I like your style, Geoff, and wish there were more folks in the physics wor=
ld like yourself, willing to 'tell it like it is' from their perspective.
     I would not, however, be broaching the subject of diamagnetic levitati=
on here, if I didn't feel like it might go somewhere-- even in the amateur =
world--beyond thought experiments and wild speculation.

If I am wrong, then your comment

"I think we should just stick with coils and magnets
till the industrial peoples come up with
a new circuit on a microchip"
   is quite appropriate.  But are you aware of the fact that Analog Devices=
 has generated a 'first step' in that direction with their award winning ca=
pacitance to digital converter chip, the AD7745?
     I previously mentioned Eric Daine, who is working with me to try and b=
uild some truly inexpensive instruments around this chip (in a price range =
available to amateurs).
The webpage at http://symcdc.com
describes two instruments that have already been built around the AD7745.  =
They are compact, user friendly, and the performance is from my perspective=
 really impressive.   Our plan is to bring to fruition a seismograph that o=
perates much like my prototype that we've been discussing, except with the =
aforementioned microchip.  Our objective is to have something eventually av=
ailable that would sell in the few hundred dollars range.  Whether that sho=
uld prove viable (attractive price-wise versus performance to many) remains=
 to be seen, due to the novelty of the approach and the need to bring both =
expertise borne of experience (including ideas from this list-serve) along =
with a lot of luck if we're successful.
     Thanks for your forth-rightness,
Randall
I like your styl=
e, Geoff, and wish there were more folks in the physics world like yourself=
, willing to ‘tell it like it is’ from their perspective.<=
/o:p>
     I would not, however=
, be broaching the subject of diamagnetic levitation here, if I didn’=
t feel like it might go somewhere-- even in the amateur world--beyond thoug=
ht experiments and wild speculation.
If I am wrong, then=
 your comment 
“I th=
ink we should just stick with coils and magnets
till the industrial peoples come up with
=
a new circuit on a microchip”
<=
p class=3DMsoNormal>   is quite appropriate.  But are you aw=
are of the fact that Analog Devices has generated a ‘first step’=
; in that direction with their award winning capacitance to digital convert=
er chip, the AD7745?
   &=
nbsp; I previously mentioned Eric Daine, who is working with me to try and =
build some truly inexpensive instruments around this chip (in a price range=
 available to amateurs).
The webpage at =
http://symcdc.com 
describes two instruments that have already been built around =
the AD7745.  They are compact, user friendly, and the performance is f=
rom my perspective really impressive.   Our plan is to bring to f=
ruition a seismograph that operates much like my prototype that we’ve=
 been discussing, except with the aforementioned microchip.  Our objec=
tive is to have something eventually available that would sell in the few h=
undred dollars range.  Whether that should prove viable (attractive pr=
ice-wise versus performance to many) remains to be seen, due to the novelty=
 of the approach and the need to bring both expertise borne of experience (=
including ideas from this list-serve) along with a lot of luck if we’=
re successful.  
   =
  Thanks for your forth-rightness,
Randall
=