Challenge of the day

[Sam Vimes]

This is your coffee time challenge of the day. No resorting to the internet or those things I thiink are called books.

I've just aquired a Digital Inclinometer or posh electonic spirit level that actually gives you the angle. After gettng out my x500 microscope to read the instructions I discovered #1 was Calibrate your Digital Inclinometer.

Your challenge then is to tell how you would calibrate a Digital Inclinometer.

The irony is that in the 70s I was asked to design an Electronic Spirit Level. Which I did and was deployed in testing the high speed tilting trains but more often used on Drilling Platforms at sea when they were positioned and the legs wound down - sound familiar

Answers on a postcard as they say...... Good luck

 

[Jcloughie]

Sounds like drilling platforms work a bit like Buckman’s caravan. 😝

Is the calibration to achieve a level datum, or to set angles?

Traditionally, optical levels have been calibrated using a water level.

John

 

[Sam Vimes]

The device is shown below. Each of the edge faces is magnetic and the instructions say to calibrate each face in turn.

 

[Hutch]

When placing the unit on a flat surface, take a reading . Then rotate the unit so it is facing 180 ⁰ and take another reading. If there is no difference in the reading then the surface is level.

 

[Woodentop]

Download a suitable app on your phone and use that?

 

[Jcloughie]

When placing the unit on a flat surface, take a reading . Then rotate the unit so it is facing 180 ⁰ and take another reading. If there is no difference in the reading then the surface is level.

That will certainly check that the instrument is reading true. But not actually calibrate. Presumable then pressing zero on a known true surface calibrates.

John

 

[Jcloughie]

Google shows it priced between £12.69 and €164.

Perhaps this fits with Sam’s inflation topic. I was once (early 90’s) offered a £5000 laser level for £1000. , It was taken instead of payment. I refused as it did not have registration docs. Admittedly considerably better than the one in the OP though it did not do angles, but the price difference is enormous.



John

 

[borderbilly]

cut a bit of wood, use square to see if its square, then put your doda on square cut, simples.

 

[toad a caravan]

I'm "inclined" to agree with Hutch 🙂.
...to a degree

 

[Sam Vimes]

When placing the unit on a flat surface, take a reading . Then rotate the unit so it is facing 180 ⁰ and take another reading. If there is no difference in the reading then the surface is level.

The virtual coconut goes to Hutch although this gets you to a horizontal surface. From that you could then use it to calibrate a conventional spirit level if the vial is capable of being adjusted. In the case of a Digital Spirit Level there would have to be a similar method to adjust it to the correct setting.

Most DIY vial based spirit levels I've come across don't have any capability of adjusting the vial. Also they are a bit crude in terms of accuracy as you need to 'eyeball' the bubble positon.

In the case of my Digital Inclinometer and re-readiing the manual with a more powerful microscope its calibrated to an absolute horizontal in the factory. If you need to do it again then the only way is with a calibrated absolute horizontal surface.

PS: I got it for free. It will be useful for my DIY projects.

 

[Sam Vimes]

cut a bit of wood, use square to see if its square, then put your doda on square cut, simples.

Sorry no coconut

 

[borderbilly]

Sorry no coconut

😪

 

[IanB1485]

This is your coffee time challenge of the day. No resorting to the internet or those things I thiink are called books.

I've just aquired a Digital Inclinometer or posh electonic spirit level that actually gives you the angle. After gettng out my x500 microscope to read the instructions I discovered #1 was Calibrate your Digital Inclinometer.

Your challenge then is to tell how you would calibrate a Digital Inclinometer.

The irony is that in the 70s I was asked to design an Electronic Spirit Level. Which I did and was deployed in testing the high speed tilting trains but more often used on Drilling Platforms at sea when they were positioned and the legs wound down - sound familiar

Answers on a postcard as they say...... Good luck

Send it away to UKAS calibration laboratory