Magnetic braking of magnets sliding along a sloped aluminum surface

[0c]

I posted a brief summary a couple weeks ago. I'm sure something new has been learned since then, and I'm also sure there may be errors in what I posted back then. If anyone has more information or corrections, please make a copy of the message, edit it and post the updated summary.

For instance, TK has been collaborating with other experimentors and the latest consensus is that the inclination of the earth's magnetic field is the most likely cause.

My previous summary is located at:
http://www.overunity.com/index.php?topic=7490.msg182132#msg182132

Thanks.

[BEP]

For instance, TK has been collaborating with other experimenters and the latest consensus is that the inclination of the earth's magnetic field is the most likely cause.

Should this consensus be correct and conventional understanding of magnetism is used then the experiments should prove nearby fields of permanent magnets can control the results even if they are not very close.

From here I'll wait for those results.

[TinselKoala]

Just to be sure that we are all on the same page wrt magnet pole naming conventions:

The normal convention is that the Earth's magnetic pole in the North of Canada is a South magnetic pole.
The polarity of the compass needle magnet is marked correctly. The compass needle's North pole points to the Earth's South magnetic pole which is in the Arctic northern hemisphere.
Any magnet suspended like a compass will have its North pole pointing to geographic North.
The North pole of a magnet will Repel the North-seeking compass needle.
Flux lines are to be thought of as coming OUT of the North pole and going IN to the South pole of any magnet.

Dip or inclination refers to the angle at which the lines make with horizontal at any location. Horizontal = 0 degrees dip, and the dip is positive in the Northern hemisphere and negative in the Southern. In my location the dip angle is around 70 degrees--quite steep, only 20 degrees from vertical.

I have had one reliable report from Australia that has the opposite pole coming off, as predicted by the dip hypothesis. I also have a report that the polarity of coming off can be affected by doing the experiment in the field of a set of Helmholz coils, and I can confirm that--I didn't have time to tune our coils precisely but just jamming the juice in does indeed reverse or modify the effect, depending on orientation of the slide.

Still, I think the dip hypothesis has not been conclusively proven, and more data will be gathered over the next week or so.

[Omega_0]

Should this consensus be correct and conventional understanding of magnetism is used then the experiments should prove nearby fields of permanent magnets can control the results even if they are not very close.

From here I'll wait for those results.

I agree. Earth's field is very very tiny compared to that of a neo and it will not even notice it.
If this effect is due to an external field, then placing a magnet nearby should alter it, as you say.

[0c]

I have had one reliable report from Australia that has the opposite pole coming off, as predicted by the dip hypothesis.

Sounds like item #5 in my summary may be wrong. Please update it when there is confirmation.

If this "dip" is responsible, I'm still curious why there is no perceived difference when the slope of the conductive material is facing towards or away from the earth's pole, or when the slope is crosswise (east<->west) to the dip.