Describes the types of magnetometers used to monitor solar activity
4 Minute ReadIntroduction In part 1 we covered the construction of the SAM III boards, the connections between the boards and incorporated the boards into a suitable box. In this post we move on to the three fluxgate sensors themselves. We explain how these have to orientated and positioned relative to one another in order to send […]
The SAM III Magnetometer – Part 2 Read More »
6 Minute ReadIntroduction In several previous posts the physical principles describing the fluxgate magnetometer were introduced. We went on to construct a simple magnetometer based on a single fluxgate sensor, available from FG sensors in Slovenia. This was installed in a small thermos flask to provide some reasonable means of keeping the temperature fairly constant and data from
The SAM III Magnetometer – Part 1 Read More »
5 Minute ReadUploading the Data to a Website If you have been following so far, at this point we should have the Raspberry Pi set up, configured, and the necessary program modules installed. This final post describes how to upload the data to a website or server. The simplest way to do this is to create a shell
Aurora Monitor – Part 4 Read More »
11 Minute ReadIntroduction Well, it has taken me a few months to get around to finishing this particular project, but here are the final sections that I have split into two parts. In the Part 1 and Part 2 articles, we covered the basics of the fluxgate magnetometer (FGM). We explained how it can be used to
Aurora Monitor – Part 3 Read More »
5 Minute ReadIntroduction This is the second part of a project to build an Arduino-controlled constant temperature enclosure. In the first part of the project we set up the Arduino microcontroller to receive temperature and humidity data from a sensor and then to send this data to a type 1602 liquid crystal display. In this post we
Arduino-Controlled Temperature Enclosure – Part 2 Read More »
4 Minute ReadIntroduction In previous posts the fluxgate magnetometer was described. The frequency pulses from the fluxgate sensor were captured by an Arduino microcontroller then sent to a Raspberry Pi for further analysis and display. One drawback with fluxgates is that they are also temperature dependent. One way to minimise temperature variations is to bury the sensor
Arduino-Controlled Temperature Enclosure – Part 1 Read More »
6 Minute ReadIntroduction In Part 1 of this 4-part post, the fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) was introduced. We outlined how this device can be used to detect changes in the Earth’s geomagnetic field caused by the solar wind. These changes can predict, to some extent, the amount of solar activity and the chances of you seeing an aurora
Homemade Aurora Monitor – Part 2 Read More »
6 Minute ReadIntroduction Magnetometers are instruments used to measure magnetic fields. They have been around in different forms since the great physicist and mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss devised the first one almost 180 years ago. Flux gate magnetometers are very useful devices that measure the change in magnetic field strength as a change in voltage or frequency.
Homemade Aurora Monitor – Part 1 Read More »
