Science-DIY

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Here are some Metal Detector Projects that are quite interesting for the purpose of education and experiments in the Art of electronics. This site may be as old as Y2K, but the url / domain may have changed.

Metal Detector Projects

If you are interested in the theory behind the mag I can highly recommend the book The Magnetics Measurement Handbook by J.M. Janicke. Besides a good coverage of magnetics theory, it contains much of what you need to build a useful fluxgate Magnetometer, plus other devices.

Traditional Geophysical instruments include ground-penetrating radar, earth resistivity meter, infrared, and sonar, to name a few. Currently, earth resistivity projects are the most practical for the do-it-yourselfer, although some people have been tinkering with side scan sonar.

Metal Detector Projects

Detection of Gold

Just the Jeohunter really works and directly detects Gold – see below screen. And even gold-worth 9-15cm diameter cannon-balls get detected as “Gold” (golden ring & cannonball analyses has identical values), but thats because of the huge metal mass and special shape – alot MDs have “problems” in such situation and perhaps only a magnetometer really works here. btw. there is no difference if you search with Ground Balance minus 200, zero or plus 200, the gold detection always remains the same.

Detection of Gold - Metal Detection

There are historical records of DIY Enthusiasts having created what is known as the “Donkey Kong Gold Hunter”. This Gold Detector uses a Nintendo Unit after many Mods.

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These books Electricity and Magnetism, Optics and The Modern Revolution in Physics are very useful for any student of electronics. To have sound science foundation, Physics and Chemistry are very important for an Electrical/Electronics Student.

Biology and Environment learning is important for the Analytical and Medical Equipment designer. Chemistry is important for the study of materials which enable us to make new components and semiconductors. Maths cannot be ignored, it needs no special mention. Numbers are everywhere, this is the most important part of science.

Science a Foundation for Technology

Electricity and Magnetism Optics The Modern Revolution in Physics

Light and Matter: open-source physics textbooks

Electricity is Shockingly Simple

 Our Nervous System works on a Electrochemical Electricity. Brain is an Organic Chemical Computer. The Thunderbolt is just an overgrown electric spark. You know the shocking facts about the electric eel. Underwater creatures can illuminate themselves, could be like OLED.

All your Home and Office runs on electrons. Electric cars are already a reality. This page will charge you with Electrical Facts you ought to know.

See the electric eel too.

Electricity Posters – Education – National Physical Laboratory

WikiCiencia – Science and Tech Portal

 Devoted to electronics and computing. Featured articles

Control Systems – What are the control systems, Types of automation. Solar Cells – Photovoltaic or photoelectric cells. Operation of semiconductor PN junction.

Includes collaborative wiki on subjects like Semiconductors, Communications, Electricity.

WikiCiencia – Science and Technology Collaborative

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BEAM is an acronym standing for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, Mechanics. While BEAM robots are often simple (consisting of a solar cell , motor, 2 transistors , and capacitor ), robots as complicated as 8-jointed, 4-legged walking spiders have been built using the principles of BEAM.

Solarbotics.net – BEAM Reference Library

The BEAMAnt is a phototactic bot which has potentially complex behavior depending on the light level. It has two photodiodes for light sensing, and two antennae which switch the motors into reverse when they touch something.

BEAM Robotics

Mechanisms and principles

The basic BEAM principles focus on a stimulus-response based ability within a machine. The underlying mechanism was invented by Mark W. Tilden where the circuit (or a Nv net of Nv neurons) is used to simulate biological neuron behaviours. Some similar research was previously done by Ed Rietman in ‘Experiments In Artificial Neural Networks’. Tilden’s circuit is often compared to a shift register, but with several important features making it a useful circuit in a mobile robot.

BEAM Robotics – Wikipedia

Solarbotics offers robot kits, solar-powered robots, books, electronic components, motors, parts and information on the expanding field of BEAM Robotics.

TomboT – and the home of Liverpool Universities BEAM robotics

“Myself and some friends demonstrated to the University how simple robots can be built which provide an excellent learning platform, and as a result the University have changed the way they utilise their Year 1 lab sessions to include our robots”. – Tom Elner

One more nice site BEAM Robots and also BEAM Online.

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CheapStat: An Open-Source, “Do-It-Yourself” Potentiostat for Analytical and Educational Applications.

CheapStat – DIY Potentiostat

CheapStat, an inexpensive (<$80), open-source (software and hardware), hand-held potentiostat that can be constructed by anyone who is proficient at assembling circuits. This device supports a number of potential waveforms necessary to perform cyclic, square wave, linear sweep and anodic stripping voltammetry.

CheapStat - DIY Potentiostat

The device supports cyclic, square wave, linear sweep and stripping voltammetry over the potential range ?990to +990 mV and over frequencies from 1 to 1000 Hz. The device supports a range of environmental, food and drug quality control, and educational applications. The reverse of the circuit board supports a three-line LCD display and a joystick, which is used to select an experiment protocol, change its parameters (frequency, starting voltage, end voltage, scan rate), and initiate the experiment.

DIY Potentiostat – CheapStat – EEMetric

The device’s schematics, parts lists, circuit board layout files, sample experiments, and detailed assembly instructions are available in the supporting information and are released under an open hardware license.

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Many projects and schematics related to Audio, Guitar, Amplifiers, synthesizers and Music Circuits. There are even Valve Amp and Computer related ideas.

Steve Conner of Scopeboy – Tesla to Inverters

“I’ve been building Tesla coils for about 4 years. I was inspired to start when I saw some pictures of Tesla coils making sparks on the internet, and wanted to experience one for myself. After my first attempt, I decided to join the online community of coil builders and try some of the new state-of-the-art ideas that were kicking around.”

Steve Conner of Scopeboy - Tesla to Inverters

Amazing Tesla Coils of Steve Conner

Other Projects

  • An 0-30V, 500mA bench power supply
  • How to make gyrators
  • Boosting a tube amp with a transistor one
  • Grid-tied inverter – 1/2 KW

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“This page serves as a repository for all the bits and pieces I am collecting towards creating a modern version of the classic 1954 work by Craggs and Meek: High Voltage Laboratory Technique.” – Jim

High Voltage Experimenter’s Handbook

delabs Notes –

First note a important point, HV is dangerous and the behavior of HV is shockingly unpredictable.

Jim shown caged by Faraday but protected by the law of Gauss. Two medium sized Tesla coils from Brian Basura and Ross Overton were used .

High Voltage Experimenters Handbook

Humidity, clothing, footwear, gloves and furniture all add to the safety factors. Not to mention the special insulators and probes in plastic and ceramic that guards your body from a fatal mishap.

First you should be very capable in using normal electrical equipment with proper prior training. Then you should have experience in Mains power and energy systems. Lastly you should be above 20 Yrs of age and Learn HV theory and Practice under a Very experienced professional in that Specialization. Jim Lux has created some valuable pages on HV.

High Voltage Experimenter’s Handbook

There is no harm whatsoever now in studying and mastering the theory and also teaching others about the energy that is in high voltage. HV in HF is even more funny.

More EE Stuff at Jim Lux’s Web site

All that can be invented is already invented by nature. Man can only uncover a few facts and write about it. Start with this handbook. Life is precious, take care.

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The most important Electrical Law is the Ohms Law, a proper understanding of which can help you make many designs. Troubleshooting Home Appliances or understanding Household Wiring is easy if you master this.

Volts is analogous to the pressure of a water in an Overhead Tank. The water head or height is like Voltage. The Pipe diameter and bends are like wire and its resistance, a water tap like a wirewound potentiometer. The rate of water flowing from the tap is like the flow of electric current in a wire.

Ohm’s Law – Watlow Electric The one i used to use, This would be in the back of the handbook.

The water drops are similar to units of charge, the quantity of water filled in a bucket is like the amount of charge stored in a small capacitor. The Underground Sump can be compared to a Big capacitor. The evaporation of water is like leakage of charge thru the dielectric in a cap. If you use the running water to power a home made paddle wheel turbine; This is like simulating an electric motor or heater in a water circuit, the rotary power got, can be analogous to the heater’s watts..

Ohms Law - Amps Volts Watts Relation

By Dmvstar (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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1-Wire Barometer – 5/10 Volt Design

This article describes details for constructing a 1-Wire Barometer which will work on a Dallas Semiconductor Corporation 1-Wire network. This design differs from the popular Version 1.1a in that it has more than twice the resolution. – David W. Bray

1-Wire Barometer

“The circuit requires an additional power source other than that of the 1-Wire network. The MPX4115 requires about 7 ma of current. This is more than a 1-Wire network can provide without an elaborate circuit to store parasitic power from the 1-Wire network for short burst of current for pressure measurements.”

Wire Drivers-Getting Started