This is the latest version of Public Lab's DIY Desktop Spectrometry Kit -- the Lego Spectrometer. It addresses issues of rigidity, sourcing, modularity, and image quality over previous versions. We've been making and distributing [Do-It-Yourself spectrometers](/w//spectrometry) since 2011, and have been through [4 major kit versions](http://store.publiclab.org/collections/spectrometry) and hundreds of different community contributed modifications, new versions, changes, and more. ## Get a kit This is an open source kit, so you can just build your own -- but to **order parts for a kit**, visit the Public Lab Store: ## Design goals Over the years, we've identified a few really critical improvements that have been tough to solve: * rigidity * easy to source parts * modularity - working together * image quality Our mission is to make it **easier, cheaper, and more accessible to do environmental monitoring**, and to do that as an open source, collaborative community. And of course part of that is cost -- while people build upon our kits with more expensive options and upgrades, we want the basic kit to be extremely affordable. ## Quick start [notes:grid:lego-quickstart] ## Questions [questions:lego-spectrometer] ## Building your Lego Spectrometer [activities:lego-spectrometer] ## Spectrometry activities [activities:spectrometry-sampling] **** ## Spectrometer calibration [activities:spectrometry-calibration] **** [](https://publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/022/935/original/tinkercad.png) _Tinkercad model, below_ ## Parts ### 3D models * Tinkercad: https://tinkercad.com/things/43IqCTHE7Iz * Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2711528 ### 3D brick models Lots of great brick models are available here: https://printabrick.org/ and on http://thingiverse.com * assorted standard bricks: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2626413 * holey bricks: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1095326 * sloped brick: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:527185 * corner L brick: https://printabrick.org/bricks/2357 * brick w/ peg: https://printabrick.org/bricks/2458 (I used this instead of a 1x2 hole brick + a friction peg, because I couldn't find a model for the brick) Brick dimensions are nicely described in this diagram from Wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego_dimensions.svg Print files for the black cardstock insert can be [found here](https://publiclab.org/notes/abdul/10-19-2016/foldable-paper-spectrometer-instructions). ...
| Author | Comment | Last activity | Moderation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| warren | "@warren awards a barnstar to cedarlodge for their awesome contribution! " | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| warren | "We found that for WiFi networks with no password, you can get it to log into any open network with: network={ key_mgmt=NONE priority=-999 ..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| jpschaaf | "@asnow -- I did not order a kit so nothing to worry about from that perspective; I just would like to see the page edited in case someone else gets..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| asnow | "Hi @jpschaaf You are right! The kits should come with 4 x 3036 plates, not one as mentioned above. Regarding use of the 3004 bricks, which step in ..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| jpschaaf | "The parts manifest should show Four 6 x 8 plates - 3036 instead of one. I'm also pretty sure that building the illustrated item also requires two..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| Bronwen | "Hi @dcanprdn you're not missing anything, our initial pre-order was so that folks could get in early to start making their own and contributing to ..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| dcanprdn | "I just got a lego spectrophotomer "kit" a bag of some lego pieces, a slit, and a CD. Directions are online I guess and the buyer must supply the ..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| warren | "Broke out the idea of a USB-only connection in this question! https://publiclab.org/questions/warren/12-15-2017/how-can-we-set-up-a-raspberry-pi-ca..." | Read more » | about 7 years ago | |||
| warren | "Awesome -- i used the image and it worked perfectly! " | Read more » | about 7 years ago | |||
| warren | "Hi, @partsandcrafts @wmacfarl @kgradow1 @bmela - i'd be happy to do some formatting work on this post if you want to add my username as a coauthor ..." | Read more » | about 7 years ago | |||
| warren | "Oh! The docs say "Clicking on the image will toggle between normal and full screen mode." Awesome! " | Read more » | about 7 years ago | |||
| stevie | "@stevie awards a barnstar to partsandcrafts for their awesome contribution! " | Read more » | about 7 years ago | |||
| shubham | "Simply use some nailpolish remover (from your sister's cabinet :P) to remove all the dye within seconds. You can make reflective as well as clear t..." | Read more » | over 8 years ago | |||
| DonV | "I used Everclear 180 proof (ethanol) and the point of a sharp Exacto knife to both tease the layers apart and remove all the dye. The ethanol seem..." | Read more » | almost 9 years ago | |||
| chongyukwai | "stick the plastic tape onto the large aluminium part, tease off the tape and at the same time the aluminium part will be tease off at the same time..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
| warren | "Translation: I submerged the DVD in diluted hydrochloric acid, of the kind used in sanitary cleaning, and it eliminated the aluminum residue, and ..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
| edilberto | "Yo sumergí el el dvd en ácido clorhídrico diluido, del que se emplea en limpieza sanitaria, y se eliminaron los residuos de aluminio, no daña al po..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
| mathew | "confirmed. Denatured alcohol pulled it off and dried without residue. That was really fast--it makes me wonder if we should use this method to mak..." | Read more » | almost 10 years ago | |||
| sharky | "Ethanol remove immediately organic dye and evaporates in few seconds. " | Read more » | almost 10 years ago | |||
| MrBumper | "Matthew - I found that static soaking helps soften the dye. But then the dissolved dye just sits in solution above the surface of the DVD-R fragmen..." | Read more » | almost 10 years ago | |||
| mathew | "I just tried this out-- I didn't find warm water alone effective, nor did I find just soaking in soapy water enough to remove the dye. I found tha..." | Read more » | almost 10 years ago | |||
| stevie | "In regards to your comment "grooves in the DVD-R surface must be oriented as close to parallel with the spectrometer slit as possible," in the past..." | Read more » | almost 10 years ago | |||
| MrBumper | "As far as I know the guide groove on a DVD+R would be indistinguishable from that on DVD-R as far as using it for a diffraction grating is concerne..." | Read more » | almost 10 years ago | |||
| mathew | "this lead to a massive thread on the mailing list: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/plots-spectrometry/zxkwRR7D4ls " | Read more » | almost 10 years ago |