Abstract: A control knob for controlling an underlying signal is disclosed. The control knob includes a clear radial portion which serves as an indicator on the knob. The radial portion receives light from a multi-color LED which is housed within a clear shaft of a potentiometer which rotates in concert with the control knob and controls the level of the underlying signal. The multi-color LED emits light of a color which is dependent upon the level of the underlying signal being controlled by the control knob.

Abstract: An armored magnetic base of the present invention includes a magnet enclosed within a protective sleeve. The magnet may have an optional shielding casing substantially covering one face of the magnet. The protective sleeve may be a tube made of rubber, plastic, or shrink-wrap material or other expandable and/or contractible material. In one preferred embodiment, a mounting apparatus is interconnectable with the magnet. The mounting apparatus may be used for mounting the armored magnetic base to a convenient location such as a user's person, a tool, a flat surface, or a pole. The present invention also includes a method for making an armored magnetic base including the steps of inserting the magnet into a tubular protective sleeve and contracting the tubular protective sleeve to secure the magnet therein.

Abstract: A magnet generator controller has a variable voltage array fabricated as a formation of receptacles mounted on a printed circuit board and interconnected via traces to pairs of taps off a transformer winding, and a plug-in connector that inserts in a selected receptacle to electrically couple one of various pairs of the taps to a field winding output in a mode of operation of the controller. This sets the voltage of the field winding output in the mode. The magnet generator controller also has a function select switch that allows selection of a run function in which the magnet generator controller sequences through plural modes (e.g., extra lift, lift, and drop modes) with associated field winding output settings in response to an operator control switch and timers. For use during set-up or fine-tuning, the function select switch also allows selection of exclusive mode functions in which the magnet generator controller operates indefinitely in an exclusive one of the modes.