• I need my stuff now but I do not have a PayPal account. Can I still pay with a credit card?

Yes. Through PayPal we can accept payments from a non-PayPal member. On the PayPal site you can use a credit card OR your PayPal account. You are no longer required to create a PayPal Account to pay a Money Request/Invoice or to complete a purchase. Though there is the option to sign up with PayPal afterwards.  You can also go to the Order w/ Check menu item under How To Order and print out an order form and then mail us a check.

• How do I make a PayPal payment?

FQS, will automatically send you to the PayPal site to make payment. The checkout process sends us an email copy of your order once your payment is complete.

If an item is out of stock we will email you and let you know when the item in question is ready to ship.

They can pay with Credit Cards or if they are a PayPal member from their PayPal account

• What do I need to make an electronic compass?

Download from this web site the application note for the SCL-004 compass IC. In it you will find that the major compass components are: The SCL-004 and the FGM-2. The FGM-2 is a 2 axis sensor which detects the earth’s magnetic field and provides an input signal to the SCL-004 compass IC. The output from this IC can then drive a digital display indicating compass bearing or an RS232 output to feed into a computer. See the SCL-004 application note for additional info, a description of suitable displays, and the other components required.

• Can I just use the ASIC without a sensor… ?

All of the ASICs have been designed specifically for use with the FGM series magnetic field sensors. The ASICs do not detect anything; they process the signal from the FGM sensors.

• What parts come on the FQS-001 circuit board… ?

The FQS-001 is a bare board; you may already have many of the components that need to be assembled on it or you may purchase our FQS-002 small parts kit. The FQS-002 parts kit includes: Sockets for the IC’s, all resistors, capacitors, and diodes; a 10 MHz crystal and 78M05 voltage regulator. The builder provides the housing and power supply which can be as simple as a 9 volt battery, but for continuous use we would recommend a regulated supply of between 8 and 15 volts. See the FGM application notes for using decimal regulation.

• What is a Fat Quarter and why are you named that… ?

How much time do you have??. No, really a Fat Quarter is a sewing term. Fabric on a bolt is many yards long and ~44 inches wide, usually folded in half. So a yard of fabric is 36 inches long by 44 inches wide. A quarter yard would be 9 inches long by 44 inches wide. You can’t do much with that so a FAT QUARTER YARD is 18 inches long by 22 inches wide. One of Laurie’s first development projects was for the local quilt guild, and she does sew…. so she picked that name for the company. Now aren’t you glad you asked!

• Can I detect UFO’s with these sensors ?

Only if you have reason to believe that the presence of a UFO is accompanied by a large local anomaly in the earth’s magnetic field.

• Should I insulate my sensor against temperature changes ?

For indoor applications this is usually unnecessary since the FGM sensors have a very low temperature coefficient compared to other types of magnetic field sensors. Outdoors, one of the most effective means to minimize temperature changes is to bury the sensor a foot or more below the surface (see the answer above concerning waterproofing). Since the FGM-1 and FGM-3/3h generate about 50 milliwatts of heat, DO NOT apply thermal insulation directly to the sensor as this will prevent heat dissipation, eventually destroying the sensor (if the insulation is really really good). One way to reduce temperature swings is to attach the sensor to a large thermal mass, then insulate the mass. This allows heat to dissipate over a large surface area without large thermal gradients. An example of this is to use an “Igloo” cooler; with the sensor glued to a brick in the bottom of the cooler to prevent the sensor from moving, then fill the cooler with dry clean sand.

• Do I have to use an SCL ASIC ?

Please see the General Application Note for several ways to extract data from the sensor without using the SCL ASICs.

• Can I bury the sensor in the ground?

Certainly, if it’s first protected against moisture and abrasion from the soil. Schedule 40 PVC pipe can be used to make an inexpensive and rugged waterproof housing for your sensor. Any splices between your sensor leads and the cable and the 10uF decoupling capacitor between +5 V and the common lead should also be within the PVC pipe for protection. Where the cable exits the pipe, use plenty of silicone rubber as a seal to keep out moisture. The silicone rubber should also be used to fasten the sensor to the inside of the pipe to prevent it from moving inside the pipe. Movement of the sensor within the earth’s field will produce a sensor output change.

• Can I connect the sensor to a long cable?..

How long is long? From personal experience, Erich has had no problem driving 150 feet of shielded cable with a capacity of 56 pf per foot, which is nearly .01 uf of capacititative loading without any ill effect. Since harmonics of the sensor’s rectangular wave output fall in the AM broadcast band, shielded cable should be used between the sensor and its termination. A 10 uf tantalum or electrolytic power supply decoupling capacitor installed within an inch of the sensor will also minimize harmonic radiation from long power supply leads and provide a low power supply impedance for the sensor.

• What does Drawn on a US Bank mean?…

Many foreign banks are able to issue checks or money orders drawn on a U.S. bank. You may therefore obtain a check from:

a) a bank chartered or operated in the United States.

b) a foreign subsidiary of a U.S. bank.

c) a foreign bank that has an arrangement with a U.S. bank to issue a check, money order, or foreign draft that is drawn on a U.S. bank.