Is there such a thing as a "hobbiest grade" spectrometer?

[Ablaze]

I think these experiments would work a whole lot better if you put a piece of paper right in front of the diffraction grating and then took a picture of the image that is projected from that setup.

 

[rhd]

There's a reason that none of our math works.

Perspective. Camera's don't take scale photos. They compress and expand various portions of the frame because of how the lens works. We're doing a lot of really tough math to try to compensate for something that is being skewed by our optics.

However, this work has led to one observation on my end. My web tool based off of Cyparagon's math, requires three pieces of info:
1) Grating lines per mm
2) Distance from surface
3) Distance between dots

We can actually increase the accuracy of this tool, and decrease the complexity of the process by eliminating #1 and #2 and replacing them with a control/known wavelength.

IE, take a grating, shine a 532 through it, measure the distance between dots (physically, with a ruler or measuring tape) and then repeat with the unknown wavelength.

Our basic formula has 4 variables (the 3 above, plus the wavelength). Once you take a control measurement with a 532, you'll essentially have 2 of the 4 variables known, and the other 2 will stay constant between tests. IE, with the proper algorithm, we can eliminate the need to measure grating distance from the wall. All we'll need is distance between the dots for a known, and an unknown.

In theory, even though we WILL know it, we probably don't NEED to even know the grating's lines/mm, since it's basically a simple linear-multiplier in the formula anyway.

 

[Ablaze]

BTW, I just ran into this Open source spectrometer project.

 

[qumefox]

BTW, I just ran into this Open source spectrometer project.

Interesting, but i'm not sure why they need $20k. It should be doable for half that if not less. This looks more like a 'fund us starting a business selling kits' more than it does a 'fund us developing a spectrometer' deal.

 

[Ablaze]

Interesting, but i'm not sure why they need $20k. It should be doable for half that if not less. This looks more like a 'fund us starting a business selling kits' more than it does a 'fund us developing a spectrometer' deal.

Agreed. That is something you could say about many of the projects on that site.

 

[piferal]

Here you have a project design and construction of a digital CCD
spectrometer for little money, which I think is relatively "easy" to make,
and plus is done with economic materials, compared to the cost of a lab spectrometer.

Obviously this one don't have the accuracy of a laboratory spectrometer,
but not bad, and I think it's worth taking a look.

http://fzu.cz/~dominecf/electronics/usb-spect/usb_spectrometer_dominec.pdf

 

[qumefox]

Awesome find. For anyone wanting to DIY a spectrometer.. There you go.

 

[Ibuprofen200mg]

Wow, set up looks legit, very similar to what is found in the commercial bench-top units, Nice find! +1

 

[rhd]

Extreme necropost -

Does anyone have a copy of the Science Surplus Spectrometer software they can send me? For some reason, I can't find the download links for drivers / software on their site.

 

[ARG]

Extreme necropost -

Does anyone have a copy of the Science Surplus Spectrometer software they can send me? For some reason, I can't find the download links for drivers / software on their site.

Yup, PM me your email.

Edit: never mind, don't need your email, sent you a PM with the link.

 

[qumefox]

I can send it to you tomorrow if no one else has by then. But not right now. it's 2am. i'm going to bed.

 

[rhd]

I can send it to you tomorrow if no one else has by then. But not right now. it's 2am. i'm going to bed.

Thanks. ARG sent it, so I'm all good. Thanks!