Rolon bite alarm

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John Milford
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Rolon bite alarm

Post by John Milford »

Has anyone owned one of these, who can kindly tell me how to get the cover off, to get into it?

I've just acquired one and it seems to entail some kind of slide/snap fit - but I don't want to force anything and risk breaking it!

Thanks in advance :Hat:

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John Milford
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by John Milford »

PS: Sussed it - my patience snapped, but fortunately nothing else did!

The reason for my question was that I wanted to check inside to see how I could replace the moulded-on plastic mounting bolt, as it's thread was badly stripped and unusable. (A hacksaw and drill was the answer! ).

Fitting a new brass thread went better than I expected!

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Dave Burr
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by Dave Burr »

Well done John, your brass bolt is a major upgrade. I had a Sundridge alarm that works on a similar principle and was extremely unreliable, I admire your persistence if you are till using this design.

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John Milford
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by John Milford »

Dave Burr wrote: Thu Apr 27, 2023 9:22 am Well done John, your brass bolt is a major upgrade. I had a Sundridge alarm that works on a similar principle and was extremely unreliable, I admire your persistence if you are till using this design.
I believe later model Rolons had metal bolts as standard Dave, so the early plastic ones were clearly an issue.

I bought this one on a whim, as it seemed more contemporaneous for use with my oldest glass carp rod.

I'm afraid my regular bite alarms are terribly modern (barely 30 years old) Optonic Super XLs. On their lowest tone and volume however, they are extremely melodious - like an oboe announcing a run! (Music to my ears, at least!).
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Dave Burr
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by Dave Burr »

I sold my Optonics and bought some -? Curse my brain, I can't remember the name of them :Confused: Anyway, they were small and sensitive but fairly quiet.

Mind you, I've had and sold many makes and models since then as I like my tech to be up to date and less likely to miss bites. Cane on a modern alarm is a pleasing image in my mind.

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MWithell
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by MWithell »

I still have the three Herons I bought nearly fifty years ago. So far as I know, they still work.
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John Milford
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by John Milford »

Dave Burr wrote: Thu Apr 27, 2023 5:32 pm I sold my Optonics and bought some -? Curse my brain, I can't remember the name of them :Confused: Anyway, they were small and sensitive but fairly quiet.

Mind you, I've had and sold many makes and models since then as I like my tech to be up to date and less likely to miss bites. Cane on a modern alarm is a pleasing image in my mind.
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Tizer
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by Tizer »

I have some and give them a outing now and again, as I do like to try and use all my old rods/reels and bite alarms, I might be wrong but I think they did do a rolon drop off alarm for pike fishing, I have one somewhere.

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John Milford
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by John Milford »

I've added a pair of 'Magno' alarms to my collection for a fiver today!

In the flesh, their build wasn't as cheap and plasticy as I had previously assumed (well plasticy, admittedly, but plastic is OK in my book, provided it isn't pretending to be something else!).

Yet more old gadgetry to keep me amused when the appropriate occasion arises! :Chuckle:

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Last edited by John Milford on Tue Feb 06, 2024 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Tizer
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Re: Rolon bite alarm

Post by Tizer »

They are a must if you collect old bite alarms, not sure about how water proof they were .

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