[dba-Tech] Has anyone kickstarted?

Fri Mar 13 12:10:35 CDT 2015

A couple of thoughts.

First, a lab analysis is probably much more rigorous and precise than 
anything that a device like this could provide.  Although maybe not.

Second, many of the things that you mention are probably not 
quantifiable using spectrum analysis.  Things like dissolved O2, E. coli 
etc.  Not that those things couldn't be analyzed in some other manner.

Third, there is an entire web site dedicated to this subject, including 
analysis of environmental issues.

http://publiclab.org/

I would definitely advise going there to learn more.

Fourth, emergency analysis of specific things might fit very well to a 
low cost portable analyzer.  Emergencies often trump absolute precision, 
where it is important to get immediate results, even if they are less 
than optimal.

I will be playing with this technology over the next few weeks, trying 
to discover how well it works, how reliable it can be etc.  I am 
personally unhappy with the results I get with the chemical analysis 
tool kits for aquarium water (and pool water).  It is just darned 
difficult to really decide what I am seeing.  I have high hopes that 
having a spectrum analysis and a computer will enable me to get more 
"hard facts" rather than "opinion".  The technology is not very 
expensive, assuming that I can make it work.

There are a lot of ends to tie up however.  How to calibrate the system 
against the various solutions / color scales.  How to physically isolate 
the light source, specimen and sensor to avoid light pollution.  And 
assuming that those problems can be solved, how to take it further into 
automating the preparation of water samples etc.

I think all of that is solvable, but it might need money to pay for 
stuff like calibration samples, cad / design / manufacturing of the 
machine and so forth.  That is where the KickStarter comes in.

On a different but related note, I am searching for MakerSpaces close to 
home.  The closest to me are these:

http://www.forgegreensboro.org/
http://hackerspacecharlotte.org/about-hsc/

So maybe I have to drag my community out of the dark (furniture 
industry) ages and start one myself.  My area is trying to bootstrap 
itself into technology.  A MakerSpace would help that a lot.

John W. Colby

On 3/13/2015 10:29 AM, Tina Norris Fields wrote:
> JWC,
>
> Could this technique be expanded to assist in water sampling analysis 
> for lakes and streams?  We do periodic sampling of our waters here, 
> for Phosphorous, Nitrite:Nitrate, dissolved Oxygen, pH, temperature, 
> E. coli, phytoplankton, and some other stuff. Our fieldwork plans 
> always include designating who will get the samples to the lab within 
> the required time parameters, which means that sampling over a weekend 
> is problematic because the labs are not open.  Finding a solution to 
> that issue with an accurate light spectrum analytical tool would be 
> very welcome.  Thoughts?
>
> TNF
>
> Tina Norris Fields
> tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com
> 231-322-2787
>
> On 3/12/2015 3:08 PM, John W. Colby wrote:
>> Visible spectrum analysis of lights (LEDs, florescent etc) is widely 
>> talked about (and done) in the aquarium community. Basically shine a 
>> light of interest on a spectrum analyzer and measure the strength of 
>> the light at various frequencies.  A kickstarter project built an 
>> inexpensive analyzer using a diffraction grid plastic, a shaped 
>> (dark) box and a cell phone camera.  Use the cell phone to run 
>> software to display (and graph) the resulting spectrum.
>>
>> http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/spectrometer
>>
>> Measuring various properties of aquarium water (inexpensively) uses 
>> measured vials of water (5ml), adding various "number of drops" of 
>> one or more titrating liquids. You then compare the resulting liquid 
>> color to a color card to determine the amount of the substance being 
>> measured.  You can buy kits which measure PH (High and low), Amonia, 
>> Nitrite and Nitrate.  The process involves taking 4 water samples. 
>> then dropping the correct number of drops of various things into each 
>> sample, comparing the resulting colors to an included card.
>>
>> For anyone who has actually done this... it is an inexact science to 
>> say the least.  The color cards contain shades which are difficult 
>> (impossible) to really accurately gauge when holding the tube against 
>> the card.  As an example, the Amonia test is really yellow turning to 
>> green, but it is basically impossible to tell which of three shades 
>> your tube matches.  In this example, any three adjacent shades are 
>> close enough together (to the eye) that "who knows".  And yet for 
>> example, one is 1 PPM (borderline bad), the next is 2 PPM (bad) the 
>> next is 4 PPM (do a water change NOW, do not stop for dinner).
>>
>> So all you really get is a range.  Unfortunately one end of that 
>> range is non-toxic, the other is toxic as hell.
>>
>> So...
>>
>> Take the tubes of water, beam light through them and measure the 
>> resulting color intensity with a spectrum analyzer using a camera and 
>> software.  If the light intensity is known and stable (a white LED), 
>> the sample is placed in a dark chamber so only light from the LED can 
>> pass through the sample (and not leak around the sample), the 
>> distance from the sample to the diffraction box is stable, and the 
>> distance from the diffraction grid to the camera is stable (and 
>> doesn't leak light) then you should be able to accurately and 
>> reliably measure intensity and color of light through the sample.
>>
>> Reliable analysis.
>>
>> If you can automate the process, you get automated reliable 
>> analysis.  Twice a day (week, month) measurement of all measurable 
>> parameters.  Throw in water temp.  Throw in logging. Throw in Wifi 
>> and a browser interface.  Heck, throw in automated dosing of 
>> chemicals to correct the issue.
>>
>> The first part (measuring the color) is relatively simple. Automation 
>> is not.
>>
>> I am ordering the USB Desktop analyzer and will then build a little 
>> box to hold the sample vials such that light is forced through the 
>> vials (not around) and a powerful white LED as a light source.  I 
>> will then test the measuring concept with this widget. If it works 
>> then I can reliably measure my own aquarium water.
>>
>> If it works, that is where kickstarter would come in, commercializing 
>> this.  There is a pretty large community out there of folks doing 
>> aquariums, even high end aquariums.  Lots of people, lots of money.  
>> From what I can tell, and I have done a lot of reading, everyone just 
>> uses the liquid tests.  So selling into a high end market where 
>> people already use and are comfortable with these tests, but 
>> providing really accurate measuring, logging etc seems like a viable 
>> business.
>>
>> John W. Colby
>>
>
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