From: Geoff 

To: psnlist 
Sent: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:14
Subject: Re: Instrumentation Question


There must be some kind of strain gauge where you simply hang a    weight l=
ike a pendulum
    and any swing however slight would create a signal.
   =20
    ****Strain gauges give quite a low sensitivity.
   =20
    Then the signal would be omnidirectional which is what I am looking    =
for.
   =20
    A single plane oriented sensor which produces an omnidirectional    sig=
nal.
   =20
    A hovering mass like the globes you can buy
    suspended within a magnetic field=20
   =20
    ****Don't know - who makes them ?
   =20
    A gyroscope of light where you measure phase differences between    inp=
ut and output
    A laser beam traveling through a fiber optic coil.
   =20
    ****These may be a bit temperature sensitive and require fairly expensi=
ve=20
optical components.
   =20
    A foam pad which changes resistance with compression
    so you just put a mass like a gallon of water on it
    to measure vertical forces=20
   =20
    ???
   =20
    Isn't there something novel and cheap and easy to try ???
   =20
    ****Yes. 44mm OD Piezo Sounder Disks and a weight. I use about 1 oz.=20

    Regards,=20

    Chris Chapman
 =20
=20
From: Geoff <gmvoeth@hot=
mail.com>



To: psnlist <psnlist@..............>


Sent: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:14


Subject: Re: Instrumentation Question




There must be some kind of strain gauge where you simply hang a
    weight like a pendulum



    and any swing however slight would create a signal.



    



    ****Strain gauges give quite a low se=
nsitivity.



    



    Then the signal would be omnidirectional which is what I am looking
    for.



    



    A single plane oriented sensor which produces an omnidirectional
    signal.



    



    A hovering mass like the globes you can buy



    suspended within a magnetic field 



    



    ****Don't know -=
 who makes them ?



    



    A gyroscope of light where you measure phase differences between
    input and output



    A laser beam traveling through a fiber optic coil.



    



    ****These may be a bit temperatur=
e sensitive and require fairly expensive 

optical components.



    



    A foam pad which changes resistance with compression



    so you just put a mass like a gallon of water on it



    to measure vertical forces 



    



    ???



    



    Isn't there something novel and cheap and easy to try ???



    



    ****Yes. 44mm OD=
 Piezo Sounder Disks and a weight. I use about 1 oz. 



    Regards, 



    Chris Chapman



 =20