Shimano calcutta CTE 200DC

[Jeremy87]

Been having a drool over some of the reels at work and one reel that has come to my attention is the calcutta TE. The feature that caught my interest is its so called digital brake. The following paragraph has been taken from the shimano web site explain how the system works;

"The most remarkable aspect of this reel, however, is the Digitally Controlled Brake. Basically, a program within an electronic circuit works out the correct time and the amount of brake needed to prevent an overrun, which is all assessed at 1/1000 of a second intervals. There’s a choice of eight settings and braking power can be adjusted to suit long casts or short ones. Thanks to a Super Free Bearing and supported pinion gear system, maximum spool speeds are increased by as much as 70 per cent, but without producing a massive backlash at the end of the cast."

For anyone who hasn't seen this reel before it basically has a drilled spool with some brushes inside basically forming a small electric motor. The explanation from above has given me the impression that there is a small microprocessor inside the reel, that monitors the carge output of the spool and applys resistance accordingly.

To me this sounds unlikely as the reel only weighs another 20 grams more than a stock standard calcutta 200. To me a more likely explanation is that a series of resistors connect the ciruit applying an opposite force when the circuit produces current.

So anyway i was just wondering how it actually works?
Jeremy

[davo]

My mate is a guide and was given one by a Japanese client. To put it in a nut shell they out cast anything but are a maintenance nightmare.

[bassfanatic5]

I picked up a calcutta TE 100DC from america and it is an absolute dream to use, i feel it is a better size for bass, the thing that has amazed me is that regardless of what rod i put it on it still casts a dam long way. The boys at mullet gut marine tell me the 100 DC will be avalable in oz next month.