LOM Geophone

LOM Geophone

This is a very nifty and reliable microphone. Actually, it is not a usual microphone. It's a so called "geophone". It was originally designed for seismic measurements, but serves pretty well for recording very low frequencies.

It's hard to get one, as LOM does not build very much of them. Check out their website from time to time for the Geophone HERE or subscribe to their newsletter which informs you ahead of the availability of it.

Accessories

Let's talk about the accessories for this geophone.
In our experience, the transparent knurled nuts in particular disappear into another universe.
This is partly because they are transparent and partly because, unlike the magnets, they are quite inexpensive and do not attract as much attention as the magnets. 

Transparent Knurled Nuts

You can get these transparent knurled nuts in almost any well-stocked hardware store, at plumbing suppliers, or sometimes even in supermarkets.
The problem is the screws used in these transparent knurled nuts. They must be so-called “M4” screws. They are measured using the metric system and the thread is also different from imperial screws.
If necessary, they can also be obtained from well-known online retailers. 

Neodym-Magnets

You can get a Geofon magnet at LOM. It costs a price.
However, if you look at well-known online retailers, you can find even stronger magnets at a lower price.
The "M4" screws pose a challenge here as well. You can find these screws online for a little money.
We use stronger magnets because we have a longer built-in cable. It happened once that the whole geophone fell off the place where we were recording. This is quite regrettable if it happens in the middle of a recording. 
The stronger magnets weren't really more expansive, so that made the choice easy.

The spike with an extender

We use this spike with its extender quite often and, as we unscrew it every time we pack it back into our bags, we (knock on wood) never lose them.
It wouldn't be that difficult to find something similar at a hardware store, but we've never tried. 
If you know where to find one for a low price, please let us know.