The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Whilst its debatable if optonics are 'traditional' I would say they are quite well recognised as one of the early electronic alarms. I am now after a second one and ideally the brass conversion kit that replaces the plastic spanner / nut in the bottom. If anyone has one they would like to sell please let me know. It
isn't something I use that often but I do like night fishing for zander and also piking on the mid level drain. The mid level has such a steep bank its easier to to sit up the top and set your rods up at the bottom. In that scenario I like to have belt and braces bite indication.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/memoriesofacarpfisher/
I'm sure someone on my group page might be able to help you.

Ive got two Optonics circa 1976 - great for bream on lakes I find....

1986 ?

I had the very first Compacts when they were released in late 1980. There was the version with the leads to a white sounder box available a year or so before then.

Shaun Harrison wrote: ↑Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:00 pm I had the very first Compacts when they were released in late 1980. There was the version with the leads to a white sounder box available a year or so before then.

I had them around the same time Shaun. Later I went on to have them converted by Del Romang and I handed them to him at a NASA conference at Nottingham University. These were probably the last that Delkim converted as they were stopped soon after by Dellareed(?) who got their lawyers mobilised.

Les Bamford did mine for me in 1983

So you had a bigger knob than I did!

Yup, on my alarms anyway.

I bought a pair with the leads and sounder box, 1 item at a time as I couldn't afford the whole outlay at once. These were Dellareed versions, one hi and one lo tone. I think I paid £30 per item.
Late 70's at a guess. I love night fishing and bite alarms are essential, I can only stare at a bobbin for so long.
I also still have 3 bottle tops as well, green yellow and blue!