Catchmaster Byte alarm

[Tizer]

I wondered if anyone could tell me what these componants are, or maybe how it works ? the monkey can move up and down the rod and the alarm sounds ,if the monkey stops so does the alarm, the monkey has a magnet in it if that helps, I have been having sleepless nights trying to work it out, I have looked at vibration sensors and transistors and motion detectors, now I am looking at something to do with eddy currents and magnetic flux,?? its all good fun, I even took it into town to the bloke that repairs computors but he could not help, thanks

[Olly]

I just used a monkey or three - with Optonics.

[BoltonBullfinch]

That's a new one to me, be interesting when someone comes up with a answer....

Thanks
BB

[Tizer]

Fingers crossed ,I might be able to get some sleep

[Olly]

The man you want runs - Daletronics - in Essex.

[Coral Maestro]

The rod may have a series of Reed switches in it which are activated as the magnet passes them. When I worked offshore we used to measure fluid levels in tanks by having a pole with a series of Reed switches set vertically in the tank with a float that contained a magnet. As the float moved up and down the pole the magnet activated the switches and registered the change in fluid level. The alarm may work on the same principle. https://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Com ... /AN104.pdf
The original Delareed Optonic bite alarms used Reed switches operated by a magnet that is fixed to the end of the shaft mounted on the wheel that the line runs over. As the line rotated the wheel the magnet also rotated causing the Reed switch to turn on and off.

[Olly]

That's what the man above specialises in!

[Tizer]

Thanks for the replys boys ,I will be looking at them later on . re the reed switch's, that is what I thought at first but even if I take the monkey off with the magnet in it and put a home made monkey on it (no magnet) it still works...................The thing you mention about the optonic wheel .....I have rubber grommets with a slot all the way round them and have bought some tiny bar magnets that fit tightly in the slot and will get round to making some sort of bite alarm with them Happy days, There really is not enough hours in the day to make all the things going round in my head and what with my old books and mags and rods/ reels/bite alarms and then I go fishing 3/4 times a week,I quite often think that I have the best hobby in the world

[Dave Burr]

Have you reversed the polarity in the neutron flow? It always worked for Dr Who.

Seriously, I've never seen this one before and a Google search comes up empty. The use of 'byte' as opposed to 'bite' is interesting if a little perplexing. It's fair to say that whatever the answer, it's a device that didn't take off and is consigned to the 'useless' or 'too much hassle to bother with' drawer.

I do hope you find the answer, it's a genuine curio.

[Tizer]

Thank you, I think it must be similar or exactly the same as a swallow bite alarm (which I have been after for years) the Swallow has the rod and the box and the monkey, It looks more classier than mine, I think it must have come out about the same time as the swallow and because mine looks naff, it got blown out, anyway now it is mine and I use it and I love it,