[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: What IS special about a Tesla coil?
Hi Bob,
I once gave a public demo of my 125VA TC (1 foot sparks or so), it's design is
a little unconventional, and very shabby in construction. When I switched
it on,
a little pathetic crown of corona appeared around the rim of the iso (a
glorified toilet float), instead of the nice long violet streams of plasma,
meanwhile my cap bank was smoking away! The funny thing was that everybody
applauded, while I was trying to explain it was supposed to be more impressive.
Anyway it turned out to be the result of my legendary crimping skills. So
during
the break I botched it up with a bit of tin foil and polished up the SG, while
some guy a knew was making witty comments about "that's a fine machine you
have"
and "nice polished knobs", the usual British humor you don't need in that sort
of situation. Anyway, the point is that if people don't know, they don't hold
any preconceived ideas; it's can be harder to impress a coiler than an
uninitiated member of the public.
I am of a more theoretical background, I know my way around a integral, but not
sure which way to hold a screwdriver. In the past, every thing I built went
wrong, I knew how it was supposed to work, but it never did. But one day I
built
a little ignition coil driven TC, I seemed to have the knack, it worked
straight
away. I calculate the whole thing out, build it and it works. However I soon
learnt that playing with the kit I had built, trying different configurations,
lead to new discoveries. This is how my unusual configuration for a TC system
came about, I call it a low power half-wave magnifier. Well, of late I have
been
pretty inactive as a coiler, but instead have been indulging in a little hero
worship; namely Mr. N. Tesla.
I feel that there just are not enough coilers out there who read his work.
Amongst his lectures are some real gems, stuff he dropped that others could
continue with. How many here would admit to their copy of the CS Notes as being
reduced to an expensive dust collector. I guess this book is by definition the
bible of TC coiling, i.e. holds all the secrets, but not very often opened.
I think Tesla with his streak of megalomania would find microelectronics a bit
wimpy, what's the fun in micro amps of current at a few volts of potential. So,
yes, definitely fusion reactors. It may be worth mentioning that latter in his
life (1930s), Tesla stated that he planed an apparatus to prove atomic physics,
he was specifically referring to his particle beam device. So after years of
critical mass, they are finally taking him up on his offer.
Also, Tesla did actually get ahead of the telecommunications industry. Remember
that robot boat he built? Well, it used frequency multiplexed pulse code
modulation, a method extensively used in telephone networks. Strangely he
generated this digital data by tapping out the instructions with a morse
key. So
either the decoder at the other end was good, or his timing on the key was
extremely accurate. Another interesting point is that this same robot had a
mechanical logic gate, the most fundamental element of the computer.
So, what is special about a tesla coil, well it opens the door to the many
other
marvelous inventions of Nikola Tesla, some of which have allowed me to send
this
message!
Gavin, U.K.
Tesla List wrote:
> Original Poster: "bob golding" <yubba-at-clara-dot-net>
>
> Hi Gavin,all,
> You bring up some interesting points. If /when people ask me why I
> build Tesla coils I usefully take them round to the shed, (or at least I did
> until the people next door moved a load of computers in :-(( ), fire up
> the coil, and watch the reaction. I must admit when I run the coil for an
> audience the applause is very nice, Funny how some people avoid me
> afterwards. The people who are most impressed tend to be "techies". One
> person refused to believe Tesla coils existed until he saw it running! I
> tend to agree that a lot of energy goes into the telecomm/computer industry,
> but don't forget without it we would not have this wonderful newsgroup. I
> tried finding out about Tesla coils some years ago and found it almost
> impossible to get any information. If Tesla was around today I am sure he
> would embrace our technology, and still be light-years ahead of most people.
> I feel that if the nuclear industry carries on doing such a good job of
> shooting itself in the foot more resources will be put into things like
> fusion research. If Tesla was around today it would be interesting to see
> which one he would have developed. I fancy it would be fusion myself. Of
> course he would probably be developing something totally new.
>
> cheers
> bob golding
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tesla List" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2000 1:45 PM
> Subject: Re: What IS special about a Tesla coil?
>
> > Original Poster: "Gavin Dingley" <gavin.dingley-at-astra.ukf-dot-net>
> Yet any coiler
> > will
> > acknowledge that a disruptive discharge coil can convert more power than
> any
> > solid state device or thermionic valve driven system.
> > We get usable technology from playing around with hardware, not mucking
> around
> > with theory about what may be happening on the other side of the universe.
> > Edison and Tesla made more of a contribution on our lives than Einstein or
> Max
> > Plank. Even the tunnel diode, the first device to work on the principles
> of
> > quantum mechanics, was discovered by a manufacturing error in a diode
> factory.
> > In short we did not need to know about quantum tunneling to benefit from
> it.
> > I am afraid to say I have more admiration for some of the people on this
> list
> > than I do for Hawkins, as they will probably do more for humanity in their
> > research than he.
> > So bring back Tesla (metaphorically) and get some real mind blowing
> technology
> > going, like we had a hundred years ago, not the advanced paper shuffling
> > technology that dominates our world today (Internet, Computers, Digital
> T.V.
> > etc...).
> >
> > Sorry if I have upset anybody,
> >
> > Gavin, U.K.
> >