ISU MSS04 Workshop: Construction of a Simple Accelerometer

Joachim Köppen DF3GJ Kiel/Strasbourg/Illkirch Winter 2004

The room waiting for the students...

... and here they are at work.

To show what happens during free fall, I hold the accelerometer which shows still One Earth Gravity...

... now it has nearly completed its free fall into the cushioned chair. Unfortunately you can't see the red LED lit up.

The two coiled springs have been installed on the base plate.

With great intensity Ivan and Miguel work on the circuit to drive the car ignition coil (foreground) for making a high voltage generator. Ivan wanted to test the Jacob's Ladder spark gap, which would also be a nice experiment to be studied in free fall conditions...

... It needs two to make a good solder connection ...

... and it does take up all your concentration!

Gilbert's machine is taking shape:

Though a bit out of focus, Erling adds the pointer to his device

Another look at Ivan and his circuit board

"Which is the best way to make use of a pebble for the sensing weight?" might be Cristina's thoughts

The machine of Dinesh is nearing completion

A most delicate operation with copper wire and solder is being executed by Munir

Next to Gilbert, Esa tries one way to make the solder connection ...

... and another way. Femi is on the right

My colleague Hugh Hill joins Cristina checking what mechanical tricks might still be hidden in the demonstration gadget

Cristina probably shares with Ruey some construction tricks while Hugh Hill ensures the pedagogical quality and Rene simply wants to sit down

Now Ruey plunges again into action!

Another view of that table: Ivan finds time to look up from his spark circuit and checks how Ruey, Cristina, Rene, Douglas, and Femi are doing.