Jim Ott's Periscope

[Captjack]

Hi everyone, since I moved to NC I have been too busy too detect much but I am trying to change that. Recently I have been trying to see if anyone knows if the Periscope by Jim Ott was ever built again and if his wife is still around? do you think there is interest in his detector. I have one but only use it on rare occasions as I became friends with Jim when he had to replace my tip when I broke it.

 

[dgerst]

Haven't heard anything about them for quite a while. Pretty intriguing machine. I always wondered how useful they were. Alan Hameta still builds the Cache Probe which uses a small diameter stainless probe with hardened tip like the Periscope but it's a handheld unit. It has a discriminate feature as well. I don't use mine much these days but it is kind of nice to ferret out sneaky steel bottle caps and other round iron without having to dig them.

 

[Bdomineau]

Ever find anything about the Periscope being re-manufactured or redesigned?
Spoke to Jim about the potential to have someone else manufacture it, a couple of times, a long time ago - he seemed like a great guy !
I still have a periscope and use it all the time - love it and would love someone to redesign it using today's technology - it could be quite impressive.

 

[Bdomineau]

Jim's Ott's Periscope is still running fine - best probe I've ever used.
Still wish someone would make a similar machine !

 

[Odanscoils]

Any pics ?
I've never seen one.

 

[Hi-Yo Silver]

they were great when hunting nice pretty lawns, because it would pinpoint exactly where the coin or target was. It was the size of a small lunch box, and it was heavy with what look like an old telephone curly cord coming out the box and the probe was about 12 inches long and as thick as a pencil, I sold it because most of my hunting then was in hard ground not lawn. I remember finding my oldest 53 dime and scratching it with the probe, but I still wish I had it because now at my age I hunt mostly lawn.

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

I'm thinking about trying to build one, but have been saying that a few years. I at least hope to be able to repair broken tips. I talked with Jim several times over the years, most recently about five years ago I'm guessing. Will post more when I get my laptop connected to Internet.

 

[oldkoot]

Would like to see photos of one so we know what your are talking about

 

[IDXMonster]

Being as that it only discriminates iron/not iron it has limited uses in places with a lot of conductive trash, I would imagine. I’ve seen Chris’ Periscope and the other issue is that it is pretty bulky. In today’s world of “lightweight” it’s going in the wrong direction. Neat tool though for sure.

 

[Bdomineau]

Being as that it only discriminates iron/not iron it has limited uses in places with a lot of conductive trash, I would imagine. I’ve seen Chris’ Periscope and the other issue is that it is pretty bulky. In today’s world of “lightweight” it’s going in the wrong direction. Neat tool though for sure.

Being as that it only discriminates iron/not iron it has limited uses in places with a lot of conductive trash, I would imagine. I’ve seen Chris’ Periscope and the other issue is that it is pretty bulky. In today’s world of “lightweight” it’s going in the wrong direction. Neat tool though for sure.

Discrimination is really the least of its talents - the fact that it can pin point directly on your target such that you can literally touch your target with the probe tip, if you want to - yes touch your target - before you’ve even take your digger out of its sheath is its claim to fame!

 

[Bdomineau]

Would like to see photos of one so we know what your are talking about

I’ll post one this week for you to have a look see!