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I would like to construct a magnetometer for my private research. I
have seen Roger Baker's Laser/torsion balance, MacWilliams' soda bottle,
and the Aurora Watch's Compass and coil versions (among several
others). For my purposes a proton magnetometer is excessive overkill
and I would like not to use liquid damping. I think I am way to inept
to have open liquids anywhere I could spill same even if contained in
lead boxes.
A couple of things I don't seem to understand:
1) Torqueing the sensor. The Soda/Pop bottle and Aurora Watch's Compass
and coil both twist the magnet away from N-S. Yet some versions of the
pop bottle do not include that in the instruction nor do other swinging
magnet versions. I must be missing something as I see no need for this
twisting to sense solar events as the horizontal perturbation of the earth's field
will be sensed either way, won't it? Likewise, the need for nulling magnets in
Baker's instrumentation also seems somewhat site/operator dependent. Is
there some peculiarity I missed??? Why the need to try to null out the field? Would this device not produce the same effect without
the nulling magnets?? I recognize this might require N-S orientation of
the sensor or NOT. I think this device is for relative output
measurements not absolute values, isn't it?
I am really perplexed as I can't believe these guys would be doing this without a logical reason. Which I have apparently missed.
2) Damping: Baker's magnetic damping. Would the damping not be more
critical if a NIB magnet were suspended (rigidly) below the sensor and
that magnet encircled by a copper pipe? Yes, there would be no
adjustability except by raising and lowering the pipe or replaceable
pipe diameters possibly.
3) I have been tinkering with nylon thread (suspect due to thermal
changes) to support a swinging magnet. I am thinking to support the
magnet from above and below using the "Y" or delta attachment to #14-16
copper wire loops above and below at each end of the styrene tube
encased NIB magnets.
Some instrumentation descriptions use a guitar "E" string. That seemed
to me to defeat the swinging. Am I delusional?
I am considering use of a large mass below the magnet (compass), spring
tensioning of the thread, or the copper tube and magnet to stabilize the
swinging. I have found some surplus Honeywell micro switches which have
Hall effect transistors in them which I will test for viability or use
photoresistors as the transducer.
I will appreciate any comments on this matter and any enlightenment you
may give me regarding the efficacy of twisting the compass out of the
plane of the earth's field (seems to me to cause a heavy bias) or
damping experiences.
Thanks very much,
Ron
have seen Roger Baker's Laser/torsion balance, MacWilliams' soda bottle,
and the Aurora Watch's Compass and coil versions (among several
others). For my purposes a proton magnetometer is excessive overkill
and I would like not to use liquid damping. I think I am way to inept
to have open liquids anywhere I could spill same even if contained in
lead boxes.
A couple of things I don't seem to understand:
1) Torqueing the sensor. The Soda/Pop bottle and Aurora Watch's Compass
and coil both twist the magnet away from N-S. Yet some versions of the
pop bottle do not include that in the instruction nor do other swinging
magnet versions. I must be missing something as I see no need for this
twisting to sense solar events as the horizontal perturbation of the earth's field
will be sensed either way, won't it? Likewise, the need for nulling magnets in
Baker's instrumentation also seems somewhat site/operator dependent. Is
there some peculiarity I missed??? Why the need to try to null out the field? Would this device not produce the same effect without
the nulling magnets?? I recognize this might require N-S orientation of
the sensor or NOT. I think this device is for relative output
measurements not absolute values, isn't it?
I am really perplexed as I can't believe these guys would be doing this without a logical reason. Which I have apparently missed.
2) Damping: Baker's magnetic damping. Would the damping not be more
critical if a NIB magnet were suspended (rigidly) below the sensor and
that magnet encircled by a copper pipe? Yes, there would be no
adjustability except by raising and lowering the pipe or replaceable
pipe diameters possibly.
3) I have been tinkering with nylon thread (suspect due to thermal
changes) to support a swinging magnet. I am thinking to support the
magnet from above and below using the "Y" or delta attachment to #14-16
copper wire loops above and below at each end of the styrene tube
encased NIB magnets.
Some instrumentation descriptions use a guitar "E" string. That seemed
to me to defeat the swinging. Am I delusional?
I am considering use of a large mass below the magnet (compass), spring
tensioning of the thread, or the copper tube and magnet to stabilize the
swinging. I have found some surplus Honeywell micro switches which have
Hall effect transistors in them which I will test for viability or use
photoresistors as the transducer.
I will appreciate any comments on this matter and any enlightenment you
may give me regarding the efficacy of twisting the compass out of the
plane of the earth's field (seems to me to cause a heavy bias) or
damping experiences.
Thanks very much,
Ron