[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Tesla References
> Updated 1-1-95
I have (with the assistance of others) put together a list of a
references for those who are interested in Tesla and his work.
> Tesla Book Company, PO BOX 121873, CHULA VISTA, CA. 91912
This catalog is pretty good: Tesla Coil handbooks, Tesla Coil
design manuals, coil plans, Tesla's Diary, Tesla's Lectures,
Colorado Springs Notes, and many other titles. The catalog has a
1-800-398-2056 information/order line.
> Twenty First Century Books, Box 2001, Breckenridge, CO. 80424.
Twenty First Century Books also has a very complete Tesla book
catalog, with several new titles (first edition of Tesla's "New
York Lecture, April 6 1897" to name one). Tel: 303-453-9293
> Lindsay Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 12, Bradley, IL. 60915
> Voice - 815-935-5353 ; Fax - 815-935-5477
Lindsay also offers a good selection of Tesla literature, classic
electronics publications, reprints, and T-Coil Design software.
Ask for their new Technical Catalog available January 1995.
> High Voltage Press, 4326 S.E. Woodstock, #489, Portland
> OR 97206 USA
Publishes and sells the three booklets by George Trinkaus
> THE INTERNATIONAL TESLA SOCIETY, INC, (ITS) P.O. Box 5636,
> Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80931, USA
The ITS has a book shop that mail orders:
> High Energy Enterprises, P.O. Box 5636, Colorado Springs, CO.
> 80931, USA Tel: 719-475-0918, Fax: 719-475-0582
This source has many good Tesla publications and literature/
instructions on high voltage devices; historical and modern.
I would vote this the most improved catalog of Tesla literature
in 1994. Get the "1995 Resource Guide" which is the best and most
comprehensive Tesla catalog I have seen to date: oscillator
handbooks, HV capacitor construction guides, Tesla Coil con-
struction guides/manuals/software, Tesla's Colorado Springs
Notes, Radio Tesla, Tesla's Diary Comparisons, and many, many
more Tesla titles. A must have catalog for any Tesla buff.
To get a complete listing of the books, pamphlets, and software
I have reviewed below, you will need to contact all of the book
sources above. There will be some duplication of titles, but a
unique gem or two will be found from each source. These book
sources also cater to fringe "science" people. I tend to stay
away from titles with words/phrases: free-energy-scalar-wave-
zero-point-gravitobiology-time-travel, etc.. I include this
material in the fringe or "crackpot" scientist catagory.
Of course, what you do is your business, but: CAVEAT EMPTOR!
> The TESLA COIL BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, (TCBA) Harry Goldman, 3
> AMY LANE, QUEENSBURY, NEW YORK, 12804, USA.
Publishes a quarterly newsletter NEWS, with parts mart, Q&A,
reader project, historical project, topical reprints (such as the
two Popular Science projects recently mentioned here), etc.. Back
issues and index are available, tell Harry I sent you.
> Information Unlimited, P.O. Box 716, Amherst, NH., 03031, USA
Tesla Coils, rail guns, lasers, tasers, plasma cutters, Jacob's
ladders, stun guns, plasma globes, HV power supplies,...
Completed units, kits, parts, or just plans. Nice catalog.
Tel: 603-673-4730, Fax: 603-672-5406, Order: 800-221-1705
> The U.S. Patent Office, Washington, DC.
Copies of Tesla's patents are available for $1.50 each. You must
specify patent numbers.
> Tesla Information, 18321 Edgewood Ave., Villa Park, CA. 92667
They carried Tesla coil design instructions, manuals, and
supplimentary papers and manuscripts.
> Vangard Sciences, P.O. BOX 1031, Mesquite, TX, 75150
BBS: 214-324-3501; Has Tesla software, Tesla papers and Tesla
info; public domain information accepted and available.
> Barnes & Nobel Booksellers, 126 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011
Tel: 1-800-242-6657. I list them because they have really been
increasing their number of Tesla titles. In addition to a couple
of books reviewed below, they also have a video tape: NIKOLA
TESLA: THE GENIUS WHO LIT THE WORLD, that takes the viewer inside
the Tesla museum in Belgrad, Yugoslavia where some of Tesla's
handmade exhibition equipment was still operational, and his
original demonstrations are reproduced.
> Tesla Memorial Society, 453 Martin Rd. Lackawanna, NY, 14218
Produced the video mentioned above.
> chip-at-grendel.objinc-dot-com
Internet mailing list for Tesla info, files (public domain), or,
write to: Chip Atkinson, 7675 Matai Court, Niwot, CO. 80503
Tel: 303-652-3616
... Books to look out for:
> THE COLORADO SPRINGS NOTES, 1899-1900
By Nikola Tesla... Hardcover, 440pp, Published by NOLIT, Beograd,
Yugoslavia, 1978. At the time of his death, Tesla was actually a
Yugoslavian dependant. Recognized as a national hero, the govern-
ment of Yugoslavia had set up a small trust fund to insure Tesla
had rent and food. When he died in 1943, his personal effects
were examined, plundered a bit, then forwarded to his next of
kin, Yugoslavia, who built a museum in Belgrad (spel Belgrade &
Beograd) to house them. In the mid 1970s the Tesla Museum
organized Tesla's notes from the 1899-1900 experiments at
Colorado Springs, CO., and sent them to the museum publisher
NOLIT. This edition ran in 1978. Prefaced and annotated by
Dr. Aleksandar Marincic, Assoc. Prof. of EE Beograd Univ. and
advisor to the Nikola Tesla Museum, Yugoslavia; it transcribes
Tesla's original english manuscript w/schematics, and B&W photos.
> NICKOLA TESLA ON HIS WORK WITH ALTERNATING CURRENTS
> AND THEIR APPLICATION TO WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY, TELEPHONY,
> AND TRANSMISSION OF POWER
This is a fine product of a modern legal research, edited by
Leland I. Anderson, published in 1992 by Sun Publishing, Div. of
Boyle & Anderson, Denver, CO., 80219. Library of Congress Catalog
#92-60482, ISBN 0-9632652-0-2; this book is the transcript of
Tesla's pre-hearing interview conducted by his legal counsel in
1916. The interview was precipitated by a number of pending court
cases in the fledgling radio industry. One of the attorneys
conducting the interview held an EE degree. Photos, patent
covers, schematics, mechanical drawings, etc. were submitted by
Tesla as the stenographer recorded his answers and explanations.
None of this material was intended for print, and there is no
question as to accuracy or authenticity. His testimony and
depositions led to a US Supreme Court decision in his favor 1943.
Highly recommended.
> NIKOLA TESLA: LECTURE BEFORE THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
> - APRIL 6, 1897
Nikola Tesla, 1897, (edited and prefaced by Leland I. Anderson)
published by Twenty First Century Books, 1994, Library of
Congress Card No.: 94-61004, ISBN 0-9636012-1-0 (hard cover) ISBN
0-9636012-7-X (soft cover), 123pp, $12.95 cover price. This is a
real gem. Tesla was the third speaker of the evening April 6.
The hour grew late and the presentation was cut short. Leland
Anderson has retrieved the entire lecture as it was originally
written by Tesla, and has included the sections that Tesla had
determined not to present due to conflicts with pending patent
applications. The lecture covers coil construction (complete with
techniques, drawings, and photos), radio schematics, the AND
logic gate schematic (incredible), radio and X-Ray tube con-
struction and experiments. This is another overwhelming proof
that Tesla was at least a half a century ahead of his time. One
resonator schematic used for production of X-Rays was heralded
as a great improvement when it was re-invented 38 years later by
D. Sloan. This is no interpretation, this is the original work.
> EXPERIMENTS WITH ALTERNATE CURRENTS OF HIGH POTENTIAL AND
> HIGH FREQUENCY: A Lecture delivered before the Institution
> of Electrical Engineers, London
by Nikola Tesla, with an appendix by the same author:
> TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY WITHOUT WIRES
1904, Mcgraw Publishing Co., New York, reprinted 1986, Angriff
Press, P.O.BOX 2726, Hollywood CA 90078, 162pp, ISBN 913022-25-X
The title is a pretty apt description. The lecture (presented in
1895) covers his RF work and lighting systems with details of
single terminal bulb design, circuits, and some on coil
construction; similar in many ways to the material delivered in
the lecture series of the title below. He also expands on his
ideas for wireless power transmission that were presented in a
lecture in St. Louis in 1893. The appendix is quite interesting,
and consists of a reprint of an article that was solicted by
"Electrical World and Engineer" magazine for their 30th aniver-
sary issue, March 5, 1904. At the time the appendix article was
written, Tesla's Wardenclyff project was beginning to show signs
of stalling: cost overruns, construction delays, and problems
with financing. The project of course never saw commercial
completion, though Tesla did fire it for experimental purposes.
> THE INVENTIONS RESEARCHES & WRITINGS OF NIKOLA TESLA
Nikola Tesla, 1893 (edited and prefaced by Thomas Commerford
Martin), ISBN 0-88029-812-X, published by Barnes & Nobel (1992
second edition). 512pp, hardcover, (Item #1774447, $9.98 US)
Transcripts of Tesla's famous lectures and articles up to
December 1893, with many sketches, schematics, and wiring
diagrams of Tesla polyphase systems, bulbs, RF systems etc..
> THE COMPLETE PATENTS OF NIKOLA TESLA
Nikola Tesla, edited by Jim Glenn; 1994, ISBN 1-56619-266-8,
Barnes & Nobel, paperback, 535 pp, $14.98 (plus a couple of bucks
shipping and handling in the U.S.), Barnes & Nobel item # 1903210
The title says "THE COMPLETE PATENTS", but Tesla, fluent in more
than five languages, had dozens of additional patents approved in
countries outside the U.S.; however, all one hundred and twelve
U.S. patents are reproduced in their entirety.
> JOHN STONE STONE ON NIKOLA TESLA'S PRIORITY IN RADIO AND
> CONTINUOUS-WAVE RADIOFREQUENCY APPARATUS
edited by Leland I. Anderson, published as "THE A.W.A. REVIEW"
Volume I, 1986 by the Antique Wireless Association, Inc.,
Holcomb, New York, 14469. I received this 41 page paperback
booklet courtesy of Leland I. Anderson and was very impressed
with Stone's views and interpretations of Tesla's work. John
Stone Stone was witness to Tesla's famous trio of lectures in New
York in 1891. Stone went on to a career in wireless, making an
association with Lee de Forest (inventor of the audion, the first
triode tube amplifier), then going on to become a leader of the
Institute of Radio Engineers: president in 1914-1915, Medal of
Honor 1923. Stone devoted his entire life to developing radio.
Needless to say, his work was greatly influenced by Tesla; he
clearly and concisely traces the radio industry back to Tesla's
1891 lectures and Tesla's patents that followed. Excellent!
> GUIDE TO COLORADO SPRINGS NOTES
Richard Hull, 1994, published by Twenty First Century Books, or
available from the author: Richard Hull, 7103 Hermatiage Road,
Richmond VA, 23228. ISBN# 0-9636012-2-9, paperback, 129 pages.
Richard Hull is head of an informal group: Tesla Coil Builders Of
Richmond (T.C.B.O.R.), which is currently the world leader in
Tesla Magnifier development. As such, Mr. Hull is qualified to
review and guide the reader through Tesla's sometimes cryptic
notes from the Colorado Springs Lab. Mr. Hull coverts all of
Tesla's archaic units of measurments into the modern Farads,
Henrys, and Hertz, then explains Tesla's experiments so anyone
can clearly understand what he did. Mr. Hull slants the per-
spective toward the practical coiler who is looking for better
power processing efficiency. Included is a 32 page appendix with
numerous closeup photos of the author's Magnifier lab. Cost is
$22.50 (which includes shipping and handling in the U.S.), and
well worth the price. Mr. Hull also offers a video tape series
which includes a video presentation on the construction of
homemade pulse discharging high-voltage capacitors (Video #3).
> VACUUM TUBE TESLA COILS
James F. Corum, Ph.D. and Kenneth L. Corum, 1987, published by
Corum & Assoc, Inc., 8551 State Route 534, Windsor, Ohio, 44099,
USA. ISBN 0-924758-00-7. Tesla Math, tube coil circuits, theory.
This book is geared more for the advanced coiler with some
knowledge of calculus, but offers enough for the beginner to be
on the "read" list. This book is a guide to the significance of
Tesla's Extra Coil work, the infamous lab at Colorado Springs,
and history of resonators. Many charts are easily understood.
> TESLA, MAN OUT OF TIME
Margaret Cheney, 1981, published by Dorset Press, ISBN 0-88029-
419-1; available from Barnes & Nobel, 320pp, hardcover, (Barnes
& Nobel item #1611151, $7.98 US). Well balanced and researched
biography of Tesla; accurate, informative, and good reading.
> RADIO TESLA: The secret of Tesla's Radio and Wireless power
George Trinkaus, 1983, High Voltage Press; No ISBN; booklet 37pp.
This paper is both unique and informative. At the time it was
written the Tesla Magnifier was still a mystery, but the rest of
this publication shines. The sections on grounding and earth con-
duction are excellent. Trinkaus has pasted in wiring diagrams,
patent covers, schematics, drawings, and photos of classical
radio and high-voltage circuits and components such as: coherers,
magnetic detectors, vacuum tube detectors, crystal detectors,
rotating rectifiers, Marx generators, Tesla mutiplex, Tesla
regenerative, Tesla's hetrodyne, Tesla Tanks, resonance; all
pictured next to clear and concise text explanations. Not only
is this book easy to read, but it opens the mind.
> THE TESLA EXPERIMENT: LIGHTNING AND EARTH ELECTRICAL RESONANCE
> A Commentary on 1983 Research & Test Results
Charles A. Yost, 1983, Dynamic Systems, Inc., Leicester, NC,
published by Tesla Book Co., no ISBN or catalog #, booklet, 40pp.
This paper by Charles Yost is very interesting in that it
provides modern, reproducable data, from a simple roof antenna,
coax, ground, and a Hewlett Packard 1207A Storage Tube O'scope.
The experiment measures electrostatic transients caused by
lightning strikes up to 50 miles away. This is very interesting
in that it is the first time, to my knowledge, that anyone has
attempted to go back to Tesla's original source of data, light-
ning strikes, to present data supporting earth resonance.
> ELECTRICITY AT HIGH PRESSURES AND FREQUENCIES
Henry L. Transtrom, orginally published: 1913, second edition
1921, Joseph G. Branch Publishing, Chicago; Reprinted 1990, ISBN
1-55918-054-4, Lindsay Publications, Bradley, Illinois, 60915.
Paperback, 247pp, Lindsay # 20544, $ 11.95. Excellent technical
book; useful in designing coil control systems, coils, (calc.)
inductance, field strengths, capacitance, etc.. Classic trans-
former reference text, but the Tesla coil/capacitor designs are
primitive by today's standards.
> HIGH FREQUENCY APPARATUS
Thomas Stanley Curtis, 1916, Everday Mechanics Co., Inc., New
York; Reprinted 1988, paper ISBN 1-55918-003-X, cloth ISBN 55918-
004-8, Lindsay Publications Inc., Bradley IL. 60915. Paperback,
246pp, Lindsay order number 20030, $ 11.95 : Classic coil text,
much of which was reprinted in 1985 by R.A. Ford in his book
"Tesla Coil Secrets". "Classic" means before the age of plastics,
and these historical coils and coil components frequently lack
efficiency, reliablity, and safety.
> TESLA COIL SECRETS: Construction Notes and Novel Uses
R.A. Ford, 1985, Lindsay Publications, Inc., Bradley IL 60915
ISBN 0-917914-31-7, paperback, 74pp. Ford researches and repro-
duces several classic Tesla coil and component designs from
publications of yesteryear; but he updated nothing...
**************Imported*text*************************************
MB> I hope the following information on Tesla books will be of
MB> interest to some of you. - Mark Brown
MB> I recently purchased the following books from Lindsay
MB> Publications, Bradley IL 60915: Their Technical Books
MB> catalog has many Tesla Coil books in it. Their service was
MB> EXCELLENT!! I have tagged each book with a brief "review."
MB> The opinions are my own. Lindsay order numbers are given (#).
> DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION OF INDUCTION COILS
# 20404, $ 12.95; Step-by-step guide to building your own
induction coil. Reprint from early 20th century magazine project.
Fascinating, but many turned brass parts, etc..
> EXPERIMENTS WITH ALTERNATE CURRENTS OF HIGH POTENTIAL
# 4392, $ 9.95; (no review given by Mark, but it is an EXCELLENT
experiment book)
> HOW TO BUILD A 40,000 VOLT INDUCTION COIL
# 844, $ 4.95; A solid state design that uses a surplus auto
ignition coil and a power transistor. Almost all Radio Shack
parts. Small booklet. Some info on Kirlian photography, ozone
production, etc. Interesting (and easy - no coil winding)
project, but not a Tesla coil.
> HIGH POWER WIRELESS EQUIPMENT
# 4953, $ 9.95; Step-by-step process from old radio magazine on
building an spark-gap transmitter. Nice historical information,
fascinating processes and diagrams.
> TESLA'S LOST INVENTIONS
# 748, $ 5.95; Booklet (by George Trinkaus). Short descriptions
of several of Tesla's most interesting inventions, including
turbines, etc. Good, but too short!
***************End*of*imported*text******************************
> TESLA COIL DESIGN MANUAL
> JHCTES TESLA COIL DESIGN SOFTWARE
> TESLA HANDBOOK
> TESLA COIL CONSTRUCTION GUIDE
(Separate Titles) John H. Couture, 1992, 1992, 1988, & 1994;
JHC Engineering Co., 10823 New Salem Point, San Diego, CA., 92126
USA. No ISBN or Lib. of Congress catalog #, but these are
available from the author and the bookdealers listed previously.
The first two titles are based on John Couture's design theory
and some empirical data. The basic math for 1/4 wave coil
winding, tank circuit design, performance, etc., is well laid
out, but when it comes to using his charts to predict the best
design parameters, it falls short. Many of my best coils would
never have been built if I had gone by his data. His JHCTES TESLA
COIL DESIGN SOFTWARE also kicks out my coil designs, saying they
exceed the construction voltage breakdown limits! The program is
based on the same sets of data.
The TESLA COIL CONSTRUCTION GUIDE is a 1994 update of the TESLA
COIL DESIGN MANUAL. This update does away with some of the prob-
lems of the earlier publications, but the author still advises
that coils be wound with insulated stranded wire, and advocates
using small (even tiny) primaries, large capacitors and small
dischargers. These guidelines indicate that John Couture's design
process is derived more from radio theory, and not from years
of experience in actual Tesla coil construction and testing.
Coils built with this design method do work, but they require
larger power supplies, and they sacrifice a lot efficiency and
reliability. His grounding suggestions have improved only slight-
ly from his previous titles and they are still inadequate, but
his ideas for RF filters and choking are now closer in agreement
with mine. A beginner would find this a useful book. Couture has
laid out some good wiring diagrams, wire tables, some "OK" coil
plans, Faraday cage instructions, and a series of experiments. As
usual, his math section is very well thought out and organized.
> TESLA COILS! 100 Years of Electrical Magic
Brent C. Turner, 1991, no ISBN or publisher. Briefly covers
three basic coil types; Spark Gap, Vacuum Tube, Solid State.
Useful to have for the wiring diagrams, specs, and basic math.
I have no address for Brent, but this book should be available
from at least one of the bookdealers who specialize in Tesla.
> TESLA COIL
George Trinkaus, 1986, 1987, & 1989, Third Edition, Extensively
Revised. No ISBN, published by High Voltage Press, 4326 S.E.
Woodstock, #489, Portland, OR., 97206 ($4.95). Mr. Trinkaus has a
few Tesla booklets out for under $10.00. This one is a simple
Tesla Coil built from scratch: neon sign xfrmr, beer bottle salt
water capacitor, brass bolt spark gaps, PVC plastic pipe second-
ary, primary wound on a Rubbermaid "Servin' Saver" bowl, copper
toilet tank float for a discharger... Need I say more?
> TABLE-TOP LIGHTNING : HOW TO BUILD A
> POWERFUL, COMPACT, TESLA COIL
Lloyd F. Ritchey, Jr., 1992, published by the Tesla Book Co.,
paperback, 38pp, ISBN: 0-914119-26-5. The author also advertises
manuals, kits, and parts: Ritchey Productions, 7803 Stanford,
Dallas, TX 75225, USA.. This short booklet details the plans for
two basic Tesla coils evolved from the "classical" designs of the
1920s and 30s. While I am sure the coils that are detailed will
live up to the promised performance of 24 inches of spark... My
own designs and techniques are years ahead of Mr. Ritchey. I
found the book to be full of the misunderstandings and misinform-
ation that are extensions of the design errors that coilers began
making 70 years ago. For instance, the author advises against the
use of cardboard secondaries because of moisture, but then in-
structs the builder to use plywood in the secondary construction.
I like a high inductance, all plastic, hermetically sealed
secondary coil with no holes in the coil form and a high Q copper
pipe primary that can be tapped for a wide range of efficient
operating frequencies; I am sorry Mr. Ritchey, you missed the
boat to the 20th century.
> MODERN TESLA COIL THEORY
Duane A. Bylund, Corona Coils, P.O. BOX 474, Riverton, UT 84065
Duane has developed very powerful, tuneable, and reliable, solid
state oscillator circuits for base feeding Tesla resonators. This
solid state driver and coil design are excellent for lighting
bulbs and for conducting experiments with wireless power
transmission through ground currents.
> HIGH VOLTAGE CAPACITOR DESIGN HANDBOOK
K.R. Scott, 1994, published by Lambda Publishing Group, P.O.BOX
1894 Lawrence, KS, 66044-8894, USA. No ISBN number, booklet of
about 25 pages, cover price $6.50. This is a compilation of
reprints from: old Pop. Magazine capacitor projects, a Tesla
patent, some capacitor descriptions from an old radio catalog,
some instructions taken from Transtrom's book (reviewed above)
and finally; some recent tables showing electrical properties and
constants for modern plastics, and several pages of essential
capacitor math (which you could photocopy out of any current
amateur radio or electrical engineering handbook).
> THE TESLA COIL COMPENDIUM
Randall S. Peterson, no date, ISBN, publisher, etc.. I guess it
is available from Randy at: 16671 T.R.51, MT. Cory, Ohio, 45868
This publication is a compilation of Randy's favorite designs.
The coils are "OK", but a little dated. Randy used to ship out
complete kits and fully assembled coils in his spare time...
> MODERN RESONANCE TRANSFORMER DESIGN THEORY
D.C. Cox, no date or ISBN, published by the Tesla Book Co..
I will quote from the inside jacket: "This book was written and
dedicated to the young coil builders who will design, modify,
measure, test, and evaluate today's technology, and then, design
and develop tomorrows highly efficient Tesla coil systems."
I don't think I ever got a thing out of this book, although it
does have design math, toroid math, etc.. DC Cox is a pro, and
his company Resonance Research, designs and builds museum coils;
but never forget he is in it for the $$$$$...
... Additional resources, reviews
> Resonance Research Corp. RTE. 1, Shadylane Rd. Baraboo, WI
> 53913 USA, Tel: 608-356-3647
This is D.C. Cox's company (see publication notes above) and I
assume he sells completed coils, plans, and parts (sources say he
sells rotary gaps). But he won't reply to even an information
request without $10.00 in his hands (no personal checks accepted:
bank money orders or cashiers checks only).... Go Figure...
> Tesla Technology Research, 2527 Treelane Ave, Monrovia, CA
> 91016 USA
Bill Wysock is a well known, respected coiler, and (at least
until his the July 94 ZAP SHOW at the Colorado Springs Tesla
Symposium) reliable coiler. My sources say he sells rotary gaps.
> THE BELL JAR
Journal on vacuum work written by Steve Hanson and published
quarterly, $15.00, 35 Windsor Drive, Amherst, NH, 03031
Many high voltage projects.
> THE TESLA COIL DESIGNER
IBM DOS coil construction software by Walt Noon. Available from
Lindsay Publications, others. This is a first class Tesla
Coil design package that reduces the hours and hours of paper,
pencil, and calculator time to mere seconds. All constants and
formulas are already programed into the menu driven package, just
"plug n chug" for a fast accurate custom coil design. Write to:
Walt Noon III, 3283 Belvedere, Riverside, CA 92507 USA
> October 1992, Popular Electronics pp 69-71, Fun With Tesla
> Coils, by Charles D. Rakes
This article builds a small solid state coil using a driver
oscillator which base feeds the HV HF Coil. The project uses
a 567 tone decoder IC, a few resistors, caps, and a power supply
to drive a small coil to light bulbs etc.. The secondary is wound
on a piece of 4" PVC, looks simple and inexpensive (~$80.00). My
archives contain a self extracting program (TESLABLD.EXE) that
gives detailed instructions on building this project.
> November 1993, Electronics World + Wireless World, (magazine)
pp 937-942. "The spark that gave RADIO to the world", by George
Pickworth: "Marconi" this and "Marconi" that; Tesla mentioned
only once; but it did have clear photos and diagrams of what not
to do... As well as useful photos of damped wave trains produced
with authentic gap systems. A good general explanation of spark
gap types and functions.
> Vacuum Tube Industries, Inc., 506 North Warren Avenue,
> P.O. Box 2009, Brockton, MA. 02405 USA
> tel: 508-584-4500, tel: 800-528-5014, fax: 508-584-0096
Specialize in new and rebuilt 450 KC power tubes for commercial
RF induction heaters and the supply & control xfrmrs, cooling
loops, etc.. These are the type tubes I would use for a CW coil.
> The Condenser Products Corp., 2131 Broad Street,
> Brooksville, FL 34609
Manufacturers of commercial high voltage plastic film, pulse
discharge, (Tesla) capacitance. Minimum order $150.00, minimum
shipping time about 6 weeks. These are where my big commercial
capacitors come from, as they will build them to your specs.
> Larry J. Rebman, The Transformer Bank, Inc., University
> Technology Center, 1313 Fifth St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55415
> Tel: (612) 379-3958, Fax: (612) 379-5962
Suppliers of surplus high voltage transformers and transmission
equipment. Good source of non-shunted step up xfrmrs.
> Jefferson Electric Co., 1400 Center Circle Dr.
> Downers Grove, IL 60315 USA
Manufactures and supplies neon sign transformers
TS> NWL Capacitors, 1 Industrial Dr., Snow Hill, NC 28580
TS> Tel: 908-842-5757 FAX 908-842-1161
or
> NWL CAPACITORS, 8050 Monetary Dr., Riviera Beach, FL., 33404
> Tel: 407-848-9009
Custom manufactured high voltage pulse discharge Tesla caps...
> Sprague Electronics, 134 Fulton Ave., Garden City Park, NY
> 11040 USA Source of high voltage capacitors.
TS> Plastic Capacitors, 2623 N. Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 99120
TS> Tel: 312-489-2229.
TS> Cornell-Dubilier, 1605 E. Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford,
TS> MA 02744, Tel: 508-996-8564 They bought out Sangamo.
TS> Danny Churchill at Commercial Radio Co. in VT, 802-226-7582,
TS> sometimes has some interesting stuff around. I bet you'd
TS> find him interesting even if he didn't have whatever model
TS> you currently need. Among other things, he manufactures
TS> custom high voltage inductors and transformers, in an old 3
TS> story brick schoolhouse converted to a factory/warehouse.
THANKS TERRY SMITH (203)732-0575 BBS (1:141/1275) for your input!
> Hipotronics, Inc., RTE.22, Brewster, New York, 10590 (or 10509)
> TEL: 914-279-8091
Manufacturers of high-voltage test equipment. Capacitors,
transformers, bussing, toroids, etc. are available. These are
the guys who make the test gear that power utilities use to
destroy their xmission equipment to determine breakdown limits.
> CSI Capacitors, 810 Rancheros Dr. San Marcos, CA, 96069
> TEL: 619-747-4000
Another source of custom made, commercial plastic film, high-
voltage, pulse discharging, (Tesla type) capacitance. Ask about
left over units from production runs, sometimes you will find a
bargin in a top quality cap.
> Maxwell Labs, Inc., 8888-G Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA, 92123
> TEL: 619-279-5100
Manufacturer of commercial high-voltage equipment, capacitors,
power supplies, etc..
> Antique Electronic Supply, P.O. Box 27468, Tempe, AZ, 85285
> TEL: 602-820-5411
Source for the tube coil builder, many old/rare vacuum tubes and
related equipment (sockets, mica caps, power supplies, etc.) for
projects like "Lil Tesla Coil" of the 1960's Pop Electronics era.
> Weisner Electronics, 149 Hunter Ave, Albany, NY, 12206
> TEL: 518-438-2801
Another source for the tube coiler. Plate xfmrs, mica caps,
tubes, etc..
> Daily Electronics, P.O. Box 5029, Compton, CA., 90224
> Tel: 213-774-1255
High powered triodes for Tube Tesla (Continous Wave) coils.
> Fair Radio Sales, P.O. Box 1105, Lima, OH (no zip given)
> Tel: 419-223-2196, 419-227-6573, FAX 419-227-1313
"One of the best sources for electronic surplus." H.Goldman
> American Welding & Fabrication, 333 E. Highbanks Rd #25
> Debary FL 32713 USA
Supplier of spun aluminum toriod and sphere discharge terminals.
> Ross Engineering Corp., 540 Westchester Dr. Campbell, CA 95008
Supplier of discharge terminals
> Edward Wingate, "Wingate Electric", 545 Salmon Creek Rd.
> Brockport, NY 14420 USA
I list this address for completeness. CAVEAT EMPTOR! Mr. Wingate
is mailing flyers advertising rotary spark gaps. This "company"
was not registered in the state of New York when I last checked,
and I had to cancel my dealings and association with Mr. Wingate
due to problems of shifting prices and shipping dates. Headache.
> Richard T. Quick II, 10028 Manchester Rd., Suite 253, Glendale,
> Missouri, 63122, USA
I have a two hour video tape that documents my 10" diameter
secondary coil and 10 KVA power supply in operation. It covers a
wide area of related high voltage experiments and techniques.
(Jacob's Ladder, RF choking, spark gaps, critical coupling, etc.)
Due to the dangerous nature of this work I cannot be responsible
for the safety of life, limb, or property should anyone choose
to, or attempt to, reproduce any of the equipment or experiments
featured on the video. To obtain a copy: send a blank, high
quality, VHS video tape; a first class postage pre-paid, self
addressed mailer; and $10.00 US. I will happily trade tapes.
This text file gets regular updates, as I both see and receive,
many requests for information on this subject. YOUR references
or reviews would be welcomed additions to this file. While I
always try to be as accurate as possible, there are no assur-
ances that ANY of the information posted here is error free, or,
that there is no risk in acting on this information.
Revelant text files from this (and related threads), my GIF file
spark gap diagrams (w/text instructions & parts lists), GIF
wiring diagrams and circuit schematics (with accompanying text
instructions/explanations), as well as Tesla Coil shareware
calculator programs and other public domain programs/material,
are available on this BBS. This information/software is also
mailed out at no charge to anyone who sends me a self addressed
postage pre-paid mailer and a blank 1.44 floppy disk.
... If all else fails... Throw another megavolt across it!
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12