Future Pinpointer???

[RelicHunter88]

Hello guys!

I found this interesting little thingy when i was dismantling a Laser Printer toner cartridge:




It is magnetic and can "stick" onto metallic surfaces really well. As you can see, it is 23 cm / 9 inch long, and as you cannot see, it is 7.5mm / .295 mill thick.

Does anyone has any experience with these things?
Can i use this to make a DIY pinpointer?

[sinclairuser]

if you mean to use as ferrite if you half it it might make two, the only way is to test it and see, wind a coil on it and test its inductance.

[RelicHunter88]

Yes, you pretty much summed it up there.

The problem is that i do not know if it is a magnetic metal, or just "magnet-dust" plated, like some rods i scavenged from in the past, and because i do not know what is made of, i have no way to know if it is safe to cut it.

I will probably take safety precautions and try to make a pinpointer out of this thing anyway.

[RelicHunter88]

My multimeter does not measure inductance.

Any alternatives or any suggestions of inductance meters that do not break the budget would be welcome.

[sinclairuser]

the cheap philex clones on ebay- 10-15 pounds(or even cheaper) are good enough for coil building
i have both philex(blue) clone(yellow), no difference in operation but throw the battery(cheap) that comes with it and put a duracell or energizer in.

[Silver Dollar]

Here's the same one, I bought one of these and am happy with it. $18!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-RCL-INDU...item3cc20f59e6

[RelicHunter88]

Thanks for the links, but 98.1% Feedback is low, and 6-8 Weeks delivery from Hong Kong to Europe is way too long? Are they going to bring it with a donkey, following the Silk Road?

What about this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-RCL-Indu...item5ae0053ab1

Or this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Professional...item3f1943eb1d

I will check my local stores first (which probably sell counterfeit stuff as genuine anyway but don't tell them) and then i will consider Ebay.

I would prefer a trusted seller if someone can recommend one, because too many of these Chinese/Hong-Kongnese guys usually sell trash. There are excellent sellers from China and Hong Kong, and i do know some, but you know, it takes some time to find them in all these scumers...

[WM6]

Second one is better (more precise):

As example (according factory data):

First one has finest range 20mH with resolution 0.01mH

Second one has finest range of 200uH with resolution 0.1uH.

[sinclairuser]

Second one is better (more precise):

As example (according factory data):

First one has finest range 20mH with resolution 0.01mH

Second one has finest range of 200uH with resolution 0.1uH.

i concur with wm6, if you can get one with 200uh with resolution 0.01mh, for a good price snatch their hand off.
the two i have are like the first, 20mh res0.01mh, and its worked out well and testing known inductors is accurate, but the nearer to the uh scale you can get will be better for pi coils, if one of that resolution had been on offer when i got mine i would have got one even for more money.

[RelicHunter88]

The second seller has 99.8% positive feedback too, and offers insured shipping with a reasonable estimation of 7-15 days delivery time. Probably i will get this one then and i will let you know. I can do an "unboxing" in an other thread if anyone is interested.

[WM6]

I can do an "unboxing" in an other thread if anyone is interested.

This would be welcome. It is always interesting to see what is inside.