Delkim NiteLite Set Illuminating Hanger V2

How well is it built?

The heart of the NiteLite V2 is its CatFlex2 cable assembly.

The fine wires that link the hanger to the alarm are protected inside a flexible, thin black stainless-steel coil, which gives the cable good tensile strength and should stand up well to being snagged or tugged on the bank.

The magnetic line clip is integral to the hanger and adjusts itself, so there's no small adjustable clip to wear or work loose.

The SlimCarb Carbon Stabiliser is a slim carbon arm, and with the Tilt 'N' Slide set-up the hanger should stay steady in the wind while still being free to move on a take. It's a neat, well-designed package.

Is there anything to knock? The hanger itself is a simpler unit than the intelligent head on the Delkim SmartLite, but it's solidly made and the set is complete, so I think the 8.5 is fair.

Sensitivity & Visibility

So, how visible is it? The LED replicates the alarm's flashing and latching, so the hanger on the rod that's going lights up with the alarm, and Night Marking keeps a low glow so you can find each hanger in the dark.

Brightness adjustment follows the alarm too, so if you turn the alarm's LEDs down, the hanger dims with them.

For sensitivity, the hanger alone is 8g, which is light enough for slack lines at short range, and the C-Slot drag weights add tension for longer range. Heavier C-Slot options are sold separately for long chucks and drop-back rigs.

The self-adjusting magnetic clip should let the line pull free cleanly when you strike.

For me, a hanger that lights up and mirrors the alarm is a real help at night, because you can tell which rod is going before you're out of the bivvy. I think the 9.0 is spot on.

Ease of Use

Setting up should be quick. With the hanger, line clip and alarm attachment in one unit, you fit the attachment to the alarm, plug in the cable and choose between free hanging and the stabiliser.

The fittings you need for a Delkim alarm come in the set, so you shouldn't need anything else to get going.

The self-adjusting magnetic clip is a real plus, because there's no clip tension to set each time you change line or range. Adding or removing the C-Slot weights is simple too, which makes it easy to tweak the setup from swim to swim.

Is there a downside? Each hanger has one fixed LED colour, so you pick the colour when you buy rather than changing it later to match a new alarm setting. It's a small point, and on a three-rod setup with three colours it's pretty much a non-issue, so I think the 8.5 is fair.

Is it good value for money?

It's a mid to upper-priced indicator, which is fair given the electronics and the carbon stabiliser in the set.

What you get is a lit hanger that works with every Delkim alarm, a self-adjusting clip and a choice of six colours, so it should still suit you if you change alarms within the Delkim range.

Next to the Delkim SmartLite Indication Set, it has no drop-back sensing or automatic colour matching, but it works with far more alarms, and for most night anglers the lit hanger is what matters. Heavier weights are an extra cost if you fish at extreme range.

Overall, I'd recommend the NiteLite V2 to carp anglers with Delkim alarms who fish nights and want a lit hanger that copes with everything from short range to long chucks in the wind.

If you own Txi-D v2 or EV-R alarms and fish drop-back rigs, the Delkim SmartLite adds drop-back sensing.