Johnny and Xinhu have installed a new magnetometer for the MANA magnetometer array. They travelled to the top of the South Island to the Quartz Range mountains, a section of the Kahurangi national park, in Golden Bay between 7 – 9 April 2026. The site is near-perfect for a magnetometer as it is located deep in the countryside, far from any source of magnetic noise related to towns and cities. The trip included:
- A lot of digging! The magnetometer is placed in a chamber which is then buried. Then a 30 m data cable to the magnetometer and another 30 m cable for power were required! Which means Johnny and particularly Xinhu spent most of their time with shovels!
- Building! Johnny built a small enclosure to house a data logging box. Inside the data logging box is the “brains” of the operation. This included a Raspberry Pi Computer, a router for internet, recording equipment and various electrical “bits and bobs” that ensure smooth operation of the magnetometer.
- Wiring! The electronic components all had to be wired up, with various plugs and connections put in place.
- Testing! After the magnetometer was in place Johnny and Xinhu ran computer programs to ensure the equipment was all working correctly.
- Wildlife! The Quartz Range site is located on a farm, which meant Xinhu and Johnny encountered various creatures, such as chickens, sheep, a wasp nest (luckily before a shovel was put through it) and even Kea.
The trip was a success, with high quality measurements now being recorded and live on the website. After the work, Johnny and Xinhu had time to visit some tourist sites, including Kaiteriteri beach, Salisbury Falls, and the famous Te Waikoropupu Springs (the clearest Springs in the Southern Hemisphere)!
The majestic Quartz Range mountains
The magnetometer chamber. On the left the chamber is open, with a compass on top used to point the magnetometer to magnetic North. On the right, the buried chamber is shown
The inside of a data logger box or the “brains” of the magnetometer sites
Johnny checked the electronics were operating correctly
Johnny and Xinhu with the completed data logger setup
A mischievous Kea, inspecting the magnetometer
