Magnetic Stud Finder
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why it does not work?
A: There can be many reasons. For trouble shooting, try it on some ferromagnetic objects. Some part of the phone is more sensitive than others due to the sensor position. For example, if the magnetic sensor is at the right edge of the phone, a nail at the left edge may not trigger alarm. If the app can detect metal, try it on the wall. Scan the wall with phone in “S” pattern slowly. Again, if the sensor is at the right edge of the phone, scan the wall with the right edge. Some stud finding knowledge will definitely help. Finding stud could be tricky no matter what stud finder you use.
Q: Why reference value is 0?
A: In default setting, reference value is calculated based on location. If location information is not available, reference value can be zero. If after some efforts you still can not get location to work, select setting->magnetic reference->by measurement, and calibrate. A good way to check the availability of locaiton information is to use Google map to locate yourself.
Q: How should wifi and gps help with this?
A: The app detects metal by comparing observed magnetic strength with reference value. Reference value is location-dependent and can be obtained by using location information.
Q: Can it work on wood studs?
A: Yes. It finds wood stud by locating the steel nails/screws used on it.
Q: What should I do when my phone keeps beeping or vibrating without obvious reasons?
A: Wave your phone in a figure 8 motion to realign the magnetic sensor. Cheap analog components need realignment from time to time.
Q: What is the unit of measurement?
A: Microtesla
Instruction Video
If you can not see the plugin video, use
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZmd5vkag7o.
About The App
Studs are the vertical beams forming frame of the wall. The app can detect both metal and wood studs. For wood studs, steel nails are used to fix dry wall to the studs. Magnetic stud finder finds studs by identifying the location of nails. An example of real-world magnetic stud finder is shown below. It has a powerful magnet made from rare earth. When using it, you sweep the device slowly on the surface of dry wall and rare earth magnet can locate the nails. Instead of magnet, my app uses the magnetic sensor, magnetometer, within the smart phone to detect steel nails. The phone will beep or vibrate when targets found. It also provides a view of bubble level to help the handyman. In addition, the app can be used as ordinary metal detector.
