What companies are good to deal with?

Wow.
If you actually are onto some sort of breakthrough and new tech that companies with electrical engineers that have decades of experience in designing these products have not thought of yet or are not currently working on that would be something.
Lord knows that everyone in this hobby is waiting for that next holy grail tech advancement.
Logic says probabilities are not high but what do I know, you might be an out of the box thinking genius and not hampered by the usual and most common linear thinking style of most engineers where A only leads to B which only leads to C.
A never ever leads to C with most of these types, that would be heresy.
I sold millions of dollars of products retail and I could usually recognize I was dealing with an engineer within 5 minutes of discussion because of this commonality in thinking.

I would reach out to the main ones first and see how they react...FTP is pretty large with several brands under their umbrella.
Some pretty smart guys there too, maybe one will see something in your invention with a few clues.
Don't give it all away either, but maybe a purchase of some new patented ideas could be the result at the very least...at the most it might make you very comfortable or even rich.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply, Digger27. I've actually been sitting on this idea for quite a while now and the tech that I'm applying is advancing rapidly. It's only a matter of time before someone else comes up with a similar device, so I figure I better get moving.

Unfortunately this isn't going to change the way a detector sends and receives the signal. But it will substantially change the way it processes and displays the data. Any more info, and I'm giving it away, so I'll have to stop there, lol! ;-)

What does FTP stand for? My Google searches are swamped with "file transfer protocols"

Digger probably means First Texas Products.... Fisher, Bounty Hunter, Teknetics etc

Awesome... thank you!

I have also made something that is more an accessory. ..it would sell like hot cakes and there's absolutely NOTHING like it on the market. I sent an email to the top 3 metal detector companies and got no reply. Then I looked into the patent process and then that's when it all fell apart lol ...VERY expensive and I just don't have the cash for it. I was looking for a company to help me engineer it (it has a few areas that could be improved , but it's already fully functional) and Noone reached out. My next move is, I started working at WPI in 2014 and you need 3 full years employment to go to school there tuition paid in full. So a little over a year more and I will start taking classes to become an electrical engineer. BUT it's only a matter of time before someone else creates a device like the one I built then it will be worthless. Any who I hope your ideas and inventions take off! It's not easy but it can be done! This hobby needs a breakthrough that doesnt cost thousands of.dollars HH!

cellrdwellr said:

I have also made something that is more an accessory. ..it would sell like hot cakes and there's absolutely NOTHING like it on the market. I sent an email to the top 3 metal detector companies and got no reply. Then I looked into the patent process and then that's when it all fell apart lol ...VERY expensive and I just don't have the cash for it. I was looking for a company to help me engineer it (it has a few areas that could be improved , but it's already fully functional) and Noone reached out. My next move is, I started working at WPI in 2014 and you need 3 full years employment to go to school there tuition paid in full. So a little over a year more and I will start taking classes to become an electrical engineer. BUT it's only a matter of time before someone else creates a device like the one I built then it will be worthless. Any who I hope your ideas and inventions take off! It's not easy but it can be done! This hobby needs a breakthrough that doesnt cost thousands of.dollars HH!

Click to expand...

I tried Whites by phone. I talked to someone in the main offices who gave me the R&D email address. I explained a little about the idea without going into too much detail and asked if they would be interested in hearing more. Never got a reply.

You're right. A patent is expensive. Definitely out of reach for me. One thing I have to do once I get a prototype working is submit a provisional application with the US Patent Office. That'll protect it for one year. Then I have no problem showing what it is and can do. That will help sell the idea more than a vague description. Should be taken more seriously.

A provisional application should cost you only $65 (micro entity (solo inventor with less than 4 other patents/applications)).
The only downfall to a provisional application is if you do not patent it before a year passes, the protection disappears. Make sure you get in a position to fully patent before the deadline.

Best of luck with your idea. You are far ahead of me, being that you have a prototype. Be careful who you show! You know that already though.

Hey- If I find an interested company, I'll share their contact details with you if you like.

Swing-a-ling said:

I tried Whites by phone. I talked to someone in the main offices who gave me the R&D email address. I explained a little about the idea without going into too much detail and asked if they would be interested in hearing more. Never got a reply.

You're right. A patent is expensive. Definitely out of reach for me. One thing I have to do once I get a prototype working is submit a provisional application with the US Patent Office. That'll protect it for one year. Then I have no problem showing what it is and can do. That will help sell the idea more than a vague description. Should be taken more seriously.

A provisional application should cost you only $65 (micro entity (solo inventor with less than 4 other patents/applications)).
The only downfall to a provisional application is if you do not patent it before a year passes, the protection disappears. Make sure you get in a position to fully patent before the deadline.

Best of luck with your idea. You are far ahead of me, being that you have a prototype. Be careful who you show! You know that already though.

Hey- If I find an interested company, I'll share their contact details with you if you like.

Click to expand...

Absolutely let me know! The info you have provided already has been helpful , I feel like I hit a dead end and maybe with a provisional patent I can share it with the leading companies and someone may like the idea and pick it up. Best of luck to you as well!