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+--- Thread: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades (/showthread.php?tid=507)
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Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Fluesheet - 01-10-2009
I picked up an i-Phone a few weeks ago, and placed an leveling application on it called called "Clinometer" (the i-Phone has a three way accelerometer in it, which is used by the leveling application). I chose this particular leveling app because it can display incline in, among other formats, percentage. The lightbulb went off - I can use this to determine spot grades on the layout!
There are places on the layout that I can't reach easily, so I decided to build a cradle for the i-Phone that could be carried on a flatcar. The cradle "feet" are about 1/8" narrower than the NMRA clearance template (a little less than 2"). The vertical pieces that make up phone cradle itself is offset about 1/8" toward the camera in the photo below to account for the i-Phone being back-heavy - presumably due to the battery location. The opening in the back is to allow the phone to be extracted with a thumb and a forefinger pinch.
Phone in place. The "L" shape of the feet is enough to keep the phone from slipping through the bottom.
Loaded on the flatcar. I'd like to do two additional tasks to complete this project; one is to add some positive locating pins so the cradle is held in place by more than gravity, the second is to devise a mechanism to stablize the load surface. This is a fairly heavy load with a high center of gravity, so the car tends to tilt.
The question you may be asking is "why"? A good question, and the best answer I can give is "because it was possible"!
I did find that I had two sections of 5% + grade that I wasn't expecting to find, so I've found further justification!Matt
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Tyson Rayles - 01-10-2009
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Ralph - 01-10-2009
Impressive application of technology! I don't even know how to turn one of those things one!
indeed! Ralph
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Fluesheet - 01-10-2009
Ralph Wrote:Impressive application of technology! I don't even know how to turn one of those things one!
Ralph
Impressive might be a stretch, but certainly a fun application!
I have a fair amount of friends that have the phone, but I really didn't "get it" as far as the power of the device until I got it home and started poking at it.
A interesting learn from this whole experiment is that short stretches of 3% - 4% grade aren't a *huge* problem operationally. I have several spots on the layout that I've never considered overly steep that turned out to be in the 3.5 - 4.1% range - which SOUNDS steep. The caveat here is that those stretches were not that long.
The implications for the next layout are huge - I've been designing a hill that averages 1.5% and that tops out at 2%. I can probably increase the former by .5% and the latter by 1% (2 and 3% respectively) without impacting my operating druthers. Especially if I keep a ruling 3% on a straight.
Matt
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - jbaakko - 01-10-2009
So, is it cheaper (provided you already own the iPhone) to build that, or to buy the tool from Micromark?
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Fluesheet - 01-11-2009
jbaakko Wrote:So, is it cheaper (provided you already own the iPhone) to build that, or to buy the tool from Micromark?
What? There's a tool?!!!?
My guess is much cheaper. I bought the styrene too long ago to remember what I paid for it, but I'd be surprised if I had more than $1.50 in it.
Matt
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Trucklover - 01-11-2009
that is too cool, if i ever get an i-phone, ill have to refer back to this thread
Thanks Matt for sharing
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - tomustang - 01-11-2009
Ive seen nintendo Wii controllers do the same, but this takes the cake. Nice work on the jig
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - jmarksbery - 01-11-2009
I'm with Ralph on this but it sure looks neat and that it works is amazing.
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - eightyeightfan1 - 01-11-2009
Todays technology is great. And us model railroaders are a resourceful bunch. We can take anything, and McGyver it for our model worlds.
Neat idea. Gotta love todays techno stuff.
Now, if I can only get my Betamax from flashing 12:00, Ill be happy!
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - tetters - 01-14-2009
I have to admit that is pretty neat. You've almost convinced me to actually start liking Mac products.
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - nolatron - 01-14-2009
Fluesheet Wrote:jbaakko Wrote:So, is it cheaper (provided you already own the iPhone) to build that, or to buy the tool from Micromark?
What? There's a tool?!!!?
My guess is much cheaper. I bought the styrene too long ago to remember what I paid for it, but I'd be surprised if I had more than $1.50 in it.
Matt
Here's what I found on MicroMark for $6.49
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.micromark.com/PRECISION-ANGLE-GAUGE-4-1and2-DIA,7948.html">http://www.micromark.com/PRECISION-ANGL ... ,7948.html</a><!-- m -->
Great use of the iphone and application.
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Trucklover - 01-14-2009
nolatron Wrote:Here's what I found on MicroMark for $6.49
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.micromark.com/PRECISION-ANGLE-GAUGE-4-1and2-DIA,7948.html">http://www.micromark.com/PRECISION-ANGL ... ,7948.html</a><!-- m -->
Okay.... I need one of those for sure
thanks for the link Shaun 
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Fluesheet - 01-17-2009
Trucklover Wrote:nolatron Wrote:Here's what I found on MicroMark for $6.49
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.micromark.com/PRECISION-ANGLE-GAUGE-4-1and2-DIA,7948.html">http://www.micromark.com/PRECISION-ANGL ... ,7948.html</a><!-- m -->
Okay.... I need one of those for sure
I have one of those and didn't find it useful for measuring grades. For the grades that are appropriate for railroads, the needle barely moves away from vertical - the difference between a 3% and 6% grade on the dial is very small.
A better solution (which I've also used) is to take a laser level, set it up on your track so that it is level, then set up a "target" at some known distance down the track. This will show how much drop there is over that distance from which you can calculate your grade.
One advantage this method has over both the Micromark gauge and the iPhone is that it averages the drop over a larger distance; a 5 foot section of track with an average grade of 2%, with a 4" section of 6% grade. As long as it doesn't affect trains, that spike is irrelevant. Meanwhile, I'm spending a couple of hours fixing that short section of steep grade just because I know it's there!measure how much drop you have
A disadvantage of the laser level method is that measuring grads on curves becomes probematical, especially if you have a bunch of scenery along the right of way that would block the beam.
Matt
Re: Using an i-phone as a tool to measure grades - Fluesheet - 01-17-2009
tetters Wrote:I have to admit that is pretty neat. You've almost convinced me to actually start liking Mac products.
It's definitely a cool device at this moment in time, but I'd wager that there will be a Windows or Palm based device with similar functionality out within a year. So maybe you can continue h8ting Macs afterall!
Incidentally, this is my first Apple product, though I'll admit to being lured toward their laptop products recently...
Matt