I'm looking to buy a data logger to record rail temperatures. Anybody
had experience with / could recommend something, I'd appreciate the
advice.
Advice on something suitable for recording strain gauge measurements as
well would be a bonus.


Many thanks, grateful for any help!

A few questions:

1) Are you measuring the temperature of one bit of track or are
attaching the logger to a train and measuring the temperature of the
track on it's journey
2) Do you have a power supply available
3) Do you want to record any other information (time, passage of
trains, etc.)

cwl
1. Mounted next to the track for a week or so at a time.
2. No power, it'll have to have batteries.
3. Other info: time.
It would be handy to be able to measure the passage of trains (in case
temperature suddenly increases when a train passes, then gradually
dissipates), but I'm not sure how easy/difficult that would be.

The logger would have to be small enough to be used in tunnels.

tia

John

wrote:
A few questions:

1) Are you measuring the temperature of one bit of track or are
attaching the logger to a train and measuring the temperature of the
track on it's journey
2) Do you have a power supply available
3) Do you want to record any other information (time, passage of
trains, etc.)

wrote in message
oups.com...
wrote:
A few questions:

1) Are you measuring the temperature of one bit of track or are
attaching the logger to a train and measuring the temperature of the
track on it's journey
2) Do you have a power supply available
3) Do you want to record any other information (time, passage of
trains, etc.)

1. Mounted next to the track for a week or so at a time.
2. No power, it'll have to have batteries.
3. Other info: time.
It would be handy to be able to measure the passage of trains (in case
temperature suddenly increases when a train passes, then gradually
dissipates), but I'm not sure how easy/difficult that would be.

The logger would have to be small enough to be used in tunnels.

(fix top posting, this time)

Is anyone else surprised that network rail or whatever they are caled
nowadays is asking on usenet for where to get tools from? Or is this for a
model railway?

wrote:
1. Mounted next to the track for a week or so at a time.
2. No power, it'll have to have batteries.
3. Other info: time.
It would be handy to be able to measure the passage of trains (in case
temperature suddenly increases when a train passes, then gradually
dissipates), but I'm not sure how easy/difficult that would be.
The logger would have to be small enough to be used in tunnels.

I have used a Fluke "Hydra" data logger in a lab situation. I was
capturing the data on a PC, but some models of the Hydra have internal
memory. They can be operated from batteries. They can measure voltage,
current, resistance, and temperature. I know it recorded the relative
time (seconds since powerup) with each measurement, and I _think_ it had
a time-of-day clock if you wanted absolute time. The models I'm familiar
with don't have a housing that would stand up to being outside; if I
wanted to use one in your application I would put it in a big Pelican
case, maybe. The logger itself was about 3"x8"x8" (about 8x16x16 cm)
but the batteries and case would easily double or triple that volume.

I have never used one of these, but I know they exist:
http://www.onsetcomp.com/Products/Pr...al_logger.html
It has a thermocouple input, a clock, and a voltage input that might be
able to record a dry contact closure to record the presence of trains.
Getting the contact closure is left as an exercise for the reader.

All of this does assume that you have permission to hook things up on
the tracks. Otherwise the railroad will probably react badly to
unidentified boxes with wires hooked up to their track.

Matt Roberds

wrote:

I have used a Fluke "Hydra" data logger in a lab situation. I was
capturing the data on a PC, but some models of the Hydra have
internal
memory. They can be operated from batteries. They can measure
voltage,
current, resistance, and temperature. I know it recorded the
relative
time (seconds since powerup) with each measurement, and I _think_ it
had
a time-of-day clock if you wanted absolute time. The models I'm
familiar
with don't have a housing that would stand up to being outside; if I
wanted to use one in your application I would put it in a big Pelican
case, maybe. The logger itself was about 3"x8"x8" (about 8x16x16 cm)
but the batteries and case would easily double or triple that volume.

I have never used one of these, but I know they exist:

http://www.onsetcomp.com/Products/Pr...al_logger.html
It has a thermocouple input, a clock, and a voltage input that might
be
able to record a dry contact closure to record the presence of
trains.
Getting the contact closure is left as an exercise for the reader.

All of this does assume that you have permission to hook things up on
the tracks. Otherwise the railroad will probably react badly to
unidentified boxes with wires hooked up to their track.

Matt Roberds

Thanks for your help Matt!

John