Magnetometer Project

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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

grimble_cornet wrote:Thank you Walter - like the best crime thrillers, I try to finish each instalment with a 'cliff hanger' ........... what will happen next :?: :roll: :?:
Hi Mike

it is very clear what happens next. The bats change the frequency :lol:


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

You could be right Walter but...................... I have them on the run :lol:

I let the magnetometer settle down for about 2 hours after connecting the new, stabilised 5v power supply and placing the detector in the shed.

This is what I have as I head off to bed. I have downloaded the recording from the Dourbes station for comparison and................. unless Walter's ghost is playing tricks.... I think we may be making progress:
1st 6 hours with new stabilised power supply.jpg


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

that looks very promissing


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

It does look promising...


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Very promising, Mike.

The alternative is to turn the sensor 180 degrees and this will invert the effect.

Stu


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Montana »

I'm enjoying this thriller too :) will the next installment include 'the neighbours rang the police as they thought I was burying some unusual cylinders with wires coming out at the bottom the garden' :lol:

Alexandra


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Just been doing that so..........wait and see if we get flashing blue lights : :beanie:

....or even a signal :oops: :o :oops: :roll: :oops:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

do you have a decent rifle ? Just in case ;)


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

No rifle Walter but I can hide in the shed :oops:

OK........ on to Phase 4

After the 'packaged' sensor with its new stable power supply had been running overnight in the shed I once again compared my plot with the Intermagnet web data from Dourbes.
Main trace.jpg
Main trace.jpg (124.71 KiB) Viewed 5344 times
Unfortunately the nice agreement had been lost and the trace showed a big dip - I assume as the temperature dropped overnight and started rise again?
There is a very interesting 'blip' at 09.03 - when I opened up the shed/observatory to set up for a quick imaging session - boy, is this thing sensitive to temperature :oops:

Good News:
The new 5v supply has given some data that can be mapped to professional data :band

Bad News:
This performance is clearly compromised by changes in temperature :cry: :roll: :cry:



OK - now for a solution..........

After wasting an hour trying to image between the ever thickening clouds......... I packed up my gear, decided to bite the bullet and started to dig a hole :o

My garden has about 12" (30cm) of soil over heavy clay and building rubble so this was never going to be easy. After about an hour of digging and cursing I had a hole about 18" (45cm) deep with a solid clay base, away from metal objects and in the shade of a tree - probably as good as its going to get without major work.
I placed a concrete slab in the bottom - checked it was level in all directions using a spirit level - and added the waterproof sensor tube, bolted to a wooden plank. Checked again that it was level and used the Gyrocompass on my iPad to orientate the sensor E-W.
A bit of careful back-filling and routing of the cable along the fence line and viola - we have a thermally insulated (buried) sensor :seesaw


Back in the house, I re-tuned the Bat 5 and then placed it in a plastic sandwich box surrounded by foam packaging.
This was then placed in a cool box also packed with insulating foam.
I think I have now done as much as I can - short of placing everything in thermostatically controlled packaging as Stuart has done :P


OK - this was at about 12.30 and I gave it an hour or so before before starting to record data.
The trace settled down quite quickly and was soon seen to be moving up and down rather than just drifting as it has in the past when voltage and temperature changes were clearly more significant than changes in the magnetic field.

At 9pm I fed the data collected into Stuart's spreadsheet and tweaked the graph to show it to best effect.
I then downloaded data from the Dourbes Magnetometer; scaled, inverted and tweaked it for comparison with my data and got this:
First buried run.jpg
There seems to be some general agreement between the two data sets. It is quite difficult to get the time-lines to match and there are minor differences in detail but.......................... not bad for a first run.
There is nothing very dramatic happening at the moment with the trace staying between -20 and +10 nT. This is much smaller than the 140nT swings shown by some of Stuart's captures so........ maybe there is better to come.

I'm a bit baffled as to why my readings are all around the +19 or 20 nT value whereas the Dourbes data ranges from -20 to +10 nT??????????


Also not sure why my Rate of Change graph only shows a change of +/- 0.02 ????????????/

I will have another look at the spreadsheet - and hope Stuart comes riding to the rescue :oops:


I'm going to try re-tuning the Bat 5 to invert the trace and leave it running for a day before re-assessing progress.

Watch this space for the next thrilling instalment of........................ The Magnetometer Project


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

UPDATE..............

Just transferred the data to a different spreadsheet blank and the graph scaling problems have gone away :seesaw

I have reset the system and left it to run for 24 hours as a real challenge.

Just before I head off to bed......................... here is the final set of graphs from today's virgin run plus the updated Intermagnet data:
First run with buried sensor plus Dourbes data.jpg
The first hour or so of my data was when the newly buried sensor was adjusting to the new temperature but after that...... the agreement with the Dourbes data is quite pleasing :P :D :P

It's snowing now so - good job I dug the hole today :roll:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

what a Story. Great results in the first hours of Phase 4. Looking forward to Phase 5


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Nice updates, Mike.

Almost there.........

With scaling, you need to ensure that when you cut and paste the data into the spreadsheet that there is no 'residual' data from the previous dataset as this will be included in the calculations which scale the results (taking the minimum and maximum values from the listed data).

Also, you can adjust the values in cells K3 and K4 accordingly. If column A contains ONLY the data of relevance from the session and no 'residuals' then the chart will be scaled to within the values given.

It may take another 2-3 days for everything to settle down as the soil around the sensor and the sensor equilibrate in terms of temperature.

We're in a period of geomagnetic quiet at the moment, so you're really looking at some fine detail. In a few days and with a passing CME or fast flowing solar wind you'll really see a satisfying response. :D

Nice job.

Stu.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Montana »

:hamster: :hamster: :hamster:

Alexandra


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Ah........the Buckyball moves away and Stuart is revealed :movie


Thanks for the feedback Stuart - and for the encouragement Alexandra and Walter :bow2

I have been playing around with scaling of various types in your original spreadsheet - pasting short data sets in and tweaking the graphs to probe for drift etc. I think I just lost track of the various tweaks I had done until I noticed the silly axis values. Pasting the data into a 'clean' version of your updated spreadsheet produced much better results :D
Having made the 'leaving residual data' mistake once, I won't do it again :oops:

The overnight run has produced some interesting results:
14th 0000-1200 My data v Niemagk.jpg
14th 0000-1200 My data v Niemagk.jpg (193.22 KiB) Viewed 5324 times
From midnight until about 0800 ut the two data sets are clearly related BUT at that point my data starts a major increase as the Intermagnet data starts a major fall :?:
Checking the overnight meteorological data shows no significant change in temperature between midnight (0.9 deg) and 9am (0.7 deg); in fact it was only 3 degrees at 11am as I was clearing the snow from my car!
However, my central heating switches on at 8am ..................... :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:
Even with the Bat 5 in an insulated plastic box which is inside a coolbox........... could this be the problem?
My central heating switches off at 10am and back on at 4pm - let's see what happens to the data during the rest of the day.

Will it rise or will it fall?
Will the bats use esp to influence the readings as Walter predicted...... ?

Tune in later for the next instalment of: The Magnetometer Project


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

A fantastic read Mike!


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Mike,

Good news; there's a CME heading our way (sort of). Maybe it will deliver a glancing blow, anyhow. If it does arrive (tomorrow), then there is a chance that you'll see a decent magnetic response and we can compare notes after the event.

It's surprising how sensitive the Magenta 5 is to temperature, as well as the sensor. I believe you're seeing some thermal effects in your results.

It's no doubt possible to correct for this in the spreadsheet by taking regular temperature readings at the magenta 5 using a digital thermometer connected to the laptop. Maybe a future mod.......

Yep, I decided to come out of the shadow of the Bucky ball :lol:

Stu.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Hi Stuart.
Great minds think alike.................... I ordered a cheapo digital temperature logger from Amazon earlier today as I had exactly the same thought; that by pasting the temperature into the same spreadsheet, I could generate a correction factor :lol: :o :lol:

I have been looking at the data from a number of different European Magnetometers on Intermagnet - interesting to see the different values and the slightly different timings for distinct changes. Is there one station that you tend to use for comparison?

It is coming up to 24 hours of recording with the current set-up and there are some very interesting matches with Intermagnet data - I'll post the images later.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Out of interest I've plotted today's data from Niemagk and compared my own. Yours should be close to mine, so we'll need to see where the differences between our datasets are coming from.
Comparison.jpg
Comparison.jpg (91.11 KiB) Viewed 5310 times
It will be interesting to see your new data.

BTW I usually use Chambon la Foret, but for no particular reason.

Cheers

Stu.


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Radio meteor detector.
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Your wish is my command:
Stuart Mike and Intermagnet 14th Jan 2015.jpg
There are some quite clear areas of agreement between my data, Stuart's data and the Intermagnet plot BUT also clear differences.

The Good:
The overall shape of my plot is the same (with the exceptions covered below).
The key 'blips' - where a rapid up/down occurs in the field - line up pretty well.

The Bad:
My plot has far less fine-detail (i.e. it is much smoother)
At approx 0800 my plot GOES UP while the others GO DOWN but from approx 1000 the line reverses and starts to match the others again :cry:
At approx 1600 my plot starts to go upwards again although it still matches the up/down 'blips' of the others.
Just before 2100 all three traces show a rapid change but mine doesn't drop as much as the others.

Suggestions?
My central heating comes on at 0800 and switches off at 1000 - this matches the anomaly seen in the trace :idea:
It switches on again at 1600 - again matching the time when my trace diverges from the others :idea:
Is the Bat 5 really so sensitive that it shows these effects even though it is in an insulated box inside a coolbox?
Is it possible that my signal is being 'swamped' by larger 'temperature effects' and this why it seems to lack fine detail?

If we look at a magnified view of my data from 1200-1500 and compare it to Stuart's data.......
magnified.jpg
magnified.jpg (92.04 KiB) Viewed 5305 times
There seems to be plenty of detail in there - it's just being smoothed out as the data is scaled to compensate for the thermal changes..... maybe?

The only other thing I can think of is that I have made a few changes to Stuart's script in Spectrum Lab. Most of these are just adjustments to suit my ultrasound signal (centred around 2900Hz), the tuning of my Bat detector (Null Frequency at 69.3kH and Tuned to Frequency of 72.9kH) and the shorter sampling interval (30s for me compared to 150s for Stuart). I don't see that these should make much difference :roll:

Depending upon the response from my mentor............
The next stage could involve me looking for an even better insulating solution for the Bat 5.
I am starting to understand why Stuart has his in a vacuum flask, inside a coolbox, heated by a thermostatically controlled heating mat :lol: :o :lol: :roll: :lol:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

the great story goes on. Think about switsching off the central heating ;)


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi Mike,

Please send me via email your excel spreadsheet with the corresponding data in column 'A'. I can then make closer comparisons with my own data and try to see what's happening. Like you, I suspect thermal effects are at play.

Regards

Stu.


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Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

Fascinating stuff! Yes, try turning off the morning heating for a day and see whats what...


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Montana »

I also have an idea, this is also supposed to save you money as well theoretically. Keep your central heating on constant but at a lower temperature. Apparently allowing your house to cool costs more to bring it back up to temperature again. Keeping it on constant but at 18 degrees saves money. Now a fellow technician here at work did a two week trial as she was skeptical and it turned out she did use less gas this way. So you could keep the Bat 5 happy and keep your pocket happy too :)

Alexandra


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

No problem guys.................. I'll get my thermal underwear out and move into an igloo in the snow ;)


Nice idea Alexandra :bow2
........but that 'solution' has been been shown many times to be on a par with the perpetual motion machine: sounds like a great idea if only it didn't break the laws of physics :?: :? :?: :oops: :?:
In any case, my geriatric central heating controls don't keep the temperature that constant and I don't want to leave my heating on when I go away for a few days just to keep the Bat 5 warm so......... I think another solution is needed :(


OK Stuart, I have emailed you my spreadsheet............. I'm now going to research thermostatically controlled heating boxes :roll:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the data. It has given me the opportunity to make a closer comparison between our two data sets. The great news is that there is very close agreement! Using the 'Rate of Change' chart (below), which essentially removes the slow period thermal effects out of the equation, clearly we can see that there are features that match up very well between your data and mine. Don't forget, you are capturing data at 30s intervals and on this set-up I'm capturing data every 150s, so your chart looks significantly 'busier' than mine. But corresponding features are there and plain to see.
Comparison sg_mg.jpg
Comparison sg_mg.jpg (139.11 KiB) Viewed 5249 times
I'm sure this would be more plain if you set yours to log every 150s as well.

Whilst the match is not perfect, the main issue now IS getting the system more thermally stable, as we suspected. We can address other things as we progress.

BTW, the cost of the heater mat and controller was about £90 on-line from 'Blue-Lizard'.

Hope this all helps.

Regards

Stu.


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

That is good!


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Thanks Stuart - that looks like good news :seesaw

I know that you are otherwise occupied for the next couple of days but........ I have a few other experiments to carry out so I'll continue with the commentary and you can catch up later.

So........ on to Phase 5:

While Stuart was playing with my data I decided to try to improve my thermal stability (or at least that of the Bat 5) :lol:

First stage was to build a 1" (2.5cm) 'box' out of medium density grey foam (packing from a TV). By cutting and sticking, I managed to encapsulate the Bat detector and Ultrasound transmitter within a 'fitted foam shell'.
This package was then wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap which was then placed in a 12x18x18" (30x45x45cm) plastic cool box.
The cool box was then placed in a room with the central heating radiator switched off - should reduce sudden temperature changes when central heating switches on/off?

I left this new arrangement running overnight:
15-16th January Magnetometer Data.jpg
15-16th January Magnetometer Data.jpg (179.28 KiB) Viewed 5516 times
Once again, good news that there is good agreement between my data and the Intermagnet data in terms of up/down 'events' BUT...... once again it shoots upwards at 0800!

OK..... either it is a temperature change at the Bat 5 OR it is a temperature change at the buried sensor OR it is something else happening :evil: :evil:

Here is my latest toy:
usb temperature logger.jpg
usb temperature logger.jpg (78.88 KiB) Viewed 5516 times
This sits in a usb port and records the temperature at the usb port and the temperature of the sensor attached by a lead.
I have now placed the sensor inside the bubble wrap next to the Bat 5 and the temperature is being recorded every 30 seconds - at the same interval used to record the magnetic field. Once this has run for 24 hours, I should be able to combine the two sets of data in Excel and, possible, use the temperature data to 'modify' the magnetic data :?: :?: :?: :?: :?:

Watch this space..................


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

I admire your dedication Sir, this is interesting to follow :bow2


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Wah »

:band2
I'm waiting for your better results!


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Mike,

As a point of reference, here are my temperature data measured at the Magenta 5. As you can see, temperature variation through the 24hr period (Jan 16th) is to within 0.3 Deg C, although over a longer period of several weeks, with changing weather conditions/ambient temperatures, it can vary to within about 1.5 degrees C.

The thermostat seems to control to within +/- 0.6 degrees, but again this depends on the ambient conditions. I always see a temperature differential between the set temp and the measured temp at the bat detector.
Temperature variation.jpg
Temperature variation.jpg (36.54 KiB) Viewed 5489 times
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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

another fine part of the story


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

That's very interesting Stuart.
I have been monitoring my cool box temperature over night using my new toy and there was not a vast amount of change BUT...... judging by the results, it takes very little to throw off the output from the Bat 5.

It was also helpful that a rather nice 'event' happened at about 0300 ut which my magnetometer picked up beautifully.
Here is a graphic showing my data, the matching Intermagnet data and my temperature log:
Effect of Temperature.jpg
I am very happy with the shape of my plot during 'the event' - I seem to be capturing the fluctuations very accurately although I need to 'tweak' the scaling slightly.
It all starts to go pear-shaped at about 0800. Even in a room with the radiator switched off (and inside an insulated box etc.) the temperature starts to climb once my central heating kicks in. The temperature only increases by about 1.5 degrees C but this is clearly enough to cause serious problems as my plot climbs away rapidly - as I have seen it do before.

I can see now why Stuart needs the vacuum flask inside a thermostatically controlled heat box :cry: :evil: :cry:

I don't really want to take my Bat 5 apart and can't find a vacuum flask big enough to take it otherwise so....................

As an alternative approach I might try to build in a correction factor for temperature using the data from my temperature logger.
Chances of finding a nice, simple, linear relationship are not good but................. here is the result of applying a 'first guess' correction:
First significant event temperature corrected.jpg
First significant event temperature corrected.jpg (182.48 KiB) Viewed 5481 times
Not perfect, and I'm not sure it will hold up under larger temperature swings but....... a promising first attempt?

I wonder if moving everything out to my observatory will make things easier........ at least the central heating won't be a problem :oops:


Another cliffhanger for Walter.........................


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

Yes, will be interesting see how the correction factor ties in with data longer term.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Mmmmmmm................. having spent most of the day playing with numbers - it doesn't look good :cry: :evil: :cry:

The thermal response of the Bat 5 is both severe and non-linear :roll:
I can build in correction factors which work very well over a few degrees but that will be of little/no use when the temperature is changing by 10 degrees or more during the day and won't be able to cope with a range of 0-25 degrees over the year :(
Even with the Bat 5 inside an insulated package within an insulated cool-box......... the temperature drift has major consequences :cry:

The graphic below says it all really:

On the left, we see that my magnetometer can match almost perfectly the data collected by professional stations - as long as the temperature remains stable to within about 1 degree C. The 'jagged' appearance of my data is a result of me taking readings more frequently (30 seconds) - it will become 'smoother' (for better or worse?) once I change over to the 150s interval used by Stuart.

However, once the temperature of the Bat 5 Detector is allowed to change by just a few degrees........ the whole thing falls apart with the accurate data being swamped by the 'thermal noise'.
Temperature Sensitivity.jpg
If I try to compensate for more than a few degrees, it becomes quite complex and the corrections screw up the calculations used to extract field strength from the frequency. I guess that a better mathematician (Stuart?) could sort something out but it looks as if my long-term solution will be the same as Stuart's which is a thermostatically controlled box.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

How do the 'professionals' keep their equipment thermally stable?


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Wah »

How about using a daystar temperature control system? Hehehe…


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

very interesting results. and congratulations on the good match. Have thought about putting the whole Bat setup in a fridge :idea:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

DayStar temperature control system.......... nice low cost solution, maybe I could cannibalise the Quark? :lol: :roll: :lol:

Now, Walter........ a fridge is an interesting idea :idea:
I had already considered an Electrically Powered Coolbox but the cost is fast approaching that of Stuart's thermostatically controlled heating mat and I doubt if the temperature control would be good enough.
My experiments suggest that I need to be able to keep the temperature stable to within 1 degree C or better to get good results.
I tried putting the Bat 5 in my observatory over night just to see how well that would work (no central heating to worry about):
Overnight in the Observatory.jpg
Overnight in the Observatory.jpg (257.33 KiB) Viewed 5446 times
As you can see, a change of just 3 degrees is enough to totally distort/swamp the true signal.

Only between about 0600 and 1100 when the temperature is very stable, do we see the true magnetic data emerge :cry: :evil: :cry:


If I can re-route the cable........................ it just might be long enough to reach my milk/beer fridge so well worth a try. I will stick my temperature logger in that fridge and see how stable the temperature is.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

Now you're talking beer it will all sort itself out ;)


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

It's funny how we're thinking along the same lines. I considered temperature correction, which is why I bought the digital thermometer, but then realised that this can only be applied at the data analysis stage. At the time of data capture, the Spectrum Lab chart would be severely distorted by the temperature excursions throughout the day, making it impossible to properly view any true geomagnetic effects on the screen at the time the data were being recorded. I also thought of using a fridge, but I was concerned about possible condensation inside the Bat 5 and I'm not sure how tight the temperature control is on a cheap small fridge. It will be interesting to see what measurements you come back with, Mike.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Good point about the condensation Stuart.
I have a pier on my patio with my HEQ5 Pro permanently installed. I place a cloth bag over the mount, a large polythene bag over/around that and a chimea cover over the whole lot................. and I still get condensation on the mount when the temperature drops below freezing as it did last night.
I have my temperature probe in my milk/beer fridge which lives in my un-heated laundry room - we will see how good the temperature control is when its close to freezing outside. Unless the temperature change is less than 1 degree C then I think I would be wasting my time - especially as I assume the fridge will struggle to maintain temperature in the Summer.
If I could see a solution to the 'getting the Bat 5 inside a vacuum flask without taking it apart' problem, I would just bite the bullet and get the heat mat / thermostat / cool-box that clearly works for you.


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Beer, beer, beer from the fridge :hamster: :hamster: :hamster:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by ham »

Hi Stuart,

I am very interest to do this project,I live in tall concrete appartment building,about 25m metres height of my house, my windows is oriented north to north east open area,but I can't see the sun or moon all years long on my window view (blocked by another building).may I do this project too?,The sensor needs to be installed under hidden area? Can I make the shelter or waterproof box to install this sensor near the wall?


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

The temperature probe spent the night in the fridge with the beer:
The beer fridge.jpg
The beer fridge.jpg (138.73 KiB) Viewed 5398 times
I find it difficult to believe it is that good :o

After a bit of re-routing of wires and a lot of cursing.......... I have the Bat 5 set up in my beer fridge and the trace is dropping with the temperature.
We will see if it stabilises and stays that way for 24 hours :?: :roll: :?:


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Mike

Beers, beers, beers :hamster: :hamster: :hamster:

I don't think you have to go for deep temperatures, just set it to something around your average temperatures, so it can handle getting colder and warmer. Do you need my adress to send the beers to ;)


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by swisswalter »

ham wrote:Hi Stuart,

I am very interest to do this project,I live in tall concrete appartment building,about 25m metres height of my house, my windows is oriented north to north east open area,but I can't see the sun or moon all years long on my window view (blocked by another building).may I do this project too?,The sensor needs to be installed under hidden area? Can I make the shelter or waterproof box to install this sensor near the wall?
Hi Ham


I'm sure you can do that. Not sure about the wires in the near surrounding


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Wow....that looks to be very stable indeed, Mike. Nice one. It will be interesting to see the next dataset. If the temperature really is so stable you'll have no problem detecting every detail.

Ham, In contrast, regrettably, I think you'll have significant difficulties with magnetic interference in your environment. These things are really very sensitive and solar effects are usually very weak in comparison with everyday magnetic fields generated by wiring around the home.

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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by grimble_cornet »

Well, following Walter's inspired idea (or alcohol fixation) - 21 hours in the beer fridge and things are looking rather good.......
The temperature changed by about 0.5 degrees C overnight but the data plot looks pretty good when compared to the data from Intermagnet :P
The different Intermagnet stations all show slight variations so I will try to compare mine with a number of different ones at some point.
21 hours in the beer fridge.jpg

This data set seems to suggest that the buried magnetic sensor is working well: especially as we had -4C overnight so a 7 degree swing during the observation period.
It also suggests that if I can maintain the temperature of the Bat 5 to within 0.5 degrees C ............. I will have a pretty accurate and (to my simple mind anyway) impressive magnetometer :P


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by marktownley »

The beer fridge saves the day!


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Re: Magnetometer Project

Post by Carbon60 »

Perfect, Mike.

The beer fridge looks like a great alternative to the thermostatically controlled 'cool box'. Let's hope it all holds out long-term. Of course, now it means that you can't open the fridge to get your beer out without risking corrupting your data, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. :lol: :lol:

You might want to reduce the capture rate to smooth the curves a bit (2 minutes, or so, works well), or do what I do and capture one set at 1 second intervals and another at 2.5 minute intervals (you can run more than one 'Spectrum Lab' at any one time). This gives you the ability to really focus in on any interesting transitions, such as the point of impact when a CME passes by, but present smoother curves without too much data for a more general view.

Anyhow, it proves the point that the system can be set up by others and that it really works when temperature and voltage regulation measures are implemented. These, as you have seen, are really critical.

Cheers

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