Hi all,
can any one tell me how to get a large number of magnets[little powerful ones-size no bar]
i want them as i plan to build a maglev vehicle
first it will be a maglev car/train
which will be later modified as a plane with the runway as the maglev track
later again modded to become a boat/car hybrid with the flight capabilities when it land out of the maglev track
plan to do it step by step
but first i need 100-200 similar or same magnets[2 on each side of the track distanced1-2cm apart...track to be of 50-100 cm in length depending on the no. of magnets....also will get some really powerful magnets and place them towards the end giving it a high lift for the flight at take off]
so i need a economical source for it[or tell me how to make a power electromagnet if it is cheaper-main thing i cannot give it external power and if a electromagnet then it must be power by a battery...weight 1 kg max for the track
the vehicle i'll manage thats not the problem
so please guys help me out
please let me get the magnets then i'll see the other things

They used to sell elliptical magnets called "Rattlesnake Eggs" on the footpaths of New Delhi @ Rs.15/- per pair. They are quite powerful, but I don't remember how the polarity was oriented.You could try and source them or try and pry out magnets from old speakers. Back in the US, they sell 1000 magnet sets for science projects. Try Googling it.

All the best!

ok will try that out
any other way to get'em?

Try deal extreme, they are cheaper than HC magnets, and they sell in 100s, not sure how powerfull they are but they are rare earth ones.

ya i m checking them out
any other local cheap source of magnets[except those rattle snake magnets]

Ankur,

Check this out.





http://mekonik.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/arduino-magnet-levitation/



Sanjay

Hi Ankur

I think you will have to use electromagnets for your maglev track (using electromagnet on the train would make it heavy). The maglev track has electromagnets laid one after another and their polarity keeps on changing depending on the polarity of the magnet on the train above it. The polarity is so adjusted that the magnets on the track always push the magnets (on the train) ahead of them and pull the magnets (on the train) behind them. The frequency of change of the polarity is also dependent on the speed of the train.

Have you thought of how you would achieve the same effect Or if you have some other way of achieving it do let us know.


Regards
Ankur Kaul

well i plan to make all the poles static
one side of the track will be N pole opp. to n pole of the base of the vehicle and vice versa
so if it is a electromagnet it should be in such a way that 1 side has only n pole at the top while other has s
i wouldn't actually prefer electromagnets

the vehicle to be propelled by using direct drive motor[gdp -5] with 1s lipo battery and using a car circuit[1 channel which allows forward backward movement]

Oh i get it...you are using magnets just to levitate the vehicle and not propulsion  . What i mentioned earlier would be true if you were planning to propel through the magnets too as in a real maglev vehicle.


Are you using any prop on the motor???

I think I may have some good news for you. You owe me a Chocolate for this!

http://cgi.ebay.in/Sujok-Star-Magnets-100-pcs-for-Rs-100-Su-jok-Therapy_W0QQitemZ300399892134QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_203?hash=item45f13a96a6

http://cgi.ebay.in/Byol-Magnets-for-Su-jok-sujok-Therapy-100pcs_W0QQitemZ300399891713QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_203?hash=item45f13a9501

Cheers!

Uncle VC

VC sir,sent u a pm check it
these magnets are not useful for my purpose
i think i should go for the dealextreme ones

What is the proposed length of your track?

will depend on no. of magnets
100cm if i have 200 magnets[2 on each side placed 1cm apart in length and 1" in breadth]

Check my post:

http://www.rcindia.org/tools-materials-and-building-techniques/mini-magnets-for-attaching-panels/msg14898/#new

sir,
if u can let us know the prices of the magnets it would be great

any other options??

Dont worry too much ankur, if you have to build out of the ordinary, you cant build it very cheap Try some local store where they sell electonics/electrical stuff. I heard that Ashta buys magnets from SP road in bangalore. Any similar street in your city might be helpful. Try PM'ing Ashta and he may help you by telling you what kinda store he got the magnets from.

hi all!!
i have not yet started on the project-i m waiting for 200 magnets to come from dealsextreme[not yet ordered waiting for amir bhaiya to do it..] . i will put them 1.5" apart[breadth wise to have a pair of them along the length] and 2cm  apart lenght wise so with 200 magnets i'll be getting a 1m maglev track
i m into micro rc and will use it to launch my planes so they get an additional lift and a very easy takeoff[i will put some very strong magnets from hobbyking in the end of the track so it just throws it into the air]
and for the plane i'll put opposite magnets place a distance apart on the planes fuse/landing gear[if any]

the track will be like this

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
 the bold italic letters are poles of strong magnets
where n is north pole of the magnet and s is the south pole
distance between n and s pole is 1.5 inch
distance between two n / two s will be 2cm

and i will put magnets on the fuse of the plane like this

S S S S S S S S SSSSSS

N N N N N N N NNNNN

where n is north pole of the magnet and s is the south pole
 the bold italic letters are poles of strong magnets

hope u all got my idea
this the is cheapest and a good method of making a maglev

link of dealextreme magnets
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13518
 hobbycity magnets
http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=8288

hope u all got me
lets see if it works!!

-ANkur

I had ordered the silver colour magnets and the brown colour both from hobby city. The silver ones though very attractive, they were not much repulsive. But the brown colour ones(square) were both very attractive and repulsive. In fact they are so strong that, my mom was not able to separate 2 magnets .

And I on the other hand had to struggle to separate 2 of them, they are both very brittle. They brown ones are so brittle, if you allow 2 magnets attach each other by their own force, a piece of magnet falls off. Be careful handling them, if you drop them from height, they will break.

Also they are not as big as you see in the pic.

well i will them just fix them with glue and tape so brittleness doesn't matter
they all suit my job!

Ankur
how u plan to keep the vehicle stable on the track.if one magnet is out of place just a bit it may unbalance the vehicle.
All maglev have guide rail till now.If any new tech has come up do share..
All the best..

well i'll put them in such a way that it is balences
this the the front view of the vehicle

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|<magnet>                                    <magnet>|
|                                                                        |
|  |<magnet>                              <magnet>|  |
|  ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||  |
   |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 

the upper portion is the vehicle whereas the lower portion is the track
the extra material toward the ground of the vehicle will not allow it to get unbalenced
hope u all got what i mean!!
if any there any variation in power the vehicle will bump like its going on a road!!!

Cheers
-Ankur

here is a link which describes how to build a ultra simple maglev
http://amasci.com/maglev/train.html
the principle i m using is nearly the same...expect for the balencing part in which it has the car bounded by walls on both sides whereas i have bounded the track by the down protuding fuse of the plane

i scavenged a old non working dc motor[actually 2 of them] and found some unique sort of magnets-they were in a circular shape but when i held them i found they are flexible
i have attached some pics of them
please tell me what they are??

some more
i have broke them into peices so they can be used!!