Randall,

Yes; it is quite interesting to follow the new sensor approach you're
pursuing.

I agree the subject can be hands on frustrating, but also overall
fascinating.

I suspect that ~ some more visual diamagnetic levitation
comprehension reader interest may be generated simply by
watching a short simple video I made some time back that is quite
similar to the basic magnet and PG setup you illustrate.  Go to:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DBOTIxrd-hto

Outside of your capacitive sensor setup; where Chris's differential
photo detector sensing circuit was used, the only really successful
amateur setup I've ever heard of, was David Lamb's sensors near
Austin, Texas that was used for a few years prior to 2010.  He
reported great success for sensing even great distance magnitude
5 earthquake seismic phases.  Chris Chapman's differential
photo detector circuit and other subjects can be found at:

www.jclahr.com/science/psn/chapman/index.html

.........

Old Notes relevant to diamagnetic levitation:

To be fair about home brew shaping attempts of pyrolytic graphite,
the biggest problem with it, is it's unpredictable nature in yielding
adequately flat enough surfaces to be of ~ acceptable use.  Thus,
enters the "frustration" part of the instrument.  The outline size
of PG is relatively easy to attain, it's the top, bottom (thickness)
and consistent flat precision that is quite difficult to attain or
control.  Essentially with home brew pieces, one will likely have
to "adjust" to whatever one derives at, or, simply "try" a number
of pieces for choosing one over another.  Outside of precision
grinders and their (?) vacuum holding, or coolants approaches;
it's literally a gamble on home brew results.

A lesser problem is the neodymium magnets themselves.
When the magnets are "charged", it can become obvious
that the magnetic field uniformity can vary greatly along
the long axis.  One may have to switch or move around
the magnets to visually see differences in the fields upon
the PG reaction.  In short; the PG may "prefer" certain placement
settings, the builder probably won't anticipate...even with
good leveling adjustment mechanisms.  Sometimes; just
rotating or switching the PG  around, or flip flopping is all
that is needed for a better or smoother diamagnetic reaction.

Take care, Meredith Lamb



















On Sun, Jul 8, 2012 at 7:40 AM, Randall Peters  wrote=
:

> For those of you who have had an interest in levitating graphite, you may
> find interesting a prototype instrument that I recently built.  I first
> witnessed the intriguing possibilities of diamagnetic levitation through =
a
> demonstration by Chris Chapman about half a decade ago, when I visited wi=
th
> him in England.  Only recently did I come to know about pyrolytic graphit=
e
> (PG) plates, as opposed to the earlier experiments with rods.  Because th=
e
> plates are amenable to use with my fully differential capacitive sensors,=
 I
> decided to try my (typically frustrating) hand at building such a
> tiltmeter/seismometer=97that I have called in the following online paper =
an
> =91earth motion=92 detector.****
>
> http://physics.mercer.edu/hpage/diamagnetic/diamag.html****
>
>    The outstanding performance of this prototype really surprised me.  My
> thanks to Meredith Lamb and John Lahr (deceased, whom I admired greatly)
> for their pioneering work that steered me this direction,****
>
>     Randall****
>
Randall,=A0

Yes; it is quite interesting to follow the n=
ew sensor approach you're pursuing.

I agree th=
e subject can be hands on frustrating, but also overall fascinating.=A0

I suspect that ~ some more visual diamagnetic levitatio=
n=A0

comprehension reader interest=A0may be generated=A0simply by

watching a short simple video I made some=A0time back that is quite
similar to the basic magnet and PG setup=A0you illustrate. =A0Go to=
:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DBOTIxrd-hto





Outside of your capacitive sensor setup; where Chris=
9;s differential
photo detector=A0sensing circuit was=A0used, the=
 only really successful
amateur setup I've=A0ever heard of, w=
as=A0David Lamb's sensors near




Austin, Texas that=A0was used for a few years prior to 2010. =A0He=A0<=
/div>
reported great=A0success for sensing even great distance magnitud=
e
5 earthquake=A0seismic phases. =A0Chris Chapman's different=
ial

photo detector circuit and other subjects can be found at:
<=
br>
www.jclahr.com/science/psn/chapman/index.html

........

Old Notes relevant to=
 diamagnetic levitation:

To be fair about home bre=
w shaping attempts of pyrolytic graphite,


the biggest=A0problem with it, is it's unpredictable nature in yie=
lding
adequately=A0flat enough surfaces to be of ~ acceptable use=
.. =A0Thus,
enters the=A0"frustration"=A0part of the ins=
trument. =A0The outline size




of PG is relatively easy to attain, it's the top, bottom (thicknes=
s)
and consistent flat precision that is quite difficult to attai=
n or
control. =A0Essentially with home brew pieces, one will like=
ly have




to "adjust" to whatever one derives at, or, simply "try=
" a number
of pieces for choosing one over another. =A0Outsi=
de of precision
grinders and their (?) vacuum holding, or coolant=
s approaches;




it's literally a gamble on home brew results. =A0=A0
A lesser problem is the neodymium magnets themselves.
When the magnets are "charged", it can become obvious

that the magnetic field uniformity can vary greatly along


the long axis. =A0One may have to switch or move around
the =
magnets to visually=A0see differences in the fields upon
the PG r=
eaction. =A0In short; the=A0PG may "prefer" certain placement

settings, the builder probably won't=A0anticipate...even with


good leveling adjustment mechanisms. =A0Sometimes; just
rota=
ting or switching the PG =A0around, or flip flopping is all
that =
is needed for=A0a better or smoother diamagnetic=A0reaction.

=

Take care, Meredith Lamb



<=
/div>


=A0=A0






=A0







=A0=A0=A0





On Sun, Jul 8, 2012 at 7:40 AM, Randall Peters <PETERS_RD@..........> wrote:









For those of you who have had an interest in levitating graphite, you m=
ay find interesting a prototype instrument that I recently built. =A0I firs=
t witnessed the intriguing possibilities of diamagnetic levitation through =
a demonstration by Chris Chapman about half a decade ago, when I visited wi=
th him in England.=A0 Only recently did I come to know about pyrolytic grap=
hite (PG) plates, as opposed to the earlier experiments with rods.=A0 Becau=
se the plates are amenable to use with my fully differential capacitive sen=
sors, I decided to try my (typically frustrating) hand at building such a t=
iltmeter/seismometer=97that I have called in the following online paper an =
=91earth motion=92 detector.








http://physics.mercer.edu/hpage/diamagnet=
ic/diamag.html
=A0=A0 The outst=
anding performance of this prototype really surprised me.=A0 My thanks to M=
eredith Lamb and John Lahr (deceased, whom I admired greatly) for their pio=
neering work that steered me this direction,








=A0=A0=A0 Randall