Hydrophone

Here are pictures of a hydrophone that I constructed in a Saturday Academy class that I attended with my friend, Evan. Hydrophones are used to pick up sounds underwater. We tested them out on the docks but need to acquire recording equipment so we can analyze it. Well, here are pictures of it. The white part is constructed from PVC pipe. Inside it is a piezoelectric element to pick up soundwaves and canola oil, which is about the same density as seawater and facilitates the travel of soundwaves. The hydrophone transfers this to the black box, which amplifies it. You have to plug an earpiece into the side to be able to hear it. It runs on a 9V battery, and an on/off switch allows you to conserve energy as desired. The knob on top allows you to control the volume of the output. The bait cage was used to protect the hydrophone from any possible sea lion attacks, and the weird plastic bottom of a bucket to minimize vertical movement.

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