Highly Accurate Bearing Strength Measurement in a Versatile, Portable Package

STING is a self-contained, tethered probe with a streamlined body and a long (up to three meters), slender steel shaft protruding from the nose cone. It is
designed to be simple and fast in operation; a typical survey event can be accomplished and a basic analysis completed in less than 30 minutes. The STING
Mk II can be used off vessels ranging in size from a large dinghy to a major naval or survey vessel. The only vessel requirements are a laptop or desktop PC
computer and room for the operator to store the line that is hauled in. The operation of the STING Mk II is designed so that first time users may operate the
system with minimal instruction. The unit is released from a vessel so that it drops freely through the water and impacts into the sea floor vertically with its
calibrated shaft and foot. Internal microprocessor-based electronics record the deceleration as the shaft embeds itself into the layers of the bottom sediment.
Since a typical seabed impact event lasts under a second, it is possible to commit multiple impacts to the built-in memory bank. Successive drops can be
performed during a single deployment by simply raising the probe several meters off the bottom. After the unit is brought back to the surface the data is
downloaded to a PC workstation. Sophisticated analysis software, included with the probe, determines various kinematic parameters for each impact event
and computes an estimate of the seabed bearing strength profile. The data obtained are presented in the format of bearing strength versus penetration depth.
This data also gives an indication of the strata of the sediment. The data may be exported into any tabbed-ASCII format program, such as Microsoft
Excel or Open and Libre Office formats.

Usable in sediments ranging from very soft mud to medium density sand, the STING is customizable for each sediment type by changing the impact shaft and
foot configuration. Four foot sizes are available, with the largest being used for very soft mud, and the smallest being used for sand. The shaft may be set up to
penetrate one, two or three meters into the sediment, although full penetration may not be accomplished with the longer sizes in sand and other hard sediments.

Data acquisition can be initiated by water immersion or optionally by hydrostatic pressure level. The immersion (conductivity) switch starts the acquisition as
soon as a pair of electrodes is shorted by the water. The conductivity trip point is menu driven and may be set for different salinity levels, including fresh water.
Units may be programmed to start the data logging process at a predetermined water depth, thus economizing memory usage. The depth measurements may
be recorded alongside the acceleration data
if so desired.

STING was developed by the Canadian Department of National Defence with the technical collaboration of A.G.O. Environmental Electronics Ltd, who now
manufactures the device under licence from the Canadian Government.

Sting Technical Specifications

Acceleration measurement range:	0 G to +10 G
Acceleration measurement resolution:	0.0025 G (12 bits)
Load bearing strength measurement range:	0 to 950 kPa
Water depth measurement range:	0 m to 200 m
Water depth measurement resolution:	0.05 m (12 bits)
Maximum operational depth:	300 m
Maximum measurable depth of penetration:	3 m (with shaft extenders)
Sampling rate:	2 kHz
Data acquisition triggering:	Water immersion or preset depth (0 m to 200 m)
Data collection autonomy (memory capacity):	approx. 4 minutes (acceleration only), or 2 minutes (acceleration plus depth)
Download speed to computer:	115.2 kilobaud
Download time:	approximately 4 minutes
Shaft length:	1 m standard, extendable to 3 m with additional segments
Impact foot diameters:	25 mm, 35 mm, 50 mm (stainless steel), 70 mm (aluminum)
Probe materials:	304 stainless steel body, hard-anodized aluminium end cap, PVC tail cone
Recommended tether (retrieval cord):	4.8 mm diameter braid, type SC-6
Mass:	approx. 10 kg with 1 m shaft length, 3 kg for each additional 1m extension
Power:	Internal battery, rechargeable (adapter included)
Software:	Communications and Data Analysis. Runs under Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Windows 7 and  XP It can also be customized for Linux operation.

If you are interested please write to ...  isoutar@microsec.net

Tiny Microprocessor Development System

An automation toolkit has been developed by Ed Haslam of Microsec R&D  Inc.   It uses the microchip
line of microcontrollers and offers USB support and motor control as well as conventional serial I/O.
For more information please contact Ed Haslam at edhaslam@shaw.ca

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Technical Writing Services in English

This service is intended for Chinese, Japanese and other foreign companies. Manuals can be sent either in
approximate English or in the original Japanese or Chinese (other languages available on request).  We will
turn these into clear and perfect English using the services of Barbara Soutar, BA English. She specializes in
technical writing and works with our electronic and technical staff to get scientific and technical specifications
correctly translated. 

We charge  $100 per hour for this work.  Short manuals can be completed in only one or two days, often costing
less than $1000 each.  We rely on foreign engineering students from the University of Victoria for the translation
services.   Free updates are offered for one year on our documentation if errors are discovered later.

Other services include supplying local North American contacts for your company.  We also offer product design
services, with an English technical manual included in the price of the design. 

All work is carried out using OpenOffice.org which is a free software package that can be used to create both
Microsoft Word documents and Adobe Acrobat formats.  This software is also free of virus vulnerabilities that
Microsoft Word is famous for.   Sample documentation available on request ... please email isoutar@microsec.net.

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Changhong Nickel Iron Cells

-patented by Thomas Edison in 1902, used in first electric cars in 1912
Average Lifespan is 20-40 years.  Some cars from 1912 still running on original cells!

Environmentally friendly electric storage
(contains Nickel, Iron, Potassium and sometimes Lithium hydroxide)
Available in all sizes from 20-1000 amp hours
Each cell is 1.2 volts (24 volts = 20 cells)

Click to Download Changhong Manual
(Large file with slow download)
Solar Application Manual for NiFe Battery

Click for Importation Details
NiFe Factory Direct Sales Only
(Email us for importing details from China)

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Radiation Hormesis Experimentation Samples

We are offering calibrated low level radioactive beads for biologists or medical workers working
with the beneficial effects of low level radiation in biological systems.   The beads selected give
off 1 microsievert/hour and are classified as safe for use in jewellery.

Calibrated Uranium Glass Beads for Sale

Beads under normal light    /     Beads under UV light

Microsec is offering calibrated uranium glass beads for researchers.   The uranium
is locked into the glass matrix and cannot escape unless you crush the glass to a fine
powder.   Even then the uranium content is less than 2% of the glass.  

The small bead cluster shown puts out 1.1 microsieverts/hour.  Each set of beads is
calibrated with a geiger counter prior to shipping.   These are jewellery grade uranium
beads which have been popular for almost 200 years and are safe both to wear and to ship
in the mail.

To purchase bead sets please visit ... http://radiant-beads.com

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Uranium Glass Marbles

Shown fluorescing under UV light

To purchase 12 uranium glass marbles the price is $25.
These marbles are calibrated to deliver 0.4 microsieverts/hour each.
To Purchase a dozen calibrated Uranium Glass Marbles
Click Below

These uranium glass marbles are available for experiments. 
Each releases 0.4 microSieverts / hour.

These sets are useful for petri dish based tests with bacteria, algae, fungi etc.  Any local
toy shop can provide for non radioactive marbles to act as a control experiment.

The price for these 12 calibrated marbles is $25.  Shipping in North America for a
dozen beads or marbles is $5 by regular mail.