TEST & MEASUREMENT HANDBOOK Crampton and the BBC film crew look for electric eels in the Amazon. | Will Crampton
Nothing fishy about portable scope apps Researchers get a charge out of measuring eels with battery powered oscilloscopes.
NEXT TIME YOU find yourself swimming around with electric eels, try grabbing one and then put the leads of a battery powered oscilloscope on its head and tail. According to University of Central Florida zoology professor Will Crampton, you’ll probably measure a voltage in the 700-V range. Crampton and his associates went to the rivers of the Amazon to check out eel voltages. “Capturing eels out of the wild takes a lot of patience,” says Crampton. His technique for finding test subjects consisted of either setting up un-baited traps that eels can’t easily get out of, or using baited hooks to lure the eels from hiding.
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Crampton’s procedure for measuring the electricity in eels employs a portable oscilloscope (a hand-held Fluke 124B industrial ScopeMeter), a small trench, and a tarp. Once caught, the eels go into paddling pools to reduce the shock of captivation and help them settle down. Crampton then prepares the area for the measurements by digging an eel-sized trench in the ground that will help hold the eel securely in place. The trench is covered with a non-conductive plastic tarpaulin, necessary to isolate the eel and remove it from the load of the water to get an accurate reading. The portable oscilloscope is set up for a differential voltage measurement. To get an electrical reaction out of the eel, Crampton holds one probe tightly on the tail and uses the other probe to prod eeworldonline.com
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