Official comparison: NOAA planetary Kp
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Checking NOAA…
Worldwide index from 0 to 9; storms start at Kp 5. NOAA SWPC
FIELD NOTES / MAGNETOMETER
Your magnetic
field, explained.
Checking current readings…
Source and upload times will appear after the connection is checked.
FIELD NOTES / Magnetometer
Your magnetic
field, explained.
Real sensor measurements. A clearer view of change. Honest limits on what we can predict.
Historical snapshot—not a current-condition monitor. These values do not update automatically. Last receipt: Nov 07, 05:41:58 PM EST. Reloading cannot make old readings current. *Observation time is inferred from Unix-nanosecond device timestamps, not independently clock-verified.
1,511 genuine records26.0 min observed history2 intervals over 3sUnverified units & calibration
START HERE
How to read this page
Think of this as a short photo album of the instrument’s readings—not a live video. “Latest†means the last saved sample at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST. Nothing here automatically updates.
Read the big number, then the comparison. The first gauge shows combined magnetic strength. The second compares it with the typical level during the first five recorded minutes. The third shows how widely the readings varied during the last recorded minute.
Read the labels, not just the color. Blue fills show where a value sits on the stated comparison scale. They are not green/amber/red alerts. “Raw units†means these are the device’s original numbers: their exact UDP unit mapping has not yet been verified, so magnetic readings stay in raw units. Sensor temperatures are displayed in °F under the stated Celsius assumption.
Total magnetic strength
Combined strength · latest saved sample, not live
A higher number means a stronger combined field at this sensor; a lower number means weaker. It does not identify the cause. Arc spans only the observed minimum 33,534.81 to maximum 33,850.31. Position is not a normality or safety rating.
Compared with the first five minutes
Minus means below the starting typical level—not danger
The typical starting level is 33,732.2615, the middle value of the first five recorded minutes. Plus means above that level; minus means below, not negative field strength. Gauge bounds ±315.50, the full observed range. This is a local reference, not calibrated Earth field.
How much the reading moved
Highest minus lowest during the last recorded minute
A larger number means a wider spread of readings; a smaller number means steadier readings in that interval. This does not prove the device physically moved. Compared with 315.50 across the whole snapshot. Blue indicates amount of variation only, not safe/unsafe or storm intensity.
Gauge color shows relative variation only. No scientific alarm thresholds or “normal†bands are being invented.
LATEST CAPTURED READING
What does the last value mean?
The last bt sample is 33,706.4480 raw units: 25.8135 below the typical level of 33,732.2615 during the first five recorded minutes (the middle value, or median). It is one local measurement, not a storm warning or a health-risk reading. By itself it cannot tell us Kp (the global magnetic-activity index) or predict aurora visibility.
“Magnitude†describes combined field strength; it does not identify the source of a change. Nearby steel, electronics and power cables, as well as turning, moving or warming the instrument, may influence it. A field change alone cannot tell us which of these happened.
EARLIER → RECENT
What changed in this history?
First-five-minute mean: 33,739.8689. Last-five-minute mean: 33,752.8931. The later window is 13.0242 higher in raw units.
This window comparison is not a fitted trend, a long-term baseline or a forecast. Whole-period range: 315.5003; latest-minute range: 68.1370.
Observed history Nov 07, 05:16:00 PM EST → Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST
Real points only. Lines break for source-time intervals over 3 seconds; no invented data fills gaps. Vertical scales are independently fitted to each channel—read axis numbers.
Total magnetic strength bt
33,534.8133–33,850.3136 · raw unitsThis combines the three magnetic directions into one strength value. A rising line means stronger field at this sensor; falling means weaker. It does not tell us why it changed or whether a storm is happening.
Latest saved value: 33,706.4480 at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST; higher than the first saved value, 33,534.8133. This comparison covers this snapshot only. Vertical labels are actual recorded numbers; horizontal labels are recorded times in EST. Each chart has its own scale.
Directional components: bx, by and bz
Sensor-coordinate components, not verified north/east/vertical. Negative numbers describe direction, not a fault. A rotation can change them without a change in total field.
Side-to-side sensor component bx
-20,287.6484–-20,061.2168 · raw unitsThis is one direction measured by the sensor, not verified east/west. Higher means more positive along that sensor axis; lower means less positive or more negative. A minus sign describes direction—not danger.
Latest saved value: -20,234.3516 at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST; lower than the first saved value, -20,061.2168. This comparison covers this snapshot only. Vertical labels are actual recorded numbers; horizontal labels are recorded times in EST. Each chart has its own scale.
Second sensor-axis component by
3,881.2268–4,044.3630 · raw unitsThis is a second sensor-relative direction, not verified north/south. Higher and lower describe the signed component along that axis, not better or worse conditions.
Latest saved value: 3,995.6936 at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST; higher than the first saved value, 3,881.2268. This comparison covers this snapshot only. Vertical labels are actual recorded numbers; horizontal labels are recorded times in EST. Each chart has its own scale.
Third sensor-axis component bz
26,590.7383–26,838.4258 · raw unitsThis is the third sensor-relative direction, not a verified up/down compass measurement. Turning or tilting the instrument can change it even if total field strength barely changes.
Latest saved value: 26,659.5215 at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST; higher than the first saved value, 26,590.7383. This comparison covers this snapshot only. Vertical labels are actual recorded numbers; horizontal labels are recorded times in EST. Each chart has its own scale.
Temperature context: temp and imu_temp
Separate sensor channels, not validated outdoor-air temperatures. Fahrenheit display assumes incoming temperature values are Celsius; source units are not yet independently verified.
Instrument temperature sensor temp
77.6750–78.2375 · °FThis channel describes a temperature sensor inside the instrument. Higher means a higher sensor reading; lower means lower. It is not a verified outdoor air-temperature or weather reading. Fahrenheit uses the stated Celsius assumption.
Latest saved value: 25.6875 at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST; higher than the first saved value, 25.4375. This comparison covers this snapshot only. Vertical labels are actual recorded numbers; horizontal labels are recorded times in EST. Each chart has its own scale.
Motion-sensor temperature imu_temp
79.0039–79.6649 · °FThis is the temperature channel associated with the motion-sensing chip. It can differ from the other sensor. Higher and lower describe that chip channel—not warmer or cooler outdoor weather. Fahrenheit uses the stated Celsius assumption.
Latest saved value: 26.4180 at Nov 07, 05:42:00 PM EST; higher than the first saved value, 26.1875. This comparison covers this snapshot only. Vertical labels are actual recorded numbers; horizontal labels are recorded times in EST. Each chart has its own scale.
OUTLOOK / WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
A learning baseline,
not a forecast.
Recent and earlier windows differ, and the last minute varies. These observations do not establish that the next reading will rise, fall or stay steady. A short, single local series cannot reliably predict geomagnetic activity, Kp or aurora visibility.
- If it stays stationary: collect a longer record and see whether the reference and variation remain repeatable.
- If it moves or nearby equipment changes: annotate the time and treat the new placement as a separate baseline—not an unexplained storm.
- If data stop or timestamps jump: treat readings as stale and investigate acquisition/clock health before interpreting changes.
Read the instrument, not just the number
Are these abnormal readings or interference?
A changing number alone cannot tell us whether conditions are unusual or harmful. This instrument by itself cannot establish health effects, a geomagnetic storm, Kp (a global magnetic-activity index), or whether an aurora will be visible. There is no defensible normal/abnormal verdict yet. Variation is measured; its cause is not established. We have no calibrated placement baseline, controlled interference test or independently verified unit mapping. A conspicuous local change is something to investigate, not proof of a geomagnetic storm.
Why raw units, and what is samples?
Official dashboard documentation displays magnetic readings in nT and temperatures in °C, but does not establish conversion/mapping for these exact UDP keys. Magnetic units remain raw. Sensor temperatures are displayed in °F under the stated Celsius assumption, not an independently verified UDP mapping. samples ranges from 31 to 35; it is an integer count, not a quality score. Exact integration semantics are not validated.
IMU ax/ay/az and gx/gy/gz provide potential motion context; units/calibration are unverified, so no validated tilt, vibration or geographic direction is inferred.
How fresh and complete is this snapshot?
Receipt time and inferred observation time are separate. Median receipt-minus-source difference is -1.9 seconds. A negative value indicates a device/receiver clock or timestamp mismatch, not negative network latency. There are 2 intervals over 3 seconds; maximum interval 3.039 seconds. These counts describe the selected finite record, not end-to-end delivery completeness. UDP delivery is not guaranteed.
Where should the sensor go?
Leave it stationary initially, then document any move and start a new baseline. Manufacturer guidance: outdoors away from lights, power lines, electronics and metal; level, compass north; shaded; power cable away from the magnetic sensor. Weatherproof is not waterproof: do not immerse or bury in damp soil. Use appropriate nonmetallic protection and safe power/network access. If power must be disconnected, use a supported orderly shutdown first.
Sources & boundaries
Device UI & Deployment manual, pp5, 8, 14–15
Genuine finite snapshot; no synthetic tests or fabricated long history. Location, station identifiers and private network fields are excluded. No continuous website transfer or new background task has been installed.