JRC Radar DR 3 Rod Bite Alarm Set with Receiver
| Overall rating | 95.9% |
| Grade | Excellent |
| Range | Up to 120 m |
| Type of motion sensor | Roller wheel |
| Accessory Compatibility |  |
| Special indication for drop-back bites | |
| Latching LED |  |
| Receiver with vibrate mode | |
| Night light | |
| Adjustable volume | |
| Adjustable sensitivity | |
| Adjustable tone | |
| Anti-theft alarm | |
| Batteries required | Per bite alarm: 1 x 9V battery; Receiver: 3 x AAA batteries |
| What's in the box? | 3 x Bite alarms; 1 x Receiver and 1 x Padded carry case |
JRC Radar DR Review: The Angler’s Verdict
The JRC Radar DR is our Overall Winner and the most affordable wireless set in our comparison, offering outstanding value. It combines reliable build quality with simple, easy-to-use functionality, earning an impressive 5-star average from owners.
It features fully variable controls for Volume, Tone, and Sensitivity and a 2.5mm power-out socket. As a budget-friendly model, it focuses on the essentials and lacks advanced features like a receiver vibrate mode, night light, or anti-theft alarm.
This alarm set is perfect for beginners just starting in carp fishing. It is also an excellent choice for any angler on a budget who needs a reliable, no-frills alarm that simply does the job well.
Below, you’ll find our full review of the JRC Radar DR wireless bite alarm. We’ve also summarized customer reviews to give you a quick overview of the main advantages and disadvantages (the pros and cons) of this alarm set.
Our Verdict: The JRC Radar DR Bite Alarm
Bite Alarm Type / Range / Type of Motion Sensor / Accessory Compatibility
The JRC Radar DR is a wireless alarm system and operates with a 120 m range. It utilises a traditional mechanical roller wheel for bite detection but does not offer compatibility with other wireless accessories.
Wireless alarms offer a significant advantage when fishing for wary fish in the margins (close to the bank). The alarm head itself can be completely muted, with the audible alert sounding only on the receiver. This prevents the alarm sound from spooking fish near your spot.
The alarms are built to last, featuring a high-impact ABS casing and all-weather construction to withstand rain and harsh conditions. JRC has also included practical design elements like a reinforced screw thread fixation for solid attachment to your banksticks and non-slip rod supports to keep your rod secure.
In our bite alarm comparison, we feature models with ranges from 100 m up to 500 m. The JRC Radar DR’s range of 120 m places it in the lower end of this comparison. This is typical for an entry-level set, as most alarms in this category offer a range between 100 m and 150 m.
This distance is still more than adequate for most UK fishing situations, considering you need to get to your rods quickly when you get a run.
Like almost all modern bite alarms, the JRC Radar DR uses a mechanical roller wheel as its sensor.
The roller wheel is a tried-and-tested detection system used for decades. Roller wheels offer highly sensitive bite indication and, compared to infrared sensors, generally result in fewer false bleeps (e.g., from wind or weed).
Some modern bite alarms also offer wireless connectivity to other accessories, such as a bivvy light or headlamp. The JRC Radar DR does not support this feature.
If you’re looking for a great value alternative with accessory compatibility, the Sonik SKS2 is a cracking choice – it even includes the compatible bivvy light.
Special Indication for Drop-Back Bites / Latching LED / Receiver with Vibrate Mode / Night Light
The JRC Radar DR includes a latching LED for clear visual indication, but it does not offer special indication for drop-back bites, a receiver vibrate mode, or a night light.
When fishing with multiple rods, you need to know instantly which rod has the bite. The JRC Radar DR features ultra-bright, long-life LEDs for clear visual indication.
These function as latching LEDs, meaning they have a 15-second afterglow period on both the alarm head and the receiver, allowing you to easily see which alarm was triggered.
While the alarm detects both ‘runs’ (when fish take line) and ‘drop-backs’ (when the line goes slack), it does not offer a special or different tone to distinguish between the two.
A receiver vibrate mode is incredibly useful, allowing you to keep your alerts completely silent – perfect for maintaining stealth when fishing the margins or avoiding disturbing other anglers.
A night light on the alarm heads provides a subtle, low-level glow, helping you visually locate your rod setup on the bank in complete darkness.
As a reliable, entry-level set, the JRC Radar DR focuses on the essentials. It provides both audible and visual (LED) alerts, but does not include extra features like a built-in night light or a vibration mode on the receiver.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly bite alarm set that features Special Indication for Drop-Back Bites, a Latching LED, a Receiver with Vibrate Mode, and a Night Light, the Sonik SKS2 is well worth a look.
Volume / Sensitivity / Tone / Anti-Theft Alarm
The JRC Radar DR features continuously variable (infinitely adjustable) controls for Volume, Tone, and Sensitivity, but it does not include an Anti-Theft Alarm.
The JRC Radar DR gives you precise control over your alert settings. The volume, tone, and sensitivity are all continuously variable (often called ‘infinite adjustability’), allowing you to fine-tune them directly on the alarm head to suit your preference.
A low volume setting is particularly useful when you want to avoid disturbing other anglers or spooking wary fish in the margins.
The sensitivity adjustment allows you to adapt the alarm to the conditions on the bank. For example, if strong currents or wind are causing false bleeps, you should decrease the sensitivity.
On the highest sensitivity setting, very little line movement is required to trigger the alarm, which is ideal when fishing stillwaters in calm conditions.
An anti-theft alarm is a useful feature to deter theft on the bank. Manufacturers implement this in different ways; for example, the alarm might be triggered if the rod is lifted off the rest, if the alarm head itself is switched off, or if it senses movement.
This feature is typically standard on premium models with a set price over £500, like the Nash Siren R4 and the Delkim Txi-D v2. The JRC Radar DR does not include an anti-theft alarm.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly wireless bite alarm set that includes an anti-theft alarm, we highly recommend our best value pick, the Sonik Gizmo2.
Batteries Required / Box Contents
The JRC Radar DR alarm heads each require a single 9V battery, while the receiver uses 3 x AAA 1.5V batteries. The 3-rod set comes complete with 3 x alarm heads, 1 x receiver, and a padded carry case.
Wireless bite alarms and their receiver both require batteries to operate. It’s a significant advantage if these are standard, inexpensive batteries that you can buy anywhere, rather than costly specialist types.
Some alarm sets are even designed so that both the alarm heads and the receiver use the same battery type, which makes purchasing and carrying spares even easier.
The JRC Radar DR uses different battery types for the alarm heads and the receiver. Each alarm head requires a 9V battery, while the receiver is powered by 3 x AAA 1.5V batteries.
A helpful low battery warning feature is included on both the alarms and the receiver, alerting you when it’s time to change them.
This mix is very common, especially in entry-level sets. While it does mean you’ll need to carry two different types of spares, the good news is that both AAA and 9V batteries are cheap, readily available in almost any shop, and last for a long time.
If you value running both the alarms and the receiver on the same battery type, the Sonik Gizmo2 is a great value alternative in the same price bracket.
The Sonik Gizmo2 has the advantage of all components running on AAA batteries, plus it offers significantly more features and even includes a bivvy light in the set.
The JRC Radar DR set we reviewed is the 3-rod presentation model. The box includes 3 x bite alarm heads, 1 x wireless receiver, and a hard-wearing padded carry case to keep everything protected during transport.
What Owners Are Saying: A Customer Review Round-up
At the time of writing, we found 11 customer reviews for the JRC Radar DR wireless bite alarm across major UK retailers like Amazon and Angling Direct. On average, buyers have rated the JRC Radar DR an impressive 5 out of 5 stars.
Here is a summary of what product owners had to say about this wireless alarm:
- Very good.
- Very nice and functional.
- Great for those who want to start this technique.
- Bought them on offer during Prime Day; they work very well, will see how long they last.
- A very nice quality product. Excellent build quality and easy to use. I took them out the day after they arrived and was very pleased with everything about them. The one thing that I have ordered to add on are bobbins which I found I needed as I was fishing in the wind and felt I needed them.
- Mint alarms for the money.
- Really good alarms, they do exactly what they are built to do.
- Perfect for the job.
- Very good. Beautiful and solid.
- Yeah, great, would recommend to anyone.
Customer feedback for the JRC Radar DR is overwhelmingly positive. Anglers consistently highlight the excellent build quality and how easy the alarms are to use right out of the box.
A recurring theme is their exceptional value, with many users stating they are fantastic for the price and perform reliably, doing exactly what is required of them.
This positive reception extends beyond the UK, with several reviews from Italy underlining the brand’s international recognition. Italian anglers noted the alarms are highly functional and particularly suitable for those just beginning with carp fishing.
UK users reported being very pleased with their performance on the bank, although one angler helpfully suggested that adding bobbins is a worthwhile investment when fishing in windy conditions.
The alarms are frequently described as both solidly built and visually appealing, with many owners stating they would happily recommend them to others.
Our verdict on the JRC Radar DR is that it doesn’t just shine because of its reliable build quality and dependable performance on the bank.
It’s also the most affordable bite alarm in our comparison and is incredibly easy to use, even for carp fishing beginners. Due to the excellent customer reviews, combined with its outstanding value for money, it is our Overall Winner.
JRC Radar DR: Pros and Cons
The JRC Radar DR is our Overall Winner and the most affordable set reviewed, offering outstanding value.
It provides simple, reliable performance with variable Volume, Tone, and Sensitivity, plus a 2.5mm power out socket. It lacks advanced features like accessory compatibility, vibrate mode, night light, drop-back indication, or an anti-theft alarm.
Pros
- Purchased and rated by over 10 customers on Amazon and Angling Direct
- Our Overall Winner
- Most affordable wireless bite alarm in our comparison
- Very easy to use
- Variable (infinitely adjustable) controls for Volume, Tone, and Sensitivity
- 2.5mm power out socket (bottom right) for illuminated bite indicators
Cons
- No accessory compatibility
- No special indication for drop-back bites
- No receiver vibrate mode
- No night light
- No anti-theft alarm
We’ve chosen the JRC Radar DR as our Overall Winner because it represents the best value in our comparison, making it the most affordable wireless set we reviewed.
Its greatest strengths lie in its simplicity and reliable core performance; it’s incredibly easy to use and offers fully variable (infinite) controls for Volume, Tone, and Sensitivity.
It also includes the standard 2.5mm power out socket for illuminated bite indicators, and has been positively rated by over 10 customers across retailers like Amazon and Angling Direct.
To hit this excellent price point, the set focuses purely on the essentials. It’s important to note that it does not include advanced features such as accessory compatibility, a receiver vibrate mode, or a built-in night light. Furthermore, it lacks a special indication for drop-back bites and does not have an anti-theft alarm.
JRC Radar DR: Frequently Asked Questions
How many batteries are required in total for the JRC Radar DR 3-rod set?
The JRC Radar DR 3-rod set requires six batteries in total: three 9V batteries (one for each alarm head) and three AAA batteries for the receiver.
What is the 2.5mm jack socket on the bottom of the JRC Radar DR alarms for?
It is a power out socket used to plug in illuminated bite indicators (such as illuminated swingers or bobbins).
- JRC
- Angling Direct
- Amazon
- Own experience
