduction of PVA bags in the early 90’s to the advent of fake baits in the early 00’s. Now with their SMX alarms, a brand new, state-of-the-art bite alarm system, ProLogic are set to change your perception of what’s acceptable from a mid-priced bite alarm.
The SMX alarms are unlike any mid-price bite alarm you’ll have ever used or seen. Not only are they small, lightweight and noticeably good-looking thanks to the matt black soft-touch feel and metallic speaker, they’re also packed with technology you’d normally associate with top-end priced alarms.
First of all they run off standard, available-from-all-garages/supermarkets AAA 1.5v batteries which simply plug into the back. No weird flat disc-ed ones or half-sized AAA’s which you can never find and cost a fortune. They’re 100% waterproof, come with five volume levels plus a silent mode for setting the indicator and feature seven tone and four sensitivity adjustments. And more indication tech comes in the form of a dedicated drop-back tone and LED indication.
More fanciness which is combined with functionality, comes in the way of built-in snag ears. Not only are they telescopic (they were the first alarm on the market to feature this) so they are more compact and safe to store, but they also illuminate when the alarm signals movement: the left ear’s LED for a run and the right’s for a drop-back! Plus, the diamond-shaped roller, which features a line guard, also illuminates when moved!
The SMX alarms are available in two kits: three alarms or four and both options come with the matching receiver. And, like we originally promised, they are very friendly on the bank account, too: the three set option retails for just £149.99 and the four is £169.99! That’s FOUR ALARMS AND A RECEIVER FOR UNDER £170!
The receiver's clever too
And it includes a ‘courtesy’ nightlight
Just like the alarms, the receiver also runs off 2 AAA batteries, meaning whether you’re stuck in Littlehampton, Châlons or somewhere in, err, say Hungary, you’ll always be able to find a supermarket which will sell these batteries.
In terms of features, it mimics the heads with both silent and vibration modes; it’s 100% waterproof; and it has two types of lights and sounds to distinguish between a run and a drop-back.
So far, so ‘errr, it’s okay, but nothing revolutionary’? How do these two features grab you then? There’s a memory function, so should you have a bleep or two and the LED has gone out before you see which alarm it was, simply hit said button on the receiver and it’ll tell which alarm was triggered. And then there’s that ‘Courtesy Nightlight’ we mentioned. This triggers after four bleeps, illuminating the area it’s pointing towards, whether that’s your boots/shoes or down towards the rods so you don’t go flying over whilst en route to that screamer.
