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Re: SERIOUS QUESTION and why we may be out of this hobby!
Chip,
I request equal time this time. There is at least one technical
error that has been made, and certainly without a doubt a political
stand is being promoted.
>Message-ID: <199701070525.WAA16756-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
>Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 22:25:30 -0700
>From: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
>To: Tesla-list-subscribers-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: SERIOUS QUESTION and why we may be out of this hobby!
>
>> Subject: SERIOUS QUESTION and why we may be out of this hobby!
>
>Subscriber: hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com Mon Jan 6 22:20:25 1997
>Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 16:29:12 -0800
>From: Richard Hull <hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: SERIOUS QUESTION and why we may be out of this hobby!
>
>Tesla List wrote:
>>
>> Subscriber: knardell-at-mailhost.accesscom-dot-net Sun Jan 5 20:41:14 1997
>> Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 22:21:18 -0600
>> From: Kevin <knardell-at-mailhost.accesscom-dot-net>
>> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>> Subject: SERIOUS QUESTION and why we may be out of this hobby!
>>
>> Well, I contacted a friend at a TV station and he advised me that the FCC
>> says (NEW LAW) that tesla coils,plasma balls, and similar devices fall under
>> this new law and if you are caught operating them could face serious fines.
>> Information unlimited also says that plasma balls will no longer be sold due
>> to this law, what is going on here????????????????????????????????????
I have no idea whether this story is true or not.
However, if this is true, personally I welcome some tightening of
QRM/RFI regulations in general. The EMI pollution-suppression
requirements for new personal computers was certainly most welcome.
As an avid AM-broadcast-band DX'er, I find RF interference from all
sources is getting worse. Light dimmers are really bad, as are
older models of personal computers. As pointed out many times on
this list and the others, properly made, properly grounded,
properly shielded Tesla Coils should be no problem at all, but I
know from private mail, from experience and from just listening to
this and other forums that such precautions are not always taken.
Something that I would personally find morally **intolerable** is
operating a TC and causing sparks in my neighbor's home. This is
extremely tasteless and rude and crude. The TC operator very
likely doesn't know what the neighbor is doing, and given any
flammable liquids there is a real danger of ignition. This is not
to mention destroying or interfering with the neighbor's electronic
equipment. Such actions are immoral and simply **intolerable**,
and yet it is without a doubt correct that such actions have been
justified on this list and comments supporting such a stand have
been passed by the moderator. I state fact.
[ snip ]
>
>The guy at the TV station did a great job of putting the fear of God into
>you. The FCC has no way of isolating the average Tesla coil's location
>without being in the neighborhood while you are running it.
That's not exactly true, Richard. Here is where some experience
from really old ham-radio people (much older than I) is handy.
Have you ever heard of a grid-dip meter? The Grid-dip meter is
like a combination 'sonar' and shot-gun microphone for RF devices.
It normally isn't very directional, but it certainly *can* be made
directional. And it works at **several meters** distant. We used
them here at TRIUMF during installation of the RF system. If the
FCC had some idea of the frequency the TC was running at, and what
neighborhood blocks to look in, then in principle anybody with the
right fancy equipment could scan buildings from the outside for a
resonant device at that frequency, even with the device's power
off! It could conceivably be done from a van driving up and down
the back lanes. ("Shades of 'Mission Impossible'", you say!)
Of course, it would depend on how well the TC building was
shielded. But if the EM radiation was getting out, that kinda makes
me think that the probe-field from the grid-dip meter could get in
and detect the coil.
[ snip ]
>
>All the best of luck. Again, I have heard of no new Federal laws on TC
>related devices. I do know that there are always a lot of new
>federal laws coming onto the books and I definitely know of no recent
>ones that make any sense.
>
>"The government that governs least, governs best. - Thomas Jefferson
>
>This is known as the Jeffersonian principle.
>
>Richard Hull, TCBOR
Richard clearly made a political statement here. Chip, you allowed
it. Why? The door is wide open and you've got your hand on the
door handle. I sincerely hope you keep it open for me, for I
should have the same right on the side of Law and Order and Human
Decency as Richard has for promoting Anarchy. This time, Chip, I
request equal time. If you want, close the door after I get my
equal time.
There needs to be laws against driving drunk. Why? To protect the
innocent's lives and their Human Rights. There needs to be laws
against fraud for the same reasons. In fact, when you get right
down to it, if there weren't people who would do these things then
we wouldn't need laws. Result? We are all under Law today. And
the good laws are based on the Biblical Golden Rule - "do unto
others as you would have them do unto you". Then there is the
'negative' form of that law, which is also good, "don't do
something unto others if you don't want them to do it to you".
These two rules comprise the thing we call Human Decency. And the
right to expect Human Decency from all others is what we call Human
Rights.
Speaking in general here, one must come to realize that there
*needs* to be enforcement of rules because, human nature being as
varied as it is, there is a certain portion of humanity who either
don't know what they are doing and therefore need guidance, or else
they do know and they don't care, and still decide to act like pigs
when it comes to other people's human safety and human rights.
Thus we need law enforcement and education, to get such people
gently back into line. Gentle guidance. I'm not necessarily
speacking of punishment, however.
Fred W. Bach , Operations Group | Internet: music-at-triumf.ca
TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility) | Voice: 604-222-1047 loc 6327/7333
4004 WESBROOK MALL, UBC CAMPUS | FAX: 604-222-1074
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6T 2A3
"Accuracy is important. Details can mean the difference between life & death."
These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.