Re: PM Tubes (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2007 06:21:17 -0800 (GMT-08:00)
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: PM Tubes (fwd)



-----Original Message-----
>From: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Dec 24, 2007 7:26 PM
>To: hvlist <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: PM Tubes (fwd)
>
>Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:44:21 -0800
>From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: PM Tubes (fwd)
>
>Gordon:
>
>    What was the original question - I've lost track.  Looks as if you 
>are all set to go if you have a suitable HV supply.
>
>    While I'm writing I'll ask a general question which I think I've 
>raised before.  Has anyone on the list built a Kelvin water dropper and 
>if so what were the results?
>

I've built (or tried to build) three or four.

Let's see...
One was made with wire and tin cans.  Didn't work for beans.  I think leakage through the supports (PVC pipe) was the problem.

One was made with just AWG 14 solid wire and styrofoam for supporta.  Worked great. 

One was made with shower heads and big buckets.  Didn't work


A friend made one with small metal trash cans (like you'd have in a bathroom) and styrofoam and it worked (but was a mess, after it charged).

Observations:
1) easy in theory, but there is some magic in the recipe
2) water management is a challenge.  I'd love to figure out how to build a continuously operating one, but so far, all the ones that work the best are driven from the tap water faucet and drain all over the floor.

However, it is about 10% RH here today, and one of the presents came packed with a big 2x4 sheet of styrofoam, so maybe I'll put the kids to work on this experiment after present opening?  "But Dad??? why do we have to do science experiments?"

Jim