The Magnaprobe Mark II uses a gimbal mounted magnet that traces out the shape of magnetic fields in 3D around bar magnets. It is a simple but effective tool for tracing out the three dimensional shape of magnetic field lines around a bar magnet. It consists of a small alnico bar magnet that can rotate freely on 3 axes (i.e. behaves like a gyroscope) and will map out x, y and z coordinates as you move it around a magnetic source.
Genuine UK made Magnaprobes™ are sturdy, non-contact, analog devices for demonstrating the 3D nature of magnetic fields. Beware cheap copies which will fail if you try this more than once.
In the image you can see we have mounted a small bar magnet underneath a translucent FieldView™ viewing table. This allows you to also sprinkle iron filings on the viewing area for comparison to the Magnaprobe if you are interested and also allows you to sweep the Magnaprobe below the magnet. The Mark 2 Magnaprobe can be used to determine the magnetic orientation of any our Permanent Magnets.
See the Youtube video of the magnaprobe in action with bar magnets.
Here is another video showing the Magnaprobe being moved around one of our bar magnets and viewing the magnetic field.
Avoid contacting other magnets. If you do so by accident, detach the Magnaprobe by holding its magnet while you remove it. Do not simply pull back with the handle as you may ruin the device.
The Magnaprobe consists of a gimbel mounted alnico bar magnet. In the picture, a bar magnet is taped to the bottom of our FieldView which can show the outline of the magnetic field with iron filings. The Magnaprobe will trace out a similar trace as it is moved about side to side & end to end.
Because of the many cheap copies of the Cochranes of Oxford Magnaprobe MarkII, specifications are propriety. Performance is determined by the grade of AlNiCo used in the magnet, its size & the precision of its dimensions. Further, the type of plastic & its precision of manufacture greatly impact its long term reliability.
We can say, however, that the AlNiCo bar magnet is a high grade making it very sensitive & is gimbel mounted. The handle is 3.25mm thick & virtually indestructible. You get what you pay for!