instructables

DIY Seismometer

by KJMagnetics

Make a Seismometer to detect powerful earthquakes around the world for under $100! A slinky, some magnets,
and an Arduino board are the main components here.

DIY Seismometer: Page 1

Step 1: How Does It Work?
This seismometer detects ground motion with a
magnet hanging on a slinky. The magnet is free to
bounce up and down. A stationary coil of wire is
placed around the magnet. Any motion of the magnet
generates tiny currents in the wire, which can be
measured.
The rest of the device is essentially some electronics
wizardry to measure those tiny currents in the wire
and convert them into data we can read. A quick
overview sketch is shown.
1a: Spring (Slinky, Jr.), 1b: Magnet (two RC44 ring
Step 2: Coil Some Wire
The first thing we did was make our coil of wire. In our
first model, we used PVC end caps pressed on either
end of a short section of pipe to form walls on either
side of the wrapped wire. We sliced the ends off to
open it back up. We cut a section of 1" PVC Pipe and
wrapped about 2,500 turns using 42 gauge magnet
wire.
The pipe is a great way to make it from inexpensive,
readily available parts. We used PVC end caps
pressed on either end of a short section of pipe to
form walls on either side of the wrapped wire. We
sliced the ends off to open it back up.
DIY Seismometer: Page 2
magnets)
2. Coil of Magnet Wire (MW42-4) Amplifier, converts
the weak signal into a strong one
3. Analog-to-Digital Converter (Arduino), converts the
analog signal into a digital stream of numbers
4. Recording Device (PC), uses software to record
and display the data
We made a fancier version of a wire spool using
some 3D printed parts. This was much easier to
wrap, because it attached to the spool-winding
feature of an old sewing machine. In the short video,
you can see how we wound it. If you have access to
a 3D Printer and want to use our models, let us know
and we can send you the files! Also note the bigger
wires in the photos. We soldered the end of the
magnet wire to the thicker wire, which is then easier
to work with.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oYPTxWbqXU
Step 3: Hang/Calibrate Your Slinky!
We used a Slinky Jr which has a smaller diameter
than a full-size slinky. At the bottom, we mounted two
RC44 ring magnets stacked together on a 6" long
piece of #4-40 threaded rod. These magnets sit inside
of the wire, and when they move, they induce a
current in the wire.
At the top of the slinky, we mounted another magnet
onto a steel plate for the slinky to hook onto. In the
video, we show how to calibrate your slinky to be 1
DIY Seismometer: Page 3
Hz. This is a crucial step to getting the frequency
right. The slinky should bounce up and down once, in
one second.
There is also an R848 ring magnet at the bottom of
the threaded rod. This magnet sits inside of a little
section of copper pipe. This helps dampen the
motion, to reduce noise, and to see that the slinky will
only bounce when there is adequate shaking!
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idOUmRdwJf4

Step 4: Amplify the Current!

The magnet moving inside of the coil of wire produces very small currents, so we need to amplify them so we can
see the tiny signal. There are a lot of good amplifier circuits out there, we stuck to the circuit used in the TC1
seismometer we found online. In the picture, you can see the schematic for the amp circuit. We simply used a
breadboard!

DIY Seismometer: Page 4

Step 5: Covert Analog Signal Into a Digital Stream of Numbers

An Arduino is a small, inexpensive microprocessor programmed with code from the TC1 Seismometer
that's very popular. If you don't have any experience project that was mentioned in the beginning of this
with this, we recommend starting with one of the Instructable. Here is a link to that project again, which
instructional kits that are available. can help you setup your Arduino!

The Arduino board takes in the analog signal from the Check out the video to see what the output looks like
amplifier and translates that into a stream of digital, once you hook up your Adruino.
numerical data. To do this, the Arduino was

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfpuB-wAzT4

DIY Seismometer: Page 5

Step 6: Record the Signal With a PC
The Arduino plugs into a PC via USB. You'll need to
load the Arduino software and drivers onto your PC.
That software is what you'll use to get the code from
your PC onto the Arduino board, using the "Upload"
feature. You can see a quick video of the Arduino
outputting data in the previous step.
Use the Arduino software to make sure the board is
communicating properly. Click "Tools>Serial
Monitor". If everything is running properly, you should
see a stream of numbers coming in. If not, try making
sure it's looking at the right COM port. Again, the
video is in the previous step!
DIY Seismometer: Page 6
To record the data, we used an application on PC
called jAmaSeis, from IRIS, the Incorporated
Research Institutions for Seismology. In the old days,
seismometers would output to a paper chart recorder.
A pen would move back and forth on top of a slowly
spinning roll of paper. The jAmaSeis uses the same
format, but puts it on a computer screen.
In the jAmaSeis application, you can share and view
your data with students and scientists from around
the world!
Step 7: Reducing Noise

We recorded several earthquakes from around the
world with our seismometer! But sometimes, the
quakes can get lost in the noise of the system. The
system is extremely sensitive! The heat from the sun
causing the concrete to expand slightly got picked up
by our seismometer. Also, a nearby heater in the
building caused noise too! There are many things that
could cause noise.
In the screenshot above, you can see what noise
looks like, but when a seismic event happens, it looks
much different and is quite distinguishable from the
noise. We blocked the sunlight from coming in, which
did help reduce the noise a little bit. Even though
there is noise, we were still able to see many
earthquakes and even a volcano eruption!
Make sure to put some type of enclosure over the
seismometer! This will help reduce a LOT of noise
from air currents!

Step 8: Don't See a Quake?

It is a very interesting subject to study, but in short, there are certain parts of the world that we will not see
earthquakes from. Here in Eastern Pennsylvania, we can't see Earthquakes in the red area. We will only be able
to detect P-Waves, (not S-waves) in the yellow area.

DIY Seismometer: Page 7

Step 9: Bill of Materials
We were able to build a complete seismometer for
under $100. One of the important ideas behind this
simple design is to make it inexpensive and
accessible. Many of the folks who ask us about this
want to build one for their science classroom.
Here's a list of what we purchased to make ours.
-Slinky, Jr.: We bought our slinky from Amazon, but
you can find it from many sources. Price: $4-$6.
-Magnets: We used 2 RC44 ring magnets stacked
together as the main magnet. A single RC48 is
equivalent. An R848 ring works well for the damper.
-Arduino: We bought an Arduino Uni R3 from
Adafruit online for $24.95, but you can also find this
from many sources. If you’re new to the Arduino, you
might want to consider a kit that includes tutorials
about how to use it. This one is $85, and we liked it. If
you plan on doing more with Arduino, it’s a decent
DIY Seismometer: Page 8
idea.
-Breadboard: If you don’t get a breadboard included
with a kit, get one like we used to build the amplifier
on. $5.
-Electronic parts: For the amplifier circuit, we
purchased electrical components from Digikey. The
quantities below are what you need to build one
seismometer. We ordered a few extra of everything,
though, in case we messed anything up during the
build.
-Structure: We built a wood structure to support the
slinky from scraps we had laying around...FREE!
-Enclosure:- Since we're not displaying our
seismometer, but just put a large cardboard box over
it. Don't skip this step, this will help reduce a lot of
noise from air movement!