Are any of you using extension poles for hard to access points, overhead, below catwalks, and behind guards? I'm using a couple of different lengths of 3/4" aluminum square tubing handles with the accelerometer held by a hose clamp attached to the pole by a couple of wire ties to make a swivel for different angles. I’d like to get away from the aluminum lightening rod and have something for a mount that I could change the angle of the accelerometer and lock it into place. I’ve priced a handle from one of the big ones but not sure I like the price for what looks to be a paint roller handle with some sort of adjustable swivel to mount the accelerometer to.
If any of you have set-ups you use and like could you post some pictures?

Wally, I fabricated my own from off-the-shelf parts from Lowes. It uses extendable painters' poles with a quick change adapter so you can quickly change the heads to different poles. It works very well and is pretty cheap -- the poles are the most expensive part, but you could use cheaper ones.

I'll take some pics tomorrow and post them tomorrow night.

The paint roller pole works just as well. Even better is to purchase low-cost accels, and mount them where you need them. We found out that for the improved quality of the data, and improved data collection time, we could justify the accel purchase. You can buy accels for less than $100 now, so it's something to consider.

Wally, I used to work for a company that used the paint roller extension polls. Their price for purchasing them was outrageous. One of their customers built his own for 200-300 dollars. The only thing that he had to have made for the pole was the swivel piece at the end of the pole. They did come in handy for those hard to reach places, but like Stan said the sensors are getting so cheap that mounting a sensor on the bearing is something to think about.

Wally,
We are using a paint roller extension pole with the paint roller attachment. We cut the rod off of the paint roller about three inches long and it fits right into the arm for a dial indicator adjustment. Took a piece of drill rod that fits the other part of the dial inidator adjustment arm and welded a pipe clamp that will fit both our high and low freq accelerometers. The adjustment works great for any angle I need. The cost for the extension pole and paint roller, less than $15. I had an old dial indicator but I am sure the cost would be minimal.

Ronnie

Wally, I also use the fiberglass extension pole for reaching long distances and it works very well. For normal routes I used (dont laugh)the handle section of a brim buster fishing pole, it is very lite and easy to handle. I made a aluminum fixture to hold the accel that swivels and can be set so that it does not move to easily. Works great for me. Hope this helps.
I will try to post a pic (first time on this site)
Scott

Wally, I use a fiberglass paint pole as well, but to attach the accelerometer, I purchased a paint brush holder for the pole that has a built-in pivot. I fabricated a wood block to clamp the accelerometer and then clamp the wood block in the paint brush holder. The brush holder is a mr.Longarm, Inc p/n 0650. www.mrlongarm.com

John J

Useing poles is new to me and my question is do amplitudes and frequencies change with the added mass.

Are you able to take consistantly reliable and repeatable readings using these extension poles?

This is great keep the ideas coming.

- Rusty, when you have the time I'd love a pic of your set up it sounds like you have one head and accelerometer that you use/carry and leave the poles in areas there needed, covering multiple areas without having to lug the pole all over the place for only a few points.

- Stan/Donald, I’m working on the hard mount accels but due to the cost I can only do little chunks at a time, I work in a white pine mill producing 3/4 pine boards so money isn’t as easily available as in the paper or petroleum industries.
Have you found a standard accel anywhere for under $79.00?

- Ronnie, if you have the time could you post a picture?
I’m sure there are others out here that felt violated when receiving a $297.00 quote for a paint roller handle and that ‘s without the recommended accessories. Sorry had to vent.

- Scott, that looks like a good low profile set up, where I haven’t been exposed to a lot of different equipment in this field,
is that a standard accel?
if it is who’s the manufacturer?
what are the dimensions (looks tiny)?
Also you say it can be set so it does not move easy. Are you saying it will stay at the angle you set it to then when the magnet grabs on it will move and match the surface angle make its best possible contact without having to change the angle of the handle?

- John, Thanks for the link had a chance to take a quick look at lunch today. Is there a special reason you used wood? How tall is your set up from the bottom of the magnet to the swivel?

- DK, I also would like to see an answer on this. But I would assume that it wouldn’t be a very noticeale effect unless the object you were collecting data from was light enough so the mass of the accel and handle assembly were enough to cause a dampening effect. Anyone out there that could set us straight on this?

- Rob, so far it seems to be working for me, but one thing I do is use headphones. With the headphones I listen for my best contact as I attach the magnet to a surface. I do this on all of my points that aren’t hard mounts. Maybe I’m doing it right maybe not, but it’s working for me so I guess that’s what counts.

Wally, This is a 100mv accel by Ivc about an 1 1/8 inch thick, most suppliers (IMI, Wilcoxon etc) carry a sidemount version. I like them when taking route data so I get between gaurds and equipment. When I made this set-up I wanted it to seat itself to make good contact. The teflon washers alloy me to set the accel to move with the magnet but not flop around to much, if the head can not move it is hard to seat it properly especially on longer poles. Scott

I have 2 different extension poles. One is an extendable paint pole I have modified the end to put a dial indicator swivel adapter attached to a small plate, the plate has a 3 or 4 inch long piece of 1/4" thick 3/4" wide rubber attached to it. The other end of the rubber has another small plate with a right angle accel bolted to it. The swivel lets me get close to the angle I need and the rubber flexes enough so slight movements by me doesn't make the accel rock on the machine. Another I have is a 5 foot tree branch pruner. It has a pistol grip and trigger mechanism that lops the branches. I removed the blade and use it to put the accel where I want then release it to take the data. I use thus usually but I monitor some welders that if the accel were to fall of it would be very bad news. I like the paint pole setup for this beacuse I don't release the accel.

Hmmmm....interesting techniques to reach difficult positions. I'd be concerned about high frequency response being damped by the holding mechanism, and lower frequency vibration transmitted by the handle into the accelerometer.

Has anybody made any type of pole arrangment where the accelerometer is mounted in a resilient material? Perhaps a squishy foam lining the holder so that vibration isn't transmitted to/from the accelerometer.

Regarding low cost accelerometers, CTC has introduced the AC150-1A with slightly looser specs for just $69. Still featuring the life-time replacement warranty and the free annual recalibration. The frequency response (+/- 3 dB) is 1 Hz - 10 KHz, with a sensitivity tolerance of 15%. This is cheaper than most people charge for a calibration.

Spintelligent Labs' Economy Termination boxes keep the system costs low. A two channel box is just is $79.

Jon
Spintelligent Labs

Jon,
That is why I use the pole pruner when I can, that way I release the accel. I found the soft rubber on the other is more forgiving for the welder. The welder has a light curtain so I can't get near the bearings and as I said if the transducer were to fall off using the pruner pole it would be very bad news.

Wally, I'm not a vendor, but I'll make a recommendation. We're buying accels from IMI with cables, and they run about $90. Wilcoxon has some decent prices on theirs too. We buy a 15 foot cable for each, and make up extension cables oursleves, when needed.

The argument I used here was if it's important enough to check, to train someone to check, and to purchase thousands of dollars worth of instruments to check, it's important anough to spend another $100 bucks to check.

I've worked in wood products, too, so I know their margins run low, but their downtime is huge!

Good luck.

Scott Harper's idea using the fishing pole is great. I have used these poles for making antennae. I never thought about using them for accelerometers. These poles collapse to about 4 foot.
Here is a web site that sells them:
http://wr6wr.com/newSite/products/SD20pole/

www.portermax.com has a great unit that has lasted for years

I use the paintbrush holder above that John J pictures, but I cut the end off and attach a conduit clamp using the hole (just to the right of the wood block). A 3/4" clamp fits the body of a Wilcoxon 793 perfectly. I where the 2 pieces are attached at the knuckle, I use a bolt with a spring and a locknut so you can "adjust" the angle on the fly. I'll get some pics up later.

Stan, I see your point, but as usual it's not "just $100"... I checked some fans today that are inaccessible, 3 points per fan x 2 fans = $600 and then there is installation cost. If I did it, that's be another $300-$400. Is it worth that? I don't think so.

Wally:
A few years ago, we purchased an inexpensive pole from CSI (I'm not a vendor)that is made just for hard to reach places. It stands about 5ft. and telescopes up to 15-20 ft and has a mount for an accel. I have been very pleased with it.

Rafael

Hi guys, I made my own, using a telescopic "Hot stick" (TEL-O-POLE, 5 - 2 ft long sections)and modified the accelerometer holder(by coincicence, the "hot stick" diameter of the metal tip is the same as the CSI accelerometer holders theads), just need to cut the thread to the right size and use a lock nut. I use a "spongy" washer to minimize external vibrations. Very easy to adjust mounting angle and only two feet long when not in use.