Magnetic Levitation cradle
Repulsive maglev, lifts a magnet from below
W. Beaty, Nov 1994
![[LEVITATOR GIF: a 3 inch bar magnet hovers above two circuit boards. The row of hall-effect sensors is visible on the boards.]](/maglev/bbmlev.gif)
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The device in the articles is not trivial to build, so I would recommend
it mostly for
ADVANCED HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL AND ABOVE. If you've never built any
electronic devices before, I wouldn't recommend the Meissner maglev cradle
as your
first project. I built mine using parts from a mail-order surplus store.
Since you'll be using DIFFERENT surplus parts, my plans are only
guidelines for experienced hobbyists rather than detailed instructions for
a beginner. Experimentation will be required in order to get this device
to work. For a much simpler project, check out "Simple maglev
train", which uses only permanent magnets, and the Science Projects page.
Dowling magnetics sells SDK-100, a maglev train kit which uses only
permanent magnets.
I'm a science hobbyist and occasional exhibit designer for science museums.
The multi-coil device
shown in the photo was part of a prototype "room-temperature
superconductive table" which never
made it to a museum. I thought I'd place it here so students and hobbyists
could experiment with this strange maglev effect.
