Earth Electrical Energy Datalogging Experiments

[jeanna]

I submit that THAT is not simple.
I do not know how to go about it and I think a lot of people will be reluctant to do anything with their sound cards that can be hit by or attract lightning.

Is the reason people fell away that it was too simple?
I would like to see full participation in a very simple low cost (pipe, nail, hookup wire, meter) and for those with scopes an extra bonus from the wave on top of the basic dmm results. After we do that for a while and it is successful (participation) we can add to it.

I think the more scopes the better for this, but I submit it should not be necessary.

My scope restricts me to certain pulses per second by changing resolution in certain jumps. I guess it is standard, but I don't know.

I have the ability to record dB but when I asked why I would use that nobody answered except xee who said forget it use the peak to peak.

So, where is this going?
At this moment I have 2 more hours of light.
Jim, if you could zip outside and report back with something even if you will refine it later, I could follow and give my report. Then there will be 2 from opposite ends but simultaneous.
I did that with Altrez for a while, but he has disappeared.

jeanna

[IotaYodi]

The current has spiky square waves throughout and sounds like noisy motor or electrical equipment running, popping/sparking on and off. Voltage appears as a distorted 60hz AC wave and has that distinctive 60hz hum when you listen to it

Your soundcard converts the analog signal to a digital signal. Standard windows soundcards are poor at sample rate and bit depth. The 60hz hum is probably a ground loop problem because of the way its setup,or you dont have a dedicated circuit with star grounding. Im thinking a pulsed dc earth current going straight into a standard analog input is going to give erroneous signals because of the AD conversion.  Using a 24 bit spdif soundcard input may be better but you may still have the same problem with conversion. This may be why your having the popping on and off because of the pulsed dc..

[electricme]

@Jeanna,

I submit that THAT is not simple.
I do not know how to go about it and I think a lot of people will be reluctant to do anything with their sound cards that can be hit by or attract lightning.

Is the reason people fell away that it was too simple?
I would like to see full participation in a very simple low cost (pipe, nail, hookup wire, meter) and for those with scopes an extra bonus from the wave on top of the basic dmm results. After we do that for a while and it is successful (participation) we can add to it.

I think the more scopes the better for this, but I submit it should not be necessary.

My scope restricts me to certain pulses per second by changing resolution in certain jumps. I guess it is standard, but I don't know.

I have the ability to record dB but when I asked why I would use that nobody answered except xee who said forget it use the peak to peak.

So, where is this going?
At this moment I have 2 more hours of light.
Jim, if you could zip outside and report back with something even if you will refine it later, I could follow and give my report. Then there will be 2 from opposite ends but simultaneous.
I did that with Altrez for a while, but he has disappeared.

jeanna

I read you suggestion 11.55pm tonight, sorry J, we got to work out a better way if we need to make simutanious testing.
I wil PM you with a suggestion.

I don't know if you were refering to my circuit, if you are, it is simple.

I got about a meter (3 feet) of figure 8 speaker wire, soldered 2 aligator clip to one end of the Fig 8, ie clip on the POS, and another clip on the NEG.

went about 6inches from there and cut it through.
Soldered a 5K ohm pot on the positave wire

Went to the other end and soldered a small microphone jack plug onto the leads, end pin is the +, the earth neg I soldered to the earth of the plug.

Now I can record to my PC sound card what the meter (DMM) reads.
******************************************************

Today I hooked my webcam to my scope and tried displaying the images through my headless laptop, it worked.
********************************************************
Got my geni started, if you decide to look at the video, turn down your sound, it is very loud

jim

[nueview]

hi all

i think there is interest but most are watching what goes on i am on another project but still look in each day the sound recording seems to be a good idea from my point of view it will track audible signals and could give some real insight as far as energy propogation in the ground as was said before some sounds like motors and a normal house grid is connected to ground so it could be possible to eliminate sum of the signal with a few simple tests like turning of some appliances or circuit breakers while testing your signal it may help to find some purer waves that may be filtered and used to better advantage.
Martin

[jeanna]

I don't know if you were refering to my circuit, if you are, it is simple.

I got about a meter (3 feet) of figure 8 speaker wire, soldered 2 aligator clip to one end of the Fig 8, ie clip on the POS, and another clip on the NEG.

went about 6inches from there and cut it through.
Soldered a 5K ohm pot on the positave wire

Went to the other end and soldered a small microphone jack plug onto the leads, end pin is the +, the earth neg I soldered to the earth of the plug.

Now I can record to my PC sound card what the meter (DMM) reads.

Yes, Jim I was referring to that.

It may be simple enough to stick a microphone to an ear, but to put it to your sound card is not. But MY objection is that I do not want that to be required for our study.

I love the idea where we all do the very same thing Copper one end Zinc coated iron nail (not aluminum) on the other end with DMM and or scope in the middle.

Then we will have something. and if we can manage to make a simultaneous test, we will be really having something.

Beyond that everyone who wants to can make modifications. But those mods should be to a similar setup and probably not the same.
So, I think you and a few others will do sound, some others will use different materials, but all of us must do one thing that is exactly the same at the same time or this test is meaningless.

That is why I want it to be really simple. You have to be able to grab your tools run outside and take the measurements at the same time every day and then go to the store or movies or what your life is requiring. If this is too complex, life will get in the way.

I hope this makes sense...
And,
I hope we can do this. I think it has a great potential.

jeanna