Hi Geoffrey  and James-

I don't think it is an either/or question. I have both and am 
delighted with what I get on the drum and what I get on the computer.

The computer lets me analyze the trace, upload it to the PSN server 
for all to see, lets me put a 24-hour trace on my website 
(http://gbush.mcn.org/srn.gif) where it 
is available for friends and for me to see anywhere in my house on my 
laptop and wireless connection.

With the drum recorder I am preserving a bit of history and the drum 
is what impresses visitors. It is also my warning signal as it sits 
in our living room and you can hear the pen skritching on the paper 
when the quake comes in. To me, nothing beats the WOW-factor of 
watching a world-class quake come in on a drum recorder.

George


At 07:36 AM 10/28/2009, you wrote:
>For a lot less trouble why not simply get
>A wide screen LED TV and a LAPTOP ?
>
>I bet they may even be less expensive
>than those drum recorders ?
>
>Capillary action sounds like the
>trees use to pick up water from their roots
>???
>I think the pumping is really caused by
>the outflow (EVAPORATION OR ? MOVING PAPER)
>pulling up on the reservoir
>as the ink goes to the paper.
>The capillary action only keeps
>the ink in the tube and little more.
>
>INTERESTING, never thought of this before.
>
>
>You guys need to study plant roots & Leaves
>to understand your own equipment.
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Jan Froom" 
>To: 
>Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 1:52 PM
>Subject: Re: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER Ink Pen
>
>
>>You want capillary attraction to pull the ink out of the ink 
>>reservoir, so you have to have the top of the ink in the reservoir 
>>below the pen level, otherwise the ink will siphon causing a very 
>>wide inky trace.
>>I use a simple plastic one oz bottle which I've placed two brass 
>>tubes in the lid, one going to the bottom of the
>>bottle and one just though the top for a air vent. The one going to 
>>the bottom of the bottle is then connected to the pen using
>>neoprene tubing. To get the whole thing going... I put my finger 
>>over the air vent tube, squeeze the bottle until ink comes out
>>the pen, then remove my finger from the air vent, and release the 
>>squeeze on the bottle.
>>The pen opening must be _*EXACTLY*_ tangent to the face of the 
>>drum... I installed the pen... and then put a very fine sand
>>paper on the drum surface and sanded the pen to get that tangent fit.
>>Getting the pen to pull ink was the hardest part of my installation and
>>I probably spent more time getting the pen to work... than anything 
>>else. Having George Bush & Steve Hammond available for suggestions 
>>and support was the only way I got mine going.
>>Another interesting point is the force at which the pen makes 
>>contact with the paper...
>>our pens have a counter weight on a screw at the back end of the 
>>pen which can be adjusted to adjust the contact force.
>>Too light and pen will skip on a large rapid swings... too heavy 
>>and you've decreased your sensitivity.
>>I'm curious as to how many other "drummers" are out there?
>>Jan in Gilroy
>>Stephen Hammond wrote:
>>>
>>>Hi, the ink will flow if the reservoir fluid level is above the 
>>>pen. The trick is to keep it from flowing too much. I used a wire 
>>>clamp on the tubing to cut the flow down. Professional models used 
>>>low pressure pumps and an fin valve. If I can suggest, search 
>>>online for "chart pen ink" and you will find the Recorder Charts 
>>>Pens Company in Newhall CA. 800-758-0740. While they do not list 
>>>your unit they have a large selection of professional pens, ink 
>>>and paper. It might be worth a trip to the website or even a call 
>>>to see what they can offer in the way of a solution.
>>>
>>>Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>*From:* psn-l-request@.............. 
>>>[mailto:psn-l-request@............... *On Behalf Of *James Allen
>>>*Sent:* Saturday, October 24, 2009 9:46 PM
>>>*To:* psn-l@..............
>>>*Subject:* Re: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Steve Hammond
>>>
>>>Is there need for a special reservoir to insert the capillary 
>>>tubing into or will the ink start flowing by the action of the pen 
>>>on the chart paper?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>>
>>>James Allen
>>>
>>>     ----- Original Message -----
>>>
>>>     *From:* Stephen Hammond 
>>>
>>>     *To:* psn-l@.............. 
>>>
>>>     *Sent:* Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:41 PM
>>>
>>>     *Subject:* RE: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     There is a typo. Not needs try needle... Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     *From:* psn-l-request@..............
>>>     
>>>     [mailto:psn-l-request@............... *On Behalf Of *Stephen Hammond
>>>     *Sent:* Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:38 PM
>>>     *To:* psn-l@.............. 
>>>     *Subject:* RE: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     For some time some PSN members were using hypodermic needs to
>>>     build ink pens. You simply grind the point off and have a
>>>     precession tip that  can then be connected to the reservoir using
>>>     a capillary feed tube. We learned the process from Howard who used
>>>     this design back in the first Bay area seismic station way before
>>>     our time in the 40's. I ran two drum recorders back around 1990
>>>     and Jan Froom currently has a display station at Bonfante Gardens
>>>      in Gilroy CA that has a permanent display he put together for
>>>     them also using this design.
>>>
>>>     Regards, Steve Hammond PSN Aptos, CA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>__________________________________________________________
>
>Public Seismic Network Mailing List (PSN-L)
>
>To leave this list email PSN-L-REQUEST@.............. with the body 
>of the message (first line only): unsubscribe
>See http://www.seismicnet.com/maillist.html for more information.


George Bush
Sea Ranch, CA, USA


Hi Geoffrey  and James-


I don't think it is an either/or question. I have both and am delighted
with what I get on the drum and what I get on the computer. 


The computer lets me analyze the trace, upload it to the PSN server for
all to see, lets me put a 24-hour trace on my website
(http://gbush.mcn.org/srn.gif)
where it is available for friends and for me to see anywhere in my house
on my laptop and wireless connection.


With the drum recorder I am preserving a bit of history and the drum is
what impresses visitors. It is also my warning signal as it sits in our
living room and you can hear the pen skritching on the paper when the
quake comes in. To me, nothing beats the WOW-factor of watching a
world-class quake come in on a drum recorder.


George




At 07:36 AM 10/28/2009, you wrote:

For a lot less trouble why not
simply get

A wide screen LED TV and a LAPTOP ?


I bet they may even be less expensive

than those drum recorders ?


Capillary action sounds like the

trees use to pick up water from their roots

???

I think the pumping is really caused by

the outflow (EVAPORATION OR ? MOVING PAPER)

pulling up on the reservoir

as the ink goes to the paper.

The capillary action only keeps

the ink in the tube and little more.


INTERESTING, never thought of this before.




You guys need to study plant roots & Leaves

to understand your own equipment.




----- Original Message ----- From: "Jan Froom"
<JDarwin@.............>

To: <psn-l@..............>

Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 1:52 PM

Subject: Re: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER Ink Pen




You want capillary attraction to
pull the ink out of the ink reservoir, so you have to have the top of the
ink in the reservoir below the pen level, otherwise the ink will siphon
causing a very wide inky trace.  

I use a simple plastic one oz bottle which I've placed two brass tubes in
the lid, one going to the bottom of the

bottle and one just though the top for a air vent. The one going to the
bottom of the bottle is then connected to the pen using

neoprene tubing. To get the whole thing going... I put my finger over the
air vent tube, squeeze the bottle until ink comes out

the pen, then remove my finger from the air vent, and release the squeeze
on the bottle.

The pen opening must be _*EXACTLY*_ tangent to the face of the drum... I
installed the pen... and then put a very fine sand

paper on the drum surface and sanded the pen to get that tangent
fit.

Getting the pen to pull ink was the hardest part of my installation
and

I probably spent more time getting the pen to work... than anything else.
Having George Bush & Steve Hammond available for suggestions and
support was the only way I got mine going.

Another interesting point is the force at which the pen makes contact
with the paper...

our pens have a counter weight on a screw at the back end of the pen
which can be adjusted to adjust the contact force.

Too light and pen will skip on a large rapid swings... too heavy and
you've decreased your sensitivity.

I'm curious as to how many other "drummers" are out there?

Jan in Gilroy

Stephen Hammond wrote:



Hi, the ink will flow if the reservoir fluid level is above the pen. The
trick is to keep it from flowing too much. I used a wire clamp on the
tubing to cut the flow down. Professional models used low pressure pumps
and an fin valve. If I can suggest, search online for "chart pen
ink" and you will find the Recorder Charts Pens Company in Newhall
CA. 800-758-0740. While they do not list your unit they have a large
selection of professional pens, ink and paper. It might be worth a trip
to the website or even a call to see what they can offer in the way of a
solution.


Steve


 


*From:* psn-l-request@..............
[
mailto:psn-l-request@..............] *On Behalf Of *James Allen

*Sent:* Saturday, October 24, 2009 9:46 PM

*To:* psn-l@..............

*Subject:* Re: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER


 


Steve Hammond


Is there need for a special reservoir to insert the capillary tubing into
or will the ink start flowing by the action of the pen on the chart
paper?


Thanks


James Allen


    ----- Original Message -----


    *From:* Stephen Hammond
<
mailto:shammon1@.............>


    *To:* psn-l@..............
<
mailto:psn-l@..............>


    *Sent:* Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:41 PM


    *Subject:* RE: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER


     


    There is a typo. Not needs try needle...
Steve


     


    *From:* psn-l-request@..............

   
<
mailto:psn-l-request@..............>

   
[
mailto:psn-l-request@..............] *On Behalf Of *Stephen
Hammond

    *Sent:* Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:38 PM

    *To:* psn-l@..............
<
mailto:psn-l@..............>

    *Subject:* RE: TELEDYNE-GEOTECH HELICORDER


     


    For some time some PSN members were using hypodermic
needs to

    build ink pens. You simply grind the point off and
have a

    precession tip that  can then be connected to the
reservoir using

    a capillary feed tube. We learned the process from
Howard who used

    this design back in the first Bay area seismic station
way before

    our time in the 40's. I ran two drum recorders back
around 1990

    and Jan Froom currently has a display station at
Bonfante Gardens

     in Gilroy CA that has a permanent display he put
together for

    them also using this design.


    Regards, Steve Hammond PSN Aptos, CA


     


     


__________________________________________________________


Public Seismic Network Mailing List (PSN-L)



http://www.seismicnet.com/maillist.html for more
information.



George Bush

Sea Ranch, CA, USA

38.73775N, 123.48882W