Build your own Seismograph Station

Last Updated: 04/14/2011

Alternate Download Site if you are having problems downloading using the links below.

A White Paper on A/D system dynamic range needed for seismic recording.
Article by Bob Barns on a method you can use to calibrate your sensor.
Guidelines for Installing Broadband Seismic Instrumentation. Interesting information from the Berkeley Seismograph Station Web site.
Article by Allan Coleman on lengthening the natural period of a Lehman seismometer.
Homebuilt Seismograph FAQ. and Seismology Bibliography and Book Reviews
E-Mail correspondence on how to build a Lehman Seismograph.
PSN Event File Format used by WinQuake and Quakevu.
Archives of the PSNLIST Mailing List.
WWVB and SDR. This page describes how to use Radio Shack's Radio Controlled Clock as a time reference for SDR.
Seismic Sensors and Their Calibration. Overview of feedback seismometers design by Prof. Erhard Wielandt.
Seismometry another article by Prof. Erhard Wielandt.

Seismograph Sensor Plans and Information

Lehman Sensor
Shackleford-Gundersen Sensor
A Force-Balance Seismometer by Karl Cunningham
A Leafspring Broadband Vertical Seismometer by Sean-Thomas Morrissey. Sean passed away March 6, 2002
Compilation of Email Message from Sean-Thomas Morrissey about his VBB Vertical sensor (62K ZIP file)
Photos of other PSN stations
Greg's Geophone FAQ and Walt's PSN Geophone FAQ have information on Geophones. Geophones are short period devices used to record local or large regional events
Nice Little Seismograph for Children by Tom Leiper
Optoelectronic Horizontal VBB Seismometer by Allan Coleman
A Folded Pendulum seismometer Electronics package by David H. Youden

WinSDR a Windows based datalogger for my new 16 Bit Serial Output A/D Board or my 12/16 Bit A/D Board.
Seismic Data Recorder (SDR) requires a 386 or faster system and a PC Labs PC-711s A/D card or my 12/16 Bit A/D Board.
Screen Shot (20k GIF file) of the main SDR screen showing a small event. The red trace is my Shackleford-Gundersen sensor.
EMON Version 7.0 written by Ted Blank handles several A/D converters, including the one I have available, and is used by many PSN stations (Emon70.zip, 295k).
Documentation for EMON 7.0 in three formats: Word 2.0, Windows WRI and TXT (Em70doc.zip, 155k).
Documentation for EMON in Text format.
New! - e-Quake's Seismic Explorer software to link PSN stations in real-time with regional networks.

ForceField at www.wondermagnet.com specialize in selling surplus, and new Neodymium rare earth magnets.