Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

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LowRange
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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by LowRange » Wed May 26, 2021 6:44 am

Not impressed with the Zonds spool myself. Its neither a long bomber or a finesse caster. Its just meh. Too fast early in the cast and overbraked at the end. You have have to kind of cast it more gently with less mag dial and then its fine but no long bomber. Bomb casting just makes it over brake at the end when running middle of the dial settings needed to not have it blow up right away. I dont mind overbraked at the end of the cast if its an SV spool but this is magforce Z.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by SSS » Wed May 26, 2021 7:52 am

adam lancia wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 4:51 am
hoohoorjoo wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 4:45 am
Fyi, the Zonda 68R/10R spools are deeper than any other Alphas spool out there. I think it's around 100 yds/14# line. With braid, it does great with 1/4 oz and up. I havent used mono or flouro on it before, though.
Yeah, that's what I like it for cranking. I have 15# Yo-Zuri hybrid on it and have tons of capacity. I could even strip a fair amount of line off to reduce the IPT and still have lots of capacity.
How's the casting distance, tho? Is there any difference between stock non SV alphas spools? Kinda hoped it would improve the casting distance but it seems like its about the same.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by hoohoorjoo » Wed May 26, 2021 6:29 pm

The Zonda spool casts equivalent lures further than the SV spools, at least it did in my SV 105 SH. The Zonda spool really shines for distance with 3/8 oz. Dont forget, almost every MB reel has stronger magnets than their Daiwa counterparts. Again, I only used light braid with the ones I used to own, so YRMV.
Try not to let your mind wander. It is much too small to be outside unsupervised.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by toddmc » Thu May 27, 2021 10:26 am

Everybody should own at least one of this platform. It has some limitations in the shape/placement of the mag dial, the ticking of the gears under load, and the choking off of casting when the line guide is all the way to the side. The small size, the smoothness of the brass gears, and the durability of the platform make up for these problems. The SV105 spool being over-braked is well chronicled on here. You really can't get any distance with lures under 3/8 ounce with the stock spool. Just put in an R+ inductor spring, and you will love its improved versatility. The Ray's spool will allow you to go a little lower, if BFS with a little control is your goal. These reels shine for that 1/4-3/8 ounce total lure weight application. Put the 7.2 ratio on a light to medium powered rod and enjoy finesse plastics as well as hardbaits. I keep 6-8 lb. Sniper on the Ray's spool for plastics, and then throw in the SV spool with the R+ spring and 11 lb. Armilo for small hardbaits like Poppers, 78 size jerkbaits, and small squarebills.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by CGrinder » Fri May 28, 2021 7:28 am

Something must be off with my purple SV spool then. In both an R edition and a Sol, it is a launcher.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by Fishing4Fun » Fri May 28, 2021 9:59 am

CGrinder wrote:
Fri May 28, 2021 7:28 am
Something must be off with my purple SV spool then. In both an R edition and a Sol, it is a launcher.

Yea, I think results vary widely. The sticky inductor may explain some variance. I had a brand new SV105 I bought from Japan. It was hit or miss every cast and every time I used it. It would be a long bomb cast or a backlash. I kind of gave up on the platform until I found a purple Alphas. It needed work inside so I picked up a beater Alphas SV105 and had the internals and spools swapped. That purple Alphas has been lights out. Consistent and a big time distance caster.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by LowRange » Sat May 29, 2021 2:19 pm

CGrinder wrote:
Fri May 28, 2021 7:28 am
Something must be off with my purple SV spool then. In both an R edition and a Sol, it is a launcher.
It's all about perspective. Someone else will think its choked off in distance. I don't think they are too choked off but not bombers either. Not enough capacity to bomb anything. I can skip mine effortlessly and then back off the mag and make a spool emptying cast with a wacky Senko or something. Just fine with me as a power finesse reel. Butter smooth our of the box and still that way years later. Very happy with the Alphas SV.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by SSS » Sun May 30, 2021 11:53 am

toddmc wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 10:26 am
Everybody should own at least one of this platform. It has some limitations in the shape/placement of the mag dial, the ticking of the gears under load, and the choking off of casting when the line guide is all the way to the side. The small size, the smoothness of the brass gears, and the durability of the platform make up for these problems. The SV105 spool being over-braked is well chronicled on here. You really can't get any distance with lures under 3/8 ounce with the stock spool. Just put in an R+ inductor spring, and you will love its improved versatility. The Ray's spool will allow you to go a little lower, if BFS with a little control is your goal. These reels shine for that 1/4-3/8 ounce total lure weight application. Put the 7.2 ratio on a light to medium powered rod and enjoy finesse plastics as well as hardbaits. I keep 6-8 lb. Sniper on the Ray's spool for plastics, and then throw in the SV spool with the R+ spring and 11 lb. Armilo for small hardbaits like Poppers, 78 size jerkbaits, and small squarebills.
The thicking of the gears under load eh. So is this a known issue with the platform? Never heard it being mentioned here on TT, but I have this in my pixy, and its incredibly annoying. I fully serviced it, verified all bearings, worm gear and even purchased a brand new gear set, and i am still getting the annoying vibration that feels like you're very slightly hitting the blank with your fingernails twice every second when the reel is under load. What causes this? Is there a way to get rid of it?

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by CGrinder » Mon May 31, 2021 8:09 am

I sent a SV105 back for a bad ticking/knocking and had a similar ticking in my Sol, but that was a pinion gear issue and was resolved by a fresh 6.8:1 set.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by SSS » Mon May 31, 2021 8:46 pm

CGrinder wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 8:09 am
I sent a SV105 back for a bad ticking/knocking and had a similar ticking in my Sol, but that was a pinion gear issue and was resolved by a fresh 6.8:1 set.
Did you find out what was the issue with the SV105? I too changed the gears, but no improvements. Such an annoyance, and i've never seen this in a Shimano.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by toddmc » Mon May 31, 2021 10:09 pm

SSS wrote:
Sun May 30, 2021 11:53 am
toddmc wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 10:26 am
Everybody should own at least one of this platform. It has some limitations in the shape/placement of the mag dial, the ticking of the gears under load, and the choking off of casting when the line guide is all the way to the side. The small size, the smoothness of the brass gears, and the durability of the platform make up for these problems. The SV105 spool being over-braked is well chronicled on here. You really can't get any distance with lures under 3/8 ounce with the stock spool. Just put in an R+ inductor spring, and you will love its improved versatility. The Ray's spool will allow you to go a little lower, if BFS with a little control is your goal. These reels shine for that 1/4-3/8 ounce total lure weight application. Put the 7.2 ratio on a light to medium powered rod and enjoy finesse plastics as well as hardbaits. I keep 6-8 lb. Sniper on the Ray's spool for plastics, and then throw in the SV spool with the R+ spring and 11 lb. Armilo for small hardbaits like Poppers, 78 size jerkbaits, and small squarebills.
The thicking of the gears under load eh. So is this a known issue with the platform? Never heard it being mentioned here on TT, but I have this in my pixy, and its incredibly annoying. I fully serviced it, verified all bearings, worm gear and even purchased a brand new gear set, and i am still getting the annoying vibration that feels like you're very slightly hitting the blank with your fingernails twice every second when the reel is under load. What causes this? Is there a way to get rid of it?
From what I remember, it is only with the Alphas 7.2 gears. There were a few threads a few years ago talking about it. Someone else might be able to tell which specific threads. Mine does it, but it is buttery otherwise.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by LowRange » Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:58 am

The only ticks or clicks I get out of my Alphas are when turning the handle with no bait tied on. All of them click and clack but stop once a bait is tied on. Guessing it is spool pin and pinion yoke play.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by SSS » Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:40 am

LowRange wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:58 am
The only ticks or clicks I get out of my Alphas are when turning the handle with no bait tied on. All of them click and clack but stop once a bait is tied on. Guessing it is spool pin and pinion yoke play.
Yea, that clicking is normal, but the one i am referring to feels exactly as if you were gently hitting the blank with your fingernails. Happens only when there's load on the spool.

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by LowRange » Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:48 am

SSS wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:40 am
LowRange wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:58 am
The only ticks or clicks I get out of my Alphas are when turning the handle with no bait tied on. All of them click and clack but stop once a bait is tied on. Guessing it is spool pin and pinion yoke play.
Yea, that clicking is normal, but the one i am referring to feels exactly as if you were gently hitting the blank with your fingernails. Happens only when there's load on the spool.
Crunchy spool bearings? Bur on the end of the plastic pinion support shaft?

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Re: Are you still using any of the OG Alphas?

Post by SSS » Tue Jun 01, 2021 10:21 am

LowRange wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:48 am
SSS wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:40 am
LowRange wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:58 am
The only ticks or clicks I get out of my Alphas are when turning the handle with no bait tied on. All of them click and clack but stop once a bait is tied on. Guessing it is spool pin and pinion yoke play.
Yea, that clicking is normal, but the one i am referring to feels exactly as if you were gently hitting the blank with your fingernails. Happens only when there's load on the spool.
Crunchy spool bearings? Bur on the end of the plastic pinion support shaft?
Bearings are perfect. But what is this plastic pinion support shaft? I did have some bur on the pinion gear where the spool pin would be lodged in, which i sanded off thinking this was the issue, but it wasn't. I might get this clicking vibration, then i re-engage the clutch, and its gone. Since its going away from re engaging the blutch once or twice, it makes me think its related to the pinion gear.

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