Debbie,

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:48:09 +1000 (EST), Debbie wrote:

> --- Jinx <joecolquitt@clear.net.nz> wrote:
> > 
> > As they say in the article, the coil is thousands of fine turns
> > on a soft iron core and impractical to wind youself, so it's
> > supplied ready-made with the kit. The difference between
> > what SC did and a metal detector is that their coil is passive,
> > and relies on the disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field
> > to cause voltage in the coil. They call it a low-power system
> > (70mA, though I can see room for improvement in the circuit)
> > but I've no idea how that compares with a typical metal
> > detector
> 
> Yep, you're right Jinx. :) A metal detector has an oscillator to excite one
> coil, usually. I built one a ways back. Turned out ants in central Victoria
> have this habit of piling up tiny iron pellets all over their nests .... :(

Perhaps it's a trap?  It gets metal detectorists to start digging, then the ants swarm out and eat them!  :-)

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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