early optonic bite alarms

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Olly
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Olly »

That is/was Delkim - see above - amongst others!

Those with "chunky wires" are still available on that auction site!

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Aitch
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Aitch »

I think that was Gardner... he had ATTs internals fitted to the Heron bodies
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Mikey11
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Mikey11 »

Cheers everyone.

Olly right what I was after! Be interesting to know if redmire was mostly bamfords or if the likes of Ted rowlands etc crept in!

Any idea what came out in date order?

Thise delkim converted herons are a thing of beauty, and fetch a fitting price tag too!

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Old Man River
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Old Man River »

Reading this has made me realise how far behind the times I really am, I had a pair of electric bite alarms given for a birthday quite a few years ago, and they are still in their boxes.

But.... way back in the mists of time, maybe twenty five years ago or more , I quite fancied having alarms for my Pike fishing sessions, because I am a tinkerer, I decided to make my own, I am no electrician, but at work, I had access to "new technology "window trembler alarm systems, which were quite small and compact, about the size of a matchbox.
I obtained a couple of them, and after a bit of adaption had two working models, I seem to remember they worked with a magnet and ball bearings to complete a circuit. although they were mega sensitive and had to be set exactly right otherwise they went off with a slight breeze, and were quite fiddly to turn off once activated.I set them up with monkey climbers to trigger them.

I well remember sitting on a reservoir bank one cold still winters day with a pair of deadbait rods out, I was well hidden in a dying back reedbed, I dont think anybody else knew I was there until some water bird managed to brush against the line and set off one of the alarms.... no volume control, it screeched like a howling banshee and must have woken everybody in a five mile radius . I managed to trip on the way to turning it off and ended up full length on the wet muddy bank, stuck in gloop, looking like something from an SAS recruitment poster.
The bailiff turned up as I was just turning both alarms off , and gave me a right rocket for disturbing all and sundry... but then couldnt stop himself laughing at me...
That was the end of my interest in bite alarms.. The two home made ones have long since vanished , the custom mades are still in boxes and will probably stay there as well.


I use monkey climbers, or corks, or home made indicators made from hairgrips and bits of bamboo and cat bells these days . If I am fishing I prefer not to get involved in too much technology .

OMR
Hurrumph....... whatever happened to Handlines ?

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Olly
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Olly »

As far as I remember ATT appeared about 30 years after Herons were invented and at least 20 years after they stopped being made!

To the best of my memory there were only antenna Herons with a couple of really cheap versions (BJ - ?). And roller type ones, 99% Optonics, or altered Optonics by Les Bamford and Del Romang - see https://www.delkim.co.uk/about-us/

The dates of the improvements to Optonics is roughly my reply - from separate items to the last of the XLs before Sundridge took over manufacture of the new alarms.

With new and some older bite indicators - you can turn down the volume and tone!

Monkey climbers are back in fashion - some old stainless versions, esp. the Solar marque, are very expensive - more than the newer versions!

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Shaun Harrison
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Shaun Harrison »

Mikey11 wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2019 9:49 pm Good evening everyone.

I'm after some advise and general knowledge on the early optonic alarms. Firstly, What des the D stand for on all the early models?

Secondly what were the main differences between all the models that look almost identical, such as:

Les bamford conversions
Super compact
Sunridge mangnetonic hi and lo
Delkim conversions
efgeeco
Optonic super XL's


Mainly looking for a bit of history as they all look so similar!

Kind regards,

Mike
I have included a couple of catalogue pages I wrote which may help a little. This first one was 1987 when the Special and the Super Compacts were first released.
Image
This second is the 1990 catalogue when the Super XL was released.
Image

The magnetonics never really took off. they looked like the Special but with a grey section on the front and as the name suggests rather than the interrupted light beam to operate them, they utilised magnets.

It was mentioned above that Gardner do the conversions of the old alarms with remote systems etc. The person who actually does it is one of the old ATT owners Darren Henwood who trades as Daletronics https://www.facebook.com/dalectronics/

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Olly
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Olly »

Just had some Optonic XLs & Microns serviced by him. Optonic Delkims next!

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Troydog
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Re: early optonic bite alarms

Post by Troydog »

Great story OMR - made me laugh out loud. I don’t like to get too technical on the bank either but Ive got a couple of old Optonics that Ive had longer than Ive been marrried to Shazza. No idea what vintage they are but I’ll put a piccy up.
Trouble is, the fish just don't read the books......
John Harding

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