The Nash Siren RS-1 alarm system has had anglers all over Europe talking since way before the products actual launch. There has been lots of chatter over the forums about them, but with 99% of the anglers on the forums never actually seeing anything more than a picture, there has been a lot of conclusions drawn without concrete facts or experiences.
UKMA have been fortunate enough to have had a set of Siren RS-1 alarms and the matching reciever for a while now, and we have been out on the bank with a completely open mind to put all the features and functions of the system through rigourous testing. How did the Siren RS-1 system perform? Read on to find out 100% factual evidence rather than gossip.
Siren RS-1 Bite Alarms
Vital Statistics
Bulletproof Reliability - Virtually Indestructible, high impact, water resistant, polycarbonate casing (the material used for riot shields) that ensures trouble-free operation and total performance in all weather conditions.
Rock Solid Rod Support - Screw in stainless steel snag ears ensure rock solid rod location in margin and snag fishing situations.
Back-Lit Rod Guide - Night diffused, low intensity rod location illumination, eradicating the need for expensive beta lights.
Prism Wheel Illumination Technology - Split Prism illuminated wheel provides intensive visual indication , sighted from any angle and visual even on bright days ( unlike conventional LEDs where in-line sighting with the lens is necessary to see properly)
Bobbin Guard - Optional wheel guard can be fitted when fishing long-drop bobbins to avoid the bobbin contacting the wheel or riding over the head ( This prevents the age–old problem of long drop bobbins jamming on a take, with the potential for line breakage and loss).
Stealth Mute Function - On/Off control with stealth mute function to mute head whilst positioning rod and adjusting bobbins or to silence head completely. The function ensures you can adjust your set up quietly without fear of spooking carp or disturbing neighbouring anglers.
Integrated Bobbin Attachment – Integrated M5 thread to attach to attach bobbin. This unique feature allowing you to attach your indicator / bobbin to the head eliminates the need for hockey stick / indicator brackets attached via the main thread underneath the alarm.
RF Range - Range up to 200m (dependant on atmospheric conditions and land contours).
Requires - 2 x AAA Batteries.
Available in - PURPLE, RED, CLEAR, BLUE wheel colours.
RRP - £132.00 Each
UKMA Users Review
The first thing that you notice about the Siren RS-1 when you take it out of the box, is the radical design. The design of the alarm is completely different to anything else that has been on the market. Pictures of the alarm simply do not do the alarm justice, as the cylindical design of the body is extremely pleasing to the eye on any metalware that it is placed on. The actual size of the alarm itself is smaller than pictures tend to determine. The alarm itself is no taller than some of the other popular alarms on the market but it is slightly thinner. The material used to construct the alarm is the same as what is used in Police riot shields which will ensure that the alarm will endure almost any punishment that the angler will put it through. I took the plunge (and risk of an expensive financial hit!) and dropped one of the heads onto my stone tiled kitchen floor from waist height (approximately 40") and after opening my eyes that had been tighty closed during the process, examined the head to find not even a scratch had occurred on the casing! I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this to any of the other alarms that I have owned over the years.
The battery compartment is totally waterproof. This has been a bane of a lot of anglers with some alarms that after a heavy downpour, the battery compartment of their alarm has sufferred some sort of water ingress and needs to be dried out before it starts to short out the battery or if left for a long time, corrosion of the terminals. The Siren RS-1 has a perfectly fitted cover that is held in place by two screws. The screws have a rubber O ring that is located between the screw head and the cover that stops any ingress through the screw hole itself. This is further waterproofed by using a thin rubber gasket between the cover and the alarm body and a "tongue & groove" type design that ensures when the cover is tightened up, creates a perfect waterproof seal.
Nash have also thought about the battery's used in the alarms and the Siren RS-1 head takes 2 x AAA batteries. Most anglers will carry a plentiful supply of these with them to power torches or radios, and even a couple of rechargable batteries will power the alarms temporarily until the angler packs up. I recommend that a good quality battery is used to ensure perfect functioning of the alarm and Duracell Ultra or Energizer Ultimate LIthium are the batteries at the top of my list.
The groove where the rod sits when in place is shallower than most other alarms, but Nash have developed built-in snag ears to stop the rod from being ripped out of the alarm even on the most savage of takes. The snag ears are constructed from stainless steel and approximately 3/4" in height.
Some people may think that the short length might not be enough to keep the rod in situ on a take, but the design of the head means that if the rod leaves the original position on the head, it is stopped by the snag ear and the nodule that is located near the top of the snag ear stops the rod from jumping over the top. In brief, unless the take actually lifts the rod up off the alarm by at least 2", it is not going to be dragged in! The snag ears are removable should the angler not require them, but they are that unobtrusive, I cannot see myself ever feeling the need to remove them.
The roller wheel is where Nash have really put a lot of thought in to. The material used to create the wheel has been formed in a way that it creates a prism effect meaning that the light emitted from the LEDs is projected at an angle range that allows it to be seen clearly from almost any angle that the angler will be looking from at the alarm. In the dark, it is almost like a laser show has started upon a take. During bright light conditions, the light is visible on activation which is something that some traditional LEDs lack. Instead of using the de facto standard 4 magnets on one side of the roller, Nash have split the magnets onto both sides of the line groove. The magnets are staggered rather than symetrical which has been done for a reason. The roller technology that Nash have incorporated into the Siren RS-1 works in a similar way to speed cameras in that the alarm does not activate on the amount of line moving over the roller, but on the speed of the roller turning. This allows the sensitivity to be turned down requiring the roller to be rotating at a higher speed before the alarm sounds. This means that if a bit of weed hits the line, the alarm will not sound (as long as the sensitivity has been set correctly for the conditions), but on a take from a bolting fish, the alarm will respond that same as it would have at the highest sensitivity setting. I have tested this function out myself on a lake that contains a large head of small F1's as well as a good head of Carp, but the size and openness of the lake means that when a wind blows, it creates significant tow and a big chop on the surface. Fishing with light bobbins and tight lines, I never once had a false bleep from the alarms, but even on a pickup from one of the F1's that struggle to move the lead, the alarm sounded every time. During this session I constantly had my eyes on the indicators looking for movements, and with the tow and chop, the indicators were "up & down" all the time in a seesaw type movement, but on a sharp rise or fall from a pickup, the alarm sounded instantly. This was with the alarm sensitivity at the second lowest setting.
In front of the roller wheel is a piece of wire, This is a guard that prevents the bobbin head from jamming in the roller wheel (which may be a very rare occurance for most anglers) but Kevin Nash has thought of everything during the development of the Siren RS-1. The wire guard is removable should the angler prefers, but I cannot see any reason to do so as it does not cause any obstruction and creates the perfect peace of mind to the angler that their chosen bobbin is not going to get jammed under the roller on a savage take.
The roller wheel also has a backlight function that allows the LED to remain on giving a soft illumination of the wheel completely removing the requirement for isotopes. This function has minimal additional drain on the battery's and during out testing we have switched the backlight function on from dusk to mid-morning during the long winter nights, and upon testing the battery's on a battery tester when back at home, the battery power had not been barely affected at all after 72 hours on the bank.
On my maths, the battery life would be 24 hours less over a 6 month period of time if the backlight function is used for 30 hours a week. The light is visible from a long way away but is not too bright to confuse it with a take. When a take occurs, the LED brightens.
Directly underneath the roller wheel is the power/function button. This button acts as the power on or off switch and also acts as a mute switch for the head. Holding the button in until a two tone sound is heard turns the head on or off, but when the head is on and the button is pressed and released, a single bleep is heard and the head is then muted meaning that any sound comes only from the receiver. This function is perfect for those that like to make no noise at all on the bank and have the receiver on low or vibrate so only they know that they have had a take, or for setting the indicators without annoying everyone else on the bank.
The range of the transmitter and receiver combination is superb. During one testing session, I left a friend at the rods and I walked at least 150 yards away and whilst talking to him on the phone at the same time, asked him to activate the alarms. The bleep coming from the alarms and the receiver were identical rather than having a delay. You could not distinguish which one was heard first. UKMA do not advocate leaving baited rods in the water unattended, but with the range of the transmission, there is little chance of missing a take even in the densest foliage and worst atmospheric conditions.
At the base of the alarm, Nash have taken one of the headaches away from the angler by including a thread for attaching your chosen indicator to. There is nothing worse than trying to line up alarms and hockey sticks on buzzer bars and having that niggling thought in your mind that the hockey stick is not in perfect alignment with the head. Incorporating the M5 thread into the alarm itself means that it is a simple task of aligning the head straight and the indicator is in the perfect angle. Although Nash have used a M5 thread on the alarm itself, I have tested it with other manufacturers 2BA threaded indicator attachments and they screw in perfectly as well, meaning that you do not have to go out and buy new indicators or use hockey sticks.
To complete the alarm package, Nash also include a rubber case that slides on and off the alarm easily, but stays in place in transit. The rubber compound grips the alarm casing lightly creating a light vaccum effect, ensuring that it does not come off unless you want it to. This cover also stops the alarm from being switched on accidentally when not in use.
Siren RS-1 Receiver
Vital Statistics
Volume -Five volume ranges, set by operating the remote. Once you have selected your preferred volume setting, this is memorised in the head even after it has been switched off.
Tone - Five tone ranges, set by operating the remote. Once you have selected your preferred tone setting, this is memorised in the head even after it has been switched off.
Sensitivity Control - Revolutionary bite sensitivity detection, sensing speed rather than the distance of line movement. This technology negates false indication and achieves optimum sensitivity even in windy conditions (whereas other alarms relying on line movement sensing become ineffective when detecting single bleep pick-ups). To explain simply – the windier the conditions the more you have to desensitise traditional alarms (using sensitivity controls) to avoid false bleeps. With some brands you may have to allow 6” or more of line to travel before your indicator signals. With the RS-1, whatever the conditions the amount of line movement remains at approximately ¼ inch, enabling you to identify single bleep pick-ups from rig wary carp.
Theft Alarm System - To protect your valuable rods and reels (as well as your RS-1 system); should a thief turn off the head in an attempt to stealthily steal your tackle, your in-bivvy remote will emit a 10 second theft alarm warning. Should the thief mute your RS-1 head, then the in-bivvy remote will emit a short 3 second theft alarm warning.
Vibration - The RS-1 remote features vibration signalling for anglers hard of hearing or wishing to fish stealthily.
Requires 2 x AA Batteries
RRP - £132.00
UKMA Users Review
The Siren RS-1 Receiver is more than just a remote sounder box. Kevin Nash has sat down and thought about what was missing from other remote systems available and put his thoughts into development and come up with an all singing & all dancing alarm system.
The Siren RS-1 Receiver allows the angler to completely control the Siren RS-1 alarm heads from the comfort of the bivvy. The only function that the receiver will not perform is to switch the alarms on or off.
The receiver itself is different from the actual alarm heads in being significantly larger than other receivers on the market. There are several reasons for this increase in size. The main reason for the size increase is that it allows the receiver to stand freely and stable on a bivvy table without the need for stands. The reverse of the receiver is rounded and sits perfectly in the palm of the hand. This will allow the angler to hold the receiver with a much lower risk of dropping it. Even if the receiver is dropped, as it is constructed from the same material as the actual alarms, will resist damage and protect the electronic components inside. Nash have also made the receiver waterproof so if the receiver is dropped in the water, it will float enabling the angler to retrieve it easily and still work perfectly after its inpromptu bath.
The recever has a belt clip on the reverse which is extremely unlikely to ever come away without some serious force used. The belt clip is constructed from wire and locates into holes on the side of the receiver. A very strong piece of plastic is then slid up the clip which holds the whole thing securely. The belt clip can be removed easily should you ot require it, but it does not get in the way at all. On the top of the receiver, there is a small recessed bar that allows a supplied lanyard loop and clip to be fitted. The clip can be used to clip the receiver to a belt loop on trousers or on a rib of an umbrella.
The battery compartment has also had the same thought process put into it as the actual alarm heads. To remove the battery compartment, it is a case of removing the belt clip and undoing two screws to remove the cover. There is no chance of the cover coming off unless you want it to. The Siren RS-1 Receiver uses 2 x AA batteries as its power source, and again, high quality batteries such as Duracell Ultra or Energizer Lithium are recommended for long and reliable use.
On the face of the alarm, you can see immediately how many functions are controlled by the unit. At the top of the panel, 4 surface mounted LEDs are located. Nash have used surface mounted LEDs rather than traditional domed LEDs so there is no chance of them being damaged by knocks or drops. The LEDs are single coloured and are Purple, Red, White and Blue (in that order rom left to right). These LEDs are multi purpose as they illuminate when the corresponding alarm head is activated as well as letting the angler know which alarm they are working with when making adjustment to settings.
To pair the alarms up to the receiver is childs play. Press and hold the "T" and Power button on the receiver until the remote sounds two bleeps and the first LED is illuminated. The illuinated LED will correspond to the alarm that you activate to pair it to that colour. To pair the alarm to the LED, it is a simple task of activating the roller wheel on the head. To save the pairing, and to move to the next LED and alarm, press and hold the Power button until the LED changes. Perform the same action until the required number of heads have been paired to the remote. If you have less than 4 alarms, you simply put the remote into programming mode and press and hold the Power button to skip through the LED's until you reach the colours you require. To confirm the programming and save the paired alarms to the remote, press and hold the "T" and Power buttons until the remote sounds the confirmation bleeps. The alarms and remote are now paired together.
To adjust the volume, sensitivity and tone of the heads and remote, it is a simple task again. Press and hold the corresponding button for the setting you wish to change ("V" for volume, "T" for tone or "S" for sensitivity) for 2 seconds until the remote sounds. The LED next to the button held will illuminate as well as the alarm head LED at the top of the remote. To change which head the adjustments are made to, it is a simple task of pressing and releasing the Power button until the required alarm LED on the remote is lit. Once the correct head LED is lit, press and hold the Power buttong until the confirmation bleeps are heard.
After the confirmation bleeps are heard, you can then scroll through the range of adjustment by pressing and releasing the Power button until the correct value is heard. Tone, Head Volume and Sensitivity settings all have a range of 5 adjustment increments which are recognisable by the number of bleeps given by the remote ranging from 5 bleeps to a single bleep for the sensitivity, different tones for the Tone setting and decreasing volume for the Head Volume settings. The settings made on the remote are mirrored by the indiviual alarm head that has been selected. To save changes made, simply press and hold the button on the remote that was held down at the start of the process (which will be lit on the remote also) until the confirmation bleeps are heard and all the LEDs are unlit. Each head needs to be adjusted and saved before repeating the whole process for the next head.
The remote volume can also be adjusted to suit the anglers requirements. This task is performed by pressing and holding the "S" and "T" buttons down for 2 seconds until the confirmation tone is heard. You can then scroll through the volume settings by pressing and releasing the Power button to move through. To save the setting, press and hold the "S" and "T" buttons again until the confirmation tone is heard.
The backlight function on the alarm roller wheel is also turned on or off from the remote, and is accessed by pressing and holding the "V" and "T" buttons down until the tone is heard, and using the Power button to scroll through to the head required (press and hold the Power button until tone is heard to confirm the head chosen) and then press and release the Power button to activate or deactivate the backlight. Once the chosen selection is made, press and hold the "V" and "T" buttons for two seconds until the confirmation tone is heard.
Other functions such as alarm LED brightness, receiver vibrate mode, anti-theft alarm and alarm muting are also carried out by the receiver, but I shall not go into how to do this here as I wil be here all day writing and that Nash include a full instruction manual on how to perform these tasks, as well as including a quick reference card that can be left in the tackle box for quick reference to which buttons perform which tasks.
It is important to mention that if the confirmation tones are not heard when pressing the buttons down, the remote can go into a locked up state. This is not a fault with the remote at all, and can be overrided by pressing and holding the buttons on the remote that the corresponding LEDs are illuminated.
The video clip below shows exactly how to change all the functions on the remote and alarm heads.
Nash have also created a video explaining how the sensitivity setting works on the Siren RS1
Final Thoughts
I have owned and used thoroughly almost every major alarm system that has been available over the past twenty years, and done what all other anglers have done and gone out in the worst of conditions to make adjustments to the alarms when required. With the Siren RS-1 system, these adjustments can be made from the comfort of the bivvy. I have had the Siren RS-1 alarms and remote now for several weeks and put them through some horrendous situations that anglers are likely to experience on the bank, and the alarms have performed flawlessly. I have tried as hard as I can to find fault with the Siren RS-1 system and failed to find any negatives at all. I could have gone totally overboard and put the alarms through tests that have no bearing on angling situations such as smashing them with a lump hammer or sending them up into the sky attached to a firework, but I feel that these situations are not going to be experienced by the angler.
Every function that the alarms feature work perfectly and I have not experienced any issues in making adjustments.
One major bonus about the Nash Siren RS-1 alarms is that everything is included. You don't need to go out and buy isotopes as the heads have the backlight function, you don't need to buy snag ears as they are included and you don't need to change indicator hockey sticks as they are built in. This can equate to a substantial saving when you take multiple alarms into consideration.
One little thing I would like to clear up is that although the Siren RS-1 alarms are made in China, it is a complete falicy that Chinese made electronics are lower quality than if they were made in the UK. China and the Far East are the main producers of electronic components and I cannot think of a single electronic item that does not incorporate Chinese components inside of them. Every TV, computer, mobile phone or other household electronic item contains large amounts of Chinese circuitry and components but nobody complains about spending several thousands of pounds on these products. Nash Tackle are that confident in the electronics used in the Siren RS-1 alarms and remote, that they offer a 2 year "No Quibble" warranty with them. If an alarm or the remote develops a problem within 2 years of purchase, it is a simple job of taking the faulty product back to the shop, where it will be swapped over on the spot without question.
I can honestly say that the Nash Siren RS-1 alarms and receiver have raised the bar for bite alarms considerably. It takes a lot for me to say that I am going to change a major part of my armoury that has never let me down in the past, but I am going to do everything in my power to keep these alarms, even if it means that I go hungry for a couple of weeks to pay for them! My wife (who has just started carp fishing) also wants a set, and anybody I have spoken to on the bank whilst out using them, have asked questions about the Siren RS-1 alarms and have gone away with only positive thoughts in their heads.
If you are in the market for a new set of alarms, then I will seriously suggest that you do not make your mind up until you have checked the Siren RS-1 out. You will not be disappointed, I wasn't!
For further information on any of the products from Nash Tackle, please click the image below.
Bulletproof Reliability - Virtually Indestructible, high impact, water resistant, polycarbonate casing (the material used for riot shields) that ensures trouble-free operation and total performance in all weather conditions.
The battery compartment is totally waterproof. This has been a bane of a lot of anglers with some alarms that after a heavy downpour, the battery compartment of their alarm has sufferred some sort of water ingress and needs to be dried out before it starts to short out the battery or if left for a long time, corrosion of the terminals. The Siren RS-1 has a perfectly fitted cover that is held in place by two screws. The screws have a rubber O ring that is located between the screw head and the cover that stops any ingress through the screw hole itself. This is further waterproofed by using a thin rubber gasket between the cover and the alarm body and a "tongue & groove" type design that ensures when the cover is tightened up, creates a perfect waterproof seal. 
The groove where the rod sits when in place is shallower than most other alarms, but Nash have developed built-in snag ears to stop the rod from being ripped out of the alarm even on the most savage of takes. The snag ears are constructed from stainless steel and approximately 3/4" in height. 
The roller wheel is where Nash have really put a lot of thought in to. The material used to create the wheel has been formed in a way that it creates a prism effect meaning that the light emitted from the LEDs is projected at an angle range that allows it to be seen clearly from almost any angle that the angler will be looking from at the alarm. In the dark, it is almost like a laser show has started upon a take. During bright light conditions, the light is visible on activation which is something that some traditional LEDs lack. Instead of using the de facto standard 4 magnets on one side of the roller, Nash have split the magnets onto both sides of the line groove. The magnets are staggered rather than symetrical which has been done for a reason. The roller technology that Nash have incorporated into the Siren RS-1 works in a similar way to speed cameras in that the alarm does not activate on the amount of line moving over the roller, but on the speed of the roller turning. This allows the sensitivity to be turned down requiring the roller to be rotating at a higher speed before the alarm sounds. This means that if a bit of weed hits the line, the alarm will not sound (as long as the sensitivity has been set correctly for the conditions), but on a take from a bolting fish, the alarm will respond that same as it would have at the highest sensitivity setting. 
I have tested this function out myself on a lake that contains a large head of small F1's as well as a good head of Carp, but the size and openness of the lake means that when a wind blows, it creates significant tow and a big chop on the surface. Fishing with light bobbins and tight lines, I never once had a false bleep from the alarms, but even on a pickup from one of the F1's that struggle to move the lead, the alarm sounded every time. During this session I constantly had my eyes on the indicators looking for movements, and with the tow and chop, the indicators were "up & down" all the time in a seesaw type movement, but on a sharp rise or fall from a pickup, the alarm sounded instantly. This was with the alarm sensitivity at the second lowest setting.
The roller wheel also has a backlight function that allows the LED to remain on giving a soft illumination of the wheel completely removing the requirement for isotopes. This function has minimal additional drain on the battery's and during out testing we have switched the backlight function on from dusk to mid-morning during the long winter nights, and upon testing the battery's on a battery tester when back at home, the battery power had not been barely affected at all after 72 hours on the bank.
Directly underneath the roller wheel is the power/function button. This button acts as the power on or off switch and also acts as a mute switch for the head. Holding the button in until a two tone sound is heard turns the head on or off, but when the head is on and the button is pressed and released, a single bleep is heard and the head is then muted meaning that any sound comes only from the receiver. This function is perfect for those that like to make no noise at all on the bank and have the receiver on low or vibrate so only they know that they have had a take, or for setting the indicators without annoying everyone else on the bank.
At the base of the alarm, Nash have taken one of the headaches away from the angler by including a thread for attaching your chosen indicator to. There is nothing worse than trying to line up alarms and hockey sticks on buzzer bars and having that niggling thought in your mind that the hockey stick is not in perfect alignment with the head. Incorporating the M5 thread into the alarm itself means that it is a simple task of aligning the head straight and the indicator is in the perfect angle. Although Nash have used a M5 thread on the alarm itself, I have tested it with other manufacturers 2BA threaded indicator attachments and they screw in perfectly as well, meaning that you do not have to go out and buy new indicators or use hockey sticks.
Volume -Five volume ranges, set by operating the remote. Once you have selected your preferred volume setting, this is memorised in the head even after it has been switched off.
The receiver itself is different from the actual alarm heads in being significantly larger than other receivers on the market. There are several reasons for this increase in size. The main reason for the size increase is that it allows the receiver to stand freely and stable on a bivvy table without the need for stands. The reverse of the receiver is rounded and sits perfectly in the palm of the hand. This will allow the angler to hold the receiver with a much lower risk of dropping it. Even if the receiver is dropped, as it is constructed from the same material as the actual alarms, will resist damage and protect the electronic components inside. Nash have also made the receiver waterproof so if the receiver is dropped in the water, it will float enabling the angler to retrieve it easily and still work perfectly after its inpromptu bath. 
On the face of the alarm, you can see immediately how many functions are controlled by the unit. At the top of the panel, 4 surface mounted LEDs are located. Nash have used surface mounted LEDs rather than traditional domed LEDs so there is no chance of them being damaged by knocks or drops. The LEDs are single coloured and are Purple, Red, White and Blue (in that order rom left to right). These LEDs are multi purpose as they illuminate when the corresponding alarm head is activated as well as letting the angler know which alarm they are working with when making adjustment to settings.
After the confirmation bleeps are heard, you can then scroll through the range of adjustment by pressing and releasing the Power button until the correct value is heard. Tone, Head Volume and Sensitivity settings all have a range of 5 adjustment increments which are recognisable by the number of bleeps given by the remote ranging from 5 bleeps to a single bleep for the sensitivity, different tones for the Tone setting and decreasing volume for the Head Volume settings. The settings made on the remote are mirrored by the indiviual alarm head that has been selected. To save changes made, simply press and hold the button on the remote that was held down at the start of the process (which will be lit on the remote also) until the confirmation bleeps are heard and all the LEDs are unlit. Each head needs to be adjusted and saved before repeating the whole process for the next head.
