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Blog TempMeter#2 : Improved Accuracy by Using a Laser Poiter
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  • Author Author: dubbie
  • Date Created: 19 Aug 2020 4:06 PM Date Created
  • Views 748 views
  • Likes 5 likes
  • Comments 10 comments
  • provingsciencech
  • temperature meter
  • mirror
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TempMeter#2 : Improved Accuracy by Using a Laser Poiter

dubbie
dubbie
19 Aug 2020
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Although my original Tempmeter (TempMeter : Measuring Temperature with a Brass Rod  ) does successfully measure temperature it requires quite a large temperature change to create a visible alteration to the indicator. It was suggested that by Dave Ingles beacon_dave and John Wiltrout jw0752 that a mirror could be used with a laser to increase  the sensitivity, so I thought I would try it out.

 

I 3D printed a small holder for some circular mirror pieces that I happened to have, putting two identical mirrors either side of the 1 mm rod used to make the pointer turn. See below. I used two mirrors to balance the unit and avoid any turning torgue problems.

 

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It is essentially just a small washer shape with an indent each side to hold the mirrors and a 1 mm hole through the side.

 

I used a small laser pointer (it's a cat's toy!) Bluetac'ed onto the side of the piece of reconstituted marble stone and adjusted to shine onto the centre of the small mirrors. The complete working system is shown below in the video.

 

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After trying the ceiling as the display I thought I would try using a wall instead to see if the movement was more visible and it was.

 

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I also noticed that the laser dot seemed to be sensitive to vibration as well. It seemed to me that if I tapped the stone base that the laser dot did jiggle slightly. It might have just been my eyes but it would make sense that if you make the system sensitive enough then it will measure vibration. Maybe it could be a combined temperature and vibration measuring meter!

 

Dubbie

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Top Comments

  • neilk
    neilk over 3 years ago +2
    Nice one. Takes me back to the school physics lab in the 1960s, using a mirror galvanometer and a light source projecting on to a scale on the wall. Neil
  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 3 years ago +2
    ...now then, two more mirrors, a second laser pointer and you could make a vector laser projector to project the scale onto the wall/ceiling... It's looking good though ! Were you able to find and use…
  • jw0752
    jw0752 over 3 years ago +2
    Hi Dubbie, Very well done. It was fun to see the lazer dot run across the ceiling. Even the slant of the ceiling served to amplify the effect. John
  • dubbie
    dubbie over 3 years ago in reply to beacon_dave

    Dave,

     

    I used to buy a fair bit of stuff from Maplin, for work, as they would sometimes do worthwhile discounts of their robot toys which I would then buy in bulk for use in laboratories. I had solar panels, drones, robot arms, all sorts of stuff.

     

    Dubbie

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  • genebren
    genebren over 3 years ago

    Very cool solution to sensing the rod rotation. Well done!

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 3 years ago in reply to dubbie

    I remember Maplin Electronics doing one as a kit in the 80's - a helium neon laser tube with two motors mounted at the output with a couple of 45 degree mirrors on their shafts. Ah-ha... and here it is...

     

    https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Mapelin/Maplin-Project-Book-29.pdf#page=19

     

    Just another idea but you could perhaps use a lever type linkage on the end of the metal rod with a mirror on the other end of the linkage. There will likely be significant force available through the expansion of the metal rod to be able to push/pull a short arm of a lever and have the mirror attached to the longer arm, amplifying the movement even more.

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  • dubbie
    dubbie over 3 years ago in reply to jw0752

    John,

     

    I originally displayed on the ceiling with the hope of getting that increased sensitivity effect, but it was really hard to hold the camera in one hand, heat the brass rod and keep everything stable. It was much easier to see on the wall. I did think about extending the length of the brass rod by soldering two of them together, in order to increase the movement, but it does not seem necessary with this much longer pointer.

     

    Dubbie

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  • dubbie
    dubbie over 3 years ago in reply to beacon_dave

    Dave,

     

    I have toyed with the idea of making a vector laser projector thingy for several years, but never actually got around to doing anything about it. Now that I have made a single dimension mirror deflector the possibilities become more realisable.

     

    I never thought about using a front surfaced mirror and I don't have one anyway. The circular mirrors I used are from card when I bought a packet of them many years ago for making cards. I had forgotten that I had them until I started looking for a mirror. I guess there must be some diffraction effect due to the glass but I did not notice anything. Maybe I will have to have a closer look.

     

    Dubbie

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